State Dept. to Designate Latin American Cartels as Terrorist Groups
State Dept. to Designate Latin American Cartels as Terrorist Groups
The Trump administration plans to designate more than a half-dozen criminal groups with roots in Latin America as foreign terrorist organizations, said five U.S. officials with knowledge of the imminent action.
The move, to be carried out by the State Department, follows an executive order President Trump signed on Jan. 20 calling for a crackdown on major cartels. The designation is expected to be applied to eight groups, said two of the officials, though the list could change before a public announcement. The officials who spoke for this article did so on the condition of anonymity to talk about an action that has not been made public yet.
The executive order called for the designations, saying the cartels “constitute a national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime” and that the United States would “ensure the total elimination” of the groups.
Mr. Trump gave Secretary of State Marco Rubio two weeks to make the designations in consultation with several other cabinet members. The criminal groups and their members could be labeled foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorists, according to the order. The designations mean the U.S. government can impose broad economic sanctions on the groups and on people or entities linked to them.
The executive order referred in general to cartels in Mexico. It also specifically named Tren de Aragua, a group with roots in Venezuela, and Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, a gang founded by Salvadoran immigrants in the United States that plays a lesser role in the transnational drug trade.
Besides those two groups, the State Department plans to designate the Clan del Golfo, based in Colombia, and five others based in Mexico. The ******** organizations that will be designated are the Sinaloa cartel, Jalisco New Generation cartel, the Northeast cartel, the Michoacán family and the United cartels, according to U.S. officials.
The State Department has informed several congressional committees of the upcoming designations, which could be announced by the White House as early as this week. The department did not reply to a request for comment.
Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan, has worked for over two decades with ******** cartels, supplying ******** for them to smuggle into the United States. After the price of ******** plunged in 2017, the Colombian cartel moved aggressively into migrant smuggling to make up its financial losses.
A U.S. official with knowledge of the designation list said that the Gulf Clan was likely being added for its involvement in migrant trafficking. The group largely controls the Darién Gap, the narrow land bridge that connects South and North America.
Migrants from around the world — from China to Sudan to Venezuela — often fly to more permissible South American countries before heading to the Darién Gap on their journeys north to the United States. Many of those migrants pay thousands of dollars to operatives working for the Gulf Clan, as a protection fee for traversing the land bridge.
The designation list was supposed to be completed last week, but may have been delayed because the State Department expanded it from the groups outlined in the executive order last month, according to a person familiar with the matter. Whether or not to include organized crime groups involved in migrant trafficking was discussed at length, partly causing the delay.
The ******** cartels included on the list work closely with the Gulf Clan to smuggle migrants across Latin America into the United States.
Mr. Rubio completed his first trip as secretary of state this month, visiting five countries in Latin America. He spoke with his counterparts about migration and security issues, though he did not visit Mexico.
In an interview with the podcast host Megyn Kelly on Jan. 30, Mr. Rubio talked about the need to dismantle ******** drug cartels, saying that “there are parts of Mexico, many parts of Mexico, in which the government doesn’t control those areas.”
“They’re controlled by drug cartels,” he continued. “They are the most powerful force on the ground, and they are plowing into the United States.”
“They’re facilitating ******** migration, but they are also bringing in fentanyl and deadly drugs to our country,” he added. “That’s a national security threat, and that needs to stop.”
In a call with his counterpart in Argentina on Monday, Mr. Rubio had discussed “shared security priorities in the region, including combating transnational organizations,” the State Department said.
******** officials have been in drawn-out negotiations with the Trump administration to stave off the terror designation for the cartels and organized crime groups that operate in their country, according to people familiar with the talks.
Of the eight groups designated, five are ********. The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels are the country’s largest and have cornered much of the fentanyl market for the United States, producing the synthetic opioid in Mexico before smuggling it north. A growing amount of fentanyl is being used by ******** citizens, leading to rising addiction rates in the country.
The designation list includes a smaller cartel, Northeast, and two ******** groups that American officials say are more akin to organized criminal organizations: the Michoacán Family and United cartels. Those groups tend to act as on-the-ground muscle for Mexico’s cartels to help them spread their territorial control.
An organized crime group is considered a cartel only if it controls enough of the drug trade to allow it to determine the price of any given ********* in places like New York or London.
The net profits from the international operations of Mexico’s cartels could reach up to $20 billion annually, nearly 2 percent of Mexico’s gross domestic product, according to an American official.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi rails against New York leaders as she announces immigration lawsuit – The Associated Press
Attorney General Pam Bondi rails against New York leaders as she announces immigration lawsuit – The Associated Press
Attorney General Pam Bondi rails against New York leaders as she announces immigration lawsuit The Associated PressBondi announces new lawsuits against states allegedly failing to comply with immigration actions: ‘A new DOJ’ Fox NewsNew York isn’t alone when it comes to granting driver’s licenses to immigrants without legal status The Associated PressAttorney General Pam Bondi announces legal action against N.Y. Gov. Hochul, AG James Spectrum News NY1
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Zeekr exec wants ******** cars to be as highly regarded as Japanese cars
Zeekr exec wants ******** cars to be as highly regarded as Japanese cars
Zeekr’s global marketing boss says he wants ******** brands to collectively have a reputation as strong as Japanese brands.
