Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he’s also named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day’s trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time’s 2024 Person of the Year, according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who at times has treated the stock market as a measure of public approval and has long-prized signifiers of his success in New York’s business world and his appearances on the covers of magazines — especially Time. Trump was named the magazine’s Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He had already been listed as a finalist for this year’s award alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales. Time declined to confirm the selection ahead of Thursday morning’s announcement. “Time does not comment on its annual choice for Person of the Year prior to publication,” a spokesperson for the magazine said Wednesday. The ringing of the bell is a powerful symbol of U.S. capitalism — and a good New York photo opportunity at that. Despite his decades as a New York businessman, Trump has never done it before. It was unclear whether Trump, a Republican, would meet with New York’s embattled mayor, Democrat Eric Adams, who has warmed to Trump and has not ruled out changing his political party. Adams has been charged with federal corruption crimes and accused of selling influence to foreign nationals; he has denied wrongdoing. Trump himself was once a symbol of New York, but he gave up living full-time in his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and moved to Florida after leaving the White House. CNN first reported Wednesday Trump’s visit to the stock exchange and Politico reported that Trump was expected to be unveiled as Time’s Person of the Year. The stock exchange regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the ceremonial opening and closing of trading. During Trump’s first term, his wife, Melania Trump, rang the bell to promote her “Be Best” initiative on children’s well-being. Last year, Time CEO Jessica Sibley rang the opening bell to unveil the magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift. After the Nov. 5 election, the S&P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks. The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean. Trump has long courted the business community based on his own status as a wealthy real estate developer who gained additional fame as the star of the TV show “The Apprentice” in which competitors tried to impress him with their business skills. He won the election in part by tapping into Americans’ deep anxieties about an economy that seemed unable to meet the needs of the middle class. The larger business community has applauded his promises to reduce corporate taxes and cut regulations. But there are also concerns about his stated plans to impose broad tariffs and possibly target companies that he sees as not aligning with his own political interests. Trump spends the bulk of his time at his Florida home but was in New York for weeks this spring during his hush money trial there. He was convicted, but his lawyers are pushing for the case to be thrown out in light of his election. While he spent hours in a Manhattan courthouse every day during his criminal trial, Trump took his presidential campaign to the streets of the heavily Democratic city, holding a rally in the Bronx and popping up at settings for working-class New Yorkers: a bodega, a construction site and a firehouse. Trump returned to the city in September to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Manhattan tower and again in the final stretch of the presidential campaign when he held a rally at Madison Square Garden that drew immediate blowback as speakers made rude and racist insults and incendiary remarks. At the stock exchange, the ringing of the bell has been a tradition since the 1800s. The first guest to do it was a 10-year-old boy named Leonard Ross, in 1956, who won a quiz show answering questions about the stock market. Many times, companies listing on the exchange would ring the bell at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate their initial offerings as trading began. But the appearances have become an important marker of culture and politics — something that Trump hopes to seize as he’s promised historic levels of economic growth. The anti-apartheid advocate and South African President Nelson Mandela rang the bell, as has Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone with his castmates from the film “The Expendables.” So, too, have the actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner for an “Avengers” movie and the Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. president to ring the bell. “With tax reform and budget control, our economy will be free to expand to its full potential, driving the bears back into permanent hibernation,” Reagan said at the time. “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” The crowd of traders on the floor chanted, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed in 1985 and 1986, but it suffered a decline in October 1987 in an event known as “Black Monday.” ___ Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report. U.S. stock indexes got back to climbing on Wednesday after Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to

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After only a few hours of deliberations, a jury delivered a crushing verdict for Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker, finding him guilty of leaking an explosive civil grand jury report on the San Francisco 49ers’ influence on the city and then lying about it under oath. Becker was full of emotion as the decision was read aloud in Santa Clara County Superior Court in Morgan Hill on Thursday. His husband, Abel Cardona, watched from the front row of the courtroom. Becker, who remains free on his own recognizance, has maintained his innocence since he was first indicted in April 2023. Chris Montoya, a deputy public defender who is part of Becker’s five-person legal team, declined to comment until after sentencing on Jan. 31. Following the verdict, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said “the criminal justice system depends on people telling the truth.” “When an elected official lies under oath, it undermines the criminal justice system, and that’s what Mr. Becker did,” Rosen told reporters. Perjury, a felony, carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, but Rosen said the crime doesn’t feel