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Immigration will return to the Department of Justice’s control and may be headed up by a new ‘super junior’ minister, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are also in favour of recreating standalone departments of Transport and Energy in a ‘carve-up’ of multi-faceted ministries held by outgoing Green Party members. And as talks between the two main parties and the Regional Group of Independents resume this week , senior Fine Gael sources said deputy leader Helen McEntee will remain on as Minister of Justice ‘if she wants’. There is likely to be a backlash from Fianna Fáil if Ms McEntee does want to stay on the job. The party – which has 10 more seats than its Fine Gael rivals – has been strongly critical of Ms McEntee’s Justice ministry. In a pre-election interview in this newspaper, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he wanted to run Justice, in coalition with Fine Gael, to ‘make our cities safe again’. In the election campaign, veteran Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea infuriated Fine Gael leadership when he publicly called Ms McEntee ‘the worst Justice Minister in the history of the State’. Despite this, senior Fine Gael figures this weekend insisted it is ‘Helen’s call’ on the portfolio. One party source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘Helen is at the heart of the [Taoiseach Simon] Harris project. The start may have been uncertain but politically they are joined at the hip. ‘If Helen wants to stay in Justice, she stays in Justice. If she wants to move, then she gets the ministry of her choice, outside perhaps of Finance,’ they said. Another source close to the coalition formation talks said: ‘Justice could be a real sticking point. Some ministries such as Finance will be a straight swap between [outgoing Public Expenditure Minister] Paschal [Donohoe] and [outgoing Finance Minister] Jack [Chambers], but if Helen wants to stay in Justice there could be a real problem.’ Whoever does take the top job in Justice is likely to be joined by a ‘super junior’ minister with responsibility for immigration, according to sources. It is widely acknowledged within Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that the crucial portfolio was ‘lost’ in Green leader Roderic O’Gorman’s multi-layered Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. A source told the MoS said: ‘Integration will return to Justice; it is lost in Roderic’s department.’ Another Government source added: ‘Departmental structures are too complicated in some cases. ‘We need to erase the quadruple-barrelled ministries and return to single-issue ministries like Health and Housing and Finance. Integration will be returned to Justice. It needs the clout of a fully-fledged minister and a Department like Justice instead of being stranded in the Children’s brief.’ Other sources noted Fianna Fáil has, ‘displayed a strong interest in a standalone Department of Energy’ as part of a more concerted push to make the country energy self-sufficient. They also said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in favour of a return to a single Department of Transport to drive key road projects that were stalled during outgoing Green Minister Eamon Ryan’s tenure. A Fianna Fáil source said: ‘There are a lot of roads needing to be built. We need to reverse the damage done by the Greens.’ The interdepartmental reshuffle is likely to see the dismantling of Mr Ryan’s department, which spanned Transport and the Environment, Climate and Communications portfolios. Party colleague Catherine Martin’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media could also be broken up, with some portfolios transferred to Ministers of State. One senior Cabinet source told the MoS: ‘The ministries held by Eamon Ryan, Roderic O’Gorman and Catherine Martin will be dismantled. They are too big.’ Meanwhile, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are against giving a full seat at Cabinet to an Independent coalition ally. Referring to the pre-Christmas appointment of Verona Murphy to the €255,000 Ceann Comhairle role, a coalition source said: ‘When it comes to full ministries, we [Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael] are going to scoff the lot. The Regionals got their full ministry with the appointment of Verona.’ Another Coalition source said the two parties – who are just shy of an overall majority – will confine the ambitions of their Independent allies to ‘a couple of junior ministers’. They told the MoS: ‘Christmas came early to the Independents with Verona.’ There is an acknowledgement that the Independents will get the politically attractive Department of Rural and Community Affairs, but not a senior ministry. A source involved in the coalition talks said: ‘It is taken that [outgoing Minister] Heather’s [Humphreys] Rural and Community Affairs brief will go to the Independents as some form of super junior. That is their bread and butter. ‘They can have their pick of ministries, but they won’t be [senior] ministers.’

Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, for the first time since the region was recaptured by government troops in 2018, opposition activists and a rebel commander said Saturday. One resident told The Associated Press the city was on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods. The Syrian army withdrew from much of the country's south on Saturday but later said it was fortifying positions in the Damascus suburbs and in the south. Lebanon said it is closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for a main one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria because of the security situation on the Syrian side. The rapidly developing events in Syria have again put the region on edge. Elsewhere, Palestinian officials said at least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza. Israel's war against Hamas has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage . Israel’s blistering retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,600 Palestinians , more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. Here's the Latest: Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit along with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the situation in Syria. The talks continued late Saturday and no details were immediately available. Qatar, Jordan and Iraq also were part of the discussions as opposition fighters closed in on the Syrian capital, Damascus. BAGHDAD — An Iraqi government spokesperson says about 2,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq seeking refuge as opposition forces advance in Syria. Bassem al-Awadi said the soldiers’ equipment and weapons were registered and taken into custody by the Iraqi army. “We dealt with them according to the principle of good neighborliness and humanity,” he said Saturday. Al-Awadi also said Iraqi officials are concerned about the security of the al-Hol camp and other facilities in northeast Syria where suspected Islamic State group members and their families are detained. The facilities are guarded by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Al-Awadi said there is “high security coordination” between Iraqi officials and those forces to “prevent the prisoners from escaping.” Syria's army says it is fortifying its positions in the suburbs of Damascus and in the country’s south, as opposition fighters close in on the capital. The army statement on Saturday also asserted that Syria is being subjected to a “terrorist” and propaganda campaign aiming to destabilize and spread chaos. The statement also said the military is continuing with operations in areas including the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and that it has killed and wounded hundreds of opposition fighters. At least two people were wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday, according to the Israeli army and rescue services. The army said the attack took place in the area of the Fawwar refugee camp, near the city of Hebron. It said a soldier was severely wounded, and security forces were looking for the attacker. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said another man in his 40s suffered light injuries from shrapnel. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza sparked the war there. Israel has intensified its military raids in the West Bank, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks, and there has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis. The Israeli military says it is helping United Nations forces to head off an attack on a U.N. position in Syria close to the Israeli border. The army said in a statement Saturday that an attack was carried out by “armed individuals” on a U.N. post near the Syrian town of Hader and it was “assisting U.N. forces in repelling the attack.” On Friday, Israel’s military said it would reinforce its forces in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and opposition fighters. Hamas has released a video showing Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker making an emotional plea for his release and describing the conditions he and other hostages face in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. His mother, Einav, has become a symbol of the fight to bring back the hostages and is an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu’s home and “not let him sleep even for a minute.” Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants. “We want to return before we go crazy. Isolation is killing us, and the darkness here is frightening,” he said, describing having little food and medicine and “undrinkable” water. President-elect Donald Trump has made his first extensive comments on dramatic advances by opposition fighters in Syria, saying the besieged President Bashar Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform on Saturday. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration of how the U.S. would handle the sudden advances against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-allied leader. Trump condemned the overall U.S. handling of the 13-year civil war in Syria, but spoke favorably of the routing of Assad and Russian forces. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that there was “now a new reality in Syria” following the rapid advance of rebel forces. Speaking in Gaziantep, a city less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Syrian border, Erdogan said that “increasing attacks on civilians” in Syria’s northwest Idlib province “triggered the latest events like the straw that broke the camel’s back.” It was not possible for Turkey to ignore developments in a country with which it shares a lengthy border and it would not allow any threats to its national security, he added in a televised speech. “Our wish is for our neighbor Syria to attain the peace and tranquility it has been longing for for 13 years,” he told a rally of supporters. “We want to see a Syria where different identities live side by side in peace. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future.” Erdogan claimed President Bashar Assad had erred in rebuffing Turkey’s previous efforts to establish relations, saying Damascus “could not appreciate the value of the hand Turkey extended.” Ankara has supported anti-Assad rebel groups since the early months of the conflict and hosts 3 million refugees dislodged by the fighting. While Turkey lists HTS, the group leading the latest offensive, as a terrorist organization, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army has worked alongside it. BEIRUT — A resident of the Syrian capital of Damascus says the city is very tense as troops and members of security agencies are deployed on main streets and intersections. The resident told The Associated Press that many shops are closed and those that are open have run out of main commodities such as sugar. He added that if food products are available, some shops are selling them for a price three times higher than usual. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said on condition of anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” — Bassem Mroue in Beirut DOHA, Qatar — Russia’s foreign minister says he has met his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Doha and that all three countries were calling for an “immediate end to hostile activities” in Syria. Russia and Iran are the chief supporters of Syria’s government, while Turkey backs opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Speaking at the annual Doha Forum, Sergey Lavrov said Russia continues to help the Syrian army confront insurgents, military via airstrikes. Asked whether Assad’s rule is threatened by the fast-moving rebel offensive, he said, “We are not in the business of guessing what’s gong to happen.” He blamed the United States and the West for the events in Syria and said, “We are very sorry for the Syrian people who became a subject of another geopolitical experiment. “We are doing everything we can not to make terrorists prevail, even if they say they are not terrorists,” Lavrov said, referring to the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgents, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who says he has cut links with al-Qaida. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations. He said Russia, Iran and Turkey want the full implementation of a U.N. resolution, which endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. Resolution 2254 was adopted unanimously in December 2015. The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Lavrov also downplayed reports that Moscow had withdrawn ships from Russia’s base in Syrian city of Tartus, saying that the vessels had left to take part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean. DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. envoy who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah says the deal has created a new opportunity for Lebanon to reshape itself. Amos Hochstein told the Doha Forum that the weakness of Hezbollah after nearly 14 months of fighting along, along with blows to its Syrian and Iranian allies, give the Lebanese military and government a chance to reassert itself. “Now is the moment with this ceasefire to rebuild Lebanon again for a much more prosperous future and stronger state institutions,” Hochstein told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference. He said Lebanon needs “to do its part” by rebuilding its economy, choosing a president after years of delays and strengthening its central government to attract investors. “And the international community has a requirement and a responsibility to support Lebanon after this devastating conflict and after years of Hezbollah control,” he said. Hochstein told the conference that the turning point in ceasefire efforts was Hezbollah dropping its pledge to keep fighting as long as the war in Gaza continues. He said the change in position was the result of the heavy losses inflicted on Hezbollah, and Lebanese public opinion in favor of delinking the two conflicts. He said key tests for the ceasefire will be whether Israel carries out its promised phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon over the coming two months and whether the Lebanese army is able to move into those areas. BEIRUT — Insurgents and a war monitor say opposition fighters are taking over military posts evacuated by Syrian government forces in the country’s south, bringing them closer to the capital, Damascus. An insurgent official known as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition fighters are now in the town of Sanamein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the southern outskirts of Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said insurgents have entered the town of Artouz, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Damascus. Opposition fighters have captured wide parts of Syria, including several provincial capitals, since they began their offensive on Nov. 27. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s government has approved a plan to deploy more troops along the border with Israel, part of the ceasefire deal that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a rare Cabinet meeting outside of Beirut, held Saturday at a military base in the southern port city of Tyre, the government also approved a draft law to reconstruct buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out in October 2023 and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last week. Information Minister Ziad Makary told reporters after the meeting that the committee whose job is to monitor the ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 will hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is made up of military officials from the U.S., France, Israel and Lebanon as well as the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border. As part of the ceasefire deal, during the first 60 days Israeli troops will have to withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah will have to pull its heavy weapons away from the border area to north of the Litani river. The Lebanese army said this week it will begin recruiting more soldiers, apparently to deploy them along the border with Israel. BEIRUT — The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria on Saturday, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said. The redeployment away from the provinces of Daraa and Sweida came as Syria’s military sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The rapid advances by insurgents are a stunning reversal of fortunes for Syria’s President Bashar Assad , who appears to be largely on his own, with erstwhile allies preoccupied with other conflicts. His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes. JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man after he attacked them at a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday morning, police said. The man shot firecrackers at security forces at the checkpoint and threatened them with a knife, the police statement said. The man wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol of the Islamic State militant group, according to an Associated Press reporter Israeli fire has killed at least 700 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, Palestinian health officials said. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel. DOHA, Qatar — The prime minister of Qatar says he has seen new momentum in Gaza ceasefire efforts since the U.S. presidential election, with the incoming Trump administration seeking an end to the conflict before it takes office. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key mediator in the ceasefire efforts, declined to give specifics of the negotiations but told an international conference in Doha that the gaps between the sides are not large. Qatar, which has served as a mediator throughout the 14-month war, suspended its efforts last month in frustration over the lack of progress. But Sheikh Mohammed said his government has re-engaged in recent days after determining a new willingness by both parties to reach a deal. ’We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,” he told the Doha Forum on Saturday. He said has been in touch with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration and found that while there are some differences in approach, both are committed to the same goal of ending the war. ’We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office,” Sheikh Mohammed said. He declined to discuss details, saying he wanted to “protect the process,” but expressed hope for a deal “as soon as possible.” ’If you look at the gaps and the disagreements, they are not something substantial that really affects the agreement,” he said. CAIRO — At least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said. The situation in and around the Kamal Adwan hospital is “catastrophic,” according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital. The dead included five children and five women, according to the hospital casualty list, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Friday’s strikes also wounded 55 people including six children and the five women, according to the hospital. Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the Gaza’s northernmost province , where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military denied that its forces had struck the hospital or operated inside it. The army said that in the past few weeks, “coordinated efforts with international organizations have been underway in order to transfer patients, companions, and medical staff to other hospitals.” An Indonesian medical team which had been assisting in Kamal Adwan for the past week was forced to evacuate on foot after the area was surrounded by Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the team. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the medical team’s expulsion. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories, said an Israeli tank approached the hospital at around 4 a.m. Friday. Although no official Israeli evacuation order was issued, “people started to climb the wall to escape, and this panic attracted IDF (Israeli) fire,” he said. He spoke by video from Gaza to journalists in Geneva. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. MANAMA, Bahrain — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has reiterated the kingdom’s call for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. Prince Faisal bin Farhan described Israel as acting with “impunity and is getting away without punishment” in its war on Hamas there. The prince said that any permanent solution requires a two-state solution, with the Palestinians having east Jerusalem as their capital. After the speech, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent royal in the kingdom who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, took the stage. He harshly criticized Israel’s conduct in the wars. “Israel has become an apartheid, colonial and genocidal state,” Prince Turki said. “It is about time for the world to address that issue and take the necessary steps to bring those who are thus charged by the International Criminal Court to justice.” Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Prince Turki’s remarks. The Saudis spoke at the International Institute for Security Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

Super Micro Wins Key Nasdaq Extension. The Stock Is Soaring.WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden faces a stark choice as he contemplates broad preemptive pardons to protect aides and allies from potential retribution by Donald Trump: Does he hew to the institutional norms he’s spent decades defending or flex the powers of the presidency in untested ways? The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But the president discussed the topic with senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. President Joe Biden speaks Thursday during a tree-lighting ceremony on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington. Biden is taking the idea seriously and has been thinking about it for as much as six months — before the presidential election — but has been concerned about the precedent it would set, according to another person familiar with the president’s discussions who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes — and usually to those who have already been convicted of an offense — but Biden’s team is considering issuing them for some who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. The president could, if he chooses, issue blanket pardons to specific people whom Trump and his allies threatened to punish. Or he could pardon a broad class of people — not unlike pardons issued to those convicted of federal marijuana offenses or those ensnared in the “don't ask, don't tell” military policies. A federal judge rebuked President Joe Biden's pardon for his son, Hunter, who the president claims was unfairly prosecuted. Either way, he'd be using the powers of the presidency in a new way. Some worry that Trump and his allies, who talked of enemies lists and exacting “retribution,” could launch investigations that would be reputationally and financially costly for targeted people even if they don’t result in prosecutions. Biden already extended a broad pardon to his son, Hunter , who was convicted and pleaded guilty in tax and gun cases. He explained that decision by saying he believed the prosecution of his son was poisoned by politics. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that Biden plans additional pardons before leaving office, though she would not elaborate on the process. She referenced “changing factors” that motivated the president to pardon his son despite promising he wouldn’t. She said Republicans continued to try to see Hunter Biden investigated for an array of alleged offenses, a rationale that could support additional pardons for Biden aides and allies. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks Friday during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington. It was two weeks ago that one of the president’s closest allies in Congress, Rep, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, encouraged Biden to pardon his son Hunter. The morning after that conversation, Clyburn told Biden’s staff that he believed the president should also pardon those being targeted by Trump. “I was very forceful in my discussions with him about what I thought he ought to do regarding his son,” Clyburn said Friday. “But I also told them that I thought he ought to go even further, because all the noise about Jack Smith and Liz Cheney and Doctor Fauci and all of that.” Special Counsel Jack Smith has been investigating Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and for accusations he hoarded classified documents at his home. Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican , was the vice chairwoman of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection and campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris. Fauci, an infectious-disease expert, was instrumental in the government's response to the coronavirus. All raised the ire of Trump. President-elect Donald Trump criticized President Joe Biden's decision to pardon Hunter Biden for federal gun and tax convictions, calling it a "miscarriage of justice." Trump highlighted individuals imprisoned for the January 6th Capitol riots, questioning whether they were included in Biden's pardon. Trump suggested he might consider pardoning Hunter Biden during an interview in October, expressing concern over its impact on the country. Hunter Biden's pardon prevents significant prison time, as he faced nearly forty years for gun and tax-related convictions. Clyburn said he told Biden’s team, only half jokingly, that because the Supreme Court already said the president has certain immunities, “let’s give that same immunity to Jack Smith for carrying out his duties and to, Doctor Fauci, Liz Cheney, they were carrying out their duties.” Among those mentioned publicly for possible presidential pardons, there are different sentiments on whether pardons would even be wanted. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi supported the president’s move to pardon his son, but was silent on the speculation that Biden is considering additional pardons for her or others. A top Pelosi ally, Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic congressman who led Trump’s first impeachment, panned the idea of pardoning Biden's allies. He says “the courts are strong enough to withstand” the worst of Trump’s threats. “I don’t think a preemptive pardon makes sense,” the incoming senator told NPR recently. “I would urge the president not to do that. I think it would seem defensive and unnecessary,” Schiff said. Several people on President-elect Donald Trump's team are reportedly supporting efforts to make an Edward Snowden pardon happen. Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, the lead manager on Trump’s second impeachment on the charge of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, said the speech and debate clause in the Constitution already protects members of Congress from prosecution for participating in their legislative duties. Raskin said figures like Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and John Kelly , Trump's former White House chief of staff, would similarly be protected by the First Amendment. Still, Raskin said the question is, “Should they go through the criminal investigation and prosecution for not doing anything wrong? I think that’s why this whole issue has erupted.” Raksin added that with Trump promising to pardon hundreds of people who assaulted police officers on Jan. 6, “I can hardly fault President Biden for exploring the use of the pardon to protect people from a fraudulent and unjust prosecution.” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he’s had no conversations with the White House regarding any preemptive pardons for current or former members of Congress. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Joe Biden walks to the Oval Office after attending the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) A delegate looks at her phone during the Republican National Convention Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jocardo Ralston, 47, from Pennsylvania, looks up to a television to watch the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at Tillie's Lounge on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Supporters of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump look on as a bus carrying Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris passes by following a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Attendees look on at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak on the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives at the Republican National Convention Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at PPG Paints Arena, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and former first lady Michelle Obama arrive to speak during a campaign rally, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Mich. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) A supporter greets Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump after a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A political advertisement for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris is displayed on the Sphere, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris walks toward reporters to speak before boarding Air Force Two, as she departs Las Vegas from Harry Reid International Airport, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, en route to Arizona. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) A voter works on her ballot at a polling place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Former President Donald Trump waits for the start of proceedings in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in New York. Before testimony resumes Tuesday, the judge will hold a hearing on prosecutors' request to sanction and fine Trump over social media posts they say violate a gag order prohibiting him from attacking key witnesses. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump dances after speaking at a campaign event Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris looks at a monitor of the event from backstage, just before taking the stage for her final campaign rally, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is prayed over with Pastor Paula White during the National Faith Summit at Worship With Wonders Church, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Powder Springs, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Forgiato Blow wears a necklace with a likeness of former President Donald Trump before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Elon Musk jumps on the stage as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Voters stand in line outside a polling place at Madison Church, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hugs President Biden during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Lee's Family Forum, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is reflected in the bullet proof glass as he finishes speaking at a campaign rally in Lititz, Pa., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, bottom center, greets supporters after speaking during a campaign rally Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Mich. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) A young girl holds a "Black Voters for Harris-Walz" sign outside of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris' election night watch party at Howard University, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, shares a laugh with second gentleman Doug Emhoff, after reuniting in Pittsburgh, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, aboard Air Force Two, just before taking off from Pittsburgh for her final campaign rally in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool) With tears streaming down her face, a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris applauds as Harris delivers a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Bikers show their support for President-elect Donald Trump while riding on I-84, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Lords Valley, Pa. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump stands on stage with steelworkers as he speaks during a campaign rally at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Latrobe, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Supporters cheer as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Erie, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris appears on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," with Maya Rudolph, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) A delegate wearing a small American flag on his ear watches as Republican presidential candidate and former president, Donald Trump, speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hugs a child after speaking during a campaign event at Washington Crossing Historic Park, in Washington Crossing, Pa., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) President Joe Biden pauses before he addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump departs after speaking at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A voter watches the stage before former first lady Michelle Obama speaks at campaign rally in support of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in College Park, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands before the start of an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Dele Farotimi, a Nigerian lawyer and political activist, has emotionally acknowledged the support of Nigerians after his release from Ekiti prison. His arrest was triggered by defamation claims made by prominent lawyer Afe Babalola, in response to Farotimi’s book Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, which challenges the deep-rooted issues within Nigeria’s legal system. After being granted bail of ₦50 million, Farotimi thanked Nigerians for their unwavering support throughout his legal ordeal, stressing the importance of unity and collective action in securing his release, in a viral video shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. He credited the solidarity of Nigerians for ensuring his release and shielding him from the negative consequences of a fractured system. READ MORE: Lawyer Alleges Burna Boy Using Influence To Prolong Speed Darlington’s Detention Despite Court Order With tears streaming down his face, Farotimi said, “We stopped being human because we became Nigerians. They divided us, and we fell for it. Because you wouldn’t see me as a Yoruba man, you spoke for me; because you wouldn’t see me as a Christian, you spoke for me.” “Because you spoke, Nigeria couldn’t happen to me; that is why Nigeria couldn’t happen to me. You found your voices; and in our collective, you couldn’t be silenced.” Farotimi, recognised for his outspoken criticism of societal and political injustices, has garnered significant support for his activism. His arrest and eventual release have ignited discussions on the significance of free speech and the role of collective activism in Nigeria.

