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lodibet legit WASHINGTON >> Former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz said today he will not return to Congress next year, a day after he withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Justice amid allegations of drug use and sex with minors. “I’m still going to be in the fight but it’s going to be from a new perch. I do not intend to join the 119th Congress,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who had won another term in Congress, said in an interview with right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. When he was nominated by Trump last week for the nation’s top law enforcement role, Gaetz resigned from Congress and said he did not intend to return when the new session begins in January. But his withdrawal raised questions about whether he would try to reclaim his seat in the House of Representatives. Gaetz faced an uphill climb to win confirmation in the Senate, as a House ethics panel investigated allegations of having sex with an underage 17-year-old girl and illicit drug use. He has denied wrongdoing. Gaetz’s resignation leaves Republicans with an even tighter majority in the House next year. The party has won 218 seats to Democrats’ 214, with Republicans leading in another two of the three seats that remain uncalled. A Gaetz spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His seat will remain vacant until Florida voters choose his replacement in a special election. That election has not yet been scheduled. Gaetz is the first cabinet-level nominee for Trump’s upcoming administration to withdraw, though several have faced scrutiny over past behavior. Another Trump nominee, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, who was tapped as defense secretary, has also been engulfed in controversy for alleged sexual assault. Trump moved to nominate former Florida Attorney General and loyalist Pam Bondi following Gaetz’s withdrawal. Gaetz praised Bondi and said she will likely have an easier time winning Senate approval. “Pam Bondi’s confirmation won’t have the same sharp edges mine would have,” he said. “I had a full-time job explaining to senators that maybe a tweet I sent about them was rash.”WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Dior Conners led Appalachian State with 19 points and Myles Tate made a jumper from the free-throw line with 25.1 seconds left as the Mountaineers knocked off Sam Houston 66-63 on Wednesday night. Conners shot 4 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 9 for 10 from the line for the Mountaineers (4-2). Tate scored 17 points, going 6 of 14 from the floor, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range, and 2 for 4 from the line. Jackson Threadgill had 11 points and shot 4 for 11, including 1 for 3 from beyond the arc. Lamar Wilkerson led the way for the Bearkats (3-3) with 22 points. Marcus Boykin added 11 points, five assists and four steals for Sam Houston. Dorian Finister also had 10 points and seven rebounds. Threadgill scored nine points in the first half and Appalachian State went into the break trailing 33-30. Tate scored a team-high 10 points for Appalachian State in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The team looking for a missing Pennsylvania woman believed to have fallen into a sinkhole has determined that an abandoned coal mine is too unstable for people to safely search underground, authorities said Wednesday while still expressing hope Elizabeth Pollard will be found alive. Rescue workers continue to search for Elizabeth Pollard, who is believed to have disappeared in a sinkhole while looking for her cat, Wednesday in Marguerite, Pa. Emergency crews and others have been trying to find Pollard, 64, for two days. Her relatives reported her missing early Tuesday and her vehicle with her unharmed 5-year-old granddaughter inside was found about two hours later, near what is thought to be a freshly opened sinkhole above the long closed, crumbling mine. Authorities said in a noon update that the roof of the mine collapsed in several places and is not stable. The sinkhole is in the village of Marguerite, about 40 miles east of Pittsburgh. “We did get, you know, where we wanted, where we thought that she was at. We’ve been to that spot," said Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha, the incident's operations officer. “What happened at that point, I don’t know, maybe the slurry of mud pushed her one direction. There were several different seams of that mine, shafts that all came together where this happened at.” Trooper Cliff Greenfield said crews were still actively searching for Pollard. “We are hopeful that she’s found alive,” Greenfield said. Searchers were using electronic devices and cameras as surface digging continued with the use of heavy equipment, Bacha said. Search dogs may also be used. Rescue workers search through the night in a sinkhole for Elizabeth Pollard, who disappeared while looking for her cat, Tuesday in Marguerite, Pa. On Wednesday afternoon, machinery was removing material from the area around the hole while police and other government