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PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron announced a new government on Monday, led by Prime Minister François Bayrou, his fourth appointment to the role this year, aiming to guide the EU's second-largest economy out of a political crisis and secure the passage of the 2025 budget. Macron named former prime minister Elisabeth Borne, 63, education minister in a new cabinet under centrist Bayrou, announced Elysee secretary-general Alexis Kohler. Another former premier, Manuel Valls, 62, returned as overseas territories minister, while former interior minister Gerald Darmanin became justice minister. Both Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot kept their jobs, the presidency said. Lecornu, a 38-year-old loyalist with a keen political nose, has served in every government since Macron’s first election as president in 2017. Conservative Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has vowed to crack down on illegal immigration, and right-wing Culture Minister Rachida Dati, also stayed in their posts. The difficult job of delivering a budget plan for next year falls to Eric Lombard, head of public-sector lender Caisse des Depots (CDC), who was named economy minister. "I’m very proud of the team we’re presenting this evening," Bayrou said on X, adding his "experienced" cabinet would aim to "rebuild trust". The inclusion of two former prime ministers indicates Macron’s desire for a heavyweight government that will enjoy stability and not share the fate of Bayrou’s predecessor, Michel Barnier, ousted in a no-confidence vote. Bayrou had hoped to bring in figures from the left, right and centre to protect his government from possible censure, but his 35-member team does not include any members of the left-wing coalition New Popular Front. Macron will assemble Bayrou’s team on January 3 for a first Council of Ministers meeting, the presidency said. Barnier was brought down over his failure to win support for an austerity budget to shore up France’s shaky finances with spending cuts and tax rises. The priority for 73-year-old Bayrou is to make sure his government can survive a no-confidence vote and that it passes a cost-cutting budget for 2025. The unexpected comeback of Valls, premier from 2014 to 2016, as the head of the overseas territories ministry indicates the importance of the post after authorities were strongly criticised for their response to the deadly cyclone on the Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, which killed at least 35 people. Darmanin had long been known to covet the post of foreign minister, but after days of intense discussions will have to content himself with the justice ministry. Just before the official announcement, heavyweight right-wing politician Xavier Bertrand, who had been tipped for the health ministry, announced he would not be part of the government. He alleged that it had been formed with the implicit "backing" of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who will play a key role in ensuring its survival. "The prime minister informed me this morning, contrary to what he had proposed yesterday, that he was no longer in a position to entrust me with responsibility for the justice ministry due to opposition from (Le Pen’s) National Rally," Bertrand said in a statement. "Despite his new proposals, I refuse to take part in a government of France formed with the backing of Marine Le Pen." Bertrand is a major irritant for the far right, which he has long opposed. Le Pen on March 31, 2025 faces the verdict in an embezzlement trial on charges she denies. If convicted, she could lose the chance of standing in the 2027 elections and with it her best chance yet of winning the presidency. The announcement came as France observed a day of mourning for victims in cyclone-hit Mayotte, France’s poorest overseas territory. Bayrou, the head of the centrist MoDem group, which is allied to Macron’s party, was appointed on December 13. He is the sixth prime minister of Macron’s mandate. Many already predict Bayrou will struggle to survive. France has been mired in deadlock since Macron gambled on snap elections this summer in the hopes of bolstering his authority. The move backfired, with voters electing a parliament fractured between three rival blocs. Le Pen suggested Macron has been weakened by months of political crisis and would eventually have to resign. "I am preparing for an early presidential election," she told French newspaper Le Parisien last week.
In the world of football, few clubs carry the same weight and prestige as Real Madrid. Known for their rich history, unmatched success, and relentless pursuit of greatness, Real Madrid continues to dominate the football landscape. And now, with the recent blockbuster signings, the Spanish giant is poised to once again shake the football world to its core.The case of the missing female master's student in Shanxi Province serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that individuals, especially young women, may face in society. It highlights the importance of vigilance, community support, and swift action in responding to such incidents and ensuring the safety and protection of all members of society.
