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LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Devin Askew had 28 points in Long Beach State's 76-68 victory over Hawaii on Saturday night. Askew also had six rebounds, seven assists, and seven steals for the Beach (3-8, 2-0 Big West Conference). Austin Johnson scored 14 points and added 10 rebounds. TJ Wainwright went 5 of 9 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) to finish with 14 points. The Rainbow Warriors (5-3, 0-1) were led in scoring by Marcus Greene, who finished with 17 points. Gytis Nemeiksa added 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Hawaii. Akira Jacobs also had 11 points. Long Beach State takes on San Diego on the road on Tuesday, and Hawaii hosts Texas A&M-CC on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Trump hits out at Obama as he says U.S. should not get involved in Syria conflict: ‘Not our fight’Terrorists targeting India to get 'muh tod jawab': PM Modi on 26/11NoneTitans stun Texans as battered Will Levis hangs in to help Tennessee win
In a column expressing skepticism that Donald Trump's proposed "Department of Government Efficiency" will be able to accomplish, an expert at the Brookings Institution, who played a key part in former Vice President Al Gore's "Re-inventing Government" initiative, told the Washington Post's Dan Balz that the incoming administration is in for a dose of political reality. With the president-elect selecting wealthy entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head up the off-the-cuff department, Elaine Kamarck pointed to multiple instances where cuts would be unpalatable to Trump's MAGA fans . ALSO READ: The America-attacking Trump is coming for our military — and then he's coming for us As Balz wrote, Musk and Ramaswamy "have huge ambitions and no humility about what they are undertaking," before adding, "What they have talked about amounts to a wholesale attack on federal agencies designed to eliminate thousands of regulations, reduce the federal workforce by an order of magnitude that could cripple the delivery of vital services, and effect cost savings that would amount to nearly one-third of the federal budget, or the entire discretionary part of the budget and then some." Karmack cited the Border Patrol, with 19,000 Border Patrol agents, and asked where the cuts would come from when border security was the main plank of the Trump campaign. According to Balz, "There are about 1,800 air traffic controllers, she said. Would Trump’s team cut that workforce significantly, causing potential flight cancellations and disruption?" with Kamarck predicting " “It will take about a week and Congress will say, ‘Hey, you can’t do this." "And how deeply would he try to cut the workforce at the Social Security Administration, at the risk of checks not being sent out promptly or other breakdowns in a program that he has otherwise vowed not to touch?" Balz asked. With Ramaswamy and Musk boasting, "We expect to prevail," Balz wrote, "Those words no doubt reflect the aggressive approach the president-elect and his advisers hope to take once he is sworn in. Meanwhile, executive branch employees are bracing for what could be coming and opponents are preparing to resist through legal and other channels. Whether Trump’s shock troops, led by Musk and Ramaswamy, are truly ready will be known soon." You can read more here .Former Sabres Superstar Is Dominating Right NowLONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Devin Askew had 28 points in Long Beach State's 76-68 victory over Hawaii on Saturday night. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Devin Askew had 28 points in Long Beach State's 76-68 victory over Hawaii on Saturday night. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Devin Askew had 28 points in Long Beach State’s 76-68 victory over Hawaii on Saturday night. Askew also had six rebounds, seven assists, and seven steals for the Beach (3-8, 2-0 Big West Conference). Austin Johnson scored 14 points and added 10 rebounds. TJ Wainwright went 5 of 9 from the field (2 for 3 from 3-point range) to finish with 14 points. The Rainbow Warriors (5-3, 0-1) were led in scoring by Marcus Greene, who finished with 17 points. Gytis Nemeiksa added 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Hawaii. Akira Jacobs also had 11 points. Long Beach State takes on San Diego on the road on Tuesday, and Hawaii hosts Texas A&M-CC on Sunday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisement
DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much that they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC, a consulting firm. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out of the activity” of buying a new vehicle, Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. Stellantis and VW import about 40% of the vehicles they sell from Canada and Mexico, while it's 30% for GM and 25% for Ford. GM and Stellantis import more than half of their high-profit pickup trucks from the two countries, according to Bernstein. If Trump does impose the tariffs in January, the auto industry would have little time to adjust, putting operating profits at risk for the automakers, Roeska said in an email. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit the stocks of some companies that could be particularly hurt, such as auto manufacturers and Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States. But the overall market held relatively steady near records as investors saw Trump’s proposal as more of an opening position for negotiations rather than as a definitive policy. It's not clear how long the tariffs would last if they are implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. But Morningstar analyst David Whiston said in the short term automakers probably won't make any moves because they can't quickly change where they build vehicles. To move to the U.S., they would have to buy equipment and revamp their parts supply chain, which can take years. “I think everyone is going to be in a wait-and-see mode,” Whiston said. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, the council said. “At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry just as these businesses continue their long recovery from the pandemic,” the council said in a statement. