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WASHINGTON − The State Department's Global Engagement Center, the highly touted nerve center for coordinating U.S. efforts to counter foreign disinformation – especially by Russia and China – shut down this week after becoming a lightning rod for conservative criticism. The mission of the GEC, as it is commonly known, was to “direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and coordinate” the U.S. campaign against propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security and stability of the U.S. and its allies. But the GEC, with a relatively tiny $60 million budget and staff of 120, was first criticized in 2023 by , the multibillionaire advisor to , as the " in U.S. government censorship & media manipulation." The GEC was initially included in a stopgap bill to fund the government , but GOP lawmakers deleted it from a last-minute bill ultimately passed by Congress. A State Department spokesperson said the GEC "will terminate by operation of law [by the end of the day] on December 23, 2024. The Department of State has consulted with Congress regarding next steps," the AFP news agency reported. The GEC evolved from the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, established by the Obama administration in 2011 to counter online extremist recruitment and propaganda. An Obama 2016 executive order created the GEC to broaden its mission to include fighting disinformation by state and non-state actors. The GEC soon began to focus primarily on using high-tech tools such as social media analytics to identify and counter disinformation campaigns by Moscow and Beijing that were increasingly targeting Washington and its allies. It sought to broaden its impact by working with other U.S. agencies, foreign allies and the private sector. A Sept. 28, 2023 report by the GEC for spending billions of dollars annually on foreign manipulation efforts. It detailed how Beijing employed “a variety of deceptive and coercive methods as it attempts to influence the international information environment.” The report said , including through fake media and research papers "falsely blaming the United States for creating COVID-19." Those efforts falsely promoted China and the Chinese Communist Party's "desired narratives on issues such as Taiwan, its human rights practices, the South China Sea, its domestic economy, and international economic engagement.” More broadly, the GEC report said, China sought to leverage propaganda, censorship and “digital authoritarianism” to encourage foreign governments, journalists and civil society at large to accept its preferred narratives and avoid criticizing its conduct as it sought more influence on the global stage. The GEC also has published numerous hard-hitting criticisms of Russia. In 2020, the GEC has detailed how Russia during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has called out the Kremlin for trying to sow chaos in U.S. And it has exposed Russian attempts to by spreading false claims about U.S. health programs. In September, it called out Moscow and its state-run media organization RT for using propaganda, disinformation – and – to sway the global community on issues like its war against Ukraine. That effort by RT involved not only information operations but also covert influence and even military procurement efforts in targeting countries around the world, including in Europe, Africa, and North and South America, the GEC said in a Sept. 13 report. “When state or non-state actors spread disinformation, material deliberately meant to deceive or divide our public, they attack the very foundations of our free and open society,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in releasing the report. He laid out specific steps the Biden administration was taking “to hold accountable those who weaponize disinformation to undermine our democracy,” including coordinated crackdowns by the State, . In January, the GEC to counter state-run disinformation campaigns that’s now backed by at least 21 countries including Spain, Poland, Finland and the West African nation of Côte d’Ivoire – and that could enable them to also create their own versions at home. Funding for the GEC ran into congressional opposition in 2024 by Republican lawmakers who claimed it was overstepping its authority by trying in the U.S. including pro-Trump influencers. Three ranking House Republicans to accuse the GEC of straying from its statutory duty to counter propaganda and disinformation abroad. “Your Department refuses to acknowledge that ... any value the GEC provides is tempered by genuine concerns that the GEC is at best indifferent to, and at worst complicit in, an orchestrated and systematic effort to stretch the term ‘disinformation’ to encompass viewpoints that, among American progressives, are deemed to be politically disfavored or inconvenient...” the lawmakers wrote. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who co-authored the 2016 legislation that established the center, said such criticisms were unwarranted and politically motivated. He led the effort to , along with Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Former Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman is . “[The GEC] has played an indispensable role in combating Russian and Chinese disinformation,” Murphy said in October. “It would unnecessarily if we eliminated this tool.” When on Nov. 5, Republicans also retained control of the House and retook the Senate. The GEC on Dec. 18, praising the European Union for its “first-time use of designations under its Russia hybrid sanctions framework.” On Tuesday, the day before Christmas, the site went offline with this message: “This account is no longer in use as of 12/23/2024. For updates on the U.S. Department of State, please follow .”Is AI progress slowing down?