vehicles blocked a clear view of the scene. Sinkholes occur in the area because of subsidence from coal mining activity. Rescuers had been using water to break down and remove clay and dirt from the mine, which has been closed since the 1950s, but that increased the risk “for potential other mine subsidence to take place," Pennsylvania State Police spokesperson Trooper Steve Limani said. Crews lowered a pole camera with a sensitive listening device into the hole, but it detected nothing. Another camera lowered into the hole showed what could be a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, Limani said. Searchers have also deployed drones and thermal imaging equipment, to no avail. Marguerite Fire Chief Scot Graham, the incident commander, said access to the immediate area surrounding the hole was being tightly controlled and monitored, with rescuers attached by harness. The top of a sinkhole is seen Tuesday in the village of Marguerite, Pa., where rescuers searched for a woman who disappeared. “We cannot judge as to what’s going on underneath us. Again, you had a small hole on top but as soon as you stuck a camera down through to look, you had this big void,” Graham said. “And it was all different depths. The process is long, is tedious. We have to make sure that we are keeping safety in the forefront as well as the rescue effort.” Bacha said they were “hoping that there’s a void that she could still be in.” Pollard's family called police at about 1 a.m. Tuesday to say she had not been seen since going out at about 5 p.m. Monday to search for Pepper, her cat. The temperature dropped well below freezing that night. Her son, Axel Hayes, said Pollard is a happy woman who likes going out to have fun. She and her husband adopted Hayes and his twin brother when they were infants. Hayes called Pollard “a great person overall, a great mother” who “never really did anybody wrong.” He said at one point Pollard had about 10 cats. “Every cat that she’s ever come in contact with, she has a close bond with them,” Hayes said. His mother worked for many years at Walmart but recently was not employed, he said. “I’m just hoping right now that she’s still with us and she’s able to come back to us,” he said. Police said they found Pollard's car parked behind Monday's Union Restaurant in Marguerite, about 20 feet from the sinkhole. Hunters and restaurant workers in the area said they had not noticed the manhole-size opening in the hours before Pollard disappeared, leading rescuers to speculate that the sinkhole was new. “It almost feels like it opened up with her standing on top of it,” Limani said. Searchers accessed the mine late Tuesday afternoon and dug a separate entrance out of concern that the ground around the sinkhole opening was not stable. “Let’s be honest, we need to get a little bit lucky, right?” Limani said Wednesday. “We need a little bit of luck on our side. We need a little bit of God’s good blessing on our side.” Pollard lives in a small neighborhood across the street from where her car and granddaughter were located, Limani said. The young girl “nodded off in the car and woke up. Grandma never came back," Limani said. The child stayed in the car until two troopers rescued her. It's not clear what happened to Pepper. In an era of rapid technological advancement and environmental change, American agriculture is undergoing a revolution that reaches far beyond the farm gate. From the food on consumer plates to the economic health of rural communities, the transformation of U.S. farming practices is reshaping the nation's landscape in ways both visible and hidden. explores how these changes impact everyone, whether they live in the heartland or the heart of the city. The image of the small family farm, while still a reality for many, is increasingly giving way to larger, more technologically advanced operations. According to the USDA, from 6.8 million in 1935 to about 2 million today, with the average farm size growing from 155 acres to 444 acres. This shift has profound implications for rural communities and the food system as a whole. Despite these changes, diversity in farming practices is on the rise. A , involving data from over 2,000 farms across 11 countries, found that diversifying farmland simultaneously delivers environmental and social benefits. This challenges the longstanding idea that practices boosting biodiversity must come at a cost to yields and food security. The adoption of precision agriculture technologies is transforming how farmers manage their land and resources. GPS-guided tractors, drone surveillance, and AI-powered crop management systems are becoming commonplace on many farms. These technologies allow farmers to apply water, fertilizers, and pesticides with pinpoint accuracy, reducing waste and environmental impact while improving yields. However, the digital divide remains a challenge. More than lack reliable broadband internet access, hindering the widespread implementation of AI and other advanced technologies in agriculture. While technology offers new opportunities, farmers are also facing significant economic challenges. The projects a 4.4% decline in