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs on to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices, as did Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about how the countries can work together on the challenges they face. "This is something that we can do, laying out the facts and moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump's transition team wouldn't comment on the call. Also Monday, Trump turned his ire to China, saying he has “had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington cautioned on Monday that there will be losers on all sides if there is a trade war. Trump's threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling . The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico. Border seizures of the drug rose sharply under President Joe Biden. The tariffs would also throw into doubt the reliability of the 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, the USMCA, which replaced NAFTA and is up for review in 2026. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what authority he would use, what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department and Economy Department also had no immediate reaction to Trump’s statements. ___ Rugaber reported from Washington. AP reporters Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Stan Choe and Anne D'Innocenzio in New York, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
CBC resurrects plans for live New Year’s Eve broadcast specialsMeta announced earlier this week that they will introduce "Instagram Teen Accounts". The company said that the accounts will be a "new experience for teens, guided by parents". LiveNOW from FOX host Christy Matino spoke to Vanessa Paz Dennen, Professor of Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies to break it all down. Nearly half of teens said they used social media or online platforms "almost constantly," according to a Pew Research survey. The most popular platforms were YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. Facebook and X saw a steep decline in use among teens between 13 and 17 years old. LOS ANGELES - Teens are spending a good chunk of their time consuming online and social media content, according to a recent survey conducted by Pew Research. Nearly half of teens in the United States are online "almost constantly" despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health , Pew said. RELATED: Teens turning to TikTok to self-diagnose mental health issues The teens who were surveyed said their most-used social media platforms included YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. YouTube was the most popular platform as 9 in 10 teens reported using the site, which is slightly down from 2022 when Pew conducted this same survey. Overall, 73% of teens said they visited YouTube daily, and of those 73%, 15% described their use as "almost constant." TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat were also popular among teens with Instagram gaining slightly more popularity since 2022. Sixty-three percent of teens said they visited TikTok daily and of that 63%, 16% said they were on it constantly. Roughly half of teens said they went on Instagram and Snapchat every day with almost 13% of them using those two platforms almost constantly. The platforms that saw a steep decline in use were Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter). Across all five platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook) one-third of teens said they were using these sites constantly. RELATED: Half of US teens spend over 4 hours daily on screens, CDC study finds FILE - A teenager looks at a smartphone screen. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images) For better or worse, social media has become a medium for people – not just kids – to socialize, relieve stress and seek advice. But it has its dark side. It has become increasingly known that the more time people, especially young people, spend online, the higher the risk of developing mental health problems. Kids who use social media for more than three hours a day face double the risk of depression and anxiety, according to studies cited by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who issued an extraordinary public warning last spring about the risks of social media to young people. In June, Murthy called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms and their effects on young people’s lives, similar to those that are mandatory on cigarette boxes. "Social media today is like tobacco decades ago: It’s a product whose business model depends on addicting kids. And as with cigarettes, a surgeon general’s warning label is a critical step toward mitigating the threat to children," Josh Golin, executive director at Fairplay, an organization that is dedicated to ending marketing to children, said in a statement to The Associated Press in June. RELATED: Doomscrolling costs us 3 days a month, survey finds Social media and screens are everywhere and limiting how much young people consume it can be challenging. About half of teens report at least one sign of problematic social media use, as the American Psychological Association’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Mitch Prinstein, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, wrote in a Q&A on the APA’s website. (Prinstein also co-chaired the advisory panel.) These warning signs include being unable to stop even when they want to, lying in order to continue using social media, failing to keep up with daily routines, schoolwork or relationships, sleep disruptions and stunted activity levels, according to the APA. Experts suggest that before teens should even be allowed to use social media, they should go through a type of "training" for social media literacy. This training could help give young people the skills and knowledge to create a balance in their social media use. "Just as we require young people to be trained in order to get a driver’s license, our youth need instruction in the safe and healthy use of social media," said APA President Thema Bryant. This type of training could help teens think more critically about social media content and be less likely to buy into inaccuracies, generalizations and misinformation, per the advisory. It could also help them deal with online conflicts in a healthy way. Information for this article was gathered from a survey conducted by Pew Research from Sept. 18 to Oct. 10, 2024. The Associated Press and FOX News also contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