Wall Street stocks were little changed on Thursday while Asian equities rose in thin Boxing Day trade, extending their "Santa Claus Rally" with several bourses still shut for the holiday. Japan's Nikkei index closed up 1.1 percent, boosted by comments from the Bank of Japan governor and share price gains for top-selling automaker Toyota. China's plans for massive bond issuances in 2025 also bolstered investor sentiment. "Even though many in the region are still shaking off a bit of a holiday hangover, with several markets closed for Boxing Day, Asian stocks opened higher, riding a favorable wave from China's financial bond juggernaut," said Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management. In New York, major indices veered in and out of positive territory in a sleepy post-Christmas session. The broad-based S&P 500 finished down less than 0.1 percent. Large technology companies that have led the market in much of 2024 mostly took a breather. These included Netflix, Tesla and Amazon, all of which declined. "What's interesting today is that we're seeing small stocks bounce back a little bit," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers, noting that the Russell 2000 index put on 0.9 percent. Holiday consumer data showed a 3.8-percent increase in US retail spending from November 1 to December 24, according to a Mastercard SpendingPulse review of a key period for retailers. London Stockton, an analyst at Ned Davis Research, noted that the "Santa Claus rally could still be alive, with strong seasonality into the end of the year." Stock markets have traditionally fared well in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in the new year, a trend known as the "Santa Claus rally." Among a number of possible reasons advanced by experts include the festive holiday mood and purchasing ahead of the end of the tax year. Innes said remarks from Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda in which he refrained from signaling a potential interest rate hike next month also "influenced bullish regional sentiments." Japanese market heavyweight Toyota ended nearly six percent higher after reports in the Nikkei business daily said it aimed to double its return on equity -- a key measure of a company's financial performance. New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 43,325.80 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 6,037.59 (close) New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,020.36 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 percent at 39,568.06 points (close) Hang Seng: UP 1.1 percent at 20,098.29 points (Tuesday close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,398.08 points (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0424 from $1.0414 on Tuesday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2526 from $1.2538 Dollar/yen: UP at 158.00 yen from 157.06 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.19 pence from 83.05 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.7 percent at $69.62 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $73.26 per barrel bur-jmb/aha

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Known across the globe as the stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams hit the six-month mark in space Thursday with two more to go. The pair rocketed into orbit on June 5 , the first to ride Boeing's new Starliner crew capsule on what was supposed to be a weeklong test flight. They arrived at the International Space Station the next day, only after overcoming a cascade of thruster failures and helium leaks . NASA deemed the capsule too risky for a return flight, so it will be February before their long and trying mission comes to a close. While NASA managers bristle at calling them stuck or stranded, the two retired Navy captains shrug off the description of their plight. They insist they're fine and accepting of their fate. Wilmore views it as a detour of sorts: "We're just on a different path." NASA astronauts Suni Williams, left, and Butch Wilmore stand together for a photo June 5 as they head to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for their liftoff on the Boeing Starliner capsule to the International Space Station. "I like everything about being up here," Williams told students Wednesday from an elementary school named for her in Needham, Massachusetts, her hometown. "Just living in space is super fun." Both astronauts lived up there before, so they quickly became full-fledged members of the crew, helping with science experiments and chores like fixing a broken toilet, vacuuming the air vents and watering the plants. Williams took over as station commander in September. "Mindset does go a long way," Wilmore said in response to a question from Nashville first graders in October. He's from Mount Juliet, Tennessee. "I don't look at these situations in life as being downers." Boeing flew its Starliner capsule home empty in September, and NASA moved Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight not due back until late February. Two other astronauts were bumped to make room and to keep to a six-month schedule for crew rotations. Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait June 13 inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Like other station crews, Wilmore and Williams trained for spacewalks and any unexpected situations that might arise. "When the crews go up, they know they could be there for up to a year," NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free said. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio found that out the hard way when the Russian Space Agency had to rush up a replacement capsule for him and two cosmonauts in 2023, pushing their six-month mission to just past a year. Boeing said this week that input from Wilmore and Williams was "invaluable" in the ongoing inquiry of what went wrong. The company said it is preparing for Starliner's next flight but declined to comment on when it might launch again. NASA also has high praise for the pair. "Whether it was luck or whether it was selection, they were great folks to have for this mission," NASA's chief health and medical officer, Dr. JD Polk, said during an interview with The Associated Press. NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, both Expedition 71 flight engineers, make pizza Sept. 9 aboard the International Space Station's galley located inside the Unity module. Items are attached to the galley using tape and Velcro to keep them from flying away in the microgravity environment. On top of everything else, Williams, 59, had to deal with "rumors," as she calls them, of serious weight loss. She insists her weight is the same as it was on launch day, which Polk confirms. During Wednesday's student chat, Williams said she didn't have much of an appetite when she first arrived in space. But now she's "super hungry" and eating three meals a day plus snacks, while logging the required two hours of daily exercise. Williams, a distance runner, uses the space station treadmill to support races in her home state. She competed in Cape Cod's 7-mile Falmouth Road Race in August. She ran the 2007 Boston Marathon up there as well. She has a New England Patriots shirt with her for game days, as well as a Red Sox spring training shirt. "Hopefully I'll be home before that happens — but you never know," she said in November. Husband Michael Williams, a retired federal marshal and former Navy aviator, is caring for their dogs back home in Houston. As for Wilmore, 61, he's missing his younger daughter's senior year in high school and his older daughter's theater productions in college. The astronauts in the video seemed to be in good spirits with one stating, “It’s gonna be delicious.” (Scripps News) "We can't deny that being unexpectedly separated, especially during the holidays when the entire family gets together, brings increased yearnings to share the time and events together," his wife, Deanna Wilmore, told the AP in a text this week. Her husband "has it worse than us" since he's confined to the space station and can only connect via video for short periods. "We are certainly looking forward to February!!" she wrote. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, left, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, gives a thumbs up as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to Launch Complex 40 for a mission to the International Space Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla., (AP Photo/John Raoux) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov leave the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) NASA astronaut Nick Hague, right, talks to his family members as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov looks on after leaving the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to the launch pad 40 Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Two astronauts are beginning a mission to the International Space Station. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) In this image from video provided by NASA, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, left, and astronaut Nick Hague travel inside a SpaceX capsule en route to the International Space Station after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NASA via AP) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a crew of two astronauts, lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Falcon 9's first stage booster returns to Landing Zone 1 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a crew of two lifts off from launch pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Get local news delivered to your inbox!JERUSALEM — Israel approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants on Tuesday that would end nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the war in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire, starting at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday, would mark the first major step toward ending the regionwide unrest triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. But it does not address the devastating war in Gaza , where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. Hours before the ceasefire with Hezbollah was to take effect, Israel carried out the most intense wave of strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the conflict and issued a record number of evacuation warnings. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. Another huge airstrike shook Beirut shortly after the ceasefire was announced. Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt . President-elect Donald Trump vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how. Still, any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. In this screen grab image from video provide by the Israeli Government Press Office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a televised statement Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Jerusalem, Israel. Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies across the region. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” The ceasefire deal calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops would return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” A police bomb squad officer inspects the site where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024. Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Rescuers and residents search for victims Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in Beirut, Lebanon. Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. The warnings sent residents fleeing. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. Israeli soldiers inspect the site Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024, where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel. The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few miles from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 20 miles north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israeli security officers and army soldiers inspect the site Tuesday Nov. 26, 2024, where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon. Chehayeb and Mroue reported from Beirut and Federman from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporters Lujain Jo and Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Mumbai: India's most wanted gangster and U.N.-designated global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim celebrated his 69th birthday in style in Karachi on Thursday. He threw a party in the evening, according to sources tracking him. As reported by the FPJ on October 1, 2023 Dawood has been given the honorary rank of additional director-general of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in return for services rendered to the spy agency. It is learnt that the elite of the Pakistani armed forces, political and corporate establishments have been invited for the party. It is learnt that several businessmen, including some from India, have flown into Karachi from Dubai in their private jets to attend the event. Son of a constable of Mumbai police, Dawood, a Konkani Muslim, is today a most-prized asset of the ISI, which fiercely defends him with several layers of security. Apart from his involvement in narcotics trade, in which several top level ISI officers are his partners, he is reported to be doing gun running and fake currency racket. He has vast investments running into billions of U.S. dollars in legit business of real estate development, stock and commodities trading, gold, diamond and jewellery business. He has a major stake in the real estate industry in Mumbai. Sources in Mumbai police said the D Gang is not active in the metropolis, but his "boys", including shooters, are very much there ready to spring into action at short notice. In the recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly, the gang is believed to have financed the campaigns of some of the candidates. The Government of India has often talked about extraditing Dawood from Pakistan, but its efforts have been systematically stymied by Islamabad. A senior police official told FPJ on condition of anonymity "Forget getting Dawood from Pakistan, there is absolutely no political will to uproot his businesses within India. He is not a gangster anymore, but a terror leader. Yet no effort is being made to neutralise his assets in India."

