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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history.Baker Mayfield’s equipment donation helps prep program to state title
Pascarelli had six rebounds for the Red Foxes (6-2, 2-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Elijah Lewis added 18 points and eight rebounds. Jason Schofield had 12 points and finished 6 of 10 from the floor. Will Sydnor led the way for the Jaspers (4-5, 1-1) with 15 points and two blocks. Wesley Robinson added 14 points, six rebounds and two steals. Masiah Gilyard had 13 points and six rebounds. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .For many, cars and trucks are a necessity of modern life. Although public transportation serves millions, most of us living in North America can't really depend on it. This leaves us relying on our various personal vehicles to get where we need to go. This means we also have to deal with vehicles that eventually wear out. And thanks in large part to Alfred P. Sloan, CEO of General Motors in the 1920s, cars don't last forever. Back then, Sloan realized that consumers buying cars that lasted an extraordinarily long time would have no need for a new model, thus decreasing GM profits. So he devised the concept of planned obsolescence, which continues to plague buyers of goods from smartphones to light bulbs to cars to this day. Fortunately, some manufacturers do better than others. Some automakers actually try to make durable cars. The Japanese brands bucked this trend somewhat when they entered the American market, and consumers reacted enthusiastically, quickly sending their sales to the top. However, these days the longevity of new cars is a mixed bag and it can be hard to know which one will go the distance. Some cars are much more likely to make it to 300,00 miles than others, and some are known to go for far more than that. Regardless, these 11 cars of various eras are well-known for regularly making it to 300,000 miles and beyond. Since 1984, Toyota's 4Runner has blazed trails around the globe, offering the perfect mix of ruggedness, comfort, and capability. Furthermore, buyers have come to know and trust its reliable nature, flocking back to the brand for repeat purchases. Debuting as not much more than a Toyota truck with rear seats and an enclosed bed, it morphed into the full-fledged SUV we know today. While the robust V6 option is no longer available for the 2025 Toyota 4Runner , its four-cylinder options are more powerful than any before. However, with a no option starting price of $40,705, any claims of being affordable quickly dissolve. No matter what year of 4Runner you consider, it should last a very long time. Toyota maintenance requirements fall well below the median with one of the lowest costs. Provided that you acquire a 4Runner, new or used, for an acceptable price, ownership should be smooth sailing. Many people trade cars every few years, but this could be a good choice if you tend to hold on to your vehicles for a long time. 4Runners from 2003 to 2009 merit additional inspection as Toyota had issues with rusting frame rails. If a frame recall has been performed, they should be otherwise reliable. Those built from 2010 to 2013 are said to be the most trouble-free, but practically all 4Runners made, especially in the last 20 or so years, should have no problem making it to 300,000 miles or more with regular maintenance. Production of the Mercedes W123 , a chassis designation for a range of gasoline and diesel models, ended many years ago, but you probably wouldn't notice in some parts of the world. In Africa, for example, the W123 continues to rule the streets as private cars and regularly as in-service taxis. 40 and 50-year-old Mercedes taxis can still be hailed today, although the state of the cars may range from surprisingly well-kept to shockingly still running. These cars are way overbuilt, and everything about them feels solid from the clunk of closing a door to the click of the wiper switch. Attention to quality is evident with every component, and the car's longevity is a testament to that. A further testament is a Teneriffa News report from 2023 of a stretched 240D on Gran Canaria used to ferry up to eight passengers around the island as it has done since 1988, astoundingly racking up about close to 4.3 million miles (7 million kilometers). It gets weekly oil changes and has only had its engine replaced once. The 240D is a notoriously slow car, however. For better performance, many buyers have opted for the Mercedes-Benz 300D (or 300TD wagon), featuring a stout five-cylinder turbo diesel that will run forever. Bring a Trailer sold one in 2021 with 782,000 miles for $9,123. 