DETROIT (AP) — If Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, the price increases that could follow will collide with his campaign promise to give American families a break from inflation. Economists say companies would have little choice but to pass along the added costs, dramatically raising prices for food, clothing, automobiles, booze and other goods. The president-elect floated the tariff idea, including additional 10% taxes on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to halt the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S. But his posts Monday on Truth Social threatening the tariffs on his first day in office could just be a negotiating ploy to get the countries to change behavior. High food prices were a major issue in voters picking Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris, but tariffs almost certainly would push those costs up even further. For instance, the Produce Distributors Association, a Washington trade group, said Tuesday that tariffs will raise prices for fresh fruit and vegetables and hurt U.S. farmers when other countries retaliate. “Tariffs distort the marketplace and will raise prices along the supply chain, resulting in the consumer paying more at the checkout line,” said Alan Siger, association president. Mexico and Canada are two of the biggest exporters of fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. In 2022, Mexico supplied 51% of fresh fruit and 69% of fresh vegetables imported by value into the U.S., while Canada supplied 2% of fresh fruit and 20% of fresh vegetables. Before the election, about 7 in 10 voters said they were very concerned about the cost of food, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. “We’ll get them down,” Trump told shoppers during a September visit to a Pennsylvania grocery store. The U.S. is the largest importer of goods in the world, with Mexico, China and Canada its top three suppliers, according to the most recent U.S. Census data. People looking to buy a new vehicle likely would see big price increases as well, at a time when costs have gone up so much that they are out of reach for many. The average price of a new vehicle now runs around $48,000. About 15% of the 15.6 million new vehicles sold in the U.S. last year came from Mexico, while 8% crossed the border from Canada, according to Global Data. Much of the tariffs would get passed along to consumers, unless automakers can somehow quickly find productivity improvements to offset them, said C.J. Finn, U.S. automotive sector leader for PwC, a consulting firm. That means even more consumers “would potentially get priced out of the activity” of buying a new vehicle, Finn said. Hardest hit would be Volkswagen, Stellantis, General Motors and Ford, Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. Stellantis and VW import about 40% of the vehicles they sell from Canada and Mexico, while it's 30% for GM and 25% for Ford. GM and Stellantis import more than half of their high-profit pickup trucks from the two countries, according to Bernstein. If Trump does impose the tariffs in January, the auto industry would have little time to adjust, putting operating profits at risk for the automakers, Roeska said in an email. “A 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada would severely cripple the U.S. auto industry,” he said. The tariffs would hurt U.S. industrial production so much that “we expect this is unlikely to happen in practice,” Roeska said. The tariff threat hit the stocks of some companies that could be particularly hurt, such as auto manufacturers and Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States. But the overall market held relatively steady near records as investors saw Trump’s proposal as more of an opening position for negotiations rather than as a definitive policy. It's not clear how long the tariffs would last if they are implemented, but they could force auto executives to move production to the U.S., which could create more jobs in the long run. But Morningstar analyst David Whiston said in the short term automakers probably won't make any moves because they can't quickly change where they build vehicles. To move to the U.S., they would have to buy equipment and revamp their parts supply chain, which can take years. “I think everyone is going to be in a wait-and-see mode,” Whiston said. Millions of dollars worth of auto parts flow across the borders with Mexico and Canada, and that could raise prices for already costly automobile repairs, Finn said. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. said tariffs on tequila or Canadian whisky won’t boost American jobs because they are distinctive products that can only be made in their country of origin. In 2023, the U.S. imported $4.6 billion worth of tequila and $108 million worth of mezcal from Mexico and $537 million worth of spirits from Canada, the council said. “At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry just as these businesses continue their long recovery from the pandemic,” the council said in a statement. Electronics retailer Best Buy said on its third-quarter earnings conference call that it runs on thin profit margins, so while vendors and the company will shoulder some increases, Best Buy will have to pass tariffs on to customers. “These are goods that people need, and higher prices are not helpful,” CEO Corie Barry said. Walmart also warned this week that tariffs could force it to raise prices, as did Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who talked with Trump after his call for tariffs, said they had a good conversation about how the countries can work together on the challenges they face. "This is something that we can do, laying out the facts and moving forward in constructive ways. This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau said. Trump's transition team wouldn't comment on the call. Also Monday, Trump turned his ire to China, saying he has “had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States – But to no avail.” The Chinese Embassy in Washington cautioned on Monday that there will be losers on all sides if there is a trade war. Trump's threats come as arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico have been falling . The most recent U.S. numbers for October show arrests remain near four-year lows. But arrests for illegally crossing the border from Canada have been rising over the past two years. Much of America’s fentanyl is smuggled from Mexico. Border seizures of the drug rose sharply under President Joe Biden. The tariffs would also throw into doubt the reliability of the 2020 trade deal brokered in large part by Trump with Canada and Mexico, the USMCA, which replaced NAFTA and is up for review in 2026. Trump transition team officials did not immediately respond to questions about what authority he would use, what he would need to see to prevent the tariffs from being implemented and how they would impact prices in the U.S. Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department and Economy Department also had no immediate reaction to Trump’s statements. ___ Rugaber reported from Washington. AP reporters Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit, Stan Choe and Anne D'Innocenzio in New York, and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday said a rape allegation against rapper Jay-Z won't impact the league's relationship with Roc Nation, the music mogul's company that has produced some of the NFL's entertainment presentations, including the Super Bowl halftime show. "We're aware of the civil allegations and Jay-Z's really strong response to that," Goodell said after the conclusion of the league's winter meetings in Irving, Texas. "We know the litigation is happening now. From our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl." A woman who previously sued Sean "Diddy" Combs, alleging she was raped at an awards show after-party in 2000 when she was 13 years old, amended the lawsuit Sunday to include a new allegation that Jay-Z was also at the party and participated in the sexual assault. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said the rape allegation made against him is part of an extortion attempt. The 24-time Grammy Award winner called the allegations "idiotic" and "heinous in nature" in a statement released by Roc Nation. The NFL teamed up with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2019 for events and social activism. The league and the entertainment company extended their partnership a few months ago. "I think they're getting incredibly comfortable with not just with the Super Bowl but other events they've advised us on and helped us with," Goodell said. "They've been a big help in the social justice area to us on many occasions. They've been great partners." Kendrick Lamar will perform the Super Bowl halftime show at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9. Roc Nation and Emmy-winning producer Jesse Collins will serve as co-executive producers of the halftime show. Beyoncé, who is married to Jay-Z, will perform at halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game on Christmas. The video in the player above is from a previous report. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Nontoxic dry-cleaning: Avoid cancer-causing chemicals while the EPA ban goes into effectIndiana aims to run its winning streak to five games Friday night when Nebraska welcomes the Hoosiers to Lincoln, Neb. Indiana (8-2, 1-0 Big Ten) has lost the past three meetings with Nebraska after winning seven straight. The Hoosiers are led by center Oumar Ballo, a transfer from Arizona who averages 13.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, and forward Malik Reneau (team-best 15.5 points and 6.4 rebounds). Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Stacker ranked the best films of 2024 so far using data from Metacritic as of Dec. 2, 2024. Check back to see this list evolve as the year concludes. Click for more. The best movies of 2024 so farhas voiced his desire to continue playing until at least the end of next year's Ashes series but admitted it would depend on his form. The Australian opener came into the Aussie summer at no risk of being dropped from the side. But after failing with the bat in the first two games of the Border Gavaskar series against India, that is no longer the case. Khawaja fell cheaply for 13 in the first innings of the Adelaide Test before making 9 not out in the second. While in Perth, he was dismissed for 8 and 4. And selectors are surely beginning to ponder whether it is time for some new blood, especially given that he is 37 and his retirement is just around the corner. Addressing his form and when he may hang up the gloves, Khawaja said if it was up to him, he would ideally like to continue at least until the end of next summer's Ashes series. If that is the case it opens up the possibility of Khawaja ending his Test career on the same ground it started some 13 years ago at the SCG, a poetic ending to what has been an up-and-down career. Speaking about his future in the sport at the inaugural Usman Khawaja Foundation lunch in Brisbane on Thursday, the opener said he hopes he can finish his career on the ground he knows so well after growing up in western Sydney against Australia's oldest foe, England. “If everything is going well there is no reason why I would not want to play another summer in Australia. My body is good, my mind is good and I am still hitting the ball well," he said, according to . "It (a series against India) is awesome to play, it’s massive but the pride and joy and tradition of playing in the Ashes, there’s nothing like it. The emotion involved, you saw it last Ashes both on and off the field, there’s just so much involved with it. It’s pretty special." And despite Khawaja's poor run of form, the 37-year-old believes his spot isn't under any threat for the time being. “We have won seven of the last nine games that we have played,” he said. “What I know is that we are doing better than what the opposition are doing. In the last nine games, not one game has gone to five days. “It has obviously been tough work for batters in general but that (the results) is all I focus on. The batsmen are still doing what they need to. I batted (lasted) the first session pretty much every single first innings last year which pretty much set up the game for the team.’’ However, whether Khawaja continues through next summer will be dependent on if he can shake his current form slump. After strong summers where he averaged 67 and 52, Khawaja has had a modest year so far averaging just 25 in seven Tests. But he is hardly the only Aussie batsman out of form, with both and struggling as well. Much of the pressure was on Labuschagne's shoulders heading into the Adelaide Test but the 30-year-old stepped up under the bright lights for the first time this summer, with a 64 in the first innings. Amid a stretch of low returns - eight scores under 10 runs in his previous nine innings, it has staved off calls for him to be dropped for now. But if he fails again in the third Test in Brisbane, which begins on Saturday, the calls for him to be cut will grow once more. Arguably the most under-pressure and out-of-form batsman in the Test side is Smith, who is averaging just 17.4 runs in his last nine innings. In the second Test, he was again dismissed cheaply knicking off down leg for 2 and his spot is under threat despite him being one of Australia's greatest-ever batters.Jimmy Kimmel reveals the Christmas tradition he hopes his kids have outgrown: 'We resent it!'
