super ph game online New Delhi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar is currently touring the US to meet members of the outgoing Biden administration as well as key players of Trump 2.0 to discuss the incoming administration's priorities and India's expectations for the next four years. ET Year-end Special Reads Top 10 equity mutual funds of the year. Do you have any? How India flexed its global power muscles in 2024 2024 was the year India became the talk of America Ahead of Jaishankar's visit, foreign secretary Vikram Misri held meetings with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources Richard Verma at Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department. ET was the first to report that Jaishankar and Misri will visit the US this month to engage with members of the incoming Trump administration . Among the agenda items for Jaishankar and Misri is the Quad Summit that India is scheduled to host in 2025, iCET, the situation in South Asia, Khalistani extremism and defence partnership , it is learnt. Discussions with the Trump team are likely to centre around the President-elect's focus on trade and tariffs , besides partnerships on technology, geopolitics and geoeconomics in the backdrop of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war. Ahead of Jaishankar's trip, US NSA Jake Sullivan telephoned Bangladesh interim regime chief adviser Mohammed Yunus and called for protecting 'human rights of all people, regardless of religion' in the backdrop of rising attacks on minorities. 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Two-way trade is expected to cross the $200 billion mark in 2024, he added. The number of Indian students in the US has increased from just 54,664 in 2000 to over 330,000 in 2023, while the population of the Indian diaspora is now over five million from 1.9 million in 2000. Verma said the Biden-Harris administration appointed a record number of 130 Indian Americans to senior positions. India today is the top military exercise partner of the US, he said, adding the US is the biggest source of remittances to India. A fifth of unicorns in the US have Indian migrants as founders or cofounders, Verma noted. It may be recalled that last week, the Biden administration slapped sanctions on four Pakistani entities, including state-owned flagship aerospace and defence agency National Development Complex, on charges of contributing to Pakistan's ballistic missile programme. Also, US principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, Campbell and Indian ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra last week travelled to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, to mark the significant progress that the two countries have made to strengthen space cooperation, including under iCET. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )GSA Capital Partners LLP trimmed its holdings in iShares Russell Top 200 ETF ( NYSEARCA:IWL – Free Report ) by 36.8% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,439 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,422 shares during the quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP’s holdings in iShares Russell Top 200 ETF were worth $343,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC acquired a new position in iShares Russell Top 200 ETF during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Centennial Bank AR acquired a new position in iShares Russell Top 200 ETF during the third quarter worth about $64,000. California State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new position in iShares Russell Top 200 ETF during the first quarter worth about $88,000. TruWealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in iShares Russell Top 200 ETF during the third quarter worth about $204,000. Finally, K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc acquired a new position in iShares Russell Top 200 ETF during the second quarter worth about $251,000. iShares Russell Top 200 ETF Price Performance IWL stock opened at $145.86 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $142.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $136.18. 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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Nortech Systems ( NASDAQ:NSYS – Get Free Report ) in a note issued to investors on Thursday. The brokerage set a “hold” rating on the electronics maker’s stock. Nortech Systems Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of NASDAQ:NSYS opened at $10.42 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.72 million, a P/E ratio of 6.72 and a beta of 0.53. Nortech Systems has a 1 year low of $8.60 and a 1 year high of $19.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 2.59. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nortech Systems An institutional investor recently raised its position in Nortech Systems stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in Nortech Systems Incorporated ( NASDAQ:NSYS – Free Report ) by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 53,799 shares of the electronics maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,540 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned approximately 1.95% of Nortech Systems worth $734,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.05% of the company’s stock. About Nortech Systems Nortech Systems Incorporated provides design and manufacturing solutions for electromedical devices, electromechanical systems, assemblies, and components in the United States, Mexico, and China. It offers a range of technical and manufacturing, and support services, including project management, designing, testing, prototyping, manufacturing, supply