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About 75,000 US federal workers accept Trump administration buyout program
About 75,000 US federal workers accept Trump administration buyout program
By Karen Freifeld and Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – About 75,000 U.S. federal workers accepted the deferred buyout program of President Donald Trump’s administration, a spokesperson for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management said late on Wednesday.
The buyout is one of many approaches Trump is taking to slash a civilian workforce of 2.3 million that he has blasted as ineffective and biased against him.
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He has also ordered government agencies to prepare for wide-ranging job cuts, and several have already begun to lay off recent hires who lack full job security.
Officials have been told to prepare staff cuts of up to 70% at some agencies, sources say.
Unions had urged their members not to accept the buyout and have warned that Trump cannot be trusted to honor it.
The offer promises to pay employees their regular salaries and benefits until October without requiring them to work, but that may not be ironclad. Current spending laws expire on March 14, and there is no guarantee that salaries would be funded beyond that point.
Trump has deputized billionaire Elon Musk to head the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which is combing through payment and personnel records in an effort to cut $1 trillion from the federal budget, which totaled $6.75 trillion last year. Civilian worker salaries account for less than 5% of that total.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kim Coghill)
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U.S. judge clears the way for tens of thousands of federal workers to take Trump buyout – Reuters
U.S. judge clears the way for tens of thousands of federal workers to take Trump buyout – Reuters
U.S. judge clears the way for tens of thousands of federal workers to take Trump buyout ReutersJudge restores Trump administration’s buyout offer to federal workers Fox NewsTrump closes buyout plan to new resignations as judge lifts hold BBC.comFork in the Road OPMFederal judge lets Trump’s ‘buyout’ plan for federal employees proceed CNN
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Hassan Hashem reveals his love for wife and lightning-strike victim Rosanna
Hassan Hashem reveals his love for wife and lightning-strike victim Rosanna
The husband of lightning-strike victim Rosanna Hashem has broken his silence on the freak accident that took her life and threw his family into grief.
Ms Hashem was hit by tree shrapnel and killed after a lightning bolt struck the couple’s property about 5.30pm on Saturday in Cawdor in southwestern Sydney.
Rosanna and husband Hassan had been hosting a barbecue to celebrate Rosanna’s upcoming 44th birthday, which would have fallen on the Sunday.
“Rose was the most beautiful person,” Mr Hashem told 7News this week.
“She did everything for everyone else before herself. She always put herself last.”
In one heart-wrenching reflection, Mr Hashem said he and his wife would compete with one another to be the first to say “I love you more plus one” every day when the clock struck midnight.
Camera IconRosanna and Hassan Hashem shared four children together. GoFundMe Credit: Supplied
“I still find myself trying to find her at the stroke of midnight just to tell her how much I love her,” he said.
Paramedics treated Ms Hashem at the scene of the accident but she could not be revived.
A second woman, Amanda Hancock, was also seriously injured in the strike.
In the moments before the strike, it began raining softly and Mr Hashem and Ms Hancock’s husband Yassar moved the barbecue to an undercover spot to keep it away from the wet.
That simple act put them further away from the tree that was struck.
“I was there, I was closer,” Mr Hashem said.
“She puts everyone before herself, then she died the day before her birthday.
“You only hear about this stuff in the news or movies.
“You don’t ever think it will happen to your family.”
Camera IconRosanna and Hassan Hashem met in Balmain, in Sydney’s inner west. Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia
The Hashems met in Balmain, in Sydney’s inner west, and were married in 2008.
The couple share four children, aged 5, 8, 11 and 15, and Ms Hashem operated a cat salon business called The Groomery from their home.
A fundraiser set up after her death paid tribute to her as a “devoted wife, a loving mother to four beautiful boys, and a passionate business owner”.
“She was the heart of her family, a pillar of strength and a kind soul who touched the lives of so many in her community,” the fundraiser states.
“Her sudden passing has left her husband and children facing an unimaginable loss, not only emotionally but also financially as they navigate life without her.”
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Frankie MacDonald, YouTube weather *****, warns Portland of ‘major winter storm’
Frankie MacDonald, YouTube weather *****, warns Portland of ‘major winter storm’
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – YouTube weather ***** Frankie MacDonald took to his channel to warn Portland that a “major winter storm” could be coming to the city on Thursday.
MacDonald, an amateur meteorologist from Nova Scotia with more than 304,000 subscribers, has grown a cult following online — as seen on the Portland subreddit — for his enthusiastic weather forecasts under the handle @dogsandwolves.
Winter Weather Timeline: Snow, ice on the way, start preparing now
In January 2024, an “arctic blast” blanketed the greater Portland metro area in a sheet of ice that took days to melt. Ahead of the storm, MacDonald predicted that the region could see “a lot of snow” with “dangerous and treacherous driving conditions,” and his forecast turned out to be shockingly accurate.
His forecast was posted on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, and by the end of the weekend, snow and freezing rain covered Multnomah County in nearly 2 inches of ice that led to downed power lines, mass outages, and several hypothermia deaths.
