Pelican Press

Scotland falls silent as Remembrance ceremonies take place Scotland falls silent as Remembrance ceremonies take place PA Media First Minister John Swinney joined veterans and service personnel at the city chambers in Edinburgh Communities across Scotland fell silent in remembrance of those who have lost their lives in conflicts across the world. In Edinburgh, First Minister John Swinney was joined by veterans and the city’s lord provost in laying a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance outside the city chambers. Gatherings took place across the country, including George Square in Glasgow, Dunblane, and Grantown-on-Spey in Morayshire. Elsewhere, buildings were lit up in red and adorned with poppies as a mark of respect before the traditional two minutes of silence at 11:00. PA Media John Swinney ***** a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance in Edinburgh Earlier, Swinney had shared the story of his uncle, Cpl Tom Hunter, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after dying at Lake Comacchio in Italy months before the end of World War Two in a post on X. Alongside a picture, he quoted the biblical verse John 15:13: “Greater Love hath no man than this”. The **** fired from Edinburgh Castle signalled the start of the traditional silence. Rev Dr George J Whyte, interim moderator at St Giles’ Cathedral, led a short service of remembrance. At the ceremony in Edinburgh, Swinney said it was a chance for generations of Scots to honour those who “paid the ultimate price” in conflicts across the globe. “My uncle ***** down his life to protect his colleagues and his comrades,” he told BBC Scotland News. John Swinney John Swinney paid tribute to his uncle, Cpl Tom Hunter “My grandmother lost her son and grieved until the day of her ****** and my mother felt the same, so in this Remembrance Sunday, I particularly think of the sacrifice that he made and the family, who mourned him for all the days of their lives. “It is central to our understanding of our freedoms and our democracy today that we understand the sacrifices which were made by previous generation to make sure we could live in the type of society we live in.” He added: “That is because people paid the ultimate price in the First and Second World Wars to ensure our freedom and in many other wars since then. “We must remember, particularly in the modern world, with conflict raging around us, the important sacrifices that were made for our freedoms.” Dozens of people gathered for the laying of wreaths at George Square in Glasgow Three-year-old Poppy was among those paying tribute in Dunblane In Glasgow’s George Square, mourners joined veterans and current service personnel in laying wreaths, with a guard of honour presented by representatives of the Royal Navy. A band composed of members of the Royal Marine Band, the Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums and the Police Scotland and Federation Pipe Band provided arrangements and the sounding of the Last Post. Meanwhile, Kelvinside Academy was lit up in a red glow in memory of 177 former pupils who lost their lives in World War One and World War Two. A display featuring the silhouette of a soldier and poppies designed by pupils were also placed outside the school building. Elaine Livingston Kelvinside Academy was lit up red in memory of the 177 former pupils who ***** in the First and Second World Wars In London, the SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, joined Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and leaders of the other *** parties in laying wreaths at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other senior royals also attended the event, but Queen Camilla missed out while she recovers from a chest infection. The Princess of Wales watched from the balcony of the nearby Foreign Office in her first public appearance following her recent ******* treatment. Eight former prime ministers; Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Lord Cameron, Baroness May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, were also present. A ceremony was also held at Grantown-on-Spey PA Media Wreaths were ***** at the Stone of Remembrance in Edinburgh Source link #Scotland #falls #silent #Remembrance #ceremonies #place Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are $100 off in this ****** Friday deal Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are $100 off in this ****** Friday deal There is already a bunch of to check out, but if you’re on the lookout for a great set of wireless headphones for yourself or a loved one, here’s one that’s absolutely worth your attention. Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones have . That’s a $102 discount. This isn’t quite the lowest price we’ve seen for the over-ear XM5s. They dropped to $280 at one point earlier this year. However, the headphones haven’t gone back down to that point since, and this is still a great deal. Sony Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are $102 off for ****** Friday. They’re our pick for the best wireless headphones overall. $298 at Amazon The XM5s are our pick for the overall. We’ve long been recommending Sony’s 1000X line and this is the best iteration to date. They earned in our review. The redesigned headphones are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods than previous models. Sony has improved the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature as well, thanks to the addition of a new chip and four more microphones. We feel that the company’s current flagship headphones do a better job of blocking out high frequencies and background noise (and even human voices) than the XM4s. The XM5s can switch between noise modes depending on your location or activity, and they can pause audio automatically when you start speaking. They deliver better call quality than rival models and, in general, you’ll get clear, crisp sound, including punchy bass. You won’t need to charge the XM5s too often either, as they have a 30-hour battery life. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #Sonys #WH1000XM5 #headphones #****** #Friday #deal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stubbs inspires South ******* to T20 victory over India Stubbs inspires South ******* to T20 victory over India An unbeaten 47 from Tristan Stubbs, and a 42-run partnership with Gerald Coetzee have enabled South ******* to haul themselves over the line for a three-wicket win over India in their Twenty20 international at St George’s Park. South ******* scored 7-128 in 19 overs in reply to India’s 6-124 to level the four-match series at 1-1 in a dramatic finish on Sunday after their top order were undone by India spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who took a career-best 5-17. Stubbs and Coetzee chased down a 40-run target in three overs of swashbuckling hitting at the ****** to rescue the result when it looked as if India would pull off an unlikely victory. The visitors had been put in to bat and struggled to deal with South *******’s seamers, losing wickets cheaply before Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten 39 gave them a respectable total to try to defend. India opener Sanju Samson, who scored a sparkling century as the tourists beat South ******* by 61 runs in Durban on Friday, was bowled by Marco Jansen three ****** into Sunday’s contest, while Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav also departed early. Tilak Varma (20) and Axar Patel (27) made valuable contributions to India’s total. South *******’s top order were undone by a masterful display from Varun, whose googly bamboozled the home batsmen. He castled Aiden Markram (3), Reeza Hendricks (24) and Marco Jansen (7) before having the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen, who sliced a full delivery, caught by Rinku Singh at long-off. Varun’s next ball deceived David Miller, bowled first ball, to reduce South ******* to 6-66. When Coetzee joined Stubbs at the crease at 7-86, they set about pulling the hosts out of a desperate situation. “Fortunately the run rate never got away from us,” said Stubbs. “I had 30 in mind to get off the last three, and the dew came in to help us also. He came in and said, ‘We can win this’. The crowd was behind us and it was amazing.” Fast bowler Coetzee showed the way with 19 off nine ****** in a display of lusty hitting that turned the momentum of the contest while Stubbs saw South ******* to victory with successive fours to finish with 47 off 41 ******. “Of course in a T20 game you don’t want to get 120, but I was proud of the way we bowled,” said Yadav. The next meeting will be in Pretoria on Wednesday. Source link #Stubbs #inspires #South #******* #T20 #victory #India Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Cuba after hurricanes and blackouts 6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Cuba after hurricanes and blackouts HAVANA (AP) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 shook eastern Cuba on Sunday, after weeks of hurricanes and blackouts that have left many on the island reeling. The epicenter of the quake was located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Bartolome Maso, Cuba, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey. Rumbling was felt across the eastern stretch of Cuba, including in ******* cities like Santiago de Cuba, as well as Holguin and. Guantanamo. Local media in Jamaica also reported that the island felt the tremors. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries in Cuba. Residents in Santiago, Cuba’s second-largest city, were left shaken on Sunday. Yolanda Tabío, 76, said that people in the city flocked to the streets and were still nervously sitting in their doorways. She said that she felt at least two aftershocks following the quake, but that among friends and family she hadn’t heard of any damages. “You had to see how everything was moving, the walls, everything,” she told The Associated Press. Others reported hearing screams, adding that the quake was strong and stretched on. On social media, residents in the small town of Pilon reported minor damage, posting photos of crumbling roofs and cracks on building walls, not uncommon in Cuba where many structures are older and in need of repair. The earthquake comes during another tough stretch for Cuba. On Wednesday, Category 3 Hurricane Rafael ripped through western Cuba, with strong winds knocking out power island-wide, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing evacuations of hundreds of thousands of people. Days after, much of the island was still struggling without power. Weeks before in October, the island was also hit by a one-two punch. First, it was hit by island-wide blackouts stretching on for days, a product of the island’s energy crisis. Shortly after, it was slapped by a powerful hurricane that struck the eastern part of the island and ******* at least six people. The blackouts and wider discontent among many struggling to get by has stoked small protests across the island. Source link #magnitude #earthquake #shakes #Cuba #hurricanes #blackouts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Enthusiast demos motherboard socket pin replacement — hot air, tweezers, and a steady hand Enthusiast demos motherboard socket pin replacement — hot air, tweezers, and a steady hand A tech enthusiast in China has demonstrated the skillful replacement of one of the ‘pins’ located in a CPU socket. Bilibili user and motherboard repair guru Mu Ziwen takes us step-by-step through the intricate process, demonstrating the success of their handiwork at the end of the brief video. Current-gen Intel and AMD systems locate contact pins in the socket. While this makes processors more robust, we have to be more careful with motherboard sockets. Modern CPU socket ‘pins’ aren’t rigid, though. They have a thin kinked copper leaf at their business end, which exerts spring-like pressure for good contact on the corresponding CPU pad. Damaged motherboard pins can sometimes be carefully, very carefully, pushed back into alignment with precision tools. However, there is a real danger that it can break if flexed too many times, or too strongly, because of metal fatigue. If the pin is too far gone to be prodded back into position or it breaks, as described, then most people would write off the motherboard. However, Mu Ziwen shows a full pin replacement process using a pretty basic toolset, seemingly completed pretty swiftly, too. The damaged motherboard socket is causing the system to be unable to recognize the installed memory correctly – with just one pin out of action. That’s bad luck, as some pins aren’t needed, being functionally duplicated elsewhere, for example. The key symptom of the broken pin in this case was that one of the DIMM slots didn’t function. Mu Ziwen takes us through the following process: Fixing a broken pin affecting the memory bus Remove damaged pin – using hot air and tweezers Load new pin – heat **** temperature set to a little under 300 degrees Celsius Test pin adhesion – tweezers Test pin function – multimeter Power on test – with CPU back in place Success – both memory channels test OK Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Mu Ziwen on Bilibili) (Image credit: Mu Ziwen on Bilibili) (Image credit: Mu Ziwen on Bilibili) (Image credit: Mu Ziwen on Bilibili) So, the tech enthusiast only used three affordable tools throughout the repair process: a hot air ****, tweezers, and a multimeter. A hot air station temperature of a smidgeon under 300 degrees Celsius was just right for this delicate extraction and replacement job. The Bilibili user warned that anyone wielding hot air approaching 400 degrees Celsius would be in danger of melting the motherboard socket plastics. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. At the end of the video, we can see Windows Task Manager’s Process monitor confirm two of the motherboard’s DIMM slots are populated for a total of 8GB of DDR4-2666 RAM, running in dual-channel mode. This is a nice success story but be warned that skillful operators can sometimes make difficult jobs look very easy. Source link #Enthusiast #demos #motherboard #socket #pin #replacement #hot #air #tweezers #steady #hand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Autumn Nations Series: Scotland beaten by Springboks after controversial red card Autumn Nations Series: Scotland beaten by Springboks after controversial red card Scotland: Jordan, Kinghorn, Jones, Tuipulotu (capt) Van der Merwe, Russell, White; Schoeman, Ashman, Z Fagerson, Gilchrist, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Dempsey. Replacements: Richardson, Sutherland, Millar Mills, Williamson, Bayliss, Ritchie, Dobie, McDowall. South *******: Le Roux, Moodie, Am, Esterhuizen, Mapimpi, Pollard, Hendrikse; Nche, Mbonambi, T du Toit, Etzebeth, Mostert, Van Staden, Louw, Smith. Replacements: Marx, Steenekamp, Koch, Snyman, Kolisi, PS du Toit, Wiese, Williams. Referee: Christophe Ridley Source link #Autumn #Nations #Series #Scotland #beaten #Springboks #controversial #red #card Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******** Rover Finds Evidence of Gigantic Ancient Ocean on Mars ******** Rover Finds Evidence of Gigantic Ancient Ocean on Mars A ******** rover that has been exploring Mars’ northern hemisphere for more than three years has found evidence to suggest that this region was once covered by a gigantic ocean. This huge body of water could have spread out over as much as one-third of the planet’s surface, ******** scientists based in Hong Kong claim, in a newly published study that boosts the long-held theory that Mars was once a wet planet that could conceivably have supported life. A Giant Crater with a Giant Sea In May 2021 the ******** rover Zhurong, carried by its orbital lander Tianwan-1, landed on Mars in the southern Utopia Planitia region, which is located in the planet’s northern lowlands. This area is part of one of the solar system’s largest impact craters, which has a diameter exceeding 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers). This would have given it the required topography to have maintained an ocean 3.7 billion years ago, when the study authors believe this sea existed. A combination of geochemical analysis of rock samples and a visual examination of the Utopia region’s features, plus supplementary data obtained via satellite, “unveiled features consistent with the existence of a nearshore zone in southern Utopia,” the study authors wrote in a new paper published in Scientific Reports. “Different types of water-related geomorphological features were separated by specific topographic contours, suggesting different types of marine environments.” Mars crater in southwest Utopia Planititia. (NASA/Public Domain). The most interesting evidence discovered included “pitted cones,” as well as “pancake-like ejecta, polygonal troughs, and etched flows,” the researchers wrote, concluding that “the Utopia Planitia region on Mars exhibits water-related features on its surface.” The pitted cones they reference are common on the plains of the northern lowlands of Mars. It is thought they may have been formed by mud volcanoes, which develop in areas where there had once been significant quantities of water or ice. Additionally, the polygonal troughs they mention could have been created by alternating cycles of freezing and thawing water, caused by the existence of subsurface water and ice. At some point this huge ocean froze, creating a long and distinctive coastline, before disappearing approximately 3.4 billion years ago, the ******** scientists estimate. Lead study author Bo Wu, an associate professor in the Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Department at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, emphasized in an interview with the APF published by Phys.org that his team “does not claim that our findings definitively prove that there was an ocean on Mars.” Zhurong rover and Tianwan-1 lander shortly after landing in southern Utopia Planitia in 2021. (NASA/JPL/Public Domain). Nevertheless, he insists that what they’ve discovered is absolutely consistent with that idea, and notes that the rover Zhurong had been exploring an area of Mars where other researchers have claimed to have observed evidence of surface water in the distant past. Is the Evidence Conclusive? One Scientist Says No Interestingly, one scientist who has examined evidence for the existence of an ocean on Mars and found it persuasive is actually skeptical of the ******** scientists’ claims. That is Benjamin Cardenas, an assistant professor of geosciences at Penn State University who has been studying Mars for many years. While admitting the data produced by the ******** researchers is sound and could have been related to oceanic activity, he ******** unconvinced. Among other objections, he believes Bo Wu and his team did not factor in the effects of the persistently strong Martian wind, which has been whipping up sediment and blasting it against rocks and wearing them down for the last three or four billion years. “We tend to think of Mars of being not very active, like the moon, but it is active!” Cardenas told the AFP. What this means, he said, is that erosion would have so much impact on the planet’s surface features that most signs of an ancient ocean wouldn’t have survived. He noted that modeling research had suggested that “even the slow Martian erosion rates” would have wiped out any signs of a shoreline over the course of a few billion years. Bo Wu acknowledged that wind erosion is a complicating issue. But he argued that meteor impacts on the planet would have “excavated underground rock and sediment to the surface from time to time,” explaining some of the signs that seem to indicate extensive wind erosion. Where There is Water, There Could Be Life The idea that Mars was once covered with water is a persistent one, despite the lack of any definitive proof. What is known is that Mars lost most of its atmosphere over time because of its weak magnetic field, and without an atmosphere to provide surface pressure any liquid water on the surface would have turned to vapor and disappeared long ago. Subsurface ice does still exist on Mars even today, however, and is close enough to the surface to be detected in some photographs. Region of Utopia Planitia where ******* ice is close to the surface, photographed by NASA rover Sojourner. (NASA/JPL/Public Domain). Even if Mars’ ocean evaporated completely billions of years ago, if it was ever there it raises the possibility that life evolved on Mars just as it did on earth. “Most scientists think life on Earth sprung up either under the ocean where hot gases and minerals from the subsurface came to the seafloor, or very close to the interface of water and air, in little tidal pools,” Cardenas explained. “So, evidence for an ocean makes the planet appear more hospitable.” Top image: China’s Martian rover Zhurong with its orbital lander, Tianwan-1, on Mars. Source: ******** News Service/CC BY 3.0. By Nathan Falde Source link #******** #Rover #Finds #Evidence #Gigantic #Ancient #Ocean #Mars Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