By Amanda Hernández, Stateline.org (TNS) The outcomes of seven ballot measures in Arizona, California and Colorado reflect the stricter approach to crime that’s been seen across much of the country recently, with voters and policymakers driven by concerns over rising retail theft, homelessness, fentanyl misuse and challenges in police recruitment and retention. Voters have decided in recent years that they prefer to adopt progressive changes to the criminal justice system “somewhat less aggressively,” said Dan Schnur, a former Republican strategist and a political communications professor at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Berkeley. “Voters are always course correctors. They’re always adjusting and readjusting, trying to calibrate policy exactly the way they want it,” Schnur said. “It’s not uncommon for them to try to pull back on a reform effort that they think might be going too far.” This year, local and state leaders in blue and red states — including California, Georgia, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont — shifted away from more liberal initiatives aimed at reining in police powers and reimagining criminal legal systems. They have instead embraced harsher penalties for offenses such as retail theft and possession or distribution of certain hard drugs, added more felony and misdemeanor offenses requiring cash bail, and moved to prohibit local governments from altering police traffic stop policies. Then this month, voters in Arizona, California and Colorado overwhelmingly backed ballot measures to increase prison time for certain crimes, revoke bail for others and crack down on illegal immigration and drug trafficking. While national crime data is notoriously difficult to track and understand, violent crime and property crime across the United States decreased in 2023, continuing a downward trend since the higher crime rates of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the FBI’s latest national crime report. Still, some individual cities and neighborhoods might be seeing higher crime rates, which could explain Americans’ views on the issue. Opinions on crime in the United States have improved over the past year, according to Gallup’s annual crime survey . Fewer people compared with last year believe national crime has increased or consider crime an “extremely” or “very” serious problem — but a majority of U.S. adults, 56%, still do. Perceptions are heavily influenced by political affiliation, the survey showed. While 60% of Democrats believe crime has gone down over the past year, 90% of Republicans think it has increased. In California, voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, a measure that increases penalties for specific drug-related and theft crimes and that also reclassifies certain drug offenses as “treatment-mandated felonies.” This reclassification will allow judges to impose mental health or drug treatment requirements. Those who complete treatment would have their charges dismissed, while those who fail to meet the requirements could face up to three years in prison. “It’s not the hope or the intention to send a bunch of people to jail or prison who are using drugs. The goal is to incentivize people to engage in treatment again,” said Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig, one of the measure’s authors, in an interview with Stateline. The measure aims to address issues such as retail theft, homelessness, substance use disorders and fentanyl distribution, Reisig said. Under the new law, people convicted of theft at least twice may face felony charges on their third offense, regardless of the stolen item’s value. Additionally, those caught distributing fentanyl while armed with a loaded firearm will now face felony charges and up to four years in prison. Previously, possessing fentanyl and a loaded firearm was punishable by up to one year in jail. “Our strong belief is that this will send a deterrent message to others that there are consequences again,” Reisig said. The measure also received substantial support from law enforcement agencies across the state, although it remains unclear how departments might adjust their enforcement policies. Still, Reisig said, the measure will provide law enforcement with “some real, meaningful tools” to address specific crimes. “With options for increased sentencing and mandated treatment, Prop. 36 could provide tools to address repeat offenses more effectively,” Sacramento Police spokesperson Sgt. Dan Wiseman wrote in an email to Stateline. Proposition 36 partially reverses some changes made in 2014 by another ballot measure, Proposition 47, that reduced certain theft and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors to address prison overcrowding. But Reisig said that this is not a complete rollback. “It was drafted to be more down the middle and just kind of bring the pendulum back to center mass,” he said. “We’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re just bringing back something that had proven success, and I think all of California is going to benefit.” But some Democrats and criminal justice advocacy groups have argued that the measure could reintroduce drug war policies and result in longer prison sentences. California voters also rejected Proposition 6 by a close margin, 53%-47%. The measure would have amended the state constitution to prohibit forcing inmates into labor as punishment. The proposal originated from a state task force examining whether California should provide reparations to Black residents. In contrast, voters in more conservative states such as Alabama and Tennessee have