Pelican Press

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]

******** strikes ***** dozens in Lebanon and isolated northern Gaza while Netanyahu and Trump speak – National ******** strikes ***** dozens in Lebanon and isolated northern Gaza while Netanyahu and Trump speak – National ******** strikes ******* dozens of people including children on Sunday in Lebanon and isolated northern Gaza, as the world watched for signs of how the U.S. election might affect the war against Iranian-backed militant groups ****** and Hezbollah. ******** Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has spoken three times with Donald Trump since Tuesday’s election and they “see eye-to-eye regarding the Iranian threat and all of its components.” *******’s president, Isaac Herzog, is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday. The ******** airstrike in Lebanon ******* at least 23 people including seven children in Aalmat village north of Beirut, far from the areas in the east and south where Hezbollah militants have a major presence. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said another six people were wounded. There was no ******** evacuation warning. There was no immediate ******** comment. Hezbollah began ******* rockets, drones and missiles into ******* after war broke out in Gaza, in solidarity with the Palestinians and ******. ******* retaliated, and a series of escalations have led to all-out war. Story continues below advertisement In northern Gaza, an ******** strike on a home sheltering displaced people in the urban ******** camp of Jabaliya ******* at least 17 people including nine women, according to Dr. Fadel Naim, director of Al-Ahly Hospital in Gaza City. *******’s military said it targeted a site where militants were operating, without providing evidence. It said the details of the strike are under review. A separate strike hit a house in Gaza City, ******** Wael al-Khour, a minister in the ******-run government, as well as his wife and three children, according to the Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the government. More on World More videos ******* strikes deeper into Lebanon Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. ******* has struck deeper inside Lebanon since September, when it ******* Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as well as most of his top commanders. Hezbollah has expanded its rocket ***** from northern to central *******. The fighting has ******* over 3,000 people in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry, and more than 70 people in *******. After *******’s strike in Aalmat, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Beirut, legislator Raed Berro denied that any Hezbollah personnel or assets were in the building that was hit, adding: “The important people are on the front line resisting … It is impossible for them to be among people in civilian life.” Hassan Ghaddaf, who lived next door and was lightly wounded, said displaced people were in the house that was struck. Story continues below advertisement “I had seen them and got to know them the other day,” Ghaddaf said. “They were peaceful. On the contrary, they had someone from the Lebanese Internal Security Forces that works for the state, and we saw their garb and clothes in the rubble.” In Syria, an ******** airstrike hit a residential building in the Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab and the Defense Ministry said seven civilians were *******, state news agency SANA reported. Britain-based opposition war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggested Hezbollah was targeted. ******* did not immediately comment. Fears of famine in northern Gaza The mid-month deadline is approaching for an ultimatum the Biden administration gave ******* to allow more aid into Gaza or risk possible restrictions on U.S. military funding. ******** forces have encircled and largely isolated Jabaliya and the nearby northern Gaza towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun for the past month, allowing only a trickle of humanitarian aid. Experts from a panel that monitors food security say famine is imminent or may already be happening. Trending Now ‘Moving to Canada’ searches spike after U.S. election, but it’s not so simple ‘Low risk, high reward’: How **** traffickers use coercive debt to exploit survivors The northern third of Gaza, including Gaza City, has suffered the heaviest destruction of the 13-month war that was triggered by ******’ ******* into southern *******. ******* has sent forces back in after repeated operations, saying ****** has regrouped. ******** strikes often ***** women and children. The military says it only targets militants, whom it accuses of hiding among civilians. Story continues below advertisement Also Sunday, *******’s military released what it said was video footage of ****** abusing detainees. The soundless footage, dated from 2018 to 2020, appears to show hooded detainees chained in stress positions. In some clips, men beat or poke them with batons. It was not possible to independently verify the videos, which the military said it recovered during operations in Gaza. Rights groups have long accused the ******-run government in Gaza and the Western-backed ************ Authority in the occupied West Bank of abusing detainees and violently quashing dissent. ******* has been accused of similar abuses, especially since the start of the war. ******** prison authorities say they follow relevant laws and investigate any allegations of wrongdoing. The toll of war The war in Gaza began when ******-led militants stormed into southern ******* on Oct. 7, 2023. They ******* some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, about a third believed to be *****. *******’s offensive has ******* over 43,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities who do not distinguish between civilians and militants in their count but say over half the ***** were women and children. ******** bombardment and ground invasions have left vast areas of Gaza in ruins and displaced around 90% of the population of 2.3 million people, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands of people live in tent camps with few if any services. Story continues below advertisement Cease-***** talks mediated by the ******* States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled, as have parallel efforts by the U.S. and others to halt the fighting between ******* and Hezbollah. Qatar, a key mediator with ******, said Saturday it had suspended its efforts and would resume them when “the parties show their willingness and seriousness to end the brutal war.” Source link #******** #strikes #***** #dozens #Lebanon #isolated #northern #Gaza #Netanyahu #Trump #speak #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gary Martin: ‘Digital hygiene’ could be key to keeping minds ‘sharp’ Gary Martin: ‘Digital hygiene’ could be key to keeping minds ‘sharp’ Ever missed a doctor’s appointment because your phone didn’t remind you? Forgotten your best friend’s birthday and now scrambling to make it up to them? You might be experiencing digital amnesia — a modern reliance on smartphones and devices that leaves essential details slipping through the cracks. Digital amnesia describes the habit of offloading everyday information, like phone numbers, important dates, or appointments, to our devices. While this can be convenient, it’s also shifting how we remember, or rather, how we increasingly forget. Some experts view this as the latest step in a long history of using external tools, like notes and maps, to support memory. But others worry it weakens our natural ability to recall, much like muscles that deteriorate from lack of use. As we organise our lives through digital reminders, we may actually find ourselves disconnected from the very moments we’re trying to capture. Practicing better “digital hygiene” — choosing which details to commit to memory versus what to delegate to devices — could be key to keeping our minds sharp. After all, memory isn’t just about facts; it’s about staying engaged in our own lives, beyond what’s on the screen. So, where do you stand on letting your phone do the remembering, versus keeping your own memory strong? Professor Gary Martin is CEO of AIM WA and a specialist in workplace and social trends Source link #Gary #Martin #Digital #hygiene #key #keeping #minds #sharp Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How a second Trump term could further enrich Elon Musk: ‘There will be some quid pro quo’ | Elon Musk How a second Trump term could further enrich Elon Musk: ‘There will be some quid pro quo’ | Elon Musk Donald Trump owes his decisive 2024 presidential victory in no small part to the enthusiastic support of the world’s richest man. In the months leading up to the election, Elon Musk put his full weight behind the Maga movement, advocated for Trump on major podcasts and used his influence over X to shape political discourse. Musk’s America Pac injected nearly $120m into the former president’s campaign. Now, Trump is looking to return the favor. Speaking with reporters last month, he said he would appoint Musk as “secretary of cost-cutting”. Musk, for his part, has joked he would be interested in serving as head of the “Department of Government Efficiency” (Doge) with a stated goal of reducing government spending by $2tn. Practically speaking, experts say those cost cuts could result in deregulation and policy changes that would directly impact Musk’s universe of companies, particularly Tesla, SpaceX, X and Neuralink. Trump administration officials, eager to maintain Musk’s support, may similarly loosen rules and reassign federal government officials to benefit Musk’s interests. It’s an explicit, openly transactional relationship unlike any seen in recent US political memory, experts said. “We’ve seen lobbying efforts, we’ve seen Super Pacs, but this is a different level we’ve never seen before,” said Gita Johar, a professor at Columbia Business School. “There will be some quid pro quo where he [Musk] will benefit.” Pausing for a moment, Johar added: “‘Conflict of interest’ seems rather quaint.” Trump: bad for electric vehicles, good for Elon Tesla is already reaping the benefits of a second Trump administration. On Wednesday, just hours after the Associated Press official called the race in favor of Trump, the car company’s stock shot up 13% to a 52-week high. By the end of the week, Tesla reached $1tn in market capitalization, its highest valuation in two years. Musk’s own fortune shot up $26bn with the stock. That might seem odd considering the former president’s vocal disdain for electric vehicles. In recent years, the president-elect has referred to efforts to promote environmentally friendly cars as a “Green New Scam” and claimed EVs simply “don’t work.” He has also pledged he would end Joe Biden’s “electric vehicle mandate” on his first day in office. Biden has implemented tax credits and emissions standards that favor electric vehicles. But Trump’s hardline rhetoric against EVs started to soften almost immediately after Musk pledged his support for the candidate. Trump himself has been explicit about the reason for his shifting outlook. “I’m for electric cars,” Trump said during a campaign event in August. “I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly.” Still, experts agreed a Trump administration will likely roll back tax credits for consumers looking to buy new electric vehicles. That would hurt newer EV startups and legacy carmakers that are still trying to bring down the costs of manufacturing their vehicles. By contrast, eliminating those credits may be a boon to Tesla since the company has already made extensive use of those credits to capture a commanding lead in the EV market in the US. Trump with his wife Melania and son Barron before his victory speech on Tuesday night. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images “Tesla has the scale and scope that is unmatched,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a recent note to investors. “This dynamic could give Musk and Tesla a clear competitive advantage in a non-EV subsidy environment.” For the rest of the electric vehicle industry, though, Trump presidency would be “an overall negative”, Ives wrote. Tesla will also find itself caught in the middle of Trump’s much-vaunted but still vague tariff proposals. Though auto tariffs could help insulate Tesla from cheap, competitive ******** electric vehicles entering US markets from the likes of BYD, stiff import taxes would simultaneously make it much more expensive to manufacture new cars. Tesla’s supply chain is highly dependent on goods and materials from China. Steel tariffs would likely drive up the cost to produce the company’s Cybertruck, while tariffs impacting rare earth metals and minerals sourced from China would also drive up costs of semiconductors crucial to powering the fleet’s cameras and sensors. “If there is a general tariff, the price of those will skyrocket,” George Mason University Mercatus Center research fellow Matt Mittelsteadt said in an interview. “You can’t re-shore what you can’t make.” Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Clearing a road for Musk’s autonomous vehicles Experts say Musk’s role in the Trump administration could help chart the path for Tesla’s autonomous vehicle rollout. The company is currently being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over the role its Autopilot and “full-self driving” features may have played in a spate of accidents, including more than two dozen fatal ones. A Trump administration favorable toward Musk’s business interest could wind down those investigations. “The specific worry with Musk and NHTSA is that the Trump administration might influence the decisions that civil servants are making to benefit the business interests of Tesla,” Cardozo School of Law professor and tech regulation expert Matthew Wansley said. Musk has also explicitly said he would try to leverage his influence in a Trump administration to streamline regulations around fully autonomous “driverless” vehicles like those operated by Waymo and Cruise. Though Tesla vehicles aren’t currently capable of the same level of autonomy, Musk recently revealed the concept for a more advanced “Cybercab” robotaxi he says will operate without a steering wheel. Current safety regulation for this level of autonomous vehicles varies by state and generally require years of testing with humans behind the wheel. Musk advocated for a “federal approval process” that would preempt those strict state rules during a third-quarter Tesla earnings call. If that weaker federal process were to be approved, Tesla may have a shorter climb to catch up with more advanced competitors. SpaceX could win lucrative government contracts for a Starlink rollout and a Mars mission Few of Musk’s endeavors have benefited as directly from government partnerships in recent years as SpaceX. The private space company secured a $3bn federal contract in 2021. It is currently competing with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin for a series of contracts with the US Space Force worth some $5.6bn. Musk has already asked Trump to appoint SpaceX employees to top government positions, according to the New York Times. Experts agreed Musk’s relationship with Trump would strengthen its position as a top contender for space contracts. Mittelsteadt says recent *********** opposition to the Biden administration’s beleaguered rural $42.45bn broadband initiative could also open up a new path for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. A GOP-led Federal Communications Commission, Mittelsteadt argued, could decide to pay SpaceX to expand Starlink access nationwide. Trump lauded Starlink’s role in providing internet access to hurricane survivors during a speech on election night. “The ceiling for what he could possibly get out of government contracts could be raising,” Mittelsteadt said. skip past newsletter promotion A weekly ***** in to how technology is shaping our lives Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Trump and Musk also appear ******* in their interest in sending a rocket to Mars. The president-elect has repeatedly praised Musk’s “beautiful, shiny white” rockets on the campaign trail and has said he wants to land a rocket on the red planet before the end of his next term. “We will land an ********* astronaut on Mars,” Trump said during an October rally. Musk, meanwhile, has repeatedly emphasized his dream of colonizing Mars and creating an interplanetary human species. Equally as often, he has criticized the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for bureaucratic “superfluous delays.” A favorable Trump administration could feel motivated to soften those rules and guidelines, experts said. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment. Trump could reduce scrutiny on Neuralink and X Telsa and SpaceX aren’t the only Musk-owned properties that stand to thrive during a second Trump term. Neuralink, Musk’s brain-computer interface company, has drawn scrutiny from the US Food and ***** Administration over alleged issues related to record-keeping and quality controls for its animal testing. A more favorable FDA under the Trump administration could help wind down those inquiries and provide a clearer runway for the company’s future experiments. Neuralink did not respond to a request for comment. X, which Musk acquired in 2020 for $44bn, could likewise benefit during a Trump term. The platform served as an important, invaluable resource for spreading pro-Trump rhetoric during the 2024 presidential campaign. Johar, whose recent research dives into X’s rise, said its utility to Trump makes it unlikely to draw regulators’ ire under him. “I don’t see any guardrails going up in terms of verifying the truth of information that’s already gone by the wayside since X was taken over,” said Johar. ‘Conflict of interest seem rather quaint’ The scope of Musk’s influence in the Trump administration and US politics more broadly is just beginning. The billionaire said last week in a conversation livestreamed on X that he will continue pouring money into America PAC, his organization founded this summer to support Trump’s bid for president, and has plans to “weigh in heavily” on future elections like the 2026 midterms. “It’s impossible to imagine how much influence Elon Musk could have in this administration because there’s no precedent,” University of California Berkeley professor Dan Schnur said. “He could have spent over a billion dollars, and it would’ve still been an incredibly savvy investment for him.” Experts speaking to the Guardian unanimously agreed Musk’s potential efforts to influence policies that could directly impact his business would constitute a clear conflict of interest. Whether or not the billionaire faces substantive penalties, however, ******** to be seen. Musk and the allied Trump administration could face a barrage of lawsuits alleging misconduct, but litigation alone may not prevent Musk from achieving his preferred policy agenda, experts predicted. “There are all sorts of potential conflicts of interest. The question is whether that bothers Trump or not,” Schnur said. “It’s a reasonable bet to assume that it does not.” Musk has said he would attempt to trim $2tn in government spending if appointed to the cost-cutting position in the Trump White House. Though he hasn’t fully outlined how he would achieve such a goal, the billionaire has suggested much of that belt-tightening could come from eliminating what he sees as redundant government workers and reducing overly burdensome regulations. But Mittelstead says Musk will likely face an uphill battle if tries to apply a “move fast and break things” attitude toward US government positions. “The type of cost-cutting, slash-and-***** approach that he brought to Twitter is not possible in the public sector,” Mittelstead said. It’s also an open question as to whether or not Musk and Trump’s newfound relationship can withstand the weight of two notoriously volatile personalities. Musk made headlines in 2017 when he stepped down from a pair of Trump advisory councils after disagreeing with the then-president decision to exit the Paris Climate Accords. Trump, for his part, has previously referred to Musk as a “********* artist”. “They’ve appeared to have developed a very strong personal rapport,” Schnur said. “But they’re also two of the most volatile personalities on the set and earth.” Source link #Trump #term #enrich #Elon #Musk #quid #pro #quo #Elon #Musk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mark Cuban Reveals Regrettable Shark Tank Deal That ‘Drives Him Crazy’ Was A Chocolate Covered Pretzel Company Who Offered Free Shipping Mark Cuban Reveals Regrettable Shark Tank Deal That ‘Drives Him Crazy’ Was A Chocolate Covered Pretzel