World champ Springboks earn scrappy win over Scotland World champ Springboks earn scrappy win over Scotland Wing Makazole Mapimpi has scored a brace of tries as error-strewn South ******* defeated Scotland 32-15 in their Murrayfield Test with the help of forward power in a scrappy win. The Springboks, who also scored tries through prop Thomas du Toit and No.8 Jasper Wiese, made 11 changes for Sunday’s match and looked disjointed, not helped by 21 handling errors that broke their momentum. It was a ninth successive loss to South ******* for the Scots, but there will be aspects of their performance they will be pleased with, though they ******* to take their chances in the visitors’ 22, with all their points coming from the boot of flyhalf Finn Russell. South ******* next travel to Twickenham to play England on Saturday, while Scotland host Portugal on the same day. “It was a tough Test match, Scotland are always difficult to play against and they gave us problems in the first half especially. The scoreline flatters us a bit, it was closer than that,” Springbok captain Eben Etzebeth said. It is the second meeting in a row that South ******* have kept Scotland from crossing their try-line having also kept them out at the Rugby World Cup last year. South ******* dominated the early possession and Handre Pollard’s cross-kick was perfect for Mapimpi to gather and score in the corner. Scotland were reduced to 14 when lock Scott Cummings was penalised on TMO review for a croc-roll at the ruck on Springbok counterpart Franco Mostert that met the threshold for dangerous play. He initially received a yellow card, but on bunker review it was upgraded to a 20-minute red card which ended his participation in the game, though he was replaced later on by Max Williamson. Russell added two penalties in the first half as Scotland looked to have managed their numerical disadvantage superbly with some ferocious tackling to apply pressure on the visitors. But as the seconds ticked down to them being back to their full complement, the visitors scored a second try from a messy attacking line-out as lock Mostert missed the throw and the ball fell kindly for prop Du Toit to gather and have a clean run to the line. The Springboks added a third when Scotland halfback Ben White took too long to clear from the base of the ruck and from the resultant scrum, fullback ******* le Roux’s kick was collected by Mapimpi to coast in. The Springboks, who selected seven forwards on the bench, brought on six of them after 45 minutes, but Scotland fed off the visitors’ numerous errors to stay in the contest. Mapimpi received a yellow just before the hour-mark for cynical play and Russell closed the gap to five with a penalty. But South ******* are masters at closing out games and took control again in the final 20 minutes as they won several scrum penalties before Wiese crossed for a try with the final play of the game. Source link #World #champ #Springboks #earn #scrappy #win #Scotland Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

10 of the Strangest and Most Doubtful Myths of Love and **** 10 of the Strangest and Most Doubtful Myths of Love and **** Some of humanity’s strangest stories come from mythology, and some of the strangest myths of all involve love and ****. Myths from around the world tell stories involving **** and love between gods and humans and sometimes other creatures. These stories often involve a lot of pathos and sometimes ********* and revenge. We hereby present a list of 10 strange myths that are too strange to be true but that may contain kernels of truths about human or divine nature. 10. Who enjoys **** more: men or women? Zeus and Hera, heads of the Greek pantheon, got into an argument about who enjoys **** more, men or women. Zeus contended women get more pleasure. Hera said it’s men. They asked the long-lived Tiresias of the ancient city of Thebes to settle the dispute. Tiresias had been a man who committed the abomination of striking a female snake that was mating and spent seven years as a woman for his sin. When he went before Zeus and Hera, Tiresias was now a man again because he later struck a copulating male snake and was returned to his native gender. Tiresias sided with Zeus, saying women enjoy **** nine times more than men. Furious, Hera blinded him. In recompense, Zeus gave Tiresias the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy was ambivalent because people often excoriated prophets and discounted or denied their accuracy. Some stories say Tiresias lived a long life as a gift from Zeus. The Greek mythological prophet Tiresias is transformed into a woman by the goddess Hera, after striking two copulating snakes with a stick. Engraving taken from **** Verwandlungen des Ovidii c. 1690. (Public Domain) 9. Goddess of love and beauty—and many partners Freya, the Norse goddess of love and beauty, was so lovely that she was desired by all the supernatural beings of the Norse realms—the gods, dwarves, elves and giants. It seems she reciprocated. It wouldn’t do to *****-shame a goddess, but let’s say she got around some. One website calls her the “party girl” of the Aesir, one of the Norse pantheons. She is even said to have slept with a ****** more than once. Ironically Freya (Freyja) means “lady,” and our word Friday is related to it. Her husband, Odur, who is sometimes but not always equated with the great **** Odin, went off on travels on Earth a lot. Freya missed him and sometimes went searching for him, shedding tears that seeded the earth with gold. Her footsteps left beautiful flowers in her path. As the personification of earth she coupled with Odin, who is the sky; Frey, the rain; Odur, sunshine; and Vili and Ve, Odin’s brothers (or alter-egos). Loki accused Freya of sleeping with all the gods and elves. He even accused her of sleeping with her brother, Freyr. The indiscretions of Frigg, a goddess often equated with Freya, are recorded for posterity in Semund’s Edda: Be thou silent, Frigg! Thou art Fiorgyn’s daughter And ever hast been fond of men Since Ve and Vili, it is said, Thou, Virdir’s wife, didst Both to thy bosom take Freyja, by John Bauer. (Public Domain) 8. Iktomi the Lakota trickster courts a maiden Iktomi, the Lakota trickster, knew about beauty. In the story “Oh, It’s You!” related in the book Native ********* Trickster Stories, edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz, Iktomi the spider-man was always thinking about **** and copulation. He had his eye on a beautiful girl with long ****** hair, firm breasts and graceful movements like a cat. From the first time he saw her he was preoccupied with how to get her in bed. So, the ugly Iktomi courted her, playing his flute every day as she went to the river to wash her clothes. He told her what a great lover he was and that she was missing out on great pleasure by rejecting him. She was insulted such an ugly, ill-mannered man would want her. She told Iktomi’s wife, who said that’s nothing new, he wants to do ‘tawiton’ with everybody in the village—except her with her grey hair and potbelly. She told the girl she wished she could catch him and beat him. The beautiful wincincala says there is a way. She told Iktomi to come to her tipi that night, that her ****** and deaf grandmother won’t notice a thing. So Iktomi’s wife went there in place of the girl. “Kiss me!” Iktomi told her in the dark, thinking it was the beautiful wincincala. “I love you. How sweet your breath is compared to my old woman.” He felt her all over. “Oh, what a beautiful, firm little body you have, not lumpy and saggy like that of my wife. What a joy to ********** to a young, beautiful girl instead of to an old, ugly hag!” Next morning, in the light, he saw that it was his wife. “Oh, it’s you,” he said. “I knew it was you all the time. Wasn’t it great?” She shouted that she’ll give him “sagging breasts” and a “lumpy body” and said she’ll beat the stuffing out of him. And she did so with a heavy club she had there. The story concludes that Iktomi was sore for a long time, but he kept on philandering. As you can see, Iktomi’s wife was still as beautiful as any young girl, but Trickster didn’t realize it until he couldn’t see her. Iktomi depicted sitting by the *****. (Public Domain) 7. Krishna Puts The ****** In A Dilemma The unmarried gopi or cow-herd ****** of the village of Vrndavana were deep in love with the beautiful Indian man-**** Krishna even though they were supposed to be devoted to either Shiva or the goddess Durga. But like good ****** they were involved in the worship of Durga when they went to the Yamuna riverbank to bathe in the morning. There they would hold hands and sing of the wonderful exploits of Krishna, an incarnation of the supreme Godhead Vishnu. One morning per tradition they left their clothing on the bank of the river and went into the water. Krishna arrived and took their clothes with him up into a tree. He told them to come out one by one and he will hand over their clothing. The ****** were delighted and smiled at each other, but there was a problem: They can’t go before their lord ******. They told Krishna they were his eternal servants, and must do as he says, but if he didn’t give them their clothing, they would tell the elders and the king. Krishna told them if they are his servants they must do as he says. So, seeing he wouldn’t budge, they came out of the water *****, one by one. Krishna was pleased with their modesty as they covered themselves with their hands. So, he took them to be his wives. 6. Don’t Go Chasing Butterflies The Maidu Indians of Northern California tell a legend about a Tolowim woman who set out to gather food. She had with her child in a cradleboard. She set the child down when she saw a large butterfly flutter past. She chased the beautiful butterfly, almost catching it, then missing, chasing it on and on. She thought perhaps she was too weighted down with her deerskin robe and ditched it. Still unable to catch the butterfly she tossed away her apron. At night she ***** down to sleep and didn’t even think of her child. Next morning there was a man lying next to her. He told her if she wanted to follow him always, she would have to pass by a lot of his people. So, she followed the butterfly man, and they came to a valley of butterflies. He told her no one ever came through the valley alive, and if she were to do so she must not lose sight of him and must follow closely. They travelled a long time, and the man kept telling her to hold tight and not let go. Halfway through the valley a swarm of butterflies enveloped them, around their faces and heads. They wanted the Tolowim woman. She held her husband tightly for a while, but finally she let go. She reached out to grasp a butterfly but missed. Then she tried for another, and another, and another, but she never succeeded. She wandered in the valley for a long time, went crazy and *****. Butterfly drawing by Mark Miller (Author Provided) 5. The Best of Both Worlds The Greek **** Hermes and goddess Aphrodite, the gods of male and female sexuality, had a son called Hermaphroditus, who was originally male but then became both male and female. In the beginning their son was a handsome youngster who inherited the beauty of his parents. Once he ***** down near the naiad ****** Salmacis’ well. She loved Hermaphroditus at first sight and tried to woo him, but he resisted. Then he swam in her spring, and she embraced him. She prayed to the gods to unite her to him, and they became one, neither man nor woman but both. Thereafter, by the will of Hermaphroditus, everyone who swam there at Salmacis became a hermaphrodite. Hermaphroditus is depicted in ancient art with female face, thighs, breasts and hair and male genitalia. Drawing of a relief depicting Hermaphroditus and Eros crowning a herm by Antonio Maria Zanetti (circa 1721) (Public Domain) 4. Maybe You Really Can’t Go Home Again Orpheus, son of the Muse Calliope, was a great musician. He loved his dryad wife Eurydice so much that when she ***** of snakebite, he determined to travel to the underworld to get her back. He charmed Charon, who ferried the ***** across the River Styx. He mesmerized Cerberus, the three-headed dog on guard, into sleep. Then he met with the recalcitrant Hades, who refused to let Eurydice return to Earth. The goddess Persephone, Hades’ queen, heard Orpheus music and was so moved she pleaded on Eurydice’s behalf. Hades relented but set a condition: Orpheus must not look back at Eurydice as they left the underworld. Orpheus, scared she wasn’t following along, looked back—and she was swept back into Hades forever. Orpheus was overcome and wandered around **** with sorrow until Dionysus’ ******** followers the maenads ******* him. The Lament of Orpheus, painting by Franz Caucig (Public Domain) 3. Perhaps The Saddest Love Triangle of All To the Letts of the Balkans, the moon **** Menu, and his wife, Saule, the sun, were so brilliant their children were the stars. Saule had an affair with Perkuno, the **** of lightning. The child of this unfaithful union was so brilliant he was the Morning Star. Menu was so angered and ashamed he appeared only at night, but his wife continued to shine brightly all day. 2. How The Cosmos Became Suffused with Love The Indian pantheon—the entire universe—was in trouble. The Great Lord Shiva had lost his beloved intended, Sati, and Shiva was meditating and doing austerities in great sorrow. He had withdrawn so much that reality was threatened with coming apart, and the Asuras, the forces of evil, were becoming strong again. Only a son of Shiva could lead the gods to victory, but Shiva had no wife, nor *******. Indra told Brahma of the situation. Brahma revealed that Sati was reincarnated as Uma, also called Parvati. She was dispatched to Shiva’s mountain home to see to his needs. Days passed, but Shiva did not notice her or even open his eyes. The crisis was mounting, so the gods sent Kama, the **** of love, to smite Shiva with a dart that would awaken his ******* for Parvati so she could give birth to the hero who would save them. Kama arrived with Vasant or spring and the ******-like Apsaras to arouse Shiva. A divine fragrance and beautiful birdsong filled the air, but Shiva continued imperturbably doing his austerities. Kama strung his bow of sugarcane with an arrow with a flower tip, said a magical incantation and let fly. The arrow struck Shiva in the chest. Furious, Shiva blasted Kama with his third eye and burned Kama to a crisp. Love suffused the universe, unseen now by all but his wife, Rati. Eventually, Kartikeyya was born to the divine couple, and he led the celestial troops and saved the world. Shiva and Parvati (Public Domain) 1. Dawn, Go Away, You’re No Good for Me Eos, the Greek titaness of the dawn, married Tithonus, who had been immortalized by the gods. Eos liked young men, but her husband had not been made eternally youthful when the gods made him immortal. One day Eos spied Cephalus, who was married, hunting. Eos was smitten and took him as a lover. Cephalus’ life became wretched and later tragic because of the goddess’ love. Eos had told him he would regret marrying his wife, Procris. Out hunting one day Cephalus ends up accidentally spearing Procris, thinking she was a ****** in the bushes. She’d been spying on him because she had heard he was calling out for the goddess Aura. After Cephalus went into the bushes, he saw what he’d done. Procris asked him to promise never to take Aura into their bed. He quickly explained he was just calling out “aura,” for a breeze, and Procris ***** with a smile. Eos and the giant Orion the Hunter also had an affair. Top image: Eos on her chariot depicted on an ancient Greek ceramic piece. Source: Public Domain By Mark Miller References Erdoes, R. and Ortiz, A.1999. Native ********* Trickster Tales. Penguin Random House. Hare Krishna Temple Portal. Stealing the Garment of the Unmarried Gopi ******. Available at: McCoy, Dan ‘ Norse Mythology for Smart People: Freya’, Available at: Mythology Unbound: An Online Textbook for Classical Mythology. ‘ Orpheus’. Available at: Parada, Carlos, 1997. ‘ Greek Mythology: Tiresias’ Available at: Shiva Knowledge website, ‘ Shiva and the Burning of Kamadev’. Available at: Theoi Project website, Theoi Project website. ‘Eos’. Available at: Witches’ lore, 2011. ‘********* Indian Mythology’. Available at: Witches’ lore website, 2011. ‘Norse Mythology’. Available at: Source link #Strangest #Doubtful #Myths #Love #**** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Indo-Pacific is an idea more than a region—and it’s pushing politics in a ‘pessimistic and paranoid’ direction The Indo-Pacific is an idea more than a region—and it’s pushing politics in a ‘pessimistic and paranoid’ direction Credit: Nick Wehrli from Pexels Over the past decade, the idea of an important geopolitical space called the “Indo-Pacific” has become integral to the grand strategizing of countries inside and outside this vast geographical area. The term is not new, however. Australia—one of a few truly Indo-Pacific countries—used it during the 1970s to paint an optimistic vision of a future in which it was interlinked economically and politically with its neighbors in the Indian and Pacific oceans. However, since Japan (under the leadership of Shinzo Abe) first used the term in 2007 as a way of conceptualizing relations with India in the context of “broader Asia”, the Indo-Pacific has evolved significantly. And with the advent of the AUKUS security pact in 2021, it is now common to refer to the Indo-Pacific as either a region or super-region. But this oversimplifies what is, in fact, a far more complex geopolitical reality. What is a region? A region is best thought of as a geographically enclosed complex. According to political scientist David Lake, regions are “so interrelated in terms of their security that actions by any one member, and significant security-related developments inside any member, have a major impact on others”. The problem with thinking of the Indo-Pacific as a region or super-region is that at its widest definition—stretching from the east coast of ******* to the west coast of South America—it comprises more than half the geographic space of the surface of the Earth. Simply put, the Indo-Pacific is too large to meaningfully conceive of as a region or even a super-region. Furthermore, although many states have adopted an Indo-Pacific outlook in their strategizing, they typically (save for greater powers) still think of their national security in a strict regional sense. So, the Indo-Pacific as a geopolitical space looks vastly different in Washington DC than it does in Jakarta, Wellington, Tokyo or Manila (to choose but a few). This is not to say the Indo-Pacific concept should be ignored. It represents an important development in international security. The fact is, it has experienced the greatest geopolitical shift over the past decade or so—and this is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The