chain management, and post-market services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Nortech Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nortech Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents’ stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the gates of the capital and that government forces had abandoned the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus, the capital, and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM news outlet reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The insurgency announced later Saturday that it had taken over Homs. The city’s capture is a major victory for the rebels, who have already seized the cities of and , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said rebel control of Homs would be a game-changer. The rebels’ moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. For the first time in the country’s long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad’s government, the insurgents, led by the group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. The rapid rebel gains, coupled with the lack of support from Assad’s erstwhile allies, posed the most serious threat to his rule since the start of the war. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad’s chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria’s border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Assad’s status Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad’s forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. In a statement issued late Saturday, the participants affirmed their support for a political solution to the Syrian crisis “that would lead to the end of military activity and protect civilians.” They also agreed on the importance of strengthening international efforts to increase aid to the Syrian people. The insurgents’ march Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists.” The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. Diplomacy in Doha The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar’s top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. ____ Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Josef Federman and Victoria Eastwood in Doha, Qatar; and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed to this report. Bassem Mroue And Zeina Karam, The Associated Press

No. 22 Xavier unbeaten but looking for more effort vs. South CarolinaWASHINGTON , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night, Future Caucus held its seventh annual awards at the Arlo Washington DC, in recognition of lawmakers and activists who embody the organization's mission to transcend toxic polarization. The award honors Gen Z and millennial leaders actively advancing bipartisan policies that address critical issues facing Americans. "The young leaders we honor tonight are not only persevering through systemic and personal obstacles, but excelling," said Future Caucus president and CEO Layla Zaidane . "They're showing us what's possible when the work of governing is rooted in empathy and collaboration rather than division, and how good, inclusive policy also turns out to be pretty good politics." The 2024 Rising Star Award was presented to two lawmakers: State Asm. Alex Bores (D-NY-73) and State Rep. Tory Blew (R-KS-112) , now Sen.-elect for the state's 33rd Senate District. Both serve as co-chairs of their respective State Future Caucus . "I'm honored to receive this award for work that prioritizes delivering results for New Yorkers," said Bores. "Creating a more effective, responsive state government requires everyone, and I'm proud of what we have achieved together to modernize New York's services and protect our democracy." "It's an honor to receive this recognition for bipartisan work that has been my focus from day one," said Blew. "At its core, this role is about listening and finding common ground that serves Kansans across the board, especially the young people who will define our future. I'm grateful to Future Caucus for championing this collaborative vision." Future Caucus presented the Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award to Pennsylvania Future Caucus co-chairs State Rep. Justin Fleming (D-PA-105) and State Rep. Thomas Kutz (R-PA-87) . " Pennsylvania's young people and families are facing challenges that demand bipartisan solutions," said Fleming. "This award is a testament to the work we've done as a caucus and as colleagues, to bring together a diverse set of voices and put real, impactful legislation into action for our communities." "Pennsylvanians are facing challenges that require common sense solutions," said Kutz, who accepted the award in absentia. "Pragmatic legislators must come together to address rising inflation, the cost of housing and child care, and the rising costs of higher education. I'm honored to work alongside colleagues in Harrisburg who are equally committed to addressing these issues. This award is a testament to the bipartisan work we have taken on this session, and I'm eager to continue that work in the upcoming legislative session." The organization also presented its Generational Changemaker Award to activist and actor Sophia Bush , for her efforts to promote voter education and civic engagement, and to businesswoman and socialite Paris Hilton , for her commitment to criminal justice reform and accountability for youth residential facilities. "What makes this gathering so significant—and what makes the work of Future Caucus so vital—is the understanding that democracy is bigger than any one candidate, or the outcome of any single election," said Bush. "It's a commitment that, if honored and fought for, transcends wins and losses, uniting us around the shared responsibility to protect and strengthen our democratic institutions. And that is a commitment I believe in." "I'm accepting this award as a survivor and advocate, and more importantly, as a voice for every child suffering in silence. I've turned my pain into purpose by fighting for policy change, from passing 10 state laws to introducing the federal bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act and testifying on behalf of foster youth in Congress," said Hilton, who accepted the award by video. "I'm so proud to stand with all the amazing lawmakers in this community who are dedicated to changing the world. I'm confident that together, we'll make groundbreaking progress in creating a world where everyone is supported, protected, and empowered." Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-DE) gave the evening's keynote address . As a Delaware state senator, McBride was founding co-chair of the Delaware Future Caucus. "The promise of our Constitution is only possible when we respect our differences and solve our disagreements through conversation and collaboration," said McBride. "We know that the divisions and nastiness that we too often see nationally must not—and does not have to—be our new normal. A different kind of politics is possible: a politics of hope, not of hate; of grace, not of grievance; and of progress, not of pettiness. That is our charge as the next generation of Future Caucus leaders." Future Caucus is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that empowers young elected officials in Congress and state legislatures to bridge the partisan divide. By supporting innovative policymaking and fostering collaboration, we help Gen Z and millennial leaders drive positive change and promote a political culture rooted in empathy and solutions. To learn more, visit www.futurecaucus.org . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/young-republican-and-democratic-lawmakers-and-activists-receive-political-bridge-building-award-302313634.html SOURCE Future CaucusCam Skattebo, ASU Eyed as CFP Bracket Dark Horse By Fans After Winning Big 12 Title

FTC Provides Recommendations on Preventing and Mitigating Cyber Risks in Developing AI and Other Products'Development won, Parivarwad, negative politics lost': PM Modi on landslide victory in Maharashtra (WATCH)(Bloomberg) — Never miss an episode. Listen and follow The Big Take DC on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. After a messy, public competition between hopefuls, President-elect Donald Trump nominated hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to be the next Treasury secretary. On today’s Big Take DC podcast, hosts Saleha Mohsin and David Gura discuss why Trump chose Bessent, and how Bessent might approach the job. Listen and follow The Big Take DC on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Terminal clients: click here to subscribe. Here is a lightly edited transcript of the conversation: David Gura: The hedge fund manager Scott Bessent is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick ... to be the next Secretary of the Treasury, and he finally got the nod ... after a very public – and kinda messy! – competition. Saleha Mohsin: It was a knife fight for a very stressful job. Gura: Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin covered that contest, as it played out – on television, on op-ed pages, and at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump has been preparing for his second term. And it dragged on for weeks: Mohsin: Scott Bessent looked like he was tipped to get the job, easy peasy. And then, he left town, he left Palm Beach, and Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump’s transition efforts, and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, he moved in. Gura: And, Saleha says: Mohsin: We had Lutnick out there, talking and having his allies come in for him, and against Bessent, and then you had Bessent doing the same thing... Gura: That strategy backfired. Saleha says it made the president-elect so irritated, that he brought in more candidates, including Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, and Marc Rowan, the CEO of Apollo Global Management. In the end, Trump nominated Lutnick to run the Commerce Department... Warsh reportedly said he’s more interested in the job of Fed chair, when that opens up. So, Bessent got Treasury: Gura: What was it that sort of tipped things in his favor at the end? Mohsin: It might have been that no one really, other than Bessent, really wowed Trump. Gura: Trump has picked someone who knows Wall Street, and that seems to have impressed Wall Street: stocks rose and the dollar weakened, after the president-elect announced his decision. I’m David Gura, and this is the Big Take DC, from Bloomberg News. Today on the show, I’m joined by my co-host Saleha Mohsin to talk through... who is Scott Bessent? And if he’s confirmed by the US Senate, how will he approach the job, and advance his boss’ economic agenda? So President-elect Trump made this announcement after the market closed on a Friday. I think I got the email at 6:55 Eastern time. As you and our colleagues have talked to investors, what are they telling you about the president-elect’s pick? Mohsin: Markets seem happy. They see Bessent as bringing stability, which is something that we had in Trump 1.0. You know, as much turnover as you saw in Trump’s Cabinet, Steven Mnuchin stayed as Treasury secretary for all four years, and he was able to leverage relationships because people knew this man is going to stay, and he understands the plumbing of the global financial system. You know, that’s something that markets really want. They want stability, and if