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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy took part in some light throwing on Monday after missing his first career game because of an injury and the 49ers are hoping he can return this week. Purdy hurt his throwing shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. Purdy underwent two MRIs last week that showed no structural damage. But Purdy he felt discomfort after making a few throws at practice on Thursday and was shut down for the game at Green Bay on Sunday that San Francisco lost 38-10 . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Washington, Nov 28 (AP) President Joe Biden's administration is urging Ukraine to quickly increase the size of its military by drafting more troops and revamping its mobilisation laws to allow for the conscription of those as young as 18. A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private consultations, said Wednesday that the outgoing Democratic administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilisation age to 18 from the current age of 25 to help expand the pool of fighting-age men available to help a badly outnumbered Ukraine in its nearly three-year-old war with Russia. The official said "the pure math" of Ukraine's situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight. Currently Ukraine is not mobilising or training enough soldiers to replace its battlefield losses while keeping pace with Russia's growing military, the official added. The White House has pushed more than USD 56 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's February 2022 invasion and expects to send billions more to Kyiv before Biden leaves office in less than months. But with time running out, the Biden White House is also sharpening its viewpoint that Ukraine has the weaponry it needs and now must dramatically increase its troop levels if it's going to stay in the fight with Russia. The official said the Ukrainians believe they need about 1,60,000 additional troops, but the US administration believes they probably will need more than that. More than 1 million Ukrainians are now in uniform, including the National Guard and other units. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been hearing concerns from allies in other Western capitals as well that Ukraine has a troop level problem and not an arms problem, according to European officials who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic conversations. The European allies have stressed that the lack of depth means that it may soon become untenable for Ukraine to continue to operate in Russia's Kursk border region. The situation in Kursk has become further complicated by the arrival of thousands of North Korean troops, who have come to help Moscow try to claw back the land seized in a Ukrainian incursion this year. The stepped-up push on Ukraine to strengthen its fighting ranks comes as Ukraine braces for President-elect Donald Trump to take office on Jan. 20. The Republican said he would bring about a swift end to the war and has raised uncertainty about whether his administration would continue the vital US military support for Ukraine. "There are no easy answers to Ukraine's serious manpower shortage, but lowering the draft age would help," said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Centre on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "These are obviously difficult decisions for a government and society that has already endured so much due to Russia's invasion." Ukraine has taken steps to broaden the pool of draft-eligible men, but the efforts have only scratched the surface against a much larger Russian military. In April, Ukraine's parliament passed a series of laws, including one lowering its draft-eligible age for men from 27 to 25, aimed at broadening the universe of men who could be called on to join the grinding war. Those laws also did away with some draft exemptions and created an online registry for recruits. They were expected to add about 50,000 troops, far short of what Zelenskyy said at the time was needed. Zelenskyy has consistently stated that he has no plans to lower the mobilization age. A senior Ukrainian official, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ukraine does not have enough equipment to match the scale of its ongoing mobilization efforts. The official said Ukrainian officials see the push to the lower the draft age as part of an effort by some Western partners to deflect attention from their own delays in providing equipment or belated decisions. The official cited as an example the delay in giving Ukraine permission to use longer-range weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory. The Ukrainians do not see lowering the draft age to recruit more soldiers as a substitute for countering Russia's advantage in equipment and weaponry, the official said. Conscription has been a sensitive matter in Ukraine throughout the war. Russia's own problems with adequate troop levels and planning early in the war prevented Moscow from taking full advantage of its edge. But the tide has shifted and the U.S. says the Ukrainian shortage can no longer be overlooked. Some Ukrainians have expressed worry that further lowering the minimum conscription age and taking more young adults out of the workforce could backfire by further harming the war-ravaged economy. The senior Biden administration official added that the administration believes that Ukraine can also optimise its current force by more aggressively dealing with soldiers who desert or go absent without leave. (AP) DIV DIV (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)A Louisiana law that reclassified abortion-inducing drugs as controlled substances has made it more difficult for doctors to treat a wide range of gynecological conditions, doctors say. Now, a similar proposal has been filed in Texas. Texas Rep. Pat Curry, a freshman Republican from Waco, said the intent of