China factor If not a region or super-region, then, what is the Indo-Pacific? It is perhaps better thought of in terms of what international relations experts Barry Buzan and Ole Waever call “macrosecuritization“: the identification of an “existential threat” to something deemed precious and worth protecting which demands an immediate and, if necessary, extraordinary collective response to protect it. This was given a major boost in 2017 when the ******* States—still by far the most powerful global actor—formally adopted the Indo-Pacific concept at the center of its strategic thinking. In the process, it identified China as a clear strategic competitor. This decision had immediate real-world implications. Firstly, it helped resuscitate the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) involving the US, Australia, India and Japan after nearly a decade of impasse. Secondly, after Joe Biden ran for president on an “America must lead again” foreign policy platform, it led to the formation of AUKUS in 2021 and the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity in 2022. Geopolitical complexity Importantly, not only the US is involved in this macrosecuritisation. Australia, India, Japan and, more recently, the ******* Kingdom and ********* Union (and particular member states, such as France) are all involved. Together they are pushing an Indo-Pacific concept that is built on the identification of the rules-based international order as being under existential threat due to China’s rise and perceived assertiveness. The framing of China as a “threat” rather than an “opportunity”—which dominated the previous “Asia-Pacific” construct—means a radically different perspective in the countries adopting Indo-Pacific outlooks. This clearly matters greatly to regional geopolitics. But it still does not mean the Indo-Pacific has to be seen as a region or super-region. Rather, the concept is distorting the geopolitics of different regions—especially East Asia, South-east Asia, South Asia and the South Pacific. These remain genuine regions with their own unique security dynamics. But the Indo-Pacific idea is enveloping them and shifting the dynamics in a more pessimistic and paranoid direction. A ‘New Cold War’ There is now a concerning habit of treating the Indo-Pacific as a coherent unitary geopolitical space rather than a constellation of different regions. This lends credence to the simplistic analogy of the Indo-Pacific becoming the ground zero of a “New Cold War”. And it ignores the perspectives of the smaller countries that find themselves being sucked into this growing contest. Seeing the Indo-Pacific for what it really is—not a natural geographical phenomenon but a construct—is an important step towards developing more coherent and nuanced policies that adequately capture the geopolitical complexity of the Indo-Pacific constellation. But this runs contrary to the macrosecuritisation process already in place. There are many reasons why the current situation in the Indo-Pacific is nothing like the original Cold War. But the securitization process is simplifying the geopolitics, at least in perception, into something reminiscent of it. The ramifications could be devastating. Provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Citation: The Indo-Pacific is an idea more than a region—and it’s pushing politics in a ‘pessimistic and paranoid’ direction (2024, November 10) retrieved 10 November 2024 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #IndoPacific #idea #regionand #pushing #politics #pessimistic #paranoid #direction Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Forget CliffsNotes, this app will boil down big books into *****-sized pieces Forget CliffsNotes, this app will boil down big books into *****-sized pieces I love books. I can’t remember when my affection for the little paperback beauties began but I know for sure how I feel about them now. I love all types of books, including ******, thrillers, and historical novels, but the problem is that there are more books out there than I could possibly read in a lifetime. More often than not, I read for pleasure but there is a whole genre of productivity and leadership books that I struggle to make enough time for, Books like ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People or The 5AM Club. It’s books like these that my friends are always recommending and I respond, “Yep, it’s on my list; I’ll get around to it soon.” Unfortunately, I never seem to. That is until now. I’m probably late to the game but I’ve recently discovered Headway, an app that summarizes books into 15-minute text reads or audio clips. By boiling all the main points down into a helpful digestible chunk, people like me can get all the salient points of a book without reading the whole thing. Homescreen heroes This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn’t live without. Read them all here. The app experience begins by asking you a series of questions designed to narrow down your set of recommended book results. I choose productivity, leadership, and family, but you could also choose self-growth, negotiation, or sports. I decided to pick book subjects I’m usually too busy to read. (Image credit: Future) These categories can be adjusted at any time or you can use the ‘Explore’ tab. This provides you with all the latest summaries or you can choose a new category and scroll through the resulting options. I’m a big fan of the ‘Collections’ section. It groups similar summaries together so you can do a deep ***** across similarly-themed books. These include Think Like a CEO for learning how to plan, achieve, and succeed, or Sales & Trading Hacks for how to win big. The final part of the explore tab is an intelligence-type test. This is an ingenious little test that helps you discover your strengths and weaknesses. It isn’t foolproof, but it does help identify dominant intelligence types and enable you to focus on filling in gaps in understanding. With my subjects set, exploration carried out, and an intelligence test performed, I was now ready to jump on the bus towards reaching my full potential. This required a little intermediary step where I had to work out when and where I was going to listen to the 15-minute summaries. Even with a whole host of good intentions, I knew they would all be pointless unless I found a way to integrate them into my routine. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable ****** Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. (Image credit: Future) I opted for a two-pronged approach and ended up listening to summaries before bed and reading them when out and about during the day. The ability to listen, read, and watch makes it possible for almost everyone to fit them into their day. I found the summaries incredibly useful and they seemed, at least on the face of it, to be accurate representations of the books themselves. The challenge for me was putting what I was learning into practice. It was no use listening and forgetting; I needed some doing! The simple habit of making notes and coming up with action points is enough to turn content into habits, which then become truly life-changing. Another option built into the heart of the app is the ability to highlight phrases, which Headway then transforms into interactive flashcards. You can go back to these at any time to help cement them into your memory. Finding a way that works for you is the key. (Image credit: Future) To keep you motivated along the way, Headway lets you collect achievements, track progress, and build up streaks. The collection of these rewards gives a real sense of momentum and progress. By setting goals, Headway keeps you accountable and motivated to keep moving toward them. The free version includes one book summary per day and daily insights but offers nothing beyond that. If you think you’ll want more summaries, you’ll need a Headway plan, which is available at $12.99 / £7.99 per month or $89.99 / £35 for the year. Download the Headway app on iOS or Android. Source link #Forget #CliffsNotes #app #boil #big #books #bitesized #pieces Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tropical Storm Rafael weakens, ‘meanders’ in Gulf of Mexico: See storm tracker Tropical Storm Rafael weakens, ‘meanders’ in Gulf of Mexico: See storm tracker Tropical Storm Rafael is expected to weaken by Monday morning, days after it slammed into Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. On Wednesday, Rafael made landfall in Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, causing another nationwide *********, before moving towards the Gulf of Mexico. Rafael, which was a tropical storm Sunday morning, is expected to “meander over the central Gulf of Mexico” Sunday night and move south-southwest Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The National Hurrican Center is tracking two systems, including Tropical Storm Rafael, as of Sunday morning. While it did have maximum sustained winds near 40 mph with higher gusts, it is expected to weaken to a post-tropical remnant low by Monday. Tropical Storm Rafael trackerNational Hurricane Center tracking area of low pressure The NHC is watching an area of low pressure near the Bahamas. It is located around 200 miles east of the Caribbean islands, but will be less likely to form as it reaches an area with unfavorable conditions on Sunday. Despite the conditions, heavy rain and gusty winds are expected as the system moves along westward across the Bahamas Sunday night, according to the NHC. In the next 48 hours and 7 days, the system has a 10% chance for formation, which is low. Contributing: Christopher Cann, Dinah Voyles Pulver; USA TODAY Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at *****@*****.tld This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical Storm Rafael tracker: Storm ‘meanders’ in Gulf of Mexico Source link #Tropical #Storm #Rafael #weakens #meanders #Gulf #Mexico #storm #tracker Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UserBenchmark suggests you buy the i5-13600K over the Ryzen 7 9800X3D — says AMD drives sales with ‘aggressive marketing’ rather than ‘real-world performance’ UserBenchmark suggests you buy the i5-13600K over the Ryzen 7 9800X3D — says AMD drives sales with ‘aggressive marketing’ rather than ‘real-world performance’ UserBenchmark – the gift that keeps on giving! The website’s latest review of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D has left many in shock as it now deems spending extra on a gaming CPU pointless. Continuing its never-ending saga of denouncing AMD, which it often refers to as “Advanced Marketing Devices,” UserBenchmark doubles down and names the i5-13600K and i5-14600K as worthy competitors, even though AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D has dethroned Intel’s fastest gaming CPU, the i9-14900K, by almost 33% per our testing. This is not the first time we’ve encountered such an ‘intriguing’ take from UserBenchmark. The website has been in hot water for ranking the i3-8100 higher than the i9-9980XE merely based on clock speeds — make that make sense. A quick look at its CPU ranking chart based on performance from highest to lowest puts the Ryzen 7 9800X3D at the 12th spot, trailed by the “3D joker” Ryzen 9 7950X3D at the 25th place. The Ryzen 9 9950X follows suit, landing in the 28th position. No matter how you look at it – whether it be gaming, productivity, or efficiency – enthusiasts overwhelmingly think these numbers simply don’t add up. (Image credit: UserBenchmark) Moving over to their actual review, it doesn’t take an expert to discern fact from fiction. UserBenchmark asserts that the X3D design results in a 6% deduction in clock speeds but fails to address AMD’s redesign of the stacking hierarchy, which helps reduce the impact of this clock speed deficit, even in single-core scenarios. Better yet, the 9800X3D can keep up with the non-X3D 9700X in many production workloads. The site further states that “AMD is looking to drive demand through aggressive marketing rather than delivering real-world performance,” even though the 9800X3D currently unanimously stands as the world’s fastest gaming CPU – beating Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K by almost 40%. UserBenchmark then suggests users choose the i5-13600K/14600K since spending more than $200 on gaming CPUs is “pointless,” but that is a purely subjective statement. In addition, the actual performance, efficiency, and platform differences between the i5-14600K and the 9800X3D are factors UserBenchmark didn’t consider. (Image credit: UserBenchmark) UserBenchmark’s entire argument pivots around the proposition that faster CPUs are “pointless” for gaming. It is the same as saying that you shouldn’t get anything faster than an RTX 3050 since the human eye obviously can’t see past 60 FPS – sarcasm intended. Needless to say, the website is currently banned from r/Intel, and that speaks volumes. Enthusiasts are having a field day with this review from UserBenchmark and it should, at most, be taken as a harmless joke given the website’s track record. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #UserBenchmark #suggests #buy #i513600K #Ryzen #9800X3D #AMD #drives #sales #aggressive #marketing #realworld #performance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Face the Nation: Khanna, Kashkari, Pierce Face the Nation: Khanna, Kashkari, Pierce Face the Nation: Khanna, Kashkari, Pierce – CBS News Watch CBS News Missed the second half of the show? The latest on…Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna tells “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the party “to have a vision on building new factories, on helping raise minimum wage, on dealing with child care, and emphasize that our party has a better economic story”, Neel Kashkari, the president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, tells “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that another interest rate cut after the December Fed meeting is “certainly possible”, and Karen Pierce, Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., tells “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” that amid the world reaction to President-elect Trump’s return to the White House, “it’s for any single ********* leader to say what President Trump might do.” Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Face #Nation #Khanna #Kashkari #Pierce Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump tariffs could reheat inflation if countries retaliate Trump tariffs could reheat inflation if countries retaliate Neel Kashkari, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, speaks at the Milken Conference 2024 Global Conference Sessions at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 7, 2024. David Swanson | Reuters Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said Sunday that President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff proposals could worsen long-term inflation if global trade partners were to strike back. One-time tariffs, Kashkari said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” “shouldn’t have an effect long run on inflation.” “The challenge becomes, if there’s a **** for tat and it’s one country imposing tariffs and then responses and it’s escalating. That’s where it becomes more concerning, and, frankly, a lot more uncertain,” Kashkari said. During his first term, Trump essentially sparked a trade war with China when he imposed a series of import taxes on ******** goods, which triggered the country to retaliate with its own set of tariffs on the U.S. One of Trump’s primary economic proposals for his second term is to impose universal tariffs on all imports from all countries — with a specifically targeted 60% rate on China. Economists, Wall Street analysts and industry leaders have repeatedly expressed concerns over the inflationary impact of that hardline trade approach, especially since inflation has just begun to cool from its pandemic-era peaks. “We’ve made a lot of progress in bringing inflation down,” Kashkari said. “I mean, I don’t want to declare victory yet. We need to finish the job, but we’re on a good path right now.” The Fed on Thursday passed its second consecutive interest rate cut, continuing its effort to loosen monetary policy as inflation approaches the central bank’s 2% target. Kashkari said he expects another cut to come in December, but that will depend on “what the data looks like” at that time. As for Trump’s other major policy proposals like a sweeping immigrant deportation plan, Kashkari noted that the inflation threat is still unclear and so the Fed is still taking a “wait and see” approach before adjusting its policy. Trump and his backers like billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk have also been outspoken about their ******* to give the president input on Fed policy decisions. The central bank views its political independence as a core feature that allows it to shape monetary policy exclusively based on the health of the U.S. economy, not election incentives. But Kashkari said he is not concerned about politics permeating Fed decisions. “I’m confident that we will continue to focus on our economic jobs,” he said. “That’s what should be dictating what we’re doing and that is what’s dictating what we’re doing.” Source link #Trump #tariffs #reheat #inflation #countries #retaliate Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

