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☆ 2024 College Football Playoff guide: What to know about the new 12-team format, at-large bids
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Stewart Mandel | Matt Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

College football entered a new era Sunday with the unveiling of the first 12-team Playoff bracket. The 12 participants are, in order of seeding: Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Indiana, SMU and Clemson. In 2012, leaders of the BCS approved the College Football Playoff, which launched in 2014 as a four-team postseason knockout tournament. GO DEEPER How exactly will College Football Playoff home games work? GO DEEPER College Football Playoff 2024 projections: Who are the national championship favorites?

Persons: ”, Cotton, Warde Manuel, It’s, Richard Clark, “, Rose, Peach Jan, Atlanta Quarterfinals Rose Jan, Jan, Orleans Quarterfinals Orange Jan, Cotton Jan, Big, Will, They’ll, they’ll, it’s, Clark, Tony Pettiti, Dan Goldfarb Organizations: College, Penn State, Notre Dame, SMU, Clemson, BCS, College Football, ACC, Arizona State, SEC, Boise State, Bama, Tigers, ABC, ESPN, Texas, Ohio State, CFP, Football Playoff, NFL, Oregon, CFP Bowl, Atlanta Quarterfinals, Orleans Quarterfinals Orange, Rose Bowl, Georgia, Broncos, Sun Devils, Peach, Rose, Mercedes, Benz, Big Locations: Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, Arizona State , Texas, Notre Dame , Ohio State , Tennessee , Indiana, Michigan, Arizona, Boise, Texas, That’s Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio State - Tennessee, Indiana, Sugar, Orange, Glendale, Ariz, Pasadena, Calif, Orleans, Miami, Fla, Arlington , Texas, Pasadena , Calif, New Orleans, Atlanta, L.A

☆ Assad dynasty collapses in Syria as rebel forces claim Damascus
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

TOPSHOT - Fighters fire towards Syrian Army troops in the Rashidin district on the outskirts of Aleppo on Nov. 29, 2024. The more than 50-year Assad dynastic dictatorship was on the cusp of collapse on Sunday, as rebel forces seized the capital of Damascus in a lightning offensive that has swept the country's largest cities in a matter of days. "We declare the city of Damascus free from the tyrant Bashar al-Assad," Hassan Abdul-Ghani, senior HTS commander, said in a post on WhatsApp. The whereabouts of President Bashar al-Assad, who assumed leadership in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez, were uncertain. Multiple media reports, which CNBC could not independently confirm, state he has fled Damascus.

Persons: Assad, Bashar al, Hassan Abdul, Ghani, Hafez, Ghazi al, Jalali, Syria Geir Pedersen, Joe Biden, Sean Savett Organizations: Fighters, Syrian Army, Security, CNBC, NBC News, U.S, White House National Security Locations: Rashidin, Aleppo, Damascus, Russia, Iran, Hama, Deir el, Free Syria, Syrian, Syria

☆ In a country splintered by civil war, could Syria’s rebels usher in a new dawn?
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Sana Noor Haq | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

‘Extremely challenging’ transition of powerSyria’s armed opposition ultimately plans to form a government defined by institutions and a “council chosen by the people,” Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the militant figure driving the latest rebel swing, told CNN. He heads the dominant group in the coalition, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a former Al Qaeda affiliate. Jolani told CNN that abuse in prisons “were not done under our orders or directions” and HTS had already penalized the perpetrators. Thousands of people assembled at the foot of the main square in Damascus, where rebels ransacked Assad’s residence. Muhammad Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty ImagesAnd further afield, Syrian refugees forced to flee the war shared their hopes of returning to a peaceful country.

Persons: jubilation –, Bashar al, Assad, Firas, ” Abu Mohammad al, Hayat Tahrir, Jolani, God, ” Jolani, ”, Assad’s chokehold, –, ” Abu Mohammed al, Hayat, Abdulaziz Ketaz, Mohammad Ghazi Al, Jalali, Jerome Drevon, al, “, ” Adam Coogle, ” Maksad, ” Omar Daher, Mohammed Amer Al, Muhammad Haj Kadour, ” Wissam Ahmed, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, Free Syrian Army, East Institute, Hayat, Al, “ Militant Operations Command, Getty, Syrian, Crisis, United, Terrorist Organization, ISIS, Human Rights, Middle East Institute, Associated Press, Reuters Locations: Damascus, Syria, East, Lebanese, Washington, DC, ”, Assad Syria, Al Qaeda, Tehran, Turkey, Hayat Tahrir, AFP, Brussels, Iraq, United States, al Qaeda, Idlib, Homs, Aleppo, Syrian, Hayat, Lebanon