Bessent can somehow manage to provide that, I think he’ll end up being a successful Treasury secretary. Gura: What kind of career has Scott Bessent had up to this point? What’s his background? Mohsin: Yeah so he worked for George Soros. He was involved in the investor bet that broke the pound in the early ‘90s. And so he comes with a keen interest in currency policy. And you can tell he talks about that a lot and Donald Trump talks about dollar policy a lot. He also set up and ran his own hedge fund since about 2015 or 16, I think, he has been overseeing that and it was about a year or a little over a year ago that he re-entered Trump’s orbit, and started looking at Trump’s policies and saw that Trump’s stock was going to go up and he was right. Gura: You said “re-entered” Trump’s orbit. When did they meet? Mohsin: So, Bessent told me that he has known the Trump family for like 30 years, uh, and I think he knew Trump’s brother, and so he said, Oh, well, Donald Trump probably knew my face, but didn’t quite know exactly who I was, but he was close to Donald Trump Jr. That was sort of his door into Trump world about a year ago, and that’s how he got a first meeting with Donald Trump. Gura: What do your sources say about how the work that he’s done, so working with these big hedge funds, is likely to shape his perspective on this job, and maybe it would just be useful for you to describe all that a Treasury secretary has to do. It’s a huge remit. Mohsin: Yeah, it’s, it’s huge. People like to call the Treasury secretary the Chief Financial Officer of the United States, but that actually only refers to one third of the job. A Treasury secretary oversees debt issuance. And that’s somewhere we could see from a Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, a little bit of creativity, maybe in how our massive deficit is issued and how that’s structured and, and sort of the tenor of notes and things. He’s also going to be involved in tax policy and financial stability, international economic diplomacy. So being the representative for that at G7 and G20 meetings. And then the other big component is national security, and foreign policy by way of economic sanctions. Gura: As you talk to investors about him, do any of them express any reservations about him not having experience in Washington, not being a creature of D.C.? Not being someone like Janet Yellen, for instance, who spent the bulk of her career in Washington in a lot of these big, high profile jobs doing quite a bit of management? Mohsin: So there’s always a steep learning curve for a Treasury secretary, particularly when it comes to dealings with Congress. The example that comes up frequently, a more recent kind of screw up there or confusion or misreading of the room is Steven Mnuchin. I think it was 2017, he had to raise the debt ceiling and he went into a room full of Republican lawmakers and it was a private conference and said, just raise the debt ceiling for me. And they burst out of that room telling every reporter that this is what he said, “for me.” We’re not going to do it for you. We serve the American people, not you. And it was such a blunder. You know, Steven Mnuchin came in, he didn’t know any lawmakers very closely or how all this stuff really worked from a Washington perspective, did not have experience in the public sector. Tim Geithner knew. He came from the Federal Reserve. He’d been at Treasury as a civil servant in the 90s. Hank Paulson had no experience on that front. You would, you would hope people like that, they come in without hubris of knowing what you don’t know and then relying on people to help you navigate. And also just understanding that you come from a world where it’s about relationships and deal making, um, and just learning on the fly. You know, Bessent comes from Wall Street, but he doesn’t have the same experience of some of the big heavyweights that we’ve seen as Treasury secretary. So Bob Rubin, Hank Paulson, Steven Mnuchin, they loomed large because of their Goldman experience. Paulson, he was CEO, and he said that something about the way at Goldman you learn about serving the client, not serving your own ego, really prepared him to work in government, where his biggest client was the President. So Bessent doesn’t come from that sort of traditional part of Wall Street. Gura: After the break... What we know about how aligned Bessent is with Trump, and what that could tell us about how Bessent may approach the role of Treasury secretary.... Scott Bessent, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be the next treasury secretary, helped Trump hone his messaging – about the economy – on the campaign trail. And when Trump announced he’d picked Bessent to lead Treasury, he said will quote, “support my Policies that will drive U.S. Competitiveness, and stop unfair Trade imbalances, work to create an Economy that places Growth at the forefront, especially through our coming World Energy Dominance.” How much uncertainty is there, Saleha, about where Scott Bessent stands on the president-elect’s biggest economic priorities? Mohsin: We know quite a bit, David, because he was, Bessent was kind of openly auditioning for this role. He would meet with reporters, do ed boards. He’s written op-eds for the Journal, for The Economist, for Fox, talking about different policies. I think it was Friday, November 15th, Bessent wrote an op ed talking about how supportive he is of tariffs as a tool of foreign policy, trade policy, national security. And so markets now are digging into those comments, things that he’s said, they kind of see someone with a Wall Street pedigree like Bessent as someone who might be a bit of a, a hindrance to Trump’s more protectionist or