After McCarthy ouster, GOP to consider new requirement for House leadership elections After McCarthy ouster, GOP to consider new requirement for House leadership elections House Republicans are set to consider a variety of new internal rules proposals this week, including some proposals that tie back to the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. While there is a broader push to amend the one-member threshold needed to trigger a motion to vacate, there are also some GOP members aiming to make internal changes to their party’s leadership election moving forward. Republicans from the various corners of the conference have put forward their proposals for the 119th Congress, which will be considered this week when the party votes on its new rules package Thursday. Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) put forward a rules amendment that would require someone running for any leadership spot to have to resign from their present leadership post to seek another, the Florida ************* confirmed to POLITICO this weekend. If this proposed rules change had been in effect last October during the speakership race, it would’ve meant that a series of members who ran to replace former Speaker Kevin McCarthy would’ve needed to step down from leadership before seeking the top spot. They include Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), *********** Policy Chair Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), and even now Speaker Mike Johnson, who was then the GOP conference vice chair. The proposal would offer more opportunities for Republicans to move up the ladder, but risk stunting those with strong leadership ambitions. Mast described it as a lesson learned from the speakership election that ensued after McCarthy’s ouster — and one he wants to fix for the future. At the time of the speakership elections last year, he criticized the party’s leadership: “I can tell you in this moment. … I would not support any member of our current leadership … Leaders lead. And that’s not taking place,” he told CBS News at the time. The full list of amendments that directly relate to the GOP conference, which were due Thursday evening, has yet to be reported. But centrists also filed an amendment setting internal repercussions for Republicans who oppose a procedural vote that allows the party to bring a GOP bill to the House floor for a vote, which comes after multiple instances of conservatives blocking bills from even getting proper consideration — and thus sinking leadership policy priorities under both McCarthy and Johnson. There are also discussions about changing the discharge petition, as POLITICO first reported. There are several broader rules discussions underway including some that impact how the floor is governed. That includes a push by some to make it ******* to attempt to oust a speaker. While the majority of Republicans despise the tool that allowed Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to lead a small cadre of Republicans in ousting McCarthy against the wishes of most in the GOP conference last October, there are some conservatives in the party who are expected to fiercely ****** to keep the threshold. And thin vote margins could scramble plans to adjust it. Jordain Carney contributed to this report. Source link #McCarthy #ouster #GOP #requirement #House #leadership #elections Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump ‘most likely’ needs 60 votes in Senate to enact tariff plan, Sen. Rick Scott suggests Trump ‘most likely’ needs 60 votes in Senate to enact tariff plan, Sen. Rick Scott suggests Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump proposed sweeping new tariffs while on the campaign trail. The self-proclaimed “Tariff Man” has said he could impose such levies on U.S. imports without Congress’ approval. There’s debate among economists and other experts as to whether he could do so. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. — one of three lawmakers vying to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-***, as Senate majority leader — suggested Sunday that Trump would probably need Congress’ help. “The tariffs, that most likely is going to require 60 [votes in the Senate] unless there’s some way we can get that done through reciliation with 51 [votes],” Scott said on Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures.” Reconciliation is a way to pass tax and spending bills with a simple majority in the Senate. It avoids a filibuster, which requires 60 votes to overcome. Control of the House of Representatives, which would need to pass such legislation, ******** unclear. A tariff is a tax on imported goods that is generally passed along to the consumer. Trump has vowed across-the-board tariffs of 10% to 20% on all imports arriving into the ******* States and at least a 60% tariff on ******** imports. He’s proposed others, too, such as a tariff of at least 200% on vehicles from Mexico, and a similar amount on the company Deere & Co. if it were to shift some production from the U.S. to Mexico. Economic experts dispute whether Trump’s tariff plan, especially the tax on global imports, can be done via executive action. Alan Wolff, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, wrote in September that “Trump doesn’t have the authority to do this.” However, Trump could “assert national security” or use “a lot of different things in the law” to potentially impose across-the-board tariffs, Jason Furman, a Harvard University professor and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration, told CNBC. “Although,” he added, “it would all end up in court.” Source link #Trump #votes #Senate #enact #tariff #plan #Sen #Rick #Scott #suggests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Seagate 2TB Xbox Storage Expansion Card SSD is just $199 at Amazon The Seagate 2TB Xbox Storage Expansion Card SSD is just $199 at Amazon Right now at Amazon, you can find the 2TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card SSD available for one of its lowest prices ever since launching. It has a recommended price of $359 but today it’s been marked down to just $199. As of writing, it’s not clear for how long this deal will be made available, or if it’s a new floor for the drive. The discount is also available at Best Buy and on the official Seagate web store. It’s important to note that this expansion card SSD was made specifically for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. Compatibility is somewhat limited as it’s designed to work with Xbox Velocity Architecture. We haven’t had the opportunity to review this SSD yet but reviews from customers for the drive are favorable across multiple vendors. Today’s offer is for the 2TB model but the Seagate Storage Expansion Card SSD also comes in other sizes including 500GB and 1TB. All of the drives in this line have a compact portable form factor and connect using a USB interface. Seagate confirms that this SSD was designed with Xbox and offers a quick resume function. This enables you to quickly switch between titles that have been saved locally to the internal hard drive or the SSD. With this card, you can store games that are compatible with older consoles like the original Xbox, the Xbox 360, and even Xbox One games. According to the product details provided by Amazon, this 2TB card can reach speeds as fast as 5 GB/s, but the official Xbox blog suggests it will perform nearer to 2.4 GB/s. The purchase is backed up by Amazon’s 30-day return policy as well as a 3-year warranty from Seagate. Visit the Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB SSD product page at Amazon for more details and purchase options. Source link #Seagate #2TB #Xbox #Storage #Expansion #Card #SSD #Amazon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump ‘most likely’ needs 60 votes in Senate to enact tariff plan, Sen. Rick Scott suggests Trump ‘most likely’ needs 60 votes in Senate to enact tariff plan, Sen. Rick Scott suggests Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump proposed sweeping new tariffs while on the campaign trail. The self-proclaimed “Tariff Man” has said he could impose such levies on U.S. imports without Congress’ approval. There’s debate among economists and other experts as to whether he could do so. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. — one of three lawmakers vying to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-***, as Senate majority leader — suggested Sunday that Trump would probably need Congress’ help. “The tariffs, that most likely is going to require 60 [votes in the Senate] unless there’s some way we can get that done through reciliation with 51 [votes],” Scott said on Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures.” Reconciliation is a way to pass tax and spending bills with a simple majority in the Senate. It avoids a filibuster, which requires 60 votes to overcome. Control of the House of Representatives, which would need to pass such legislation, ******** unclear. A tariff is a tax on imported goods that is generally passed along to the consumer. Trump has vowed across-the-board tariffs of 10% to 20% on all imports arriving into the ******* States and at least a 60% tariff on ******** imports. He’s proposed others, too, such as a tariff of at least 200% on vehicles from Mexico, and a similar amount on the company Deere & Co. if it were to shift some production from the U.S. to Mexico. Economic experts dispute whether Trump’s tariff plan, especially the tax on global imports, can be done via executive action. Alan Wolff, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, wrote in September that “Trump doesn’t have the authority to do this.” However, Trump could “assert national security” or use “a lot of different things in the law” to potentially impose across-the-board tariffs, Jason Furman, a Harvard University professor and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration, told CNBC. “Although,” he added, “it would all end up in court.” Source link #Trump #votes #Senate #enact #tariff #plan #Sen #Rick #Scott #suggests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Inside Donald Trump’s transition as hopefuls flock to Mar-a-Lago Inside Donald Trump’s transition as hopefuls flock to Mar-a-Lago Getty Images Donald Trump’s Florida residence and private club Mar-a-Lago is once again the Winter White House – the place to be seen for West Wing hopefuls as the US president-elect assembles a new administration behind its opulent doors. While President Joe Biden will remain in office until January, this part of Florida has become a rival centre of political power in America. Just two years after an FBI raid found classified documents about US nuclear weapons and spy satellites stored in a bathroom, an eclectic mix of insiders are swarming to Mar-a-Lago, which is patrolled by ****** dogs and armed guards on boats. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, rumoured as a potential energy secretary, was there on election night. So was former US Defence Department chief of staff Kash Patel. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has been alongside Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago during family dinners and calls with world leaders. Musk has been photographed inside the private club with his son and on the runway of Palm Beach International Airport, as he shuttles back and forth to be by the president-elect’s side. kaitrumpgolfs Donald Trump seen this week with his extended family – as well as Elon Musk who is holding his son, Techno Mechanicus For those not blessed with an invitation to stay at Mar-a-Lago itself, the hotels and restaurants around nearby West Palm Beach are packed with office-seekers jostling for influence in the new administration and supporters celebrating Trump’s victory. Robert F Kennedy Jr, vaccine sceptic and scion of the one of the most famous US political dynasties, was by the swanky pool bar of The Ben hotel, where a fake ice rink and Christmas tree greet guests. Giant, golden Dobermann dog sculptures adorn the lobby and every floor outside the lifts. He is part of the transition team and the one-time presidential candidate is vying for a role with influence over health policy. Speaking even before the election, alongside the former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat-turned-***********, he said: “There’s people of all different kinds of ideology and people that we’re going to have to go up against in that transition team and ****** for our vision.” Stephen Greaves/BBC News Golden Dobermann sculptures have been observing a parade of hopeful appointees Also spotted at The Ben was outspoken *********** Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia congresswoman who recently blamed the Biden administration for causing flooding in *********** areas of North Carolina. She is believed to be jockeying for a cabinet position. At The Breakers, an opulent Italian Renaissance-style oceanfront hotel, the young valets were most star struck by the visit of Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White, who joined his friend Trump on stage on election night, but who says he has no personal political aspirations. The same cannot be said for others. One GOP insider that the BBC ran into in the corridors said the transition was “a free for all”, as different factions of the party battle for dominance. “Trump loves to see people scramble and ***** up.” But the insider noted with a hint of worry that some “minimally acceptable people are starting to say they don’t want a role”. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, for one, has conveyed that he isn’t interested in working in the administration and would prefer a Senate leadership position. Stephen Greaves/BBC News The Mar-a-Lago compound, which includes Donald Trump’s Florida home, is heavily fortified Donald Trump is expected to focus less on elected officials to fill senior positions. His son, Don Jr, said during an interview on Fox News that he wants people who “don’t think they know better” than his father and that he’s prepared to block anyone he thinks would be a disaster. The president-elect has been vocal about doing things differently this time around, feeling his biggest mistake during his first presidency was hiring “bad people, or disloyal people”. Back in 2016, plans for the transition that had been prepared by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in concert with the outgoing Obama administration were ***** to waste. Once the Trump team won what was seen as an improbable victory, they decided on an unconventional approach and fired Christie. What ensued was an Apprentice-style parade of people to Trump Tower in New York that played out in front of the cameras. Back then, news crews packed into the lobby to capture everyone headed up the golden elevator to see Donald Trump on the 26th floor. While the world was still trying to understand what a Trump presidency would look like, those with influence in Wall Street, media, politics and entertainment all sought an audience, including Bill Gates, Al Gore and even Kanye West. Getty Images The media captured every visitor to Trump Tower back in 2016 This time around, Trump seems to be prioritising loyalty, tallying up who has been with him since day one. And the world’s media are crammed onto hotel balconies and the parks and beaches surrounding Mar-a-Lago, where security is at fortress levels. The transition process is still unconventional by design, but so far it is far more behind the scenes than in 2016. Trump’s first appointment – Florida political consultant Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff – does offer one clue that a well-built Florida ************* political operation could be ready to replicate its success in the White House. Slater Bayliss, co-founder of a Florida-based lobbying firm, Advocacy Partners, has worked both for and against Wiles during election battles in the state and much prefers to be on her side. “I would say, borrowing a nickname from our friends across the pond, Susie is the Iron Lady of ********* electoral politics.” He says offers have been flooding in from talent across the state, which has served as a “stronghold of resistance for smart ************* thinkers who love our country and ******* to play a role in making it more reflective of our electorate”. *********** political consultant Max Goodman says there is anticipation of a Florida wave crashing into Washington. He expects Trump’s team will be mining staffers in Wiles’s team and in the state, whose congressional and Senate delegations came out early for Trump. “There is no hotter political farm system in the country than the state of Florida, when you have a president and the most prolific political consultant turned chief of staff calling Florida home,” he said. Reuters Armed guards on boats patrol the waterfront resort Despite having the second largest *********** congressional delegation in the country, Mr Goodman says Florida has “notoriously been snubbed” when it comes to having a seat at the leadership table. He believes that could change with Wiles leading the charge, and with key Floridians such as Rick Scott potentially in line as Senate Majority leader and Senator Marco Rubio in contention for a high-profile cabinet position. One person who has thrown his hand up to work in the transition is Joe Gruters, who is waiting to see how that shapes up. He was the 2016 co-chairman of Trump’s Florida campaign with Wiles, then the chairman of the *********** state party, and is now a state senator. He describes himself as a “loyal foot soldier”, who was the only member of the Florida legislature to immediately endorse Trump’s 2024 bid and appear at Mar-a-Lago for his announcement. He is counting on Wiles taking her “battle-tested” lieutenants up with her to Washington to fill out positions. “They know who the true believers are… and they probably have a clear idea of who they’re going to put in most of these positions,” he said. Watch: Robotic dog patrols Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence Palm Beach didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump when he first arrived on the scene with his purchase of Mar-a-Lago in the 1980s. But walking around town now, it’s obvious that this is firmly Maga country – Trump-branded bikinis and hats are a common sight. Next week, Argentina’s President Javier Milei is expected to visit Mar-a-Lago to meet Trump and Elon Musk. Also next week, CPAC, or the ************* Political Action Conference, is hosting its annual investors summit at Mar-a-Lago with tickets costing up to $25,000 (£19,350). And it’s unlikely the migration south will stop once Donald Trump is inaugurated and occupies the Oval Office once more. Slater Bayliss – the Florida lobbyist – thinks Trump will want to spend as much time in Florida as possible during his second term. That will go some way, he said, in “making the 62,500 square feet of Mar-a -Lago the most sacred real-estate in the political universe”. With additional reporting by Pratiksha Ghildial Source link #Donald #Trumps #transition #hopefuls #flock #MaraLago Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The best early sales we could find from Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, Samsung and more The best early sales we could find from Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, Samsung and more ****** Friday may technically just be one day, but it’s evolved to consume the entire month of November in the US at this point. For the past few years, retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target have ushered in the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier, and this year is no different. Early ****** Friday deals are already here, bringing discounts to some of our favorite tech we’ve tested this year. While it’s still advisable to wait until the week before Thanksgiving to ensure you’re getting the best of the best deals, you have plenty of opportunities to save right now if you’re eager to get a jump on your gift list this year. These are the best early ****** Friday deals we could find; we’ll be updating this post regularly throughout November, so check back for the latest discounts. Engadget’s top picks The best early ****** Friday deals Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Apple MagSafe charger pad for $25 ($14 off): Apple’s newest MagSafe charger provides up to 25W of fast-charging power to iPhone 16 handsets when paired with a 30W or 35W adapter. It works with older iPhones too, of course, and will provide that satisfying magnetic snap with the latest Apple smartphones (and AirPods, too). Apple iPad (9th gen) for $200 ($129 off): Apple discontinued this model with the release of the new iPad Pro and Air models earlier this year. In what’s likely an effort to get rid of current stock, the price is down to a new record low of $200. The 9th generation iPad is the former budget pick in our guide to the best Apple tablets and will serve well as a casual browsing, streaming and game playing machine. Apple 2024 M4 iMac desktop computer for $1,204 ($95 off): Apple just released the refreshed iMac last month, and now the silver model is $85 off and down to $1,214 at Amazon. It has the latest Apple silicon, the M4 system on a chip that gives it a speed boost and enables the new Apple Intelligence features in macOS Sequoia. Anker MagGo 3-in-1 foldable charging station for $82.50 ($27.50 off): This Qi2 charging station supports up to 15W of power output and can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods all at once. It also comes with a 40W USB-C charger and connecting cable, so you get everything you need to use it in the box. Anker 10K MagGo power bank for $60 ($30 off): This is one of our top picks for the best power banks you can buy today thanks to its versatile capacity, speedy Qi2 charging capabilities, clear screen that shows remaining battery power and its built-in kickstand. Anker 3-in-1 10K portable charger for $36 ($9 off, Prime members only): A top pick in our best power banks guide, this 10K brick has a built-in USB-C cable so you don’t need to remember to bring one with you, plus it has an extra USB-C port for charging other devices. Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $45 ($35 off, Prime only): The Space A40 is the longtime top pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds, as it delivers the kind of robust feature set we expect from pairs that cost three times as much. Call quality isn’t the best, and it won’t auto-pause when you take out an earbud, but its warm sound, powerful ANC, eight-ish hours of battery life and comfy design all impress for the money. This deal ties the lowest price we’ve seen — it’s only available to Prime subscribers at Amazon, but you can also grab it at Anker’s online store with an on-page coupon. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker for $100 ($60 off): Our top pick for the best fitness tracker, the Charge 6 has a comfortable design, built-in GPS and heart rate monitors and 20 exercise modes ready to be tracked. Google Pixel Watch 3 for $280 ($70 off): Google’s latest smartwatch is down to an all time low price. This is the model we recommend for anyone with an Android phone in our guide to the best smartwatches and it earned an 84 in our review. It detects workouts quickly, has an extra long battery life and is one of the more attractive smartwatches on the market. The deal applies to the 41mm size with GPS only but the larger and cellular-enabled models are on ***** too. Also at Best Buy and Target. Google Pixel 8a for $399 ($100 off): This is the best midrange smartphone on the market right now thanks to its solid performance, 120Hz OLED touchscreen and excellent camera array. The standard Pixel 8 is also on ***** for $449. Google Nest Indoor security camera (wired) for $70 ($30 off): Google’s security camera can tell the difference between people, animals and vehicles while it’s monitoring your home, and it supports 1080p video, night vision and two-way audio. Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E (three-pack) for $279 ($120 off): We consider the Nest Wi-Fi Pro mesh system to be one of the easiest for folks who have never installed their own router, and the three-pack provides coverage for up to 6,600 square feet. Also available at Google. Amazon ***** HD 10 for $75 ($65 off): No ***** HD tablet comes close to matching the performance, build quality and app support of an iPad, but they’re significantly more affordable, and they still work well enough if all you need is something for casual streaming, e-reading and web browsing. At this price, the 10.1-inch ***** HD 10 is likely a better value than the smaller ***** HD 8, as it has a sharper display, it’s a tick faster and it can last slightly longer on a charge. Just be ready to deal with a bunch of ads for Amazon’s own apps and services. This discount ties an all-time low, and it’s also available at Best Buy and Target. Blink Outdoor 4 (6-pack) for $180 ($300 off): The Outdoor 4 is a wireless, IP65-rated outdoor security camera we highlight in our guide to the best smart home gadgets. It captures decent (if not class-leading) 1080p video, it’s relatively painless to install and it supports features like night vision, motion alerts, local storage and two-way talking. The catch is that it locks things like person detection and cloud storage behind a subscription plan. Still, it’s a solid value on balance, and this deal furthers that. We’ve seen this price on a six-camera bundle for a few weeks, but it’s still an all-time low. An eight-camera pack is also on ***** for $250, another low. Audible Premium Plus (3-month) for $1 ($29 off): Those who don’t currently subscribe to Audible can get three months of the audiobook service’s Premium Plus plan for $1. Normally, the service costs $15 per month after a 30-day free trial. As a refresher, Premium Plus is Audible’s upper tier: In addition to giving access the full Audible Plus library, it lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month. We wouldn’t call it essential, but if you’ve been on the fence, this is a good way to see if it’d work for you. Just note that the plan will auto-renew until you cancel. Bose Sony WH-1000XM5 for $298 ($100 off): It doesn’t get much better than the XM5 if you’re looking for the best wireless headphones to buy right now. They provide excellent sound quality, strong ANC, a comfortable design, multipoint connectivity and a good battery life. Bose QuietComfort Headphones for $199 ($150 off): This ties the lowest price we’ve seen for Bose’s mid-tier noise-canceling headphones. At this price, their effective ANC and light fit make them a worthy alternative to higher-end pairs like the Sony WH-1000XM5 (our favorite pair overall). That said, their bass-heavy sound won’t be for everyone, and the XM5 has a more comprehensive feature set. Also at Bose.com, Target and Best Buy. The higher-end QuietComfort Ultra, meanwhile, are $100 off and put out even stronger ANC, though we still prefer the XM5 for around the same price. Samsung Music Frame for $248 ($150 off): This unique smart speaker can show art or your own photos while it plays music, and it can sync with your Samsung TV speakers. Also available at Samsung. Hisense U8N 4K TV (55-inch) for $728 ($371 off): The U8N is the next step up from the U7N in Hisense’s TV lineup, so it should provide better colors, contrast and brightness across the board. If you don’t mind buying a smaller panel for around the same price, this is another new low. Also at Best Buy. Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ for $170 ($50 off): Our top pick for the best budget Android tablet sports an 11-inch 90Hz display, a microSD card slot for extra storage and a hefty battery. Samsung T9 portable SSD (4TB) for $300 ($250 off): The latest model in the T-series of Samsung’s portable drives supports read and write speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, and it has dynamic thermal guard to keep it cool even when you’re pushing it to its limits. Also available at Samsung. Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB for $200 ($160 off): Seagate’s expansion card is one of the best options for expanding your Xbox Series X/S storage. A 2TB version has dropped to $200, its lowest price to date. It’s one of our picks for the best Xbox Series X/S accessories. Also available at Seagate. Dyson V11 cordless vacuum cleaner for $400 ($170 off): Dyson machines are some of the best cordless vacuums you can buy, and this model has three power modes, a motorbar cleaner head that works well on all types of flooring and up to 60 minutes of runtime. Also available at Dyson. iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max for $974 ($425 off): You can get a sizable discount on one of the newest (and more expensive) robovacs at Wellbots with the code ENGBF425. This one mops, vacuums, empties itself and cleans its own mop pad with little involvement from you. Expired ****** Friday deals Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($80 off): These are the best AirPods you can get this year, thanks to their good sound quality, secure fit, solid ANC and transparency mode, and they have more hearing aid features now too. Apple Pencil Pro for $92 ($36 off): While this deal is a couple bucks higher than the lowest price we’ve ever seen for Apple’s top-of-the-line iPad stylus, it’s still a sizable drop compared to buying from Apple directly. Just be aware that Pencil Pro is only compatible with the most recent iPad Airs and iPad *****. Also at Walmart. Apple iPad mini (7th gen) for $400 ($100 off): The latest iPad mini only just arrived this month, but it’s already $100 off with an on-page coupon at Amazon. Only the purple colorway is on *****, but this is a giant discount for a new Apple release, so we wouldn’t expect it to last long. We gave the new mini a review score of 83: It’s a minor refresh, but it continues to provide most of the iPad Air’s strengths in a form factor that’s easier to tuck in a bag and hold with one hand. This deal is available in additional colors at Costco, but only to store members. Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M2) for $691 ($107 off): If you’d prefer more screen space, the 13-inch iPad Air is also down to an all-time low at Amazon. This model can get slightly brighter than its smaller counterpart, but the two slates are virtually identical otherwise. Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M2) for $497 at Amazon ($102 off MSRP): This is a new low for the latest iPad Air, which we consider to be the best Apple tablet for most people. While it lacks the top-end performance and 120Hz OLED panel of the iPad Pro, it’s much less expensive, and it still gets you a more futureproof M2 chip, a superior display and better accessory support than the base-model iPad. Also at Best Buy. Apple AirTag (4-pack) for $74 at Amazon ($25 off): The AirTag is, unsurprisingly, the top pick for iPhone users in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers, as it uses Apple’s giant network of Apple devices and ultrawideband tech to locate items accurately. Its effectiveness has had deeply unfortunate side effects, but if you use it as intended, it can provide a little extra peace of mind. While not an all-time low, this deal is a welcome drop from the usual $80 street price we’ve seen for a four-pack in recent months. Also at Best Buy. Apple MacBook Air (13.6-inch, M2) for $700 at Amazon ($300 off): This matches the all-time low for Apple’s last-gen MacBook Air, which ******** a perfectly competent notebook for everyday use. The caveat is that this model only comes with 8GB of RAM, so it’s really only meant for lower-power tasks. Apple (finally) made 16GB of memory the standard across its MacBook lineup earlier this week, so this might be an instance of Apple trying to clear out old inventory. Still, this is a great value if you only need a laptop for basic web browsing, emailing and word processing. Clip the on-page coupon to see the full discount. Anker Soundcore Motion+ for $69 at Amazon ($31 off): We recommend the Soundcore Motion+ in our guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers. While it isn’t especially light or compact, it pumps out a more spacious sound than most speakers in its price range, it’s waterproof and it lasts a decent 12 to 15 hours per charge. We’ve seen this discount a few times before, but it comes within a few bucks of the lowest price we’ve tracked. Also at Anker’s online store with an on-page coupon. Hisense U7N 4K TV (65-inch) for $700 at Amazon ($300 off): Various reviews around the web suggest that the U7N is one of the year’s better TV values, with impressive brightness and contrast for the money. It supports up to a fast 144Hz refresh rate in 4K, which is great for gaming, and it runs on the easy-to-grok Google TV platform. Its image can wash out when viewed at an angle, though, and it’s limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports. This discount is a new low for the 65-inch model. Also at Best Buy. Dyson Digital Slim cordless vacuum for $250 ($250 off): It’s hard to beat a Dyson for less than $300, but we do expect even more Dyson ****** Friday deals to pop up as we get closer to the big day. This model is 33 percent lighter than the Dyson V11, which could make it a good pick for someone who loathes their current, heavy-duty upright vac. The LED screen shows power mode, maintenance alerts and remaining run time, and you should get up to 40 minutes of battery life here. Also available at Dyson. Backbone One (PlayStation Edition) for $60: The Backbone One is an comfy gamepad that snaps around your phone and lets you play mobile or cloud-based games without having to rely on touch controls. We’ve recommended it before. This deal on the PlayStation-themed version isn’t an all-time low, but it’s $10 to $20 less than the usual discounts we’ve seen over the past year. Sony’s listing doesn’t specify whether this is the first- or second-gen model — the latter can fit a wider range of phones and cases — but that shouldn’t be a major hindrance if you use an older iPhone or Android device. Both the USB-C and Lightning variants are on *****. Beats Solo 4 for $100 ($100 off): The Solo 4 is light on features and may be uncomfortable on larger heads, but its even-handed sound and 50+-hour battery life make it worth considering if you prefer a more compact on-ear design instead of traditional over-ears. We gave it a score of 79 in our review. This discount ties an all-time low and is also available at Walmart, Target and Best Buy. The full-size Beats Studio Pro is discounted as well, but that pair is a bit ******* to recommend over the top picks in our wireless headphone buying guide. Amazon Echo Pop for $18 ($22 off): Amazon’s smallest smart speaker has dropped to a record-low price. It’s part of a larger ***** that includes the Echo Dot for $28 and the new Echo Spot for $50. Amazon Echo Show 5 for $50 ($40 off): We highlight the Echo Show 5 in our guide to the best smart displays. While the Echo Show 8 — which isn’t majorly discounted yet — has a roomier display, louder speakers and sharper cameras, this 5.5-inch model provides most of the same functionality in a design that’s easier to fit on a nightstand. If you’re already onboard the Alexa train, it’ll work nicely as a smart alarm clock. This deal is $10 more than the all-time low we saw last ****** Friday, so it may drop further in the weeks ahead, but for now it matches the best price we’ve seen in 2024. Also at Target, Kohl’s and Best Buy. JBL Clip 5 speaker for $50 ($30 off): This tiny speaker has a built-in clip so you can hang it from a backpack or bag easily, plus it packs good sound with punchy base. You can expect 12 hours of battery life on it as well. ****** Friday FAQs When is ****** Friday 2024? ****** Friday 2024 lands on November 29 this year. When do ****** Friday deals start? We expect some ****** Friday tech deals to start as early as November 1. Over the past few years, retailers have been kicking off the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier. This trend will continue in 2024, and you’ll likely find early ****** Friday deals available online and in stores in the weeks before the actual shopping event. When do ****** Friday deals end? Some ****** Friday tech deals will end immediately on Saturday, November 30. But those will likely be few and far between. Along with starting deals earlier and earlier, retailers have also extended ****** Friday deals past the day for a while now, too. In the tech space, we’ve seen many ****** Friday deals in the past run through Cyber Monday. Where are the best ****** Friday deals? There is no one place to buy all of the best ****** Friday deals, but you can expect the big retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target to have many of the same ****** Friday deals available — both in the lead up and on the day itself. We also recommend checking direct-to-consumer sites like Apple, Samsung, Sonos and others to make sure you’re getting the best deal before you cross things off your list. Does Apple have ****** Friday deals? You typically will not find cash discounts on Apple’s website for ****** Friday, though it has offered various gift card bundles during ****** Friday in recent years. You may be able to find local Apple store discounts on accessories, but Apple isn’t a retailer known for slashing prices on its products. However, you can find more traditional Apple ****** Friday tech deals at other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #early #sales #find #Amazon #Buy #Apple #Samsung Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Downed Russian drone used at least 30 chips from Western companies — silicon from Xilinx, TI, Marvell, Micron, and others found in the wreckage Downed Russian drone used at least 30 chips from Western companies — silicon from Xilinx, TI, Marvell, Micron, and others found in the wreckage It has been discovered that a Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), found crashed behind Ukrainian lines, was reliant on a plethora of Western chips. The drone included parts from Analog Devices, Fairchild Semiconductor, Infineon, Marvell, Maxim, Micron, ON Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Xilinx, and more – some of which also produce electronics for the U.S. military. According to the ******* news site Golem.de (machine translated), the drone was deliberately shot down by a Russian jet after it went out of control in the Donetsk region, some 16 kilometers behind the frontlines. Ukrainian soldiers then recovered the wreckage and Ukraine’s military intelligence service’s (GUR) investigation revealed these chips and their sources. Russian Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B Drone Shot Down by Su-57 After Losing Control | InShort – YouTube Watch On The S-70 Okhotnik-B is one of Russia’s most advanced drone prototypes, and it’s supposed to act as an autonomous wingman to the Sukhoi Su-57 using artificial intelligence. Although the S-70 is primarily a reconnaissance drone, it’s reported to have an internal weapons bay capable of carrying up to 2,000kg of missiles, rockets, or ******. Because of this, the S-70 requires advanced electronics to help accomplish its mission. Although the West has heavily sanctioned Russia, reducing its access to advanced technologies, it’s still able to acquire key components through the ****** market, allowing Russian companies to continue using Western electronics to produce weapons despite stringent export control. For example, Ukrainian defenders have seen Western technologies in Russian missiles as of late October 2024. STMicroelectronics says that it “does not approve the use of its products outside of its intended use and have implemented comprehensive trade compliance programs” while Infineon Technologies has stopped delivering to Russia since it invaded Ukraine. However, their chips are among the over 4,000 foreign parts that the GUR found inside 150+ captured Russian weapons and munitions, showing how Western technologies trickle toward Russia despite tight export controls. Although sanctions have reduced the shipments of high-performance chips to Russia via China and Hong Kong by 20%, an investigation by the New York Times shows that over $4 billion in restricted technology entered Russia through a single Hong Kong address. This is the same problem that the U.S. is experiencing with its sanctions against China — where firms that have been blacklisted from buying ********* parts just open up shop down the road and buy from U.S. companies before Washington’s ban hammer strikes them again. We truly cannot expect Russian munitions to stop using Western parts, especially if there’s no other alternative, and it is feasable to acquire them. But, at the very least, America and her allies’ efforts to stop their ***** will make it ******* and more expensive for the aggressor to acquire this much-needed equipment. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Downed #Russian #drone #chips #Western #companies #silicon #Xilinx #Marvell #Micron #wreckage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna says party needs “to be emphasizing the economic issues” Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna says party needs “to be emphasizing the economic issues” Rep. Ro Khanna said Democrats “need to be emphasizing the economic issues” in the wake of the 2024 election, which delivered bruising blows to the party — and prompted a reckoning on the path forward. “We did not have a compelling enough economic vision,” Khanna, a California Democrat, said Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” President-elect Donald Trump won a decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last week, as the Democrats lost support from key demographic groups from the 2020 election. Khanna, a member of the party’s progressive wing, attributed the fracturing among the Democratic coalition to the shortcomings in the party’s economic message. “The Democratic Party should have one simple mission, and that is to address the economic hardships and struggles of many Americans,” Khanna said. “Not just working-class Americans — a large slice of Americans who feel the ********* Dream has slipped away for their families and their kids.” Khanna said new voices in Congress, like Reps. Pat Ryan, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Chris Deluzio, have encouraged that Democrats need to tell a “better economic story,” emphasizing a vision of raising the minimum wage, addressing child care and building new factories. “I think that can unify our party — moderates and progressives — and it transcends race and will help us with Latino voters, ****** voters, White working class voters,” Khanna said. “And we have a better vision than Donald Trump on that.” In the days since the election, some Democrats have expressed that the economic message should have been front and center in the campaign, while arguing that the party had a focus on identity politics. But Khanna said that while he’s been clear on the importance of economic issues, “I don’t think we should run away” from issues like standing up for transgender rights and equal rights. Khanna urged Democrats not to “shy away from your convictions,” adding that with the issues, along with a focus on the economy, the party can still be successful. “I think we can win over people, even if they may not agree with us on a particular social issue,” Khanna said. In Michigan, Harris lost key support in ***** ********* areas amid *******’s war in Gaza. Khanna said he believes that Harris would have won Michigan “if there was more of a reckoning with the failures of policy on Gaza.” He added that he has seen that even “beyond Michigan, this really was a concern for a lot of young people and a lot of progressives.” Amid the hand wringing over the election, Democrats have also pointed to President Biden’s late decision to leave the race and endorse Harris, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Khanna said while he has a “lot of respect for Speaker Pelosi,” he’s “chuckled” at the idea. “The day he got out, we had Democrats with the most over-the-top superlatives, comparing him to George Washington, saying he did the most honorable thing,” Khanna said. “So now to go back and criticize him seems a bit contradictory.” Khanna said Harris’ was a “winnable campaign,” adding that “anyone who is saying now ‘this was not a winnable campaign’ didn’t say that back in August.” “The reason we didn’t win, ultimately, is we didn’t listen enough to people on the ground” on emphasizing economic issues, Khanna said. “The reason I’m hopeful for the future is we have the substance.” Kaia Hubbard Kaia Hubbard is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C. Source link #Democratic #Rep #Khanna #party #emphasizing #economic #issues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dozens detained after protesters defy mayor’s ban Dozens detained after protesters defy mayor’s ban Dozens of pro-************ demonstrators have been detained by police in Amsterdam after defying a ban on public protests in the Dutch capital. Hundreds gathered in Dam Square on Sunday, calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza and expressing dissent towards the ban. Demonstrations were temporarily banned by the mayor after ******** football fans were targeted in so-called “hit-and-run” attacks on Thursday night after a match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax Amsterdam. Authorities say the attacks – which caused five people to be hospitalised – were motivated by antisemitism as the fans were sought out across the city. Others have pointed to footage appearing to show some Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters chanting anti-***** slogans and burning a ************ flag before the ********* occurred. The clashes came amid a rise in antisemitism globally since the start of the ongoing conflict between ******* and ******. The ********* – which led to at least 62 arrests – was condemned by leaders in Europe, the US and in *******. The outcry was exacerbated by the attacks occurring on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht – ***** pogroms against ******* Jews that took place in 1938. Three-quarters of ******* people in the Netherlands were murdered during the Holocaust in World War Two. Amsterdam’s Mayor Femke Halsema announced a ban on public assembly on Friday lasting at least until the end of the weekend, deeming the city a “high-risk security area”. But protesters on Sunday argued they should be free to voice their disapproval of *******’s actions in Gaza and the actions of the Maccabi supporters. “This protest has nothing to do with antisemitism,” Alexander van Stokkum, one of the demonstrators, told the AFP news agency on Sunday. “It is against ******** hooligans who were destroying our city.” Others told a Reuters journalist: “We refuse to let the charge of antisemitism be weaponised to suppress ************ resistance.” The news agency reported that more than 100 people were detained for attending the protest. Police in Amsterdam confirmed there had been arrests, but have yet to say how many. Following the protest ban, Dutch activist Frank van der Linde applied for an urgent permit so Sunday’s demonstration could go ahead. On X, he said that he wanted to protest what he described as “the genocide in Gaza”, adding: “We will not let our right to demonstrate be taken away.” Mr Van der Linde was overruled by Amsterdam’s district court, which wrote on Sunday that “the mayor has rightly determined that there is a ban on demonstrating in the city this weekend”. Dutch national newspaper De Telegraaf reports Mr Van der Linde was among those arrested. Source link #Dozens #detained #protesters #defy #mayors #ban Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Full transcript of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 10, 2024 Full transcript of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Nov. 10, 2024 On this “Face the Nation” broadcast, moderated by Margaret Brennan: Sen. Bill Hagerty, *********** of Tennessee White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan Rep. Ro Khanna, Democrat of California Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari Karen Pierce, British ambassador to the U.S. Click here to browse full transcripts of “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m Margaret Brennan. And this week on Face the Nation: What’s next for America after former President Trump’s decisive victory? With Donald Trump and his allies now focused on their agenda for Washington and the world, how and will he deliver on his campaign promises? We will begin with *********** Senator Bill Hagerty. He served in Trump’s first term as ambassador to Japan. Will he return for a ******* role in the second? National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will be here to discuss President Biden’s national security priorities, as the clock ticks down on the commander in chief. Plus: After Democrats lost support from key voter groups, the party faces an identity crisis and the process of rebuilding. California Congressman Ro Khanna will weigh in on the challenges ahead. British Ambassador to the U.S. Dame Karen Pierce will be here to talk about the ********* reaction to Trump’s return. And we will check in with Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari about the Fed’s interest rate cut and the incoming administration’s ambitious plans to reshape the economy. It’s all just ahead on Face the Nation. Good morning, and welcome to Face the Nation. As we wrap up campaign 2024, the scope of *********** control in Washington over the next few years is coming into focus. Overnight, CBS projected Donald Trump the winner in Arizona, giving him a complete electoral vote sweep of the seven battleground states. With a final tally of 312 electoral votes, Republicans scored their biggest White House win in 36 years. Republicans will also control the Senate with at least 52 seats, and there are two races that have not yet been called by CBS News. Control of the House is still to be determined with a few contests outstanding, but CBS News rates it as leaning *********** at this point. We begin this morning with what we have learned about the incoming Trump administration, personnel, priorities, and more. We turn now to Robert Costa. Bob, good to have you here. I know you have been speaking to your sources. What will the second term look like? ROBERT COSTA: Great to be with you, Margaret. In recent days, I have spoken to president-elect Trump, called him up on the phone, along with his top advisers and allies. And what’s notable about this transition is that, unlike in 2016, when he was elected as a Washington outsider, now he knows all the players in Washington. And he alone, more than any other aid, is evaluating the personnel and possibilities around him. And he reflected in one of our conversations about how he sees his mandate, that he has a movement and a base and now a party that’s fully behind him. And he wants to make sure that anyone who comes on board has his same vision for that mandate and for his perceived level of support. And you have seen in recent days people around Trump in the wider orbit are trying to recommend a lot of names, but it’s Trump himself who’s saying to his top aides like Susie Wiles, his incoming chief of staff, that he wants to make sure that this is not a chaotic process and it’s reflective of where he wants to go, more than any other kind of counsel. And on foreign policy, for example, you see names like Senator Bill Hagerty, Senator Marco Rubio, former Ambassador Ric Grenell, all people who identify with Trump’s vision. But those who have had issues with Trump in the past about how he perceives foreign policy, like, for example, former Ambassador Nikki Haley or former Secretary Mike Pompeo, are now out of the process. And it’s not because of any personal trouble with Trump, I’m told. It’s because, at the end of the day, Trump wants to make sure things are moving along smoothly on ideological and policy lines come January. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do we know what it was with Mike Pompeo, who served him quite loyally for four years as CIA director and secretary of state? Was it his support, for example, of Ukraine? ROBERT COSTA: It’s just a different orbit around Trump right now. The president-elect has people like Donald Trump Jr., Elon Musk. He has Steve Bannon on the outside advising him. These are people who are noninterventionists. These are people who aren’t traditional *********** hawks. That’s not to say some hawks won’t end up in this administration or some Wall Street figures might end up in this administration as well. I’m told by my sources that the president-elect is not ruling out mainstream Republicans or more centrist Republicans from joining his team. But, at this point, he’s moving quickly to make sure his base, his party, and his image is reflected in the personnel picks fully. MARGARET BRENNAN: What are his priorities for the 1st 100 days? Or is that too traditional a way of thinking about it? ROBERT COSTA: No, they have a real agenda this time. You remember, in 2017, it was somewhat sporadic in how they moved and navigated on health care and taxes. They are moving quickly already behind the scenes to expand the Trump tax cuts, to institute sweeping tariffs across the board. They’re also going to try to, on foreign policy, begin negotiations with Ukraine and Russia sometime early next year. And you have mass deportations, more than anything, galvanizing the Trump people behind the scenes. Of course, they know it’s going to be controversial. To remove undocumented migrants in a big way across the country could be logistically difficult and politically challenging, but they’re moving ahead. MARGARET BRENNAN: Bob Costa, thank you. And we turn now to Tennessee *********** Senator Bill Hagerty, who also served as U.S. ambassador to Japan. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY (R-Tennessee): Yes, Margaret. MARGARET BRENNAN: … during the first Trump administration. It’s good to have you here. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: It’s good to be with you. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, Donald Trump has this sweeping mandate, as do Republicans. Do you see this as an unrestrained presidency? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Oh, I think this is a presidency that has a mandate like we haven’t seen, as you mentioned, in 36 years. The ********* public has spoken loud and clear. And I think if you go back to your interview with Bob, there are a number of places where Washington has been out of touch with the ********* people. You mentioned Ukraine. I think that’s a great example. The ********* people want sovereignty protected here in America before we spend our funds and resources protecting the sovereignty of another nation. You think about it, we’ve sent $175 billion of U.S. aid to Ukraine. That’s more than three times the entire annual budget of the U.S. Marine Corps. I have been one of the few senators in the ******* States Senate who has voted and has opposed every cent of this Ukraine aid. MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: I have been listening to the ********* people. We need to focus on our own issues first. And I have taken a lot of heat over it from Mitch McConnell, from “The Wall Street Journal.” MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: But this is what the ********* people spoke up and want us to do. We should never have been in Ukraine. It’s a result of ******* policies, ******* energy policies, the ******** in Afghanistan. MARGARET BRENNAN: There’s no U.S. presence in Ukraine. Are you talking about… SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: No, but our funds. I’m talking about the vast amount of funds, again, $175 billion. That’s a tremendous amount, as I said, more than three times the budget of the U.S. Marine Corps. The ********* people want to focus on fixing our problems here. And with the border’s collapse, with ****** in the cities, we’ve got to pay attention to America. MARGARET BRENNAN: So does that mean just cuts to U.S. military aid to all countries? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: What it means is that we need to take a very deliberate focus on America first. But we need to be leading from a position of strength, Margaret. As I said, we would not be in this position. Now what we have is an administration that’s allowing Russia to sell at a $60-a-barrel cap. The argument they make, that reduces Russia’s profits. What it does, actually, is it subsidizes China to compete again unfairly against us with an energy cost advantage. MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: And we keep Vladimir ****** fully funding this war in Ukraine. We need to stop that. We need to go back to producing our own energy and take Russia out. Interestingly, interestingly, I will call this the Trump effect. But just in the past 72 hours, what we’ve seen is the E.U. say, maybe we should replace Russian LNG with U.S. LNG. You’ve seen in New York City… MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, that – that’s been talked about for some time. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: … we’re not going to issue debit cards to ******** immigrants anymore. Migrant caravans are being broken up below the border and turned around. The U.K. has said, we’re going to step our defense budget up to about 2.5 percent, all since President Trump was elected. MARGARET BRENNAN: Some of that was – was in process already, but let me ask you specifically on Ukraine. So Hungary’s Prime Minister has said that Donald Trump has told him he will cut off support to Ukraine. You are saying here, I think, in the new Congress, there will be no more aid to Ukraine. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: I have certainly not voted for any aid. MARGARET BRENNAN: I know you haven’t, but is that – is that the mandate? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: And I think President Trump will find – President Trump will find a way to deal with this. I’m not going to get ahead of him. I’m certain that he’s going to find a way to navigate this that’s in the interest of the ********* people and will stop the carnage. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, but… SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Look, what’s happened in Ukraine is terrible. People are dying. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: They continue to ****. But we need to stop this. MARGARET BRENNAN: But – but here’s the thing, we also are seeing this alignment of like an axis of adversaries, right? You have Iranian equipment. You have ******** equipment. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Deeply concerning, yes. MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. You have North Korean personnel on the battlefield. So this idea that Ukraine is somehow divorced from the rest of geopolitics doesn’t seem to be bearing out. It’s of deep concern to some of our ****** allies, Japan, South Korea. So how are you going to be able to do this without complicating the chessboard? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Well, I think it’s become complicated because America has not been standing in a position of strength. The reason is that Russia has been fully funded because of the policies that allow them to sell energy. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, there are extensive sanctions on Russia, whether or not they’re… SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Iran, we had them shut down. Iran was broke. Now they’re able to fund ******* all over the world. We had a maximum pressure campaign. MARGARET BRENNAN: In part because they have all these other adversaries that they’re doing business with, right? China. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: They were not able to do that under the Trump administration. That’s why we saw peace breaking out in the Middle East. Without Iran being shut down, which is what we did under the maximum pressure campaign – President Trump led this. We were able to move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Everybody said it couldn’t happen. It did. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: The Abraham Accords. Peace was breaking out in the Middle East because Iran could not fund *******. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well… SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: As soon as the Biden administration came in, they stopped enforcing… MARGARET BRENNAN: There were attacks by Iran during the Trump administration. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Nothing to the level that we’ve seen here. MARGARET BRENNAN: And the ************** of Qasem Soleimani. But, on the Middle East. *******’s Prime Minister said this morning that he spoke to President Trump three times in recent days, and they discussed Iran and they discussed a peace plan. Do you know what the content of those conversations was? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: No. And, if I did, I wouldn’t discuss them here, because that has to be navigated very carefully. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, one of the reasons I ask is, we do have this this mid-November deadline that the State Department, the Pentagon have set for ******* to improve the flow of aid to Gaza’s two million residents. The U.N. says there is famine already, or on the verge of famine. If it is found that ******* is indeed violating. U.S. law, would you hold them accountable? Should there be consequences? Because they are recipients of U.S. aid. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Well, I have had huge disagreements with this administration in terms of how they’ve administered their entire policy. MARGARET BRENNAN: But this is U.S. law. It’s not just this administration. It’s humanitarian law. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Yes. Well, I think what we’ve seen just break out again in the past 70-plus hours since President Trump won the election, ****** is now looking for total peace. So I think the environment has totally changed. MARGARET BRENNAN: What do you mean? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: They’ve announced they’d like to see peace. They like to see peace in Gaza. Let’s see where that leads. MARGARET BRENNAN: You believe – you believe that there will be a ******** deal negotiated under President Trump? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: I would like to see what – I would like to see what ****** means by this statement. But it seems that the entire environment is shifting right now. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Because they see new leadership coming in. And I’m encouraged by that, and I think we’ll have new opportunities to – again, President Trump was able to deliver peace through strength. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: I think that’s on the way, and I’m optimistic what it might lead to. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, one of the interesting dynamics we saw in this election was that Mr. Trump was able to, in some ways, successfully campaign and peel off ******* voters, ***** voters. Certainly, in the state of Michigan, you saw some of that. Do you think – and they were frustrated by the carnage in Gaza. As a result, do you think Mr. Trump ends up with more wiggle room here to perhaps hold the ******** prime minister to account, or does he just give a green light? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: I think what President Trump is going to do is focus on the root cause, to borrow a term that was used a great deal in the last administration. He’s going to focus on Iran, because the cause of this is the Iranian funding and training… MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: … of ******, of Hezbollah, of the Houthis. That would have never happened… MARGARET BRENNAN: But in terms of… SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: … except for the fact that they released the enforcement of sanctions… (CROSSTALK) MARGARET BRENNAN: … upholding international law and U.S. legal standards to recipients of U.S. military aid, do you think he will stick by that? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: President Trump is certainly going to uphold U.S. law, but he is also going to make certain that our allies are properly cared for and that our adversaries are dealt with accordingly. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, I don’t have to tell you this, because you know Asia really well, but five of America’s seven treaty commitments are in that Asia-Pacific. The U.S. has exposure there in a tremendous way. The last time Donald Trump was president, he talked about pulling U.S. troops out of Japan, pulling them out of South Korea. Is that a priority now, reducing the military footprint in Asia? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: I think that comes back again to the ******** of the elite here in Washington, Margaret, to understand how a businessperson negotiates. Everybody has got to sit down and talk about what the options are. We have been supporting military presence in that area ever since World War Two, ever since the Korean War, a significant investment on behalf of the ********* people. Those investments were made at a time when these economies were collapsed. They were developing countries. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Today, they are fully developed countries. It’s entirely relevant and I think appropriate for President Trump to discuss, within the level of support… MARGARET BRENNAN: But in terms of signaling strength, saying we might ditch our allies isn’t exactly a positive message, right? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: I think the message should be that our allies can and should step up to the extent possible to strengthen their own capabilities. We’re seeing it happen. We’re seeing it happen in Japan. They’ve agreed to double their defense budget from 1 percent to 2 percent of GDP. That’s a positive development. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: They’re trying to work more closely with us. I think, in President Trump’s administration, they definitely will. This is the direction that we need to go. Same for South Korea. MARGARET BRENNAN: Before I let you go, you are on a number of powerful Senate Committees. Do you think you’re more useful to Mr. Trump in the Senate, or would you join his Cabinet, if asked? SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: I will just say this. I was privileged to have a tremendous career in business, but one of the greatest honors in my life was to represent the ******* States, the greatest country in the world, in President Trump’s administration overseas. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: It’s also been one of the greatest honors in my life to represent the people of Tennessee serving in the ******* States Senate. In whatever role I hold going – going forward, it’s going to be advanced – – it’s going to be advancing the positions that President Trump has articulated that the ********* people overwhelmingly supported. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: And I will do that in whatever role necessary, but we are going to see America strong again. MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Hagerty, thank you for your time today. SENATOR BILL HAGERTY: Thank you so much, Margaret. Good to be with you. MARGARET BRENNAN: We will be right back. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re back with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Jake, good to have you here. JAKE SULLIVAN (U.S. National Security Adviser): Thanks for having me. MARGARET BRENNAN: So we know President Biden and president-elect Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday. There are a lot of fires around the world. What is it that President Biden wants to deliver in terms of a focus and message? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, the first and most important message will be that President Biden is committed to the peaceful transfer of power and to a responsible handoff from one president to the next, which is in the best tradition of our country and has been for the last 240 years. And then they will go through the top issues, both domestic and foreign policy issues, including what is happening in Europe and Asia and the Middle East. And the president will have the chance to explain to President Trump how he sees things, where they stand and talk to President Trump about how President Trump is thinking about taking on these – these issues when he takes office. MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, let’s go to Ukraine, because we just heard from Senator Hagerty that world view from that portion of the *********** Party right now. We know the war is expanding there. The North Korean troops seem to have entered the ******. You have all these adversaries all in on Russia winning there. What can you do in the remaining 70 days to sort of change what’s happening on the ground or Trump-proof the strategy, so to speak? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, look, our approach ******** the same as it’s been for the last 2.5 years, which is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield, so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table. And it should be up to Ukraine to decide, for its own sovereignty and its own territorial integrity, when and how it goes to the negotiating table. It should be up to the ******* States and a coalition of nations that we have built to continue to supply Ukraine with the means to defend itself against brutal Russian aggression. MARGARET BRENNAN: You’ve got, like, what, $6 billion in money left that’s already… NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: And President Biden made clear when President Zelenskyy was here in Washington a couple of months ago that we would spend all of the resources that were provided to us by the Congress on time and in full, meaning that, by January 20, we will have sent the full amount of resources and aid to Ukraine the Congress has authorized. And, of course, President Biden will have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to the Congress and to the incoming administration that the ******* States should not walk away from Ukraine, that walking away from Ukraine means more instability in Europe. And, ultimately, as the ********* Prime Minister said, if we walk away from Ukraine in Europe, the question about America’s commitment to our allies in Asia will grow. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you mean President Biden is going to ask Congress to pass more money for Ukraine before he leaves office? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Look, I’m not here to put forward a specific legislative proposal. But President Biden will make the case that we do need ongoing resources for Ukraine beyond the end of his term, because the threat to Ukraine will remain no matter what exactly happens on the battlefield or at the negotiating table, and the ******* States should not walk away from its commitment, either to Ukraine or to 50 nations that we have rallied in defense of Ukraine in both Europe and Asia. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, U.S. intelligence assessed that Russia favored Donald Trump in this election, that Russia interfered in a fairly dramatic and visible fashion with these fake videos. What consequence are they going to pay, if any, for doing that? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, first, let’s not forget that we are currently helping Ukraine ****** Russia in Ukraine… MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: … in the most dramatic and full-throated way one could – could imagine. So we are already doing a substantial number of things to impose costs on Russia. We have also passed the most sweeping sanctions on Russia that we have seen against a major economy in the world… MARGARET BRENNAN: But Senator Hagerty was saying it’s – Russia’s doing fine even with those sanctions. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, first of all, you can see in many different ways, whether it’s inflation in Russia, whether it’s their ability over time to actually grow their economy, their technology, their capacity to invest in new sources of energy going down the line, that the picture for Russia looks increasingly bleak as time goes on, and that the sanctions are biting. They have not stopped, obviously, Russia from being able to carry out its military operations in Ukraine today, but they have painted a darker picture for Ukraine – for Russia tomorrow. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you know what Russia is giving North Korea’s Kim Jong-un in exchange for the men he is sending to ****** on the battlefield in Ukraine? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: We don’t know for sure. And, frankly, I think Vladimir ****** doesn’t know for sure. I think he probably hasn’t decided exactly what he’s going to do for North Korea on a going-forward basis. But I will tell you this. Kim Jong-un expects that he’s going to get something significant, probably in the form of military and technology support from Russia. MARGARET BRENNAN: For its nuclear program? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: And that’s a distinct possibility. I can’t say exactly what will happen, but we have already heard the Russians come out and say that North Korea’s nuclear program should be looked at differently today than it was five or 10 years ago. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: So the concern about the relationship between Russia and North Korea in both directions is very real and something that all of the nations of the free world need to pay attention to. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he spoke to Donald Trump three times in the past few days. The ******** president, Isaac Herzog, is coming to the White House. That was just announced. What makes you think in these final days of the Biden administration that Benjamin Netanyahu would agree to peace in Gaza or agree to peace in Lebanon and not hold on to that political capital for the new president? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Well, Prime Minister Netanyahu will make his decisions, and – and he’ll speak to his decisions. Here’s what I see. First, in Gaza, it really today is not ******* that is standing in the way of a cease-***** and ******** deal. It is ******. ******* has said it’s prepared to do a temporary cease-***** for a number of hostages and then try to build on that to get all of the hostages home. MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you know what… NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: ****** has said no. MARGARET BRENNAN: … Mr. – Senator Hagerty was talking about on that with ******? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: I don’t know about the particular statement he made. What I will tell you is, whatever ****** is saying publicly, what they are communicating to the mediators is, no, we will not do a cease-*****-and- ******** deal at this time. So what we need to do is get the rest of the world to continue to increase pressure on ****** to come to the table to do a deal in Gaza, because the ******** government has said it’s prepared to take a temporary step in that direction. And then, when it comes to Lebanon, we have been actively engaged in discussions with the ******** government. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Those should remain behind closed doors. But we do believe that, at some point, the ******** government wants to do a deal that gets its citizens back home. I don’t think it’s doing that deal for ********* politics. I think it’s doing that deal to try to secure *******. And I expect that, in the coming weeks, we will see progress in that direction. MARGARET BRENNAN: Will you hold ******* to account? Because the secretaries of state and defense have sent letters saying that they’re not allowing in aid to the degree they should, and that there are possibly forced displacements from Northern Gaza. On this program, you have said that was essentially a red line. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: So, basically, what you have seen from Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken is a letter to their ******** counterparts that says… MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: … here is a set of steps we expect you to take, and we are going to measure you against the progress you are making towards those steps. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: This week, we will make our judgments about what kind of progress they have made. And then Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken, the president will make judgments about what we do in response, and I’m not going to get ahead of that. MARGARET BRENNAN: Very quickly, President Xi and President Biden will be in the same place at these summits in the next few days. Will the president confront him about this pervasive and massive hacking of telecom companies known as Salt Typhoon? NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: President Biden, every time he sees his ******** counterpart, President Xi, speaks to him about cyber- enabled espionage, about cyberattacks. MARGARET BRENNAN: This is a significant *******. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: Yes, it is. It is an absolutely significant *******. It’s something that the FBI, our Department of Homeland Security, and our entire national security enterprise is digging into in a big way. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mm-hmm. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN: And, of course, it will be on the agenda between every ********* official and every ******** official in the weeks ahead. MARGARET BRENNAN: Jake Sullivan, a lot happening in the world. Thank you for coming in and talking to us. We’ll be right back with a lot more Face the Nation. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: Stay tuned across CBS News for all the latest news on president-elect Donald Trump’s transition plans and how his new policies will impact Americans. You can watch live or on demand on Paramount+ or on our CBS News app. We will be right back. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: We will be right back with California Congressman Ro Khanna. Stay with us. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to FACE THE NATION. We’re joined now by Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna. He’s in California this morning. Good morning to you. This was a rough week for Democrats. I don’t have to tell you that. But, Congressman, I mean, just to level with the ********* people, Democrats and the Harris campaign told them that the fate of democracy itself was at stake. Was that a cynical, political tactic, or, if it’s reality, what is the plan now? REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA (D-CA): Well, Margaret, I think what was at stake is the degradation of ********* democracy. The course of this, a political discourse. The idea that you have people who are undocumented, 12 million, who may be subject to a violation of their rights. The issues is about climate and the reversal on that. I’ve never said that you weren’t going to have future elections. And I was never one of these people who said you’re not going to have 2026 or 2028. In one or two years, Donald Trump is going to be a lame duck. But I do think that we need to make sure we stand up for people’s rights in this country and are looking forward and what we can do to win back the House and the White House. MARGARET BRENNAN: When we look at CBS polling, when you compare Harris in 2024 to Biden in 2020, you see clearly that the Democratic coalition lost support among Latino voters, young voters, women. Republicans really made gains here with men of ****** as well. Why do you think there is this fracturing? REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA: We did not have a compelling enough economic vision. The Democratic Party should have one simple mission, and that is to address the economic hardships and struggles of many Americans, not just working class Americans, a large slice of Americans who feel the ********* dream has slipped away for their families and their kids. And you have new voices, Congress people like Pat Ryan, Mary – Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Chris Deluzio, who are saying, look, we need to have a vision on building new factories, on helping raise minimum wage, on dealing with child care, and emphasize that our party has a better economic story. I think that can unify our party, moderates and progressives, and it transcends race and will help us with Latino voters, ****** voters, white working class voters. And we had a better vision than Donald Trump on that. MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, it’s interesting, in this Monday morning quarterbacking that’s happening, to hear from so many Democrats now who are saying that they think that economic message should have been front and center, but that they felt constrained somehow by this focus on identity politics. Tom Suozzi of New York brought that up, talking about Republicans being able to weaponize anarchy on college campuses, defunding the police, and gender questions and ****** sports. Do you think this, you know, movement, woke politics, really was incredibly damaging to the left? Because a large part of that came from the progressive wing in – on which you are a member. REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA: Well, I have always said that we need to be emphasizing the economic issues. But I don’t think we should run away for standing up for trans rights, for standing up for equal rights for people, for teaching ********* history responsibly. You can be true to your values with two things, Margaret. One, if someone disagrees with you, we need to respect that disagreement, not cancel or shame them. Don’t shy away from your convictions, but have a reasonable conversation. I did that with Megyn Kelly on a podcast on trans rights. I stuck to my position, but we had a reasonable conversation. The second thing is, if we emphasize the economic hardships people are facing. I’ve got $12 trillion in my district in Silicon Valley while towns like Johnstown (ph) were