Aren’t the holidays great? Food, family, and fun in extreme excess. Think about it. The joys of being up close and personal with people you love but maybe only see once a year. And now they’ve arrived from out of town, and you are forced to spend a lot of time with them, maybe even days. It can take the joy right out of the holiday. Imagine this: the presents have been unwrapped, the holiday meal is over, and you are now fighting about watching the football game or the Hallmark Christmas movie. And then somebody, who has maybe just chugged one too many eggs nogs, goes and mentions politics. Nancy Sorrells At this point, you have two choices: 1. Quickly grab a couch pillow, press it to your face, and silently scream into it, or 2. Suggest that everyone go outside for a hike. Of the two choices, I recommend the latter. There could not be a better place to explore the great outdoors at any time of year than the Rockingham County area, with about 150,000 acres of public land, including a national forest, a national park, two state forests, and many other local parks and public spaces. Here are three options for everyone in the family, from the youngest to the oldest and from the most mobile to the least mobile. Give one or all of them a try this season, and you might genuinely enjoy peace on earth, or at least peace within the family, while also working off the feasting excesses that accompany the season. The Crist Farms Trail in Bridgewater offers several places to sit and enjoy the view, such as this one looking west. Crist Farm Walking Trails (Bridgewater) Although years in the making, the Crist Farm Walking Trail, owned and developed by the Bridgewater Retirement Community, just opened in 2024. The 20-acre preserve offers winding walking trails, all repurposed from a farm purchased by the retirement community. The area is open to the public every day from dawn to dusk. Visitors will discover a main, paved, ADA-accessible 1.2-mile walking trail that loops through the entire preserve. Part of the path skirts a lovely stretch of forest, while most of the trail loops around a large open meadow. Benches are conveniently located along the way and offer several nice viewpoints for sitting and taking in the view. There is a small pond and even a labyrinth that should keep the kids busy for a dizzying few minutes. Gravel paths interconnect with the main paved path to add more walking areas. Depending on your energy, you could spend hours here and walk several miles or sit and enjoy gazing at the Valley’s hills and mountains. (The trails are open to all from dawn to dusk and are at 101 Bradford Way, Bridgewater. For information, directions, and a site map, visit https://brcliving.org/crist-farm-walking-trails/ Kaylor’s Knob Trail at Massanutten. Kaylor’s Knob Perhaps you are up for something a bit more challenging than a walking trail and with a little more “wow” factor. For you, I might suggest Kaylor’s Knob, a not quite four-mile out-and-back trek in the Massanutten Resort. As many of you know, Massanutten Mountain is the 50-mile-long chunk of erosion-resident sandstone that splits the Shenandoah Valley and the Shenandoah River into two pieces. The Shenandoah River, a north-flowing river, arises in Augusta and Rockingham counties. The South Fork begins in Augusta. The South, Middle, and North Rivers that finally merge together at Port Republic and becomes the South Fork of the Shenandoah that flows NORTH on the EAST side of Massanutten Mountain. The North Fork of the Shenandoah flows NORTH on the WEST side of Massanutten. The two forks join at the north end of Massanutten Mountain at Front Royal to become the Shenandoah River proper, then flows northward to Harpers Ferry, which joins with the Potomac and flows into Washington, D.C. But I digress. To reach this trail from Harrisonburg, simply take U.S. Highway 33 east, turn into Massanutten Ski Resort, and drive several miles up the mountain to the Massanutten overlook. Park, walk across the road, to the west, and take the blue-blazed Kaylor’s Knob trail. I should add that either before you hike or at the end, make sure to take in the easterly view from the parking lot, which is a cool look across at the resort’s ski slopes. This trail provides a nice hike to a small summit with some pretty views, especially in the winter. The trek is not quite two miles to Kaylor’s Knob Summit and follows the ridgeline, presenting occasional views both west and east. There is nothing too strenuous about this trail. While there are a few ups and downs — the total elevation change is only about 500 feet — overall, the trail is slightly uphill to