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Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. trained and went through the NFL draft process together on the way to becoming two of the five quarterbacks taken in the top 10. After going off the board earlier with the second pick by the Washington Commanders, Daniels has been their starter all season and one of football's breakout stars . Penix, taken eighth in a move coach Raheem Morris joked “shocked the world," waited behind Kirk Cousins until usurping the veteran and making his first pro start last week. On Sunday night, they'll face off in the league's first prime-time showdown of rookie QBs selected in the first round, and the spotlight is bright with significant playoff implications at stake. “I'm happy for him — he waited his time,” Daniels said of Penix. “He's a phenomenal player in my eyes, and I'm excited to be able to match up against him.” Daniels and the Commanders (10-5) are in the playoffs with a win. They might already be in before kickoff if Tampa Bay loses at home to Carolina, though the Buccaneers are 8-point favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook. Washington is favored by 4 against the Falcons (8-7), who are vying with the Bucs for the NFC South title and a home playoff game and also in contention with the Commanders and others for the conference's wild-card spots. “The reality is that you fight, you fight, you fight and you put yourself in a position to go out there and win your division,” Penix said. "You put yourself in a chance to get yourself to qualify for extra play. We’re right in the mix of doing that, and we’ve got to go do it and finish.” Daniels, who threw five touchdown passes to beat Philadelphia last week and end the Eagles’ winning streak at 10 games, is the prohibitive favorite to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards in a rout of the New York Giants that included two touchdowns by Atlanta's defense and two on the ground from running back Bijan Robinson. “I was really pleased with his composure, his poise, his ability to click through progressions,” Morris said. "Realistically, it was a pretty clean game at the quarterback position. I’m very pleased with what he did and how he did it and the support that he had around him.” Washington's Dan Quinn is facing the Falcons as a head coach for the first time since they fired him in 2020. He was replaced then on an interim basis by Morris, who was an assistant on his staff in Atlanta the entire time Quinn was in charge, including the run to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season. “It’s always fun to play against your friends, your confidants, your mentors — whatever you want to look at it as — that we’ve been able to grow up with throughout this whole process,” said Morris, who was an assistant in Washington from 2012-14 under Mike Shanahan and interviewed for the Commanders job last winter. “Dan coaching me in college," Morris added, "and then having a chance to work together and then having a chance to really follow the same path to the National Football League and then to now being in a fortunate position to be head coaches in this awesome league and having a chance to compete against each other at a very high level with high stakes on the line in prime time and all of those things — I just enjoy those moments of being able to go against guys that you care about.” Morris said conversations from their close working relationship, which dates to their time together at Hofstra, are on a break right now. “Obviously you swap texts on normal weeks,” Morris said. “I won’t talk to him this week. I’ll ban him. I’ll block him on the phone.” Penix's results would have been even more impressive if not for some drops by receivers. Ray-Ray McCloud and Drake London had miscues on Atlanta’s opening drive. Tight end Kyle Pitts bobbled a pass later that led to Penix's interception. Serving as scout-team QB while Cousins was the starter , Penix had little practice time with the first-string offense before last week. As a left-hander, Penix gives receivers a different look, but perhaps the biggest adjustment was the added zip on his passes when compared with Cousins. “We kind of talked about that,” Morris said. “We figured that would happen. ... We talked about the reps with these guys, not having as many. So, things like that are going to happen. But I do like the fact that we’re able to keep playing and pushing and watch the guys get better and better as we went. The Commanders are expected to get two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen back after surgery in October to repair a torn pectoral muscle initially looked to be season-ending . “We know the caliber of Jon and what he can bring,” Quinn said. “He’s strong. He’s tough. So when that does happen, that’ll be something that will definitely bring energy to our defense.” Allen had 15 tackles and two sacks in five-plus games before getting injured at Baltimore on Oct. 13. After ranking last in the league with 10 sacks through the first 11 games, Atlanta’s long-struggling pass rush has enjoyed a dramatic surge. The Falcons have at least three in four consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league, with 16 total over this stretch. Arnold Ebiketie recorded his fifth sack and recovered a fumble against the Giants, and Kaden Elliss had a strip sack. Elliss also has five sacks and has dropped opposing QBs in four consecutive games: the longest