Company Who Offered Free Shipping In a 2017 Q&A with Oxford Union students, Mark Cuban opened up about one of his biggest regrets on Shark Tank – and he didn’t hold back. When asked about his commitment to the companies he invests in, Cuban emphasized that he’s there “’til ****** do us part” as long as the founders keep grinding. Don’t Miss: Out of his 71 investments on the show, about 12-15 are thriving, while three have exited (although, as he joked, “none really exciting”). Then he got real: at the bottom of his portfolio, Cuban revealed, “10 out of 71 … three have gone out of business and seven have gone out of business but aren’t smart enough to know it.” The crowd laughed, but Cuban didn’t let the moment slide without giving an example of a deal that “still drives him crazy.” The investment he was talking about? A chocolate-covered pretzel company. Although he didn’t name it in the Q&A, the company was The Painted Pretzel, founded by Raven Thomas. Cuban had put $100,000 into the company for 25% equity after being impressed by Thomas’s passion and the product’s potential. With the huge PR boost from Shark Tank, sales skyrocketed by 1,500% post-episode – you’d think it was the beginning of something big. But behind the scenes, things unraveled fast. Trending: Warren Buffett once said, “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you ****.” These high-yield real estate notes that pay 7.5% – 9% make earning passive income easier than ever. The issue? Free shipping. Cuban explained that while the pretzels cost around $14, they sold for $29.95, which should’ve left a decent $15 profit margin. But shipping? It was $16 a pop. That “free shipping” perk that was supposed to attract more customers devoured the profit. Cuban described it like watching cash “just disappear,” adding, “Cash is going like this,” motioning to show how fast it bled out. And it wasn’t just shipping. The company reportedly faced complaints about delays, adding customer service issues to the pile. Reflecting on the deal, Cuban admitted, “I probably shouldn’t have [invested],” hinting that it was partly to prove a point to his fellow sharks, especially Kevin O’Leary, when he was new to the show. “No lie, to this day, I still get emails …” he trailed off, looking visibly frustrated. Story Continues Source link #Mark #Cuban #Reveals #Regrettable #Shark #Tank #Deal #Drives #Crazy #Chocolate #Covered #Pretzel #Company #Offered #Free #Shipping Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******** Strike ****** Several Near Beirut, Lebanon Says ******** Strike ****** Several Near Beirut, Lebanon Says Rescue operations were underway after an ******** airstrike on the village of Almat, Lebanon, north of Beirut, ******* at least 23 people and wounded several others, Lebanon’s health ministry said. Source link #******** #Strike #****** #Beirut #Lebanon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Call of Duty Fans Get Creative With Hilarious Concept Map for ****** Ops 6 Season 1 Call of Duty Fans Get Creative With Hilarious Concept Map for ****** Ops 6 Season 1 The recent release of Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 has sparked significant excitement among players, as the franchise makes a triumphant return to form. After a few years of mixed reception, particularly with the campaign mode, the latest installment has delivered a thrilling narrative filled with easter eggs, as well as a beloved return of the Zombies mode inspired by the Cold War. Players are enjoying the latest installment in the franchise, especially the campaign mode. | Image Credit: Treyarch However, the multiplayer mode is the one that has players most engaged. It offers fresh maps, new weapons, and the addition of omni-movement, which has made the game feel more dynamic than ever. With so much excitement circulating around the game, the Call of Duty community has taken things a step further, turning to their creative sides to design some hilariously outlandish concept maps, sparking hilarious discussion. Fans Suggesting Hilarious Concept Maps for ****** Ops 6 Maps have always played a crucial role in shaping the Call of Duty experience, and ****** Ops 6 is no exception. With 16 multiplayer maps at launch: 12 in the Core group (for 6v6 modes) and 4 in the Strike group (for 2v2 modes), there’s plenty of variety for players to explore. With Season 1 just around the corner (coming on 14th November), players are buzzing with anticipation, hoping for new content and maps to freshen up the gameplay. While three new maps have already been teased for the upcoming update, the ****** Ops 6 community is also getting creative. One Reddit user shared a hilarious concept map: a simple hallway. The post quickly went viral, with the community chiming in with their own over-the-top suggestions. Some players joked that the hallway could be even smaller, maybe just a tiny closet, while others proposed bizarre improvements to the original concept. The thread has become a space for players to share their funniest and most ridiculous ideas for future maps, turning the discussion into a lighthearted, creative exchange. Some are saying why stop at a hallway and suggesting an even smaller space. Comment byu/Doug_HF from discussion inblackops6 Others are saying that they are waiting for something else. Comment byu/Doug_HF from discussion inblackops6 Some are suggesting a hilarious improvement to the already funny map. Comment byu/Doug_HF from discussion inblackops6 Some players want to try out this map. Comment byu/Doug_HF from discussion inblackops6 While the post and the various map suggestions are mostly just for fun, they show how much players are enjoying the game and how eager they are to interact with the community. It’s a perfect example of how ****** Ops 6 is sparking creativity and engagement among fans. Fans Looking Forward to the Season 1 Season 1 is coming out on 14th November and players are full of anticipation for new maps and features. | Image Credit: Treyarch With the official launch of ****** Ops 6 already making waves, players are now eagerly anticipating the first major update: Season 1. Treyarch has proven its ability to strengthen the Call of Duty franchise, bringing the series back to its roots. However, with Season 1 on the horizon, expectations are higher than ever. One of the most anticipated aspects of the upcoming season is the promise of new multiplayer maps. Three new maps have already been confirmed in the season 1 teaser: Hideout (6v6), Extraction (6v6), and Heirloom (6v6 & 2v2). While these fresh additions are exciting, some players are hoping that Treyarch will also bring back some classic, fan-favorite maps from previous titles in the series. Season 01 takes ****** Ops to the the ********* underground on November 14. Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the new maps coming to #BlackOps6 Multiplayer this season Hideout – 6v6 Extraction – 6v6 Heirloom – 6v6 & 2v2 pic.twitter.com/7RhjAmvQnh — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) November 4, 2024 In addition to new maps, players are eagerly waiting for new weapons and equipment. With the game already offering a wide variety of options, fans are hoping the new season will introduce even more choices to keep gameplay fresh and engaging. In the end, while players are enjoying the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise, they are hoping that Treyarch keeps working its magic and brings a whole load of exciting changes to the game with Season 1 on November 14th. Source link #Call #Duty #Fans #Creative #Hilarious #Concept #Map #****** #Ops #Season Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meet the AI ****** whose artwork sold for over $1m Meet the AI ****** whose artwork sold for over $1m A portrait of mathematician Alan Turing is thought to be the first artwork by a humanoid ****** to be sold at auction – fetching $1,084,800 (£836,667). One of the most advanced robots in the world, Ai-Da, a pioneering humanoid artist, also set a new record in the art world with the ***** of “A.I. ****”, at Sotheby’s Digital Art *****. The large-scale portrait far exceeded its estimated value of $120,000 to $180,000 (£93,000 to £140,000). Source link #Meet #****** #artwork #sold Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Veilguard Is Dragon Ages Shadow Of Mordor The Veilguard Is Dragon Ages Shadow Of Mordor Shadow of Mordor was a fun game with terrible writing. Dragon Age: The Veilguard feels similar. Source link #Veilguard #Dragon #Ages #Shadow #Mordor Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.K. ambassador says “it’s no say” for ********* leaders to discuss what Trump will do U.K. ambassador says “it’s no say” for ********* leaders to discuss what Trump will do U.K. ambassador says “it’s no say” for ********* leaders to discuss what Trump will do – CBS News Watch CBS News 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 #U.K #ambassador #********* #leaders #discuss #Trump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Last six D-Day veterans pay tribute on poignant Remembrance Day Last six D-Day veterans pay tribute on poignant Remembrance Day Reuters World War Two veteran Joe Randall, 101, attended the ceremony Among the ten thousand men and women marching past the Cenotaph at this year’s Remembrance service, there were six surviving veterans of D-Day. They are now so few that they were outnumbered by the eight former prime minsters, lined up at the annual commemoration in London’s Whitehall. This summer saw a major international event marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, with a small army of world leaders and accompanying media. Here under low, grey autumn skies the six remaining representatives of that huge and heroic moment, the men who were actually there, went quietly past in wheelchairs, with a collective age of 595 years. It included 101-year-old Joe Randall, who was aged 20 at D-Day, and who had helped build temporary airfields for the invasion force liberating Europe from Nazism. There’s an immense poignancy to such moments, literally watching history moving out of sight. Getty Images With a military band playing marches, the Spirit of Normandy group were brought past the Cenotaph, part of a long stream of veterans paying their homage, each bringing their own memories as they ***** their wreaths. Like a marathon runner determined to cross the line, the very last veteran in the march-past had got out of