300,000 miles is no problem for these tank-like cars. By then it'd probably just be considered broken in. Someone looking for a high mileage car may want to check into Volvo. After all, the record holder for the highest mileage one-owner car is a Volvo P1800 with an astonishing 3.2 million miles . However, while the P1800 is a sports car from the '60s that's hard to find these days, the Volvo 240 is far less rare, though it is also long out of production. Long thought of as the perfect professor's car, the Volvo 240 exudes a distinctive aesthetic suggesting the designers had a particular love affair with the right angles and straight lines. From 1975 to 1993, Volvo sold this car with modest aesthetic changes while being powered by the legendarily robust Volvo B230FT Redblock engine , both turbocharged and naturally aspirated. Recent examples of high mileage 240 cars have been reported by Hemmings , 1 million miles, Autoweek , 626,476 miles, and The Drive , 480,000 miles. These old bricks are still available in good supply, but prices are rising. Being incredibly reliable helps keep older cars on the road for years, and the Volvo 240 is no exception. Should you find one well maintained but with 270,000 miles, you can count on it going at least another 30,000 or more. For about half a century, a Ford pickup has been the best selling vehicle in America. Its dominance in the market remains unquestioned today as millions of people rely on their truck to get work done on the farm, on-site, or on the road. A few things can explain why Ford has held such a lofty position within the market, but rugged dependability is key to its success. The best-selling model has been the half-ton F-150 as it presents the right combination of capability, size, and economy. For those who need a little extra to get stuff done, the Super Duty, covering models F-250, F-350, and F-450, feature heavy duty frames and suspensions for larger payloads. Ford introduced the F-250 in 1953 and all heavy trucks became Super Duty in 1999. But the most significant change came in 1994 with the International-built Powerstroke diesel. With the Powerstroke, Ford Super Duty trucks gained a direct-injected and turbocharged powerhouse with an electronically controlled fuel system. This meant more power and efficiency, and it has also translated into long life and durability. 200,000 miles should be a breeze, and most Super Duty trucks aren't considered high mileage until they hit 350,000. Even then, they aren't worn out and it is not unreasonable to think you could get a million miles out of a Powerstroke. That said, the most reliable Powerstroke diesels are the debut 7.3-liter model through 2003 and the current 6.7-liter since 2011. Built on the rear-wheel-drive full-size Panther Platform, the Ford Crown Victoria sedan has become one the most recognizable cars in North America. Driven by police, cabbies, and g-men for years, the Crown Vic was one of the most common service vehicles of its era, in addition to being a genuinely comfortable family cruiser. Initially the upscale trim of the Ford LTD, the Crown Victoria became a stand-alone model with a full redesign matching the smoother Euro-inspired design of the Taurus in 1992. With it came the all-new 4.6-liter Modular V8, the first American full production OHC V8 and one of Ford's best engines ever made . Simplicity is one of this car's greatest traits. Using a stiff body-on-frame platform with rear-wheel-drive makes it easy to repair and maintain, and the low-stress V8 can run for miles on end with little more than an oil change. As late as 2023, The New York Times wrote about a 2011 model in service as the last taxi in New York on this platform, and its mileage exceeded 550,000 miles. Some consider the Crown Victoria the most reliable car on the road. Most models are expected to make it to 200,000 miles, but 300,000 is reasonable as long as your kids don't wear out everything else first. Any list of cars that can attain high mileage is always going to have a couple of Toyota models, including the pioneering Toyota Prius . Upon its debut in 1997 — 2001 in the American market — the Prius was in a market segment of one. Honda sold the hybrid Insight, but it was inferior in many ways, leaving Toyota to nearly corner the market for a decade. The thing about driving a Prius is that it is made for efficiency, so the driving experience is not its forte. However, its fuel mileage averaged nearly 50 mpg, and it is an extremely reliable car, with Consumer Reports rating it 5/5, and CarComplaints noting just two common problems in 2011 and not much else. A high rating for safety rounds out the package as an all around good buy. In addition to being reliable, the Prius is known for longevity. Shortly after its introduction, taxi services started putting them in service, noting the incredible saving in fuel as a significant benefit. However, once in service, they prove even more economical by needing few repairs, affordable maintenance, and lasting upwards of 500,000 miles with regular use. A new Prius is expected to make it at least 200,000 to 250,000 miles, but owners regularly report more than 300,000 miles of use, and sometimes well over 500,000. Sadly, one of the most legendarily durable and reliable Toyota vehicles is not available for Americans to buy, although they once could. Toyota enlisted Hino Motors to build a truck it designed in 1968, releasing it as the Hilux. It then