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jili63 login Selected Stocks Close Change ADM ; $50.61 ; -$0.03 AT&T ; $22.96 ; $0.01 Berkshire CL A ; $687,600.00 ; $158.19 Berkshire CL B ; $459.08 ; $0.12 The Buckle ; $51.73 ; $0.47 Campbell Soup ; $41.72 ; $0.08 Coca Cola Co. ; $62.57 ; -$0.22 Conagra Foods ; $27.55 ; -$0.09 Harley Davidson ; $30.79 ; -$0.04 Hewlett-Packard ; $22.03 ; $0.14 Hormel ; $31.68 ; $0.07 Microsoft ; $438.11 ; -$1.22 O’Reilly Auto ; $1,206.78 ; -$14.87 Pfizer Inc. ; $26.56 ; -$0.18 3M Company ; $131.18 ; $0.91 US Bancorp ; $49.01 ; $0.20 Valmont ; $310.48 ; -$0.91 Walgreen ; $9.68 ; $0.49 Wal-Mart Stores ; $92.79 ; $0.11 Werner Ent ; $36.40 ; $0.32 The Tribune receives stocks at approximately 4 p.m. Grain prices Yesterday’s closing prices were provided courtesy of Fremont elevators. All are price per bushel. Corn $4.31-4.34 Soybean $9.53 Wheat $5.51 County Posted Price The Farm Service Agency’s posted county price for Dodge County for yesterday was: Corn $4.18 Oats $2.68 Soybeans $9.20 Wheat $4.82

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has had an "excellent conversation" with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club following the US president-elect's threat to impose significant tariffs on Canada and Mexico. or signup to continue reading It was unclear, as Trudeau headed back to Canada from Florida, whether the conversation had alleviated Trump's concerns. A person familiar with the details of the leaders' hastily arranged meeting on Friday night said it was a "positive wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours". The official, who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said topics included trade, border security, fentanyl, defence, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Middle East and pipelines as well as a G7 meeting in Canada next year. A photo of Trudeau sitting next to Trump during dinner was posted on X by Pennsylvania senator-elect Dave McCormick. The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the governments there do not stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. He said he would impose a 25 per cent tax on all products entering the US from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. As he was leaving his West Palm Beach hotel, Trudeau stopped briefly to answer a reporter's question about the dinner meeting, saying it was "an excellent conversation". Trump's transition team did not respond to questions about what the leaders had discussed. Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau "weak" and "dishonest" but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the November 5 election. "Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking," Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University, said. Among those at the dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump's pick for commerce secretary; North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, in line to lead the Interior Department; and Mike Waltz, Trump's choice to be his national security adviser. Accompanying Trudeau were Canada's public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford, Trudeau's chief of staff. Trudeau had said earlier on Friday that he would resolve the tariffs issue by talking to Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said a day earlier after speaking with Trump that she is confident a tariff war with the United States will be averted. Trudeau said Trump got elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now he is talking about adding 25 per cent to the cost of all kinds of products including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. To Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, Trump "doesn't need convincing that new tariffs on Canadian products would not be in US interests. He knows that but cannot say it because it would detract from what he has said publicly. His goal is to project the image that he gets action when he talks." When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the US in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminium. Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states. Nearly $C3.6 billion ($A4.1 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement Advertisement

The New Year Is Almost Here and Disney Has an Exciting Present for Shareholders

Best Black Friday monitor deals you can still buy this weekendTORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have officially signed right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia to a two-year, US$15-million contract. The Blue Jays announced the deal Friday, two days after multiple media outlets reported the agreement. The 34-year-old Garcia was traded from Toronto to Seattle on July 26 for outfielder Jonatan Clase and catcher/outfielder Jacob Sharp. He had a 6.00 ERA in nine innings over 10 appearances for the Mariners. He was 3-0 with a 3.46 ERA and five saves overall this year in 39 games and 39 innings. Garcia is 22-29 with a 3.59 ERA and 26 saves over 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2014-19), Miami (2020-21), Houston (2021), Toronto (2022-24) and Seattle. He missed the 2017 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. The Canadian PressThousands of prisoners should be moved to open prisons and help prepare inmates for release, a former justice secretary has said. , who has been commissioned by the government to lead a review of , believes the move would save money and help reduce reoffending. Urging ministers to look to Spain where one in four prisoners