☆ Taylor Swift helped me get closer to my teen daughter. The Eras Tour is ending, but I'll cherish these moments forever.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-08 | by ( Jamie Davis Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour strengthened my bond with my teenage daughter. AdvertisementWhen Taylor Swift's Eras Tour started, my daughter had just turned 13. Taylor Swift brought my daughter and I closerLike much of America (and the world), my daughter was desperate to see the Eras Tour. AdvertisementI wanted to see the Eras Tour againExperiencing the Eras Tour with my daughter was so transformative that I wanted to do it again, and so did she. I will keep the lessons of the Eras Tour with meI wish the Eras Tour would last forever, but I know it has to end.

Persons: Taylor, I'm, Swift, Taylor Swift, Jamie Davis Smith, ageism, togetherness Locations: America, Philadelphia, Warsaw, Europe

Learn moreThe final numbered UFC event of the year will see Kai Asakura attempt to swipe Alexandre Pantoja's flyweight title. We've compiled everything you need to know about how to watch UFC 310, including how to tune in from anywhere. How to watch UFC 310 in the USIf you're a UFC fan, you know the drill by now. Check price at ESPNWhere to watch UFC 310 everywhere elseUFC is available in most regions, so check your local listings for more information. Check price at ExpressVPNHow to watch UFC 310 with a VPNSign up for a VPN if you don't already have one.

Persons: Kai Asakura, Alexandre Pantoja's, Steve Erceg, Pantoja, Asakura, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Machado Garry, There's, ExpressVPN, Alexandre Pantoja, Shavkat, Ciryl, Alexander Volkov, Bryce Mitchell, Kron Gracie, Nate Landwehr, Choi Doo Organizations: Business, UFC, Brazilian MMA, Mobile, ESPN Plus, ESPN, MLB, NHL, NFL, Hulu, Disney Plus, Discovery Locations: Japanese, Las Vegas, Canada

☆ 4 people who bought and sold homes without a traditional real-estate agent break down how and why they did it
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-07 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Some predicted more people would forego hiring traditional real-estate agents for their deals. AdvertisementA 2023 court ruling against the country's biggest association of real-estate agents was expected to transform how Americans buy and sell homes. The majority of Americans hire a traditional real-estate broker to facilitate their transactions. Read on to hear from the four people who bought or sold homes this year via big companies or real-estate startups instead of a traditional agent. According to Kenneth Bloom, who's already sold two properties with Redy, the savings are significant compared to using a traditional real-estate agent.

Persons: brokerages, RISmedia, Redfin, it's, Chelsea Hutchison, Read, Hutchison, Melissa Gonzales, Opendoor, Josh Altman, Redy, Kenneth Bloom, who's, Bloom, he's, —, Sergio Rodriguez, Rodriguez, they'll, TurboHome Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Business, NAR, Opendoor, Realtors Locations: homebuyers, Canby , Oregon, Vegas, Waterford , Michigan, West Bloomfield , Michigan, Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, California, California , Texas, Washington

☆ Hundreds flee Syrian city of Homs as rebels advance further south
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-06 | by ( Eyad Kourdi | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Hundreds of people appear to have fled the central Syrian city of Homs overnight into Friday, as anti-regime rebels push further south on the road to the capital Damascus. It is not clear whether regime forces will be able to defend the city of Homs, about an hour’s drive south of Hama. CNN was unable to reach multiple contacts in Homs on Friday, amid reports of an internet blackout as the rebels approached the city. I swear to God, we are inside Hama city, we are inside Aleppo city,” a fighter cheered as he filmed himself by Alaarbaen Roundabout in Hama. Residents cheer as the rebels pour into the captured city of Hama on Friday.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, ”, Abu Mohammad al, Alawites, Assad’s, –, Alaarbaen, Hafez al, Assad –, Muhammad Haj Kadour, Jolani, Russia – Organizations: CNN, Getty, Jolani, United Nations Locations: Syrian, Homs, Damascus, Hama, Jolani, Idlib, Aleppo, ”, Hama’s, AFP, Saudi Arabia, United States, Iran, Russia