a wheelchair and was helped on to a walking frame, so he could walk upright past the Cenotaph. It was a slow, stubborn defiance of the passing years, paying his respects his own way, when all the other groups had finished, cheered on by the crowds nearby on the pavement. The youngest contingent was also an emotional moment, in a different way from the ranks of grey-haired ex-military marchers. There were children and young people, from nine years old and upwards, who had lost a parent in the armed forces, brought together by the Scotty’s Little Soldiers charity. All those years of missing a loved one still to come. Bereaved children of armed forces personnel also took part in the march past There’s an irresistible sense of the importance of time at such events. Big Ben tolling out across Whitehall. The eleventh hour, the two-minute silence. The band keeping time, the marchers keeping step. The autumn leaves on a Whitehall empty of traffic. For a few moments people even did the unthinkable – putting down their mobile phones. Leading events was King Charles and what was he thinking about his own past year? He has carried on working despite suffering from *******. On his 76th birthday this week he will be out supporting food banks. As he stared solemnly straight ahead at the Cenotaph, was this his own commitment to public service, duty and endurance? Catherine, the Princess of Wales, was looking down from the Foreign Office balcony, recovering from her own year of health problems. Much has changed since she stood there last year. Getty Images The Princess of Wales watched on from the balcony of the Foreign Office It’s been a different kind of upheaval this year for the politicians present. Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch were laying wreaths for the first time as prime minister and leader of the opposition. It was a day to remember previous wars, but the new ministers must have been thinking too of the conflicts raging today and wondering about where they could lead. Behind where Sir Keir was standing, a Ukrainian flag was hanging limply over the Foreign Office building, without any wind to make it fly. For all of those present, the royals, the veterans, the political leaders, the crowds, the focal point for Remembrance is the Cenotaph, the memorial standing in the middle of Whitehall. Getty Images It becomes a kind of altar as well as a monument, as Whitehall temporarily becomes a mixture of a *******, military parade ground and national shrine. Part of the Cenotaph’s power is its plainness. There’s almost no ornamentation or religious imagery. That might help it fit in with a modern, eclectic, multi-****** world, with representatives of more than 20 different religions and beliefs gathered around it. The Cenotaph as we see it now is a permanent structure made from Portland stone, but it began as a temporary, wooden structure. There were people who thought it shouldn’t be on Whitehall, as it might get in the way. And perhaps that’s its point. It’s there to get in the way, a sometimes awkward reminder, to make people remember if they were ever tempted to forget. Source link #DDay #veterans #pay #tribute #poignant #Remembrance #Day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russia says five hurt as Ukrainian drones ******* Moscow Russia says five hurt as Ukrainian drones ******* Moscow Ukraine has attacked Moscow with at least 34 drones, the biggest drone strike on the Russian capital since the start of the war in 2022, forcing flights to be diverted from three of the city’s major airports and injuring at least five people. Russian air defences destroyed another 50 drones over other regions of western Russia on Sunday, the defence ministry said. “An attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a ********** ******* using airplane-type drones on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted,” the ministry said. Russia’s federal air transport agency said the airports of Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky diverted at least 36 flights but then resumed operations. Five people were injured in the Moscow region, the defence ministry said. Moscow and its surrounding region, with a population of at least 21 million, is one of the biggest metropolitan areas in Europe alongside Istanbul. For its part, Russia launched a record 145 drones overnight, Ukraine said. Ukrainian officials said the country’s air defences downed 62 of those. Ukraine also said it attacked an arsenal in the Bryansk region of Russia, which reported 14 drones had been downed in the region. Unverified video posted on Russian Telegram channels showed drones buzzing across the skyline. The two and a half-year-old war in Ukraine is entering what some officials say could be its final act after Russian forces advanced at the fastest pace since the early days of the war and Donald Trump was elected 47th president of the ******* States. Trump, who takes office in January, said during campaigning that he could bring peace in Ukraine within 24 hours but has given few details on how he would seek to do this. When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called Trump to congratulate him on his presidential election victory, Tesla CEO and Trump supporter Elon Musk joined the call, according to media reports. Musk owns SpaceX, which provides Starlink satellite communication services that are vital for Ukraine’s defence effort. Ukraine, itself the target of repeated mass drone strikes from Russian forces, has tried to strike back against its vastly larger eastern neighbour with repeated drone strikes against oil refineries, airfields and even Russian strategic early-warning radar stations. While the 1000km front has largely resembled grinding World War I trench and artillery warfare for much of the war, one of the biggest innovations of the conflict has been drone warfare. Russia and Ukraine have both sought to buy and develop new drones, deploy them in innovative ways and seek new ways to ******** them – from using farmers’ shotguns to advanced electronic jamming systems. Russia has developed a series of electronic “umbrellas” over Moscow, with additional advanced internal layers over strategic buildings, and a complex web of air defences to ****** down the drones before they reach the Kremlin in the heart of the capital. Both sides have turned cheap commercial drones into deadly weapons while ramping up their own production. Soldiers on both sides have reported a visceral ***** of drones – and both sides have used macabre video footage of fatal drone strikes in their ***********. Source link #Russia #hurt #Ukrainian #drones #******* #Moscow Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Take a seat — standing desks aren’t better for you, says new study Take a seat — standing desks aren’t better for you, says new study A recently published study casts serious doubt on the touted health benefits of owning a standing desk. Researchers studying the incidence of major cardiovascular ******** (CVD) in 83,013 *** adults found that substituting a few standing hours into a person’s daily desk time didn’t lower CVD risk, and standing for long periods brought along some of its own potential health issues. Specifically, the 6.9-year study (h/t the Washington Post), notes that standing increases the risk of health problems like varicose veins, abnormally low blood pressure, and blood clots. The scientists behind the new study, Matthew N Ahmadi, Pieter Coenen, Leon Straker, and Emmanuel Stamatakis hint that they began their sizable and wide-ranging study as previous research on the topic of standing desks was scarce and inconclusive. While good research was difficult to come by, product marketers haven’t held back on promoting successive generations of standing desks as healthier, more ergonomic, or even good for you. (Image credit: Marsail on Amazon.com) It seems like common sense that shifting to a completely different pose, while you work at your desk, would be a good thing to do during your day. However, the researchers found that substituting sitting with standing time delivered no worthwhile health benefits in the >83,000 adults monitored. A discussion in the paper is still useful to those who are concerned about the health impacts of their mandatory desk time, though. Considering only these two stationary alternatives (sitting / standing) is missing something important. The researchers indicate that investing in things like height-adjustable desks might be pointless, as those who are deskbound for long periods simply need to ‘move more.’ The good thing about the ‘move more’ strategy is that it is a free option to anyone, whatever kind of desk they are currently contractually chained to. All a person needs to do, to help counteract the detrimental effects of being at a desk for hours, is to move around a bit every half hour. Walk around the office a little, go up and down some nearby stairs, or even stand up and sit down a few times. “Standing, by itself, won’t lower the risk” of circulatory and other problems or other conditions associated with sitting for extended periods, Ahmadi said. “It also won’t increase the risk, which is good.” Thus, simply setting a timer to remind you to move about a bit sounds like a much better investment in your health than splurging cash on a standing or adjustable desk. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #seat #standing #desks #arent #study Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What we know so far about the second Trump administration What we know so far about the second Trump administration What we know so far about the second Trump administration – CBS News Watch CBS News In contrast to President-elect Donald Trump’s first victory in 2017, he is expected to move quickly in this transition. CBS News chief elections and campaign correspondent Robert Costa takes a look at what we know so far about the incoming Trump administration, including potential priorities, appointments and policies. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Trump #administration Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Woman *******, 2 children injured in wrong-way ****** on Eastex Freeway Woman *******, 2 children injured in wrong-way ****** on Eastex Freeway A woman was *******, and her two children were injured in a wrong-way ****** on the Eastex Freeway early Sunday morning, police said. Houston police said that around 3 a.m. Sunday, a white SUV was hit by a Chevy Silverado pickup truck, which was going southbound in the northbound lanes at the 15800 block of the I-69 Eastex Freeway, near Bender Road. Source link #Woman #******* #children #injured #wrongway #****** #Eastex #Freeway Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super tiny Raspberry Pi RP2040 RGB LED matrix display hits Kickstarter Super tiny Raspberry Pi RP2040 RGB LED matrix display hits Kickstarter It’s no secret that we’re fans of the Raspberry Pi here at Tom’s Hardware but ever since the company decided to release the microprocessors along with the Pico and Pico 2, we’ve seen an amazing plethora of custom boards created by the community. Today we’ve got a really cool example to share of such a creation, this one put together by Vcc Labs and shared to Kickstarter. Vcc Labs has created a super tiny Raspberry Pi RP2040-powered RGB LED matrix known as Nova. So far, the Kickstarter has been posted but is not open for purchases so pricing information and tiers have yet to be made available. If you decide to follow this Kickstarter, it’s important to note that supporting campaigns should be viewed more like an investment, and is not a guarantee that you will receive the product listed. So be cautious and discriminatory in what you decide to support. When we say the Nova is tiny, we mean it. It’s so small it can fit on your thumb but manages to pack a 7 x 10 matrix full of RGB LEDs. This board is similar to Pimoroni’s Pico Unicorn Pack but is much smaller and more compact. If you want to know more about the Pico Unicorn Pack, you can check out our review posted by Les back in 2021. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Vcc Labs) (Image credit: Vcc Labs) According to Vcc Labs, the Nova is built using a 4-layer PCB. The RGB LEDs are WS2812 which are fully addressable and extremely small, measuring in at 1 x 1mm each. The board is powered by an RP2040 microcontroller and is both programmed and powered by a USB Type-C interface. Programming details are a little bit scarce but Vcc Labs confirmed that compatibility is one of the main goals of the project. According to the Kickstarter campaign page, you should be able to program Nova using a variety of options like MicroPython and even Arduino IDE so it can be accessible to both beginners and more experienced makers. If you want to get a closer look at this Raspberry Pi project, you can check it out over at Reddit and Kickstarter. Again, the project is not yet live and we’re not sure how much it will cost but you can sign up to follow the campaign launch over at Kickstarter. If you don’t feel like waiting and want something similar, we highly recommend checking out the Pico Unicorn Pack, put together by Pimoroni, which offers a fun RGB matrix experience albeit with a slightly larger form factor. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Super #tiny #Raspberry #RP2040 #RGB #LED #matrix #display #hits #Kickstarter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Dreaded Moirai, the Fates of Greek Mythology The Dreaded Moirai, the Fates of Greek Mythology “The Three Fates,” or the Moirai, by Alexander Rothaug. Circa 1910. Credit: Public Domain The Moirai, usually also known as the Fates of Greek mythology, stand for the idea of destiny in the world of the ancient Greeks. It was common for the ancient Greeks to give shape to deities and gods that would represent and explain abstract ideas. The Fates were, in a way, something more than a way to simply represent destiny, however, as they actually took control of it. In fact, they were in charge of controlling people’s lives in a number of ways, from their birth until they *****. Moirai names were Clotho, Lachesis, and Antropos According to myth, the Fates were three of the six children that Zeus and the goddess of justice, Themis, had conceived. The remaining children were known as the Horai, or the Hours, who were the goddesses of the seasons. The three Moirai names were Clotho, Lachesis, and Antropos, and each of them was the owner of a distinctive character which turned them into unique beings. Clotho was the Fate who was also known by the name of Spinner because it was her duty to spin the thread of a person’s life from her distaff directly to her spindle. She also made major decisions, for instance when a person was to be born. This allowed her to not only choose who was born, but also when gods or mortals were to be saved or put to ******. Once this task had been performed, Lachesis – always dressed in white – was in charge of its measurement, and according to every person’s length of thread, their lifespans were different. This would represent their destiny, and she was in charge of deciding how much time of life was to be allotted to each person. It is also believed that she was in charge of choosing the fate of every person once the thread had been measured. Atropos was charged with cutting the thread of a person’s life Atropos, who was the oldest of the three Fates, was also known as the Inevitable. She was closely related to ****** since it was Atropos who would choose the mechanism of ******. It was her task to end the life of mortals by cutting their thread. It was believed that the Fates would appear within three days of someone’s birth to decide their fate. The three Moirai, or Fates represented the cycle of life, essentially standing for birth, life, and ******. They would spin (Clotho), draw out (Lachesis) and cut (Atropos) the thread of life. Unlike the Horai, their siblings and the goddesses of the seasons and other natural periods of time, who were always shown as youthful, beautiful women, the Moirai were depicted as ugly and old women in antiquity. Many times they were portrayed as stern, inflexible, and severe, thus making people ***** their own destiny. Source link #Dreaded #Moirai #Fates #Greek #Mythology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Decision to release ********* won’t be reviewed Decision to release ********* won’t be reviewed Family Photo Lynette White was murdered in a flat in Cardiff’s docklands in 1988 The decision to release the man who brutally ******* a young woman in a flat in Cardiff will not be reviewed, the Ministry of Justice has said. Jeffrey Gafoor, 59, is set to leave prison on parole after attempts to change the decision to release him *******. Gafoor stabbed Lynette White more than 50 times on Valentine’s Day in the city’s docklands in 1988. The Ministry of Justice said: “After thorough consideration, we have unfortunately found no legal basis for the Lord Chancellor to ask the independent Parole Board to reconsider its decision to release Jeffrey Gafoor.” Gafoor was granted parole at his sixth parole board hearing in October. He has been held in an open prison since 2020 and was granted day release in January 2023. John Actie, one of five men falsely accused of the *******, in one of Britain’s biggest miscarriages of justice, had instructed a solicitor to challenge the decision of the parole board. He said: “I expected it, it’s not a shock. I’ve done my best. They were going to let him out all along. Nothing shocks me no more.” Gafoor admitted the ******* after advances in DNA technology linked him to the ****** in 2003. He was given a life sentence, but told he would need to serve 13 years before he could be considered for parole. He has now served 21 years in prison. Lynette White, who was a **** worker, was stabbed more than 50 times in a flat above a bookmakers on 14 February 1988. The initial investigation into her ****** lead to one of Britain’s longest ever ********* trials, followed by the wrongful conviction of three men. Media Wales Gafoor was sentenced to life in 2003 for the ******* of Lynette White in Cardiff in 1988 In 2011, a trial into allegations of police *********** collapsed leading to the acquittal of eight former officers who denied the charges against them. In 2021, the then Chief Constable of South Wales Police Matt Jukes said that members of the Cardiff Five, the men originally accused of the *******, should be recognised as victims. A ministry of justice spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Lynette White as they come to terms with this difficult news.” He added that Gafoor would be subject to strict licence conditions and intense supervision upon release and faces a return to prison if he breaks the rules. Source link #Decision #release #********* #wont #reviewed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Helldivers 2 Will Never Let You Use 1 Gameplay Tactic Because Your Enemies are Too Smart Helldivers 2 Will Never Let You Use 1 Gameplay Tactic Because Your Enemies are Too Smart The chaotic PvE co-op experience in Helldivers 2 indeed feels like a scene from an action blockbuster hit. The chaos on the battlefield is indeed one of the best parts of the game, however, some players like to keep things subtle. Having a silent and sneaky approach can be fun sometimes, but the game just doesn’t allow players to do so. Many Helldivers 2 players want to take the silent approach (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) Some may argue that this should be an option in the game, however, it wouldn’t make sense because all the enemies in the game are “very sensorily aware.” The Automaton and Terminid enemies are clearly not humans, they have strong powers that make it impossible for a Helldiver to get close to them without getting noticed. Stealth Gameplay Is Never Coming To Helldivers 2 Earlier this year, Arrowhead Game Studios’ CCO, Johan Pilestedt, played Helldivers 2 with OperatorDrewski and talked about the popular co-op third-person shooter. During the conversation, Pilestedt made it clear that stealth gameplay is not coming to the game because it wouldn’t make sense, It’s not really that we have stealth gameplay, it’s just that everything just has to make sense. All of the enemies they have hearing, sight, they also have like an approximation of smell within a close radius. It’s just like if you’re in proximity to some of the units that are very sensorily aware, like the Stalker, they will detect you no matter if they can see you. The enemies in the game are just too advanced to fall for Helldivers’ sneaky approach. It just wouldn’t make sense that an ****** faction that is capable of carrying out clever plans to take over planets wouldn’t sense it coming. Pilestedt confirmed that enemies can smell players, making it clear that there’s no way players