are allowed to leave prison walls during the day, he said: “We don’t make as much use of open prisons as we might do.” Britain houses 5,143 out of 86,000 prisoners in category D jails, which have lower security and allow prisoners to spend days outside of prison on licence to work or complete education. He told : “You might spend part of your day out of a prison working and then return to sleep at night – if that gets you into the rhythm of working and the disciplines of working then that is helpful. “You can start to rebuild family relationships. We know that what tends to drive rehabilitation is work, family relationships and a home.” Category D jails are most frequently used in Britain for non-violent offenders but are also used for those nearing the end of longer jail terms for serious crimes. Even if the Parole Board recommends a prisoner for transfer to open conditions, the secretary of state for justice is free to reject or accept their advice. Housing an offender in open prison costs an average of £27,348 a year, according to Ministry of Justice figures, a significant saving compared to £51,108 a year to keep them in a secure prison. However, any significant increase in their use in Britain would require investment because there are only 1,000 spare spaces in the open estate. Mr Gauke’s intervention comes after he visited three jails in Spain this month, where the prison population has declined by more than a fifth in 10 years following measures including greater use of open prisons, community sentences and house arrest. His sentencing review, which is due to be published in the spring, is expected to recommend increased use of all these measures and to explore greater use of technology, such as electronic tagging. The government announced the review in October after it , under . Mr Gauke, who previously served as justice secretary under Theresa May, said: “There is clearly an opportunity here. We’re at the beginning of a parliamentary term, with the government with a large majority. “We have run out of space. I think there is an increasing recognition that we have gone down the route of increasing sentences to an extent that it’s doing nothing to reduce crime but it is causing significant costs. “Other countries have had large prison populations and brought them down. What I hope to do with this review is set out practical proposals, but also this is an opportunity to reset the debate. This is not about being soft on crime, it is about more effectively reducing crime.” He added: “I’m sure we’re not going to please everybody with those recommendations.” Announcing the review in October, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government inherited a prison system “within days of collapse”. “This review, along with our prison building programme, will ensure we never again have more prisoners than prison spaces,” she added. “I believe in punishment. I believe in prison, but I also believe that we must increase the range of punishments we use. And that those prisoners who earn the right to turn their lives around should be encouraged to do so. “The sentencing review will make sure prison and punishment work, and that there is always a cell waiting for dangerous offenders.” The government has committed to spending £2.1bn on building prisons in the next two years, with a target of adding 14,000 spaces by 2031.

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Evolent Health, Inc. (NYSE:EVH) Shares Bought by Algert Global LLCMEXICO CITY — It would take years, if ever, for Mexico to accomplish what incoming U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding to avoid tariffs: stemming the flow of migrants and drugs over the border. That’s why Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s efforts to avoid a full-blown trade war might be more about doing enough for both sides to claim success. Even a quick phone call — two days after Trump threatened 25% tariffs against his southern neighbor — seemed to change the tone: Trump said on social media that the Mexican president agreed to “stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately.” Sheinbaum, meanwhile, assured her constituents that she touted to Trump Mexico’s existing approach to migration, which she stressed respects human rights, and that a new deal to collaborate would avoid new tariffs, without providing specifics. The whole exchange was reminiscent of Trump’s first term, when he threatened to send troops to shut down the border and then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded by sending the national guard to help apprehend migrants. The move had a limited immediate effect, but sent a strong image that proved enough to at least avert tariffs of up to 25% on all imports from Mexico. Trump’s threats have a “dual objective,” said Palmira Tapia, a political scientist currently working for the government of the State of Mexico. The U.S. president-elect, she said, is simultaneously seeking to appeal to his constituents and strengthen his hand in talks on migration, drugs and trade. Sheinbaum also faces two challenges: She now must find a way to appease Trump to avoid tariffs that could hit 11% of Mexico’s gross domestic product, while also avoiding the perception — at home, and in the White House — that she will easily bend to demands from up north. “She’s talking to Trump, but she’s also talking to the Mexican public. It has to do with giving a dignified response before her voters, but at the same time trying to stop Trump,” said Catalina Perez Correa, a researcher at the Supreme Court’s Center for Constitutional Studies. “She’s saying, ‘I’m not going to let myself be stepped on by Trump.’ She’s saving face in front of the Mexican public.” Migration reality Mexico has long been a stomping ground for the U.S. when it comes to migration policy. It’s been tasked under successive U.S. presidents with beefing up its border security, increasing highway checkpoints and removing migrants from freight trains they often board. Even though migration rose far beyond the 2019 levels in the years after Lopez Obrador’s show of militarizing the border, Mexico has remained an at-times willing partner, accepting most of the millions of migrants who were quickly turned away from the U.S. border during the pandemic. But it hasn’t always been eager to help: The Biden administration often viewed AMLO, as the former president was known, as needing frequent reminders of its expectations for him on enforcement. In 2023, Biden Cabinet officials even visited AMLO in Mexico City just days after Christmas to urge him to do more as a record number of migrants reached the border. Under pressure from the White House during the U.S. election, Mexico helped it decrease border crossings by 65% over an 11-month period starting in December 2023. To do so, Mexican authorities have been detaining migrants in the north of the country and busing them south. There, they are forced to wait until they get an official appointment to apply for asylum in the U.S. — which can take months, if it ever happens at all. It’s all resulted in more than double the number of apprehensions of undocumented migrants between January and August compared with a year earlier, although Mexico has deported few. Experts have said that’s creating a humanitarian crisis in some of the southern cities where migrants are shipped off to. It’s also ratcheting up tensions with some locals, who argue that there aren’t enough jobs or resources to accommodate the newcomers. “What they’re doing now in Mexico is militarization of the border,” said Perez Correa. To further reduce border crossings into the U.S., Mexico could either carry out mass deportations or offer more opportunities to migrants in its territory. Both scenarios seem unrealistic. Simply increasing deportations would go against Lopez Obrador’s policy — which Sheinbaum inherited — of trying to address the problems in their origin countries that pushed them to leave, and it would be an expense for Mexico. After Sheinbaum’s call with Trump, she reiterated her government offers migrants options for international protection in its territory or “voluntary or assisted return” to their countries. The second option doesn’t seem feasible either: Most people want to go to the U.S., where they expect to have higher-paying jobs, more family or community support, and greater safety than in Mexico. Chemical diversions Deaths related to fentanyl — the cheap, synthetic opioid — have reached epidemic levels in the U.S. That’s why reining in the flow of the drug was on Trump’s list of demands. Should recent history be any indication, intervention is never simple. The U.S. arrest of a Mexican alleged drug leader has led to prolonged shootouts in recent months. And in any case, some academics argue simply confiscating more drugs means traffickers learn to produce more, to meet U.S. demand. So far, Mexico has worked to improve its technical capabilities to detect illicit substances at its ports, especially precursor chemicals and fentanyl. “The Navy has provided material and personnel to all ports for the fulfillment of these tasks, the personnel have the necessary training to be able to detect these substances,” said Captain Jose Barradas in an interview at the Manzanillo port, in the state of Colima. “All merchandise that arrives is prone to review under strict security protocols.” Sheinbaum also picked former Mexico City police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch to lead a new national security strategy, a move that was read inside Mexico as a signal of her willingness to increase enforcement in areas where the previous administration had been more hands-off. There’s more that could be done — but it would be hard. Trying to seize these substances at ports is insufficient because synthetic drugs tend to be very small, making them more difficult to detect than traditional drugs, said Victoria Dittmar, researcher at Insight Crime. Those who produce them often innovate with their recipes and use new chemicals that are not illegal. “Mexico can open collaboration paths with the private sector, with the chemical industry, because they know perfectly well its supply chains and the vulnerable areas where there could be diversions,” she said. “This collaboration is essential.” Mexico can also work to identify intermediaries that connect fentanyl producers with chemical suppliers abroad and in the country, people who work in certain companies and are authorized to divert these substances, according to Dittmar. Still, “the main weakness is not putting demand reduction as a priority, to prevent overdose deaths,” Dittmar said. “It’s a shared responsibility. It’s not just the fault of Mexico, the U.S. or Canada, but it’s an issue that affects the entire North American region.” A senior Mexican official said that the country’s actions to address drug trafficking have moved the nation in the direction of the fentanyl crackdown that Trump is demanding. The official cited a new law that will allow for coordinated intelligence efforts that is due to be implemented next year. History repeats It’s plausible that in the medium-term Trump will lower the intensity of his threats because a trade war would be the worst case scenario for both countries, said Tapia, the political scientist. But until then, she said, “Sheinbaum is on trial as to how well she will do” relative to her predecessor, who had a respectful relationship with Trump and often praised him. One strategy that Sheinbaum could pursue: Finding ways to give Trump the appearance of political victory. That was part of the rationale behind AMLO’s deployment of the National Guard — a move Trump still talks about now. “We got thousands of Mexicans patrolling our border free of charge,” he boasted at a recent event about his relationship with AMLO. “He’s a socialist,” Trump said. “But these are minor details.” ——— (With assistance from Eric Martin, Carolina Millan and Ramsey Al-Rikabi.) ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Australia's prime minister said Sunday he was ready to "engage" with billionaire X owner Elon Musk over his criticism of the government's ban on under-16s joining social media. Anthony Albanese hailed the parliament's Thursday passage of landmark legislation requiring social media firms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent young teens from having accounts. The law, which will come into effect after 12 months, gives few details of how it will be enforced, including how sites like Facebook, Instagram and X will verify users' ages. Musk -- who has been named Donald Trump's government efficiency chief in the incoming US administration -- posted on X last month that the law "seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all Australians". "We will talk to anyone," Albanese said when asked if he would discuss the legislation with Musk. "With regard to Elon Musk, he has an agenda. He's entitled to push that as the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter," Albanese told Australian public broadcaster ABC. When the interviewer mentioned that Musk was also Trump's "right-hand man", the prime minister replied: "We will engage, we will engage." Social media firms that fail to comply with the new law face fines of up to Aus$50 million (US$32.5 million) for "systemic breaches". Musk's platform in October lost a legal bid to avoid a US$417,000 fine levelled by Australia's online watchdog, which has accused X of failing to stamp out harmful posts. The government will decide over the next 12 months how to implement the ban, Albanese said, insisting, however, that it would not require people to provide identification. "The obligation will be on social media companies to do everything they can to make sure that those people under 16 don't have access to social media," the prime minister said. "We know that social media companies have more information about you and I than some of our friends do," he added. "We know that they are able to do that, and the obligation will be on them." Albanese said he was "determined" to implement the legislation. "I've met parents who have had to bury their children as a result of the impact that social media has had as a result of bullying, and we need to do something about it," he said. Several social media giants have promised to work with the government on implementing the law. But they have also criticised the legislation, saying it was "rushed", full of unanswered questions, and did not take into account the views of experts who opposed it. The UN children's charity UNICEF Australia warned this week that the law was no "silver bullet" against online harm and could push kids into "covert and unregulated" spaces online. djw/mp/cwl

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Mac Cosmetics does most things well, so it’s no surprise that the brand’s beauty advent calendar for 2024 has sold out almost everywhere. It officially launched back in September and, with wearable lip colours, bestselling lip liners and more for sub-£200, its ‘gift of gold’ branding is certainly apt. That’s right, it originally retailed at £180 while being valued at £445 but, as if that wasn’t good enough, Brown Thomas has now slashed the beauty haul’s price further with a total saving of more than £300 this Black Friday weekend. Indeed, with the final few calendars now on sale for £137.76 ( Brownthomas.com ) you’ll have more than thrice the retail price’s worth of products to take home and, if I say so ourselves, there are few (if any!) ‘dud’ products here. From mascaras to brow products and eyeshadows , you’ll have almost a full make-up routine at your disposal; though, naturally face bases like foundation and concealer can’t be included as a result of shade matches. With the calendar now sold out at both Selfridges and the brand’s own website, I wouldn’t hang about if I were you – this stock won’t stay on shelves long. So scroll on for my full review, plus all the details you’ll need to buy now. Read more: I’m a beauty writer and I’ve found the 53 best Black Friday deals starting from £1.50 How I tested open image in gallery {"id":"trigger-autogallery-14888","index":1} We unboxed every door and got to work testing each formula ( Lucy Smith ) Did I have to unbox all 24 days of this calendar in September in order to provide you with these kernels of advent calendar wisdom? Yes, I did, but I did so in the name of research. I put the lip, eye and face formulas to the test, paid attention to the size of the included minis (how mini are they, really?) and weighed up the desirability of every product. From the variety of make-up to the price and worth of the box as a whole, here are all my thoughts on Mac’s gift of gold 2024 advent calendar.