like “a state prison case.” “There does need to be some accountability whether that’s a combination of jail time and fines because this is very serious what the defendant did,” he said. Becker’s trial began a day after the Nov. 5 election in which the vice mayor came in dead last in a three-way race for his seat, and the prosecution called more than a dozen witnesses to prove its case. Becker opted not to take the stand, and his legal team called no witnesses in his defense. Rahul Chandhok, the San Francisco 49ers’ former chief of communications, served as the prosecution’s star witness. He testified at the beginning of the trial that Becker had leaked the bombshell Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report, titled “Unsportsmanlike Conduct,” which accused Becker and other members of the council of having an improper relationship with the 49ers and holding closed door meetings with team lobbyists that potentially violated state law. That report was released a month shy of Election Day in 2022 when Becker unsuccessfully challenged Mayor Lisa Gillmor, a critic of the NFL team that began playing at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in 2014, for her seat. The NFL team spent heavily on the election that year, shelling out more than $1.4 million trying to get Becker elected and another roughly $1 million attacking Gillmor. Chandhok testified that Becker sent him the report on Oct. 6, 2022, via Signal, an encrypted messaging app where the messages can be scheduled to disappear. The report was set to be released publicly on Oct. 10 but appeared in several media outlets on Oct. 7. The 49ers quickly worked to get ahead of the story, describing the report as a “hatchet job” and investigating whether any of the jurors were biased . Rosen criticized the 49ers outside of the courtroom on Thursday for attacking members of the civil grand jury. “We have a lot of large companies in this Valley: Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, the list goes on and on,” he said. “The behavior in this case of the 49ers is not something that I have seen with any of those other companies.” Brian Brokaw, a spokesperson for the 49ers, said in a statement on the verdict that they “respected the outcome of the legal process and look forward to continuing to work with Santa Clara to maximize the benefits of Levi’s Stadium for the community.” The civil grand jury investigated the leak in late 2022 but didn’t find the source. When testifying under oath to the civil grand jury, Becker said he didn’t leak the report. In a social media post, Gillmor said that Becker’s “felony conviction highlights a deeply troubling and consistent pattern of misconduct and betrayal of public trust in Santa Clara.” “As multiple Grand Jury reports have documented, it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to undue influence and lack of transparency in the way the City Council and some City staff interact with the 49er organization,” Gillmor said. “The people of Santa Clara deserve a government that operates legally and ethically.” During closing arguments on Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky sought to persuade the jury that Chandhok had “no reason to lie” about Becker being the source of the leak. “What are his motivations?” Malinsky asked. “He was given immunity. He was actually forced under court order to testify.” Meanwhile, Montoya attempted to convince the jury “that the prosecution failed.” He argued that the defense revealed that evidence had been destroyed by the prosecution during the investigation, that they uncovered new evidence, and that the forensic team who reviewed Becker and Chandhok’s devices were unqualified. Montoya described the case against the vice mayor as circumstantial and said that many questions remained unanswered, such as why Councilmember Kevin Park had a seven-minute call with Chandhok just after 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 6 as the 49ers crafted their response. “They failed to complete a thorough investigation,” he said on Wednesday. “They failed to prove Mr. Becker is guilty.” While the prosecution was unable to find any message or email on Becker’s devices that pointed toward his leaking the report, Malinsky said that it wasn’t just one piece of evidence that proved his guilt. Santa Clara Councilmember Suds Jain corroborated Chandhok’s testimony, he noted. The recently re-elected councilmember testified that Becker told him in a phone call that he gave the report to Silicon Valley Voice, a local news outlet. “When you look at the totality of the evidence, there is only one conclusion — that Becker committed both of these crimes,” Malinsky said in his closing arguments. Vice Mayor Anthony Becker who was found guilty walks out of the courtroom with Grant Fondo, lawyer at Goodwin Procter, at South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Vice Mayor Anthony Becker was found guilty surrounded by Christopher Montoya, deputy public defender, Shavon Henry, lawyer Goodwin Procter, Hayes Hyde, lawyer at Goodwin Procter, at South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Vice Mayor Anthony Becker who was found guilty walks from the courtroom with Grant Fondo, lawyer at Goodwin Procter, at South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala, left, meets with Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky, second from left, and Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s defense attorneys Christopher Montoya and Hayes Hyde, as they discuss whether to admit a piece of evidence during Becker’s trial at the Santa Clara County Superior Court in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Fernando Ramirez Jr., a criminalist with the Santa Clara County Crime Laboratory who performed a forensic analysis of Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s phone, checks documents provided by Becker’s defense attorney, Christopher Montoya, as he testifies during Becker’s trial at the Santa Clara County Superior Court in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky talks during Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s trial at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s attorney, Hayes Hyde, appears during Becker’s trial at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) Russell Miller, a campaign finance attorney, who works with the San Francisco 49ers, takes the witness stand during Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s trial at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) Santa Clara County Judge Javier Alcala talks during Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker’s trial at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) Vice Mayor Anthony Becker who was found guilty walks out of the courtroom with Grant Fondo, lawyer at Goodwin Procter, at South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)Opposition-led protests costing Pakistan Rs 190bln daily, claims FinMin