Syria CNN —The goal of Syria’s rebel coalition, as it wrests another major city from government control this week, is ultimately to overthrow authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad, according to Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the militant leader of the main group driving the country’s armed opposition. Syria’s opposition forces are decentralized and made up of different ideologies, albeit united by a common goal of upending the Assad regime. As CNN sat down to interview al-Jolani, news broke that forces under his command had captured the city of Hama. Al-Jolani told CNN that incidents of abuse in prisons “were not done under our orders or directions” and HTS had already held those involved accountable. “We are talking about a larger project – we are talking about building Syria,” Al-Jolani continued.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, Abu Mohammad al, Jolani, Hayat, ”, Abdulaziz Ketaz, upending, “, al, Al Nusra, Al Jazeera, – Ahmed al, –, Ibrahim Hatib, chokehold, ” Al, “ Hayat, Sham, ” CNN’s Mostafa Salem, Isil Sariyuce Organizations: Syria CNN, CNN, Getty, United, Terrorist Organization, Organization for, United Nations, Foreign Terrorist Organization, “, Al, Air Defense Brigade, Assad Russian, Iran’s, Guard, Syrian Air Force, Russian Locations: Syria, Hayat Tahrir, Qaeda, Syrian, Hama, AFP, Aleppo, Iran, Russia, al Qaeda, United States, Al, Iraq, US, Turkey, Idlib, Anadolu, ”, “ Hayat Tahrir

☆ Trump picks former Senator David Perdue to be ambassador to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Senator David Perdue, who is primarying incumbent Brian Kemp for Georgia governor, speaks at a campaign event in Covington, Georgia, February 2, 2022. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he has chosen former Senator David Perdue to be ambassador to China, tapping a former politician with business experience to help steer relations riven by deep mistrust and trade tensions. "He will be instrumental in implementing my strategy to maintain Peace in the region, and a productive working relationship with China's leaders," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, 2025, has said he will impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods unless Beijing does more to stop the trafficking of the highly addictive narcotic fentanyl. He also threatened tariffs in excess of 60% on Chinese goods while on the campaign trail.

Persons: David Perdue, Brian Kemp, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: Republican U.S, Georgia Locations: Covington , Georgia, China, Beijing

☆ How Notre Dame’s famed Grand Organ regained its distinctive voice
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-06 | by ( Caroline Baum | Sérène Nourrison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It has taken months of painstaking cleaning and decontaminating of 8,000 pipes, 115 organ stops and numerous other musical components, but on Saturday the majestic tones of the Grand Organ of Notre Dame will ring out once more. Francois Mori/APVeteran organ builder Laurent Mesme’s company, Orgues Quoirin, was one of three workshops chosen from across France to restore the Grand Organ. “During the day it was impossible to do anything (with the noise).”A file photograph from 2004 shows Notre Dame's organ. Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty ImagesLatry had, in his words, lived with the organ “day and night” since joining the cathedral in 1985. “Every time there has been a restoration, the organ builders have preserved what the previous organ builders have done.

Persons: Notre, Virgin Mary, Aurelia Azema, Francois Mori, Laurent Mesme’s, Orgues Quoirin, Mesme, ”, Emmanuel Macron’s, ” Mesme, “, Olivier Latry, Stephane de Sakutin, Latry, It’s, ” Latry Organizations: Paris CNN —, Notre Dame, Veteran, Getty, CNN Locations: Marne, Paris, France, “, AFP

☆ Club World Cup: Donald and Ivanka Trump feature in draw, as Inter Miami discovers its fate
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-06 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Inter Miami will play Egypt’s Al Ahly in the first match of next year’s revamped Club World Cup, after the draw was made on Thursday. It’s being viewed as a warmup for when the United States hosts the World Cup in 2026, alongside Canada and Mexico. President-elect Donald Trump featured in the often chaotic draw, speaking to the audience via a pre-recorded video message. He was introduced world soccer governing body FIFA President Gianni Infantino as his “very special friend.”“The event is going to be incredible. I will try and be there if I can,” Trump said, before praising Infantino and looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup.