BALTIMORE — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has seen progress with the state’s expansive Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education initiative and is now looking to refine key parts of the program, addressing the teacher shortage in Maryland and scaling back collaborative time in schools. At this week’s Maryland Association of Counties Conference in Cambridge, Moore announced plans to introduce an education bill during the 2025 Maryland legislative session that ideally will address an ongoing teacher shortage in the state. The governor’s office reports that 4% of the state’s teacher positions are unfilled, meaning nearly 1,600 classrooms don’t have an experienced educator leading students . In addition, approximately 6,000 educators are teaching under provisional certification and are not fully trained and licensed . “This piece of legislation will take aim at the single biggest challenge that we face in education, and that’s the ongoing Maryland teacher shortage,” Moore said at the conference “If we don’t get a high-quality, high-trained and dedicated teacher in every classroom, the Blueprint itself is bound to fail.” Moore said his legislation will address the teacher shortage by building off the foundation of the Educator Shortage Act that is geared toward strengthening the teacher training pipeline. The governor also plans to issue another reform to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future that includes increased time for educators to engage in curriculum planning, grading and professional development outside of the classroom. However, Moore said the state needs to scale back this part of the program to keep instructors in the classroom and further strengthen the teacher pipeline. The state needs an estimated 15,000 more teachers to implement collaborative time successfully. “This year, I will propose a pause in the implementation of the collaborative time provisions in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future,” Moore said. “Our goal is to give school districts time – time and space – to recruit and retain enough teachers to make this plan actually work. And while we pause collaborative time, I will also be proposing new short-term grants to schools and districts that want to experiment with collaborative time models to make sure that it works for your own, individual jurisdictions.” “It ensures that our educators have additional breathing room to work together to sharpen their skills and better support our students,” he said. “Let’s be clear: Teachers should be treated like professionals and be empowered to work together outside of class.” Diamonté Brown, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union, said her group is adamantly against the pause. She said the governor should be more focused on decreasing the workload because of the staff shortage. “We do agree that there is a teacher shortage,” Brown said. “We believe a way to address the teacher shortage is to retain the teachers you currently have by decreasing the workload, improving working conditions, and making certain that teachers are being compensated and other school staff members are being compensated properly. And continue to keep competitive wages and desirable working conditions so you can attract not just teachers but other staff members to our school districts.” Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, who is a member of the Senate Education, Energy, and Environment Committee, understands Moore’s reasoning with the pause in collaboration. “I have been working with local school superintendents, boards of education and county officials on their recommendations to address the many challenges that they are facing with the implementation of the Blueprint education policies,” Carozza said. “I am interested in understanding the fiscal and classroom implications of the Governor’s announcement to pause the teacher collaboration program. “My understanding is that the pause in the teacher collaboration program would give teachers more time in the classroom with their students, and I appreciate the Governor’s focus on the teacher shortage.” Moore said the state will implement the parts of the Blueprint that work, including investments in preschool and early education and a focus on early literacy and tutoring. The state will put a pause on the elements of the Blueprint that need a closer look or require laying a stronger foundation for full implementation. Moore said lawmakers will continue to craft and pass legislation to elevate education and make necessary adjustments as we see fit. “To win the decade, we need to provide a world-class education to every student,” Moore said. “That will continue to be our pledge and our push.” However, funds for Blueprint could be an ongoing challenge. Last month, Maryland lawmakers were warned about an impending $2.7 billion deficit they’ll need to resolve for the next budget year, which could prompt a debate over whether they should make deep budget cuts or raise taxes. Some transportation-related fees were part of the $63 billion final budget agreement in order to stave off some cuts to the transportation budget and to secure additional funding for the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The education plan is by far the biggest driver of the state’s long-term budget problems. Starting in the 2028 fiscal year, about $2 billion for Blueprint needs are unfunded , a figure that grows to $3.2 billion in the 2030 fiscal year. Kalman R. Hettleman, an education policy analyst and advocate, agrees that a teacher shortage is a challenge in Maryland and across the nation. However, Hettleman sees more pressing challenges with the Blueprint for Maryland, mainly with funding. “The Blueprint was underfunded from the start because of politics and taxes,” said Hettleman, a former member of Maryland’s Kirwan Commission on education reform and the Baltimore City school board. “The major areas of underfunding, for example, are the basic necessities of effective schools – class size, interventions for struggling learners, and support services, including mental health and behavior.” Hettleman said the urgent first step in the next session