can sneak up on them. Helldivers 2 Is Trending Once Again Helldivers 2 is making a strong comeback (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) When Pilestedt appeared for that interview, he was certain that the game’s future was bright, however, just a few months later, the game lost most of its fanbase. It all started with the PSN account linking policy, forcing many PC players to uninstall the game. The ********* fans tried their best to stay but the game was doomed by nerfs and Arrowhead managed to ruin its perfect PvE co-op game. Arrowhead is now trying its best to fix the mess it made by fixing all the weapons it nerfed. As of now, the community is happy with the changes but things can still get bad if the community doesn’t get some new content. Pilestedt has made it clear that stealth gameplay is never coming to the game, however, the studio still can somehow integrate that idea into the game, giving players new kinds of missions that require only a stealthy approach. This would certainly boost the active player count, setting up Helldivers 2‘s strong comeback. The community is eagerly waiting for new enemies, weapons, and Stratagems, so Arrowhead must start planning the next phase. Source link #Helldivers #Gameplay #Tactic #Enemies #Smart Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Wales lose 10th straight Test to Fiji as Wallabies loom Wales lose 10th straight Test to Fiji as Wallabies loom Flyhalf Caleb Muntz has scored 19 points as Fiji pulled off their first ever win in Wales, triumphing 24-19 at the Principality Stadium to consign their hosts to a record-equalling 10th straight Test defeat. With Australia visiting Cardiff next Sunday (Monday AEDT), Wales now face the prospect of plunging to their worst ever record run should they lose 11 in a row. Muntz scored a superb individual try, which he converted, and put over four penalties for Fiji, who also scored a try through Josua Tuisova in Sunday’s (Monday AEDT) clash. Wales, who made a promising start to the test, scored through new cap Blair Murray, substitute Ellis Bevan and a penalty try with a single conversion from Gareth Anscombe on his long-awaited return to the side. Murray, who was preferred to Rio Dyer in the Wales line-up on the left wing, justified coach Warren Gatland’s ****** with a sprint to the line to score a first try in the eighth minute. Wales went over again in the 15th minute but Cameron Winnett’s effort was chalked off after a dangerous clear out from Tommy Reffell in the build-up that earned the loose forward a yellow card. Despite the disadvantage, Wales were awarded a penalty try four minutes later when Elia Canakaivata tried to pull down their driving maul, earning himself a 10-minute stay in the sin bin. Fiji’s woes were extended in the 21st minute when key winger Semi Radradra was cautioned, upgraded soon after to red, for a high hit on Winnett. Radradra was sent off as World Rugby trialled a new red-card protocol, enabling Fiji to bring on a player after 20 minutes had passed. Despite being down to 13, Fiji scored with a break from Muntz, who cut through the middle and accelerated away from the defenders for a brilliant 24th-minute individual effort that reduced the home lead to 14-10. Two minutes into the second half, Muntz reduced Wales’ lead to a single point when putting over a penalty, and then gave Fiji a 16-14 lead with another successful kick in the 49th minute. Tuisova powered over for Fiji’s second try on the hour mark, as a box-kick set up a powerful ******* at the Welsh line and silenced the home crowd. Substitute Jac Morgan, making a first appearance since last year’s World Cup, helped to set up Wales’s third try five minutes later with a carry that stretched the visiting defence and once the ball went down the line allowed Bevan to go over and reduce Fiji’s lead to 21-19. But it was the Pacific islanders who finished stronger, botching a chance for a third try with an errant pass six minutes from the end. They had, however, a penalty advantage in the build-up and Muntz put over the close-in kick to leave Wales scrambling unsuccessfully in the closing stages to try to ******* the win, with Ryan Elias spilling the ball in their last *******. Wales’s last victory was a 43-19 triumph over Georgia at last year’s World Cup, the game after they had also thrashed Australia. Since then, they’ve been eliminated from the tournament by Argentina, suffered a Six Nations whitewash and mid-year losses to South ******* and twice to Australia. Source link #Wales #lose #10th #straight #Test #Fiji #Wallabies #loom Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marvel Rivals Adds Moon Knight to Roster, Final Fantasy & Street Fighter Audio Devs Working on Game Marvel Rivals Adds Moon Knight to Roster, Final Fantasy & Street Fighter Audio Devs Working on Game Marvel Rivals adds Moon Knight to its launch lineup for December 8, as NetEase adds two veteran game music devs to the game’s dev team. Source link #Marvel #Rivals #Adds #Moon #Knight #Roster #Final #Fantasy #amp #Street #Fighter #Audio #Devs #Working #Game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fresno Unified fired him. Now, he’s chairman of Valley Children’s and under scrutiny again Fresno Unified fired him. Now, he’s chairman of Valley Children’s and under scrutiny again In the Spotlight is a Fresno Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email *****@*****.tld. Michael Hanson, chairman of the board that approved the heavily-criticized pay packages for Valley Children’s Hospital executives in recent years, started his public life in Fresno in 2005 as deputy superintendent of the city’s troubled school district. Fresno Unified, California’s third-largest school district, faced a state takeover and was in desperate need of dynamic leadership and change. Within his first year, Hanson ascended to superintendent, and almost immediately, the UCLA and Harvard-educated innovator was praised for swift reforms as he also became a lightning rod for criticism. In his first two years, he replaced 12 principals at schools with poor performance, an act that one former board member said set the tone for Hanson’s tenure. That 12-year tenure included an FBI investigation into alleged bid-rigging and a publicly tempestuous relationship with some school board members, teachers’ groups and residents over his management style and policies. During Hanson’s tenure, the district also built a partnership with Valley Children’s and other healthcare organizations related to a then-audacious plan to build special clinics to serve poor students on location at Fresno Unified schools. Hanson’s time as leader of Fresno Unified also included some head-scratching moments and revelations. ABC30 reported in 2011 that Hanson received three speeding tickets while driving on an expired license. The broadcaster said that while it reported on the tickets it also discovered that Hanson had been accused in 2008 of bumping into a small child with his car as the child rode on a Big Wheel, a type of child’s plastic tricycle. He was once allegedly assaulted by a school board member after a meeting. He also accused The Fresno Bee of writing misinformation about the school district. So how does a former schools superintendent with a controversial past come to be the chairman of a board that sets pay and benefits for executives at a multi-billion-dollar nonprofit? Some of his critics remember him mostly as an authoritarian who lacked transparency, but supporters and admirers of the polarizing figure point to his fearless, reform-minded leadership they witnessed since he moved to Fresno in 2005. The Bee’s editorial board expressed admiration for his dedication, saying that he “gave his all to Fresno Unified” as superintendent. “We finally have a visionary,” a teacher once said about Hanson’s arrival as leader of Fresno Unified. “We know where we’re going.” Even after Fresno Unified trustees fired Hanson in 2017, he remained a Valley Children’s hospital board member, an unpaid position. For his next day job, he moved to Sacramento County and began working for its Office of Education. Over several years since leaving Fresno, he steadily moved up Valley Children’s governance ladder, ultimately serving on its compensation committee and then becoming chair of the Valley Children’s Healthcare Board of Trustees, the group that governs the nonprofit’s entire, Central Valley-wide network. The volunteer board positions are unpaid and new members are elected by the existing Healthcare board, according to Valley Children’s corporate bylaws. The appointments come with a certain amount of prestige as board members help oversee a multi-billion-dollar nonprofit associated with helping hundreds of thousands of ***** children a year. The Bee has examined Hanson’s colorful career in education and in governance of one of the nation’s largest nonprofit children’s hospitals, which has been in a spotlight recently for its decisions around executive compensation. The Bee also dived deep into our archives to look at past coverage of Hanson and his time as superintendent. Valley Children’s this year has been criticized for CEO Todd Suntrapak’s board-approved compensation, which in 2022 included a forgivable $5 million home loan, and for the compensation of a cadre of VPs with annual packages worth more than $1 million each in recent years. In Suntrapak’s only public response to the media coverage, he pointed out in a June interview with ABC30 that the board, not the CEO, sets pay and perk packages, effectively putting the question back on Hanson. A Fresno Bee analysis in March found that the 2022 CEO pay levels were higher and the pool of high-ranking executives employed at the hospital larger than at most of the 15 nonprofit children’s hospitals in the nation with more beds, including several big-city operations. At the same time, several lawsuits launched by Valley Children’s nurses allege that the nonprofit has not paid them lawfully. The compensation figures have struck a particularly sour note for some Fresno residents and elected officials because Valley Children’s, known by its multi-******** facade visible from Highway 41, has been a reliably trustworthy, go-to charity in the community. For years, residents have been asked to round-up purchases at local fast food restaurants and contribute cash during various fundraising events, including Kids’ Day, when local teens and other volunteers stand on street