jilibet 49

jilibet 49 Cowardice is the only word to describe Justin Trudeau’s failure to truly confront the crisis of antisemitism and violence in our streets. There have been bomb threats against synagogues, bullets fired at Jewish schools, and brazen Nazi salutes. If none of those can drive this Liberal government to rise to the occasion and behave like leaders, it is terrifying to think what will. Social media posts dribbling the same lines about how antisemitic terror is “unacceptable,” “not who we are,” and “has no place in Canada” are the best we can expect at this point. When Trudeau was filmed attending the Taylor Swift concert in Toronto on Friday, he obviously did not plan for it to coincide with the anti-NATO and anti-Israel riots that same night. That is still beside the point. He and his government are petrified by the necessity of growing a backbone and properly calling out these antisemitic radicals as they bend and break the law to terrorize the Jewish community. It was only a few short years ago that the prime minister chose a side during the pandemic and came out swinging against the unvaccinated at rallies and in Parliament. Trudeau staked out the battle lines between those who took the jab and those who did not, and fought an entire election on it. “Do we tolerate these people?” were his words when it came to the unvaccinated. Trudeau went so far as to invoke the Emergencies Act when the Freedom Convoy came to occupy Ottawa. The convoy was rowdy and disruptive, but they did not set fire to synagogues or fired bullets at Jewish schools. The Friday riot in Montreal was just one in a series of coordinated actions designed to rile up fear and intimidation. No matter how you feel about the Freedom Convoy, they never went as far as the anti-Israel mobs have, as they throw up the Nazi salute and parade through Jewish neighbourhoods. Fortunately, not every part of the government has been idle during this time. Suspects from other incidents, such as the man who threatened to kill a counter-demonstrator at an anti-Israel protest in Toronto last year, were taken into custody. A few months ago, the police detained a suspect in Quebec who was allegedly planning to travel to New York City and murder scores of Jewish people on the anniversary of 9/11. With this murderous intent plain for all to see, why are the Liberals so afraid of publicly taking an unambiguous stand against the anti-Israel mob? Nobody has to love Israel to understand why it is wrong to only do the bare minimum to condemn antisemitism at these demonstrations and those who go further with violence. Trudeau’s failure to even try and rally Canadians against it is equal parts bewildering, infuriating, and suspect. Perhaps Trudeau’s own cabinet can provide a clue for their cravenness. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is as large a liability as can be found in the entire government. Joly is an utterly inept minister who has proven herself an equally careless politician. Former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair wrote last month that Joly had explicitly alluded to the “ demographics ” of her Montreal riding when it came to navigating Middle Eastern foreign policy. The phrase “demographics is destiny” is beloved among the alt-right, especially in online platforms like Reddit and 4Chan. In real life, in the House of Commons, however, it would seem that the Liberals believe in that phrase more fervently than anyone else. If cabinet ministers like Joly show us anything, it’s that the Liberals value getting re-elected over taking a risk to set a brave example. There is management, and then there is leadership. Trudeau has opted for the former. By not rocking the boat and overtly enraging the anti-Israel forces, Trudeau is content to be a manager. Can he truly be that checked out? A true leader would have stood with his back straight and made it clear at rallies and in Parliament that his government is unambiguously hostile to the radicals who smashed up Montreal over the weekend. That may not move CSIS or the RCMP any faster, but it would show Canadians that their prime minister is a moral leader, not a caretaker. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre made Trudeau look like a reprobate when he released a long statement condemning the prime minister’s leadership following the riot. Poilievre excoriated the prime minister for opening Canada’s borders to terrorists, dividing Canadians by race, and turning the country into a “playground” for foreign interference. All of it rang true. Poilievre’s words channelled the rage and frustration that Canadians feel after seeing their country transformed into what it is today. One hundred and fifty-seven years on from Confederation, Canada is at risk of permanently becoming a husk of a nation where religious and ethnic minorities are terrorized and all the government can do is try and manage the situation, because, in their eyes, those threatened are the wrong kind of minority in 2024. There must be values that go beyond diversity and leadership that exists beyond social media. Say what you will about Pierre Trudeau, but at least he had guts and was not afraid to confront the terrorists of the Front de libération du Québec when they kidnapped and murdered politicians in the 1970s. So the question should be, to quote the younger Trudeau, do we tolerate these people? It should not take a murder or a kidnapping for this government to bring its full moral and political weight down on the radicals, but their weak-kneed decisions thus far have inspired no confidence that they would even then. This country is broken, no matter what the Liberals and their remaining loyalists spew to try and justify this failed government’s continued life. Canada can still be repaired, not remade, and be the country most of us still love and remember. That hopeful country where people could co-exist and communities thrive without fear is still within Canada’s grasp, but never under the leadership of a coward. National Post