approved measures in recent elections to abolish involuntary servitude in their prisons. In a similar effort, Nevada voters this year approved a measure repealing constitutional language that permitted slavery and involuntary servitude as forms of criminal punishment. Schnur said Proposition 6 could have been rejected in part because California voters might have carried anti-criminal sentiment over from one ballot measure to the other. “Because Prop 36 passed by such a large margin, it’s entirely possible that many voters were already thinking in a more restrictive way about criminal justice policy, and those feelings may have moved over into their vote against Prop 6,” Schnur said. In Colorado, voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment put on the ballot by the state legislature that makes first-degree murder suspects ineligible for bail if prosecutors can demonstrate a strong enough case. Previously, the state constitution allowed only people charged with “capital offenses” to be denied bail. This change restores bail policies that were in place before Colorado repealed the death penalty in 2020. Voters also backed a pair of measures placed on the ballot through a signature-gathering campaign led by Advance Colorado, a conservative political group. One measure requires people convicted of certain violent crimes, including second-degree murder, aggravated robbery and sexual assault, to serve at least 85% of their sentence — up from the previous 75% — before becoming eligible for parole. The other ballot measure directs the legislature to allocate $350 million from the state’s general fund to help local law enforcement agencies hire additional officers, provide training and bonus pay, and establish a $1 million death benefit for the families of first responders — including police, firefighters and EMTs — killed in the line of duty. The approval of that measure could deepen Colorado’s $1 billion budget deficit , though the financial impact will depend on how quickly lawmakers implement the program. Since the measure does not specify a timeline, legislators may choose to allocate the funds gradually rather than all at once in the next budget year, according to Kristi Burton Brown, Advance Colorado’s executive vice president. Arizona voters overwhelmingly passed two criminal justice measures this year: One mandates life imprisonment for people convicted of child sex trafficking; the other goes after both illegal immigration and the sale of fentanyl not made in the United States. Proposition 314 grants law enforcement the authority to arrest noncitizens who do not have legal authorization to enter or live in the United States. The law specifically targets people attempting to enter or who have entered Arizona outside official ports of entry. This measure expands police powers to address illegal immigration at the state level. Under Proposition 314, unauthorized entry into Arizona will become a Class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense and a felony for subsequent offenses. The measure also allows state judges to order deportations. However, portions of the law cannot take effect until a court — likely the U.S. Supreme Court — rules on the constitutionality of a similar law in Texas. If the Texas law is upheld and remains enforceable for at least 60 days, Arizona’s law could then go into effect. The law now is awaiting an appeals court decision, which is expected to itself be appealed to the Supreme Court no matter the ruling. And the measure adds a new state felony penalty for selling fentanyl manufactured outside the country that results in another person’s death. Some critics argue that it could lead to racial profiling and heightened community tensions, while supporters claim it will bolster border security and reduce crimes linked to illegal immigration. Immigration enforcement is usually a federal responsibility, and some critics also have raised concerns about the additional financial and operational burden local law enforcement agencies may face. Some local police departments contacted by Stateline were unsure of how the measure would be enforced, noting that they are waiting for further direction from state officials. The Phoenix Police Department said in an email to Stateline that it would continue its current enforcement practices, which prohibit officers from asking about immigration status during traffic stops unless required by state law and consensual contacts with the public, according to department spokesperson Sgt. Mayra Reeson. Under existing policies, Phoenix officers may only transport people to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they are wanted for a criminal immigration violation and have no pending state criminal charges, or if the person has only a civil immigration violation, which includes being in the country without legal authorization, and consents to the transport. The ACLU of Arizona has vowed to explore all options to block the implementation of Proposition 314, calling it unconstitutional and harmful. ©2024 States Newsroom. Visit at stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Juan Soto introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15-year deal NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto put on a New York Mets jersey and cap for the first time after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized and talked about what made the difference in his decision. He said at his introductory news conference on Thursday that the Mets “showed me a lot of love." Soto was introduced at Citi Field a day after his deal was finalized. Speaking in the Piazza 31 Club, Soto was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and his agent, Scott Boras. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week
