betfred opening times Biden's broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son Hunter wasn't all that surprising to those who are familiar with the president's devotion to his family. But by choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old president has raised new questions about his legacy. Biden has held himself up as placing his respect for the American judicial system and rule of law over his own personal concerns. It was part of an effort to draw a deliberate contrast with Republican Donald Trump. Now, both his broken promise and his act of clemency are a political lightning rod. Some Democrats are frustrated over Joe Biden reversing course and pardoning his son Hunter ATLANTA (AP) — Already reeling from their November defeat at the polls, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden's pardoning of his son for a federal felony conviction — after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who operates above the law. The White House on Monday struggled to defend the pardon, claiming the prosecution was politically motivated — a page out of Trump's playbook. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats who are angry that Biden’s reversal could make it harder to take on Trump. Hezbollah fires into Israel-held area after multiple Israeli strikes in Lebanon since truce began JERUSALEM (AP) — Hezbollah fired into a disputed border zone held by Israel after multiple Israeli strikes inside Lebanon since a ceasefire took hold last week. The militant group said the volley, its first during the truce, was a warning shot in response to what it called repeated Israeli violations. Israeli leaders threatened to retaliate, further straining the fragile U.S.- and French-brokered ceasefire. Israeli strikes in recent days, including a string of hits on Monday, have killed at least four people in Lebanon. U.S. officials said the ceasefire was largely holding. Key players in Syria's long-running civil war, reignited by a shock rebel offensive BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s civil war has exploded back onto the world stage after insurgents poured out of their main bastion in northwestern Syria and seized large parts of nearby Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and dozens of nearby towns and villages.. The insurgents offensive triggered the heaviest clashes in the country since a March 2020 cease-fire brokered by Turkey and Russia, who back rival sides in the conflict. Five countries have military presence in Syria including the U.S. that has troops deployed in the country’s east, Turkey that controls parts of northern Syria, Israel that has presence in the Golan Heights and Russia and Iran that have been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Woman driving drunk who killed bride still in her wedding dress sentenced to 25 years in prison A woman who admitted to drinking and who was driving well over twice the speed limit when she smashed into a golf cart killing a bride who had just got married at a South Carolina beach has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Jamie Lee Komoroski pleaded guilty Monday to reckless homicide and three felony driving under the influence charges. Police said the 27-year-old drank at several bars on April 28, 2023, and was driving 65 mph on a narrow Folly Beach road when she slammed into a golf cart leaving a wedding. The bride, 34-year-old Samantha Miller, died still wearing her wedding dress. Florida woman sentenced to life for zipping boyfriend into suitcase, suffocating him A 47-year-oldFlorida woman has been sentenced to life in prison for zipping her boyfriend into a suitcase and leaving him to die of suffocation amid a history of domestic and alcohol abuse. Circuit Judge Michael Kraynick imposed the sentence Monday in Orlando on Sarah Boone for the 2020 killing of 42-year-old Jorge Torres. A jury deliberated only 90 minutes Oct. 25 before convicting Boone of the second-degree murder of Jorge Torres after a 10-day trial. Boone had insisted she was herself a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Torres and had pleaded not guilty. Great Lakes region gets yet more snow after a weekend of snarled Thanksgiving travel Some storm-weary residents of the Great Lakes region saw additional snow and faced the prospect of even more accumulations this week. Lake-effect snow continued to fall on parts of western New York that were already blanketed with a foot or more over the past four days. Lake-effect snow warnings were in effect through Tuesday night in parts of Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania. Snow showers fell in western Michigan overnight, and heavier, persistent snow of up to a foot was expected to follow Monday. Stock market today: Rising tech stocks pull Wall Street to another record NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Cyber Monday shoppers expected to set a record on the year's biggest day for online shopping Consumers in the U.S. are scouring the internet for online deals as they look to make the most of the post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon on Cyber Monday. The National Retail Federation coined the term for the Monday after Black Friday in 2005. Even though e-commerce is now part and parcel of many people’s regular routine, Cyber Monday continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to steady discounts and a fair amount of hype. Several major retails actually started their Cyber Monday promotions over the weekend. Consumer spending for the online shopping days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday provides an indication of how much shoppers are