Now MacDonald has another prediction for Portland, this time for the city’s first winter storm of 2025. According to a video posted on Feb. 11, residents in the region can expect a “major winter storm” on Thursday.
“People in Portland, Oregon, be safe. Have your winter boots, winter jackets, hats, gloves, scarves and ski pants ready and order your pizzas and ******** food,” MacDonald said in the video. “Buy cases of Pepsi and Coke. Do your grocery shopping. Don’t wait until the last minute; do it right now.”
PHOTOS: North Medford school gym roof collapses under 350 tons of snow
Meanwhile, KOIN 6 meteorologists have forecasted that temperatures in the Portland area will struggle to warm up as the region faces snow and freezing rain, though it’s not clear when the precipitation will begin, nor how many inches the region can expect.
As for MacDonald’s prediction, Meteorologist Steve Pierce says it’s best to take amateur forecasts with a grain of salt.
“Although amateur social media forecasts can be entertaining, folks should always get their forecasts from trusted experts,” Pierce said. “The KOIN 6 weather team has been on top of this developing storm and has the latest updates from trusted model data, which is interpreted by the area’s most accurate weather team.”
However, Meteorologist Kelley Bayern said MacDonald did make some solid recommendations.
“Frankie does highlight some great points about staying safe and being ready for your commute to and from work with snow and ice in the forecast,” Bayern said. “I love seeing people, especially Frankie, so enthusiastic about the Portland area forecast! He is such a delight and entertaining character.”
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
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I pitted Gemini 2.0 Flash against DeepSeek R1, and you might be surprised by the winner
I pitted Gemini 2.0 Flash against DeepSeek R1, and you might be surprised by the winner
I’ve enjoyed pitting various AI chatbots against each other. After comparing DeepSeek to ChatGPT, ChatGPT to Mistral’s Le Chat, ChatGPT to Gemini 2.0 Flash, and Gemini 2.0 Flash to its own earlier iteration, I’ve come back around to match DeepSeek R1 to Gemini 2.0 Flash.
DeepSeek R1 sparked a furor of interest and suspicion when it debuted in the U.S. earlier this year. Meanwhile, Gemini Flash 2.0 is a solid new layer of ability atop the widely deployed Google ecosystem. It is built for speed and efficiency and promises quick, practical answers without sacrificing accuracy.
Both claim to be cutting-edge AI assistants, so I decided to test them from the perspective of someone with a casual interest in using AI chatbots in their everyday lives. Both have shown themselves to be effective at a basic level, but I wanted to see which one felt more practical, insightful, and actually helpful in everyday use. Each test has a screenshot with DeepSeek on the left and Gemini 2.0 Flash on the right. Here’s how they did.
Local Guide
(Image credit: Screenshots of Google Gemini/DeepSeek)
I was keen to test the search abilities of the two AI models combined with insight into what is worthwhile as an activity. I asked both AI apps to “Find some fun events for me to attend in the Hudson Valley this month.”
I live in the Hudson Valley and was aware of some things on the calendar, so it would be a good measure of accuracy and usefulness. Amazingly, both did quite well, coming up with a long list of ideas and organizing them thematically for the month. Many of the events were the same on both lists.
DeepSeek included links throughout its list, which I found helpful, but the descriptions were just quotes from those sources. Gemini Flash 2.0’s descriptions were almost all unique and frankly more vivid and interesting, which I preferred. While Gemini didn’t have the sources immediately available, I could get them by asking Gemini to double-check its answers.
Reading tutor
(Image credit: Screenshots of Google Gemini/DeepSeek)
I decided to expand on my usual test for AI’s ability to offer advice on improving my life advice with something more complex and reliant on actual research. I asked Gemini and DeepSeek to “Help me devise a plan for teaching my child how to read.”
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My child isn’t even a year old yet, so I know I have time before he’s paging through Chaucer, but it’s an aspect of parenthood I think about a lot. Based on their responses, the two AI models might as well have been identical advice columns. Both came up with detailed guides for different stages of teaching a child to read, including specific ideas for games, apps, and books to use.
While not identical, they were so close that I would have had trouble telling them apart without the formatting differences, like the recommended ages for the phases from DeepSeek. I’d say there’s no difference if asked which AI to pick based purely on this test.
Vaccine superteam
(Image credit: Screenshots of Google Gemini/DeepSeek)
Something similar happened with a question on simplifying a complex subject. With kids on my mind, I explicitly went for a child-friendly form of answer by asking Gemini and DeepSeek to “Explain how vaccines train the immune system to fight diseases in a way a six-year-old could understand.”
Gemini started with an analogy about a castle and guards that made a lot of sense. The AI oddly threw in a superhero training analogy in a line at the end for some reason. However, similarities in training to DeepSeek might explain it because DeepSeek went all in on the superhero analogy. The explanation fits with the metaphor, which is what matters.
Notably, DeepSeek’s answer included emojis, which, while appropriate for where they were inserted, implied the AI expected the answer to be read from the screen by an actual six-year-old. I sincerely hope that young kids aren’t getting unrestricted access to AI chatbots, no matter how precocious and responsible their questions about medical care might be.