the summit and slightly downhill back to the parking lot (for the most part). The trail is very rocky in places, however, which means that the going can be a little slow to prevent turning an ankle among the sharp, pointy rocks. You will know that you have reached the summit when you spot a trio of trees with a sign hanging on the middle one stating: Kaylor’s Knob 2980 ft. At that point, stop and take a quick break, then turn around and head back down the ridge to the car. Directions to trailhead: From Harrisonburg, go east on U.S. Highway 33 for about 10 miles. Turn left at the Exxon on SR 644, Resort Drive. Follow this road and turn left on Massanutten Drive. You will reach a guard house. If the building is staffed, let the guard know that you are hiking, and you will get a free guest pass. After about 3 miles, take a right on Del Webb Drive. Follow Del Webb Drive for about two miles until you begin driving up to the ridge, where parking is on the left. Trailhead is across the road. The High Knob Fire Tower, in western Rockingham County on the West Virginia line, is the only stone fire tower in Virginia. The 360-degree view from the top of the tower is spectacular. High Knob Fire Tower If you are up for a little more adventure, then might I suggest that you take on the challenge of the spectacular High Knob Fire Tower. At about 3 miles roundtrip, this hike is actually shorter than the Kaylor’s Knob hike but is slightly more strenuous. The steady climb, however, brings the reward of an out-of-this-world view. For this adventure, U.S. Highway 33 is still the key to getting there, but instead of heading east as you did for Kaylor’s Knob, you have to take the road west and actually cross over into West Virginia. The trail starts on the top of Shenandoah Mountain in West Virginia. Look for a wide, flat parking area on your left. The trailhead is a little tricky to locate but is on the east side of the parking lot and immediately heads straight down, then levels out and rolls through some pretty evergreen shrubs, mostly Mountain Laurel and Fetterbush. In about .8 miles, the trail intersects with the High Knob trail coming from the Brandywine Campground below. At the trail intersection, turn left and start climbing. This is a steep climb for about a .1 mile, then levels out and turns right to become part of a fire road for another .1 mile before heading up and left again for the final ascent to the top. After another .1 mile of climbing, the trail merges with the fire road again, and then it is another .3 miles to the top. (Note that through here, you must make sure to respect and avoid the posted private property.) The beautiful stone fire tower comes into view once you are within a few hundred yards of the summit. Climb the steps to the tower and take in the 360-degree panorama. Try and figure out the landmarks in the valleys below that you can see from the tower. According to the excellent historical write-up about the tower on the Friends of Shenandoah Mountain website, planning began in 1939. It was built by crews from the Civilian Conservation Corps and World War I veterans. They used native stone that they found on the mountaintop. It is the only stone fire tower in the region. It was complete and used for fire watching by Forest Service firewatcher Gerald Fawley in the 1940 fire season. By the 1970s, the whole National Forest Service fire-watching system had changed, and most of the fire towers were decommissioned, and many were torn down. Luckily, High Knob was saved from demolition, restored, and made a national landmark. It is Virginia’s only stone fire tower and the only one intact on National Forest lands east of the Mississippi. The restoration, a joint project between the state preservation offices of Virginia and West Virginia, the James Madison University fraternities and sororities, and the WV Department of Transportation, was completed in 2003 at the cost of just under $40,000. The elevation at the fire tower is about 4,200 feet and the total elevation climb for the hike is about 600 feet. On a clear day, the views from the tower extend east to Shenandoah National Park and west to Spruce Knob, the highest point in West Virginia. For information and directions to the parking area, visit visitharrisonburgva.com .It is clear that the current system of distributing consumption vouchers in Shanghai is vulnerable to abuse, and urgent measures are needed to address these issues. The government must work closely with relevant authorities and stakeholders to improve the monitoring and enforcement of voucher distribution to prevent further exploitation by scalpers.
