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Franks: The media failed us on George Santos

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

What took so long? Good riddance to former House Rep. George Santos, R-NY. The Santos saga begs the question: How did he get elected in the first place?Now we know it was due to massive fraud. But I would also add major failures on the part of the press for not properly vetting Santos.Santos once said after losing his first race for Congress in 2020 that “he thought he could get away with it.”Well, a simple check prior to his running of just his high school and college graduations would have revealed a huge clue as to the problem. A simple check of his employment at Goldman Sachs would have ended his quest for public office. It would have been clear at that point that Santos had great difficulty telling the truth.His political career should have been over before it got off the ground.I am not addressing the many other problems related to Santos that have drawn the attention of prosecutors. Their investigations resulted in approximately two dozen criminal charges that, if proven, wou...

Beaver: US idling amid China’s military buildup

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

Our National Defense Strategy identifies China as the primary challenge to the United States. To confront this threat successfully, our military needs more warships, aircraft and munitions. Now.But the Biden administration’s spending does not match its defense strategy. The president’s Emergency Supplemental Request made this clear by asking for $61.4 billion for Ukraine, but only $5.4 billion for the Indo-Pacific. In addition, the administration has made no attempt to cut spending elsewhere in the budget to help fund any part of the supplemental.There are many ways money can be saved within the Department of Defense, from programs that could be cut altogether, to reforms that would make the department spend money more efficiently. Non-defense spending from within research and development, politicized spending on climate change and DEI, and wasteful bureaucratic bloat are all examples of Pentagon funding that needs to be re-allocated toward building actual military capacity.While so...

All fans want for Christmas is Mariah Carey

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

It’s no surprise Mariah Carey is headlining arenas — the singer plays the TD Garden on Monday. Carey spent much of her life being the biggest pop star in the world.Pop culture has a selective memory, but in the decade between the heyday of Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince and the rise of Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, Mariah ruled. And nobody was close to her: 19 No. 1 hits that spent 90 weeks at the top spot and a whopping 220 million albums sold (equal to Prince and Britney’s totals combined).So yes, she gets to headline the TD Garden, Madison Square Garden, and any other gardens, arenas, centers, forums, and fieldhouses. Only when Mariah takes the stage in Boston, she’ll likely only sing three of her chart toppers in their entirety. Instead she’ll stuff nine of her hits into a 13-minute medley and devote the remaining hour and change to Christmas carols. This is just what the people want: Why hear “Emotions” in full when you can hear the hundredth version of “Here Co...

Celtics star Jaylen Brown explains his view of first career ejection after heated exchange

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

The Celtics mostly cruised to a 133-123 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night, but the bigger story was Jaylen Brown’s first career ejection.With 7:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Celtics star picked up two consecutive technical fouls. He received the first for disagreeing with a reach-in foul on Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, then took issue with the second tech as well.Brown was already on the Celtics bench when he got tossed. Incensed, he had to be held back from storming the court, and led down the tunnel.“To be honest, I’m not sure,” he said when asked what led to the ejection. “Wish I would’ve got my money’s worth. I always thought my first career ejection would be something a little more exciting… not some overemotional ref who had a bad day. What I’m most upset about is, I should’ve got my (expletive) money’s worth.”According to crew chief Mark Lindsay, the first tech was called “for use of profanity toward a game official.” The second was called for “a w...

Dear Abby: Are parents reuniting for wrong reason?

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

Dear Abby: My husband’s parents divorced 50 years ago when he was a newborn. Both remarried within a few years. My husband was raised by his mom and stepdad. His mother and father had little contact after their divorce. Because of that, my husband does not have a close relationship with his biological father, who made little effort to be in his life or the life of our children.Recently, both of my husband’s stepparents passed away. After their passing, his mom and dad decided to get back together. They told us recently that they plan to remarry. My husband is having a hard time with their reunion. He feels they are rebounding from the death of their spouses. How can he learn to accept a relationship he doesn’t agree with but ultimately has no control over? — History Repeats in the SouthDear History Repeats: Unless his mother and biological father can resolve the issues that drove them apart in the first place, their remarriage isn’t likely to be success...

