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Shares of MRS Oil Nigeria Plc (CHEVRON) have increased by over 36% month-to-date on the Nigerian stock exchange, bringing its year-to-date performance to 71.42%. On October 29, the company released its third-quarter earnings report, showing a pre-tax profit of N6.2 billion—an increase of 108.9% from N3 billion in 2023. Revenue rose by 141.90% to N169.5 billion, contributing to a year-to-date total of N248.7 billion, with sales of Premium Motor Spirit representing over 85% of the revenue. Related Stories Weekly Market Wrap: Nigerian stock market soars 1.76% as All-Share surpasses N61 trillion, MRS Oil and ETERNA PLC lead gains Nigerian All-Share shatters 100,000 barrier as MRS (Chevron) and WAPIC top gainers Following the earnings announcement, the stock experienced a period of stagnation throughout November, with little notable price movement. However, on December 12, bullish activity resumed, leading to four consecutive days of gains and positioning MRS Oil Nigeria Plc among the top advancers on the Nigerian Exchange for the third week of December. Market trend MRS Oil began 2024 on a positive note, continuing the momentum from the previous year. The stock opened in January at N105 per share and rose to N126, with a trading volume of 2 million shares. February saw further gains, closing at N135 as it entered the N130 range. However, from March to November, the stock experienced limited price movement, reflecting decreased market activity in the second and third quarters. In mid-December, the stock gained traction again, closing strongly for four consecutive days, which resulted in a month-to-date trading volume of 4.1 million shares as of December 20, 2024. Several key factors likely contributed to the bullish price movements of MRS Oil in late 2024. Notably, the release of the earnings report on October 29 was likely a catalyst, revealing a pre-tax profit of N6.2 billion—a remarkable 108.9% increase from N3 billion in 2023. This impressive financial performance was driven by a 141.90% growth in revenue for the quarter, consisting mainly of Premium Motor Spirit sales, which accounted for 85% of the total nine-month revenue of N248.7 billion. Moreover, the recent successful completion of the Federal Government’s inaugural oil bid under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 further bolstered the company’s prospects. MRS Oil, alongside other major players like TotalEnergies and Sifax, secured Petroleum Prospecting Licenses, outbidding NNPC. These licenses empower the company to explore, develop, and extract hydrocarbons from both onshore and deep offshore oil blocks, likely contributing to the surge in its stock price during the latter part of Q4. MRS Oil recently slashed the pump price of petrol to N935 in its outlets in Lagos, as against the N1,000 sold in early December.
Indian scientists find survival strategies of some primitiveorganisms on EarthABILENE, Texas (AP) — Sam Hicks scored on a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter and finished with 171 yards on the ground to lead Abilene Christian to a 24-0 victory over Northern Arizona on Saturday in the first round of the FCS playoffs. The Wildcats (9-4), ranked No. 15 in the FCS coaches poll and seeded 15th, qualified for the playoffs for the first time and will travel to play No. 2 seed and nine-time champion North Dakota State (10-2) on Saturday at the Fargo Dome. The Bison had a first-round bye. Abilene Christian grabbed a 7-0 lead on its second possession when Carson Haggard connected with Trey Cleveland for a 37-yard touchdown that capped a 10-play 97-yard drive. Northern Arizona (8-5), ranked 17th but unseeded for the playoffs after winning five straight to get in, picked off Haggard on the Wildcats' next two possessions but could not turn them into points. NAU went for it on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line with 9:30 left before halftime, but Jordan Mukes tackled Ty Pennington for a 4-yard loss. That led to a 46-yard field goal by Ritse Vaes and a 10-0 lead at halftime. The score remained the same until Hicks' big run with 10:16 left to play. Haggard passed 6 yards to Blayne Taylor for the final score with 2:16 to go. Haggard completed 23 of 29 passes for 244 yards with three interceptions. Abilene Christian's defense allowed at least 20 points in every game during the regular season and yielded at least 30 six times. The Wildcats lost their season opener to FBS member Texas Tech 52-51 in overtime. Abilene Christian's last shutout came in a 56-0 victory over Lamar on Sept. 25, 2021. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Quick Links Testing the US Navy's Super Hornets The Rhino's latest Block What are the new features? GE's engine enhancements Fear the Rhino's weaponry Block II vs Block III The future of the Boeing Super Hornets Boeing announced that the F/A-18 Super Hornet upgrades include a large area display and advanced Tactical Targeting Network Technology for more powerful computing, with a Distributed Targeting Processor-Networked DTP-N that reduces pilot workload by allowing evidence-based information on the new display. This open mission systems processor has the power to compute algorithms to manage any complex air combat. “These first deliveries of Block III SLM jets are a major milestone in our continued efforts to ensure capability, reliability, availability and maintainability of the Super Hornet aircraft,” said Capt. Michael Burks, program manager for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office . The aerospace giant has received the F/A-18 Block II for Service Life Modernization SLM , which will be upgraded to the new Block III configuration, adding an extra 4,000 flight hours. Boeing successfully delivered the first two upgraded fighters from its two facilities in St. Louis and San Antonio to the US Navy on June 27, 2024. On March 2024, The US Navy awarded Boeing a $1.3 billion contract for 17 F/A-18 Super Hornets and a technical data package. The contract was awarded to help address the strike fighter shortfall, with final delivery expected in spring 2027. The Navy also plans to convert 550 other Super Hornets to the Block III standard. Boosting US air capabilities in the region. Testing the US Navy's Super Hornets Boeing delivered its first two Block III Super Hornets to the US Navy for flight testing in June 2020 . It marked a shift from purchasing new jets from Boeing to focusing on developing the fourth-generation fighter jet. The Block III model is more "networked and survivable" than the Block II design, with five major design features: An advanced cockpit system that combines original displays into a glass touchscreen. Conformal fuel tanks for fuel-carrying and tanking capacity. A prominent flight service life. Radar cross-section improvements. An advanced networking infrastructure to aid the pilot in decision-making. The Navy announced that the funds for a multiyear purchase of Super Hornets from 2022 will be redirected to developing Air Dominance and other aviation wholeness investments. The decision to truncate the Super Hornet production line is about freeing up the Boeing production line and workforce to focus on the program, which would maintain the right balance of Super Hornets versus F-35 Fighters in the carrier air wing and deliver greater capability and service life on converted jets. “The Super Hornet remains a predominant aircraft in the carrier air wing and will continue to provide significant combat capability into the 2040s,” said Rear Adm. John Lemmon, Program Executive Officer for Tactical Aircraft Programs. The Rhino's latest Block The Super Hornet, available in two models - the single-seat E and two-seat F - performs various tactical missions, including air superiority, precision-guided strikes, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control, and tanker missions. Its new strengthened airframe will extend the service life to more than 10,000 flight hours. What are the new features? The advanced Rhino offers operational advantages against technologically advanced systems and adversaries. Its advanced processing, networking, survivability, and range/payload capabilities provide an operational advantage. The Block III aircraft features an improved cockpit with a 10 in × 19 in (25 cm × 48 cm) large touchscreen display, updated integration, and targeting networks. It provides pilots with extraordinary payload flexibility. Its advanced data link and threat detection enable better data processing and transmission, operating in lightning and thunderstorm weather and cold temperatures. It also features an advanced cockpit system and long-wave Infrared Search & Track for long-range threat detection. Over 800 Super Hornets produced with over 10 million flight hours, tested and proven for regular upgrades, offer low procurement and total life cycle costs of approximately $19K USD per flight hour. GE's engine enhancements The modern General Electric afterburning turbofan features an enhanced performance engine (EPE) that boosts the power output of the F414-GE-400 by 20%. The F414 Enhanced Engine offers enhanced performance, survivability, and payload for the twin-engined F-18 Block III. The F414 can be retrofitted for improved component capability and reduced ownership costs. The US Navy has relied on the F414 engine for over 30 years, providing over 5 million engine flight hours and unrestricted operability. The F414 is also a potential powerplant for emerging platforms like the Korean KF-X KAI KF-21 Boramae, Indian Medium Combat Aircraft HAL Tejas Mk2, and Swedish Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen. Fear the Rhino's weaponry The aircraft features a next-generation cockpit, an internal infrared search and track system, and conformal fuel tanks. It also has an enclosed weapons pod (EWP) and a new missile warning system. It offers a day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, featuring 11 hardpoints distributed at the wingtips, under the wing, and under the fuselage. The new weapons pod can carry missiles and bombs with reduced radar lock risks. It can use shorter-range Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, AMRAAM, Joint Standoff Weapon, Small Diameter Bomb, and Mk-84 general-purpose bombs. Like Block