That there are more than 100 entire PC games is a revelation as shocking as it is disturbing, but despite recently spending days translating Horace’s sonorous yawps into the list that eventually became our RPS 100 , a chill silence recently befell the treehouse when we realised that some of our personal favourites had somehow been excluded. Determined to right this most heinous of wrongs, and armed with the conviction that no subjectivity be allowed to exist on the internet without at least one supplementary article of caveats, we’ve all put forth a single game that absolutely should have made the list. Consider the matter closed, then, at least until we all realise we’d actually like to do a 102nd pick each. Jeremy: The Secret of Monkey Island was the only classic point and click adventure game that made it onto the top 100, since there is probably LucasArts bias deep within the halls of RPS. I, however, was a Sierra kid growing up, and there was no Sierra series that moved me more than Quest for Glory. There also hasn’t been a franchise similar to Lori and Corey Cole’s mashup of adventure game mechanics and RPG stats ever since the ‘90s, and the fourth entry, 1993’s Shadows of Darkness, is the best. You play as the nameless hero, navigating the Eastern European-inspired valley of Mordavia. The overall quest is about saving the land from vampires who want to summon Avoozl, a not-so-subtle reference to Cthulhu, but what stands out the most is the sheer sense of melancholy that infuses this game’s side plots. Every NPC in the valley is suffering from some sort of sadness, from the innkeeper whose daughter has been kidnapped to the lead vampire herself. And as the hero, the sense of accomplishment you get from helping them solve their problems and bring a little bit of light through Mordavia’s eerie treetops is a sense of accomplishment that’s rarely been equaled in gaming for me. All of this is combined in a great package with a combat system inspired by Street Fighter II and expert voice narration with John Rhys-Davies acting as the narrator. Alas, Shadows of Darkness was also buggy as hell when it was first released - to the point that it nearly killed the series - but fan patches have since rectified this. Go and play it alongside the other Quest for Glory games on Steam, which sell for a negligible eight pounds these days. Brendan: Few games put you in the shoes of an insurance man circa 1807. Fewer still manage to make his job a compelling investigation into the deaths and disappearances of 60 people. Obra Dinn sees you clambering aboard a ship of the same name, recovered intact but with none of the crew remaining. Using a magical stopwatch, you revisit moments frozen in time and log the details of each and every death. It is not just a 60-person whodunnit, but a howdunnit, wheredunnit, whendunnit, and whydunnit. Across four decks of the ship you slowly piece together the exact fate of the crew, and eventually realise how avoidable many of the deaths might have been. But also, how a few seemingly straightforward deaths spark a cascade of tragedy that engulfs everything, often in some surprisingly mythical ways. It's an act of social archaeology as much as a murder mystery, a dithered Macintosh equivalent of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and it grips you from the first arcane swirl of that mysterious watch. Ed: One of the early roguelikes that's stood the test of time, BOI makes the whole randomly generated moving through rooms schtick a real doozy. Maybe doozy is the wrong word, considering the theme of this game is bloody and foetal and smeared in faeces. But you sort of get what I mean right? It's simple: you control Isaac (and later unlockable weens) who sprays his tears at nasties in rooms. You survive for as long as you can, delving deeper and deeper into his Mum's basement. One thing I really love about BOI is its frightening replayability. I've sunk 112 hours (light work for a number of you, I'm sure) into it and I've barely unlocked all the weird items that augment your Isaac into a monstrosity that shoots blood from his eyeholes or has a fat sprog circling him like a kevlar cabbage patch kid. One of my friends has nearly 1000 hours on it and he's still chasing certain achievements on the daily. And it's now got online co-op, so I'll inevitably join him on this crazed hunt for a silly little square he can show off on his profile. Graham: Into The Breach is perhaps the