Kristaps Porzingis sharp in return as Celtics show their strength in win over Knicks

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

While it was not ideal that Kristaps Porzingis injured his calf, his four-game absence allowed the Celtics to play and grow in different ways. Others stepped up into bigger opportunities as the C’s continued to win, something that could benefit them in the long run.But there’s no question, the Celtics are at their best when Porzingis is on the floor.Porzingis made his long-awaited return on Friday night. At times, he couldn’t miss a shot. In other moments, his mere presence allowed his Celtics teammates to flourish as they once again looked like a powerhouse at full strength. Porzingis scored 21 points and Derrick White had 30 points as he drilled six 3-pointers. Jaylen Brown was issued his first career ejection in the fourth quarter but it didn’t matter because the Celtics had more than enough to overcome it in a bounce-back, 133-123 victory at TD Garden.Jayson Tatum added 23 points, Jrue Holiday had 16 points and Al Horford scored 14 from the bench as the Celtics improved to 11-1 ...

2 children dead, mother seriously hurt in police pursuit crash

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Two children were killed Friday and their mother was seriously injured after a police pursuit crash in the Mountain View neighborhood, authorities said.The pursuit started around 6:14 p.m. at 32nd Street and Oceanview Boulevard in Logan Heights, the San Diego Police Department told FOX 5. The suspect then led officers to Interstate 805 southbound, where the suspect vehicle, a BMW, exited the freeway and onto 43rd Street, according to police. San Diego police sergeant injured, suspect killed after shootout in 4S Ranch Around 6:19 p.m., the BMW crashed into a Honda sedan, causing the Honda to strike a tree and catch fire, Officer Salvador Castro with California Highway Patrol said in a news conference Friday. Two boys, a three and eight-year-old, in the Honda were taken to the hospital, where they both died, CHP confirmed. The mother of the two kids, a 25-year-old, was taken to the hospital with major injuries. Another passenger, the mother's friend, was in the Honda a...

Big money, fancy homes, old jokes – inside Joe Biden’s fundraisers

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — If you’re a Democrat with money to burn and friends in high places, you can spend thousands on tickets to a fundraiser with President Joe Biden. If not, keep reading to see what you’re missing. With an election year around the corner, Biden is accelerating his fundraising to prepare for an astronomically expensive campaign. (Think billions, not millions.) In this rarefied world, money equals access, and supporters regularly pay top dollar for a personal glimpse of the world’s most powerful man. Biden is collecting cash across the Los Angeles area this weekend, and his first stop was a sprawling estate where the host joked “it’s just a normal Friday at our house” as hundreds of donors sipped wine in the backyard.“You’re the reason why we’re gonna win, God willing, in 2024,” Biden told the audience.Each fundraiser is a little different, but they generally follow a similar script. Here’s what it’s like inside the presidential...

Ukraine aid in growing jeopardy as Republicans double down on their demands for border security

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A deal to provide further U.S. assistance to Ukraine by year-end appears to be increasingly out of reach for President Joe Biden. The impasse is deepening in Congress despite dire warnings from the White House about the consequences of inaction as Republicans insist on pairing the funding with changes to America’s immigration and border policies.After the Democratic president said this week that he was willing to “make significant compromises on the border,” Republicans swiftly revived demands that they had earlier set aside, hardening their positions and attempting to shift the negotiations to the right, according to a person familiar with the talks and granted anonymity to discuss them.The latest proposal, offered by lead GOP negotiator Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., during a meeting with a core group of senators before they departed Washington on Thursday afternoon, could force the White House to consider proposals that many Democrats will seriously oppose,...

Polish truck drivers are blocking the border with Ukraine. It’s hurting on the battlefield

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:40:09 GMT

KORCZOWA, Poland (AP) — Pickup trucks and tourniquets bound for Ukraine’s battlefield are stuck in a mileslong line at the border with Poland. Components to build drones to fight off Russian forces are facing weeks of delays.Ukrainian charities and companies supplying the war-torn country’s military warn that problems are growing as Polish truck drivers show no sign of ending a border blockade that has stretched past a month. The Polish protesters argue that their livelihoods are at stake after the European Union relaxed some transport rules and Ukrainian truckers undercut their business.While drones will make it to the front line, they’re delayed by two to three weeks, said Oleksandr Zadorozhnyi, operational director of the KOLO foundation, which helps the Ukrainian army with battlefield tech, including drones and communications equipment.“This means that Russian army will have the ability to kill Ukrainian soldiers and terrorize civilians for several weeks longer,” he ...