ATLANTA (AP) — A judge is weighing whether a Georgia state Senate committee has the right to subpoena testimony and documents from Fulton County District Attorney as it looks into whether she has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. The Republican-led committee sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify at its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. The committee was formed earlier this year to examine allegations of “various forms of misconduct” by Willis, an elected Democrat, during her prosecution of over their efforts to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss in Georgia. Willis’ attorney, former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes, told Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram during a hearing Tuesday that although the Georgia General Assembly has subpoena power, that power is not automatically conferred on a single legislative chamber or its committees. Even if the committee did have such power, he argued, the subpoenas in question are overly broad and not related to a legitimate legislative need. Barnes said the focus on Willis and her investigation into Trump shows that the committee was politically motivated and not a legitimate inquiry into the practices of district attorneys’ offices: “What they were trying to do is chill the prosecution of Donald Trump and find out what they had.” Josh Belinfante, a lawyer representing the lawmakers, said there is nothing in the Georgia Constitution that prohibits the Senate from issuing a subpoena. The duly formed interim committee is looking into whether new legislation is needed to regulate the practices of district attorneys’ offices in the state, he argued. “They are investigating and making an inquiry into these allegations that may show that existing state laws, including those establishing the processes for selecting, hiring and compensating special assistant district attorneys, are inadequate,” Belinfante said. The resolution creating the committee focused in particular on Willis’ hiring of , with whom she had a , to lead the prosecution against Trump and others. It says the relationship amounted to a “clear conflict of interest and a fraud upon the taxpayers” of the county and state. One of the committee’s subpoenas orders Wills to produce documents related to Wade, including documents related to his hiring and payment, documents related to money or items of value that Wade and Willis may have exchanged, text messages and emails between the two, and their phone records. The committee also requested any documents her office sent in response to requests from the U.S. House, as well as communications Willis and her office had with the White House, the U.S. Justice Department and the House relating to the 2020 presidential election. And they asked for documents related to federal grant money Willis’ office has received. Before the deadlines in the subpoenas, Willis challenged them in court. Willis’ challenge was pending in mid-September when she during which the committee members had hoped to question her. In October, the committee asked Ingram to require Willis to comply with the subpoenas. The committee’s lawyers wrote in a court filing that Willis’ failure to do so had delayed its ability to finish its inquiry and to provide recommendations for any legislation or changes in appropriations that might result. Barnes also argued that once the regular legislative session has adjourned, which happened in March this year, legislative committees can meet to study issues and come up with recommendations but do not have the power to compel someone to appear or produce documents. Belinfante rejected that, saying the state Constitution expressly permits the creation of interim committees and allows them to make their rules. Even if these subpoenas were validly issued, Barnes argued, they ask for too much, including private and personal information that is not a legitimate target of a legislative subpoena. Belinfante said the lawmakers are simply trying to do their jobs. He asked that Willis be ordered to appear before the committee in early January. He also asked that she be ordered to provide the requested documents and explain what privilege justifies any that are excluded. With a glaring lack of state case law on the issue of the General Assembly’s subpoena power, that’s one issue Ingram will have to address. She said she will consider the arguments and release her order as soon as she can. Willis and Wade have but have said it began after he was hired and ended before the indictment against Trump was filed. Trump and other defendants argued that the that should disqualify Willis and her office from continuing with her prosecution of the case. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee that Willis’ actions showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment,” but he did not find a conflict of interest that would disqualify Willis. He said she could continue her prosecution as long as Wade stepped aside, which he did. Trump and others to the Georgia Court of Appeals, and that appeal remains pending. Kate Brumback, The Associated PressStocks were choppy Tuesday as investors looked ahead to this week's key events on the economic calendar , which include a Wednesday afternoon appearance from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the Friday morning release of the November jobs report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the day down 0.2% at 44,705. However, the S&P 500 (+0.05% at 6,049.88) and the Nasdaq Composite (0.4% at 19,480) held on for a win, with both notching new record closing highs. Wall Street kept a cautious eye on global markets, though developments overseas did little to move the needle here at home. Most notably, South Korea's president, Yoon Suk Yeoul, declared martial law early Tuesday in order to eradicate "pro-North Korean forces." However, the country's parliament quickly – and unanimously – voted to end the order and President Yoon eventually agreed. Subscribe to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Be a smarter, better informed investor. Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail. Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail. Job openings, quits were higher in October In economic news, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said this morning that job openings rose to 7.7 million in October from 7.4 million in September. Professional and business services saw the largest increases (+209,000), while the federal government saw the biggest decline (-26,000). The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) release also showed that hires fell to 5.3 million from 5.6 million the month prior. Total separations edged up to 5.3 million from 5.2 million as quits rose 2.1%. "The labor market continues to look cooler, but not in trouble," says Elizabeth Renter , senior economist at NerdWallet. "Despite some month-to-month volatility, the number of job openings and hires continue to trend downward. This is happening at the same time as a low rate of layoffs." The job openings data hits just ahead of the Labor Department's monthly nonfarm payrolls report, which is due Friday morning. Shruti Mishra , an economist at BofA Securities, expects the report to show the U.S. added 240,000 new jobs in November – a sharp rebound from October's addition of just 12,000 jobs. "This above-consensus forecast is driven by expected payback for the temporary drag on payrolls in October due to Hurricane Milton and the Boeing ( BA ) strike," Mishra writes in a note to clients. However, the economist notes that a strong November jobs report "is unlikely to derail" a rate cut by the Fed at its December meeting, "but an upside surprise in November inflation could do the trick." According to CME Group's FedWatch Tool , futures traders are currently pricing in a 74% chance the Fed will cut interest rates by a quarter-percentage point at its meeting later this month – up from 62% yesterday. AT&T makes shareholder-friendly promises In single-stock news, AT&T ( T ) continued its red-hot run, rising 4.6% to bring its year-to-date gain to 40%. The telecom is headed toward its best calendar-year performance since 2019 and this latest surge comes courtesy of the company's shareholder-friendly initiatives. Specifically, at its annual Analyst & Investor Day, AT&T said it expects to accumulate at least $50 billion in free cash flow over the next three years, $40 billion of which will be returned to shareholders through dividends and stock buybacks . "Under this capital return plan, the Company expects to maintain its current annualized common stock dividend of $1.11 per share," AT&T said in a press release . "This plan would result in $20 billion+ in total dividend payments, with capacity for about $20 billion in share repurchases, from 2025-2027." Credo stock soars after earnings Credo Technology Group ( CRDO ) was another big winner, surging 47.9% after the maker of high-speed connectivity solutions for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers reported its fiscal second-quarter results. For the three months ended November 2, the company disclosed earnings of 7 cents per share on revenue of $72 million, beating analysts' expectations. Credo also forecast fiscal third-quarter revenue of $115 million to $125 million, with the midpoint of this range exceeding Wall Street's outlook for $120 million. "For the past few quarters, we have anticipated an inflection point in our revenue during the second half of fiscal 2025," said Credo Technology CEO Bill Brennan in the earnings release . "I am pleased to share that this turning point has arrived, and we are experiencing even greater demand than initially projected, driven by AI deployments and deepening customer relationships." Related content The Best Retail Stocks to Buy This Holiday Season Roth IRA vs. Traditional IRA: Which is Better? What Is an Index Fund and Should I Invest in One?The NCAA doesn't actually call it National Signing Day anymore because it isn't just one day. College football's modern version of this annual rite of passage, conducted mostly by fax machine not long ago, is the early signing period. And it begins Wednesday. This is when most of the best high school football recruits in