best turn-based tactics game ever made. Controlling small squads of mechs, it's your job to defend cities from invading aliens. What makes it accessible and rewarding is that the aliens telegraph their next move, giving you perfect knowledge of the single-screen, 8x8 battlefield, and with it the opportunity to determine the perfect counter-move. The move which attacks, shoves and defends just-so, and causes the enemy to do no damage except to themselves. Into The Breach felt like a response to the hit percentages of XCOM: Enemy Unknown (which made the list), and in turn feels like it has influenced a further generation of turn-based tactics such as XCOM: Chimera Squad and Tactical Breach Wizards (the latter of which made the list). Into The Breach might remain the best of all of them, and I find it painful that it didn't make the top 100. Doubly so when you consider we also dropped FTL: Faster Than Light . Subset Games, we have failed you. Nic: Writing about Sekiro for the Big List, I mentioned that its flowing levels and encounters feel deliberately designed to impart the joys of speedrunning, so it would be criminal of me not to highlight the one game that does that better than any other. Neon White is the game you play after binging SQDQ and needing to feel the same effortless skill through traversal of digital space you’ve mapped into instinctual mastery. It’s also the game that stops you going outside again that summer. It achieves this sense of simulated mastery by effectively offering you curated FPS rollercoaster rides, where the levels both teach how to speedrun with intended routes while giving you increasingly more leeway to experiment as you progress. The feeling is pure controlled vertigo. It may not have made the top 100, but it gets my personal award for the most videogame-ass videogame of the decade. James: Who’d have thought that Left 4 Dead ’s successor as the co-op FPS par excellence would come out of a little Danish studio, let alone star a quartet of sloshed, deep-space dwarven miners? Deep Rock Galactic nails the basics, with its theatrical armoury and satisfyingly squishy hordes of bugzoids, then masters the interplay that gives truly great 4-person shooters such long legs. I love zipping around as a shotgun-jumping Scout, but I’m only half a class without an Engineer to lay down the platforms I need for high-altitude mineral mining. And while its alien caves are purely proc-gen, it consistently pumps out terrain that’s both visually impressive and rich in interesting navigational challenges – hence the importance of bringing a Driller who can carve out the rock to create new paths, or a Gunner to zipline the crew across chasms. Banding together to conquer these deathpits and bag their jewels is as gratifying as blasting any bug, and even if not everything goes to plan, a generous unlimited-revives policy means that failure is only an option if everyone goes down at once. That, in turn, leaves the wiggle room for individual dwarf mishaps to remain as pure comedy, and it is indeed hard not to smile when an overeager Scout gets caught in a C4 blast. Or when an Engineer misjudges a platform jump and faceplants the rock below. Deep Rock Galactic is funny, and light, in ways that most co-op games either actively reject or attempt to force through naff banter. And without having the option to down pints at the space-tavern after a mission. Ollie: If we all had core memory spheres like in Inside Out but purely for games, then one gorgeous swirling marble of white and red inside my head would be my first playthrough of Transistor. Still Supergiant's hardest-hitting story, Transistor takes 3-4 hours to play through and then stays with you for years. It's a quiet, sombre tale of love and survival between a singer who's lost her voice and her companion, trapped inside a device that's part giant sword, part USB stick. All of which takes place in a stunningly realised digital heterotopia which dripfeeds lore with a quality only matched by FromSoftware. I wrote my undergraduate dissertation on this game, for pete's sake. Transistor is a marvel, and as much a joy to play now as it was in 2014. The curious blend of real-time and turn-based combat is odd but compelling, and the wonderful recursive functions system where you can place abilities inside abilities to give them new effects is something I wish more games would have the courage to try. It's beautiful, and sad, and joyous, and playful, just