Riddle key
(Image credit: Screenshots of Google Gemini/DeepSeek)
Asking AI chatbots to solve classic riddles is always an interesting experience since their reasoning can be off the wall even when their answer is correct. I ran an old standard by Gemini and DeepSeek, “I have keys, but open no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I?”
As expected, both had no trouble answering the question. Gemini simply stated the answer, while DeepSeek broke down the riddle and the reasoning for the answer, along with more emojis. It even threw in an odd “bonus” about keyboards unlocking ideas, which falls flat as both a joke and insight into keyboards’ value. The idea that DeepSeek was trying to be cute is impressive, but the actual attempt felt a little alienating.
DeepSeek outshines Gemini
Gemini 2.0 Flash is an impressive and useful AI model. I started this fully expecting it to outperform DeepSeek in every way. But, while Gemini did great in an absolute sense, DeepSeek either matched or beat it in most ways. Gemini seemed to veer between human-like language and more robotic syntax, while DeepSeek either had a warmer vibe or just quoted other sources.
This informal quiz is hardly a definitive study, and there is a lot to make me wary of DeepSeek. That includes, but is not limited to, DeepSeek’s policy of collecting basically everything it can about you and storing it in China for unknown uses. Still, I can’t deny that it apparently goes toe-to-toe with Gemini without any problems. And while, as the name implies, Gemini 2.0 Flash was usually faster, DeepSeek didn’t take so much longer that I lost patience. That would change if I were in a hurry; I’d pick Gemini if I only had a few seconds to produce an answer. Otherwise, in spite of my skepticism, DeepSeek R1 is as good or better than Google Gemini 2.0 Flash.
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Foxconn says it is open to buying a stake in Nissan
Foxconn says it is open to buying a stake in Nissan
Foxconn Chairman Young Liu delivers a speech during the Hon Hai Tech Day in Taipei on Oct. 18, 2023.
I-hwa Cheng | AFP | Getty Images
Taiwan’s Foxconn would consider taking a stake in Nissan for cooperation, its chairman said, as the Japanese automaker’s future hangs in the balance after stepping back from merger talks with Honda.
“If cooperation requires it (purchasing Nissan shares), we will consider it,” Foxconn chairman Young Liu told reporters on Wednesday in the company’s first public comments about its talks with Nissan.
“But purchasing its shares is not our aim; our aim is cooperation,” he said, adding it was talking about cooperation with Nissan’s biggest shareholder Renault, which owns 36% of the Japanese firm.
Struggling Nissan is again at a crossroads after sources said last week that negotiations with ******* rival Honda to create the world’s No. 4 automaker had been complicated by growing differences.
Nissan and Honda are expected to lay out a new stage in their uncertain relationship on Thursday, one that is likely to see them formally call off a plan to merge after talks between the two foundered last week, according to sources.
The deal would have been the latest change in a car industry facing a huge threat from China’s BYD and other electric vehicle entrants.
Nissan is open to working with new partners such as Taiwan’s Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics maker and Apple’s main iPhone maker, the sources said last week.
Nissan and Renault declined to comment on Liu’s remarks.
While Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, is best known for its role as an Apple supplier, it also has ambitions in the electric vehicle sector as it seeks to diversify its business.
Liu said Foxconn would not get into being an auto “brand” and would only provide commissioned design and manufacturing services.
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Alex Bregman reportedly agrees with Red Sox on three-year, $120 million deal – Yahoo Sports
Alex Bregman reportedly agrees with Red Sox on three-year, $120 million deal – Yahoo Sports
Alex Bregman reportedly agrees with Red Sox on three-year, $120 million deal Yahoo SportsRed Sox, Alex Bregman agree to three-year, $120 million deal: Source The AthleticCubs want Bregman but stop short of ‘recruiting’ ESPNDetroit Tigers strike out as Alex Bregman signs with Boston Red Sox Detroit Free PressFormer Astros Slugger Alex Bregman’s Next Team Likely Down to Three Finalists Sports Illustrated
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Child flown to hospital after house fire in Maryborough, Victoria
Child flown to hospital after house fire in Maryborough, Victoria
Emergency services were called to a house fire, with reports the occupants, including a young child, needed rescuing.
