This app means I’ll never get caught in the rain again, hopefully
This app means I’ll never get caught in the rain again, hopefully
If you’re anything like me, you don’t like surprises. I’m not talking about surprise birthday parties or being whisked away for a weekend break. I’m talking about being stuck in an elevator, getting bumped by another car, or, in the case of the app I recently found, being caught in the rain.
I live in England and the weather is unpredictable at best. I might wake up to glorious sunshine, dress accordingly, and then find myself being battered by a torrential downpour on my commute to work. For a long time, I’ve relied on weather apps to help me navigate each day and plan accordingly but more often than not, they’re not as accurate as I need them to be.
Then I came across the Rain Viewer app, which provides accurate and up-to-date rain forecasting. The app lets me view precipitation and cloud coverage in real time thanks to the power of radar and satellite maps.
Homescreen heroes
This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn’t live without. Read them all here.
My favorite aspect of the Rain Viewer app is its AI-generated summaries of rain forecasts. They are incredibly human-like in their tone and beautifully humorous at times. Don’t take my word for it; read the one that is displayed on my app as I write this.
“Today’s weather is a classic case of “cloudy with a chance of more clouds.” Expect a cool 9°C with a persistent 90% humidity, so wearing that cozy sweater is a must! Wind gusts might ***** your hat away so hold onto it tight!”
(Image credit: Future)
Not only are these little summaries fun to read but they also take all of the potentially dull written or graphic details and make them super accessible. I’m all for that. It helps me decide what to wear and what to expect in the coming day while putting a little smile on my face.
Another cool feature is the map, which provides a visual representation of the weather you can expect. This is no standard Google or Apple map with basic weather icons applied. Instead, Rain Viewer lets you apply a variety of different radar, satellite, or mathematical layers.
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Radar is particularly helpful for tracking rain, snow, and hail in real time. When paired with satellite information, you can add cloud coverage into the mix of real-time visual data. I used these layers to interrogate my local area and loved moving around the world to see the weather other countries are experiencing.
(Image credit: Future)
The map also has ‘Forecast 24h’ functionality for scrubbing through a 24-hour time *******. I found this perfect for planning my work commutes or that tennis game with friends. I can honestly say that I was hardly caught out at all. Suddenly I had the upper hand over the weather. Who’d have thought that was possible?
Another way that the Rain Viewer app helps protect you from unexpected surprises is through push notifications and alerts. These are particularly helpful for people living in areas affected by tornadoes, floods, fires, extreme heat, or snowstorms. All this information is available through the AI summary, the map, and the other metrics, but it’s good to be alerted just in case you haven’t opened the app in a while.
(Image credit: Future)
To help Rain Viewer, there’s also a handy little option to answer a simple question, “What is the weather like outside?” The app provides two buttons so you can choose between whether it is raining or not. It reminds me of those navigation apps that encourage live reporting of accidents to provide more accurate information. I don’t know how much Rain Viewer relies on it or whether it trusts the feedback of some more reliable users over others but either way, I feel like I’m doing my bit.
I don’t know what weather app you use but I know which one has my vote. Rain Viewer is easy to use, intuitive, and infinitely more helpful than standard weather apps. I’ve been using it for a few weeks and I won’t be turning back. Access to all features requires a Rain Viewer Premium plan, which costs $4.99 / £3.99 per month.
Download the Rain Viewer app on iOS or Android.
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Former Trump national security adviser says upcoming months are “really critical” for Ukraine
Former Trump national security adviser says upcoming months are “really critical” for Ukraine
Former Trump national security adviser says upcoming months are “really critical” for Ukraine – CBS News
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Ret. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who served as national security adviser in the first Trump administration, tells “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the longer-range missiles the White House are sending to Ukraine “can make a difference” in the final days of the Biden administration.The result, McMaster said, is the next few months are “really critical” for Ukraine.
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Thieves Allegedly Stole A Truck Packed With $1.5 Million in Oculus Headsets
Thieves Allegedly Stole A Truck Packed With $1.5 Million in Oculus Headsets
Six men have been indicted for allegedly stealing a number of trucks, including one packed with $1.5 million in Oculus headsets, 404 Media reports.
According to court documents, the men watched distribution facilities throughout the Midwest and Southeastern US, following semi-trucks as they left the facilities. When the drivers of the hauling truck stopped to refuel, the men would steal the truck and trailer, connect the trailer to their own semi, and leave the stolen one. They also would “paint over any logos and/or identifying numbers on the stolen trailer, and use different license plates in an effort to conceal the identity of the trailer and evade law enforcement detection.
Two of the men “located a semi-tractor trailer that left the Louisville, Kentucky facility laden with Oculus reality goggles valued at approximately $1.5 million,” according to the documents. Throughout 2022, the crew also snatched one truck stocked with $940,000 in Microsoft products, another with Sony products, and a third with Harman-JBL products worth $530,000. The value of the Sony products was not specified in the indictment. The heists continued into 2023, with the crew grabbing trucks stocking CF Moto ATVs and products from Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works products valued at $1 million.
Interestingly, seven men were arrested in Grapevine, Texas this week for stealing similar merch, though they stole directly from warehouses rather than trucks.
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Full transcript of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 24, 2024
Full transcript of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 24, 2024
On this “Face the Nation” broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan:
Sen. Rand Paul, *********** of Kentucky
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland
Ret. Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster
Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, Democrat of Delaware
Click here to browse full transcripts of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m Margaret Brennan in Washington.
And this week on Face the Nation: President-elect Trump makes a flurry of picks for top health and finance jobs. Will they pass muster with the ***********-controlled Senate?
The Trump transition team unveiled almost a dozen people selected to fill key Cabinet and White House roles. And as would-be nominees are whisked through Capitol Hill to meet with senators, there’s already been one major withdrawal, a quick replacement, and renewed scrutiny on some of the more controversial national security picks.
We will talk with two key senators, *********** Rand Paul and Democrat Tammy Duckworth. They will be questioning the president-elect’s choices on health, national security and more.
One of Trump’s national security advisers from his first term, retired Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, will also weigh in.
Plus: As the conflict between *******-****** and Hezbollah continues to rage, when can we expect a cease-*****? We will ask Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, who has called President Biden’s handling of ******* shameful and a policy ********.
Finally, we will hear from representative-elect Sarah McBride on the challenges and opportunities facing her as she prepares to take office as the first openly transgender member of Congress.
It’s all just ahead on Face the Nation.
Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation.
As we begin this holiday week, Americans are preparing to gather to give thanks for what has been and contemplate what’s to come. Our latest CBS News poll shows that 59 percent of Americans approve of how president-elect Donald Trump is handling the presidential transition.
Trump has kept up a steady drumbeat of staffing announcements from his Mar- a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
And that is where we find our Nikole Killion this morning with the latest.
(Begin VT)
NIKOLE KILLION (voice-over): After Saturday lunch with one of the senators who will vote on his Cabinet picks, president-elect Donald Trump announced former domestic policy adviser Brooke Rollins for agriculture secretary.
One of his most highly anticipated selections was Scott Bessent for Treasury. If confirmed, the 62-year-old investor would be the first openly gay secretary to lead it and responsible for quarterbacking Mr. Trump’s proposed policies on taxes and tariffs.
DONALD TRUMP (Former President of the ******* States (R) and Current U.S. President-Elect): The most beautiful word in the dictionary is tariff.
NIKOLE KILLION: A new CBS News poll shows a majority of Americans support imposing tariffs on imported goods, and more have an optimistic view of the economy since the election.
Mr. Trump selected a pair of doctors to lead health agencies. Former Congressman David Weldon has promoted debunked anti-vaccine views and is being tapped to lead the Centers for ******** Control. Food and ***** Administration pick Martin Makary critiqued vaccine mandates during the COVID pandemic.
And Project 2025 architect Russ Vought plans to reprise his role as White House budget director, despite Trump’s disavowal of the ************* policy blueprint.
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: I have nothing to do with Project 2025.
NIKOLE KILLION: Our polling also finds many of the president-elect’s well- known designees have more support than opposition, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and Pete Hegseth.
The former FOX News host picked to lead the Pentagon is drawing scrutiny over allegations of ******* ******** in a 2017 police report.
Did you ********* ******** a woman in Monterey, California?
PETE HEGSETH (U.S. Defense Secretary Nominee): I have – as far as the media is concerned, I will keep this very simple. The matter was fully investigated. And I was completely cleared. And that’s where I’m going to leave it.
(End VT)
NIKOLE KILLION: While president-elect Trump has filled out most of his Cabinet, a few economic positions remain up for grabs, including U.S. trade representative and small business administrator – Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s Nikole Killion in West Palm Beach, Florida.
We go now to Kentucky *********** Senator Rand Paul. He is set to chair the Homeland Security Committee next year, and he sits on the Health Committee.
Welcome back to Face the Nation, Senator.
SENATOR RAND PAUL (R-Kentucky): Good morning. Thanks for having me.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you are a doctor by training.
I want to ask you about some of these health picks. I know that you personally said that you have vaccinated all of your children, but vaccination rates in this country, as you know, are on the decline.
Are you at all concerned that elevating individuals who have been publicly critical of some particular vaccines, RFK Jr. at HHS secretary, Dave Weldon to CDC director, that any of that will erode trust in vaccination?
SENATOR RAND PAUL: You know, I think all of us can agree that there’s an increase of vaccine hesitancy.
I think it comes from people not believing what the government is telling them. The fact that the CDC committee for vaccines and the FDA committee for vaccines said for COVID boosters that you should take a booster if you’re over 65, and yet the Biden administration and Rochelle Walensky actually politicized that, didn’t follow the signs and said you should boost your 6-month-old, and the ********* public is rejecting this.
Only about 20 percent of the ********* public of all ages is taking the COVID booster, because the government hasn’t been honest with us. That dishonesty has led to vaccine hesitancy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, it’s vaccination rates in other – other vaccines as well, not just COVID vaccines. There’s concern about measles. There are concerns about other…
SENATOR RAND PAUL: Right, but people have to believe it. Exactly.