of the General Assembly is to add to and/or reprioritize existing funding to provide more adequate and equitable funding over the next several years. This can occur without any overhaul of the structure of the Blueprint, he said. However, according to Hettleman, the phase-in priorities in the Blueprint funding must be re-examined and revised so more funding will be available in the early years of the transition for students of color, students who struggle financially or are at an academic disadvantage. ©2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Sen. Mitch McConnell said Thursday he will lead a subcommittee overseeing defense spending as he carves out new roles once he relinquishes his as Senate Republican leader. The Kentucky Republican revealed he will assume the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. The role dovetails with his constant message that America needs a bulked-up military to deter threats from adversaries such as Russia, Iran and China. The transition comes as McConnell is ending his role as the longest-serving Senate leader in history, just as Republicans prepare to take majority control of the chamber after big gains in this month's election. Republicans elected , a top deputy to McConnell, as the next Senate majority leader. McConnell, 82, said Thursday he will assume the subcommittee chairmanship at a critical time. “America’s national security interests face the gravest array of threats since the Second World War," the senator said in a statement. “At this critical moment, a new Senate Republican majority has a responsibility to secure the future of U.S. leadership and primacy.” McConnell frequently evokes Ronald Reagan’s mantra of “peace through strength” when discussing foreign policy risks and how the U.S. should respond. McConnell's stance could clash with President-elect Donald Trump’s “America First” doctrine on foreign affairs. McConnell worked with Trump on a tax cuts package and the appointment of conservative judges — including three justices to the nine-member Supreme Court — during Trump's first term as president. Fighting back against isolationism within his own party, McConnell has championed sending weapons and other aid to Ukraine as it fends off Russia’s invasion. McConnell said Thursday he's also set to become chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, which is often a more low-key panel at the center of big issues, both at the Capitol and in the country. The committee oversees the administration of the Senate side of the building, including during inaugurations. But it also puts McConnnell at the center of weighty topics, namely federal elections and voting rights as well as the procedures of the Senate, including the debate around the filibuster. McConnell said the committee will have important work in the coming two years. “Defending the Senate as an institution and protecting the right to political speech in our elections remain among my longest-standing priorities,” he said. There had been considerable speculation about what roles McConnell would take after stepping down as Republican leader. He has two years left in his current Senate term and has not signaled whether he will run for reelection in Kentucky in 2026. McConnell has been a prolific appropriator for the Bluegrass State, a role he’s well positioned to continue.Radhika Merchant once again slayed her fashion statement as she celebrated her first Christmas post-wedding with Anant Ambani. Dig inside to see the pictures! New Delhi : The choti bahu of Mukesh and Nita Ambani, Radhika Merchant, now Radhika Ambani, celebrated her first Christmas with her sasural at a lavish bash in Jamnagar. Radhika, who is known for her sartorial choices, once again grabbed eyeballs with her choice of stunning outfit for Christmas this year. For the unversed, Radhika changed her surname officially after tying the knot with Anant Ambani in a three-day wedding gala in Mumbai in July this year. Let’s explore more details about the Ambanis Christmas party. Radhika Merchant Christmas bash The lavish Christmas bash hosted by Ambanis in Jamnagar was attended by Orhan Awatramani aka Orry and Janhvi Kapoor. A slew of pictures were shared by him on Instagram where he can be seen posing with Radhika Merchant. For the special party, Radhika Ambani opted for a dazzling red sequin midi dress, which features puffed sleeves. She teamed it up with black stockings and apair of furry boots. Her look is perfect winter look and especially, for the year end parties. She completed her look with a half-furry white jacket, featuring crystal buttons. She accessorised her look with a pair of diamond bracelets, diamond earrings, and a diamond-studded watch. For the glam, she opted for a dewy makeup, chic black bow, and glossy lips. Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani wedding Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani wedding celebrations kickstarted in Jamnagar with a pre-wedding bash, followed by a 3-day gala on a luxury cruise. The Ambanis then hosted a three-day lavish wedding gala in Mumbai, which was attended by who’s who of Bollywood. Click for more latest Celebrity news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. An avid movie buff and a foodie, who likes to spend time with her family and close ones. Other things that give me the thrill are - travelling, gardening, and reading fiction novels. A postgraduate in Media Science, I started out in 2016 and there has been no stopping since then.

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Oregon State offensive linemen Joshua Gray and Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan have accepted invitations to play in the East-West Shrine Game on January 30 in Arlington, Tex. The senior duo, who started all 12 games during the 2024 season on the Beavers’ left side of the offensive line, are among three Beavers headed for postseason all-star games. The other is tight end Jermaine Terry II , who is playing in the Hula Bowl. The East-West Shrine Game is played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.Space mission to use satellites to create artificial solar eclipses

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