like its masterpiece of a soundtrack. Along with Pyre, Transistor might be Supergiant's most divisive game - but for me it's probably still their most important. Kiera: In the impatient few years we were all clamouring for an Assassin's Creed set in feudal Japan, Ghost of Tsushima came along and stole the show. You play as Jin Sakai, a samurai who must defend his people against the invading Mongol empire. Jin is constantly torn between keeping to the 'old ways' of honourable duels or adopting the more underhand but arguably more effective stealth tactics, the 'way of the Ghost'. The cinematic scenes and colour palette of this game are simply a work of art and the island of Tsushima is so atmospheric that it's worth the price tag based on this alone. If you want to catch a break from the main storyline, you can supplement your time by writing poetry, discovering Shinto Shrines, Inari Shrines (with a cute little fox spirit to guide your way) and following the direction of the wind to your destinations. There are also hot springs you can visit to ogle at Jin's ample booty...and for the increase in health, of course. The combat allows you to perform combos which change depending on your samurai 'stance'. I quickly unlocked an ability that I rinsed to death which allowed me to challenge an opponent and then cut through up to 5 enemies at once in just a few swipes. It's so satisfying and gruesome. This is one of the best games I've played in the past few years and definitely deserves some recognition, particularly if you're interested in the lore and histories of Japan (and don't mind a little dramatisation in the process). Edwin: There’s a bit in Sunless Skies where you’re chuffing merrily across a vast, astral ice-sheet and you realise that there is Something inside it, a fat coil of darkness that seems to stir in the glare of your locomotive. “How deeply do the dead sleep?” the game asks. “Fly softly”. Moments like these are the highlights of Failbetter’s alt-Victorian space sim, as far as I’m concerned. The lowlights, rather. Instead of open void, it gives you a universe of layers, dragging the eye down from the smoking filigrees of ports and settlements to shadowy ruins and a horrible, ocean-floor sediment of myth – murdered suns, frozen wormholes, heavenly beehives. Your space train trundles over the surface like a pond skater braving a lake of pike. Your crew have the luxury of shutting the portholes, but as captain, you have no choice but to look. Masterful stuff. The previous Sunless Sea provoked similar unblinking unease, but Sunless Skies is where the art and technology really come together. It’s the only space game I’ve ever played that triggers my thalassophobia. It’s also an absurd bounty of great writing, exploring various kinds of literary fantasy that together form a complicated accounting of the British Empire. Each realm, each location and each winding sidestory is a baroque peculiarity that both stands apart from and sheds light upon the whole. In the skies of Albion, time itself is smelted in factories by rapidly ageing labourers. In the Reach, there are nebulous oakwoods and cosmic winds that cause your food supplies to sprout. You can take on many, many quests, but really, the only objective here is to travel around and marvel at it all – once you’ve mastered the art of keeping your crew healthy, fed and sane, at least. The last part is easier in Sunless Skies than in Sunless Sea, but this remains a gruelling experience. Absolutely worth the trouble though. If you like lush words, weird places and pervasive creepiness, there’s no game like Sunless Skies. Nic: I’ve heard it said that the internet is driven by rage, which I’m inclined to disbelieve simply because the RPS commentariat are such a standup gaggle of A+ humans. Except that one guy, obviously. However, I will never pass up a good opportunity to shamelessly appeal to the algorithm. So what about you, dear readers? Which single game are you MOST ANGRY at us for not including? Say it with your whole chest, and at least one of your lungs.According to some neighbors, the house owned by Qiong Yao is believed to be a "haunted house" or a "jinxed property." They claim to have witnessed strange occurrences, such as inexplicable noises, flickering lights, and a sense of foreboding whenever they pass by the house. Some have even reported experiencing unexplained illness or misfortune after being in close proximity to the property.