But people are doubting because they’re being told that. I will give you an example. Look, I think vaccines, smallpox, the story of smallpox vaccine, polio vaccine are some of the most miraculous discoveries in all of medicine. And I’m not against vaccines.
But, like, when my kids were little, the hepatitis B vaccine, they still want to give it to them as a newborn. I just – my baby is new and just, you know, come into the world, and you can see how a lot of reasonable people say, why do I have to do it as a newborn? Could I come back in three months or six months?
So, really, it’s about choice. It’s about getting rid of mandates. It’s about letting people participate, but it’s also about the government being honest. What are the risks and what are the benefits? And they haven’t been honest on COVID, because healthy children do not **** from COVID, do not get seriously *****, and there’s no proof that the vaccine has any medical benefit for healthy children.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we want to move on to other topics, sir, but we will continue to cover vaccination in this country.
I think what you said there is that you’re supportive of all those health nominees, from what I heard. You – you have been – I’m sorry. Did you want to say…
SENATOR RAND PAUL: I was just going to say, yes, I am supportive.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: But I wouldn’t describe them as the problem with vaccine hesitancy. I would describe the government misinformation as the problem with vaccine hesitancy.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK. Messengers matter, though.
But you have raised concerns in your role on Homeland Security about the implementation of some of the promises Donald Trump made on the campaign trail. His mass deportation vow is very popular. Our CBS polling shows 57 percent of voters like the idea, but how it is implemented matters a lot to voters.
The vast majority prefer that federal law enforcement or immigration agencies carry them out. Just 40 percent say the U.S. military should be involved. The stated Trump plan is to use the military, military assets, deputize the National Guard, and have them act as immigration agents. Do you believe that is lawful?
SENATOR RAND PAUL: You know, I’m 100 percent supportive of going after the 15,000 murderers, the 13,000 ******* ******** perpetrators, rapists, all these people.
Let’s send them on their way to prison or back home to another prison. So I would say all-points bulletin, all in, but you don’t do it with the Army because it’s ********. And we’ve – we’ve had a distrust of putting the Army into our streets, because the police have a difficult job, but the police understand the Fourth Amendment. They have to go to judges. They have to get warrants. It has to be specific.
And so I’m for removing these people, but I would do it through the normal process of domestic policing. Now, I would say that the mayor of Denver, if he’s going to resist federal law, which there’s a longstanding history of the supremacy of federal law, if he’s going to resist that, it will go all the way to the Supreme Court.
And I would suspect that he would be removed from office. I don’t know whether or not there’d be a ********* prosecution for someone resisting federal law, but he will lose. And people need to realize that what he is – – what he is offering is a form of insurrection, where the states resist the federal government.
Most people objected to that and rejected that long ago. So I think the mayor of Denver is on the wrong side of history, and, really, I think, will face legal ramifications if he doesn’t obey the federal law.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, just context on those numbers you rattled off in terms of **********, those numbers from ICE are accurate figures, but they’re over a 40-year ******* of time.
What we know now about the immigration authorities who would have to be charged with rounding these individuals up, there are just 6,000 agents, 41,000 detention beds to carry out the assignment of rounding up millions of undocumented people, potentially.
How do you suggest they implement it? And if this is a red line for you in terms of using the military, would you vote no on the DHS secretary, Kristi Noem?
SENATOR RAND PAUL: I will not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities. I think it’s a terrible image.
But I will tell you that, just in the last week, with the belief that a new administration will change things, there were four or five ********** arrested in the last week. And what would happen and I think what will happen under Donald Trump’s administration is, I don’t recommend to use the Army, but I would use the FBI, I would use ICE, I would use Border Patrol.
And they have a list now of 15,000. I don’t care if it came in over 40 years or 10 years. If you’ve got a list, you put these people on an all- points bulletin, these are the kind of people that are dangerous and that everybody needs to be the watch on, and they would go out and seek those people.
That – we have about 30,000 very dangerous people already convicted of *******. That should be the first priority for all of this. Let’s go find those people. But it’s not about detaining them. In all likelihood, they should be going to a jail, either a jail here or in the country they came from.
So I think, if we did that, there will be a lot of unity. If they send the Army into New York, and you have 10,000 troops marching, carrying semiautomatic weapons, I think it’s a terrible image, and I will oppose that. But it’s not that I oppose removing people. I just…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: … object to what has been against the law for over 100 years, and that’s using the Army.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But deputizing the National Guard, that specifically is the proposal. You also oppose that?
SENATOR RAND PAUL: I don’t think it’s the best way to do it. It’s less clear whether that’s legal or ********. Typically, it has to be done at the behest of the governors.
I still don’t like a militarization of police, whether it’s National Guard or Army. I think there’s a lot of FBI.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: There’s a lot of Border Patrol agents. There’s a better way to do it. And it needs to be individualized.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: That doesn’t mean I’m any less serious about getting it done. It just needs to be done according to the law and consistent with our traditions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood.
You’ve made clear you are a fiscal *************. I want to ask you about the choice just made to select hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as the treasury secretary. He had a long financial career. He served as the Chief Investment Officer for George Soros’ funds. He’s been a political donor.
Elon Musk came out publicly against him, calling him business as usual. Do you favor Mr. Bessent in the role as Treasury secretary?
SENATOR RAND PAUL: You know, I have heard good things about him. I haven’t made a decision. I lean towards being supportive.
I don’t like tariffs, but, then again, I don’t like the president promoting tariffs. I think tariffs are a tax on the consumer, and they ignore things like with steel. There are 80 workers working in steel-buying industry for every worker making steel.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: So, yes, you can protect certain industries, but it’s at the expense of other people.
I don’t believe that will be enough for me to want to vote against Bessent, because it’s also the president’s position as well. I will be vocal in saying that I think tariffs are bad and that international trade actually saves every consumer about $7,000 a year. So, everybody in our country is $7,000 richer because of international trade.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: It’s part of one of the booms of postwar and post- Industrial Revolution. This amazing international trade has made us all richer, and we need to talk about the statistics and facts concerning the benefits of trade.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Understood on the nuances and specifics there, but that is primarily how Donald Trump is promising to pay for all the things he promised on the campaign trail.
As you know, the federal debt is past $36 trillion as of this week. His proposals to lift taxes off of tips, overtime, Medicare, Social Security, give tax credits, that could add as much as $8 trillion more to the deficit, according to the Committee for a Responsible Budget.
Do you actually expect Republicans to take up these proposals?
SENATOR RAND PAUL: You know, in 2017, I voted for a tax reduction package that they said would add to the debt, but I also forced my colleagues to vote for pay-as-you-go. It’s a policy that’s in our law, and they have to waive it, which means that if a tax cut causes a reduction and causes an increase in the debt because of reduced revenue, that you have to have spending cuts.
So, I have always been in favor of the tax cuts, but I have also been in favor of the spending cuts. The same will occur with this. If we do cut spend – cut taxes, which I think helps the economy, you leave money in the hands of the productive private sector, I think that’s a good idea. But if you do it, I would cut spending.
And there will be procedural blockade or procedural votes that I will force that says that we should also cut spending as well.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our polling shows that the vast majority of Americans, 86 percent, prefer people with experience running the agencies, and 64 percent polled by us think it’s important to appoint people with that experience in Washington.
Given that, for example, the Pentagon pick hasn’t ever managed a large corporation or held a high rank in the military, do you think he can run the Pentagon?
SENATOR RAND PAUL: Yes.
And I think the vast majority of people, if you poll them, will say that they don’t think people should be picked based on religion or gender or sexuality. They want people to be picked on merit.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: And one of one of Pete Hegseth’s criticisms of our Pentagon is that we’ve gone away from merit…
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: … and gone more towards ******* characteristics.
And so I think that the people are and would be overwhelmingly in favor…
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
SENATOR RAND PAUL: … of someone who’s going to base hiring on merit, not on ******* characteristics.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK.
Senator Paul, thank you for your time today.
Face the Nation will be back in a minute.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of the state of Illinois. She sits on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees.
Good morning to you, Senator.
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH (D-Illinois): Good morning. Thanks for having me on.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, former Congressman Matt Gaetz took himself out of the running this week to become attorney general.
This was after he had met with senators. And CBS has reported that as many as 15 Republicans opposed him. Does that suggest to you that your *********** colleagues in the Senate will hold the line, or are you still concerned they will just green-light anyone Trump nominates?
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Well, I’m deeply concerned that they will green- light. I’m glad that they held the line on him.
I’m also glad that they voted the way they did for the *********** leader, but that was in the secret ballot when they elected Senator Thune. And, you know, Mr. Trump’s main choice for that position was not selected.
But from what I’m hearing from my *********** colleagues on everything from defense secretary to other posts, it sounds like they are ready to roll over for Mr. Trump.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, on that point of Defense, since you sit in this advisory role on Armed Services, I don’t have to tell you, but, for our audience, there are over 200,000 ********* women who serve in active duty service right now, thousands of them in front-line combat roles.
You were one of them in 2004, when your ****** Hawk helicopter you were piloting was shot at by an RPG, and you sustained severe injuries.
Here is what Mr. Trump’s pick for defense secretary said about women serving:
(Begin VT)
PETE HEGSETH (U.S. Defense Secretary Nominee): I’m straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles. It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.
(End VT)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do your colleagues who sit with you on Armed Services believe that Mr. Hegseth’s statement there is an issue that he needs to perhaps retract?
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Well, I think they need to, because he’s wrong.
Our military could not go to war without the 220,000-plus women who serve in uniform. The women in our military does make us more effective, does make us more lethal.