corners and sell special newspapers to raise money. In the past, The Bee has been a sponsor for Kids’ Day. Under current leadership, Valley Children’s assets have grown to a value of more than $2 billion, including a land and investment portfolio with a strong performance that the nonprofit is quick to point out. Hanson has said in the past that the organization pays up to retain top flight executive talent and that leadership has been successful in growing the organization to ensure a vibrant future for the healthcare network. Hanson, now in his late 50’s, would not speak to The Bee for this profile. Michael Hanson’s photo hangs in the row of Fresno Unified’s superintendents at its headquarters downtown in 2017. Hanson served as the school district’s superintendent from 2005-2017. ‘He’s real gung ***’ Hanson was 39 years old – maybe too young, some teachers thought – when he was hired in Fresno in April 2005 as a deputy superintendent under a plan that would make him chief of schools after 14 months. The Harvard grad had become a school principal in New York before 30. His colleagues in Sacramento and New York said Hanson was highly intelligent, worked relentlessly and was not afraid to make difficult decisions. “He’s real gung ***. He’s a mover and a shaker. He’s, in the modern parlance, what you call a change agent,” Carl Woodbury, an Elk Grove Unified union leader, told The Bee in 2005. The expectations were high. Fresno Unified’s students were well behind those in the rest of California. Educators and administrators were not performing up to standard, and the state was poised to take control of the financially ruined school district, remembers Valerie Davis, a long-time school board trustee. Fresno Unified had already cut music programs, librarians and campus assistants to survive. Hanson didn’t shy away from the reality of the situation. He immediately re-organized the central office, set penalties for educators who ******* to improve their performance and assigned hundreds of the district’s successful teachers to coach failing ones in an innovative mentoring program. “It would be a mistake for anybody to think that district employees, at any level, who fail to perform after repeated attempts to assist them, will continue in their current position or will simply be transferred to the same job at a different site,” Hanson said in an August 2005 email to The Bee. Supporters and detractors – several of them school board trustees – split into camps of those who praised Hanson’s accountability-minded leadership and those who accused him of authoritarianism and a lack of transparency. Hanson’s detractors called for disciplinary actions against him and independent investigations into the district’s business dealings. Valerie Davis and Michael Hanson ‘This job is so complex’ Bob Nelson, who left Fresno Unified this summer after serving as the district’s superintendent for seven years, described the job as no easy task and Hanson as “one of the smartest people I have ever met.” Nelson became superintendent after Hanson was fired and after serving as Hanson’s chief of staff for about 18 months. “This job is so complex, you are going to make enemies,” Nelson said in a May interview with The Bee about his own Fresno Unified tenure. “Mike (Hanson) had (school board) trustees with whom he had a great deal of trust, and he had trustees with whom there was not a great deal of trust.” In general, Nelson said, there’s a strong tradition of powerful and monied real estate developers getting involved with the politics of school boards – people buy new homes with the intention of sending their children to a specific school district. He said superintendents have to know where the money, power and influences are in the politics of education. “A lot of my work as a superintendent is to block and tackle, to make sure that kids stay at the center of what we’re trying to do,” Nelson told The Bee. To Hanson’s supporters, the changes he made at Fresno Unified did exactly that by focusing on students’ academic performance, educators’ effectiveness in the classroom and financial stability for the district. They say he courted controversy because of his bold policies for change, and cautioned the district about chasing away a true reformer. A former colleague described Hanson as “tough as nails.” But he was also described by community members as the type of man who helped Fresno Unified students “with dollars out of his own pocket” and as “one of the greatest civil rights leaders in Fresno in the 21st century.” Former Fresno Unified school board President Brooke Ashjian, sitting, watches former Superintendent Michael Hanson debate him at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in September 2016. ‘Organization of power brokers’ Hanson described his first two years at Fresno Unified as an exhausting time spent doing extremely necessary work for the city’s children. According to The Bee’s archived reporting, Hanson’s 80-hour work weeks won him the respect of a key demographic: Fresno’s business community. The former superintendent credited business leaders’ concerns for the city’s children, in-part, for his initial ******* to work in Fresno. Before Hanson’s arrival, a group already had created the “Choosing Our Futures” plan designed to save Fresno Unified. Reporting by Fresno native Mark Arax, an award-winning author and veteran journalist, delved deeply into Hanson’s – and his top administrators’ – relationships with the city’s businessmen. Arax, an outspoken Hanson critic, noted in his reporting that the former superintendent was a member of the Fresno Compact during the time he led Fresno Unified. The group is dedicated to “mobilizing business and community support for local K-12 and higher education institutions,” according to its website. Also in the “organization of power brokers,” as Arax’s writing describes the compact, was Valley Children’s CEO Todd Suntrapak and Michael Spencer, president of Harris Construction. The owner of the firm and Michael Spencer’s father, Fresno-area construction magnate Richard Spencer, spent about $30,000 helping pass Measure Q, a $280 million school construction bond initiative for Fresno Unified that voters approved with 76% of the vote in 2010. (Spencer was also known as a key financial contributor to the election campaigns of some school board members.) It was not a secret that Hanson had allies in the Fresno business sector. In 2011, Fresno Unified faced criticism over its issues with habitual truancy. These stats were published in a series of stories in The Bee reported by Arax’s Fresno State journalism students after the stabbing ****** of a teenager named Junior Villarreal outside of Sunnyside High School. According to the reporting, the district’s administration blocked community attempts to have the city government address the truancy issue, citing that a partnership to curb the problem already existed between Fresno Unified and the Fresno-Madera ******* Way. But Yvonne Freve, then the local ******* Way’s vice president of community impact, told reporters at the time that Hanson made that partnership difficult, promising to participate only if Fresno Unified received no blame for the truancy problems. Other potential partners didn’t “want to risk the backlash from Hanson’s friends in the business community,” Freve said in 2011. To Arax’s sister, Michelle Asadoorian, a former school board member, the former superintendent was a puppet master. She once wrote in an op-ed in The Bee that Hanson controlled four trustees who “vote the way he wants them to vote” without question. In a May interview with The Bee for this report, Asadoorian recounted that Hanson “reigned with a great deal of *****” and was “a very transactional superintendent.” She said he was adept at getting board members on his side, often promising projects in their respective regions. “ ‘But you owe me,’ ” she said of what Hanson would require in return. Fresno Unified’s lease-leaseback contracts Fresno Unified’s use of the lease-leaseback method of construction contracting for a project in 2012 ultimately prompted the federal investigation and a civil suit that ******** without a definite conclusion today. Lease-leaseback allows a school district to lease a property to a contractor, who builds on it and then leases it back to the district over time – all without a traditional competitive bidding process. It helps cash-strapped school districts accomplish construction projects when they do not have enough money to pay for them up front. In September 2012, the district officially awarded Harris Construction a $36.7 million lease-leaseback contract to build Gaston Middle School in southwest Fresno. Soon after the Gaston contract was awarded, local contractor Stephen Davis sued Fresno Unified. He alleged that the district improperly awarded Richard Spencer’s firm with a no-bid contract because the payment for the building of Gaston Middle School was not carried out using the lease-leaseback method. The district had bond money to pay for the school’s construction upfront and should have bid-out that contract the traditional way, he argued. By this time, even Hanson’s critics credited him with improving Fresno Unified’s financial position. In 2014, after nine years as superintendent, Hanson was appointed to join the Valley Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees, the specific board that sets policy for its main hospital operation in Madera County just off Highway 41. At the time, Fresno Unified was in talks with different health care organizations in the region, seeking partners for the construction and operation of school-site clinics in Fresno’s most underserved neighborhoods. The first of those clinics opened in 2015 at Gaston Middle School in what was a major success for Hanson’s Fresno Unified district. Zara Arboleda, Valley Children’s spokesperson, wrote in a May email to The Bee that Hanson’s appointment to the Hospital board made perfect sense: “He was the superintendent of schools at one of the largest employers in the region, focused on kids and education.” Just months after Gaston’s clinic began conducting open house tours in 2015, the federal government launched an investigation – with the FBI involved – into whether Hanson’s school district had been improperly awarding no-bid, “lease-leaseback” construction contracts to Harris Construction and another firm, Bush Construction. ‘Are you pro-Hanson or anti-Hanson?’ The federal subpoena of the district related to the investigation did not identify anyone by name, but Hanson and his leadership team were responsible for directly overseeing the school district’s contracts, The Bee reported. The feds probed FUSD’s relationship with Harris Construction as allegations spread and criticism of Hanson intensified. The district refused to hire an independent investigator for its own probe of the civil suit’s allegations against Fresno Unified. But The Bee’s coverage of the district’s legal troubles at the time outlined FUSD’s relationships, drawing information from emails between administrators and Harris Construction executives dating back several years before the launch of the federal investigation. Hanson’s critics began alleging that he “must have abused the leaseback process to make a sweetheart deal with Richard Spencer,” The Bee reported in late 2015. The emails from 2011 referenced lunch dates hosted by Michael Spencer with Fresno Unified officials as he invited them for wine and to the CRU Club, an indoor restaurant at Chukchansi Park sponsored by Spencer’s father’s Madera-based wine company, Cru Winery. Hanson, the Spencers and former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin celebrated the passing of Measure Q on Aug. 12 of that year at Chukchansi Park with the “FUSD Night at the Grizzlies” event, The Bee reported. With the FBI probe and continual press coverage, public criticism of Hanson seemed at a high. At one point, former FUSD School Board member Brooke Ashjian, an avowed Hanson critic, removed the former superintendent from his traditional seat in the center of the school board’s dais during meetings, instructing him to instead sit at the edge. Ashjian tore into Hanson when the former superintendent admitted to using a phone application that automatically erases any record of text messages. Hanson said the use of the “Cyber Dust” app was within district policy and had nothing to do with the subject of the probe. “For a district official to have that on their phone and communicate with other district officials and hide it from the public is appalling, is ******** and is grounds for dismissal in my mind,” Ashjian told The Bee in 2015. Hanson explained the use of the app as a “trial run to see if it would help us do our work better and more effectively. “And it didn’t,” he said then. “Nothing we used it for had anything to do with things that are now the topic of the grand jury investigation, and the use of this app will be fully disclosed when we turn over and disclose all of our documents.” Hanson had become a “campaign issue” by the following year, trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas told The Bee in May for this profile. She was elected to the school board in November 2016. “Some people had drawn a line in the sand: ‘Are you pro-Hanson or anti-Hanson?’” she remembered. Soon after, Hanson announced he would be stepping down by the start of the following school year. He told reporters his decision had nothing to do with the FBI probe. “I’m not running from a ***** thing, I’ll tell you that,” Hanson said at a press conference in December 2016, where he pledged to continue working on behalf of impoverished youth. “I’m going to stand here and do this work. You will find me for the rest of my career – wherever that is – in the intersection of race and social class.” The embattled superintendent also acknowledged his critics. “Unlike a whole bunch of other people in this city, for 12 years I have been standing right here … under lights like this, with cameras in my face, answering questions one after another about a whole slew of things and a whole slew of allegations – none of which have borne any fact,” Hanson said during the same press conference. Even after he announced he would be leaving, calls by the Fresno Teacher Association became louder for Hanson to be fired immediately. A divided school board fired Hanson a month later in January 2017. Davis, the school board trustee who has served continuously since 2004, told The Bee that criticism of the former superintendent stemmed from politics on the school board and people’s discomfort with change. “Mike Hanson did what was right,” she said in June in an interview with The Bee. “Fresno had never really had anyone that truly held a mirror and really spotlighted what was going on.” She said he held people accountable and made reforms still utilized by the school district today. To the disappointment of the teachers union, Hanson received positive reviews on his job performance as superintendent from most school board trustees even during the years when criticism of him was at its peak. Davis noted that Hanson is a family man whose children attended Fresno schools, and he worked so hard that she had to insist he take days off so he could help coach them in sports. “He always thanked me for insisting he take some time for his family,” she said. Hanson went on to found his own educational consulting firm and moved to Sacramento County. In 2019, after serving on the Valley Children’s Hospital board for five years, Hanson was elected to the Valley Children’s Healthcare board, the governance group that oversees the nonprofit’s entire network. Last year, Hanson ascended to the position of chairman of the Healthcare board, with his current term running through the end of 2025. Setting Valley Children’s executive pay levels In recent years, the Healthcare board gave Valley Children’s executives compensation packages that have been criticized as excessive for a nonprofit children’s hospital in the San Joaquin Valley. In 2020, Suntrapak, Valley Children’s CEO, received total compensation of $2.1 million. In 2021 and 2022, the CEO’s compensation surpassed $5 million. He also received a $5 million forgivable loan to purchase a home in 2022. That same year, Suntrapak bought a $6.5 million home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, a beach town where household income is more than 37% higher than it is for the rest of the state and that is located three hours away from the Fresno-Madera area. The CEO already owned a home in north Fresno valued at $1.7 million. It’s unclear whether he used the forgivable home loan that the hospital gave him to purchase the beach town home. Suntrapak repeatedly declined interviews with The Bee to discuss his compensation in the weeks that followed initial media coverage of his compensation. The Bee has attempted to contact Hanson through his Sacramento County Office of Education work email, at his home in Sacramento County and through Arboleda, the Valley Children’s spokesperson. Hanson has never responded to requests for an interview. He has only provided explanations for Suntrapak’s pay through prepared statements, one of which was a letter Valley Children’s sent to its critics on the Fresno City Council. In that letter, he explained the compensation figures as the result of a “one-time accounting adjustment” that doled out two bonuses in one year. Hanson also said that the nonprofit’s $5 million forgivable home loan to Suntrapak is not an uncommon method for keeping executives from leaving an organization for another job. Valley Children’s latest IRS filing concerning compensation shows that Suntrapak’s total compensation dropped to $3 million in the 2023 tax year, as the hospital had previously said it would. That tax filing, which the hospital publicly posted in August, also shows Valley Children’s spending on sophisticated life insurance benefits for executives doubled to $52 million from 2018 to 2023. Harris Construction’s work for Valley Children’s Valley Children’s has multiple construction companies that bid on hospital projects around the region. Harris Construction is one of them, though Arboleda said during a follow-up phone interview that the firm is one of its smaller contractors – small enough that payments to the construction firm are not required to be listed on Valley Children’s nonprofit federal tax filings. The Spencer family’s Harris Construction was the general contractor for at least three Valley Children’s projects in the past 10 years plus a planned project in Merced that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Susan Byers, a member of the Spencer family, is also a member of the Valley Children’s Hospital board. Arboleda said that Valley Children’s board votes on projects, but that the bidding and contracting process is handled by the nonprofit’s construction and facilities teams, not by any of the governance boards. This means that neither Hanson nor Byers have anything to do with picking a contractor for Valley Children’s projects, she said. ‘Was it worth it?’ The feds concluded their investigation into Fresno Unified’s relationships with Harris Construction five years ago with no charges filed. But the civil suit against the district over the firm’s contract for the construction of Gaston Middle School first filed 12 years ago by Stephen Davis, the local contractor, ******** without a definite conclusion. Last year, a California Supreme Court ruling upheld that suit, concluding that Gaston’s construction was not funded using the lease-leaseback method, which meant it should have been subject to a traditional bidding process. Instead, “the underlying project was fully funded by a prior ***** of general obligation bonds,” a judge wrote. The court remanded the suit to a lower court so litigation could continue. Davis, the long-time school board member, said that despite the dramatics surrounding the construction scandal, the school district under Hanson was able to improve outcomes in the city’s poorest neighborhoods. Before Gaston was built, children in that community – “the neglected west side” – were being sent to 16 different schools, she said. To her, Fresno City College might not have built a west side campus if Gaston had not been constructed in that neighborhood. She also said the school ***** the foundation for future housing construction there. “He built a school so that the children in that community could stay in that community and have a school,” she said of Hanson. “The big controversy around it, was it worth it? I think it was.” Former Fresno Unified School District Superintendent Michael Hanson gets a hug from a well-wisher after he announced his resignation in December 2016. Source link #Fresno #Unified #fired #hes #chairman #Valley #Childrens #scrutiny Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]