By LISA MASCARO and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee’s long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations , including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican’s bid to lead the Justice Department . Related Articles National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Many Americans have come to rely on Chinese-made drones. Now lawmakers want to ban them Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report’s release on Monday, slammed the committee’s findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. “Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn’t ask for — and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” Gaetz wrote in one post on Monday. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.” Here’s a look at some of the committee’s key findings: The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.” He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the “transactional nature” of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman’s request that he send her money, “claiming she only gave him a ‘drive by.’” Women interviewed by the committee said there was a “general expectation of sex,” the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that “99 percent of the time” that when she hung out with Gaetz “there was sex involved.” However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so “some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature,” the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their “rendezvous,” the report said. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled “on several occasions” with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she has a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does “$400 per meet.” Greenberg replied: “He understands the deal,” along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asks if they are old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him “really cute.” “Well, he’s down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard,” Greenberg replied. The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with “multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid.” The committee pointed to “credible testimony” from the now-woman herself as well as “multiple individuals” who corroborated the allegation. The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was “certain” of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There’s no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn’t tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and that he didn’t how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for “commercial sex” again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. “Gaetz pointed to evidence that would ‘exonerate’ him yet failed to produce any such materials,” the committee said. Gaetz “continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed.” The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as “nosey” and a “weaponization” of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 get-away with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt “to” the destination, but declined to share his return “from” the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would “welcome” the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would “no longer” voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation “frivolous,” adding: “Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration.” The report said that while Gaetz’s obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress “act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House.” The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn’t disclose information about investigations that don’t result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, but after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over “publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual,” according to the report. “To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses,” the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn’t want to “relive their experience,” the committee said. “They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ’s lack of action on their prior testimony,” the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women’s statements. The agency’s lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee’s probe, lawmakers said.
Stock market today: Wall Street slips as technology stocks drag on the marketUS budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems?
Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug useIn response to the escalating tensions, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region. The statement highlighted China's commitment to promoting dialogue and peaceful resolutions to conflicts, and called on all parties involved to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could escalate tensions.CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets will be without point guard LaMelo Ball for at least two weeks because of a strained left calf. Ball felt discomfort in his calf after Wednesday night’s loss to the Miami Heat and did not play against the New York Knicks on Friday. The team said he will be reevaluated on Dec. 11, which is two weeks from the date of the original injury. Ball has been hot for the Hornets, averaging 40.3 points in his last four games. He is averaging a career-best 31.1 points and 4.7 3-pointers per game for the season, which ranks second in the NBA. He also is averaging 5.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 18 starts. Ball has had a history of injury problems, mostly to his ankles, since coming to the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Story continues below video The only Hornets player to ever receive a max contract extension, Ball has played in just 202 games with 182 starts in five seasons. The team also said guard Tre Mann’s lower back soreness has been diagnosed as a disk irritation. His absence from the lineup began on Nov. 23 against Milwaukee. He will continue his rehabilitation and be reevaluated in two weeks. “They are competitors and they want to be out there on the court to compete and hoop, but they also want to be out there for their teammates,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said prior to Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks. "I just walked past ’Melo as I was coming in here to do media, and he’s like, ‘I’m going to take care of everything I need to do on this return to play program and I’m going to attack it with the right mindset.’ I have all the confidence in the world in our performance staff and in those guys.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Jaipur: The time is ripe for us to leverage India’s geographic location and help make our nation become the centre of the logistics world, Adani Group Chairman, Gautam Adani, said on Saturday. Addressing the 51st India Gem and Jewellery Awards here, Gautam Adani said that in the case of logistics, what started as a port jetty, to import coal in 1998, has gone on to become the country’s largest port business. “This business today spans a network of 15 national and 5 international ports and, thereby, allows us to expand into building a network of integrated logistic nodes,” he told the gathering. These nodes now are made up of ports, rail, highways, warehouses, inland container depots, fulfilment centres, and trucking in a way no other company has ever achieved in the world. “This journey has taken us deep into the Middle East — all the way into the Mediterranean through Israel — and into the heart of Africa. For me, it is no more just about ports. It is now about leveraging India’s geographic location and doing our part to help make our nation become the centre of the logistics world,” the Adani Group Chairman noted. Likewise, what started as a single power plant in 2007, has now become not just India’s largest private thermal power generation company but has also allowed the Adani Group to expand into adjacencies. “This expansion has seen us become India’s largest private transmission company, largest private power distribution company, largest mine developer and operator, as well as the only company that successfully took up the challenge of cross-border supply of power to help a neighbouring nation,” Gautam Adani told the gathering. Furthermore, it has allowed the company to move into the area of renewable energy. “Today, we are India’s largest solar panel manufacturing company as well as the world’s largest single-site renewable energy facility, well on our way to generating 30 GW of power, spread over a massive single span of land of more than 500 square kilometres,” the Adani Group Chairman emphasised. “Yet another example of challenging the status quo is our move into the airport business. In less than three years, we became the largest airport operator in the country. We then built our adjacencies that made us the largest airport logistics player with almost 40 per cent of India’s air cargo and have now undertaken the world’s largest slum redevelopment initiative, the Dharavi project,” he stressed. Gautam Adani further stated that for him, Dharavi is not just about slum redevelopment. “It is about restoring dignity, creating a sustainable ecosystem, and changing the status quo for over one million residents.”
