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By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
(Source: Nasdaq) Tech and growth stocks dragged Wall Street’s main indexes lower on Friday, at the end of an upbeat holiday-shortened week that was driven by expectations around a traditionally strong period for markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), fell 0.82%, the S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab was down 1.24% and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), briefly fell more than 2% and was down 1.80%. Ten of the 11 major S&P sectors, including information technology (.SPLRCT), and consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD), fell the most, down about 2% and 1.9%, after powering most of the broader market’s gains in 2024. COMMENTS: PETER TUZ, PRESIDENT, CHASE INVESTMENT COUNSEL, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA “This is end of year stuff going on people have had a pretty good year, and it’s typical year-end selling pressure caused by people taking profits, not a lot of buyers out there and not a lot of volume.“ “(There’s) no reason to jump in and buy these things at these valuations, and tax planning is on peoples’ minds this week and will be on Monday and Tuesday. I don’t attribute it to, you know, any changing outlook in anything right now.” “The Santa Claus rally is one of those historic statistics that bears watching, but because of the change in administration and the potential change in policy you’re probably seeing more action now than you would ordinarily. There’s the potential for a lot of disruption in 2025.” BRYCE DOTY, SENIOR PORTFOLIO MANAGER, SIT FIXED INCOME ADVISORS, MINNEAPOLIS “Today the market has really been reacting to the implications of taxes coming up. Tax positioning is overwhelming the other factors. But the more the Fed looks out of touch (with economic realities), the worse it is for equities...Tax trading will continue for the rest of the year.” Source: Reuters (Compiled by the Global Finance & Markets Breaking News team)
Eight teams remain in contention for the College Football Playoff national championship trophy. All teams will compete on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, aiming to progress to the semifinal round. Among these teams is the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2), coming off a commanding quarterfinal victory against the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers (10-3). The Buckeyes controlled the game throughout, racing to a 21-point lead in the first quarter and ultimately securing a 42-17 win. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.
For those on the right side of the political aisle, 2024 was a mixed bag. On the one hand, we had to trudge through the final year of Joe Biden’s disastrous presidency while fighting tooth and nail to prevent the administration from inflicting further economic carnage. On the other hand, we also were given an enormous gift at the beginning of November with the victory of Donald Trump. Now, without further ado, I present the top five moments of 2024. First, it goes without saying that the election on Nov. 5 was, by far, the best moment of 2024. At the start of 2024, things did not look good for Trump as he faced a litany of felony charges across multiple jurisdictions. However, despite the legal onslaught, Trump refused to back down. Then, Trump pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in political history as he cruised to victory and helped the Republican Party gain control of both houses of Congress. This election will go down in history as a turning point, considering the vast inroads Trump made among voters who traditionally voted for Democrats. In second place among the best moments of 2024 comes Biden’s devastating debate performance. Although the polls were tight heading into the debate between Trump and Biden, the absolutely pitiful performance by Biden completely changed the state of the race. Soon after Biden flopped in front of millions of Americans, the Democratic Party pulled the plug on his reelection effort. Of course, this short-sighted move benefited Trump greatly. Even more important, it led to the rise of Vice President Kamala Harris to the top of the Democratic ticket. Considering that Harris flip-flopped on basically every central policy position, it really was a blessing in disguise that she inherited Biden’s place and was eventually destroyed by Trump. In third place , and this could have easily been first or second, comes Trump’s survival of two assassination attempts. In midsummer, Trump was crisscrossing the country, holding outdoor rallies. Unfortunately, Trump’s proclivity to engage with his supporters nearly cost him his life. However, despite two would-be assassins somehow evading Secret Service detection, and one getting several shots off, Trump was largely unharmed. While this was a blessing, we also must never forget that one person, Corey Comperatore, died at the Butler rally and two others were wounded. For the fourth-best moment of 2024, I suggest the incredible technological feat achieved by SpaceX. On Oct. 14, SpaceX launched its Super Heavy Starship, the most powerful rocket in the world. Then, in an unprecedented engineering marvel, the 23-story-tall Super Heavy booster returned to the launch pad in an upright position and was “caught” without a hitch. It was like