streak by a Falcons defender since Patrick Kerney's five in a row in 2001. AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLBy SARAH PARVINI, GARANCE BURKE and JESSE BEDAYN, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. One algorithm, for example, ranks immigrants with a “Hurricane Score,” ranging from 1-5, to assess whether someone will “abscond” from the agency’s supervision. The letter, sent by DHS Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen to the immigrant rights group Just Futures Law, revealed that the score calculates the potential risk that an immigrant — with a pending case — will fail to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The algorithm relies on several factors, he said, including an immigrant’s number of violations and length of time in the program, and whether the person has a travel document. Hysen wrote that ICE officers consider the score, among other information, when making decisions about an immigrant’s case. “The Hurricane Score does not make decisions on detention, deportation, or surveillance; instead, it is used to inform human decision-making,” Hysen wrote. Also included in the government’s tool kit is a mobile app called SmartLINK that uses facial matching and can track an immigrant’s specific location. Nearly 200,000 people without legal status who are in removal proceedings are enrolled in the Alternatives to Detention program, under which certain immigrants can live in the U.S. while their immigration cases are pending. In exchange, SmartLINK and GPS trackers used by ICE rigorously surveil them and their movements. The phone application draws on facial matching technology and geolocation data, which has been used before to find and arrest those using the app. Just Futures Law wrote to Hysen earlier this year, questioning the fairness of using an algorithm to assess whether someone is a flight risk and raising concerns over how much data SmartLINK collects. Such AI systems, which score or screen people, are used widely but remain largely unregulated even though some have been found to discriminate on race, gender or other protected traits. DHS said in an email that it is committed to ensuring that its use of AI is transparent and safeguards privacy and civil rights while avoiding biases. The agency said it is working to implement the Biden administration’s requirements on using AI , but Hysen said in his letter that security officials may waive those requirements for certain uses. Trump has publicly vowed to repeal Biden’s AI policy when he returns to the White House in January. “DHS uses AI to assist our personnel in their work, but DHS does not use the outputs of AI systems as the sole basis for any law enforcement action or denial of benefits,” a spokesperson for DHS told the AP. Trump has not revealed how he plans to carry out his promised deportation of an estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally. Although he has proposed invoking wartime powers, as well as military involvement, the plan would face major logistical challenges — such as where to keep those who have been detained and how to find people spread across the country — that AI-powered surveillance tools could potentially address. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, did not answer questions about how they plan to use DHS’ tech, but said in a statement that “President Trump will marshal every federal and state power necessary to institute the largest deportation operation” in American history. Over 100 civil society groups sent a letter on Friday urging the Office of Management and Budget to require DHS to comply with the Biden administration’s guidelines. OMB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Just Futures Law’s executive director, Paromita Shah, said if immigrants are scored as flight risks, they are more likely to remain in detention, “limiting their ability to prepare a defense in their case in immigration court, which is already difficult enough as it is.” SmartLINK, part of the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, is run by BI Inc., a subsidiary of the private prison company The GEO Group. The GEO Group also contracts with ICE to run detention centers. ICE is tight-lipped about how it uses SmartLINK’s location feature to find and arrest immigrants. Still, public records show that during Trump’s first term in 2018, Manassas, Virginia-based employees of BI Inc. relayed immigrants’ GPS locations to federal authorities, who then arrested over 40 people. In a report last year to address privacy issues and concerns, DHS said that the mobile app includes security features that “prohibit access to information on the participant’s mobile device, with the exception of location data points when the app is open.” But the report notes that there remains a risk that data collected from people “may be misused for unauthorized persistent monitoring.” Such information could also be stored in other ICE and DHS databases and used for other DHS mission purposes, the report said. On investor calls earlier this month, private prison companies were clear-eyed about the opportunities ahead. The GEO Group’s executive chairman George Christopher Zoley said that he expects the incoming Trump administration to “take a much more aggressive approach regarding border security as well as interior enforcement and to request additional funding from Congress to achieve these goals.” “In GEO’s ISAP program, we can scale up from