It is important for individuals to carefully consider their retirement goals, financial situation, and risk tolerance when setting up their personal pension plans. By consulting with financial advisors and conducting thorough research, individuals can make informed decisions about their retirement savings strategy and ensure they are maximizing the benefits of their personal pension plans.The case of the "Eight Treasures Pills" highlights the importance of stringent regulations and oversight in the production and sale of medical products. Consumers rely on the safety and efficacy of medications and treatments, and it is crucial that these products undergo thorough testing and quality control measures to ensure they meet established standards.
Title: "Comedy Legends Fee Xiang, Ma Dongxi, and Song Xiaobao Set to Release Cross-Year Comedy 'Moonlight Shenanigans'"
As investigations into the incident continue, authorities are working tirelessly to piece together the events leading up to the victim's disappearance and subsequent death. The circumstances surrounding the crime remain murky, with speculation and rumors adding to the complexity of the case. The victim's family and friends are left grappling with grief and uncertainty, struggling to come to terms with the brutal reality of their loss.Sweetgreen Is Cheap By One Metric, And I Recommend Buying The Dip
The latest environmental, social and governance (ESG) information can be found at avistacorp.com . SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Avista (NYSE: AVA) published its latest Corporate Responsibility report and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) information on its corporate website, avistacorp.com . The content reports on Avista’s operations and includes commitments in four areas: environment, people, customers and communities, and ethical governance. The latest report includes progress updates regarding Avista’s aspirational goals for Clean Energy, for workplace Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity, for Supplier Diversity, and the publication of Avista’s current Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) 2023 Employer Information Report EEO-1 Consolidated Report. The website also provides links to Avista’s continued reporting on a series of key ESG reporting frameworks and industry specific ESG disclosures and metrics that include new reports adhering to the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the American Gas Association (AGA) ESG and sustainability reporting frameworks. “Our mission is to enable vibrant communities through safe, responsible, and affordable energy. Avista’s annual Corporate Responsibility Report is an opportunity for us to provide information and concrete examples that demonstrate our company’s commitments to our stakeholders in support of this mission. From ensuring robust energy supply and delivery systems, partnering in the shared clean energy economy, inspiring engaged and thriving employees, to committing to financial strength, these are just some of the ways we are delivering upon our mission,” said Avista CEO Dennis Vermillion. Avista’s Corporate Responsibility report and ESG disclosures can be found here and at avistacorp.com. About Avista Corp. Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission, and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is our operating division that provides electric service to 418,000 customers and natural gas to 382,000 customers. Our service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.7 million. AERC is an Avista subsidiary that, through its subsidiary AEL&P, provides retail electric service to 17,000 customers in the city and borough of Juneau, Alaska. Our stock is traded under the ticker symbol “AVA”. For more information about Avista, please visit www.avistacorp.com. Avista Corp. and the Avista Corp. logo are trademarks of Avista Corporation. To unsubscribe from Avista’s news release distribution, send reply message to dalila.sheehan@avistacorp.com. SOURCE: Avista Corporation Contact: Media: Lena Funston (509) 495-8090 lena.funston@avistacorp.com Investors: Stacey Wenz (509) 495-2046 stacey.wenz@avistacorp.com Avista 24/7 Media Access (509) 495-4174
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