House Bill 1339 is to make it harder for people, especially teenagers, to order mifepristone and misoprostol online to terminate their pregnancies. Doctors in Louisiana say the measure has done little to strengthen the state’s near-total abortion ban, but has increased fear and confusion among doctors, pharmacists and patients. “There’s no sense in it,” said Dr. Nicole Freehill, an OB-GYN in New Orleans. “Even though we kept trying to tell them how often [these medications] are used for other things and how safe they are, it didn’t matter. It’s just a backdoor way of restricting abortion more.” These medications are often used to empty the uterus after a patient has a miscarriage, and are commonly prescribed ahead of inserting an intrauterine device. Misoprostol is also often the best treatment for obstetric hemorrhages, a potentially life-threatening condition in which women can bleed to death in minutes. Since the Louisiana law went into effect, hospitals have taken the medication off their obstetrics carts and put them in locked, password-protected central storage. One hospital has been running drills to practice getting the medications to patients in time, and reported, on average, a two-minute delay from before the law went into effect, the Louisiana Illuminator reported . “In obstetrics and gynecology, minutes or even seconds can be the difference between life and death,” Dr. Stella Dantas, president of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, said in a statement after the Louisiana law passed. “Forcing a clinician to jump through administrative hurdles in order to access a safe, effective medicine is not medically justified and is, quite simply, dangerous.” Curry said these restrictions won’t stop doctors from prescribing these medications when necessary, but will stop the “wide misuse” of the drugs to circumvent the state’s near-total abortion ban. Curry said he consulted with the author of the Louisiana law, as well as OB-GYNs in Texas, to draft the bill. He said the doctors who have criticized the legislation are raising these concerns as a “smokescreen” because they don’t want more restrictions. “I understand that. We don’t need or want all kinds of regulations,” he said. “Especially as Republicans, regulations should not be high on our list, but in this case it’s a necessary evil given the situation.” In March 2022, Mason Herring, a Houston attorney, spiked his wife’s water with misoprostol to force her to have an abortion. Catherine Herring was pregnant with the couple’s third child, a daughter who was born 10 weeks premature. She survived, but has significant developmental delays, according to The Associated Press . Mason Herring was charged with felony assault to induce abortion, and pleaded guilty to injury to a child and assault to a pregnant person. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years of probation. Catherine Herring’s experience led her brother, Louisiana state Rep. Thomas Pressly, to file a bill that would have made it a crime to coerce someone into having an abortion. But at the last minute, the bill was amended to also reclassify abortion-inducing drugs as controlled substances, according to the Louisiana Illuminator, leaving hospitals and doctors scrambling to comply with the new restrictions. The state health department advised storing the medication in a locked area on the crash cart, which at least some hospitals have said is not feasible. “We had to rework how we utilize misoprostol across our hospital systems,” Freehill said. “Labor and delivery, pharmacy, nursing staff, you name it, they were all involved with figuring out how to stay within the law but still use these medications that we need access to.” It’s rare for a state to decide on its own to classify a drug as a controlled substance. Most commonly, the federal government decides which medications should be “scheduled,” based on their medical usefulness and the potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs, like heroin, have no medical use and are often used recreationally; Schedule IV and V are medications that are useful but have a potential for abuse, like Xanax or Valium. There are enhanced penalties for having a controlled substance without a prescription, and increased restrictions on how doctors can dispense them. Pharmacists must report any prescriptions for controlled substances to the state Prescription Monitoring Program, and doctors are required to check the database before prescribing certain controlled substances. Law enforcement also has access to that database. Prescription monitoring has been key to combating the opioid epidemic by identifying doctors who were overprescribing and patients who were getting prescriptions from multiple providers. But with so much political attention on mifepristone and misoprostol as abortion-inducing drugs, doctors are worried about scrutiny for frequently prescribing these common medications. “We had to fix a problem that wasn’t broken,” said Freehill. “There’s no reason for it to be Schedule IV. It’s not something people abuse. It’s not something people can become addicted to. It’s extremely safe.” A group of Louisiana health care providers recently filed a lawsuit arguing the law discriminates against people who need mifepristone and misoprostol for other conditions, and challenging whether the last-minute amendments to the bill were proper. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has said the new restrictions are clear and should not delay care. Those who “have attempted to sow confusion and doubt,” she said in a statement, “profit from misinformation.” When the law first went into effect, Anna Legreid Dopp, senior director of government relations for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, told CNN that the group expected other states to consider similar measures. “Almost immediately, our members raised concern that if this is being done in one state, it can easily be a template for other states to use it,” Dopp said. Curry, who recently won a special election to fill the seat long held by Republican Rep. Doc Anderson, said Pressly and Herring have offered to come testify in support of his bill this session. He anticipates it getting wide support from his fellow lawmakers. Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, conservative groups have turned their attention to restricting access to abortion-inducing medications. A group of anti-abortion doctors filed a lawsuit to revoke the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, which the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately rejected. Curry said there are reasons to keep these medications on the market beyond abortion, but they need tighter restrictions. “You can lie about your age, you can lie about your name, you can lie about your address, there's no verification whatsoever,” he said, referring to online prescribers. “And it gets shipped to a 15-year-old girl, a 13-year-old girl.” It is already a crime to mail abortion-inducing medications in Texas, and many of the online pharmacies operate in a legal gray area outside U.S jurisdiction. Others are working in states that have “shield laws” that protect doctors’ ability to prescribe and mail pills into states that have banned abortion. None of these interstate and international legal questions have been tested in court with regards to abortion. Freehill said she would encourage Texas doctors to learn from what has happened in Louisiana as they prepare to advocate against this bill this session. “There's a lot of education that needs to be done surrounding what this means and what these drugs are really used for,” she said. “I don’t know that we would have been able to sway people, even with more time, but we can at least educate on why this is completely inappropriate and really governmental overreach.” Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

Zoning battle over Middlebury warehouse project heads to court, tests new state lawNew York, NY, Nov. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Launch Two Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: LPBBU) (the “ Company ”) announced today that, commencing November 29, 2024, holders of the units sold in the Company’s initial public offering may elect to separately trade the Company’s Class A ordinary shares and warrants included in the units. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. The Class A ordinary shares and warrants that are separated will trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbols “LPBB” and “LPBBW,” respectively. Those units not separated will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “LPBBU.” This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of the Company, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Launch Two Acquisition Corp. Launch Two Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company may pursue an acquisition opportunity in any business or industry or at any stage of its corporate evolution. The Company’s primary focus, however, will be on technology and software infrastructure companies whose products and services target financial services, real estate and asset management companies. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may include, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may include, “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements regarding possible business combinations and the financing thereof, and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “would” and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company’s management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“ SEC ”). All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and prospectus for the Company’s initial public offering filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. Company Contact: Launch Two Acquisition Corp. Jurgen van de Vyver jurgen@launchpad.vc (510) 692-9600Murdoch loses 'Succession' battle for son's control of media empire: report

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Trump plays a blinder as accusers forced to turn a blind eye over Capitol riotsLetter writes discuss President Biden's legacy, a guest column about President-elect Trump, MacArthur Center, murals at a Virginia Beach hospital and grocery prices. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination has echoes across the US Colonial Williamsburg's Grand Illumination has echoes across the US Cause of underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets still unknown — and may stay that way, fire chief says Cause of underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets still unknown — and may stay that way, fire chief says Man taken into custody after shooting at Suffolk church staff member Man taken into custody after shooting at Suffolk church staff member Man in custody had a gun, mask and writings tying him to killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO, police say Man in custody had a gun, mask and writings tying him to killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO, police say Disney influencer Dominique Brown dies at 34 after allergic reaction at food event, report says Disney influencer Dominique Brown dies at 34 after allergic reaction at food event, report says Man dies, woman injured in shooting after dispute in Hampton, police say Man dies, woman injured in shooting after dispute in Hampton, police say Inside Business recognizes 2024 Women in Business honorees Inside Business recognizes 2024 Women in Business honorees Hokies will play in Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota in Charlotte Hokies will play in Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Minnesota in Charlotte Chesapeake man charged after shooting at Suffolk church staff member Chesapeake man charged after shooting at Suffolk church staff member Hampton’s superintendent just got a massive raise. Here’s