the country will make their college choice official. The dynamic, of course, changed in recent years with the huge emphasis placed on the transfer portal and the introduction of name, image and likeness benefits for players. But there's an excitement to the end of another recruiting cycle, with commitments and recruiting flips serving as another method to take stock of where programs stand as the College Football Playoff and college football's offseason calendar collide. There's a slew of top prospects set to announce decisions on Wednesday, as well as potential movement by top prospects who re-opened their recruitment late this year . Here's what to know about the start of the early signing period in college football: RECRUITING CALENDAR EXPLAINED: Why was college football early signing day moved up? When is early national signing day? There is not a singular National Signing Day in college football anymore. The three-day early signing period will run from Wednesday, Dec. 4 through Friday, Dec. 6, one day before the Power Four conferences hold their league championship games. It's more than two weeks earlier this year when compared to 2023. There had been widespread criticism from college coaches about how condensed the sport's calendar had become with the early signing period, the opening of the transfer portal, and bowl prep occurring simultaneously in December. College football recruiting dates 2024-25 Here's a look at the key college football recruiting dates for the 2024-2025 offseason: Top 2025 football recruits: Undecided players Here's a look at some of the top 2025 uncommitted football prospects planning to announce their college plans during the early signing period, according to 247 Sports and Rivals . *Star ratings based on 247 Sports Composite rankings Top recruits who could flip *Star ratings based on 247 Sports Composite rankings College football recruiting rankings *247 Sports' 2025 team rankings as of Dec. 3

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NEW YORK, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Results from the 2024 Travelers Risk Index highlight a concerning increase in distracted driving, with many risky behaviors surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Recently, Jessica Kearney and Ginny Brzezinski from the Travelers Institute, along with Ryan McMahon from Cambridge Mobile Telematics, partnered with D S Simon Media on a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the dangers of distracted driving, tips to navigate the holidays, and the growing use of telematics to offer solutions. Millions of Americans will be hitting the road this holiday season, and with that comes a rise in distracted driving. While traffic fatalities decreased by 4% last year to 44,450, distracted driving remains a growing issue. According to the 2024 Travelers Risk Index, 78% of consumers believe distracted driving is worse now than a few years ago, with many drivers admitting to risky behaviors: close to 60% are reading texts or emails while driving; 26% are updating or checking social media; and 24% are taking photos or videos. Young drivers, particularly Gen Z, are especially at risk. Compared to overall averages, drivers ages 16-20 engage in some hazardous driving behaviors more frequently, like texting/emailing, scrolling and GPS navigation. Additionally, 41% of parents surveyed said they don’t feel like distracted driving is emphasized enough in drivers ed, so they are taking matters into their own hands. Here are some important tips to help prevent distracted driving: Activate the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your phone to block notifications while driving. Before starting your trip, program your GPS and review the route to avoid distractions while on the road. Consider signing up for a telematics program to promote safe driving habits beyond the holiday season. Finally, don't hesitate to speak up if you see a friend or loved one driving distracted—encourage them to focus on the road. If you're on the phone with someone who's driving, ask them to call you back once they've safely reached their destination. Telematics technology is playing a key role in promoting safer driving by collecting data from connected vehicles, IoT devices, and smartphones. It tracks behaviors such as speeding, hard braking, and distraction, and provides users with feedback to help improve their driving habits. By monitoring performance and encouraging safer choices, telematics helps drivers adopt better habits beyond the holiday season. To learn more about the Travelers Institute, visit travelersinstitute.org . To learn more about Cambridge Mobile Telematics, visit cmt.ai . About Jessica Kearney Jessica Kearney is Vice President for Public Policy at the Travelers Institute, the public policy division of Travelers. In this role, she leads corporate thought leadership initiatives on policy issues of interest to the property casualty insurance sector, as well as the financial services industry more broadly. Her portfolio has included work addressing the economy, cybersecurity, small business advocacy, auto safety, autonomous vehicles and disaster