And let me just make one thing clear. The women who are in those very particular roles, whether it’s in Special Forces or the SEALs or the infantry, they meet the same standards as the men. And so he’s been out there saying that, you know, women are not as strong, we don’t – the ones who are in those roles have met the same standards as the men and have passed the very rigorous testing.
And so he’s just flat-out wrong. Our military could not go to war without the women who wear this uniform. And, frankly, America’s daughters are just as capable of defending liberty and freedom as her sons.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Having served in combat yourself, what do you think of the idea that women make fighting more complicated? That was specifically what he focused on.
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Well, it just shows his lack of understanding of where our military is.
He was a pretty low-ranking guy in the military, and he never had a command position. He was a platoon leader, I think, once or twice, but he never even commanded a company. And so this is a man who is inordinately unqualified for the position.
Remember that the Pentagon is three million servicemen and women and civilians. It is over a $900 billion budget. He’s never, you know, run anything anywhere near to that size. And, frankly, women actually make our military more effective.
And I have personally found that I brought many insights to my job when I was a company commander, when I was a logistics officer that came from my own personal background that made things better. I took better care of my men, for example, in my unit. I was often the only woman in an all-male unit, and my gender didn’t have – wasn’t a problem.
I just adapted, and we continued to perform the mission.
MARGARET BRENNAN: The question of character has also come up in regard to this leadership role. Mr. Hegseth has acknowledged that he paid a woman back in 2017 to quiet her accusations of ******* ********. He claims it was consensual ****.
I’m sure you read that Monterey police report, as we did here. It refers to the offense code as – quote – “*****, victim unconscious of the nature of the act.” It details both the accuser’s and Hegseth’s version of events.
Here’s what Senator Markwayne Mullin said it shows: “two people flirting with each other.”
Is the committee going to speak with the victim to ask if this was a misunderstanding?
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Well, that’s – that will be the decision of the *********** chairman of the committee next year.
I hope that we will. But I suspect that they, again, will roll over for Mr. Trump. Frankly, I will make – raise those questions. Remember that we’ve just fought over a decade of fights and – and overhauled the military and its treatment of military ******* trauma.
It’s frankly an insult and really troubling that Mr. Trump would nominate someone who has admitted that he’s paid off a victim who has claimed ***** allegations against him. This is not the kind of person you want to lead the Department of Defense.
MARGARET BRENNAN: To move to a vote you took this past week, you said you have disgust at the brutal tactics used by the Netanyahu government in Gaza, but you voted against all three resolutions of disapproval this past week that would have paused very specific offensive weapons shipments to *******.
Your colleague Senator Van Hollen said it’s just about getting ******* to comply with U.S. law. How do you respond to that? Why shouldn’t they be held to the same standards as other recipients of U.S. aid?
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Well, I respect Senator Van Hollen’s position. And, in fact, I have cosigned many of the letters that he’s led that has called on ******* to comply with humanitarian standards across the world.
My decision comes from my military experience, the fact that many of these rounds were not going to be delivered for a couple of years, the fact that, you know, these are resolutions. They don’t actually have binding effect. And, frankly, for me, my decision came from the fact that we have tens of thousands of US troops in harm’s way right now.
And I am deeply concerned that a resolution that doesn’t actually do anything might embolden the Houthis and the Iranian regime and ****** to further target and – ********* troops abroad. So I respect Chris. He and I are good friends. We were freshmen in the Senate together, but we come at this from slightly different angles, mine from 23 years of military experience.
But I do share his concern about the brutal way that ******* has acted in Gaza. And, you know, I have cosigned many of his letters.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Our polling shows that there is a ******* among the ********* people to see Democrats and Republicans work together in this future Trump administration.
With that in mind, I’m looking at some of these nominees, including Trump’s pick for labor secretary. She is drawing praise from unions because she is perceived as – as pro-union. Could you see yourself supporting her or any of the other nominees?
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Absolutely.
I – you know, what I would need to do is have a chance to sit down and talk with each one of these nominees, and listen to them and hear what they have to say. I think Congressman Collins over at VA, he’s the nominee for VA, is another person I can talk with. In fact, I worked with him when I was in the House a few years back.
I am going to evaluate each one of these candidates based on their ability to do the job and their willingness to put the needs of the ********* people first and not be on a retribution campaign and a – for Mr. Trump.
So it’s about, are they willing to be independent and do the job that they are being nominated to do, and are they competent and qualified for the position?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Duckworth, we appreciate your time this morning.
SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH: Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’ll be right back with a lot more Face the Nation.
Stay with us.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to FACE THE NATION.
We’re now joined by Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen.
Good to have you here.
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): It’s great to be with you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, in these final days of Democratic control of the Senate and the White House, there’s a long to-do list. Congress has to fund the government by end of December, pass the defense bill, the NDAA, an extension to the farm bill, and I know Democrats want to confirm as many judges as possible. What’s top of your list?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Well, all of those are on the list. Top of my list is also the disaster relief funding. Emergency relief. We had big parts of the country hit by hurricanes and other natural disasters. In my state of Maryland, we had the collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore. So, we’ve always taken the approach that the whole country will be there to help fellow Americans in need. The president has now submitted $100 billion emergency disaster relief plan that includes funding for the Key Bridge. So, I hope that we will get that done by the end of the year. People need that relief and they need it now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s about $8 billion for the bridge alone, is that right?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Not for the bridge alone. This is – that’s part of the emergency relief fund that includes approximately $2 billion for the bridge.
MARGARET BRENNAN: OK. And you’re relatively confident that this can be delivered on?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: I hope that all of our colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, will support disaster relief.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: We’ve always had the philosophy, all for one and one for all when Americans get hit by these disasters. I hope we will stick with that position.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we also are looking at a new Congress very soon and, as you know, a new commander in chief. Republicans will have the majority in the Senate with 53 seats, so they don’t really need Democratic votes to confirm many of the picks that Mr. Trump has been making to run agencies.
But from what you’ve seen to date, are you in favor of any of them, your colleague, Marco Rubio, as secretary of State, for example, or this new choice to be Labor secretary?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Look, my view is, this is what the vetting process is all about, the hearing process. The Senate, of course, under the Constitution, has the job of advising and consenting on nominations. And I take that responsibility very seriously.
I’ve been troubled by some talk that President-elect Donald Trump wants to short circuit that constitutional approach using this recess appointment device, and it will be really important that the new *********** leader in the Senate uphold the Senate’s prerogatives under the Constitution and not try to do an end run.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll stay tuned to see how that plays out.
Let’s turn to the Middle East. You said that President Biden’s inaction to halt the horrific humanitarian situation inside of Gaza is a stain on his administration, that it’s shameful. Is there anything in these final weeks that could be done to erase that stain?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: I think there are things that can be done. And I should emphasize that I supported President Biden’s decision to travel to ******* in the aftermath of the brutal ****** attacks of October 7th of last year, and stand with the people of ******* as they confront this threat. But I also wish the president had effectively used U.S. leverage to essentially assert his own positions. We’ve seen this pattern where President Biden makes demands of Prime Minister Netanyahu, only to be ignored or slapped down entirely. And then President Biden sends more ****** and more money. That is not an effective use of leverage. So, I do hope in these closing months the president will finally make more effective use of ********* leverage to, at the very least, uphold ********* law.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: To insist that the Netanyahu government allows humanitarian aid into Gaza, and that they use our weapons in a manner consistent with the laws of war.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you take a nuanced and specific stand on that, upholding U.S. law. This is often characterized, though, as being for or against helping *******. There were 19 senators, you were one of them, who voted this past week to pause specific shipments on three different groups of weapons, offensive weapons, to *******. You said the State Department’s reviewing 500 incidents where U.S. weapons were used and caused unnecessary civilian harm. The State Department has said *******’s doing things to fix the situation, which is why weapons continue to be green lit. Are you suggesting that’s a lie?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: I’m suggesting that the president of the ******* States is not fully complying with ********* law on this question. If you look at the letter that was sent by Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken to ******** authorities in October, you look at that final paragraph, you’ll see that they’re complaining about the fact that there is no effective mechanism right now for getting to the bottom of claims of civilian harm. The State Department has, as I said, about 500, as you said, and we haven’t gotten to the bottom of those.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Because the process is broken, and I would argue that there’s not been the will to fix the process because a lot of people don’t want the process to produce the obvious answer, which is, there have been many cases where we’ve seen U.S. weapons used in violation of the international humanitarian law. In fact, if you go back to the NSM 20 report earlier this year, the Biden administration said specifically that there was a high likelihood that U.S. weapons were being used in violation of international law, and yet they’ve done nothing in the intervening ******* to enforce that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: When I pressed U.S. officials on this privately, they’ve said, what do you want us to do? Do you want us to put in a halt for a few weeks? And then Donald Trump reverses it. What’s the point? How do you respond?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Well, the point is, they should have been doing this for a much longer ******* of time. The president had ample opportunities over the last year. There are many people in the administration, senior level – at the senior level who told me that this war was going to come to an end back in January. You know, I’ve met with ******** families on numerous occasions who have been calling out Prime Minister Netanyahu for not agreeing to a ceasefire and a return of their loved ones. Minister Gallant, the defense minister of *******, was fired because he wanted to prioritize the return of hostages, and yet President Biden has never called out Prime Minister Netanyahu.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: For his obstruction on this. Even though those families I’ve met with are calling him out.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Even post-election, why do you think he won’t do that?
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: I really don’t know. I just don’t know why the president of the ******* States has not been willing to make more effective use of ********* leverage to assert his own stated objectives. I mean he’s been ignored on other things, too, right? He wants the PA to be the nucleus of governance in a post-war Gaza.
MARGARET BRENNAN: ************ Authority.
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: He wants a two-state solution. Prime Minister Netanyahu has not only ignored those, he’s gone out there and bragged about how he’s blocking President Biden’s efforts. And yet the blank check just keeps on coming. So, what my colleagues and I are saying is, let’s just pause these transfers of offensive weapons, certain ones, until Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government come into compliance with ********* law. These are ********* laws on the books.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: So, this is not about whether we support ******* or not. Of course we support *******. It’s about whether our support is used in a manner consistent with ********* law and ********* values.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Van Hollen, thank you for explaining your position.