Donald Trump criticized former President Barack Obama while wading into the ongoing Syria conflict on Saturday, saying the U.S. should not get involved nor should it have ever inserted itself in the matter. In keeping with his isolationist foreign policy, the president-elect wrote on Truth Social that the United States “should have nothing to do with” the situation in Syria – where rebels are currently trying to take over the capital in an attempt to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad’s government. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” Trump wrote. Yet at the same time, Trump blamed Obama for failing to intervene in the conflict in 2013 when the Russia-backed government used chemical weapons as a form of attack – something Obama initially said was the “red line” that would move the U.S. to get involved. “This is where former President Obama refused to honor his commitment of protecting the RED LINE IN THE SAND, and all hell broke out, with Russia stepping in,” Trump wrote. Russia, an ally of al-Assad, intervened in the Syrian conflict years ago. However, Trump said due to the current status of the Ukraine–Russia conflict, Moscow cannot pivot its attention this time. “Opposition fighters in Syria, in an unprecedented move, have totally taken over numerous cities, in a highly coordinated offensive, and are now on the outskirts of Damascus, obviously preparing to make a very big move toward taking out Assad,” Trump wrote. “Russia, because they are so tied up in Ukraine, and with the loss there of over 600,000 soldiers, seems incapable of stopping this literal march through Syria, a country they have protected for years.” The president-elect said there was “never much of a benefit” in Syria for Russia “other than to make Obama look really stupid.” “In any event, Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” he added. Trump’s comments came as he was in Paris meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in his first return to the world stage since clinching victory in the election. The conflict in Syria has been going on since 2011. The government, led by al-Assad, has been a central part of the situation having used brutality against peaceful protesters during the Arab Spring. Since then, the Syrian government has relied on its allyship with Russia, Iran, Hezbollah and others to stay in power. However, those allies, much like Russia, have had their attentions diverted by other crises, giving insurgents an opportunity to push forward in the hopes of unseating al-Assad. Over the last week, conflict has escalated in the country, with rebels beginning to seize much of the northwest territory in an attempt to oust al-Assad. So far, insurgents, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have captured land in the city of Aleppo and several Damascus suburbs – marking the first time opposition forces have reached the outskirts of the capital since 2018. The Syrian army has reportedly withdrawn from several Damascus suburbs signalling that al-Assad is losing control over parts of the country. Under Trump, who will return to the White House in a little over a month, it seems unlikely the U.S. will get involved. The president-elect, and his allies, have taken an isolationist approach to foreign conflicts, believing the U.S. should not get involved unless it has a direct interest in it.Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Operating ResultsChuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 (copy)
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Panthers TE Ja'Tavion Sanders carted off field for neck injuryHR Ratings has become the second agency to downgrade Mexico’s economic outlook in November. The Mexican ratings agency changed its outlook for Mexico’s sovereign rating from stable to negative on Monday. “The change in the outlook from stable to negative is the result of the deterioration in our estimates of economic growth in 2024 and 2025 for Mexico, as well as our expectation of a slower reduction in the fiscal deficit for 2025, compared to that estimated by the Finance Ministry, which could put pressure on net debt as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” said HR Ratings in a press release. The rating agency expects economic growth in Mexico of 1.4% in 2024 and 1.1% in 2025, lower than the Finance Ministry’s forecast of 2.1% and 2.3%, respectively. HR cited the industrial sector’s negative performance over the last year as a reason for the downgrade, “especially due to the lower dynamism of the construction sector, in addition to a slowdown in the manufacturing sector and lower external demand.” Although Mexico aims to reduce its fiscal deficit in 2025, it is difficult to maintain low capital expenditure in the long term without negative consequences for economic performance, said HR. The agency also stressed the potentially negative impact that the coming change in U.S. political leadership could have on Mexico’s trade. President-elect Donald Trump will take office in the United States in January 2025. The New York-based credit rating agency Moody’s Ratings recently downgraded its Mexico outlook from stable to negative but maintained the country’s long-term ratings at the second lowest investment grade level. It said the decision was “driven by our view of a weakening in the policymaking and institutional settings that risks undermining fiscal and economic outcomes.” The Finance Ministry responded