II, it has a 20mm M61 rotary cannon and can carry the AGM-65 Maverick missile, AGM-84 Harpoon ship-killing missile, and AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missile. Air-to-air missiles Air-to-surface missiles AIM-7 Sparrow AGM-158 JASSM AIM-9 Sidewinder AGM-158C LRASM AIM-120 AMRAAM AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER AIM-260 JATM AGM-154 JSOW AIM-174B AGM-88 HARM AGM-84 Harpoon AGM-65E/F Maverick The jet can also carry the ADM-141A/B TALD decoy missile and the Raytheon AN/ALE-50 towed decoy system, an electronic countermeasure tool designed to protect US military aircraft from radar-guided missiles to confuse and saturate enemy air defenses, allowing attacking aircraft and weapons a higher probability of penetrating the target. This heavy lifting, which exceeds 17,000 lb (7711 kg), is useful for fleet defense missions, early warning missions, electronic surveillance, and tankers. Block II vs Block III The fourth-generation fighter, a 20% larger and 7,000 lbs heavier aircraft than the prior Hornets, offers increased capability and functionality. Its additional hardpoints and powerful engines enable it to carry more ordnance and expand its range. With most internal improvements, one visible change is incorporating conformal fuel tanks, which attach directly to the fuselage, reducing drag. Another advantage of the Block IIIs is increased lifespan, improving flight time between training and deployments. Feature Block II Block III Data Link Multi-Functional Information Distribution System MIDS Tactical Targeting Network Technology TTNT Conformal Fuel Tanks N/A Available, increasing range Mission Computer Advanced Mission Computer AMC Distributed Targeting Processor-Networked DTP-N, 17 times more powerful Service Life 6,000 Flying hours 10,000 Flying hours The future of the Boeing Super Hornets Boeing and Northrop Grumman financed the Advanced Super Hornet program, which features a 50% reduction in frontal radar cross-section, conformal fuel tanks CFT, and an enclosed weapons pod. The new block could be integrated into the EA-18 Growler to reduce underwing space and lower drag margin for the Next Generation Jammer . The F/A-18E/F mission allows combatant commanders to conduct offensive and defensive air combat missions, attack ground targets using the US inventory of precision and non-precision weapon stores, provide in-flight refueling for other tactical aircraft, and offer organic tactical reconnaissance capabilities. Australia and Kuwait have acquired earlier Super Hornets, but Australia is transitioning to F-35A fighter jets, and Kuwait has ordered Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Canada has halted the Boeing F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet from its Future Fighter Capability Project FFCP competition. The decision was made after rigorous evaluations of proposals based on capability, cost, and economic benefits. The US Navy's Hornet has an exceptional legacy of performance that has made it the jet of choice for the flat-top fleet in the modern era.
"Drones" were in the headlines again this week -- and for millions of Americans up and down the East Coast, maybe also over -head. As far north as New York to as far south as Florida -- and as far west as an Air Force base in Ohio, too -- unidentified flying objects (UFOs) that appear to be a mix of formation-flying quadcopter and fixed-wing drones have been reported buzzing American skies. The FBI and Homeland Security insist this is all bunk, that there's "no evidence" that drones "pose a national security or public safety threat," and that the things people are seeing may not even be drones at all but rather misidentified private and commercial aircraft. Regardless, citizens are worried and politicians are irate. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has asked the White House to send "special drone-detection tech" to monitor the airways in New York and New Jersey. Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) wants a "state-of-the-art drone detection system" for her state. In the meantime, the Federal Aviation Administration has banned flying drones over large swathes of central and northern New Jersey for the next month. Buy American or buy Dutch? Obviously, that's untenable as a long-term solution. Drones are part of everyday life now , from families unwrapping DJI drones at Christmas to companies using drones to inspect crop health and cellphone tower repairs. Rather than banning their use entirely, we really need a solution that tells us who's flying around up there. Sen. Schumer and Gov. Hochul favor buying an "IRIS" radar system from Dutch company Robin Radar Systems, already in use in Ukraine to detect Russian drones. This small radar is described as having a 360-degree field of view and being able to detect flying objects to a range of 3 miles. But here's the thing: We don't need to import radar systems from the Netherlands to solve this problem. There's a made-in-America solution already available. (Re) introducing JLENS I'm talking about JLENS, the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System that RTX Corporation ( RTX 0.88% ) developed