something straight out of a science-fiction movie, and it clearly demonstrated that the age of space exploration has entered a new chapter. Rounding out the best moments of 2024, in fifth place, let’s return to the political arena and the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency. For decades, conservatives and libertarians have been warning that the size and scope of the federal government is totally unsustainable and that big government is bad news for personal liberty. Finally, some significant spending cuts and institutional reforms are in the offing. With the national debt exceeding $36 trillion and trillion-dollar deficits the new normal, we need to downsize the federal bureaucracy and get back on sound fiscal footing before it is too late.Lautaro Martinez ends goal drought as Inter keep pressure on Serie A leaders
After closing the books on a banner year for U.S. stocks, investors expect to ride seasonal momentum into mid-January when a slew of economic data and a transition of power in Washington could send markets moving. The S&P 500 SPX rose almost 27% in 2024 through Dec. 26, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite index , which surpassed 20,000 for the first time in December, is up 33.4%. November through January is traditionally a strong period in the market, said Michael Rosen, chief investment officer at Angeles Investments. Additionally, stocks tend to do well in the last five trading days of December and into the first two days of January, a phenomenon dubbed the Santa Claus rally, which has driven S&P gains of an average of 1.3% since 1969, according to the Stock Trader’s Almanac. For the last four trading sessions, the S&P rose 2.91%, while the Nasdaq is up 3.3%, lifting hopes for a repeat. “The underlying data suggests that that’s likely to continue,” Rosen said. Just how long that momentum lasts will depend on several forces that could help drive markets in 2025. Monthly U.S. employment data on Jan. 10 should give investors a fresh view into the health and strength of the U.S. economy. Job growth rebounded in November following hurricane- and strike-related setbacks earlier in the year. The market’s strength will be tested again shortly after, when U.S. companies start reporting fourth-quarter earnings. Investors anticipate a 10.6% earnings per share growth in 2025, versus a 12.16% expected rise in 2024, according to LSEG data, although excitement over President-elect Donald Trump’s policies is expected to boost the outlook for some sectors, like banks, energy and crypto. “There’s the hope that taxes and regulations will be lowered or reduced next year, that will help support corporate profits, which are what drive the market in the first place,” said Rosen. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 could also throw the markets some curve balls. He is expected to release at least 25 executive orders in his first day on a range of issues from immigration to energy and crypto policy. Trump has also threatened tariffs on goods from China and levies on products from both Mexico and Canada, as well as to crack down on immigration, creating costs that companies could ultimately pass on to consumers. Helen Given, associate director of trading at Monex USA, said a new administration always brings with it a large degree of uncertainty. There is also a good chance the impact of the Trump administration’s expected trade policies is far from fully priced into global currency markets, she added. “We’re looking ahead to see which of those proposed policies actually are enacted, which might be further down the pipeline,” Given said, adding she expected a big impact on the euro, Mexican peso, the Canadian dollar, and the Chinese yuan. The conclusion of the Federal Reserve’s first monetary policy meeting of the year in late January could also present a challenge to the U.S. stocks rally. Stocks tumbled on Dec. 18 when the Fed implemented its third interest-rate cut for the year and signaled fewer cuts in 2025 because of an uncertain inflation outlook, disappointing investors who had expected lower rates to boost corporate profits and valuations. Still, that could be good for alternative assets like cryptocurrencies. The incoming crypto-friendly Trump administration is adding to a number of catalysts that are boosting crypto investors’ confidence, said Damon Polistina, head of research at investment platform Eaglebrook Advisors. Bitcoin surged above $107,000 this month on hopes of friendlier Trump policies. “Crypto is viewed broadly as a kind of risk on assets. So, any Fed cutting rates is a positive... Any positive economic data in early January will help maintain the momentum that we’re seeing,” Polistina added. Source: ReutersIs WELL Health a Buy?
Mounties in Richmond, B.C., say a man has been arrested for allegedly uttering threats against police while livestreaming on a social media platform. RCMP say they received the complaint about the man on Friday morning as he stood outside Richmond City Hall. Police say officers flooded the area and made an arrest without any incident. Insp. Michael Cohee, with RCMP investigative services, says they commend the person who recognized the potential risk and called police. He says they take public safety and threats of violence “very seriously,” whether they are online or in person. Police haven’t said what charges are being considered but say the investigation is ongoing.