John Cena Comments on Upcoming Farewell Tour, Last Show in Toronto Market at WWE Elimination ChamberEducation and Planning Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud said Bangladesh has no option to defer its graduation from the least developed country (LDC) club. "Even if we want to, we may not be able to remain in the group of LDCs. Many people don't know that," he said. The eminent economist made the remarks yesterday in Dhaka at a four-day conference organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). As per the United Nations schedule, Bangladesh is set to graduate from the LDC status in November 2026. However, owing to the economic crisis that has been prevalent for nearly two years, the issue of deferring graduation has been coming to the spotlight in recent months, particularly by local businesses. With the economy in a fragile state due to the fallouts of global inflationary pressure, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war as well as political turmoil and energy shocks on the domestic front, a section of exporters has been putting pressure on the government to shelve any graduation plans. According to a UN report, trade preferences accorded to Bangladesh as an LDC have played a crucial role in the development of its economy and achievements in trade and social sectors. The loss of these benefits following graduation is expected to dent a lot of businesses by costing the country its trade competitiveness, especially if it fails to secure bilateral agreements with major export destinations. In November, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed told the media that they are yet to make a decision on the scheduled graduation. The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) reviews the LDC category every three years, assessing the progress of countries across three criteria, namely income, human assets, and vulnerability. Based on these reviews, the CDP recommends which countries should be classified as LDCs to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The final decision is made by the UN General Assembly. To graduate, a country must meet the threshold for two of the three criteria in two consecutive reviews. "We have already qualified twice," Prof Mahmud said, referring to the previous reviews in 2018 and 2021. If any country files a petition to the CDP's hearing committee saying that they are unable to graduate or asking to stay in the group of LDCs, it is considered degrading, he added. "The Maldives and some tiny island nations applied for it, but it was unsuccessful." When a country qualifies, it graduates automatically, the adviser explained. "We need to continue discussions on unilateral concessions with different nations. Japan, Canada and the European Union can be favourable options," he added. He also underscored the need for export diversification and economic diplomacy to negotiate in the global market. Earlier, members of a panel that recently prepared a white paper on the state of the economy also advised the government not to defer graduation. "Based on the committee's assessment of data and information, Bangladesh meets the requirements for LDC graduation despite the challenging economic situation," Debapriya Bhattacharya, who led the panel, said last week. "So, we don't see any reason to hold back the graduation process." In its report, the white paper committee said recent concerns about inflated economic indicators under the previous Awami League government would have little relevance in the case of LDC graduation. The UN bodies will only revisit their calculations when a revised data set, including gross national income estimates, is available from government sources. "Notwithstanding the reservations expressed by certain exporters' groups, there is hardly any plausible reason, as of now, for Bangladesh to request a deferment of the exit date from the LDC group," it said. "Under these circumstances, Bangladesh will be well advised to pursue a substantive and effective LDC graduation strategy. This will require putting forward a transition plan to counteract the negative fallouts of Bangladesh's graduation out of the LDC group and enable the required structural transformation of the economy." The white paper added that postposing graduation will invite political backlash. According to a triennial review by the CDP in February this year, the current situation remains comfortable despite recent economic and political challenges. Even the dampened economic performance during the current fiscal year is not expected to bring the country below the stipulated thresholds, it said. Illusory wealth in big industry balance sheets Speaking of how Bangladesh can build an egalitarian society after a mass uprising toppled the Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5, Mahmud said that the interim government is facing a huge shortage of resources. This has made it difficult to increase investment in education, health and human resource development. "A lot of money has been smuggled out of the country. People's money is in the banks, but the money has gone out," he said. Although there is a lot of money in the balance sheets of some big industrial companies, it does not exist in reality, he said, mentioning the example of Beximco. "Workers have to be paid. But where will the money come from?" he asked. It is difficult to build an egalitarian society when contending with such realities. "Now it has become a moral issue whether to buy dialysis machines or invest in public health," he said, adding that even seasoned economists and philosophers like Amartya Sen and John Rawls may not be able to come up with a solution for such a moral dilemma. Indermit S Gill, the chief economist of the World Bank Group, said during a presentation at the event that middle-income countries, which are home to 6 billion people, were caught in a race against time. "The external environment is making things harder, not easier. To escape the middle-income trap, countries need to undergo two transitions, not one. The transitions are between investment, infusion and innovation. "To grow quickly, they have to discipline incumbents, reward merit, and capitalise on crises," Indermit said. Binayak Sen, director general of the BIDS, delivered the opening remarks. A total of 30 papers, two keynote addresses and 12 public lectures from Bangladesh and abroad will be presented and delivered at the conference, said Sen.