SENATOR CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Thank you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll be right back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to retired Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, who served as national security adviser in the first Trump administration. His latest book is “At War with Ourselves,” which chronicles his time at the White House.
Good morning, and welcome back.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER (Retired, Former White House National Security Adviser): Good morning, Margaret. Happy Thanksgiving.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Happy early Thanksgiving to you.
I want to ask you about the geopolitical threat picture right now that the next commander in chief will be walking into the Oval Office and facing. In these final weeks of the Biden administration, Ukraine has started using U.S.-made ATACMS, a type of longer range missile, to strike within Russian territory. President Biden also approved anti-personnel land mines. The aim is to get them on stronger footing before Trump takes office.
Can these weapons quickly make a difference?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: They can make a difference, Margaret. Really it made no sense to not allow the Ukrainians to ***** those missiles at the bases that Russia was using to continue their onslaught against the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian infrastructure. And so, it’s another one of these example how the Biden administration has taken this halting approach to providing weapons and then permissions to use weapons.
And so, I think it’s – it’s important because both sides right now are incentivized to make as many gains on the battlefield as they can before the new Trump administration comes in. And you see Russia throwing troops into Ukrainian defenses. I mean, they’re taking – you know, they’re taking tens of thousands of casualties a month. I think it’s really an unsustainable rate. And what the Ukrainians are doing now is trying to protect themselves from the onslaught, inflict as many casualties as they can, and they’re trading some – some space for time and the opportunity to cause more attrition on Russian forces.
So, the next couple of months, I think, are really critical in terms of the – you know, how – what is the next phase in the war in Ukraine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you know, President Zelenskyy said just yesterday that he’s sure Vladimir ****** is trying to, quote, “push us out by January 20th,” and try to demonstrate that he has the upper hand. He’s not saying that, you know, just as an observation. He is looking at the national security adviser, Mike Waltz. He’s looking at the possible next secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who has voted against Ukraine aid. The vice president-elect is against helping Ukraine. Can Ukraine get the upper hand here, and are these top advisers going to be persuadable?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: Well, this is a real problem, Margaret. You know, I think what you’re seeing is, this delivers a psychological ***** to the Ukrainians. Ukrainians are struggling to generate the manpower that they need and to sustain their defensive efforts. And that’s – it’s important that they get the weapons they need and the training that they need, but also they have to have the confidence that they can prevail. And any sort of messages that we might reduce our aid are quite damaging to them from a moral perspective.
I think he’ll – and what I hope is that those who President Trump has nominated, and President Trump himself will begin to see the quite obvious connections between the war in Ukraine and this axis of aggressors that are doing everything they can to tear down the existing international order.
I mean, heck, Margaret, I mean North Korean soldiers are fighting on ********* soil in the first major war in Europe since World War II. Look at what China’s doing to sustain Russia’s war-making machine with the cash Vladimir ****** needs but also with the equipment and the hardware necessary to build these missiles that are continuing this onslaught. Iran. Iran is providing the drones and missiles. North Korea’s also providing, you know, eight million rounds of artillery. So, I think what’s happened is, so many people have taken such a myopic view of Ukraine and they’ve misunderstood ******’s intentions and how consequential the war is to our interests across the world.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, one of the things – and you are a historian. You’ve written quite a lot and looked at presidential decision making. One of the things you’ve written in “At War with Ourselves” was, “it is important,” based on your study of the Vietnam War, “to ensure that the president gets the best analysis and multiple options so he can make informed decisions.”
Do you think so far that Mr. Trump’s choices for director of national intelligence, for defense secretary, are these individuals who will provide the president with the best analysis and what he needs to hear, not just what he wants to hear?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: Well, this is what the Senate has to – has to really exercise their advice and consent role. And I think it’s worth going back to Federalist 76 where John Adams said, really this advice and consent is so important to make sure the best people are in those positions. President Trump, as I wrote in the book, he does learn. He does listen to advice. He does evolve his understanding. So, who will those people be?
I think for the new secretary of defense, the nominated director of national intelligence, they ought to be asked, what do you think motivates or drives and constrains Vladimir ******? There’s a fundamental misunderstanding based on – on the nominee for – for the – for DNI about what motivates him. It’s not his security concerns. His security concerns don’t need to be allayed. That’s the mistake the Biden administration made. And I think as a result almost green lighted the invasion – the reinvasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.
What are the consequences if – if Ukraine fails and Russia succeeds globally? I think, Margaret, they have got to be asked about, you know, really, how do they reconcile or help President Trump reconcile peace through strength and what you see in some elements of the *********** Party which replicate the far left oftentimes toward retrenchment and disengagement and then even blaming ourselves for the acts of our adversaries as – as – as Tulsi Gabbard has done, you know, talking about, you know, how ****** really felt aggrieved. And that’s why he had to invade Ukraine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right, that’s a Russian talking point that she’s repeated and in direct contradiction (ph) to what U.S. intelligence has concluded.
I also want to ask you about someone you personally –
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: And this is what – this is what I can’t understand, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: There’s some – there’s some people in the *********** Party these days who kind of tend to parrot Vladimir ******’s talking points.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Why?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: I don’t know if it’s because they’re drawn to him and they see him as a – kind of a defender of western civilization, just a shirtless guy on horseback, but they’ve got to disabuse themselves of this, you know, strange affection for Vladimir ******. You know, who – who is – who is not going to stop in his efforts to restore Russia to national greatness at our expense. That’s what he’s obsessed with. He’s obsessed with kind of re-establishing the Russian empire.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: And so he has aspirations that go far beyond anything that’s in reaction to what we do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: And the only thing that stops him really is strength, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And you wrote in your book that you didn’t understand Donald Trump’s fascination with Vladimir ******.
Quickly, Seb Gorka is going to be the senior director for counterterrorism, deputy assistant to the president. Is he a good person to advise on national security?
LIEUTENANT GENERAL H.R. MCMASTER: No, no, he’s not, Margaret. But I – you know, I think that – that the president and others who are working with him will probably determine that pretty quickly soon after he gets into that job.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, timestamp on that prediction. H.R. McMaster, a lot to talk to you about. We’re going to have to leave it there for today.
We’ll be back in a moment.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: The 2024 election was historic for several reasons. Among them, the first openly transgender person was elected to the ******* States Congress. She joins us now from the state she will be representing, Delaware. Democratic Representative-elect Sarah McBride.
Welcome to FACE THE NATION.
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE (D-DE): Thank you for having me, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, it’s interesting given how polarized, how ****** and divided this country is that people choose to serve and to run. You told my colleague, Scott MacFarlane, that it was your personal experience as a caregiver for your husband during his bout with terminal ******* that inspired you to run. Do you expect that health care policy will be the focus of your work here?
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE: Well, I certainly am glad to be back here in Delaware after two weeks of orientation and to have the privilege of serving the state that I love in Congress.
I ran to bring down costs facing workers, retirees, and their families. That means bringing down the cost of health care, but also housing and childcare and everyday expenses like gas and groceries.
I did run for office after my experience as a caregiver to my husband, Andy, during his battle with *******. And throughout that experience, while Andy ultimately lost his life, we both knew how lucky we were. We knew how lucky Andy was to have health insurance that would allow him to get care that would hopefully save his life. And we both knew how lucky we were to have flexibility with our employers that allowed Andy to focus on the full- time job of getting care and me to focus on the full-time job of being there by his side to care for him, to love him, to marry him, and to walk him to his passing.
And I ran for office because I do not believe that in the wealthiest, most developed nation on earth, that that time and that ability to get care should be a matter of luck. I believe it should be the law of the land. And it’s why during my time in the Delaware general assembly I passed paid family and medical leave and secured the largest investment in our state’s Medicaid program. And I want to do that work in Congress on health care, but also on housing and childcare.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Paid leave is something that Mr. Trump has – has paid lip service to. We’ll see in the new Congress if it comes up.
We see in our CBS polling that 86 percent of voters feel congressional Democrats should find common ground with Mr. Trump and Republicans.
Do you feel you can?
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE: Well, I said throughout this campaign that I will work with anyone who’s willing to work with me to help Delawareans, to lower cost facing my constituents. There are opportunities for us to find common ground. But it’s also clear that this administration, as it begins to fill its appointments with Project 2025 authors, that a lot of the policies that this president will pursue will likely hurt my constituents and raise prices.
And so, where I need to ****** back, I will. But where I can find common ground, I will certainly seek it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE: That’s when I’ve done during my time in the general assembly where nearly every bill I passed, passed with bipartisan support.
MARGARET BRENNAN: As you mentioned, you were here for orientation. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was asking about you coming to work and some objections by a female South Carolina *********** representative regarding what bathroom you’d be able to use.
Here’s what the speaker said.
(BEGIN VC)
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): A man is a man, and a woman is a woman. And a man cannot become a woman. That said, I also believe – that’s what scripture teaches, what I just said. But I also believe that we treat everybody with dignity.
(END VC)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you believe are you are being treated with dignity by your colleagues?
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE: I didn’t run for the ******* States House of Representatives to talk about what bathroom I use. I didn’t run to talk about myself. I ran to deliver for Delawareans. And while Republicans in Congress seem focused on bathrooms and trans people and specifically me, I’m focused on rolling up my sleeves, diving into the details, setting up my office, and beginning the hard work of delivering for Delawareans on the issues that I know keep them up at night.
And I look forward to working with any colleague who’s ready to work and ready to be serious about the issues that matter because, at the end of the day, how I’m being treated does not matter. What matters is how the ********* people are being treated, and whether we’re actually focused on the issues that matter to them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, some of your fellow congressional Democrats, including Tom Suozzi and Seth Moulton, have also recently spoken about their feelings, looking back at the last election, and said Democrats should be more open about saying whether they object to transgender athletes playing in ******’ sports. Those were the specific examples they brought up.