CORK, Ireland , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE: JCI), the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, has approved a regular quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share of common stock, payable on Jan. 17, 2025 , to shareholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 23, 2024 . Johnson Controls has paid a consecutive dividend since 1887. About Johnson Controls At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet. Building on a proud history of nearly 140 years of innovation, we deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, our comprehensive digital offering. Today, with a global team of experts, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology and software as well as service solutions from some of the most trusted names in the industry. Visit www.johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow @Johnson Controls on social platforms. INVESTOR CONTACT: Jim Lucas Direct: +1 414.340.1752 Email: jim.lucas@jci.com MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Canzanella Direct: +1 203.499.8297 Email: danielle.canzanella@jci.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/johnson-controls-announces-quarterly-dividend-302324312.html SOURCE Johnson Controls International plcWASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Hours later, Gaetz posted on social media that he looks “forward to continuing the fight to save our country,” adding, “Just maybe from a different post.” Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” He did not immediately announce a new selection. Last week, he named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. The withdrawal, just a week after the pick was announced, averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump’s Cabinet picks. The selection of the fierce Trump ally over well-regarded veteran lawyers whose names had circulated as possible contenders stirred concern for the Justice Department's independence at a time when Trump has openly threatened to seek retribution against political adversaries. It underscored the premium Trump places on personal loyalty and reflected the president-elect's desire to have a disruptor lead a Justice Department that for years investigated and ultimately indicted him. In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers sought more information about Justice Department and congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz has denied. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were taken aback by the pick of a partisan lawmaker with limited legal experience who has echoed Trump's claims of a weaponized criminal justice system. As Gaetz sought to lock down Senate support, concern over the sex trafficking allegations showed no signs of abating. In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman. One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn’t think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18. "They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” Leppard said Thursday of his clients. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department’s investigation ended last year with no charges against him. Gaetz’s political future is uncertain. He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected as attorney general, a move seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025, but he said in his resignation letter last week to House Speaker Mike Johnson that he did not intend to take the oath of office. He transmitted a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state launched a special election process to fill the vacancy. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel's findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. As word of Gaetz's decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators seemed divided. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz in the House, called it a “positive move." Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz “put country first and I am pleased with his decision.” Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close ally of Trump, said he was “disappointed. I like Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run.” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hoped that Trump will pick someone “equally as tenacious and equally as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ.” Gaetz is not the only Trump pick facing congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed investigative police report made public Wednesday shows that a woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth, the former Fox News host now tapped to lead the Pentagon, after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave. “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

The European Union (EU) has approved updates to its design protection legislation to modernize the framework and support innovation across member states. These reforms aim to address technological advancements, simplify legal processes, and ensure that the rules remain effective in a rapidly changing digital and economic environment. Why Now? The current EU design framework, governed by the Design Directive (98/71/EC) and the Community Design Regulation (6/2002), has been in place for over two decades. While effective, it has struggled to keep up with modern developments, such as: Technological Advances : Popularity of digital and virtual designs, including graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and 3D printing, has created gaps in the existing legislation. Inconsistent Rules : Differences in how member states apply design laws complicate cross-border trade and enforcement. Accessibility Challenges : High costs and administrative hurdles made the system difficult for small businesses and independent designers to navigate. Effective Dates Regulation Changes Most changes in the EU Design Regulation will take effect on May 1, 2025 , with provisions for digital and new types of designs coming into force on July 1, 2026 . Directive Implementation Member states must implement changes to their