the present 182,500 participants to several hundreds of thousands, or even millions of participants,” Zoley said. That same day, the head of another private prison company told investors he would be watching closely to see how the new administration may change immigrant monitoring programs. “It’s an opportunity for multiple vendors to engage ICE about the program going forward and think about creative and innovative solutions to not only get better outcomes, but also scale up the program as necessary,” Damon Hininger, CEO of the private prison company CoreCivic Inc. said on an earnings call. GEO did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, CoreCivic said that it has played “a valued but limited role in America’s immigration system” for both Democrats and Republicans for over 40 years.Wall Street stocks were little changed on Thursday while Asian equities rose in thin Boxing Day trade, extending their "Santa Claus Rally" with several bourses still shut for the holiday. Japan's Nikkei index closed up 1.1 percent, boosted by comments from the Bank of Japan governor and share price gains for top-selling automaker Toyota. China's plans for massive bond issuances in 2025 also bolstered investor sentiment. "Even though many in the region are still shaking off a bit of a holiday hangover, with several markets closed for Boxing Day, Asian stocks opened higher, riding a favorable wave from China's financial bond juggernaut," said Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management. In New York, major indices veered in and out of positive territory in a sleepy post-Christmas session. The broad-based S&P 500 finished down less than 0.1 percent. Large technology companies that have led the market in much of 2024 mostly took a breather. These included Netflix, Tesla and Amazon, all of which declined. "What's interesting today is that we're seeing small stocks bounce back a little bit," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers, noting that the Russell 2000 index put on 0.9 percent. Holiday consumer data showed a 3.8-percent increase in US retail spending from November 1 to December 24, according to a Mastercard SpendingPulse review of a key period for retailers. London Stockton, an analyst at Ned Davis Research, noted that the "Santa Claus rally could still be alive, with strong seasonality into the end of the year." Stock markets have traditionally fared well in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in the new year, a trend known as the "Santa Claus rally." Among a number of possible reasons advanced by experts include the festive holiday mood and purchasing ahead of the end of the tax year. Innes said remarks from Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda in which he refrained from signaling a potential interest rate hike next month also "influenced bullish regional sentiments." Japanese market heavyweight Toyota ended nearly six percent higher after reports in the Nikkei business daily said it aimed to double its return on equity -- a key measure of a company's financial performance. New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 43,325.80 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 6,037.59 (close) New York - Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,020.36 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 percent at 39,568.06 points (close) Hang Seng: UP 1.1 percent at 20,098.29 points (Tuesday close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,398.08 points (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0424 from $1.0414 on Tuesday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2526 from $1.2538 Dollar/yen: UP at 158.00 yen from 157.06 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.19 pence from 83.05 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.7 percent at $69.62 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $73.26 per barrel bur-jmb/ahaIsrael and Lebanon's Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fighting

( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Securities Litigation Partner James (Josh) Wilson Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $50,000 In Kyverna To Contact Him Directly To Discuss Their Options If you suffered losses exceeding $50,000 investing Kyverna common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Offering Documents (defined below) issued in connection with the Company's initial public offering conducted on or about February 8, 2024 (the "IPO" or "Offering") and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310) . [You may also click here for additional information] NEW YORK, Dec. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP , a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Kyverna Therapeutics, Inc. (“Kyverna” or the“Company”) (NASDAQ: KYTX) and reminds investors of the February 7, 2025 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company. Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors since its founding in 1995. See . As detailed below, the complaint alleges that the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws through the registration statement and prospectus used to effectuate the Company's IPO misstated and/or omitted facts concerning the results of the Company's ongoing evaluation of KYV-101 in clinical trials. Specifically, the Company touted patient“improvement” in certain indicators while failing to disclose adverse data regarding one of Kyverna's trials, which adverse data was known to the Company at the time of the IPO. As a result, investors purchased Kyverna shares at artificially inflated prices. As these true facts emerged after the Offering, the Company's shares fell sharply, severely harming investors. By the commencement of this action, Kyverna's shares traded as low as $3.92 per share, a decline of more than 82% from the Offering Price. The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Kyverna's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. To learn more about the Kyverna class action, go to /KYTX or call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310) . Follow us for updates on LinkedIn , on X , or on Facebook . Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP ( ). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at MENAFN26122024004107003653ID1109033742 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Trump will return to power with a raft of tools at his disposal.Philadelphia (8-2) at Los Angeles Rams (5-5) Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC/Peacock BetMGM NFL odds: Eagles by 3. Against the spread: Eagles 6-4; Rams 4-6. Series record: Eagles lead 23-20-1. Last meeting: Eagles beat Rams 23-14 in Inglewood, Calif. on Oct. 8, 2023. Last week: Eagles beat Washington 26-18; Rams beat New England 28-22. Eagles offense: overall (5), rush (1), pass (22), scoring (7). Eagles defense: overall (1), rush (7), pass (2), scoring (6). Rams offense: overall (17), rush (26), pass (T-7), scoring (21). Rams defense: overall (23), rush (18), pass (22), scoring (22). Turnover differential: Eagles plus-2; Rams plus-4. Eagles player to watch RB Saquon Barkley. Barkley combined for 198 scrimmage yards and two scores, rushing 26 times for 146 yards (5.6 average) while adding two receptions for 52 yards against Washington. With 1,137 rushing yards through 10 games, Barkley only trails Baltimore’s Derrick Henry for the NFL lead. He had his sixth 100-plus yard rushing game this season, which is the most in the NFL. Rams player to watch S Kam Kinchens. The rookie third-round pick from Miami had eight tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception and a forced fumble against the Patriots as he continues to come on strong. Kinchens has three picks in the past three games. Key matchup Eagles QB Jalen Hurts vs. Rams’ defensive line. Hurts shredded Los Angeles for 303 yards passing and 72 yards rushing last season despite the presence of superstar DT Aaron Donald. After Donald retired, the Rams turned to a committee approach to get after the passer, and it has worked with rookie OLB Jared Verse and DT Braden Fiske fitting in well next to second-year OLB Byron Young and DT Kobie Turner. But they can only unleash their excellent pass rush skills by limiting Philadelphia on early downs. Hurts has been at his dual-threat best over the past five games, accounting for 15 total touchdowns (six passing, nine rushing) against two turnovers. Key injuries Eagles defensive end Bryce Huff had surgery on his left wrist on Thursday, a move that could allow him to return toward the end of the season. ... WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and DT Milton Williams (foot) each missed practice this week. ... Rams RT Rob Havenstein (ankle) looks to be trending toward a return this week. Havenstein sat out the previous two games because of the ailment. Series notes The Eagles have won all three games in Los Angeles since the Rams moved back in 2016. ... Overall, Philadelphia has won seven of the past eight. The only setback came in Week 2 of the 2020 pandemic season. Stats and stuff Barkley has passed 100-plus scrimmage yards in eight of 10 games. That is tied with LeSean McCoy (2011) and Brian Westbrook (2007) for the most by an Eagle through 10 games. His 198 yards were his second most as an Eagle (199 in Week 9). ... The Eagles have allowed two passing touchdowns during their winning streak. Only one opponent has topped 200 passing yards against them in this stretch, with Cincinnati throwing for 222 in Week 8. ... Hurts leads all NFL quarterbacks with 11 touchdown runs and is second only to Henry’s 13 scores for the Ravens. ... WR A.J. Brown leads the league in receptions of 30 yards or longer. He is averaging 18.7 yards per catch, the best mark of any player with at least 30 grabs. ... Even before he hurt his wrist, Huff struggled in his first season in Philadelphia with just 2 1/2 sacks and four quarterback hits. His snap count has dipped since he was injured ahead of a game earlier this month against Jacksonville. Huff had 17 1/2 sacks in four seasons with the Jets before he signed a three-year, $51 million free-agent deal with the Eagles. ... Philadelphia has run for at least 150 yards and two touchdowns in five straight games, something it hadn’t accomplished since 1949. ... Rams WR Puka Nacua caught his first touchdown of the season in New England. He has at least seven receptions and 98 yards in three of his past four games, with only a second-quarter ejection in Seattle having limited Nacua since he returned from a knee injury. ... WR Cooper Kupp has 614 receptions through his first 98 games, which is fourth most in NFL history through 100 games. Julio Jones (619) is third. ... RB Kyren Williams averaged a season-high 5.7 yards per carry, finishing with 86 yards on 15 attempts versus the Patriots. ... Verse has 11 tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks through his first 10 games. Verse