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Active ETFs have seen explosive growth — experts caution about their costs and risks
Active ETFs have seen explosive growth — experts caution about their costs and risks
Investors have been flocking to actively managed ETFs with their assets under management growing five times more than those of passive funds in 2024, a Morningstar report showed. As these funds chase high performance, some analysts have raised concerns whether their returns justify the higher expenses and other risks. “Active funds add an extra layer of risk that doesn’t always translate to returns, especially considering their higher fees,” said Roxanna Islam, head of sector and industry research at financial data and insights platform TMX VettaFi. These funds, which attempt to beat the returns of benchmark indexes, generally have higher expense ratios than their passive peers which track a market index and require less active management. Active ETFs have an average management fee of 0.63%, compared with an average of 0.44% for passive funds, data from Morningstar showed. “They’re typically slightly more expensive than traditional passive ETF vehicles and investors will likely struggle to understand what they’re getting in return for those slightly higher fees,” said Don Calcagni, chief investment officer at Mercer Advisors, elaborating that active ETFs require more investment training and sophistication to execute. Market watchers whom CNBC spoke to said active ETFs can perform better in uncertain or volatile markets where skilled management adds value. Also, when compared to active mutual funds, with an average fee of 1.02%, active ETFs are relatively cheaper. The average annual return over a five-year ******* for active ETFs in the U.S. stands at 5.57%, while for passive ETFs it is 4.27%, Morningstar data showed. Their outperformance seems attractive enough even when accounting for a higher fee — but there are other costs too. ‘Unseen’ costs While cheaper than mutual funds, active ETFs often have wider bid and ask spreads, especially for newer funds, pointed out Gareth Nicholson, chief investment officer at Nomura’s international wealth management team. The bid-ask spread represents the gap between the highest price a buyer is ready to pay for an asset and the least a seller wants to accept. A wide bid-ask spread generally signals lower liquidity in the market, and may result in higher transaction costs for traders as compensation for the illiquidity. “These unseen trading costs can eat into returns,” he told CNBC. Active ETFs, which trade in real-time, are also more susceptible to market swings unlike mutual funds which price once a day, Nicholson added. Similar to mutual funds, only a small percentage of active ETFs consistently outperform their benchmarks, the Nomura chief investment officer said. The average alpha, or outperformance compared with peers, delivered by active ETFs in the U.S. — which houses over 80% of these funds globally — in 2024 is in the negative, at -1.34%, data provided by Morningstar showed. A particularly risky class of active ETFs are single-stock funds. When Nvidia shares saw a sharp decline last month, single-stock leveraged ETFs betting on the company’s growth saw record single-day losses of over 33% , further highlighting key risks of active strategies. “Leverage amplifies volatility — when markets move against you, losses are magnified,” Nicholson said. Leveraged ETFs fall under the active management category, where the funds are designed to deliver twice or thrice the performance of a specific stock on a single-day basis. The flip side is: losses are also amplified.
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Elon Musk-owned X settles lawsuit with Donald Trump over January 6 suspension – CNN
Elon Musk-owned X settles lawsuit with Donald Trump over January 6 suspension – CNN
Elon Musk-owned X settles lawsuit with Donald Trump over January 6 suspension CNNElon Musk’s X Settles Trump Lawsuit The New York TimesX reaches $10 million settlement with Trump over prior suspension of his Twitter account CBS News
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Social media star brushes criticism of LIV Golf move
Social media star brushes criticism of LIV Golf move
Golf’s most influential social media star, Rick Shiels, says critics of his move to LIV Golf have softened ahead of the Adelaide tournament.
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Superstar Suaalii very much the NSW Waratahs’ main man
Superstar Suaalii very much the NSW Waratahs’ main man
The NSW Waratahs are under express instructions to feed Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii the ball in the superstar signing’s much-anticipated Super Rugby Pacific debut.
Fittingly, Suaalii returns on Friday night to Allianz Stadium – where he rose from teenage prodigy to Sydney Roosters and NSW State of Origin fame – for his maiden appearance for the Waratahs against the Highlanders.
Bookmakers rate the Highlanders as far and away the weakest of the five New Zealand franchises, and Waratahs skipper Jake Gordon on Thursday acknowledged the importance of opening the season in winning fashion after the despair of last year’s injury-riddled, last-placed finish.
And Gordon and coach Dan McKellar know how Suaalii will play a pivotal role in reviving the new-look side’s fortunes in 2025.
“It’s about getting his hands on the ball,” Gordon said after the Waratahs’ captain’s run at their Daceyville base.
“Dan has spoken about it. We’ve got a guy with talent – and to be fair we’ve got talent across the whole back line too so it’s not like Joe’s not going to win us or lose us a game.
“He definitely will have an influence on the game, but there’s guys around him that can do great jobs as well, so we need to get him the right ball in the right area of the field and also allow him to influence other people around him as well.
“We know his aerial skills, how good he is in the air, but his professionalism has been really impressive. Joe has been great for the group.”
As has become his ritual, Suaalii spent some 10 minutes meditating and visualising in the middle of the field after completing training extras with Gordon on the eve of his Waratahs debut.
His captain has no doubt the 21-year-old will rise to the occasion once again while starting at fullback, as he did in a man-of-the-match display in Australia’s upset win over England last November.
“We talk about his professionalism and I was lucky enough to share his Wallaby debut,” Gordon said.
“They probably don’t get much ******* than that at Twickenham and he had a great game, so …”
Suaalii is just one of a dozen Wallabies in the Waratahs’ 23-man matchday squad for round one, leaving last year’s wooden spooners under no illusions about the buzz surrounding them heading into the new season.
“Probably this year a little bit more than others, we can feel the hype,” Gordon said.
“But most Super Rugby years before the first round, you have a little bit of mixed emotions. You’re a little bit anxious, you’re really excited.
“We’re just trying to relax until the game comes but, yeah, we’re excited.
“We just want to play to our potential. We don’t want to come out here and talk about what we’re going to achieve. We need to be focused a little bit more internally week by week.