how it compares. Hampton’s superintendent just got a massive raise. Here’s how it compares. Trending Nationally Traffic stops by Denver police plunge nearly 50% after new policy prohibits low-level enforcement New pics of suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson slay released by NYPD 2nd rare Florida panther killed by vehicle in week; fewer than 250 remain in wild State anti-book-ban law leads some school districts to forsake grants to maintain local control Man covered in blood flees from police, kayaks to random boat in Newport BeachMount Washington famously lays claim to the world’s worst weather. Now, a new project from the Mount Washington Observatory will allow people to monitor that weather more closely. Last week, the observatory unveiled a project to expand the Mount Washington Regional Mesonet, a network of weather monitoring stations. There are 11 original stations in the network. Right now, 22 stations are active. Funding from the Northern Border Regional Commission is helping to add to those numbers and update existing stations. Over the next four years, the observatory says they’ll expand the network to about 36 stations. The first five of the new stations are along the western side of the mountain along the route of the Cog Railway. But the observatory plans to expand stations across the state, starting in the North Country. The stations are set up on big tripods and powered by solar panels. They measure things like solar radiation, temperature, humidity, wind speed and soil temperature, sharing that data in real time. That data can be used by weather forecasters, scientists and search and rescue teams. But Jay Broccolo, the director of weather operations at the observatory, said it’s also important for the public. “Can we think of an industry or a job or anything that's not affected by the weather, whether it comes down to insurance or supply chain or what you're wearing that day?” he said. “Weather affects us all.” Broccolo said the network expansion is particularly important because weather is a resource for New Hampshire, especially for one of its top industries: tourism. “We think of tourism as the snow, but what creates snow and what creates skiing? It's the weather. That is what creates those tourist attractions, the phenology that brings up so many people during leaf peeping season,” he said. The network will help scientists and businesses better understand the weather driving tourism in the state, he said. Keeping weather stations running in harsh conditions can be tough work. Keith Garrett, the observatory’s director of technology, said the expansion is starting on Mount Washington along the Cog Railway as a kind of trial period, using a space that’s familiar – though prone to ice and wind that’s difficult for stations to withstand. Garrett said he expects one station, located just below the summit of Mount Washington, to be half destroyed by spring. “It's part of the learning process,” he said. “Iterating through designs as fast as we can to try to come up with something that is robust and can survive this environment.” Lessons from the station on the mountain could help Garrett and his team build out stations in more remote areas in northern New Hampshire. Stations are planned as far north as Second Connecticut Lake.

The Toronto Maple Leafs missed out on adding a young forward to their depth as Jakob Pelletier went unclaimed and returned to the AHL. If Brad Treliving wanted to add some forward depth to his lineup he could have looked to his old team and grabbed one of their exciting prospects. Elliotte Friedman reports that Jakob Pelletier was placed on waivers and went unclaimed, being now a part of Calgary's next game. It's a waiver claim that went under the radar and Toronto might be kicking themselves they missed out on adding Pelletier. Drafted 26th overall in 2019, Pelletier has spent a little time with the Flames, scoring 10 points in 37 games. Not your typical Brad Treliving type at 5'9, he still could have provided a fresh spark to the Maple Leafs offense. After a blistering junior career with Moncton, he ended up in Calgary where he's put together 51 goals and 79 assists for the Stockton Heat and Calgary Wranglers of the AHL. He has yet to play a game in 2024-25 for the Flames but is hoping to make an impact for a Flames team who is looking for their next big star. Toronto adding Pelletier would have helped out their forward depth situation, and while it's not the defensive wall that Treliving wants from a new forward, there's no denying the potential, and it would have brought Pelletier back to the man who drafted him in 2019. He also would have helped with the list of injuries that Toronto is dealing with, and could have been part of an exciting future alongside Fraser Minten, Nikita Grebenkin, and Matthew Knies. If Pelletier ends up going on waivers again, Brad Treliving needs to be more aware of when he is able to potentially snap up his former prospect as he knows exactly what he's getting when it comes to the young winger. FAQ: Maple Leafs Miss Out On Unclaimed Forward Q1: Who could the Maple Leafs have claimed off waivers? A1: The Maple Leafs could have claimed speedy winger Jakob Pelletier from Calgary. A former first-round pick, he would have helped Toronto's forward depth. Q2: How do waivers work in the NHL? A2: When a player is sent to the minors, they must go through a waiver period where they are essentially offered to the other teams to make a claim to add them to their roster before they get sent down to the minors with their original club. The Toronto Maple Leafs missed out on adding another prospective forward to increase their depth is a bit frustrating for fans, but given that Toronto is doing so well they decided Pelletier wasn't in their plans. Though next time he does go on waivers, Brad Treliving should keep his eyes open more. This article first appeared on Hockey Patrol and was syndicated with permission.