None

US President Joe Biden said on Monday he had pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, a reversal after pledging to stay out of legal proceedings against the younger Biden who pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges. “Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” the president said in a statement. The White House had said repeatedly that Biden would not pardon or commute sentences for Hunter, a recovering drug addict who became a target of Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump. “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son,” Biden said in a statement released shortly before leaving for a trip to Africa. The grant of clemency said Biden had granted “a full and unconditional” pardon to Hunter Biden for any offences in a window from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024. Hunter Biden faced sentencing for the false statements and gun convictions this month. In September he pleaded guilty to federal charges of failing to pay $1.4mn in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers and luxury items. He was scheduled for sentencing in that case on December 16. “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport,” Hunter Biden said in a statement on Sunday, adding he had remained sober for more than five years. “In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages ... I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.” Republicans criticised the president’s move. “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site, referring to those convicted for storming the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, after Trump claimed falsely that he had won the 2020 election. “Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities,” said Representative James Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. The president, whose son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015, said his opponents had sought to break Hunter with selective prosecution. He said people were almost never brought to trial for felony charges for how they filled out a gun form, and said others who were late in paying taxes because of addiction but paid them back with interest and penalties, as his son had, typically received non-criminal resolutions to their cases. “It is clear that Hunter was treated differently. The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” In August 2023, lawyers for Hunter Biden said prosecutors had reneged on a plea deal that would have resolved the tax and firearms charges. The president said in his statement on Sunday that the plea deal “would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases.” Biden said he had made his decision to pardon over the weekend. The president, his wife, Jill Biden, and their family including Hunter, spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and returned to Washington on Saturday night. “Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further,” Biden said. “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.” Related Story Hamas says Biden remark about group backing away from Gaza truce deal 'misleading' Biden says Netanyahu could be prolonging Gaza war for political aims

US stocks rose Monday, with the Dow finishing at a fresh record as markets greeted Donald Trump's pick for treasury secretary, while oil prices retreated on hopes for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The Dow climbed one percent to a second straight all-time closing high on news of the selection of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to lead the critical economic policy position. A widely respected figure on Wall Street, Bessent is seen as being in favor of growth and deficit reduction policies and not known overly fond of trade tariffs. The market "breathed a sigh of relief" at Bessent's selection, said Art Hogan from B. Riley Wealth Management. But after an initial surge Monday, the gains in US equities moderated somewhat. While investors are enthusiastic about the possibility of tax cuts and regulatory relief under Trump, "we do have to face the potential for tariffs being a negative as well as a very tight market around immigration, which is not positive for the economy," Hogan said. Earlier, equity gains were limited in Europe as growth concerns returned to the fore with Germany's Thyssenkrupp announcing plans to cut or outsource 11,000 jobs in its languishing steel division. Currently around 27,000 people are employed in the steel division, which has been battered by high production costs and fierce competition from Asian rivals. Elsewhere, crude oil prices fell decisively as Israel's security cabinet prepared to decide whether to accept a ceasefire in its war with Hezbollah, an official said Monday. The United States, the European Union and the United Nations have all pushed in recent days for a truce in the long-running hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, which flared into all-out war in late September. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Israeli official told AFP the security cabinet "will decide on Tuesday evening on the ceasefire deal." And bitcoin's push toward $100,000 ran out of steam after coming within a whisker of the mark last week, on hopes that Trump would enact policies to bring the cryptocurrency more into the mainstream. Bitcoin was recently trading under $96,000, having set a record high of $99,728.34 Friday -- the digital currency has soared about 50 percent in value since Trump's election. This week's data includes a reading of consumer confidence and an update of personal consumption prices, a key inflation indicator. Those reporting earnings include Best Buy, Dell and Dick's Sporting Goods. New York - Dow: UP 1.0 percent at 44,736.57 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.3 percent at 5,987.37 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.3 percent at 19,054.84 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 8,291.68 (close) Paris - CAC 40: FLAT at 7,257.47 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: UP 0.4 percent at 19,405.20 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.3 percent at 38,780.14 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.4 percent at 19,150.99 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,263.76 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0495 from $1.0418 on Friday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2564 from $1.2530 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 154.23 yen from 154.78 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.51 pence from 83.14 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.2 percent at $68.94 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 2.9 percent at $73.01 per barrel bur-jmb/dwINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There's more than just school pride and bragging rights to all that bellyaching over who might be in and who might be out of college football 's first 12-team playoff. Try the more than $115 million that will be spread across the conferences at the end of the season, all depending on who gets in and which teams go the farthest. According to the College Football Playoff website , the 12 teams simply making the bracket earn their conferences $4 million each. Another $4 million goes to conferences whose teams get into the quarterfinals. Then, there's $6 million more for teams that make the semifinals and another $6 million for those who play for the title. Most of this bonanza comes courtesy of ESPN, which is forking over $1.3 billion a year to televise the new postseason. A lot of that money is already earmarked — more goes to the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference than the Big 12 or Atlantic Coast — but a lot is up for grabs in the 11 games that will play out between the opening round on Dec. 20 and the final on Jan. 20. In all, the teams that make the title game will bring $20 million to their conferences, all of which distribute that money, along with billions in TV revenue and other sources, in different ways. In fiscal 2022-23, the Big Ten, for instance, reported revenue of nearly $880 million and distributed about $60.5 million to most of its members. The massive stakes might help explain the unabashed lobbying coming from some corners of the football world, as the tension grows in advance of Sunday's final rankings, which will set the bracket. Earlier this week, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark lit into the selection committee, which doesn't have a single team higher than 15 in the rankings. That does two things: It positions the Big 12 as a one-bid league, and also threatens to makes its champion — either Arizona State or Iowa State — the fifth-best among conference titlists that get automatic bids. Only the top four of those get byes, which could cost the Big 12 a spot in the quarterfinals — or $4 million. “The committee continues to show time and time again that they are paying attention to logos versus resumes,” Yormark said this week, while slamming the idea of teams with two losses in his conference being ranked worse than teams with three in the SEC. The ACC is also staring at a one-bid season with only No. 8 SMU inside the cut line of this week's projected bracket. Miami's loss last week all but bumped the Hurricanes out of the playoffs, a snub that ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said left him “incredibly shocked and disappointed." “As we look ahead to the final rankings, we hope the committee will reconsider and put a deserving Miami in the field," Phillips said in a statement. The lobbying and bickering filters down to the campuses that feel the impact. And, of course, to social media. One of the most entertaining episodes came earlier this week when athletic directors at Iowa State and SMU went back and forth about whose team was more deserving. There are a few stray millions that the selection committee cannot really influence, including a $3 million payment to conferences that make the playoff. In a reminder that all these kids are going to school, after all, the conferences get $300,000 per football team that meets academic requirements to participate in the postseason. (That's basically everyone). Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Zoe Ball has opened up about her poignant Christmas homage to the loved ones she's lost after enduring a tough year. The 53-year-old mother of two, who recently made headlines with her decision to step down from her Radio 2 show, has faced several losses, including the death of her cherished mother, Julia, in April. In a touching tribute to her mum on social media following Julia's passing, Zoe posted: "We are bereft without you but will hold so tight to each other." Now, as Christmas approaches, Zoe has taken to Instagram to share an image of a red, glittery heart frame with a picture of Julia, which hangs beautifully on her Christmas tree. Accompanying a montage that includes photo ornaments of five special people she's missing, Zoe penned: "Miss you special people" along with a black heart emoji. Among those remembered on Zoe's festive tree is her late partner, Billy Yates, who sadly passed away in 2017. Billy, known for his work as a cameraman on Antiques Roadshow , was just 40 when he took his own life. Zoe paid tribute to him earlier this year, sharing a heartfelt message: "7 years, kisses in the sky x," alongside star emojis and a cherished selfie of Billy, reports the Mirror . Zoe spoke candidly about her late partner during a poignant interview on Desert Island Discs in February 2020, recalling: "He'd lived with depression for a huge chunk of his life. It's so hard to sit and watch someone you love and care for struggle with mental health. Losing him was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with in my life." After Zoe's emotional tribute to her loved ones, in which she dedicates a spot on her Christmas tree to each of them, her fans rallied around her, with one writing: "Thinking of you.. lean on those who love you" and another responding: "You are so wonderful , I know it's hard, you will get through it, I promise, it's takes time xx." Following months of speculation about Zoe's future on Radio 2 after a prolonged break, the DJ announced her departure from the station this month. After a challenging year marked by multiple show cancellations, Zoe informed her listeners that she's "decided it's time to step away from the early alarm call and start a new chapter". Zoe had taken a six-week hiatus from her Breakfast Show slot following her mother's passing, with her last appearance on the BBC Radio 2 show being on August 8 before her return in September. The mystery behind Zoe's recent disappearance from the spotlight has been shrouded in secrecy, leaving fans utterly confused. In an unexpected reveal, Zoe's son Woody spoke out about his mother's absence in a candid chat with the Mail , where he confessed, "My mum and I like to keep our private lives to ourselves but I will say I have stepped up and spent a lot more time with her recently as she has always been there when I've had tough times. I'm glad to see her smiling."Morning Joe makes bold Trump prediction after cozying up to president-elect in Mar-a-Lago

One of the most anticipated vehicle launches of all time happened on Nov. 30, 2023 with Tesla Inc TSLA delivering its first Cybertruck vehicles to a long waiting list of reservation holders of the highly anticipated electric pickup truck. Here's a look back at the company's unveiling of the truck and how much investors could have made timing their stock purchase. What Happened : Tesla recently shared a look back at what the company accomplished in its first year with the Cybertruck on the market. "1 year since we launched the truck that ‘they'd never actually make,'" Tesla tweeted . Tesla shared that since the launch, the Cybertruck has had multiple highlights, including achieving a positive gross margin in less than a year and starting deliveries in Canada. Other highlights shared in the X thread are the Cybertruck driving and parking itself, having Powershare, testing the bulletproof abilities, beating a Porsche 911 while towing a 911 and winning over diesel truck owners. The Nov. 30, 2023 delivery event was a long time coming for Tesla and fans of the company. Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the Cybertruck at a public event on Nov. 22, 2019. Originally set for a 2021 launch, the vehicle suffered several delays and setbacks before its eventual 2023 launch. The film “Blade Runner” and the James Bond vehicle from “The Spy Who Loved Me” inspired the design. The vehicle’s unique design and fans of Tesla and Musk have led to strong demand. A week after the unveiling, Tesla reported 250,000 reservations, via a $100 deposit. In recent comments, Tesla has said there are over one million reservations for the vehicle. Third-party estimates put the estimate closer to two million units reserved. With the Cybertruck, Tesla added another vehicle class to compete with Ford Motor Company F , General Motors Company GM and Rivian Automotive RIVN . In the U.S., trucks remain top sellers . In 2022, five of the top 10 bestselling vehicles were pickup trucks, including the top three vehicles. Pop culture references, like when the vehicle appeared on an episode of “The Simpsons,” sparked interest. Podcast host Joe Rogan has also discussed the vehicle and praised its unique design during several of his interviews. Tesla has estimated it will sell 250,000 Cybertruck units annually by 2025. Musk has tried to downplay early expectations for the highly anticipated vehicle’s deliveries. “I always try to downplay the start of production because the start of production is always very slow. It increases exponentially, but it’s always very slow at first. So I wouldn’t put too much thought into the start of production. It’s kind of when volume production happens, and that’s next year,” Musk said during an earnings call. Investors and analysts see the