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Britain’s economy is stagnating, new figures have shown amid warnings that tax rises in Rachel Reeves’s budget are damaging business confidence. A major survey of businesses found that private sector activity fell to a 13-month low in November as companies cut back on hiring and investment. Economists said that businesses had given a “thumbs down” to Reeves’s budget, particularly her decision to increase employers’ national insurance to raise £25 billion to balance the books and fund public spending. Some of Britain’s biggest retailers have warned that the increase in national insurance will lead to job cuts, price rises and shop closures . Official forecasts suggest that the tax rises will stymie economic growth over the next five years. After the release of the new economic data the pound dropped to its lowest level against the dollar since May and banking stocks also fell.

About 75,000 homes with approved development applications across Greater Sydney have not commenced construction, underscoring the state government’s struggle to tackle the housing crisis in the face of tough economic conditions. Weeks after NSW Labor revealed its latest major planning reform, a three-person development authority to expedite approval times, Planning Minister Paul Scully conceded the success of any regulatory change was dependent on economic pressures subsiding. “We acknowledge that macroeconomic conditions are tough at the moment, but the need for more housing is too urgent, and when economic conditions shift, the planning system needs to be at its most effective and efficient,” Scully said. Premier Chris Minns wants to fast-track higher-density development in Sydney. Economic headwinds are undermining his reforms. Credit: The scale of the housing challenge confronting NSW has only intensified since Premier Chris Minns took government in March last year. After committing to build 263,000 homes across Greater Sydney by July 2029, departmental forecasts now expect only 151,670 will be constructed in that time. NSW needs to build 75,000 homes a year for the next five years to meet its commitments under the National Housing Accord. Loading Last month, the Herald revealed only 45 per cent of 895 approved development applications for large-scale housing projects – builds with at least 19 new dwellings – had obtained construction certificates by March this year , according to an analysis by University of Sydney Emeritus Professor Peter Phibbs, reflecting the broad economic challenges faced by the development industry. The stalled applications represented 47,536 dwellings, more than double the net completions in the previous year to June. But further figures obtained by this masthead under freedom of information laws highlight how economic headwinds are not just affecting projects with large capital costs, but all types of housing, showing proponents with approved development applications of all sizes were delaying or jettisoning construction plans. In NSW, 13,687 development applications were approved since 2021-22 but had not begun construction as of March 10, data from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure shows. The stalled projects would provide 75,205 dwellings. University of NSW City Futures Research Centre director Professor Bill Randolph said the sheer number of approved development applications demonstrated the problem with fixating reform on the planning system, saying there was a greater counter-cyclical role for government to play in delivering affordable housing. “It’s the market, not the planning system, that determines the rate of which stuff gets built. That’s becoming more and more evident,” he said, adding that the current downturn in the economic cycle had been exacerbated by the pandemic, migration, and then inflation. “We’re just chasing our tails if we think reforming the planning system is going to solve this.” The department’s data, updated in late October, showed net completions over the preceding 12 months to June had plunged to just above 21,000, 18 per cent below the previous five financial years’ average. In a bright spot for the government, October experienced the highest number of approvals since May 2023, nearly 35 per cent more than the preceding month. Loading Last month, Minns said that dealing with construction feasibility across Greater Sydney was a “complex issue”, but he noted that access to finance and capital was “harder to get today than it has been for decades”. Scully said the government was doing everything in our remit to “streamline the planning system”, smoothing out kinks in the development pipeline that were slowing down housing delivery. “Of course we want building commencements to align with housing approvals, but this comes down to development feasibility, labour costs, interest rates, building material costs and sometimes consent conditions,” he said. Shadow planning minister Scott Farlow said the problem appeared to be especially affecting Sydney, noting the number of development application approvals not commenced had increased by 18 per cent over the last year while falling in other capital cities. He criticised the government’s imposition of a housing and productivity tax on developments last year, saying it had exacerbated the city’s feasibility crisis as increases in the cost of construction and land outpace apartment prices. Property Council NSW executive director Katie Stevenson said getting shovels in the ground was proving difficult across Greater Sydney, blaming high government taxes and charges, as well as “delays in post-approval decision-making”, such as when acquiring additional approvals and licences from agencies such as Sydney Water. “Without government action to make it economically viable for the property sector to build more homes, the housing crisis is only going to get worse,” she said. “The NSW government can’t control all the costs preventing housing delivery, but one lever they can pull is to put a temporary pause on newly introduced additional taxes and charges on development during the National Housing Accord period to kickstart the housing delivery communities need.” The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article State Parliament Development Property development For subscribers Max Maddison is a state political reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald. Most Viewed in Politics Loading