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Credit card rules are going to change in this bank from December 20, know what will be the changesRick Higgins: 'He sees people and he's always there to lend a hand'WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” A look at some of the issues covered: Trump has threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn’t believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher prices for U.S. consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. households won't be paying more as they shop. “I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying they are "going to make us rich.” He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened additional tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. ”All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. “Honestly, they should go to jail,” Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump’s role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: “I have the absolute right. I’m the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I’m the president. But I’m not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. “Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee,” Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, “No,” and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. “I want her to do what she wants to do,” he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, “I’m not looking to go back into the past.” Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. “I think you have to do it,” he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end “birthright” citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens — although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, “I want to work something out,” indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not “want to be breaking up families” of mixed legal status, “so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back.” Long a critic of NATO members for not spending more on their own defense, Trump said he “absolutely” would remain in the alliance “if they pay their bills.” Pressed on whether he would withdraw if he were dissatisfied with allies’ commitments, Trump said he wants the U.S. treated “fairly” on trade and defense. He waffled on a NATO priority of containing Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Trump suggested Ukraine should prepare for less U.S. aid in its defense against Putin’s invasion. “Possibly. Yeah, probably. Sure,” Trump said of reducing Ukraine assistance from Washington. Separately, Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire . Asked about Putin, Trump said initially that he has not talked to the Russian leader since Election Day last month, but then hedged: “I haven’t spoken to him recently.” Trump said when pressed, adding that he did not want to “impede the negotiation.” The president-elect said he has no intention, at least for now, of asking Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down before Powell's term ends in 2028. Trump said during the campaign that presidents should have more say in Fed policy , including interest rates. Trump did not offer any job assurances for FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is to end in 2027. Asked about Wray, Trump said: “Well, I mean, it would sort of seem pretty obvious” that if the Senate confirms Kash Patel as his pick for FBI chief, then “he’s going to be taking somebody’s place, right? Somebody is the man that you’re talking about.” Trump promised that the government efficiency effort led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will not threaten Social Security. “We're not touching Social Security, other than we make it more efficient,” he said. He added that “we're not raising ages or any of that stuff.” He was not so specific about abortion or his long-promised overhaul of the Affordable Care Act. On abortion, Trump continued his inconsistencies and said he would “probably” not move to restrict access to the abortion pills that now account for a majority of pregnancy terminations, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. But pressed on whether he would commit to that position, Trump replied, “Well, I commit. I mean, are -- things do -- things change. I think they change.” Reprising a line from his Sept. 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump again said he had “concepts” of a plan to substitute for the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which he called “lousy health care.” He added a promise that any Trump version would maintain insurance protections for Americans with preexisting health conditions. He did not explain how such a design would be different from the status quo or how he could deliver on his desire for “better health care for less money.” Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.

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FRENCH PRIME MINISTER Michel Barnier is bracing for a no-confidence vote this week, a political reckoning almost certain to topple his fragile government and send shockwaves across the eurozone. Today, Barnier invoked a special constitutional tool to push through the controversial 2025 budget without a parliamentary vote. Barnier argued it was necessary to maintain “stability” amid deep political divisions. The move immediately drew sharp backlash, with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and the leftist France Unbowed both filing no-confidence motions in response, setting the stage for a vote as early as Wednesday, which could bring down the fragile government. The decision comes as France grapples with a fractured National Assembly following snap elections in June, which left no party or coalition with a majority. President Emmanuel Macron appointed Barnier in September to break the deadlock and tackle the country’s ballooning deficit. However, his austerity budget – featuring €40 billion in cuts and €20 billion in tax hikes – has been widely criticised, escalating tensions in the lower house. The use of the tool, called Article 49.3, allows the government to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote but leaves it exposed to no-confidence motions. Opposition leaders argue that Barnier’s concessions, including scrapping an electricity tax hike, do not go far enough to address their concerns. Le Pen accused Barnier of ignoring her party’s demands. “Everyone must shoulder their responsibilities,” she said. The political standoff has unsettled financial markets, with borrowing costs rising sharply amid fears of prolonged instability. Barnier warned of “serious turbulence” if the budget isn’t passed, but critics dismissed his remarks as fear-mongering. If the no-confidence motion succeeds, Macron will remain president but will need to appoint a new prime minister to steer legislation through the fractured assembly. The uncertainty threatens to deepen France’s economic troubles and reverberate across the eurozone.