Cybertruck as a big catalyst, which could mean more upside for Tesla shares. If you purchased shares when the Cybertruck was first unveiled, you have already been rewarded. Are you buying when the CEOs of the Magnificent 7 are selling? Stay in the know with our Insider Trades page — see when leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jensen Huang are offloading their own shares. Investing $1,000 in Tesla Stock: A $1,000 investment could have purchased 2.94 shares of TSLA at the opening print on Nov. 22, 2019. Tesla underwent stock splits of five-for-one in 2020 and three-for-one in 2022. The splits would take the 2.94 shares to 44.1 total Tesla shares. The $1,000 investment would be worth $15,747.67 today, based on a Tesla price of $357.09 at the time of writing. It would be up 1,474.8% over the last five years. The same $1,000 invested in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY , which tracks the top 500 U.S. stocks, wouldn’t have fared as well. The $1,000 investment in the SPY would be worth $1,937.65 today. This represents a return of 93.8% over the last five years, significantly trailing the performance of Tesla over the same period. Investors who passed up the opportunity to buy Tesla stock when the Cybertruck was first unveiled may have considered buying the stock last November when deliveries took place. An investor could have bought 4.08 Tesla shares with $1,000 based on a price of $245.22 on Nov. 30, 2023. The $1,000 investment would be worth $1,456.93 today, up 45.7%. The same $1,000 invested in the SPY on Nov. 30, 2023, would be worth $1,321.95 today, up 32.2%. Read Next: Elon Musk Wanted To Make A Vehicle For The Future, One That Blade Runner Would Drive This article was previously published by Benzinga and has been updated. Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

KAMNIK POD KRIMOM, Slovenia, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Klementina Rednak Meznar, the first buyer of Dongfeng Box in Slovenia, received her new car on Tuesday. "I really like its shape. It is not too big, which will make parking easier. I am also fascinated by its great interior design," Meznar said at a delivery ceremony held at the sales center of Chinese automaker Dongfeng. Ma Lei, general manager of import and export division of Dongfeng Motor Industry, said that Dongfeng is optimistic about its future development in Slovenia. The Chinese automaker would achieve its goal of gaining 1 percent of the Slovenian market by the year end, even though it is the first year for Dongfeng to enter the Slovenian market, he said. For him, the biggest advantage of Dongfeng Box model is its harmony, which unites comfortable and smooth ride with a battery that can provide up to a 400 km range on a single charge. According to Marko Femc, CEO of Plan-net Avto, the official importer of Dongfeng cars to Slovenia, it is difficult to have a stock of Dongfeng Box in Slevenia since there is a high demand for the model across the world. "We received the first shipment of the Box model yesterday and expect to sell some 650 units of that model by the middle of the next year," he said. On EU's tariff hikes against imports of Chinese electric vehicles, Femc said "the tariffs are bad for consumers, but I am very optimistic that the EU and China may soon reach a deal to ease the tariff burden." The first sales and technical center of Chinese automaker Dongfeng opened in Kamnik pod Krimom, central Slovenia on Oct. 23, 2024.

The has selected three for funding grants of $179 million to help them enhance microelectronics’ energy efficiency and create new chips for extreme environments. The funding will enable the MSRCs to conduct research in microelectronics materials, device and system design, and manufacturing science to transform microelectronics technologies, the DOE said Monday. The program supports the government’s vision of producing microelectronics capable of operating in high-radiation, cryogenic and high-magnetic field environments. According to , deputy director of science programs at the DOE’s Office of Science, the research centers will deliver innovations to improve U.S. lives and enable the country to maintain its science and technology leadership. “Advancements in microelectronics are critical to furthering scientific discovery,” she added. Funding Recipients and Their Missions The funding program will help the Microelectronics Energy Efficiency Research Center for Advanced Technologies explore technologies to bridge sensing, edge processing, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. MEERCAT will accelerate the deployment of scalable and sustainable systems to reimagine computing and sensing models. Another fund recipient, the Co-design and Heterogeneous Integration in Microelectronics for Extreme Environments Center, will develop durable systems for high performance in extreme thermal and radiation environments. CHIME will turn new research into scalable capabilities that address critical societal and industrial needs. Under the program, the Extreme Lithography and Materials Innovation Center will integrate new materials and processes into advanced microelectronic systems. ELMIC will collaborate with to start working on a future build of extreme ultraviolet lithography. The centers are established as networks of projects that were selected by competitive peer review under the DOE. Projects will run up to four years and access an initial $41 million, with the succeeding funding to be determined by congressional appropriations.