“We definitely feel like we’re in a position to really compete, but we want to reach our potential as a team.
“If we can reach our potential and play really strong as a team, we’ll be really confident.”
With a second-round bye to come, followed by visits to Sydney from the Fijian Drua and Western Force, the Tahs are targeting three wins to open 2025, knowing the 16-round competition is very much a sprint not a marathon.
“We’d probably prefer not to have a bye in the second round if we chose our draw,” Gordon said.
“But we’re thankful we’re not heading to Fiji either.
“So there is a real opportunity the first three games to slowly get into our work and hopefully play some good rugby.”
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Elizabeth Holmes dishes on ‘hell and torture’ of prison life in first interview since fraud conviction
Elizabeth Holmes dishes on ‘hell and torture’ of prison life in first interview since fraud conviction
Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes said life behind bars has been “hell and torture” as the former Silicon Valley darling broke her silence for the first time since being convicted of fraud.
The mother of two young kids, who was sentenced to 11-plus years and is locked up at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas, told People magazine she wakes up just after 5 a.m., earns 31 cents an hour teaching fellow inmates how to apply for jobs and undergoes treatment for post-traumatic stress.
“It’s surreal. People who have never met me believe so strongly about me,” she told the magazine.
Elizabeth Holmes began serving her prison sentence in May 2023. REUTERS
“They don’t understand who I am. It forces you to spend a lot of time questioning belief and hoping the truth will prevail. I am walking by faith and, ultimately, the truth. But it’s been hell and torture to be here.”
In her first prison interview, she reflected on her life, her conviction and her future aspirations.
The hardest part, Holmes told People, was watching her children leave through the secured glass door after each visit — a scenario that she said “shatters my world every single time.”
“The people I love the most have to walk away as I stand here, a prisoner, and my reality sinks in,” the 41-year-old former tech executive, once celebrated as the next Steve Jobs, told the magazine.
Holmes said she finds solace in the weekend visits with her partner, Billy Evans, and their children, William, 3, and Invicta, 2, as they pass the metal detectors at the all-women’s minimum-security prison.
When they part, her children press their fingers together in a heart shape and say, “Mommy, this is our love,” according to People.
“Our love is a superpower,” the mom tells her kids.
Holmes said she has adjusted to prison life. She has stuck to a routine that includes lifting weights, rowing and running before starting work as a reentry clerk.
Holmes is an inmate at Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas. She was convicted of fraud and conspiracy related to the collapse of her biotech company Theranos. REUTERS
She earns 31 cents an hour helping inmates prepare résumés and apply for government benefits while also working as a law clerk assisting women seeking compassionate release.
“So many of these women don’t have anyone, and once they’re in there, they’re forgotten,” she told People.
Holmes also teaches French and takes part in cognitive and behavioral therapy for PTSD, reflecting on past traumas and the downfall of Theranos.
“I wish that I left, or I had seen the abuse or understood it — and why I didn’t — and I’m finding peace with that,” she told People.
“It can break a lot of people, and I was able to rise through it as best I can.”
Holmes gets a kiss from her father in court next to her mother and partner Billy Evans in this court sketch from March 17, 2023. REUTERS
Holmes continues to maintain her innocence, asserting that while Theranos turned out to be a dud, “failure is not fraud.”
She still considers her trial and conviction a miscarriage of justice.
“First it was about accepting it happened. Then it was about forgiving myself for my own part. [And] I refused to plead guilty to crimes I did not commit,” Holmes said.
The Post has sought comment from the Justice Department.
The Stanford grad said that despite her reputation being in tatters, she intends on returning to the health care industry after her release from prison, which is scheduled for April 3, 2032.
At the peak of her popularity in 2015, Holmes had an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion, according to Forbes.
This valuation was based on her 50% ownership stake in Theranos, the biotech company she founded, which was once valued at $9 billion.
Holmes continues to profess her innocence despite her conviction. She is pictured in November 2022. REUTERS
However, after Theranos collapsed due to revelations that its blood-testing technology was fraudulent, Forbes revised her net worth to $0 in 2016.
In 2022, Holmes was charged with and convicted of fraud and conspiracy, specifically wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
A year later, she was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison for her role in misleading investors about Theranos’ technology and financial health.
Her sentence was reduced to 9 years due to good behavior, which is a standard reduction applied under federal sentencing guidelines. She has also been ordered to pay $452 million in restitution to the victims of her crimes.
Holmes claims to have changed significantly since her time as Theranos’ CEO and is now focusing on criminal justice reform.
She has drafted a proposed bill, the American Freedom Act, aimed at strengthening the presumption of innocence.
Holmes said she counsels inmates who are ***** survivors, finding meaning in helping others.
“Human beings are not made to be in cells. It goes so far beyond understanding,” she said.
During the interview, Homes said: “I’m trying really hard not to tear up right now.”
“I’m trying to grow, as every moment matters. And if one person’s life can be touched trying to help them in a crisis, it matters.”
Holmes, whose net worth was once valued by Forbes at $4.5 billion, earns 31 cents an hour behind bars, according to People. AP
Despite her conviction, Holmes is still working on patents for new health care technology and intends to return to the industry upon release.