preparedness. She also serves as a member of the company’s Autonomous Vehicles and Electric Vehicles Working Groups. Kearney is co-creator, producer and guest host for the Travelers Institute’s webinar series, which seeks to help business and risk professionals navigate today’s biggest challenges in insurance, business and leadership. She leads operations and initiatives for the Travelers Institute, presents at client and industry conferences, and was named to Insurance Business America’s annual Hot 100 list for 2022. About Ginny Brzezinski Ginny Brzezinski is Assistant Vice President for Public Policy Initiatives at the Travelers Institute, the public policy division of Travelers. In this role, she works on corporate thought leadership initiatives on policy issues of interest to the property casualty insurance sector, as well as the financial services industry more broadly. Brzezinski is a producer for the Travelers Institute’s webinar series, which seeks to help business and risk professionals navigate today’s biggest challenges in insurance, business and leadership. Her portfolio also includes work on the Institute’s podcast and social media. Prior to joining Travelers, Brzezinski worked for more than a decade on Capitol Hill, including as Communications Director for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the U.S. Senate Government Affairs Committee and Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Bill Roth. She is the co-author of Comeback Careers, a blueprint for women looking to reinvent, reboot or reimagine careers at 40, 50 and beyond. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Brown University and completed Masters studies in communications at Boston University. About Ryan McMahon Ryan McMahon is the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development at Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT), the world’s largest telematics provider. Ryan joined CMT from the insurance industry where he held several leadership roles, introducing new products and insurance services to personal and commercial markets. Ryan is a member of CMT's executive team with responsibilities overseeing corporate development, government, and public affairs. Ryan holds a BA in Psychology from SUNY Potsdam and an MBA from Worcester Polytechnic University. About D S Simon Media: The firm is well known as a leader in the satellite media tour industry and produces tours from its studio and multiple control rooms at its New York headquarters. Clients include top brands in healthcare, technology, travel, financial services, consumer goods, entertainment, retail and non-profits. Established in 1986 the firm has won more than 100 industry awards. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of the Travelers Institute. Dante Muccigrosso Director of Media Integration & Client Reporting E: dantem@dssimon.com C: 973.524.0104 A video accompanying this release is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/96ea9c3b-7434-4a89-83c4-2cdbdf2ccd2bMUMBAI: Amid ongoing tensions between the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP over key portfolios at the state level, a similar power struggle is playing out in Shinde’s home turf, Thane. Both parties are vying for the coveted guardian ministership of the district, a position that carries significant influence over development funds and projects. With civic elections slated for next year, the stakes are high. The guardian minister wields control over the allocation of district development funds, including last year’s ₹ 940 crore budget. BJP argues that it deserves the post, citing its numerical advantage in the district, where it has nine MLAs compared to Shiv Sena’s six. Traditionally, the post goes to the party with more MLAs in the ruling alliance. In the previous government, the position was held by Shambhuraj Desai of Shiv Sena. Before that, Shinde himself served as Thane’s guardian minister from 2014 to 2019 and continued during the MVA government until 2022. Upon becoming chief minister, Shinde handed over the role to Desai. Now, with Shinde serving as deputy chief minister, Shiv Sena is pushing for him to reclaim the post. “Thane’s guardian ministership has historically been with Shiv Sena. As CM, Shinde Saheb couldn’t take it, but as deputy CM, he must. He has the vision for the district,” said Pratap Sarnaik, Shiv Sena MLA from Ovala-Majiwada. On the other hand, BJP leaders argue that the post should align with their superior numbers. “Our strike rate in Thane is 100%. We have nine MLAs compared to Shiv Sena’s six. Ideally, the guardian ministership should go to us,” said Sanjay Kelkar, BJP MLA from Thane. Ravindra Chavan, BJP MLA from Dombivli, echoed the sentiment, “The final decision rests with our leaders, but we believe all guardian ministerships should come to BJP.” Thane district, which includes major cities such as Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Navi Mumbai, and Mira-Bhayander, is a key political battleground. As the tussle continues, the decision will likely have significant implications for next year’s civic polls.

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