net farm income from 2023, following a sharp 19.5% drop from 2022 to 2023. This financial pressure is compounded by rising production costs and market volatility. Climate variability adds another layer of complexity. Extreme weather events, changing precipitation patterns, and shifting growing seasons are forcing farmers to adapt quickly. These factors could over the coming decades without significant adaptation measures. But adapting requires additional financial resources, further straining farm profitability. In the face of these challenges, many farmers are turning to diversification as a strategy for resilience and profitability. The Science study mentioned earlier found that farms integrating several diversification methods supported more biodiversity while seeing simultaneous increases in human well-being and food security. Agritourism is one popular diversification strategy. In 2022, 28,600 U.S. farms reported agritourism income, averaging from these activities. Activities like farm tours, pick-your-own operations, and seasonal festivals not only provide additional income but also foster a deeper connection between consumers and agriculture. The changing face of agriculture is directly impacting consumers. The rise of farm-to-table and local food movements reflects a growing interest in where our food comes from and how it's produced. If every U.S. household spent just $10 per week on locally grown food, it would generate billions of dollars for local economies. However, the larger challenges in agriculture can also lead to price fluctuations at the grocery store. The projects that food-at-home prices will increase between 1.2% and 2.2% in 2024. Looking ahead, several innovations are poised to reshape agriculture: The transformation of American agriculture affects everyone, from the food we eat to the health of our environment and rural communities. Consumers have the power to support sustainable and diverse farming practices through our purchasing decisions. As citizens, they can advocate for policies that support farmers in adopting innovative and sustainable practices. The challenges facing agriculture are complex, but they also present opportunities for innovation and positive change. By understanding and engaging with these issues, everyone can play a part in shaping a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system for the future. Get local news delivered to your inbox!A brand experiential trip to China wows celebrity couple Camille Prats and VJ Yambao Interview by Joyce Reyes-Aguila LESS THAN two months after signing on as endorsers of automaker Jetour, Camille Prats-Yambao and husband VJ Yambao recently took a deeper dive into the brand. The couple, who are proud owners of a Jetour Dashing (Lightning i-DM), joined the Jetour Global Travel + Conference 2024 in Fuzhou, China. The itinerary included a tour of Jetour’s production facility and test drives of the T2 (including its i-DM or PHEV version which is still not yet in the country), and the smaller T1 (also not yet here). Toward the end of the trip, “Velocity” had an exclusive chat with the couple — fresh from a test of the T1 and T2 on Pintang Island. Camille and VJ talked about how they discovered Jetour, and later fell in love with the brand. Here are excerpts from our interview. VELOCITY: How did you discover Jetour? Camille: We were really looking for an (electrified) vehicle. Actually, I was stalking Jetour’s (social media) account. I reached out to them and said we’re very interested to check out their cars. ‘If you’re looking for someone to collaborate with, (we’re here),’ I said. They replied and it all started from there. What drew you to the brand? VJ: I really like the aesthetics of their cars, and the Dashing Lightning i-DM (a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle [PHEV]) was even more interesting. The design is really nice, and when I checked the car’s performance, I felt that the quality is premium. Camille: We would spend some nights just watching YouTube videos, car reviews of different Jetour cars. We were actually choosing between the T2 and the Dashing (Lightning i-DM). What made you decide on the Jetour Dashing Lightning i-DM? VJ: We were looking for a car that Camille can drive. She found the T2 too big, so we chose the Dashing Lightning i-DM. Camille: We struggled to choose, but the Dashing i-DM is a really good choice. It’s very comfortable. We really wanted a hybrid electric vehicle. What do the kids think about your vehicle? VJ: They are crazy about it! They no longer want to ride our other vehicles, to be honest. They like the “Hello, Jetour” voice command control, and like saying “Hello, Jetour, can you open the sunshade?” or “Can you open the windows?” They like the ambient lighting as well. Nala, our only daughter, would press the buttons to change the colors! Camille: They also know how to operate the massage function. They would ask me to recline, and they would press the massage controls and ask me if it’s good. We like to take them around the village with the sunroof open. VJ sent me a video of the kids laughing, enjoying the breeze from the open sunroof. They