FARGO, N.D., Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NI Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”, NASDAQ: NODK) announced today the appointment of Seth C. Daggett as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective December 1, 2024. Mr. Daggett brings over two decades of industry experience, most recently serving as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer. Mr. Daggett succeeds Cindy L. Launer, who had been serving as Interim CEO during the Board of Directors’ (the “Board”) search for a permanent CEO, as previously announced. “It is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to lead this outstanding organization,” Mr. Daggett said. “I look forward to continue working alongside our talented team of employees and agents who are committed every day to serving our customers and local communities,” said Mr. Daggett. “I’m confident that we will build upon our strong and longstanding foundation in North Dakota to create lasting value for our shareholders and a new chapter of sustained growth and success. I look forward to working closely with the Board and the Company’s leadership team to help build off this foundation and lead the organization toward a successful future.” Eric K. Aamundstad, Chairman of the Board, commented, “On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank Cindy for her service as Interim CEO. Her experience was invaluable in helping lead the company through this transition period. We are fortunate to have a proven leader in Seth, who has earned the respect of the Board, our employees, and agents for his judgment, strong leadership, extensive industry experience, and demonstrated ability to build and develop successful teams. He has deep ties not only to the Company, but also the North Dakota community, and we are confident in his ability to lead the Company forward.” Ms. Launer will return to her role as an independent non-executive director on the NI Holdings Board effective December 1, 2024. With Mr. Daggett’s appointment as CEO, Matt Maki, Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, will assume the role of Interim CFO, effective December 1, 2024. The Company will immediately begin a search for a permanent CFO, with no definitive timeline. About Seth Daggett Seth Daggett most recently served as the Company’s Executive Vice President, Treasurer and CFO. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Daggett was CFO and Treasurer of RAM Mutual Insurance Company. He began his career as an auditor at Deloitte, prior to joining Travelers Companies, Inc. where he spent over ten years in a variety of roles, including Senior Director of Finance. A graduate of the University of North Dakota, he currently lives in West Fargo, North Dakota with his wife and children. About Matt Maki Matt Maki most recently served as the Company’s Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Maki served as Vice President of Accounting and Treasurer of RAM Mutual Insurance Company. He began his career as an auditor at Ernst & Young, subsequently joining Travelers Companies, Inc., where he held various roles in international finance, financial reporting and treasury. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, he currently lives in Duluth, Minnesota with his wife and children. About the Company NI Holdings, Inc. is an insurance holding company. The company is a North Dakota business corporation that is the stock holding company of Nodak Insurance Company and became such in connection with the conversion of Nodak Mutual Insurance Company from a mutual to stock form of organization and the creation of a mutual holding company. The conversion was consummated on March 13, 2017. Immediately following the conversion, all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Nodak Insurance Company were issued to Nodak Mutual Group, Inc., which then contributed the shares to NI Holdings in exchange for 55% of the outstanding shares of common stock of NI Holdings. Nodak Insurance Company then became a wholly-owned stock subsidiary of NI Holdings. NI Holdings’ financial statements are the consolidated financial results of NI Holdings; Nodak Insurance Company, including Nodak Insurance Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries American West Insurance Company, Primero Insurance Company, and Battle Creek Insurance Company; and Direct Auto Insurance Company. Safe Harbor Statement Some of the statements included in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially include risks we describe in the periodic reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update such statements or to announce publicly the results of any revisions that we may make to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements. For a detailed discussion of the risk factors that could affect our actual results, please refer to the risk factors identified in our SEC reports, including, but not limited to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC. Investor Relations Contact: Matt Maki Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer 701-212-5976 IR@nodakins.com

About 75,000 homes with approved development applications across Greater Sydney have not commenced construction, underscoring the state government’s struggle to tackle the housing crisis in the face of tough economic conditions. Weeks after NSW Labor revealed its latest major planning reform, a three-person development authority to expedite approval times, Planning Minister Paul Scully conceded the success of any regulatory change was dependent on economic pressures subsiding. “We acknowledge that macroeconomic conditions are tough at the moment, but the need for more housing is too urgent, and when economic conditions shift, the planning system needs to be at its most effective and efficient,” Scully said. Premier Chris Minns wants to fast-track higher-density development in Sydney. Economic headwinds are undermining his reforms. Credit: The scale of the housing challenge confronting NSW has only intensified since Premier Chris Minns took government in March last year. After committing to build 263,000 homes across Greater Sydney by July 2029, departmental forecasts now expect only 151,670 will be constructed in that time. NSW needs to build 75,000 homes a year for the next five years to meet its commitments under the National Housing Accord. Last month, the Herald revealed only 45 per cent of 895 approved development applications for large-scale housing projects – builds with at least 19 new dwellings – had obtained construction certificates by March this year , according to an analysis by University of Sydney Emeritus Professor Peter Phibbs, reflecting the broad economic challenges faced by the development industry. The stalled applications represented 47,536 dwellings, more than double the net completions in the previous year to June. But further figures obtained by this masthead under freedom of information laws highlight how economic headwinds are not just affecting projects with large capital costs, but all types of housing, showing proponents with approved development applications of all sizes were delaying or jettisoning construction plans. In NSW, 13,687 development applications were approved since 2021-22 but had not begun construction as of March 10, data from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure shows. The stalled projects would provide 75,205 dwellings. University of NSW City Futures Research Centre director Professor Bill Randolph said the sheer number of approved development applications demonstrated the problem with fixating reform on the planning system, saying there was a greater counter-cyclical role for government to play in delivering affordable housing. “It’s the market, not the planning system, that determines the rate of which stuff gets built. That’s becoming more and more evident,” he said, adding that the current downturn in the economic cycle had been exacerbated by the pandemic, migration, and then inflation. “We’re just chasing our tails if we think reforming the planning system is going to solve this.” The department’s data, updated in late October, showed net completions over the preceding 12 months to June had plunged to just above 21,000, 18 per cent below the previous five