populist tendencies, but, that’s the open question to me, is how much say will Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary have over tariffs, if you have Howard Lutnick over at Commerce, who’s also overseeing USTR, the US Trade Representative’s office, to focus on tariffs and trade. I think markets should kind of keep an eye on how much sway Bessent really has with tariffs. Gura: We had this knife fight play out in the run up to these nominations of Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent. Are people confident that the fight ends there, that when that moves into the Cabinet room, we’re not going to see the same kind of, of fighting? Mohsin: No, people are not confident in that at all. [laughs] In the first administration, we saw these kinds of knife fights play out. You know, cabinet officers leaking to the press or going on Fox News to make their case for the policy that they want implemented over someone else. And it doesn’t always bode well. Lutnick has secured a pretty big job. He has Commerce secretary, he’s also overseeing USTR, and that’s a new idea. Trump decided to put that under Lutnick’s purview, so the two men do not get along. That’s why it didn’t turn out where one is NEC director and one’s Treasury secretary, because Trump and the team realize these two men can’t work together. Gura: Scott Bessent said in an interview over the weekend, his top priority is going to be taxes. Is he going beyond just pushing for the continuation of the so called Trump tax cuts? Is it, is it bigger than that? Mohsin: Oh, I, yeah, I want, I have so many questions on how tax policy is going to unfold because you know, the first hundred day plan is a huge thing that we’re going to be watching for as we see officials rolled out and policy plans rolled out and, and signals given. Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, some of those tax cuts expire at the end of 2025, I think. Republicans own Congress, both chambers in their hands. So let’s see how far they can get. But I don’t know that Bessett has said anything, in grave detail, uh, about where that would go. We know publicly Donald Trump has talked about a lot of different kinds of tax cuts. Gura: Bessent is someone who has not shied away from talking about the deficit. He talked about it during an interview on Bloomberg Television, back in October: Bessent: I am very concerned about what is happening right now. We have never had a budget deficit like this. We are at 7% of GDP in terms of the deficit. We’ve never had this deficit. When it’s not a recession, not a war. And what do we have to show for it? Gura: How does he plan to reduce the size of the deficit? Mohsin: Yeah, I love deficit talk because everyone comes up with these great ideas of how to reduce the deficit, but Congress needs to do that, right? A Treasury secretary can lead the charge. Congress is the keeper of the purse, when it comes to spending and, and taxes. Any time an administration or a government has accomplished that, it is because Wall Street or investors or markets have thrown a tantrum that you have too much deficit. And I don’t see how a Trump administration or Congress makes the very difficult trade offs and cuts in spending that will be unpopular with voters unless they can blame it on markets or blame it on someone else. Gura: Scott Bessent’s going to play a role in picking the next chair of the Federal Reserve, advising the President elect on that. Mohsin: Yeah, let’s talk about the Fed. Donald Trump thinks that presidents should have a say on interest rates. We don’t know what that really means. And so I don’t know maybe this is some kind of creative thinking on Bessent’s part to say, okay look, he really wants to fire Powell or he really wants to set monetary policy or have a say. Maybe the way to do it where we’re not just causing a constitutional and markets crisis by sacking the Federal Reserve Chair, we do it by creating this shadow Fed Chair situation where you nominate or announce the name of who you will pick, send to the Senate for confirmation to be the next Federal Reserve Chair, and that person is providing forward guidance on what they would do, so markets start to look to that person’s comments over the sitting Federal Reserve Chair. But this is my number one question to Scott Bessent right now, is like how would that play out and how seriously should we take this plan? Gura: Effectively like a Fed chair in waiting. Mohsin: Yeah. Yeah. Gura: You covered the Treasury Department when Steven Mnuchin was running it, and he was there, as you said, for all four years of Donald Trump’s first term. If Scott Bessent is confirmed, what is going to determine how successful he is at the job? Mohsin: With Trump, it’s always maintaining Trump’s trust, and always making sure you’re aware of who he’s meeting with and trying to be the last person in the room as Bessent learned when he left Palm Beach and thought that he had bagged the job of Treasury secretary and then it kind of blew up. Mnuchin learned that. Steven Mnuchin learned that if you leave the president with Peter Navarro, then the trade advisor and like a you know a known China hawk, in the room with president too long, Trump is going to start asking questions like can we aggressively intervene in the US dollar to make it weaker and can we do x y and z that might really blow up, um, foreign relations or economic relations with other countries? So I think Scott, Scott Bessent will have to learn sort of to make sure that you stay in the good graces of the president, stay visible and are keeping tabs and keeping Treasury-related policies firmly in the hands of the Treasury department and not let others encroach on that remit.