really had so much fun! One time, we were going out and I was the designated driver. I told them we’d be using the other car because it had been a while since we last drove it around. They complained! “We don’t like! We want to get on the Jetour!” they said. We ended up using the Dashing. They really love it. A fter attending the Jetour Global Travel + Conference, is there anything new that you learned about the brand? Anything that surprised you? Camille: I had already been in love with our Jetour. I’m very impressed with it and I have compared the Dashing with other vehicles. But the things I learned here — from seeing the assembly line and all — strengthened my belief in just how strong the brand is. The experience of seeing how they make the cars — how small parts are put together to make an actual vehicle — amazed me. It’s a different experience to witness how the car you drive comes to life. VJ: I saw how rigid the manufacturing process is. I really saw Jetour’s thrust. It made me feel that they make reliable cars. I really look for durability and reliability in a vehicle. And when I saw how they make cars, it really affirmed my belief that it is a good brand. Camille: We’ve come to a point that VJ wants to sell all our cars and replace them with Jetour vehicles. We’re literally considering that, and I kind of agree with him. VJ: We’re really considering it. Let’s stick with Jetour. Their future plans excite me, including what we saw during this trip, and things that I cannot say more about right now. Camille: What they have coming up will be very good for our country. We struggle with the impact of weather systems and the impact of these that are beyond our control. Jetour is planning to create a car that is made for adverse conditions. We’re very excited for that. If there’s one car that you want to bring home from your recent trip with Jetour, what would it be and why? Camille: The T5. I feel it’s a leveling-up of the T2. VJ: The T7. I cannot wait to be able to get my hands on it. It’s the ultimate car by far that was ever built. And it’s built by Jetour. I cannot wait to have it in my garage! Camille: I feel that (the T7) is something that we just imagined before, and now it’s going to come true. It was right there in front of us!

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Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan to enter 2025 NFL Draft

“Wanted” posters with the names and faces of health care executives have been popping up on the streets of New York. Hit lists with images of bullets are circulating online with warnings that industry leaders should be afraid. The apparent targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the menacing threats that followed have sent a shudder through corporate America and the health care industry in particular, leading to increased security for executives and some workers. In the week since the brazen shooting , health insurers have removed information about their top executives from company websites, canceled in-person meetings with shareholders and advised all employees to work from home temporarily. An internal New York Police Department bulletin warned this week that the online vitriol that followed the shooting could signal an immediate “elevated threat.” Police fear that the Dec. 4 shooting could "inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence," according to the bulletin, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “Wanted” posters pasted to parking meters and construction site fences in Manhattan included photos of health care executives and the words “Deny, defend, depose” — similar to a phrase scrawled on bullets found near Thompson’s body and echoing those used by insurance industry critics . Thompson's wife, Paulette, told NBC News last week that he told her some people had been threatening him and suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Investigators believe the shooting suspect, Luigi Mangione , may have been motivated by hostility toward health insurers. They are studying his writings about a previous back injury, and his disdain for corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Mangione’s lawyer has cautioned against prejudging the case. Mangione, 26, has remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday . Manhattan prosecutors are working to bring him to New York to face a murder charge. UnitedHealthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, said this week it was working with law enforcement to ensure a safe work environment and to reinforce security guidelines and building access policies, a spokesperson said. The company has taken down photos, names and biographies for its top executives from its websites, a spokesperson said. Other organizations, including CVS, the parent company for insurance giant Aetna, have taken similar actions. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. has announced that its investor day will be held online, rather than in-person as originally planned. Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm, said last week it was temporarily closing its six offices for security reasons and would have its employees work from home. Heightened security measures likely will make health care companies and their leaders more inaccessible to their policyholders, said former Cigna executive Wendell Potter. “And understandably so, with this act of violence. There’s no assurance that this won’t happen again,” said Potter, who’s now an advocate for health care reform. Private security firms and consultants have been in high demand, fielding calls almost immediately after the shooting from companies across a range of industries, including manufacturing and finance. Companies have long faced security risks and grappled with how far to take precautions for high-profile executives. But these recent threats sparked by Thompson's killing should not be ignored, said Dave Komendat, a former security chief for Boeing who now heads his own risk-management company. “The tone and tenor is different. The social reaction to this tragedy is different. And so I think that people need to take this seriously,” Komendat said. Just over a quarter of the companies in the Fortune 500 reported spending money to protect their CEOs and top executives. Of those, the median payment for personal security doubled over the last three years to just under $100,000. Hours after the shooting, Komendat was on a call with dozens of chief security officers from big corporations, and there have been many similar meetings since, hosted by security groups or law enforcement agencies assessing the threats, he said. “It just takes one person who is motivated by a poster — who may have experienced something in their life through one of these companies that was harmful," Komendat said. Associated Press reporters Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York and Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco, contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Vancouver city councillors are weighing a 5.5-per cent property tax as they review the city’s draft 2025 operating budget on Tuesday. But homeowners could also see an 18.2-per cent utility fee hike, partially driven by a 37-per cent increase in sewer rates related to cost overruns on the North Shore Wastewater Treatment plant. Last spring, Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said he wanted to keep property taxes capped at 5.5 per cent, down from the 7.5 per cent homeowners paid for 2024 and 10.7 per cent the year prior. “That’s the number we are starting with to see if we can bring down any lower,” ABC Vancouver Coun. Mike Klassen told Global News on Tuesday. The budget envisions $453.4 million, a 2.4 per cent funding increase, for the Vancouver Police Department. Police funding is the single largest expenditure category in the budget, accounting for 19 per cent of spending. However, Klassen said the city is in talks with the provincial government, with hopes it could help cover the cost of the city’s police body-worn camera program and other public safety costs. The draft earmarks $880 million in capital spending, with major projects including seismic upgrades to the Granville and Cambie bridges, the construction of the new PNE Amphitheatre, and upgrades to fire halls, sports fields and the city’s sewer and water systems. “We have an infrastructure deficit right now,” Klassen said. “That’s why we have really been working hard to find new revenue sources. Of course we have brought forward the sponsorship and naming rights program concept, so that is going to help us to find other ways to be able to bring in millions of dollars a year.” Green Coun. Pete Fry said city staff had uncovered additional revenue sources including dividends from the city’s property endowment fund, investments and tax increases from new development that could bring the tax hike as low as 3.9 per cent. “What’s interesting is there is a bunch of unfunded priorities, which roughly could top up that 3.9 per cent to 5.5 per cent,” he said, pointing to the body-worn camera project, street cleaning grants and additional library hours. “Obviously, ever-increasing taxes is not the kind of news that anyone wants to hear, but the reality is we have a significant amount of monetary pressures at the City of Vancouver to keep everything running the way Vancouverites enjoy and expect.” Other key spending areas include the fire department, public libraries and parks and recreation. The draft budget envisions a 4.3-per cent funding hike to $195.2 million for the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. It forecasts a 2.5-per cent spending increase to $64.5 million for the Vancouver Public Library. And it earmarks $183.9 million for the Vancouver Park Board, an increase of 7.2 per cent. It also lays out a number of increases to user fees, including a 6-per cent fee hike for recreation facilities, a 6-per cent fee hike for most business licences, and a 3-per cent increase to building and development permit fees. Council is not expected to vote on the final budget until next week.

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Artist Jasleen Kaur wins Turner Prize for work exploring her Scottish Sikh identity

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