financial years’ average. In a bright spot for the government, October experienced the highest number of approvals since May 2023, nearly 35 per cent more than the preceding month. Last month, Minns said that dealing with construction feasibility across Greater Sydney was a “complex issue”, but he noted that access to finance and capital was “harder to get today than it has been for decades”. Scully said the government was doing everything in our remit to “streamline the planning system”, smoothing out kinks in the development pipeline that were slowing down housing delivery. “Of course we want building commencements to align with housing approvals, but this comes down to development feasibility, labour costs, interest rates, building material costs and sometimes consent conditions,” he said. Shadow planning minister Scott Farlow said the problem appeared to be especially affecting Sydney, noting the number of development application approvals not commenced had increased by 18 per cent over the last year while falling in other capital cities. He criticised the government’s imposition of a housing and productivity tax on developments last year, saying it had exacerbated the city’s feasibility crisis as increases in the cost of construction and land outpace apartment prices. Property Council NSW executive director Katie Stevenson said getting shovels in the ground was proving difficult across Greater Sydney, blaming high government taxes and charges, as well as “delays in post-approval decision-making”, such as when acquiring additional approvals and licences from agencies such as Sydney Water. “Without government action to make it economically viable for the property sector to build more homes, the housing crisis is only going to get worse,” she said. “The NSW government can’t control all the costs preventing housing delivery, but one lever they can pull is to put a temporary pause on newly introduced additional taxes and charges on development during the National Housing Accord period to kickstart the housing delivery communities need.” The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here .How to watch the Orlando Pride-Washington Spirit NWSL final

Authorities found a backpack in Central Park that they believe belong to the suspected gunman in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO Brian Thompson. LiveNOW's Andrew Craft breaks down the latest details with FOX multimedia reporter Caroline Elliott. Democrats on a Senate subcommittee are accusing UnitedHealthcare Group of denying claims to a growing number of patients as it tried to leverage artificial intelligence to automate the process. In an October report, "How Medicare Advantage Insurers Have Denied Patients Access to Post-Acute Care," Democrats on the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) released a report claiming UnitedHealthcare’s prior authorization denial rate for post-acute care jumped from 10.9% in 2020 to 22.7% in 2022. Denial rates for skilled nursing centers, in particular, "experienced particularly dramatic growth." The number of denied claims in 2022 was nine times higher compared to 2019, according to the report. During this same period of time, the company "implemented multiple initiatives to automate the process," according to the report. UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO FATALLY SHOT OUTSIDE MANHATTAN HOTEL IN 'TARGETED' ATTACK; SUSPECT AT LARGE The report also claimed United "processed far more home health service authorizations for Medicare Advantage members during this period, underscoring concerns about insurers rejecting placements in post-acute care facilities in favor of less costly alternatives," the report said. FOX Business reached out to United for comment. In a statement issued in October, the company lambasted the report, saying it "mischaracterizes the Medicare Advantage program and our clinical practices, while ignoring CMS criteria demanding greater scrutiny around post-acute care." WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? The report surfaced as the largest health insurance company has come under fire for allegedly wrongfully denying claims in recent months. The murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York on Wednesday prompted more critics to air their frustrations with the company. A UnitedHealthcare sign is displayed outside a store in the Queens borough of New York Jan. 14, 2013. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images) According to the PSI's report, a UnitedHealthcare committee approved using "Machine Assisted Prior Authorization" to speed up the process of reviewing medical requests in April 2021. The committee was told doctors or nurses still had to verify the evidence, but testing showed the technology could cut review time by 6-10 minutes, the report said. UnitedHealthcare tested a new "HCE Auto Authorization Model" in early 2021, and internal meeting notes revealed that it produced "faster handle times" for cases. But there was also an increase in the number of cases that were denied due to the system catching errors that were missed in the original review, according to the report. The report said the committee voted to tentatively approve the model at a meeting a month later. In December 2022, a UnitedHealthcare group explored how to use AI and "machine learning" to predict which denials of post-acute care cases were likely to be appealed and which of those appeals were likely to be overturned. WHO WAS BRIAN THOMPSON, UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO? Brian Thompson (UnitedHealthcare) Nearly a year later, in November 2023, the nation's largest insurance company was hit with a class-action lawsuit accusing it and its subsidiary, NaviHealth, of relying on a computer algorithm to "systematically deny claims" of Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes that had struggled to recover from debilitating illnesses. The suit claimed the company illegally deployed "artificial intelligence (AI) in place of real medical professionals to wrongfully deny elderly patients care owed to them under Medicare Advantage Plans by overriding their treating physicians’ determinations as to medically necessary care based on an AI model." The suit also claimed the company knew this model "has a 90% error rate." The suit continued arguing that despite the high error rate, the company and its subsidiary "continue to systemically deny claims using their flawed AI model" because they know that only about 0.2% of policyholders will actually appeal denied claims and that the vast majority will either pay out-of-pocket costs or forgo the remainder of their prescribed post-acute care. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE "Defendants bank on the patients’ impaired conditions, lack of knowledge, and lack of resources to appeal the erroneous AI-powered decisions, " the suit continued. The suit was filed shortly after an investigation by Stat News found that UnitedHealth pressured employees to use an algorithm that was aimed at cutting off rehab care for Medicare patients. The investigation found that the algorithm predicted the patient’s length of stay to deny payments for individuals with Medicare Advantage plans. LINK: Get updates on this story and more at foxbusiness.com.Growing nest egg

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