to HR’s downgrade in a press release . “The growth outlook for Mexico is positive, given that supply shocks have started to decrease, and industrial production has shown greater dynamism during the second half of the year,” it stated. “Our growth forecast, presented in the Economic Package for 2025, remains between 2% and 3%, supported by the strength of domestic demand, the support of social programs and investment in strategic sectors,” the ministry added. It also said that the U.S. continues to be Mexico’s main trading partner and highlighted the importance of the USMCA free trade agreement. “Mexico has the necessary fiscal buffers to mitigate possible adverse scenarios in the global environment,” the ministry stressed. Eight rating agencies that evaluate Mexico’s debt have maintained Mexico’s sovereign debt rating in 2024, the press release stated, which is “a reflection of the confidence in the country’s macroeconomic stability.” With reports from Expansion , Forbes and El UniversalWhat to know about a Wisconsin man who faked his own death and fled to Eastern Europe
Vanquishing Bears, Thanksgiving losing streak tops Lions' holiday listThere are a million of gift options for kids yet we’re often left scratching our heads, trying to come up with the perfect present for our little ones. As technology - including AI - moves forward at a pace, so do our options for presents. The Miko Mini is described as not just a robot but an “interactive companion and trusted friend that connects deeply with your child”. It’s certainly cute. It’s diddy size and adorable voice and face will definitely appeal to younger children. The model is aimed at youngsters aged 4-10. The idea is to make learning fun. I have to say it was a bit of a faff to set it up. It wouldn’t stay connected to the WiFi - we had to connect it five times (this could, of course, be an issue with our broadband). We couldn’t find a battery/power indicator so every time we took the cable out it asked to be charged. And initially it didn’t seem to want to respond to anyone’s voice despite the microphone being on the highest possible volume setting. But then Miko settled down and she started behaving herself. I’m calling her a she because sometimes she just doesn’t listen or does the opposite to what you’ve asked her to do - just like my five-year-old daughter. The first learning curve was realising you must wait a few seconds after saying ‘Hey Miko’ before asking your question or making your request. As long as you wait for the ripple effects on the screen, it should pick it up. There are still times where it doesn’t appear to hear anything, or it will say it doesn’t understand, despite me speaking quite clearly. And it doesn’t always pick up what my daughter says, which is understandable. Even I’m sometimes bamboozled with what she comes out with so I can’t blame poor little Miko. The great thing about Miko is it encourages curiosity and learning without the use of a screen. The novelty factor should keep them engaged enough while Miko chats to them about space and the ocean. It asks questions to keep their attention and keeps the conversation very simple. As well as the educational elements, there are some downright fun bits too. Ask Miko to dance and she’ll start boogying on her wheels to some top tunes. My daughter loves this and she’ll happily jump around and join in. You can ask it countless questions - do you like pets, what do you eat, do you like having wheels? By saying let’s talk, let’s play or what’s up will open up plentiful opportunities to chat and learn. It tells jokes, will beatbox and do its own version of a high five. You can even ask it ‘how can I make my parents happy?’ and ‘Do I have to clean my teeth every day’. It comes with an associated app and a subscription you will have to pay for, although currently it comes with a free 30-day trial. Prepare to spend a decent amount of time going through the app to find out exactly what it can do but it’s worth it if you want to get the most out of it. You can try to guess what it can do by asking random questions but that game can become quite tedious quite quickly. What I absolutely love is the story maker. Say ‘Hey Miko, let’s make a story’ and this is where the fun really begins. It will ask you what you want the story to be about, who the main character is, where they live, whether they have any friends and what adventures they get up to. It will then create a magical and joyful story for you, reciting it back to you as well as creating an e-version that sits within the app complete with images. We’ve had lots of laughs as Miko created a story about a turkey (was supposed to be Torquay) and a mobile fly (I have no idea what that was supposed to be). But on the whole it’s captured our story requests down to a T and we now have lasting electronic books of our imaginative creations. It’s worth noting that it will not respond to rude instructions or bad language. Being 45 going on 12, I have tried and tested this. Parents, you can basically leave your child with Miko safe in the knowledge that their conversation isn’t going to descend into the gutter. Miko will put a stop to that pretty quickly and turn the conversation onto something much more cordial. I’m pretty sure my daughter will get much more out of Miko as she gets older but for now she’s happy to have a disco buddy who can help her create her very own magical stories about mermaids, butterflies and fairies. Miko is currently on sale on Amazon for £99. Amazon also has a full range of other robot toys for children here .
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