How would you respond to your soon-to-be Democratic colleagues on those? Do you understand why some parents, for example, feel uncomfortable or frustrated?
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE: Look, I think this country is still entering into a conversation about who trans people are, the full diversity of the community. And I’ve had conversations with colleagues in the Democratic caucus already that span diversity of thought about how the party should engage on a whole host of issues.
But I think we are all ******* that every single ********* deserves equal rights, I think we are all ******* that attempts to ******* a vulnerable community are not only mean spirited but really an attempt to misdirect. Because every single time we hear the incoming administration or Republicans in Congress talk about any vulnerable group in this country, we have to be clear that it is an attempt to distract. It is an attempt to distract from what they are actually doing. Every single time – every single time we hear them say the word trans, look at what they’re doing with their right hand. Look at what they’re doing to pick the pocket of ********* workers, to fleece seniors while privatizing Social Security and Medicare. Look what they’re doing undermining workers.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes.
REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT SARAH MCBRIDE: And here’s also what we have to be clear about, because I think the last week has been a prime example of this. Every bit of time and energy that is used to divert the attention of the federal government to go after trans people is time and energy that is not focused on addressing the cost of living for our constituents. And we have clear that there is a real cost for the ********* worker every time they focus on this.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, Congresswoman-elect, I’m sure we’ll be seeing you here in Washington.
We’ll be right back.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s it for us today. Thank you all for watching. Until next week.
For FACE THE NATION, I’m Margaret Brennan.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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Hezbollah Fires About 250 Projectiles Into *******
Hezbollah Fires About 250 Projectiles Into *******
Hezbollah’s ******* came after *******’s deadly strike on Beirut on Saturday. It was one of the largest mounted by the militant group against ******* since it started ******* on the country last year in solidarity with ******.
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Southampton 2-3 Liverpool: How can Reds allow superstar Mohamed Salah to leave?
Southampton 2-3 Liverpool: How can Reds allow superstar Mohamed Salah to leave?
Liverpool’s fans are using Mohamed Salah’s trademark goal celebration to make public their demands that “The Egyptian King” must not be allowed to leave Anfield.
“He Fires A Bow. Now Give Mo His Dough” reads the banner that is being brandished these days – and more could be on the way after the 32-year-old delivered another match-winning display in the 3-2 win at Southampton.
Liverpool, struggling against determined opponents and a horrendous south-coast storm, were struggling at 2-1 down until Salah struck twice to give them the victory that puts them eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The first was classic Salah, his mere presence seemingly scrambling the mind of Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy, whose injudicious dash from goal was enough for Liverpool’s marksman to swoop.
Salah’s winner was a penalty. No ******* a bow this time, instead showing remarkable courage to rip off his shirt in such atrocious weather.
The contracts of Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have provided a permanent sub-plot to head coach Arne Slot’s first season, the forward adding his own intrigue with an unprompted announcement that it may be his last season at Liverpool following the win at Manchester *******.
After his latest exploits, there is now a simple question for Liverpool’s owners, the Fenway Sports Group.
How can they possibly allow a situation where a world-class, game-changing, enduringly brilliant player can walk away for nothing at the of the season?
Of course, the unknown – at least publicly – is what Salah will demand to stay, especially as he can command a huge signing on fee if he moved on a free transfer, and whether this all fits in with FSG’s much-touted “Moneyball” strategy, which does not encourage long, expensive contracts for players in their 30s.
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Leicester sack manager Cooper after winless run
Leicester sack manager Cooper after winless run
Leicester City have sacked manager Steve Cooper after a winless run left them hovering two points above the relegation zone in the English Premier League.
A 2-1 home loss to Chelsea, who are managed by their former coach Enzo Maresca, left Leicester 16th in the standings with 10 points after 12 games.
“Leicester City has parted company with Steve Cooper, who leaves his position as first team manager with immediate effect,” the club said on Sunday.
“Assistant manager Alan Tate and first team coach and analyst Steve Rands have also left the club.”
Leicester said first team coach Ben Dawson, and coaches Danny Alcock and Andy Hughes will oversee training until they find a new manager.
Cooper, sacked by Nottingham Forest last season, was appointed in June to replace Maresca who had led the club to promotion.
Leicester ******* to record a win in their opening six league games, however.
Successive victories over Bournemouth and Southampton last month eased the pressure before three defeats in their last four games led to Cooper’s downfall.
Cooper, 44, is the second EPL manager to be sacked this season after Manchester ******* parted ways with Erik ten Hag last month.
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DNA confirms man who had passed polygraph test as suspected ******* in 1979 cold case
DNA confirms man who had passed polygraph test as suspected ******* in 1979 cold case
After 45 years, authorities in California were finally able to tell the Gonzalez family who they believe ******* their loved one. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office used DNA and forensic genealogy to identify the suspected *******, who turned out to be the same man who reported finding Esther Gonzalez’s body to authorities.
On February 9, 1979, 17-year-old Gonzalez was walking to her sister’s house in Banning, California, about 85 miles east of Los Angeles. She never made it home.
The next day, her body was found in a snowpack off a highway near Banning, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. She was attacked during her walk, ****** and bludgeoned to ******, authorities said.
Deputies described the unidentified man who found the body as “argumentative,” according to the news release. The man, later identified as Lewis Randolph “******” Williamson, called the county sheriff to report the body and said he didn’t know whether it was a man or woman. Williamson was later asked by sheriff’s investigators to take a polygraph test.
The district attorney’s office said he agreed to the test and passed, which “at the time, cleared him of any wrongdoing,” according to the release.
Nearly five decades later, the district attorney’s office said a cold case ********* team used forensic genealogy to confirm Williamson is Gonzalez’s suspected *******.
Forensic genealogy is surging across the country as investigators analyze DNA in addition to traditional genealogy research to generate leads for unsolved cases.
Jason Corey, the master investigator for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, said the technique is a tremendous addition to an investigator’s toolbox.
“I think it will be a great investigative tool moving forward in the future,” Corey said. “It will help do a lot of good and not only identify victims, but it will help point the investigators in a direction with their investigative leads that will help bring those suspects to justice.”
Even as the Gonzalez case went cold, Riverside County detectives kept searching.
The ********* team continued to investigate the case for decades after Gonzalez’s ******. The team uploaded a ****** sample from the ****** scene into the Combined DNA Index System but there weren’t any leads.
In 2023, detectives sent various items of evidence to a genetic lab in Texas that specializes in forensic genealogy and identifying victims in unsolved murders.
Earlier this year, a ****** analyst ***** out all the facts of the case.
Then, the light bulb went off.
“Although Williamson was seemingly cleared by the polygraph in 1979, he was never cleared through DNA because the technology had not yet been developed,” the district attorney’s office said.
Lewis Randolph “******” Williamson – Riverside County District Attorney’s Office
Conducting another polygraph was not an option, as Williamson ***** in Florida in 2014.
However, a blood sample had been collected during his autopsy.
Authorities in Florida sent the sample to the California Department of Justice, which confirmed Williamson’s DNA matched the DNA ****** sample recovered from Gonzalez’s body.
Corey said this case was in Riverside County’s cold case unit since it launched about five years ago. Over the years, multiple investigators have worked on the case. That all came to an end this Wednesday.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like for them,” Corey said. “That whole family has just been devastated over the years. This is a day in and day in, day out thing. I don’t think this is something that ever got easier for them as time went on.”
“I don’t know if you can say you’re happy that it’s done, because it’s still, it’s still a terrible tragedy, but I hope it can bring them some closure,” Corey said.
The latest development in the cold case does bring peace and closure to the Gonzalez family, Esther’s older sister Elizabeth said. She was happy to hear her sister’s suspected ******* was finally identified.
“We are very happy that we finally have closure,” Elizabeth Gonzalez, 64, wrote in an email to CNN. “We are happy about it but, since the guy has *****, a little sad that he won’t spend any time for her *******.”
Esther and Elizabeth Gonzalez grew up very close as they were only one year apart in age. Esther is now remembered by her family for her shy yet funny and mild-mannered personality. She the fourth out of seven children.
Esther’s oldest brother, Eddie, wrote on Facebook, “The Gonzalez family would like to thank the Riverside County sheriff’s department on a job well done after 40 years the Gonzalez family has closure.”
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Sen. Duckworth says Trump defense secretary pick is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles
Sen. Duckworth says Trump defense secretary pick is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles
Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Sunday that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary is “flat-out wrong” in his view that women should not serve in the military in combat roles.
“Our military could not go to war without the women who wear this uniform,” Duckworth said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” “And frankly, America’s daughters are just as capable of defending liberty and freedom as her sons.”
Trump tapped Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as his pick to head the Defense Department earlier this month. The 44-year-old has drawn criticism for his stance on women in combat roles, along with his level of experience.
Duckworth, who in 2004 deployed to Iraq as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and sustained severe injuries when her helicopter was hit by an RPG, outlined that women who serve in combat roles have met the same standards as men, passing rigorous testing. She said Hegseth’s position “just shows his lack of understanding of where our military is,” while arguing that he’s “inordinately unqualified for the position.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 24, 2024.
CBS News
“Our military could not go to war without the 220,000-plus women who serve in uniform,” Duckworth said. She added that having women in the military “does make us more effective, does make us more lethal.”
Hegseth has also drawn scrutiny amid recently unearthed details about an investigation into an alleged ******* ******** in 2017. Hegseth denies the allegation and characterized the incident as a consensual encounter. The Monterey County district attorney’s office declined to file charges as none were “supported by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” His lawyer has acknowledged that Hegseth paid a confidential financial settlement to the woman out of concern that the allegation would jeopardize his employment.
Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat who serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, said it’s “really troubling” that Trump would nominate someone who “has admitted that he’s paid off a victim who has claimed ***** allegations against him.”
“This is not the kind of person you want to lead the Department of Defense,” she added.
The comments come after Trump announced a slew of picks for top posts in his administration in recent days. Meanwhile, one pick — former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general — has already withdrawn his name from consideration after he faced intense scrutiny amid a House Ethics Committee investigation and a tenuous path to Senate confirmation.
While Duckworth acknowledged that she’s glad her Senate Republicans “held the line” on Gaetz and also elected Sen. John Thune as leader over a candidate favored by many in Trump’s orbit, she said she’s “deeply concerned” her *********** colleagues will green light Trump’s nominees.
“From what I’m hearing from my *********** colleagues on everything from defense secretary to other posts, it sounds like they are ready to roll over for Mr. Trump,” Duckworth said.
But Duckworth didn’t rule out supporting some of the nominees herself during the Senate confirmation process, pledged to evaluate each candidate based on their ability to do the job, and their willingness to put the needs of the ********* people before “a retribution campaign for Mr. Trump.”
Meanwhile, a CBS News poll released on Sunday found that 33% of Americans say Hegseth is a “good choice” for defense secretary, including 64% of Trump voters. But 39% of Americans said they hadn’t heard enough yet about the pick. More broadly, Americans generally say they want Trump to appoint people who’ll speak their minds and who have experience in the field or agency they’ll run.
Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky *********** who also appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday, said he believes that Hegseth can run the massive Defense Department, despite his lack of experience managing a large organization. Though he did not address Hegseth’s comments about women in combat roles, Paul said he believes the “vast majority of people” support leaders who are picked based on merit, citing Hegseth’s criticism of the Pentagon for what he says has been a move away from merit-based hiring and toward hiring based on “******* characteristics.”
Kaia Hubbard
Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.
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Financial confusion clouding aged care transition
Financial confusion clouding aged care transition
The majority of older Australians are feeling unsure about the cost and financial logistics of transitioning to aged care.
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Super Mario Odyssey Is 50% Off For ****** Friday – Here’s Where To Get It
Super Mario Odyssey Is 50% Off For ****** Friday – Here’s Where To Get It
A lot has changed in the last seven years, but if there’s one thing that’s remained the same, it’s that Super Mario Odyssey is still one of the best platformers of all time. The wonderful Nintendo Switch platformer isn’t on ***** all that often, but for ****** Friday, you can pick up this joyful masterpiece for just $30 (down from $60) at several major retailers. It’s one of three Mario platformers up for grabs for a steeply discounted price. You can also get Super Mario Maker 2 and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for $40 each.
$30 (was $60)
Super Mario Odyssey is one of the rare games to earn a 10/10 score at GameSpot. This 50% discount is the lowest price we’ve seen for the game since last ****** Friday, and as you’d imagine, physical copies sold out very quickly, so we definitely recommend grabbing a copy while you can. The deal is available at Best Buy and Target and will be available at Walmart starting tomorrow, November 25.
Nintendo’s official ****** Friday deals are slimmer than other publishers, but there are still a few discounts worth checking out beyond the Mario games.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, arguably the greatest Switch game of all time, is on ***** for a new low price of $40 (was $70). For a cozy, relaxing sim, check out Animal Crossing: New Horizons for only $40 (was $60).
Nintendo Switch hardware and accessories are also on *****. The 2024 Switch holiday bundles with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and 12 months of Switch Online are up for grabs for $75 off. This means you can get the Switch OLED or base model Switch with $80 worth of freebies for only $275 or $225, respectively–by far the best prices ever for each. The Switch Pro Controller and Joy-**** Controllers have also hit new all-time lows thanks to $20 discounts for ****** Friday.
Check out more Nintendo ****** Friday deals below. And for even more bargains, be sure to swing by GameSpot’s ****** Friday hub for deals on even more video games, electronics, Blu-rays, and plenty of other categories.
Nintendo ****** Friday Deals
Nintendo Switch games
Save $20 on Switch Controllers:
Switch Pro Controller — $50 ($70)
Neon Red and Blue Joy-***** — $60 ($80)
Save $75 on Switch Console Bundles:
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Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Pete Hegseth is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Pete Hegseth is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles
Sen. Tammy Duckworth says Pete Hegseth is “flat-out wrong” about women in combat roles – CBS News
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Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a combat veteran of the Iraq War, tells “Face the Nation” that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, is “flat-out wrong” in his assessment that women shouldn’t be in combat roles.
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Is Super Micro Computer a Millionaire-Maker Stock?
Is Super Micro Computer a Millionaire-Maker Stock?
When I think about stocks with millionaire-maker potential, I typically envision fast-growing companies with small valuations — two characteristics Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) has in spades. However, the data center hardware maker is cheap for a reason. Let’s explore whether or not the company can overcome its near-term accounting challenges to unlock explosive shareholder value.
Supermicro’s problem started on Aug. 7, when short-seller organization Hindenburg Research released a scathing report accusing it of accounting manipulation, self-dealing, and sanctions evasions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Later, the company delayed releasing its annual report, putting it in danger of delisting from the Nasdaq Stock Market.
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The situation worsened when Supermicro’s then-auditor, Ernst & Young, resigned on Oct. 30, citing months of disagreements with management and an unwillingness to be associated with its financial statements. All in all, these developments wreaked havoc on the stock, sending shares down 76% year to date from their all-time high of $119 reached in March. However, the company already looks set to overcome some of these challenges.
On Nov. 19, Supermicro named a new auditor, BDO, which will help it file its annual report and ******** its plan to regain compliance with the Nasdaq and avoid delisting.
There is still some uncertainty because the Nasdaq still has to approve Supermicro’s plan to regain compliance, which isn’t guaranteed. However, if successful, this development could boost the company’s valuation. A delisting would hurt the company’s liquidity and make shares less attractive to mainstream asset managers, who often avoid investing in stocks listed on less regulated, over-the-counter exchanges.
The sooner Supermicro’s accounting situation is cleared up, the sooner the market will begin paying attention to its stellar fundamentals. And the numbers look encouraging. Earlier this month, management released an unaudited update from its independent special committee detailing preliminary financial data corresponding to its fiscal first quarter.
Net sales are expected to be between $5.9 billion and $6 billion. While this is significantly below prior guidance of $6 billion to $7 billion, it represents a 180% year-over-year growth rate compared to the prior-year *******. Furthermore, Supermicro has plenty of catalysts for continued growth.
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As a server maker, the company turns artificial intelligence (AI) graphics processing units (GPUs) created by companies like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices into consumer-ready computer servers.
This niche allows it to benefit from high-demand products created by its suppliers, such as the new Nvidia Blackwell AI chips expected to ramp up production and sales in 2025. These chips offer significant speed and efficiency advantages over the previous generation of Nvidia chips, potentially making them a must-have for companies that want to remain relevant in the industry. AMD is also releasing another generation of AI chips called the Instinct MI325X, designed to rival Nvidia’s Blackwell.
Image source: Getty Images.
With a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) of just 6.3, Supermicro’s stock is stunningly cheap compared to its triple-digit growth rate. And while investors should take its unaudited first-quarter results with a grain of salt, they demonstrate a business with clear millionaire-maker potential if or when the accounting-related uncertainty is resolved.
That said, Supermicro’s core operations aren’t immune from potential fallout. The legal and regulatory uncertainty surrounding the company could encourage suppliers and customers to shift orders away to avoid any potential disruptions. Investors should carefully weigh the ***** and ***** before considering a position in the stock.
Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this.
On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves:
Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you’d have $368,053!*
Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $43,533!*
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Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon.
See 3 “Double Down” stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of November 18, 2024
Will Ebiefung has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Is Super Micro Computer a Millionaire-Maker Stock? was originally published by The Motley Fool
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‘The Sky is the Limit’: Twitch’s PerriKaryal on The Evolution of ‘Mind Control’ Gaming
‘The Sky is the Limit’: Twitch’s PerriKaryal on The Evolution of ‘Mind Control’ Gaming
PerriKaryal surfaced at DreamHack Stockholm, and for a few minutes, she sat down with Gaming World Media’s Jake Lucky to discuss the origins, and more importantly, the future of her thing. For a while, Perri has been creating top-tier content by using an EEG device that translates her brain activity into game-based inputs.
In the last few months, she has beaten Elden Ring’s hardest boss using nothing but her brainwaves, and recently, she tried to master FPS titles using her EEG-powered abilities. At DreamHack, she spoke about where it all goes from here.
‘More and More Complicated’
As if it didn’t sound impressive enough, Perri endeavours to make her ‘mind control’ gaming efforts more complex. While speaking to Jake Lucky at DreamHack Stockholm, she explained:
Currently, I’m just trying to get more and more complicated, so doing things like World of Warcraftg with all of these different inputs and finding ways to do that. I’m combining multiple EEGs, literally wearing more than one at the same time, to keep adding more and more commands.
I’m trying to play games just with mind control. Currently, I use mind control for buttons on a virtual Xbox controller, but then gyro and eye-tracking for the joysticks, and I’m trying to completely banish that.
Perri explained to Jake that her next conquest is a psychic-only Pokémon run using just mind control.
On the topic of the tech ever making it into the mainstream, Perri – who has a Master’s in Psychology – admitted that the technology is a little archaic and inaccurate, but the next step could involve implants. In the vein of Musk’s Neuralink technology, an implant would circumvent the need to wear multiple devices to use your brainwaves to play games.
The immediate future, Perri hopes, looks positive for the development of this technology. Jake asked her where she thinks this will go in the next ‘decade-plus’:
I think just building super, super immersive gaming rigs, but then also for everything. Recently, I controlled ****** arms with mind control, which was very cool. Hopefully, it gets to the stage where it can help people with accessibility issues. Currently, the tech is so hard to use that it’s not really a viable solution.