“There is not a day I have not continued to work on my research and inventions,” she told People.
“I remain completely committed to my dream of making affordable health care solutions available to everyone.”
Holmes said she dreams of traveling with her family and continuing advocacy work for incarcerated mothers and prison reform.
She acknowledged the pain she has caused her loved ones.
“It kills me to put my family through pain the way I do,” she told People.
“But when I look back on my life, and these angels that have come into it, I can get through anything. It makes me want to fight for all of it.”
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US defense chief suggests Ukraine should abandon hope of winning all territory back from Russia – The Associated Press
US defense chief suggests Ukraine should abandon hope of winning all territory back from Russia – The Associated Press
US defense chief suggests Ukraine should abandon hope of winning all territory back from Russia The Associated PressNATO allies scramble for direction as Trump team signals concessions to Moscow CNNHegseth Says Return to Ukraine’s Prewar Borders Is ‘Unrealistic’ The New York TimesHegseth Rejects US Troops and NATO Membership for Ukraine Bloomberg
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Police quiz judges over Miss Pacific Islands result row
Police quiz judges over Miss Pacific Islands result row
The organisers of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant have called for unity after some judges were stopped from leaving the Solomon Islands amid claims of fraudulent activities after Miss Samoa won the contest for the second year in a row.
Solomon Islands, which hosted the pageant, said it had lifted an exit ban on judges leaving the country on Wednesday afternoon, although a police investigation continued into what it said was “alleged fraudulent activities during the crowning of the Miss Pacific on Saturday 8th February”.
Samoa’s government said in a statement that the Samoan head judge, Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt, was stopped at the airport in the capital Honiara on Tuesday when trying to return home.
The Solomon Islands said in a statement that the Minister for Home Affairs had told border officials to stop all pageant judges, as well as scrutineers, from leaving the country after receiving complaints of fraud in how Miss Samoa was crowned as the new Miss Pacific.
“The ‘Stop Notice’ only restricts the judges or relevant persons from departing Solomon Islands, but were not detained and are given the freedom to move around Honiara city,” it said.
Two of the five judges, from Papua New Guinea and Tonga, had already departed before the stop notice was issued, it added.
Brunt told Samoa Global News he would demand an apology for his treatment and the false accusations. Reuters could not reach him for comment.
The Pacific Islands Pageant was established by the Samoa government in 1987 to promote the region’s culture, and contestants are judged on best sarong, traditional attire, talent and interview.
The pageant’s board is drawn from multiple Pacific Island states, a Samoa Tourism spokesman said.
The newly crowned Miss Pacific Islands Litara Ieremia Allan returned home to Samoa on Wednesday.
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X reaches $10 million settlement with Trump over prior suspension of his Twitter account
X reaches $10 million settlement with Trump over prior suspension of his Twitter account
The social media platform X will pay President Trump $10 million to settle a lawsuit over the nearly two-year-long suspension of his account in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, a person familiar with the matter told CBS News Wednesday.
The White House declined to comment when reached by CBS News.
X, then known as Twitter, banned Mr. Trump from the platform in January 2021, two days after the Capitol riots. At the time, Twitter said the permanent suspension was “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”
In July 2021, Mr. Trump sued Twitter, claiming the suspension violated his First Amendment right to free speech. In May 2022, a U.S. district judge dismissed the lawsuit. However, Mr. Trump’s lawyers had appealed that ruling and it was still pending as of this week, according to the Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the settlement.
In November 2022, about a month after billionaire Elon Musk purchased Twitter — which he later renamed X — he reinstated Mr. Trump’s account.
Musk now heads up the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency as a special government employee who reports directly to Mr. Trump, and was a key financial supporter of Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.
Late last month, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, paid $25 million to Mr. Trump to settle a 2021 lawsuit over its own suspension of his accounts following the Capitol attack. His Facebook and Twitter accounts were reinstated in 2023.
Jennifer Jacobs
Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News.
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Hegseth says Ukraine cannot expect return to old borders, NATO membership
Hegseth says Ukraine cannot expect return to old borders, NATO membership
By Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders was unrealistic and the Trump administration does not see NATO membership for Kyiv as part of a solution to the war triggered by Russia’s invasion.
Speaking at a meeting of Ukraine’s military allies at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Hegseth delivered the clearest and bluntest public statement so far on the new U.S. administration’s approach to the nearly three-year-old war.
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“We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognising that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” Hegseth told the meeting of Ukrainian officials and more than 40 allies.
“Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” he added.
He also told Washington’s NATO allies that they would have to step up and assume greater responsibility for Europe’s security. He said “stark strategic realities”, such U.S. border security issues and threats posed by China, prevented the U.S. from being “primarily focused on the security of Europe”.
His remarks on Ukraine were a stark change from the stance of the Biden administration and many of Ukraine’s closest allies, who had declared they would support Kyiv for as long as necessary and stressed the importance of territorial integrity.
His comments also suggested that Kyiv would have to abandon some of its key war aims – regaining territory from Russia and securing protection from future attacks through membership of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.
While Trump administration officials had signalled for some time that they would not support those goals, Hegseth’s on-camera remarks made that stance clear to the global public.