for the U.S. military back in the early 20-teens. Designed primarily for missile defense, the U.S. Army describes JLENS as being able to detect "all fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and land attack cruise missiles," and even "surface moving targets, large caliber rockets, and tactical ballistic missiles." Like IRIS, JLENS provides a 360-degree field of view, but with significant advantages over IRIS. In contrast to the Dutch system, which sits on the ground, JLENS aerostats float two miles up in the air, extending their horizon such that a single JLENS "can track multiple threats simultaneously up to a range of 340 miles." Moreover, unlike the civilian IRIS system, JLENS possesses fire-control radars among its suite of sensors and can direct active weapons systems to target and destroy threats as they're identified. Time to reactivate JLENS? Admittedly, JLENS is not currently an active U.S. military program. In 2015, a JLENS system stationed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland broke loose from its ground tether and began wandering aimlessly around the Eastern seaboard , frustrating law enforcement efforts to bring it down to Earth. By 2016, Congress had zeroed out funding, effectively canceling the JLENS project here in the U.S. Internationally, however, JLENS may still be active -- perhaps in the Netherlands' own backyard. Just earlier this year, the Pentagon informed Congress of a request by Poland to purchase multiple aerostat systems for missile defense. While not referred to by the "JLENS" name, these aerostats appear to be in the same line of work as JLENS -- and RTX was named as the principal defense contractor on the sale. JLENS versus IRIS Assuming the U.S. decides to invest in military technology to get its drone situation under control, JLENS seems to me a more cost-effective solution than IRIS, although it may not seem so at first. Details of a 2022 U.K. contract suggest IRIS costs about $300,000 per year to operate versus JLENS costing $235 million to purchase. At first, that may seem to make IRIS the budget-conscious choice for drone control, but consider: JLENS's 340-radius range of detection, across a 360-degree field of view, encompasses some 363,000 square miles of coverage. (The cubic volume of coverage would be even greater.) To cover a similar area with IRIS's 3-mile range (and 113-mile area of coverage) would require setting up more than 3,000 separate IRIS radars...at a total cost of more than $960 million. Just thinking mathematically, therefore, it appears to me that JLENS offers significantly more bang for the buck than does IRIS. In addition, JLENS is a made-in-the-U.S.A. product, benefiting U.S. companies, which IRIS is not and does not. And if buying JLENS helps to accelerate RTX's 10% long-term projected growth rate and makes RTX stock a bit more attractive a buy than its 33 price-to-earnings ( P/E) ratio makes it appear today, then for investors, that would certainly be another argument in favor of buying JLENS.Gus Malzahn will no longer be the head football coach at UCF. Malzahn resigned from the Knights and has accepted an offensive coordinator job under FSU’s Mike Norvell in Tallahassee, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel . “Sources: UCF head coach Gus Malzahn is resigning to become the new offensive coordinator at Florida State, sources told ESPN. His UCF tenure will end after four years at 28-24. Malzahn will be FSU’s primary play caller, a role held by Mike Norvell. So this marks a distinct shift for Norvell, who has shaken up his staff in the wake of a 2-9 season that concludes tonight against Florida. The move comes in the wake of two uneven seasons for Malzahn at UCF, as they went 6-7 last year and struggled this season in going 4-8,” Thamel tweeted. Malzahn’s resignation comes a day after UCF lost to Utah in Week 14 to move to 4-8 in 2024. While Malzahn wasn’t likely to be fired just yet, the 59-year-old may just be traumatized after being let go, perhaps prematurely, by Auburn. The Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi relayed that Malzahn was likely going to be on the hot seat throughout the 2024 season but still expected him to return . “Unless there is a sudden change of heart from Malzahn himself or UCF’s administration, I’m assuming the coach will get one more season to fix a broken program that is moving in the wrong direction,” Bianchi wrote. “UCF lost eight of its last nine games this season and has a 5-13 conference record in two seasons since joining the Big 12, The Gus Bus is obviously stuck in reverse, and the question is can Malzahn get it into gear and move it forward in 2025? “Athletic Director Terry Mohajir has publicly supported him, but such endorsements often come with a quick expiration date. If UCF doesn’t show significant improvement next year, Mohajir will have no choice but to make a change. The financial stakes – in the form of booster donations, NIL contributions and ticket sales – are too high to keep losing.” Things change quickly in college football. Malzahn knows that, and he found himself a lower-pressure job with a more decorated program.