"It was like an interview, not a date," the 21-year-old woman said in a Reddit post Prostock-Studio/Getty/Stock Image A woman said that a date she went on got awkward when her suitor invited his mother to tag along. In a recent post on the , the woman, 21, said she recently matched with a guy, 25, on a dating app. "Let’s call him Jake," she wrote. "We’d been chatting for a few weeks, and he seemed like a solid guy — funny, good taste in music, and even remembered I loved Italian food," she continued. "He planned the date at this nice little spot in Dallas, which I thought was sweet." At first, everything seemed pretty normal. "He’s already there, we hug, and he even complimented my outfit," she wrote. "But like five minutes after I sit down, this older woman walks in. Jake stands up, waves her over, and says, 'This is my mom!' " The woman shared that she was in disbelief as her date’s mother proceeded to introduce herself. Related: "I kind of laugh nervously and say, 'Oh, I didn’t know you were bringing anyone,' and he goes, 'Oh, she just wanted to meet you. Don’t worry — it’s not a big deal,' " she recalled. As the date went on, the woman said his mom stayed at the table and made herself comfortable by ordering wine and asking her questions. "It was like an interview, not a date. Jake barely said anything. He just smiled and kept nodding like this was all normal," she wrote. Related: Finally, after roughly 20 minutes, the woman left. "I couldn't couldn’t take it anymore," she said, sharing that she told her date that she was not feeling well and ended up breaking things off with him via text later. But now, in the aftermath, she said she feels “kinda bad.” "My roommate says I did the right thing because honestly, who brings their mom to a first date?" she wrote. "But my coworker said it was rude to just leave and that maybe his mom was just super close to him or nervous for him or whatever." The woman was met with plenty of support in the comments section. "You’re definitely not in the wrong here. Bringing his mom to a first date without warning is a major red flag," read one reply. "First dates are about getting to know each other, not being grilled by someone’s parent. You politely excused yourself, which is fair given the situation. Don’t feel bad — you dodged an awkward future!" Related: "It’s absurd that he would bring her," added another commenter. "That is a very strange dynamic. You did what most anyone else would have done." However, another Redditor suggested that if the woman was willing, she could offer her date one last piece of advice. "If he's chill over text let him know the mom thing is not normal," the wrote. "Maybe he doesn't know!"LeBron James ripped by UFC star Colby Covington for praising ‘Diddy parties' in videoWINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) — Namibia elected its first female leader as Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was declared the winner Tuesday of a presidential election last week that was tarnished by technical glitches that caused a three-day extension to allow votes to be cast, and rejected as illegal by opposition parties. The 72-year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah won with 57% of the vote, defying predictions that she might be forced into a runoff. Her ruling SWAPO party also retained its parliamentary majority, although by a very thin margin, and extended its 34-year hold on power since the southern African country gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Namibia, a sparsely populated country of around 3 million on the southwestern coast of Africa, has a reputation for being one of the continent's more stable democracies and the problems around the election have caused consternation. Last Wednesday's vote was marred by shortages of ballot papers and other problems that led election officials to extend voting until Saturday. Opposition parties have said the extension is unconstitutional, and some have pledged to join together in a legal appeal to have the election invalidated. The Electoral Commission of Namibia, which ran the election, rejected opposition calls for a redo of the vote. It has undermined Nandi-Ndaitwah's place in history. She is set to become her country's fifth president since independence and a rare female leader in Africa. She was a member of Namibia's underground independence movement in the 1970s and received part of her higher education in the then-Soviet Union. She was promoted to vice president in February after President Hage Geingob died while in office . Nangolo Mbumba, who became president after Geingob's death, didn't run in the election. The ruling SWAPO party won 51 seats in the parliamentary vote, only just passing the 49 it needed to keep its majority and narrowly avoiding becoming another long-ruling party to be rejected in southern Africa this year. It was SWAPO's worst parliamentary election result. A mood of change has swept across the region, with parties that led their countries out of white minority or colonial rule in neighboring South Africa and Botswana both losing their long-held political dominance. South Africa's African National Congress, which freed the country from the racist system of apartheid, lost its 30-year majority in an election in May and had to form a coalition. Botswana's ruling party was stunningly removed in a landslide in October after governing for 58 years since independence from Britain. Mozambique's long-ruling Frelimo has been accused of rigging an October election and has faced weeks of violent protests against its rule. SWAPO faced similar challenges as those countries, with frustration at high unemployment and economic hardship, especially among young people, driving a desire for era-ending change. In a brief speech after the results were announced late Tuesday night, Nandi-Ndaitwah said Namibians had voted for peace, stability and youth empowerment. “We are going to do what we promised you during the campaigns. Thank you for your confidence and trust in us," she said. Nandi-Ndaitwah was also due to address the nation on Wednesday morning. “SWAPO Wins. Netumbo Wins. Namibia Wins. Now Hard Work,” the ruling party posted on its official account on social media site X. Some opposition parties boycotted the announcement by the Electoral Commission of Namibia at its results center in the capital, Windhoek. The commission has been roundly criticized for its running of the vote, with many angry Namibians complaining they had to wait hours and sometimes over multiple days for the chance to vote. Just over 1 million votes were cast out of 1.4 million registered voters, according to the electoral commission. Panduleni Itula, the leading opposition candidate from the Independent Patriots for Change party, was second in the presidential election with 25% of the vote. His party won the second-largest number of seats in Parliament behind SWAPO. Itula and his party have led the criticism of the vote and said they will lodge their appeal against the election this week. Other opposition parties said they will join that legal challenge. Itula has said that thousands of voters may have been prevented from voting as only some polling stations allowed an extension. "This election has violated the very tenets of our Electoral Act. Namibians deserve the right to choose their leaders freely and fairly, not through a rigged process,” he said. Namibia is a former German colony that came under South African control after World War I and its Black majority was later subjected to some of South Africa’s apartheid policies. SWAPO was at the forefront of the battle for independence from South Africa. While the country has swaths of desert running through it, it has diamond and uranium resources and untapped oil and gas off its coast that is being explored by international companies and could make it a major producer of both. AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africaAustralia Judo Bank Composite PMI: 50.2 (November) vs 49.4
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