sent the truck around the world to conquer farms, outback, and country roads in all corners, including the United States. However, it left the American market mid-way through 1994 to make way for the domestically produced Tacoma, thus avoiding the "chicken tax" tariff of 25%. As Americans started driving Tacomas, the rest of the world continued getting successive generations of Hilux as it continued to receive updates along with the rest of Toyota's lineup. Jeremy Clarkson demonstrated just how incredibly tough these trucks are when he put one through a series of grueling tests like letting it float out into the surf and being atop a highrise as it came down in a demolition, only to see it start and continue to run in an episode of " Top Gear." In addition to being rock solid tough, these trucks are also incredibly long-lived. Vehicle Score U.K. estimates the lifespan of a Hilux to be 522,000 miles, based on mileage of scrapped vehicles. Other anecdotal stories seem to back this up as Australian Jack Morris' 1983 Hilux hit 650,000 km in 2018, and Australian Ian Moreland made it to one million in 2017. This makes 300,000 miles look like child's play. When breaking into the American market, Honda worked hard to overcome a prevailing attitude that Japanese products were inferior and cheap, ensuring the quality of its products were of the highest caliber while offering more affordability to win over skeptical customers. The efforts paid off as Honda grew quickly, introducing an increasing number of models and eventually establishing manufacturing in the United States itself. The Honda Accord became the first Japanese car manufactured in an American facility, and it has continued to be a top seller ever since. It has been the best-selling car in America for much of the last five decades and landed on the Car and Driver 10Best list 38 times. This only happens when a company builds a good product people want to buy. The lifespan of a Honda Accord is estimated to be between 200,000 and 300,000 miles, depending on who is estimating. It's not hard to find multiple listings for sale in excess of 200,000 miles, and some people have taken them to an extreme. The Truth About Cars found one in a junkyard recently with 475,113 miles, and The Drive showcased a 2003 model with nearly 1 million miles. Something you will find in all of these stories about extremely high mileage cars is that the owners performed meticulous maintenance. When you do that, making 300,000 miles should be an easy goal post to reach. The overall reliability of Volkswagen vehicles generally strays from the highest echelon of auto manufacturers. It makes some good cars that are largely dependable, but some models occasionally lower its overall reputation. The Jetta is the mid-size car in VW's lineup, though it might be considered a small car by American standards. It began as a sedan version of the Rabbit in 1979 as a sort of experiment that took off and became a regular model. VW introduced diesel engines to its Golf in 1976, but it wasn't until in 1991 that the direct-injected and turbocharged TDI engines made diesel competitive with gasoline for the first time. The TDI continued to be a mainstay for the company until Volkswagen seriously sabotaged itself with the Dieselgate scandal . In 2016 the company announced it was phasing out diesel engines altogether. Although they have not been at dealers as new cars lately, there are plenty of Jetta TDI models available on the used market. They get great mileage and the engines produce plenty of torque. Furthermore, with meticulous maintenance, they can go for a very long time. You can find reports from owners on Reddit of Jettas with 500,000 to 600,000 miles and some dealers estimate engines last up to 500,000. Some might be surprised to hear that one of the cars expected to last 300,000 miles would be a Ford hybrid. People unfamiliar with the technology may fear that the batteries won't last long enough, but new data shows that batteries are actually outlasting expectations, making hybrids a rational choice for long-term ownership. Ford's smaller Escape SUV has been around for some time, and the hybrid version was first offered in 2005 advertising mileage of up to 36 mpg city thanks to its 2.3-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and 75-kW motor. Curiously, they drew the attention of many American politicians, who showed up for photo ops and many even owned them, including President Barack Obama. At some point, Escape Hybrids began being picked up by taxi companies, taking advantage of the excellent fuel savings along with the extra cargo space available for passenger's bags. They also proved their worth by continuing to serve as taxis for extraordinarily long lives, racking up as many as 493,936 miles. The Detroit News once road tested an Escape Hybrid taxi with 400,000 miles, finding that while it was well-worn and beat up, the original drivetrain operated flawlessly. If you are curious whether one can do 300,000 miles, ask a cabbie (if you can find one today). While trucks have been