Collective bargaining rights for most Wisconsin public employees, which were effectively eliminated under former Gov. Scott Walker's 13-year-old signature law Act 10, are slated to be restored following a Dane County judge's order Monday. The order from Dane County Circuit Court Judge Jacob Frost comes nearly six months after he ruled that provisions of Act 10, which was passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed into law by Walker in 2011, were unconstitutional because the law treats public safety workers differently from other public employees. Frost earlier this year rejected a motion by the Legislature seeking to dismiss the case and, on Monday, he clarified which provisions of the law are no longer enforceable. His ruling would effectively restore collective bargaining powers for all public workers to what they were before Act 10 was adopted. "The judiciary cannot be a check on the Legislature if it cannot, through declaring a statute unconstitutional and void, stop the enforcement of that statute," Frost wrote in the 18-page order. "Instead, to uphold the role of the judicial branch, I must strike unconstitutional statutes and restore the statutes to a constitutional basis. The Legislature may then take up the work of drafting a new, constitutional framework for collective bargaining of public employees, if it so desires. "If the Legislature wants this Court’s decision to not yet have effect, it must move this Court to stay enforcement of its decision pending appeal," Frost added, suggesting his ruling would not take effect anytime soon. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, pledged to do just that, meaning the case is all but certain to come before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which currently holds a 4-3 liberal majority. One of the court's liberal seats is on the ballot in April, with conservatives hoping to regain control of the state's highest court. “This lawsuit came more than a decade after Act 10 became law and after many courts rejected the same meritless legal challenges," Vos said in a statement. "We look forward to presenting our arguments on appeal.” Court records show an appeal was filed hours after Frost's ruling. In his ruling, Frost rejected a request from GOP legislative leaders, submitted in response to his ruling in July, asking him to simply eliminate the definition of "public safety employee" from the law. Frost wrote that doing so would "lack any legislative direction in the statutes as to the intended meaning of the term." "Act 10 as written by the Legislature specifically and narrowly defines 'public safety employee,'" Frost wrote. "It is that definition which is unconstitutional. The Legislature cites no precedent for this bold argument that I should simply strike the unlawful definition but leave it to an agency and the courts to later define as they see fit. "Neither this Court, the Court of Appeals nor the Supreme Court can decide how we believe the Legislature should have, but did not, define the 'public safety employee' group," Frost continued. "We cannot decide who should be included or excluded, absent guidance from the Legislature as to its lawful policy choices." In his order, Frost struck portions of the law that laid out the difference between general and public safety employees, including a provision that required general employees to secure 51% of the votes of all employees in a collective bargaining unit to recertify, while public safety employees only needed a majority of those members who actually voted. "This distinction between general and public safety employees is meaningless without Act 10’s creation of these two categories," Frost noted. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers praised Frost's ruling. Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser dead at 81 “I've always believed workers should have a seat at the table in decisions that affect their daily lives and livelihoods," Evers said in a statement. "It’s about treating workers with dignity and respect and making sure no worker is treated differently because of their profession.” The lawsuit was filed last November by several union groups who argued lawmakers violated the state Constitution when they established two separate tiers of public employees: Those subject to the law, including teachers and service workers, and those exempt, including police and firefighters — groups that largely endorsed Walker. Moreover, they said, the differences between the two groups of employees aren't clearly defined. Municipal police and fire and state troopers are allowed to collectively bargain under the law, but not Capitol Police, UW Police and conservation wardens. Act 10 was passed when Republicans held a trifecta in state government as a way to address a projected $3.6 billion budget deficit and delivered a windfall to taxpayers while also altering the relationship between government workers and their employers. The proposal sparked immense pushback, with as many as 100,000 people massing at the Capitol for a nearly monthlong protest and occupation leading up