If it can get to the stage where it’s actually helpful, and super immersive, and then you can create games that are around it. I think the possibilities are infinite.
The sky’s the limit.
Would you invest in technology like a gaming EEG if it were added to the market? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out Gaming World Media’s interview with Bogur about Deadlock and Overwatch
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The Rock says people should feel free to sing in cinema
The Rock says people should feel free to sing in cinema
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Dwayne Johnson has said fans should feel free to sing in the cinema, as he attended the *** premiere of Moana 2.
“Especially if you love music, that’s the fun part,” the US star, aka The Rock, told BBC News on the red carpet.
Auli’i Cravalho and Johnson are reprising their roles as the voices of Moana and Maui respectively in the film, a sequel to 2016’s musical adventure.
Recently, there has been a debate on social media around whether people should sing along in cinemas, sparked by the release of Wicked a few days ago.
Some have argued fans should be able to express their enjoyment as they like, while others say singing ruins other people’s experiences.
Johnson, however, made his views on cinema etiquette clear.
“Sing! You’ve paid your hard earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it. Sing,” he said.
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Auli’i Cravalho (L) and Dwayne Johnson reprise their roles as the voices of Moana and Maui
The original film followed an adventurous Polynesian teenage girl who sets on a mission across the ocean to save her people.
Moana 2 reunites Moana and Maui three years later for a new voyage alongside a crew of “unlikely seafarers”, Disney has said.
On Sunday evening, London’s Leicester Square was transformed into a Polynesian island, complete with palm trees, a beach, and dancers.
And, while the weather was distinctly untropical, scores of fans turned up hoping to catch a glimpse of Cravalho and Johnson.
Cravalho, who was just 16 when she made her acting debut as Moana, has since starred in films including 2024’s Mean ****** as well as appearing on stage.
But she said she was still “so excited” to be returning to the role of Moana.
“I think Moana is at the forefront of a conversation where the word princess and the word hero are now interchangeable,” she told BBC News.
“She is strong, she is brave, she is not afraid to grab a demigod by the ear. She looks strong as well, at the helm of her ship.”
Getty Images
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson posed for photos with fans
Johnson, a 52-year-old ex-wrestler, voices the part of gregarious demi-**** Maui in the animation.
When asked about the similarities between the two roles, he said there is a clear difference.
“Maui [is] actually is a demigod,” he said.
“The difference is wrestlers think that they’re demigods, but they’re not. I know that because I was one of them,” he said with a laugh.
Johnson, who is also starring as Maui in the upcoming live-action Moana remake, said that his three daughters “love” seeing him take on the role.
“Because they see themselves in Moana, they’re represented and they feel a sense of representation from the film too,” he said.
Cravalho, meanwhile, said that when she was cast as Moana, she “never could have expected… just how impactful this character would be”.
“I knew it would change my life, but it seems to have also changed many other people’s lives as well,” she said.
“So sometimes when I meet kids who are at that really special age, I feel like Santa, where they look at me and say, ‘You’re Moana!’ And they believe it! And it warms my heart.”
Disney
Many fans of the film, who were children when the original was released eight years ago, will now be teenagers or adults.
Disney will therefore be hoping the film appeals both to the nostalgia audience as well as a new generation of children.
But it faces tough competition, coming just days after Wicked was released.
The original Moana made $687m (£540m) at the box office worldwide, and scored two Oscar nominations.
It was the most streamed movie of 2023 in the US, according to Disney.
A sequel was previously in development as a Disney+ series, but the company surprised fans in February when it revealed it would take the film to cinemas instead.
Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda – who was nominated for an Oscar for the original – has not returned to work on the music for the sequel.
Instead, the songs have been created by four composers, including songwriting duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, who rose to fame in 2022 after creating an unofficial Bridgerton musical on TikTok.
Moana 2 is in *** cinemas on 29 November.
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Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Paves the Way For Another Unlikely Adventure
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Paves the Way For Another Unlikely Adventure
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has taken the franchise in a whole new direction, and now that it has, there is only one more route the series needs to take.
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Nations have agreed to $300B for climate funding. How will they pay for it? – National
Nations have agreed to $300B for climate funding. How will they pay for it? – National
The trillion-dollar question these days is where the huge sums of money needed to address climate change are going to come from, especially for developing countries.
Getting governments to put up more was the big focus at the UN climate conference that wrapped this week, but as seen by a wave of criticism about weak funding commitments, alternatives are needed too.
“There’s just not enough money from government sources,” Catherine McKenna, chief executive of Climate and Nature Solutions and former federal environment minister, said in an interview.
2:04
Leaders call for overhaul of COP climate process
To help narrow the substantial gap, there’s an increasing push to use something called blended finance, which uses scarce public dollars to sweeten the financials of a project enough that it makes sense for the private sector to invest.
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“We need to be creative to get the incentives right to make it happen,” McKenna said before countries agreed on the weekend to pool at least $300 billion a year by 2035.
The model is especially needed in developing countries, where the risks are higher and so the business case is ******* to make.
This helps explain why such a big group of countries are only getting about 15 cents of every dollar spent globally on clean energy.
6:29
What’s at stake at the COP29 global climate summit
Aiming to put a dent in the shortfall, FinDev Canada announced a blended finance platform just as COP29 got underway. In partnership with Mitsubishi Financial Group and anchored by a Green Climate Fund investment, the platform has set a $1.5-billion funding target to assist up to 25 developing countries.
The fund will look to follow on past, smaller-scale efforts by Canada using blended finance, like a partnership that helped kick-start green energy in Uzbekistan.
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In 2020, Canada put up US$17.5 million in funding at below-market rates, alongside other organizations, to help get a US$100-million solar project — Uzbekistan’s first — off the ground.
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Once that hurdle was cleared, one of the co-investors then helped get a second solar project going at more than double the size, with fewer concessions. Soon after, a wind energy project went ahead without any discounted funding at all.
The funding model is meant to help make those difficult early projects happen and clear the way for more to come, said Nnamdi Igbokwe, director of thought leadership at Convergence.
“That’s why blended finance has become so important, because it’s a mechanism that allows the mobilization of the private sector in a way that otherwise they would basically be precluded.”
7:17
COP29 UN Climate Conference kicks off in Azerbaijan Monday
Convergence, a Toronto-based group focused on increasing the use of blended finance, found the model was used for US$18.3 billion in climate funding last year, up from US$8 billion a year earlier.
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Importantly, the total included six deals of more than a billion dollars each.
“We’re starting to see a smarter use, and a more efficient use, of catalytic capital to where billion-dollar deals are becoming more of a consistent thing,” Igbokwe said.
That’s important, because to take a ***** out of global funding targets in the trillions, there needs to be a steady stream of billion-dollar deals, said Igbokwe.
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But ramping up the model is far from easy.
Blended finance adds layers of complexity to funding deals. The public concessions come in a range of options, from lower interest rates to agreeing to be the first to take on any losses, all of which has to be negotiated on top of the regular commercial terms.
The risk perception of the projects and countries also make it hard for many private banks to invest at all, because regulations limit what kind of lending risk they can take on.
There’s also not enough sharing of data about how past projects have performed, said Igbokwe, which could help change those risk perceptions.
And then there’s the challenge of finding projects that are promising enough, and big enough, to invest in, but that don’t quite meet the threshold for conventional financing.
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1:58
COP29: What’s at stake during 2024 climate conference in Azerbaijan?
Altogether, these barriers have made the model ramp up much slower than Convergence and others had hoped.
“It’s pretty complex,” said Susan McGeachie, chief executive of the Global Climate Finance Accelerator.
Part of the problem is that each deal is so customized that it’s hard to apply the terms to the next one, so it’s slow-going, she said.
But it’s still “enormously helpful” to help fill the funding gap, and if it wasn’t hard, blended finance wouldn’t be necessary.
“The whole point is to address that market gap. So if it becomes standardized, any of the concessional players should have exited and gone to something else that address a new market gap,” said McGeachie.
She noted that it’s not just useful abroad. There is also potential for Indigenous communities and climate projects at home, as Canada makes better use of publicly funded lenders like the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
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BMO, for example, has partnered with the public bank to offer lower-cost loans for office building retrofits to reduce emissions.
Others, though, are concerned about the fixation on using private markets, and are pushing for much greater direct lending to public projects from public banks.
“We’ve seen market-based mechanisms fail again and again and again,” said Susan Spronk, an associate professor focused on international development at the University of Ottawa.
2:11
Business Matters: What is Canada’s role in COP29 negotiations?
Spronk helped found a group pushing against the use of blended finance, concerned by the poor track record of water privatization and other efforts to profit off some of the world’s poorest people.
While renewable energy has a more straightforward business case, making profits on adaptation projects like flood barriers and wildfire prevention is far from straightforward.
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There’s increasing focus around adaptation efforts, including the FinDev platform that has earmarked 70 per cent towards it, but Spronk is concerned blended finance isn’t suited to the task.
“It is doomed to be a very expensive way to try to do a climate transition.”
David Bhamjee, chief strategy officer at FinDev, said in a statement that the fund will help meet demand for blended finance and show others how to replicate the success.
Many others like McKenna maintain there simply isn’t enough government funding to go around, so it’s important to figure out how to make these private deals work, even in challenging circumstances.
“People are going to have to really work hard to find the solutions, and to make sure the money isn’t just going to easy places.”
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Apple is changing how MacBook Pro speakers are replaced and it could make repairs cheaper
Apple is changing how MacBook Pro speakers are replaced and it could make repairs cheaper
It’ll soon be possible to replace the speakers in recent MacBook Pro models without having to replace the entire top case, as has long been the procedure. A memo seen by reportedly informed Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers this week that speakers will be available as standalone components for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 family of chips. A source also told the publication that this will be an option for repairs on earlier MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon as well.