Chevrolet's bread and butter since 1918, its truck-based Suburban remains the longest-running nameplate in America, since 1937. Much has changed in the nearly 90-year history of the Suburban, and the models of today are grand luxury palaces compared to the spartan and austere cabin of the original. But one thing that has been consistent is build quality and toughness. Suburbans have always been built on rugged truck platforms and capable of doing heavy work, even if they are often used today to get to soccer practice. Many past Chevy truck owners will likely tell you they can go for a long time. But according to statistics gathered by iSeeCars , the Chevy Suburban has one of the longest potential lifespans of any vehicle, ranking third in the study and well ahead of the Silverado pickup. Furthermore, a report from WGAL news showed a man with a 500,000-mile Suburban at one time and The Lincoln Journal Star reported a 1994 model with more than a million miles, making it totally plausible an average Suburban could make it 300,000.If Filer boys basketball can learn one thing from last year, it’s that good things take time. The Wildcats started 1-5 in 2023-24 but won 16 straight games, as they captured their first Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference championship since 2013 and advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 2020. Filer graduated eight seniors from that team but are trying to take the same approach this winter as they look to defend their conference championship. The Wildcats (2-2) visit Snake River at 7:30 p.m. Friday. ”Last year we had comradery,” senior Owen Grant told the Times-News . “It took a minute to get that. I feel like it’s going to take a minute this year to get that type of comradery that we did last year. Once it does, we’re going to be a dang good team.” A senior-heavy group in 2023-24 gave way to one with a little more balance across grade levels this season. Filer returns three players — senior Grant, senior Preston Volle and junior Xavier Kelsey. Michael Shaw and Troy Parish join the senior class. Sophomore Kason Coon and junior Bryce Thomas have also made an impact so far. It’s a group that doesn’t have a lot of experience playing together at the varsity level but played together when they were younger. They also played in AAU tournaments this summer to build chemistry. “During summer ball, we were playing good, getting along well,” Volle told the Times-News . “Which showed on the court what we could do and what we could become.” This year’s team lacks the depth and size Filer had last year, when it seemed like anyone on the floor could carry the team on any given night. Head coach Rob Anderson told the Times-News he will looking for Grant and Volle to center a lot of the scoring load, something they did in the 61-30 win over Mountain Home on Tuesday. Grant had a game-high 20 points while Volle added 18. Filer boys basketball seniors Preston Volle, left, and Owen Grant are expected to have big roles this winter for the defending Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference champions. Coon has adjusted well to the varsity level, giving the Wildcats length on the perimeter while splitting ball-handling duties with Kelsey. Filer has competed in every game whether it won against Mountain Home or Sugar-Salem (54-52) or losses to Skyline (62-54) and Snake River (62-45). “Knowing that you want to go out and win every game every night, that sometimes that’s not gonna happen,” Anderson told the Times-News . “But if you are competing at a high level the whole time, you’re only going to be getting better.” When last year’s team bought into defense and playing for each other, things clicked. The hope is Filer’s building toward a similar comradery with different pieces this year. The result became a district title and the Wildcats' first winning season since 2013-14, the last of six straight seasons in which the program finished with a record more than .500. The SCIC looks wide open this year as the four teams graduated at least five seniors each. That means an opportunity for Filer to take another step forward as a program. Winning one district title is one thing. Competing for them consistently is another. ”We want to show them we’re not a one year wonder,” Volle said. “We’re gonna come back, we’re gonna build up the program and it’ll just continue.” Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you don’t miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Don’t have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Justin Fitzgerald is the sports reporter for the Times-News. Prior to coming to Twin Falls, he was the sports reporter at the Cherokee Scout in Murphy, North Carolina for 2.5 years. Despite growing up in Maryland and graduating from the state's flagship university, he thinks Old Bay is overrated. Sent weekly directly to your inbox! 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NEW YORK, Dec. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: New York, N.Y., December 8, 2024. Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of ordinary shares of ASML Holding N.V. (NASDAQ: ASML) between January 24, 2024 and October 15, 2024, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important January 13, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased ASML ordinary shares during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the ASML class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31159 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for more information. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 13, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the issuers being faced by suppliers, like ASML, in the semiconductor industry were much more severe than defendants had indicated to investors; (2) the pace of recovery of sales in the semiconductor industry was much slower than defendants had publicly acknowledged; (3) defendants had created the false impression that they possessed reliable information pertaining to customer demand and anticipated growth, while also downplaying risk from macroeconomic and industry fluctuations, as well as stronger regulations restricting the export of semiconductor technology, including the products that ASML sells; and (4) as a result, defendants’ statements about ASML’s business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the ASML class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31159 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.comIncoming President Donald Trump is tapping another Bay Area Republican for a spot in his administration, announcing Monday that he’s nominating the San Francisco legal warrior Harmeet Dhillon for assistant attorney general for civil rights in the U.S. Department of Justice. Dhillon, 56, is a lawyer and Fox News commentator who worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign and Kari Lake’s 2022 bid for governor in Arizona. She also founded a private law practice and a conservative legal nonprofit that challenged Gov. Gavin Newsom’s shutdown orders during the pandemic and represented a formerly transgender activist. In his announcement Monday on Truth Social, Trump praised Dhillon for her efforts “to protect our cherished Civil Liberties” and challenging “woke policies.” “In her new role at the DOJ, Harmeet will be a tireless defender of our Constitutional Rights, and will enforce our Civil Rights and Election Laws FAIRLY and FIRMLY,” Trump said. Dhillon is the latest of several Bay Area figures Trump has tapped for his second administration, joining tech investor David Sacks, Stanford University health policy professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also owns the former Twitter social media platform X, founded SpaceX and cofounded Neuralink. Dhillon declined to comment for this story, said spokesperson and GOP strategist Matt Shupe. “I’m extremely honored by President Trump’s nomination to assist with our nation’s civil rights agenda,” she said on X, where she has one million followers. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Dhillon would lead the Justice Department’s enforcement of civil and constitutional rights, including the Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The division also prosecutes hate crimes and forces reforms upon police departments marred by misconduct. Dhillon’s prominent role as a Trump attorney and Make America Great Again acolyte has long put her at odds with Newsom and San Franciscans in the famously liberal city, where she has lived for two decades. And although Vice President Kamala Harris easily defeated Trump in Bay Area counties, Dhillon is one of several locals he’s tapping to work in his administration. The incoming president appointed Silicon Valley tech investor Sacks as chief policy advisor on artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. Sacks is an associate of Musk, who is co-leading a division in Trump’s administration to slash government spending. To lead the National Institutes of Health, an economist and Stanford professor of health policy. An outspoken critic of the nation’s public health system, he also was a leading critic of government shut-down orders and mask mandates during the pandemic. Dhillon was born in India and moved with her family to rural North Carolina as a child. She told Time Magazine in 2023 she was exposed to conservative politics by her parents, who saw alignment with the GOP’s values and their Sikh religion. Admitted to Dartmouth College at age 16, she landed a job at the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, and went to law school at the University of Virginia. She founded her own law firm in 2006, and later launched the Center for American Liberty, a conservative legal nonprofit. On her watch in 2021, the nonprofit sued California to challenge its pandemic-era ban on indoor worship on behalf of a Pentecostal church in Gilroy. The nonprofit also sued a Monterey County school district for allegedly encouraging a sixth grader to use different pronouns without parental consent, and represented Chloe Cole, a formerly transgender activist from the Central