The days of Vincent Desharnais with the Vancouver Canucks seem numbered. The 28-year-old Hometown defenseman, standing 6-foot-7, is having a tough season marked by performances below expectations. With only 21 games played out of all the games the team has played this season, he is struggling to establish himself in an already well-stocked defensive corps. The return of Derek Forbort and the addition of Mark Friedman have only heightened the competition for Desharnais, making ice time hard to come by. Noah Juulsen and Erik Brannstrom, his main rivals for spots in the bottom defensive pairs, have taken away precious minutes. Despite his two assists this season, the Laval native has not shown the consistency needed to secure a lasting role. Vincent Desharnais available for a trade: a name well-known among Montreal Canadiens fans Signed for two years at $2 million per season last July, Vincent Desharnais could become a trade asset for the Canucks. According to journalist Rick Dhaliwal, his name is actively circulating on the trade market. Vancouver could consider a trade if it allows them to address other needs. Although he has shown interesting defensive potential in the past, Desharnais seems to be struggling to adapt to the Canucks' system this season. The coming days will be crucial for his future. A trade could offer him an opportunity for a fresh start elsewhere while allowing Vancouver to maximize his value on the market. He is certainly a name familiar to Montreal Canadiens fans, whether for his segments on BPM Sports or for his physical play, and it's clear he could be an interesting addition, but I believe Arber Xhekaj is already well-established in that role. We truly wish him the best in finding the right fit. This article first appeared on Habs Fanatics and was syndicated with permission.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tanner McKee’s first career NFL touchdown pass was thrown to a Philadelphia Eagles fan named Patrick. OK, McKee actually threw the 20-yard TD to Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J Brown, who — in a momentary lapse of reason — chucked the souvenir football into the Lincoln Financial field stands. Uh-oh. “I felt so bad,” Brown said, “because I threw it so far.” McKee, a sixth-round pick out of Stanford in 2023, is a career third-string QB who had never played a regular-season snap until he was pressed into emergency duty Sunday against Dallas. Jalen Hurts did not start because of a concussion and Kenny Pickett — who ran and threw for a TD in the Eagles’ 41-7 win — was knocked of the game with injured ribs. That opened the door for the 24-year-old McKee to play in a game in which the Eagles clinched the NFC East. He did his part — including the 20-yard strike in the third that made it 34-7. The celebration was temporarily muted when he realized his ball — a milestone keepsake for any player — was somewhere in the stands. Little did McKee know the ball was coming back to him. Eagles fans kicked off a bit of a relay with the ball once they realized its significance to McKee. The fan who caught the ball was promised a jersey from Brown. He sent the ball to one fan, who passed it to Eagles security chief “Big” Dom DiSandro to hand to another Eagles employee to Brown and finally to McKee. Souvenir secured. “I appreciate whoever gave the ball back,” McKee said. “(Brown) was like, ‘I’m sorry, bro. I got the ball back.’ So, yeah, it was good. He made a great play, and obviously a great catch.” It was Brown’s throw that needed work. Brown stripped off and signed his game jersey and handed it to a fan named Patrick as a thank-you for returning the football — all while fans chanted “E-A-G-L-E-S!” around him. “We’ve got great fans here,” Brown said. McKee needed more room on the trophy shelf — he threw a second TD pass in the fourth quarter. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
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NEW YORK (AP) — He's making threats, traveling abroad and negotiating with world leaders. Donald Trump has more than a month and a half to go before he's sworn in for a second term. But the Republican president-elect is already moving aggressively not just to fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but to achieve them. Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, prompting emergency calls and a visit from Canada's prime minister that resulted in what Trump claimed were commitments from both U.S. allies on new border security measures. The incoming president has warned there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY" if Hamas does not release the hostages being held in Gaza before his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. And this weekend, Trump returned to the global stage, joining a host of other foreign leaders for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral five years after it was ravaged by a fire. There, he was welcomed like a sitting dignitary , with a prime seat next to French President Emmanuel Macron . Absent in Paris: lame duck President Joe Biden, who has largely disappeared from headlines, except when he issued a pardon of his son , Hunter, who was facing sentencing for gun crimes and tax evasion. First lady Jill Biden attended in his place. “I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you’ve seen in the last four years. And we’re not even there yet,” Trump said in an over-the-top boast at an awards ceremony Thursday night . For all of Trump's bold talk, though, it is unclear how many of his efforts will bear fruit. Breaking precedent The pre-inauguration threats and deal-making are highly unusual, like so much of what Trump does, said Julian Zelizer, a political historian at Princeton University. “Transitions are always a little complicated in this way. Even though we talk about one president at a time," he said, “the reality is one president plus. And that plus can act assertively sometimes." Zelizer said that is particularly true of Trump, who was president previously and already has relationships with many foreign leaders such as Macron, who invited both Trump and Biden to Paris this weekend as part of the Notre Dame celebration. “Right now he’s sort of governing even though he’s not the president yet. He’s having these public meetings with foreign leaders, which aren't simply introductions. He's staking out policy and negotiating things from drug trafficking to tariffs," Zelizer said. Foreign leader meetings Trump had already met with several foreign leaders before this weekend's trip. He hosted