to the measure's passage. Wisconsinites have gotten cheaper government, lower taxes and a way out of the immediate budget crisis, the Wisconsin State Journal found in a 2021 series examining the law's impact on the 10th anniversary of its passage. Kurt Bauer, president and CEO of the state's largest business organization Wisconsin Manufacturers and Business, said Frost's ruling "is wrong on its face and is inconsistent with the law." “Act 10 is not only constitutional, it is a critical tool for policymakers and elected officials to balance budgets and find taxpayer savings," he added. "Thanks to Act 10, the state, local governments and countless school districts have saved billions and billions of dollars — protecting Wisconsinites from massive tax increases over the last decade-plus." Interactive Map: Madison adds a new park every year. Here's where they're going The law effectively ended collective bargaining for most public-sector unions by allowing them to bargain solely over base wage increases no greater than inflation. It also ended the automatic withdrawal of union dues, required annual recertification votes for unions, and forced public workers to pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits. "I voted against Act 10 more than 13 years ago, and am thrilled our public servants are able to once again organize and make their voices heard," former state legislator and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, wrote in a post on X. Walker, meanwhile, called Frost's ruling "brazen political activism," in a post on X. "Collective bargaining is not a right," Walker added in a second post. "It is an expensive entitlement." The conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty wrote in an April report that eliminating Act 10 could have a significant fiscal impact on the state, with school districts facing an estimated $1.6 billion in new annual costs if the law is fully repealed. “For over a decade, liberal activists have attacked reforms that have saved Wisconsin taxpayers tens of billions of dollars," LeMahieu said in a statement. "Despite Act 10 being upheld repeatedly by state and federal courts, an activist Dane County judge decided to issue a ruling suddenly deciding Wisconsin's law is unconstitutional. We will appeal this decision immediately.” Frost had taken criticism earlier this year after it was reported his name appeared on a 2011 petition to recall Walker following Act 10's passage, when Frost was a private practice attorney. Attorneys representing the Legislature in the lawsuit did not request that Frost be removed from the case. The lawsuit was filed by the Abbotsford Education Association, Beaver Dam Education Association, SEIU Wisconsin, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Locals 47 and 1215, Teaching Assistants' Association Local 3220 and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 695, as well AFSCME Local 1215 President Ben Gruber, Beaver Dam teacher Matthew Ziebarth and Racine Unified School District employee Wayne Rasmussen. "Today's decision is personal for me and my coworkers," Gruber said in a statement. "As a conservation warden, having full collective bargaining rights means we will again have a voice on the job to improve our workplace and make sure that Wisconsin is a safe place for everyone. We realize there may still be a fight ahead of us in the courts, but make no mistake, we're ready to keep fighting until we all have a seat at the table again." A decade after the debate and protests over the anti-union law known as Act 10 convulsed the state, Wisconsin remains firmly divided on the law. The most seismic political story of the last decade in Wisconsin began on Feb. 7, 2011, when Republican Gov. Scott Walker informed a gathering... A selection of Wisconsin State Journal photographs from the historic protests of February and March 2011 at the state Capitol. The largest pro... Between 2010 and 2017, four major public sector unions in Wisconsin saw significant decreases in their membership. A collection of Wisconsin State Journal front pages during the historic Capitol protests of February and March 2011. Gov. Scott Walker's plan ... Video highlights of the fallout over the introduction and passage of what would become Wisconsin 2011 Act 10 in February and March, 2011. A decade after the controversial legislation became law, state and local governments have saved billions of dollars, but spending on key programs has lagged. The most seismic political story of the last decade in Wisconsin began on Feb. 7, 2011, when Republican Gov. Scott Walker informed a gathering... The most seismic political story of the last decade in Wisconsin began on Feb. 7, 2011, when Republican Gov. Scott Walker informed a gathering... "Collective bargaining is not a right. It is an expensive entitlement." Former Gov. Scott Walker, writing in a post on X Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Judge hears closing arguments on whether Google's advertising tech constitutes a monopoly

United States shares higher at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.28%