Valley who de-transitioned and now supports bans on gender-affirming care for minors. “If you look at the cases that Harmeet takes on, especially the civil liberties cases, I think they really show her heart for people who are being oppressed,” said Center for American Liberty Executive Director Mark Trammell. He added that Dhillon will defend the civil rights of all in her new post, without regard for someone’s identity or political orientation. But transgender activists and queer media, including the online site LGBTQ Nation, describe her as “anti-trans.” Dhillon is also a longtime politico in national Republican circles, despite having never held office herself. In 2008 and 2012, she ran unsuccessfully to represent San Francisco in the Legislature and was trounced by Democratic candidates, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. In 2023, Dhillon also fell short in her bid to chair the Republican National Committee. She was an advisor on Trump’s 2020 campaign but didn’t personally participate in its legal battles to challenge election results, said Shupe, the spokesperson. Those efforts were widely dismissed as without merit. “She did not do any of the lawsuits actually charging any of the results,” Shupe said. Elsewhere, Dhillon represented Trump in a legal victory against pornographic actress Stormy Daniels last year, as well as former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who was accused of gender-based discrimination by producer Abby Grossberg.US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the Federal Trade Commission chair is expected to push back against regulating AI, undermining efforts so far. While efforts to regulate the creation and use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the United States have been slow to make gains, the administration of President Joe Biden has attempted to outline how AI should be used by the federal government and how AI companies should ensure the safety and security of their tools. The incoming Trump administration, however, has a very different view on how to approach AI, and it could end up reversing some of the progress that has been made over the past several years. President Biden signed an executive order in October 2023 that was meant to promote the “safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence” within the federal government. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to repeal that executive order, saying it would hinder innovation. Biden was also able to get seven leading AI companies to agree to guidelines for how AI should be safely developed going forward. Aside from that, there are no federal regulations that specifically address AI. Experts say the Trump administration will likely have a more hands-off approach to the industry. “I think the biggest thing we’re going to see is the massive repealing of the sort of initial steps the Biden administration has taken toward meaningful AI regulation,” says Cody Venzke, a senior policy counsel in the ACLU’s National Political Advocacy Department. “I think there’s a real threat that we’re going to see AI growth without significant guardrails, and it’s going to be a little bit of a free-for-all.” Growth without guardrails is what the industry has seen so far, and that’s led to a sort of Wild West in AI. This can cause problems, including the spread of deepfake porn and political deepfakes, without lawmakers restricting how the technology can be used. One of the top concerns of the Biden administration, and those in the tech policy space, has been how generative AI can be used to wage disinformation campaigns, including deepfakes, which are fraudulent videos of people that show them saying or doing things they never did. This kind of content can be used to attempt to sway election results. Venzke says he doesn’t expect the Trump administration to be focused on preventing the spread of disinformation. AI regulations may not necessarily be a major focus for the Trump administration, Venzke says, but it is on their radar. Just this week, Trump chose Andrew Ferguson to lead the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – and he will likely push back against regulating the industry. Ferguson, a commissioner on the FTC, has said that he will aim to “end the FTC’s attempt to become an AI regulator”, Punchbowl News reported, and said the FTC, an independent agency accountable to the US Congress, should be wholly accountable to the Oval Office. He has also suggested that the FTC should investigate companies that refuse to advertise next to hateful and extremist content on social media platforms. Venzke says Republicans think that Democrats want to regulate AI to make it “woke,” which means that it would acknowledge things like the existence of transgender people or man-made climate change. AI’s ability to ‘inform decisions’ Artificial intelligence doesn’t just answer questions and generate images and videos, though. Kit Walsh, director of AI and access-to-knowledge legal projects at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, tells