hollowed out. Galesburg, Illinois, were hollowed out. We can build new factories. We can build new industry. We can create new economic opportunity. We have a vision of how to do that. Joe Biden – President Biden started it. I think we can win over people, even if they may not agree with us, on a particular social issue. MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me ask you specifically about your district, since you just mentioned it. Silicon Valley was thought of as reliably blue, but particularly in this election you saw money going towards Donald Trump. You’ve seen some very prominent tech names, Elon Musk significantly. And J.D. Vance, the vice presidential candidate, he really reached out into that tech community as part of that campaign. What is the thing that Silicon Valley thinks it’s going to get from a Trump administration? Is it – is it no taxes on capital gains? Is it not regulating crypto? What is it that the people in your district think they’re getting from Donald Trump? REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA: Well, first of all, Margaret, 70 percent of Silicon Valley still supported Vice President Harris and Democrats. MARGARET BRENNAN: Yes. REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA: But you’re right that we had slippage, and probably now 20 percent, 30 percent support Donald Trump. They have different reasons for doing it. Some of them want more free speech. Some of them want deregulation. Some of them want tax cuts. Some of them want AI not to be regulated. Some of them were concerned on crypto. But I think what the Democrats need to remind folks of, and I reminded Elon of this, is that Tesla got funding from President Obama. SpaceX got started because Ash Carter, under President Obama, helped Elon get that facility. The Democrats are the party that has invested in the science and technology to help build Silicon Valley. And we can be the party that helps AI and robotics build new factories, build new industry in different parts of the country. When we argue policy, we have a better vision for how to get Americans and prosperity in a modern economy. And if we focus on that, I believe we will win back the majority and win back in 2028. MARGARET BRENNAN: Former Speaker Pelosi told “The New York Times” there were messaging errors, yes, but she also said, there should have been an open primary system here, and that President Biden’s decision to endorse Vice President Harris immediately made it impossible. Do you agree with her? REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA: Well, look, I have a lot of respect for Speaker Pelosi, but I’ve sort of chuckled with people have said this about President Biden because the day he got out we had Democrats with the most over the top superlatives, comparing him to George Washington, saying he did the most honorable thing. So now to go back and criticize him seems a bit contradictory. I think this was a winnable campaign, even when he got out. Vice President Harris was five points up in some of the polls. Anyone who is saying now this was not a winnable campaign didn’t say that back in August. The reason we didn’t win ultimately is we didn’t listen enough to people on the ground. People like Chris Deluzio, Pat Wright (ph), who were saying, talk about the economy. Talk about people’s economic struggles. Have – convince people you have the better policies and better vision. The reason I’m hopeful for the future is, we have the substance. We actually – you can’t build new factories just with tariffs and tax cuts. You need federal financing. We have actual investment in apprenticeships. And I think over the long run, the ********* people will see the truth of the policy ideas. MARGARET BRENNAN: You were a surrogate for Joe Biden. You were then a surrogate for Kamala Harris. And on this program you defended both many times. One place you did create space was on the issue of Gaza. You said when you were going to college campuses, when you were talking to progressives, when you were talking to voters of ******, not just ****** and Muslims, you heard there was a problem here. Do you think that the numbers you saw, particularly in Michigan, vindicated your point of view, or was there just a greater force at work? REPRESENTATIVE RO KHANNA: I think she would have certainly won Michigan if there was more of a reckoning with the failures of policy on Gaza. And that wasn’t my point of view. That was the point of view of a lot of people I was hearing on the ground. I also think, beyond Michigan, this really was a concern for a lot of young people and a lot of progressives. Now, my hope is, because President Trump got some of the votes from the ******* and ***** community, I was just on a bipartisan CODEL in Saudi Arabia, they have said that if the president wants a deal with Saudi Arabia that the ************ state and a two-state solution has to be front and center, and I hope we can work towards actually doing that after the war. MARGARET BRENNAN: Ro Khanna. Congressman, thank you very much for your time today. We’ll be right back. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to the economy and Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari. He joins us now. Neel, good morning to you. NEEL KASHKARI (Minneapolis Federal Reserve President): Good morning, Margaret. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, right after the election, another big event was the Federal Reserve moving on interest rates, cutting them for the second time so far this year. That seemed to indicate that you believe inflation is being defeated here. Can you tell us your assessment of how stable the economy is and how confident you are that we are on a glide path that will avoid recession? NEEL KASHKARI: Well, we’ve made a lot of progress in bringing inflation down, and the economy has remained remarkably strong. We keep getting revisions to GDP that are – show that the economy is growing even faster than we had appreciated, and the unemployment rate is 4.1 percent. So, right now, the economy is in a good place. Inflation is still running around 2.5 percent or so. So, we’re not all the way home. We need to finish the job. But so far so good. I mean I don’t want to declare victory yet. We need to finish the job. But we’re on a good path right now. MARGARET BRENNAN: Finish the job. Are – you’re – it sounds like you’re expecting another rate cut? NEEL KASHKARI: Well, we want to have confidence that inflation is going to go all the way back down to our 2 percent target. So, if you look at the – what we call the summary of economic projections, which are the forecast that my colleagues and I put out, the expectation is that we would do another interest rate cut in December. We need to actually see what the data looks like before reaching any conclusions. And that’s six weeks from now. But I think another rate cut is certainly possible. But ultimately, if the economy continues to perform well, a strong economy, a strong labor market, that’s going to – that’s the outcome that we’re all trying to achieve. And I don’t think that that’s a partisan view. I think everybody’s on board with trying to achieve that. MARGARET BRENNAN: The Fed is apolitical. But we are looking at promises of major changes in this new administration. One of them is mass deportations. When you were last here in June, we talked about the impact of immigration on inflation. You said, in some ways it helps lower it by filling jobs. At the same time you said it may contribute to it because it creates more demand for goods. How long before we would see the economic impact of say a mass deportation plan? NEEL KASHKARI: Well, it’s a great question, Margaret. I mean I think – if you just assume that people are working, either working in farms or working in factories, and then those businesses now lose employees, that would probably cause some disruption for those businesses as they try to respond to that. And so the implications for inflation are not entirely clear to me. I think ultimately it’s going to be between the business community and Congress and the executive branch to figure out what – you know, how they would adjust to that and how – how long it would take and how disruptive it would be. I don’t have any insight into that. I’m not sure what the inflation implications would be. I think it’s a big question of how long it would take, how many new immigrants were coming in. There’s just so much uncertainly about what the actual policies will be, what will get passed through the Congress, how it will be implemented. We, at the Fed, will simply wait. We have to wait and see what the rest of the government decides to do before we analyze what it means for the economy going forward. MARGARET BRENNAN: And I know you don’t control fiscal policy, but the president-elect has unveiled a plan that estimates say would add $8 trillion to the deficit. How concerned are you about rising deficits? NEEL KASHKARI: Well, if you look over the long-term, if you look at, for example, at the Congressional Budget Office forecast of debts and deficits, they grow to the moon. They grow unsustainably. So, at some point, those have to be addressed. And that is purely the domain of the Congress and the executive branch to negotiate how to do that. At some point they have to be addressed. And so our focus is, whatever Congress and the administration decide to do, we have our goals. Our goals are 2 percent inflation and a strong labor market, maximum employment, and we will adjust our monetary policies to try to achieve that. But, you’re right, over the long run, it’s clear that the deficit needs to be addressed. But that is also, as I said, the domain of Congress and the executive branch to sort out. MARGARET BRENNAN: Goldman Sachs analysts were out this week with a report saying that the last time we saw Trump tariffs, it – the cost was passed along to consumers. They estimate every 5 percent increase in the tariff rate would reduce corporate earnings per share by 1 to 2 percent because it would pull back consumer spending, possibly trigger retaliatory tariffs and increased uncertainty. How much of a downside risk is there if we get into this business of tariffs? NEEL KASHKARI: Well, from an inflation perspective, it’s pretty easy to model a one-time tariff. So, if somebody imposed a 1 percent tariff or a 10 percent tariff, you would think that that would increase prices of those goods either 1 percent or 10 percent. That’s pretty easy to model and it shouldn’t have an effect long-run on inflation. The challenge becomes if there’s a **** for tat and it’s one country imposing tariffs and then responses and it’s escalating. MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. NEEL KASHKARI: That’s where it becomes more concerning, and, frankly, a lot more uncertain. So I think, again, with – as is with fiscal policy, we’ll have to wait and see what actually gets implemented and then how other countries might respond to that. It’s just – right now we’re just all guessing what will actually happen. MARGARET BRENNAN: But it’s safe to say that the new president will take office with what appears to be the economy trending upwards? NEEL KASHKARI: The economy is strong. You know, when I reach out to business and labor unions all around my region it’s one of cautious optimism, that the economy is doing well, there are jobs available. And we want to keep the economy doing well. We want to keep that growth going while we get inflation all the way back down to 2 percent. And so, right now, I would say, we have a strong economy, and that’s a really good thing. And our objective is to keep it there. MARGARET BRENNAN: Chair Powell was asked this week at a press conference if he would resign if asked. He made clear he does not think that the law would require that. And, in fact, it would violate the law. But there is a broader conversation right now about political influence on the Fed. Are you concerned about it? NEEL KASHKARI: I’m not. My colleagues and I at the Federal Reserve are totally committed to the dual mandate goals of 2 percent inflation and maximum employment that Congress has assigned us. That’s what’s driving the decisions that we’ve been making. And that will continue to do so. And there are also structural elements that are designed by Congress to provide continuity. So, the governors at the board of governors in Washington serve up to 14-year terms. The presidents of the reserve banks are independent. These are structures that Congress put in place to provide continuity. Between that and, I think, bipartisan support, that we all want to get inflation back down to 2 percent and we want to keep the economy strong, I’m confident that we will continue to focus on our economic jobs, and that’s what should be dictating what we’re doing, and that is what’s dictating what we’re doing. MARGARET BRENNAN: Neel Kashkari, thank you for your time today. We’ll be back in a moment. (ANNOUNCEMENTS) MARGARET BRENNAN: We’re now joined by Dame Karen Pierce, the U.K.’s ambassador to the ******* States. Welcome back to FACE THE NATION. DAME KAREN PIERCE (British Ambassador to the ******* States): Thank you very much, Margaret. Nice to be here. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, Ambassador, after this election there was a lot of chatter in Europe about Europe needing to act alone, or at least without as much of an ********* support mechanism there. The French president said, “Europe needs to take back control.” Italy’s prime minister said, “don’t ask what the U.S. can do for you, ask what Europe should do for itself.” What do you think Trump’s return will mean for Europe? DAME KAREN PIERCE: I think in all my experience, Margaret, when America and Europe work together, that’s when you get success. That’s when you get coherence in policy. We saw that in the Balkans. We’ve seen it at every conflict since the 1990s. It’s great that Europe wants to do more. We want to be a part of that. We’ve got a lot of burden sharing going on in Europe on Ukraine. I think perhaps it’s not well understood in America, if I may say so, quite how much Europe is doing for Ukraine, and we want to talk about that with the incoming administration, as well as work with the Biden team to help Ukraine even further. MARGARET BRENNAN: The ******* Kingdom, of course, has provided a tremendous amount of weaponry and support to Ukraine. DAME KAREN PIERCE: That’s exactly right. I think we’re over $16 billion all in. We provided the first tanks. We provided the first anti-tank weapons. We have trained Ukrainian pilots. We’re going to go on supporting Ukraine for as long as they need us. MARGARET BRENNAN: Will you do that if the ******* States cuts off financial and military aid to Ukraine? DAME KAREN PIERCE: Well, we obviously hope that doesn’t happen and we’re going to be wanting to have lots of conversations with the outgoing and incoming administrations on just how best to support Ukraine. I think we all want the same thing. We want a stable, secure, peaceful Euro-Atlantic area. And if ****** is allowed to succeed in Ukraine, that threatens all of us, including the U.S., and it certainly emboldens China. And I don’t think anyone in the U.S. wants to see that. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, on Friday, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban, who is a problematic NATO ally, he’s friends with Vladamir ****** and Donald Trump, he said, “the situation on the front is obvious. There’s been a military defeat. The Americans are going to pull out of this war.” He’s talking about Ukraine. Do you think Mr. Trump is persuadable on this issue? DAME KAREN PIERCE: Well, I don’t think it’s for any single ********* leader to say what President Trump might do. I think we need to hear from President Trump after inauguration on what the new administration plans are. But certainly, I know they share our goal of wanting to have security and stability, and we’ll be talking to them and the outgoing Biden administration to see how best we can support Ukraine. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Orban does speak with Donald Trump, but you don’t get the sense that he is reflecting what’s next? DAME KAREN PIERCE: We speak to Donald Trump. The prime minister spoke to him very recently on the Wednesday after, the day after the election. In my experience, President Trump is his own person. He’ll listen to a lot of advice, some of it solicited, some of it unsolicited, and he’ll weigh the ***** and ***** and he’ll come to his own decision. But I have always found him and his team very willing to listen to our point of view. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, on the trade front, there’s also concern in Europe, as I understand it, about what may be coming with tariffs. The Trump campaign has proposed a 10 percent across the board tariff on Europe. Goldman Sachs projects it will be perhaps a little bit more limited and focused on auto exports. Do you have a sense that the U.K. may be able to avoid this kind of financial penalty, essentially? DAME KAREN PIERCE: We would very much hope so, as the U.K. You know, we’ve got free trade in our DNA, as it were. We don’t believe in tariffs as an instrument of trade. We have a slightly different approach for many ********* trade specialists on that. And I think the last thing the world needs at the moment is a tariff war. That doesn’t help anybody. Trade and investments is a hugely important part of what we do with America. Something like a trillion dollars goes backwards and forwards across the Atlantic in trade and investment each year. Let’s not put that at risk. Let’s try and find out how we can work together to increase investment in trade. And there’s also the really important issue of economic security that’s now come onto the agenda. And we’ll be wanting to talk to the incoming administration about that also. MARGARET BRENNAN: So, you served here in Washington during the first Trump administration. You know many of these players. The current U.K. government is a different one, of course, from that ******* of time, with the Labour Party in charge. I have to ask you about that direct relationship, because the top diplomat, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, years ago, and you know this quote, wrote, “Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-***** sympathizing sociopath, he’s a profound threat to the international order.” Are you concerned that those past statements, and the ideological differences, will be a problem in what has been a special relationship? DAME KAREN PIERCE: I don’t think the past statements will be a problem, to be absolutely honest, Margaret. Politicians say a lot of things on both sides. And even in America, some people who are now in the Trump administration, or will be in the Trump administration, like the vice president-elect, have also said critical things about President Trump. In my experience, politicians kind of absorb those sorts of comments as part of the wear and tear of political life. What’s important is the relationship now. David Lammy, the foreign secretary, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, had a very warm dinner with President Trump in September. He very graciously invited them to his private home in Trump Tower. We discussed a huge range of issues. You’re right that they come from different political philosophies. I won’t call them ideological. I don’t think Keir Starmer is ideological. And I don’t think President Trump is. It’s about finding out how we can work together. What they do have in common is this ******* to get the economies moving, to get growth for the ordinary citizen, to make sure things are better for the ordinary citizen. And we had a very good conversation about that with President Trump in September. MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s it. Thank you for watching. Happy birthday, Marines! (ANNOUNCEMENTS) More Source link #Full #transcript #Face #Nation #Margaret #Brennan #Nov Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]