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Sunday that the sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is a “fundamental act of justice” after decades of repression, but it was “a moment of risk and uncertainty” for the Middle East. Biden spoke at the White House hours after after rebel groups completed a takeover of the country following more than a dozen years of violent civil war and decades of leadership by Assad and his family. Biden said the United States was monitoring reports of the whereabouts of Assad, with Russian state media saying he had fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The outgoing Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump were working to make sense of new threats and opportunities across the Middle East. Biden credited action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He said that “for the first time,” they could no longer defend Assad’s grip on power. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East,” Biden said, after a meeting with his national security team. Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, “was not interested in protecting him any longer.” Those comments on Trump’s social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the U.S. intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT.” The Biden administration said it had no intention of intervening. The U.S has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group. Biden said he intended for those troops to remain, adding that U.S. forces on Sunday conducted “precision air strikes” on IS camps and operations in Syria. U.S. Central Command said the operation hit more than 75 targets. “We’re clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try and take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its credibility, and create a safe haven,” Biden said, using a different acronym for the group. “We will not let that happen.” The Syrian opposition that brought down Assad is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the U.S. says is a terrorist organization with links to al-Qaida, although the group says it has since broken ties with al-Qaida. “We will remain vigilant,” Biden said. “Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses.” He added that the groups are “saying the right things now.” “But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions,” Biden said. A senior Biden administration official, when asked about contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leaders after Assad’s departure, said Washington was in contact with Syrian groups of all kinds. The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity, also said the U.S. has focused over the past several days on chemical weapons that had been controlled by the Assad government, aiming to ensure that they were secured. Still, Assad’s fall adds to an already-tense situation throughout much of the region on many fronts — including Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza and its fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Like Biden, Trump — who takes office in five-plus weeks — made a connection between the upheaval in Syria and Russia’s war in Ukraine, noting that Assad’s allies in Moscow, as well as in Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are in a weakened state right now.” Vice President-elect JD Vance, a veteran of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, wrote on social media Sunday to express skepticism about the insurgents. “Many of ‘the rebels’ are a literal offshoot of ISIS. One can hope they’ve moderated. Time will tell,” he said. Trump has suggested that Assad’s ouster can advance the prospects for an end to fighting in Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022. The president-elect wrote that Putin’s government “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine,” and the Republican called for an immediate ceasefire, a day after meeting in Paris with the French and Ukrainian leaders. Daniel B. Shapiro, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East, said the American military presence will continue in eastern Syria but was “solely to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS and has nothing to do with other aspects of this conflict.” “We call on all parties in Syria to protect civilians, particularly those from Syria’s minority communities, to respect international military norms and to work to achieve a resolution to include the political settlement,” Shapiro said. “Multiple actors in this conflict have a terrible track record to include Assad’s horrific crimes, Russia’s indiscriminate aerial bomb bombardment, Iranian-backed militia involvement and the atrocities of ISIS,” he added. Shapiro, however, was careful not to directly say Assad had been deposed by the insurgents. “If (that is) confirmed, no one should shed any tears over the Assad regime,” he said. As they pushed toward the Syrian capital of Damascus, the opposition freed political detainees from government prisons. The family of missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice renewed calls to find him. “To everyone in Syria that hears this, please remind people that we’re waiting for Austin,” Tice’s mother, Debra, said in comments that hostage advocacy groups spread on social media. “We know that when he comes out, he’s going to be fairly dazed & he’s going to need lots of care & direction. Direct him to his family please!” Tice disappeared in 2012 outside Damascus, amid intensification of what became a civil war stretching more than a decade. “We’ve remained committed to returning him to his family,” Biden said at the White House. “We believe he’s alive, we think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence to that yet. And Assad should be held accountable.” The president added: “We have to identify where he is.” The U.S. has no new evidence that Tice is alive but continues to operate under the assumption that he is, according to a U.S. official. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, added that the U.S. will continue to work to identify Tice’s whereabouts and to try to bring him home.Letters for Dec. 10: Declining a reelection bid is President Biden’s defining legacy in office