Al Jazeera that AI is being used in many ways that threaten people’s individual liberties, including in court cases, and regulating it to prevent harm is necessary. While people think computers making decisions can eliminate bias, it can actually cause bias to become more entrenched if the AI is created using historical data that is itself biased. For instance, an AI system that was created to determine who receives parole might utilise data from cases where Black Americans received harsher treatment than white Americans. “The most important issues in AI right now are its use to inform decisions about people’s rights,” Walsh says. “That ranges from everything from predictive policing to deciding who gets governmental housing to health benefits. It’s also the private use of algorithmic decision-making for hiring and firing or housing and so on.” Walsh says she thinks there’s a lot of “tech optimism and solutionism” among some of the people who Trump is interested in recruiting to his administration, and they may end up trying to use AI to promote “efficiency in government”. This is the stated goal of people like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy , who will be leading what appears to be an advisory committee called the Department of Government Efficiency. “It is true that you can save money and fire some employees if you are alright with less accurate decisions [that come with AI tools]. And that might be the path that someone might take in the interest of reducing government spending. But I would recommend against that, because it’s going to harm the people who rely on government agencies for essential services,” Walsh says. The Trump administration will likely be spending a lot more time focused on deregulation than creating new regulations if Trump’s first term as US president in 2017-2021 offers any hint of what to expect. That includes regulations related to the creation and use of AI tools. “I would like to see sensible regulation that paves the way for socially responsible development, deployment, and use of AI,” says Shyam Sundar, director of the Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence. “At the same time, the regulation should not be so heavy-handed that it curtails innovation.” Sundar says the “new revolution” sparked by generative AI has created “a bit of Wild Wild West mentality among technologists”. Future regulations, he says, should focus on creating guardrails where necessary and promoting innovation in areas where AI can be useful.
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A fake bomb threat at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Georgia home led to a deadly car crash with a police officer, authorities said. An unknown person messaged the police department in Rome, Ga., on Monday and claimed there was a pipe bomb in Greene’s mailbox , according to Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA. Greene lives in the city about 55 miles northwest of Atlanta. As cops raced to the scene, a member of the local bomb squad crashed into another vehicle , USA Today reported. The unnamed officer struck Tammie Pickelsimer, 66, as she was pulling out of a parking lot, authorities said. Pickelsimer was rushed to a local hospital , where she succumbed to her injuries, according to CBS News. The officer did not suffer serious injuries in the wreck. “I’m heartsick right now,” Greene wrote Monday on social media . “My prayers are with Tammie Pickelsimer, her family, the officer who was injured, and the entire Rome Police Department.” Greene, known for her far-right views, loyalty to Donald Trump and outspoken nature , has been targeted multiple times by fake bomb threats and other swatting calls in the four years since she was elected to the House of Representatives. Federal investigators learned the latest threat came from a Russian IP address, WAGA reported. While the feds probe the bomb threat, Georgia State Patrol will investigate the deadly car crash. ©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.This story is from an installment of The Oeno Files , our weekly insider newsletter to the world of fine wine. Sign up here. Imagine walking to the hostess stand at a nearly empty restaurant, requesting a table for two, and being asked if you have a reservation. As you look around at all the available tables and inform the hostess that you don’t, she scrolls through her tablet, makes a faint huffing noise, cranes her neck, peers into the practically unoccupied dining room, and then tells you that she may have something in 30 minutes if there is a no-show or cancellation. She takes your cell number and you and your companion reluctantly go to a nearby bar to wait for her call, or, more likely, have a drink and scroll through your phones looking for alternatives in the area. This has happened to us, and we’re pretty sure that no matter who you are, it has happened to you as well. Since restaurants are not our regular beat, we are not here to delve into solutions to this problem but rather to an analogous situation in the world of wine: allocations and limited availability. It seems that more and more wineries that sell direct to consumer are still using an old-school technique to move bottles, forcing potential clients to sign up to join a list and being informed when a new vintage is ready for shipment. On an almost daily basis we are amazed at how many wine brands, even brand-new ones, employ this archaic tactic. In an attempt to create an aura of scarcity or exclusivity, it may put off potential customers who heard about a wine and simply want to buy a bottle rather than be “alerted when new bottles are in stock” or “notified when club memberships are available.” We even had this experience in preparation for this article. To give you a little insight into our process, when sample wines are sent for potential inclusion in roundups, we blind-taste them as a group—say a few flights of Brunello di Montalcino or Napa Cabs from the Oakville AVA —and choose the top contenders for inclusion. After evaluating the wine and writing a tasting note based on our impressions, we check and see if the wine is available via an online retailer or the winery website so our readers can buy a bottle. We also receive wines for potential editorial consideration that do not fit neatly into a category we’re currently reviewing, like Ovid 2021 Hexameter from Napa Valley , a luscious Pritchard Hill Cabernet Franc that we tasted among a lineup of Cabernet Francs from around the globe. We were both bowled over by its combination of intensity and elegance and thought it would make a great “Wine of the Week” to run with The Oeno Files newsletter. One click on the “acquire” tab on the Ovid Napa Valley website was all it took to discover that to purchase a bottle one has to first join the list, buy wines from Ovid’s Experiment series, and then wait to become a tenured member before being granted access to Hexameter. For us and our Robb Report readers, that’s a no-go; in this fast-moving digital age there is no reason for us to write about a wine that our readers are unable to purchase on demand. While we are certain that Ovid has found a large audience—it is, after all, a sister property to the Duncan family’s Silver Oak —this sort of gatekeeping is rampant in the wine world but especially so among high echelon brands in Napa Valley, Sonoma, and even Walla Walla. We have mentioned this before, but wine sales are down and are expected to continue their decline, so barriers to purchase just don’t make sense. According to data released in October by the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association ( WSWA ), wine sales for the 12 months through August 2024 decreased by 8 percent, with wine sales at the $100-plus level (the tier we mainly cover) falling by 8.5 percent. Younger people are drinking less or are consuming other beverages, and it just doesn’t make sense to have the digital equivalent to a night-club bouncer and red velvet rope on the homepage—or very close to it—of a winery website. We understand that at a certain level, winery owners—especially those making small lots of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon or red blends from legacy fruit with a superstar winemaker—want to exhibit an air of exclusivity and rarity. We also understand that among a small group of cult wines such as Screaming Eagle, Harlan, Bond, or Hundred Acre, a long-standing reputation, high demand, and limited quantities add up to a situation that requires selling almost all your bottles to existing customers and only adding new ones when older members drop out of the market. After all, the No. 1 spot on Promontory’s club list (along with one case a year for 10 years plus a few large format bottles) was bid up to $600,000 at Auction Napa Valley in 2014. So we get that being on these lists can be a status symbol, too. But that said, there are a lot of seemingly under-the-radar producers who maintain an air of secrecy about their pricing and sales, as well as requiring a signup or membership to purchase bottles. We’ve seen it with brands that are fresh out of the gate, and while all the elements add up to there being potentially high demand, we think that maybe, just maybe, they would actually sell more wine if there were just a price and a “click here to buy” button rather than a complicated process and a wait list. If we want to buy a bottle—or a case—of wine right now, it’s highly likely that when one of us receives an email or a call in two weeks, or six months, or a year and a half, we may have fulfilled that desire elsewhere and not even want that particular bottle anymore. And as engaged consumers indicate a preference for across-the-board transparency in the businesses they patronize, it seems that maintaining a veil of secrecy and a barrier to entry is a risky proposition. Just sell them the bottle already! Do you want access to rare and outstanding reds from Napa Valley? Join the Robb Report 672 Wine Club today .Why Bell Potter rates these ASX dividend shares as key buys - The Motley Fool Australia
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