Argentinian President Javier Milei in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago club in November. After the tariff threat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago for a three-hour dinner meeting. Canadian officials later said the country is ready to make new investments in border security, with plans for more helicopters, drones and law enforcement officers. Incoming Trump aides have also been meeting with their future foreign counterparts. On Wednesday, several members of Trump's team, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, met with Andriy Yermak, a top aide to Zelenskyy, in Washington, as Ukraine tries to win support for its ongoing efforts to defend itself from Russian invasion, according to a person familiar with the meeting. Yermak also met with Trump officials in Florida, he wrote on X . That comes after Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Qatar and Israel for high-level talks about a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, according to a U.S. official familiar with the efforts, meeting with the prime ministers of both countries. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. One president, two voices There is no prohibition on incoming officials or nominees meeting with foreign officials, and it is common and fine for them to do so — unless those meetings are designed to subvert or otherwise impact current U.S. policy. Trump aides were said to be especially cognizant of potential conflicts given their experience in 2016, when interactions between Trump allies and Russian officials came under scrutiny. That included a phone call in which Trump's incoming national security adviser, Michael Flynn, discussed new sanctions with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, suggesting things would improve after Trump became president. Flynn was later charged with lying to the FBI about the conversation. Trump’s incoming press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “all transition officials have followed applicable laws in their interactions with foreign nationals.” She added: “World leaders recognize that President Trump is returning to power and will lead with strength to put the best interests of the United States of America first again. That is why many foreign leaders and officials have reached out to correspond with President Trump and his incoming team.” Such efforts can nonetheless cause complications. If, say, Biden is having productive conversations on a thorny foreign policy issue and Trump weighs in, that could make it harder for Biden “because people are hearing two different voices” that may be in conflict, Zelizer said. Leaders like Russia's Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu may also anticipate a more favorable incoming administration and wait Biden out, hoping for a better deal. Coordination between incoming and outgoing administrations Although there is no requirement that an incoming administration coordinate calls and meetings with foreign officials with the State Department or National Security Council, that has long been considered standard practice. That is, in part, because transition teams, particularly in their early days and weeks, do not always have the latest information about the state of relations with foreign nations and may not have the resources, including interpretation and logistical ability, to handle such meetings efficiently. It is unclear the level of State Department involvement, but the Biden and Trump teams say they have been talking, particularly on the Middle East, with the incoming and outgoing administrations having agreed to work together on efforts to free hostages who remain held in Gaza, according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. That includes conversations between Witkoff and Biden’s foreign policy team as well as Waltz and Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan. Last month, Biden administration officials said they had kept Trump’s team closely apprised of efforts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israel-Lebanon border. “I just want to be clear to all of our adversaries, they can’t play the incoming Trump administration off of the Biden administration. I’m regularly talking to the Biden people. And so, this is not a moment of opportunity or wedges for them," Waltz said Friday in a Fox Business interview. Sullivan echoed those comments at the Ronald Reagan National Defense Forum Saturday. “It has been professional. It has been substantive. And frankly, it has been good," he said of their coordination on national security issues. “Obviously we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, and that’s no secret to anybody," he went on. But he said both teams believe “it is our job on behalf of the American people to make sure this is a smooth transition,” particularly given the seriousness of issues like the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East and threats from China. “The nature of the world we find ourselves in today only elevates our responsibility to be engaged, to talk regularly, to meet regularly, to be transparent, to share, and to make sure it’s an effective transition,” he said. Taking credit already Trump’s team, meanwhile, is already claiming credit for everything from gains in the stock and cryptocurrency markets to a decision by Walmart to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies Trump opposes. “Promises Kept — And President Trump Hasn’t Even Been Inaugurated Yet,” read one press release that claimed, in part, that both Canada and Mexico have already pledged "immediate action” to help “stem the flow of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and deadly drugs entering the United States." Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has stopped short of saying Trump mischaracterized their call in late November. But she said Friday that Trump “has his own way of communicating, like when we had the phone call and he wrote that we were going to close the border. That was never talked about in the phone call.” Earlier this week, Mexico carried out what it claimed was its largest seizure of fentanyl pills ever. Seizures over the summer had been as little as 50 grams per week, and after the Trump call, they seized more than a ton. Biden, too, tried to take credit for the seizure in a statement Friday night. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Colleen Long and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.
Felt lost in 2024? Reminiscing can help start the new year with purpose