willing to spend for the holidays.The Official VHA-H: Hoverfly Spectre Secures Variable Height Antenna - Heavy (VHA-H) Program for U.S. ArmyMINOT — Measure 4, a constitutional amendment to abolish taxes on property values, went down in flames last month, with more than 63% of North Dakotans saying "no." The measure campaign, called End Unfair Property Tax, was organized by former state lawmaker Rick Becker. It failed to win even a single county. The closest the measure got to a majority anywhere in the state was just over 47% of the vote in Ward County. It lost, I think, not because North Dakotans, who are perpetually aggrieved with their property taxes, are necessarily against change, but because of two factors. The first, and somewhat less important reason, is that the spokesman for the campaign was Becker, a deeply polarizing and unpopular political figure. The second and far more critical issue is that the proposal gave voters no inkling as to what might replace the current property tax regime. Would it be another form of property tax? Would other taxes or fees go up? Could we be assured of efficiently funding local projects and keeping some semblance of local control? In essence, voters needed to know they wouldn't be jumping out of the frying pan of the status quo and into the fires of the unknown. Becker and the Measure 4 campaign couldn't deliver any convincing assurances. So Measure 4 flopped, but we're about to have a significant debate about property tax reform during the coming legislative session. And you know what? Even though Measure 4 was a very bad idea, some of the ideas its supporters are kicking around are worth taking seriously. A reader forwarded to me the minutes from the last of the Measure 4 committee's meetings, which was held Nov. 19 in Minot. In addition to closing out the books on their campaign, the committee discussed what sort of reforms they would and would not support going forward. The things they say they'll support? And what won't the committee members support? I'm impressed, given what an astoundingly bad idea Measure 4 was. I should note that some of the property tax proposals that have been made public are already coalescing around some of these ideas. Rep. Scott Louser, R-Minot, for instance, is proposing legislation that would have the state take over K-12 funding (Louser estimates that this would be a 25% to 50% reduction in property tax bills, depending on where you live), coupled with a cap on taxes that could be rolled over from budget cycle to budget cycle if a governing entity doesn't use its full tax. There will be more proposals — there are already dozens of drafts ready to be filed ahead of the regular session — but what the Measure 4 committee is backing serves as a good framework for what reform should look like. "The things they support are very much in line with things I support," one person who worked on the campaign against Measure 4 told me. Caps, at this point, are a given. State lawmakers have appropriated billions to buy down property taxes, but I'm not sure many North Dakotans can say they've felt the relief. Expect lobbyists for local governing interests to fight hard against them, but every lawmaker I've spoken to since Election Day has indicated to me that caps are all but assured. But the calls for ending foreclosures and reforming tax exemptions? Those are superb ideas and should be central to any property tax package from this legislative session. Property tax foreclosures don't happen very often, but they do happen, and what happens more frequently is that someone who can't afford the property taxes voluntarily sells before reaching the point of foreclosure. Moving to liens provides adequate accountability for failure to pay without the draconian step of foreclosure. Taking a hard look at property tax exemptions, too, is a good idea. We can start with a simple question: Are they actually working? Have they had measurable success? If not, ax them, but even if they can be said to be working, are they worth the cost? Every new property tax exemption narrows the property tax base and puts upward pressure on the bills of every taxpayer who didn't receive an exemption. Good tax policy consists of taxes that are broad, simple and low. Property taxes in North Dakota have increasingly become narrow, complicated and high. Exemptions are a part of that problem. Again, Measure 4 was a bad idea, and I'm glad it failed, but the committee backing it has some good ideas on how we move forward. They deserve credit for that.

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The Cowlitz County Auditor's Office is looking for someone to author an "against" statement in the Feb. 11 special election voters' guide. The Castle Rock School District 's levy for educational programs and operations will be on the ballot in the special election. The Cowlitz County Auditor is seeking to fill a committee that will write an argument in the voters' guide arguing against the measure. To sign up for the committee, contact the Cowlitz County Elections Office by 5 p.m. on Dec. 16. This can be done in person at the office, via email at elections@cowlitzwa.gov or by phone at 360-577-3005. Appointments are first-come, first-served. Writers must live within the boundaries of the Castle Rock School District. This is due to a state law passed earlier this year which mandates writers must live within the jurisdictional boundaries of a proposition. Get local news delivered to your inbox! {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

G7 foreign ministers push for Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in final G7 of Biden administrationNone