The change should make for a less expensive repair. Up until now, the process entailed replacing the whole top case, including the battery and other parts, which works out to be pretty costly. It’s been that way since 2016. The with the new steps for speaker replacement is available online now from Apple Support. It may not necessarily be a simpler repair — the guide shows a process that’s rather involved — but not having to also replace other parts like the battery just to change out the speakers should cut costs significantly.
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Big drop for Starc as Pant sets IPL auction record
Big drop for Starc as Pant sets IPL auction record
Rishabh Pant has become the most expensive player in the history of the Indian Premier League after the wicketkeeper-batter was sold for $3.2m (A$4.9m) to Lucknow Super Giants.
However, there was a huge drop in price for Aussie fast bowler Mitchell Starc when Delhi bought him for $1.40m (A$2.2m) – less than half last year’s record $2.98m paid by Kolkata for the *********** left-arm fast bowler.
It leaves Pat Cummins ($2.14m, Sunrisers Hyderabad) as the most expensive Aussie in the auction.
Aussie veteran David Warner and Jonny Bairstow of England were two of the biggest names who remained unsold on the opening day after none of the 10 franchises showed interest.
Australians were well represented, however, with Jake Fraser-McGurk (Delhi), Mitch Marsh (Lucknow), Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell (Punjab), Josh Hazlewood (Bengaluru), Travis Head and Adam Zampa (Hyderabad) securing deals.
Pant overtook Shreyas Iyer, who went to Punjab Kings for $3.18m earlier on Sunday – the first day of the cricket mega auction, which was held for the first time in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Pant captained Delhi Capitals across three seasons but was released before this year’s mega auction.
Lucknow made the first move and fought off bids from Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad as well as Delhi to rope in the 27-year-old celebrated for his six-hitting ability.
Both Pant and Iyer are likely to lead their franchises in the world’s richest domestic Twenty20 league which is set to start on March 14 next year with the final scheduled for May 25.
Gujarat Titans landed Jos Buttler for $1.88m after Rajasthan Royals couldn’t buy back the England captain, who is expected to open with Shubman Gill. Gujarat also succeeded in buying South ******* fast bowler Kagiso Rabada for $1.28m.
Delhi could hand the captaincy to former Lucknow skipper Lokesh Rahul, whom they bought for $1.67m.
The biggest surprise of the day was all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who was eventually sold to Kolkata Knight Riders for $2.83m after fierce bidding between his former franchise Kolkata and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will return to Chennai Super Kings for the first time since 2015 for $1.16m.
A total of 574 players have registered for the two-day auction ahead of next year’s edition of the 10-team tournament.
The auction finishes on Monday.
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Oldest Statement of ********** ****** (****** is ****) Found In ******** Prison
Oldest Statement of ********** ****** (****** is ****) Found In ******** Prison
“****** is ****.” An inscription declaring this to be a reality, the earliest and oldest written expression of the ********** ******, has been deemed ‘the greatest discovery since the ***** Sea Scrolls’ by at least one religious scholar.
Dated to 1,800 years ago, the inscription was uncovered by an inmate at Megiddo prison in *******, when he was digging beneath his cell floor (there is no word as to whether this was an escape attempt). What was discovered was writing in ancient Greek on a mosaic, with a phrase that translates to, “The ****-loving Akeptous has offered the table to **** ****** ******* as a memorial.”
Akeptous was likely an elite woman and important member of her community who played a key role in the ******* by donating a table for communion – a key tenet of ********** worship. Aside from Akeptous, the mosaic’s inscription also advised the reader to ‘remember Primilla and Cyriaca and Dorothea, and lastly, Chreste.’
Clearly, women played an active role in the organization and spread of the ****** in the early first millennium BC.
Hidden away under the prison since its discovery in 2005, the mosaic with its electrifying inscription has now made its way to the Museum of the ****** in Washington DC, where it will be on display to the public until July 2025. Fittingly, it was found in the Jezreel Valley, where some Christians believe the final battle of the Biblical Armageddon referenced in the Book of Revelations will occur.
The Megiddo Mosaic: ******, the Son of ****
The 581-square-foot Megiddo Mosaic decorated what is the world’s first known prayer hall in 230 AD. This, unto itself, is a confirmation that Christians believed ****** was the son of **** from the very beginning, a product of the Immaculate Conception. The mosaic includes some of the earliest images of fish, referencing the story in Luke 9:16, when ****** multiplied two fish to feed a crowd of 5,000 people.
Megiddo Prison in the Jezreel Valley of *******. (James Emery/CC BY 2.0).
Interestingly, the timeline of the mosaic predates the adoption of Christianity as a formal religion by the Roman Empire, reports The Jerusalem Post. At this point the ****** was still in its infancy, with no way of knowing what kind of future it would have.
After its initial discovery, it took the ******** Antiques Authority a full four years to uncover the entire mosaic. The prayer hall, or *******, was likely abandoned and covered up in ancient times because the Roman Empire’s Sixth Legion was transferred to Transjordan, a region located to the east of the Jordan River, reports The Daily Mail.
Naturally, this discovery has been hailed as a groundbreaking development in ********** history. Carlos Campo, CEO of the Museum of the ******, hailed the mosaic as “… ‘the greatest discovery since the ***** Sea Scrolls,’ ”while his colleagues noted it was “the most important archaeological discovery for understanding the early ********** *******.”
“We truly are among the first people to ever see this, to experience what almost 2,000 years ago was put together by a man named Brutius, the incredible craftsman who ***** the flooring here,” Campo said at the opening of the exhibition.
********** and Roman Co-existence: A Rarity?
The mosaic includes the name of the Roman officer who commissioned the tile during the Roman occupation of Judea (6-132 AD).
“Gaianus, also called Porphyrius, centurion, our brother, has made the mosaic at his own expense as an act of generosity,” mentions the inscription on the mosaic. It seems that Gaianus was one of the early converts to Christianity among the Romans, and was enthusiastic enough about it to invest his resources in spreading its message.
Painting of ****** walking with his disciples through the hills of Judea (painted by J.J. Tissot in 1894). (Brooklyn Museum/Public Domain).
By this time in history, Romans and Christians apparently co-existed to some degree, despite Roman paranoia about religion, cults, war, and **********. Christianity was outlawed by the Roman Empire at this time, but its practice was clearly still going on, and in some cases apparently somewhat openly.
The spread of Christianity began in the 1st century AD, originating incidentally in Judea, focusing on the teachings of ****** of Nazareth and his early followers. It gained massive traction through the missionary efforts of apostles like Paul, who traveled extensively across the Roman Empire, preaching to both Jews and Gentiles. The ******’s inclusive message, emphasizing salvation, compassion, and hope, appealed to diverse groups, especially those living in marginalized communities.
Despite periods of persecution, Christianity flourished and proved to be an unstoppable force. During the reign of Emperor Constantine it was legalized with the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, as Constantine became the first Roman emperor to rule openly as a **********. By the 4th century, Christianity had became the dominant religion in the empire, completing a long rise that began in places like the prayer hall with the inscribed mosaic that was found lying beneath the prison in the Jezreel Valley.
Top image: Megiddo Mosaic with its inscription referencing ‘**** ****** *******.’ Source: Vesafis Tzferris/CC BY-SA 4.0.
By Sahir Pandey
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Japan holds Sado mines memorial despite South Korean boycott
Japan holds Sado mines memorial despite South Korean boycott
Japan holds Sado mines memorial despite South Korean boycott
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Pikmin 1 + 2 Collection For Nintendo Switch Is Only $30 At Amazon For ****** Friday
Pikmin 1 + 2 Collection For Nintendo Switch Is Only $30 At Amazon For ****** Friday
Nintendo has no shortage of big franchises, but if you’re looking to check out one of its most underrated, you won’t want to miss out on this ****** Friday deal for Pikmin 1 + 2. Normally $50, Pikmin 1 + 2 is on ***** for only $30 at multiple major retailers. This is the best deal yet for the great compilation of remasters, and it’s one of the rare Nintendo ****** Friday deals you can get at Amazon.
$30 (was $50)
As the name implies, Pikmin 1 + 2 includes the enhanced Switch ports of Pikmin and Pikmin 2, which originally launched on the Nintendo GameCube. The games are largely identical to their original versions, but feature higher resolution graphics, audio, and retooled controls that fit better on the Switch. The deal is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.
$40 (was $60)
While Pikmin 1 + 2 has the lower price, Pikmin 4 is also part of Nintendo’s ****** Friday 2024 promotion. You can grab the game for just $40 (was $60), and if you pick it up alongside Pikmin 1 + 2, you’ll only need Pikmin 3 Deluxe to complete the mainline series on Switch.
Several of Nintendo’s other big first-party games are also on *****, so if you’re looking to pad out your Switch library for the cold months ahead, you can grab a few bargains right now. Several big titles including Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are all on *****.
Nintendo Switch owners can also save $20 on Pro Controllers and Switch Joy-****. If you don’t yet have a Switch or are planning to buy one as a gift, Best Buy and Target are offering the Switch OLED and regular Switch holiday bundles for $75 off. Both bundles include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and 12 months of Switch Online. The Switch OLED bundle is $275, and the base model Switch bundle is $225.
For even more discounts on video games, Blu-rays, collectible figures, and more, be sure to check GameSpot’s ****** Friday deals hub.
Nintendo ****** Friday Deals
Nintendo Switch games
Save $20 on Switch Controllers:
Switch Pro Controller — $50 ($70)
Neon Red And Blue Joy-***** — $60 ($80)
Save $75 on Switch Console Bundles:
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Sen. Rand Paul says he “will not support” use of military in Trump’s planned deportations
Sen. Rand Paul says he “will not support” use of military in Trump’s planned deportations
Sen. Rand Paul says he “will not support” use of military in Trump’s planned deportations – CBS News
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*********** Sen. Rand Pual of Kentucky tells “Face the Nation” that while he supports President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportation, but through the “normal process of domestic policing.” “I will not support and will not vote to use the military in our cities,” Paul said.
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