Though Ukraine set its sights on ejecting all Russian troops from its territory for much of the war, it has increasingly acknowledged that retaking its land by force is unfeasible and that diplomacy is a more realistic course of action.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
NO US TROOPS IN UKRAINE
Hegseth said any durable peace must include “robust security guarantees to ensure that the war will not begin again”. But he said U.S. troops would not be deployed to Ukraine as part of such guarantees.
He also said “the United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement”.
Instead, security guarantees should be backed by “capable European and non-European troops”, the Pentagon chief said.
“If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission and they should not be covered under Article 5,” he said, referring to the alliance’s mutual defence clause.
Russia annexed the ****** Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 and then backed pro-Russian separatists in an armed insurgency against Kyiv’s forces in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine.
Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, mainly in the east and south.
(Reporting by Andrew Gray, Lili Bayer, Bart Meijer and Tom Balmforth, writing by Andrew Gray and GV De Clercq; Editing by Gareth Jones and Alex Richardson)
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WATCH: Bondi announces lawsuit against New York over immigration enforcement – PBS NewsHour
WATCH: Bondi announces lawsuit against New York over immigration enforcement – PBS NewsHour
WATCH: Bondi announces lawsuit against New York over immigration enforcement PBS NewsHourBondi announces new lawsuits against states allegedly failing to comply with immigration actions: ‘A new DOJ’ Fox NewsNew York isn’t alone when it comes to granting driver’s licenses to immigrants without legal status YahooAttorney General Pam Bondi announces legal action against N.Y. Gov. Hochul, AG James Spectrum News NY1
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Chemist Warehouse’s ASX debut creates millionaire franchisees
Chemist Warehouse’s ASX debut creates millionaire franchisees
Chemist Warehouse franchisees have catapulted into millionaire status after cashing in hundreds of millions of dollars in shares as the pharmacy juggernaut made its long-awaited ASX debut.
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Michigan DNR asks for public’s help for wolf survey in Northern Lower Peninsula
Michigan DNR asks for public’s help for wolf survey in Northern Lower Peninsula
NORTHERN MICHIGAN — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking the community for help in conducting a wolf survey for the Northern Lower Peninsula.
From Feb. 17 to March 10, the DNR will be accepting information on any sightings. People can submit additional photos or evidence to the DNR’s Eyes in the Field webpage.
Tim Riley, wildlife technician for the DNR Grayling office, said the DNR is asking for the public’s help in surveying to get as many eyes as possible out in the field.
“This is a way that kind of lets us cast a little bit broader of a net over the area than we’d be able to do on our own internally,” he said.
A group of six gray wolves is shown walking down a snow-covered road in the Upper Peninsula. The image was captured on a trail camera image in 2024 as part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ wolf abundance study.
The last formal survey conducted in the Northern Lower Peninsula was in 2019. The idea to hold the survey was not triggered by any specific sightings or uptick in reports, Riley said.
He said they decided to hold the survey because wolves used to live on this land naturally, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the habitat and any potential sightings.
“They were here naturally on the landscape at one time,” Riley said. “If they’re here, it’s not necessarily a good or bad thing.”
He added that many people have trail cameras these days, and checking those for sightings would be a good way to get some evidence of a wolf in the region. Other things like fur, tracks or fecal matter can also be used to get a DNA confirmation of a wolf sighting.
During the last survey in 2019, there were 97 reports of possible activity in the area. Most of the reports were determined to be dogs or coyotes, or could not be verified.
However, credible reports were confirmed in Kalkaska and Montmorency counties.
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While wolves can have a normal habitat in the state, they were mostly gone by the early 20th century due to bounties, habitat loss and prejudice, according to a release from the DNR.
Wolves started to gradually return to the state and region in the 1990s thanks to the Endangered Species Act and a better understanding of their roles in a healthy ecosystem.
According to the DNR, the first observation of a gray wolf in the Northern Lower Peninsula was in 2004, when one was accidentally killed in Presque Isle County. In 2014, a gray wolf was confirmed to be found on the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians Reservation via DNA analysis, along with photos and tracks.
Last year, a wolf was killed in Calhoun County in southern Michigan by a hunter who thought it was a coyote.
More: Revisit our biggest story of the year: Calhoun County hunter harvests grey wolf by mistake
More: Gray wolf confirmed on Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Reservation
According to a winter 2023-24 survey, there are an estimated 768 wolves in the Upper Peninsula.
The DNR is conducting the survey with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at *****@*****.tld. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @KarlyGrahamJrn.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Michigan DNR asks for public’s help for 2025 wolf survey in Northern Lower Peninsula
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Judge removes key legal hurdle for Trump’s plan to trim federal workforce with deferred resignations – The Associated Press
Judge removes key legal hurdle for Trump’s plan to trim federal workforce with deferred resignations – The Associated Press
Judge removes key legal hurdle for Trump’s plan to trim federal workforce with deferred resignations The Associated PressJudge restores Trump administration’s buyout offer to federal workers Fox NewsFederal judge lets Trump’s ‘buyout’ plan for federal employees proceed CNN
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