is pressuring the quarterback on 20.2% of pass rush snaps, which ranks second in the league overall. ... The Rams were 2 of 8 (25%) on third down against New England, their third straight game converting 25% or worse. ... QB Matthew Stafford has not been sacked in each of Los Angeles’ past three wins. Fantasy tip Don’t be discouraged using Stafford, Kupp and Nacua against Philadelphia’s pass defense. All three put up solid fantasy numbers in last season’s meeting, even as the Eagles sat on the ball for nearly 38 minutes. Stafford had 222 yards and two scores, finding Kupp eight times for 118 yards and Nacua seven times for 71 yards and a touchdown, so they’ll find ways to produce. ___ AP NFL:Trump acolyte and self-proclaimed “proud Islamophobe” Laura Loomer is threatening to tell MAGA to “stay home” during the next midterm elections amid an escalating feud with “tech bros” Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy over Silicon Valley’s reliance on foreign-born workers. Loomer has engaged in a multi-day social media tirade over President-elect Donald Trump ’s recent appointment of Indian-American entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as a senior policy adviser for AI, prompting the loyal MAGA supporter to rage about Krishnan’s support of H-1B visas for Indian immigrants. With the Trump administration promising an immediate crackdown on immigration, Loomer has launched a series of attacks on Indians described as “racist” following Krishnan’s appointment, which she called “deeply disturbing.” Describing workers from India as “third-world invaders,” Loomer also took issue with Musk and Ramaswamy defending the tech industry importing “super talented engineers” from overseas. “The average IQ in India is 76,” Loomer tweeted at one point, along with several other posts disparaging Indians and their home country. Loomer, who previously sparked backlash for making bigoted remarks about Kamala Harris’s Indian heritage, has found support among what some have described as “OG MAGA” in her civil war against Trump-supporting tech entrepreneurs. In particular, she has received quite a bit of backing from “groypers,” the followers of notorious white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Meanwhile, Loomer has directed much of her ire directly at Musk, labeling him a “stage 5 clinger” and questioning whether the DOGE government efficiency advisory committee he co-chairs with Ramaswamy would “cut spending” or just redirect funds “toward the pet projects of tech billionaires.” Musk, for his part, has dismissed Loomer as a “troll” who should be ignored. In response, Loomer has suggested that the X (formerly Twitter) owner and “first buddy” would soon find himself on the outs with Trump. While Loomer has been raging about Krishnan’s appointment all week, the criticism from her and other MAGA activists ramped up after his previous suggestion that Musk look at removing the caps on green cards for skilled immigrants resurfaced online. According to Loomer, Krishnan and other tech entrepreneurs want foreign students to “come to the US and take jobs that should be given to American STEM students.” After an Indian immigrant called her opposition to high-skilled immigration “fundamentally anti-American,” Loomer’s commentary became more bigoted and offensive. “Our country was built by white Europeans, actually. Not third world invaders from India,” she tweeted on Christmas Eve. “You know, it was white Europeans who created the American Dream, and we didn’t create it so that it could be exploited by pro open border techies like you. PS: why are people in India still sh*tting in the water they bathe and drink from?” David Sacks, the incoming AI and crypto czar, pushed back on Loomer’s complaints that Krishnan and other Trump-backing Silicon Valley execs were “career leftists,” adding that “supporting a limited number of highly skilled immigrants is still a prevalent view on the right.” Loomer reacted by falsely accusing Krishnan of donating to Harris’s campaign. (It was a different person with the same name .) While Ramaswamy cited 1990s sitcoms as a key reason why there aren’t enough qualified American-born engineers, claiming that was why the tech industry needed more workers from India, Musk sounded off that the “number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low.” Reacting to a right-wing activist saying it was “wild” that MAGA was “turning against” him and DOGE, Musk stated : “Loomer is trolling for attention. Ignore.” While simultaneously firing off about Musk, Loomer was also incensed that Krishnan appeared to have a friendly relationship with Democratic congressman Ro Khanna. “Should MAGA stay home in 2026? I want @TeamTrump to let us know who is a priority,” she posted . “The MAGA base or an anti-Trump Democrat congressman who gets donations from tech bros and voted to impeach Trump? I just want to know what to tell voters in 2026 when they ask me if they should vote.” As for the world’s richest man, Loomer accused Musk of being “compromised” by the Chinese government and that Trump needs to push him out of his inner circle. “The elephant in the room is that @elonmusk, who is not MAGA and never has been, is a total f*cking drag on the Trump transition,” Loomer tweeted on Thursday. “He’s a stage 5 clinger who over stayed his welcome at Mar a Lago in an effort to become Trump’s side piece and be the point man for all of his accomplices in big Tech to slither in to Mar a Lago.”