STEP 3 The bill goes before its house of origin again for a second reading. The purpose of this second reading is to introduce any changes that were made to adopt policy committee recommendations. Additionally, further amendments can be proposed by the house before the bill is up for vote. A bill analysis is prepared which explains the bill, the current law, background of the bill, and lists organizations supporting or opposing the bill. There's then a third and final reading where the author explains the bill and it's discussed within the house. This is when it's finally presented for passage. A majority vote is required to pass - 21 votes in Senate or 41 in the Assembly - unless the bill requires funding and has been passed by the appropriations committee, in which case the threshold is higher, requiring 27 votes in the Senate or 54 votes in the Assembly. STEP 4 At this point, once a bill passes in its house of origin, it then is sent to the other house to repeat Steps 1-3 there. So, if a bill originated and passed in the Senate, it would then go to the Assembly to start the process over. The other house can make amendments to the bill as it goes through the legislative process there, in which case it would be sent back to its house of origin for the house to reach agreement on the changes. Ultimately, both the Senate and the Assembly have to pass the bill. STEP 5 The last step is to send the approved bill to the Governor’s desk for the final verdict on whether the bill will be signed, vetoed, or passed into law without a signature. Bills will pass automatically in 12 days if not actively vetoed, known as approval without signing. Approval without signing usually indicates the governor doesn't want to be associated with the bill, for whatever political reason. It could prevent alienating constituents or interest groups who disagree with the bill. Current Governor Gavin Newsom hasn't taken this action during his time in office, but former Governor Jerry Brown allowed five bills to become law without his signature during his time in office, and before that, former Governor Gray Davis also used this option for five bills. One example of approval without signing is Senate Bill 1272, which was a bill that sought to ask voters if the United States Constitution should be amended to overturn a previous court ruling related to campaign finance laws. Jerry Brown was governor at the time, and he agreed with the precedent of the bill – he too thought the court decision should be overturned – but he stated the bill would have no legal effect. Even if the bill was passed, it wouldn’t have legal authority to amend the United States Constitution. As such, he allowed the bill to pass, but he did so without his signature, saying, “It is my intent to signal that I am not inclined to repeat this practice of seeking advisory opinions from the voters.” Based on how infrequently this has been used over the past few decades, it seems it isn’t considered a popular option by governors. If the governor vetoes the bill, a two-thirds vote in each house is needed to override the veto. A governor’s veto hasn’t been overridden in California since 1980, so this is also an unlikely option statistically. Alternatively, when bills are passed, most will go into effect as law the following January 1. At this point, the bill is final record – it's signed, dated, and sent to the Secretary of State, where it's assigned a bill or chapter number and given the official seal of the Great State of California. Bill Whie is a Retired Air Traffic Controller/Commercial Pilot who lives in Porterville.

TV Newsmakers Today: Digvijay Rathee's FIRST Post, Rajeev Sen-Charu Asopa Get Clicked By Sister Sushmita SenSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Davion Bailey had 19 points in Incarnate Word's 65-53 win against East Texas A&M on Saturday. Bailey had four steals for the Cardinals (5-4, 1-1 Southland Conference). Dylan Hayman went 5 of 11 from the field (1 for 3 from 3-point range) to add 11 points. Jalin Anderson had nine points and shot 2 of 9 from the field, including 0 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 7 from the line. The Lions (1-9, 0-2) were led in scoring by Scooter Williams Jr., who finished with 10 points. Mykol Sanchez-Vega added nine points for East Texas A&M. Josh Taylor finished with eight points. The Lions prolonged their losing streak to six in a row. NEXT UP Incarnate Word next plays Tuesday against Duke on the road, and East Texas A&M hosts South Alabama on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

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