national laws under the EU Design Directive by December 9, 2027 . Key Updates Digital and Expanded Design Protection (Effective July 1, 2026) The definition of designs now includes animation, movement, and light-based effects, broadening protection for digital designs and features enhancing user experience. Graphic works, GUIs, logos, and spatial arrangements — both physical and digital — are explicitly covered, supporting innovation in technology and automotive sectors. Representation Rules (Effective July 1, 2026) Limits on design views will be removed, with new standards for 3D views, disclaimers, and file formats to follow. The European Union Intellectual Property Office is working on consistent filing practices across member states. Streamlined Filing for Multiple Designs (Effective May 1, 2025) Applicants can include up to 50 designs from different Locarno classes in one application, simplifying filings and reducing costs. Visibility Clarification (Effective May 1, 2025) Design features only need to be visible in the application, except for parts of complex products that must remain visible during normal use. 3D Printing and Counterfeiting Protections (Effective May 1, 2025) Design holders can take action against 3D-printed copies and seize counterfeit goods in transit. Fee Changes (Effective May 1, 2025) Application fees remain unchanged at €350, with reduced fees for additional designs. Renewal fees for later periods, however, will increase significantly, except for international registrations. Repair Clause for Spare Parts (Implementation by December 9, 2027) Introduces new rules exempting spare parts used for repair of complex products (such as spare parts for the automobile-repair sector) from design protection. This clause is limited to “must match” parts only (i.e., to parts that are used to restore the original appearance of the product). Existing protections for such parts will phase out by December 2032, allowing existing (national) designs of components parts to still enjoy protection during this time. Fast-Track Invalidity Proceedings (Effective July 1, 2026) Simplified invalidity procedures will address uncontested cases, aiding in disputes over hijacked or infringing designs. Optional Administrative Invalidity (By December 9, 2027) EU member states are encouraged — but not required — to offer administrative processes for invalidating design registrations. Outlook The revised framework is expected to make the design system more user-friendly and cost-effective. Designers and businesses, especially smaller entities, will gain easier access to legal protections, allowing them to innovate with greater confidence. These updates also encourage creativity, ultimately leading to a wider range of innovative products for consumers. The approved revisions seek to blend and future-proof design protections across the EU, fostering a more dynamic and competitive environment for creators and businesses alike. This initiative reflects the EU’s commitment to supporting innovation and ensuring its intellectual property framework keeps pace with emerging trends and challenges. To adapt and thrive under the revised EU design protection framework, businesses should act promptly to align with the upcoming changes. Key considerations include: Being mindful of these implications, and acting accordingly, can ensure that your business is well-positioned to benefit from the updated EU design protection framework.

Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens nextBy Ja'han Jones On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced one of four activists convicted of conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government , who worked with and for the Russian government to aid that efforts to sow political disunity in the U.S. Activist Augustus Romain Jr., 38, of Atlanta will serve five years’ probation and submit to random drug screenings. This case stemmed from federal investigators’ discovery that Romain and several associates worked with Russian officials to stoke political unrest and promote pro-Russian talking points in the U.S. from 2016 to 2022. Romain, who is Black, was convicted in September alongside Omali Yeshitela, a leader of the so-called Uhuru Movement, and Jesse Nevel and Penny Hess, who are white. Romain and Yeshitela had both been leaders of an umbrella organization known as the African People’s Socialist Party until Romain, who uses the nonbinary pronoun they, left to form their own group . The Atlanta Journal Constitution laid out some of the findings on Romain’s group and their work with a Kremlin-linked official named Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov in a recent report. From the AJC : Romain left the group in 2018 and returned to Atlanta to form the Black Hammer Party, which they used to conduct often outlandish protests around the city, including an anti-vaccine protest outside the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 epidemic, and a demonstration with members of the far-right Proud Boys in front of the CNN Center. FBI investigators said Ionov funded a number of Black Hammer activities, including a demonstration at the California headquarters of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, in March 2022 over its policies regarding content about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Justice Department said that in addition to protesting Meta on Russia’s dime, Romain posted Russian propaganda to social media at Ionov’s direction and sought Ionov’s input on a news release from their organization that condemned President Joe Biden’s support for Ukraine. The other co-conspirators in this case are expected to be sentenced next week. This case is a prime example of why voters must be wary of ostensibly radical activists whose rhetoric closely mirrors Russian far-right rhetoric. We know from a bipartisan S enate report on the Kremlin’s meddling in the 2016 election that Russian officials have taken a particular interest in targeting Black Americans with political propaganda. Considering a federal indictment filed this year alleges that Kremlin-linked officials have paid influencers to peddle right-wing, pro-Russian talking points, there’s no reason to believe Russia's efforts to infect the Black political discussion has been limited to Romain and their associates. Ja'han Jones is The ReidOut Blog writer. He's a futurist and multimedia producer focused on culture and politics. His previous projects include "Black Hair Defined" and the "Black Obituary Project."