Persons: Egypt’s Al, It’s, Donald Trump, Gianni Infantino, ”, ” Trump, Infantino, it’s, Trump, Ivanka, Lionel Messi's, Carmen Mandato, Brazil’s, Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabia’s Al, Rebecca Blackwell, Sepp Blatter, Germain Organizations: CNN — Inter Miami, United States, FIFA, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, Inter Miami, MLS, Brazil’s Palmeiras, FC Portuguese, Porto, Al Ahly, Champions League, Real Madrid, Saudi Arabia’s, Pachuca, Austria’s RB Salzburg, Manchester City, Juventus, CNN, Palmeiras, FC Porto, Ahly, Inter Miami Group, Paris Saint, Botafogo, Seattle Sounders Group, Bayern Munich, Boca Juniors, Benfica, D, Flamengo, Espérance, Club León, Urawa, Diamonds, Inter Milan, Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Mamelodi, Juventus Group, Real, RB Salzburg Locations: Egypt’s Al Ahly, Canada, Mexico, Group, Florida, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, Al, Paris, Atlético Madrid, Auckland City, Tunisie, Chelsea, Monterrey, Ulsan, Wydad, Ain, Real Madrid, Hilal

PARIS — The reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral should have been a victory lap for French President Emmanuel Macron. The vote against Barnier came just three months after Macron appointed him to the role, making him the shortest-serving French prime minister. Former French Prime Minister Michel Barnier. While Macron’s position is not technically affected by Barnier’s resignation, his political future has become uncertain as pressure grows for him to step down. “For the moment Macron’s position is not imperiled,” political expert Douglas Webber told NBC News on Thursday.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Michel Barnier, Barnier, Macron, Nathan Laine, ” Macron, “, ”, Donald Trump —, Barnier’s, Douglas Webber Organizations: PARIS, Notre Dame, European Union, Macron, French, Bloomberg, Getty, Notre Dame Cathedral, Notre, Dame, National Assembly, Popular Front coalition, NBC Locations: France, Paris

☆ Voters elected the most closely divided House since the Great Depression and WWI
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

It’s the House of Representatives that is closest to the American people and most directly represents their will. With the last House race of the 2024 election decided – by fewer than 200 votes! That final contested House race will be won by Adam Gray, a pickup for Democrats in California’s Central Valley. The movement in this year’s House elections looked like this:Democrats picked up nine seats and lost eight. The House, where laws are supposed to originate, has been wracked by gridlock and has ceded some authority to the president.

Persons: CNN — There’s, Donald Trump, –, don’t, Adam Gray, Matt Gaetz, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, elect’s, Mike Johnson, Trump, rulemaking, Johnson, It’s, Barack Obama, Nicholas Longworth, Franklin D, Roosevelt, They’re, ” Alexander Hamilton, it’s Organizations: CNN, White, Republicans, GOP, ’, United Nations, Incumbents, Farmer - Labor Party, Democratic, Electoral College, Senate Locations: Central Valley, Florida, New York, Democratic Congress

☆ Formaldehyde causes more cancer than any other toxic air pollutant. Little is being done to curb the risk
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Sharon Lerner | Al Shaw | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

The result is that even the EPA’s alarming estimates of cancer risk vastly underestimate — by as much as fourfold — the chances of formaldehyde causing cancer. But four former government scientists with experience doing statistical analyses of health harms told ProPublica that the myeloid leukemia risk calculation was sound. The agency’s sprawling assessment shows that, among scores of individual air pollutants, formaldehyde poses the greatest cancer risk — by far. As the EPA admits, its cancer risk calculation fails to reflect the chances of developing myeloid leukemia. Nationwide, that’s the average lifetime cancer risk from air pollution; formaldehyde accounts for most of it.

Persons: ProPublica, Biden, Jennifer Jinot, “, ”, Jinot, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, They’ve, Trump, what’s, William Boyd, Boyd, Mary Faltas, “ It’s, Faltas, Ronald Reagan, John Todhunter, Todhunter, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Sen, James Inhofe, Obama, David Vitter, ” Jinot, David Dunlap, Dunlap, recusing, didn’t, Rocky Rissler, Rissler, Rick, she’s, I’ve, Tracey Woodruff, ” Trump, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Robert Sussman, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Lee Zeldin, Zeldin, Woodruff Organizations: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Trump, UCLA School of Law, National Cancer Institute, National Cancer, Department of Health, Human Services, Foundation for Chemistry Research, Koch Industries, Biden EPA, White, Fontana, ProPublica, West Virginia —, Biden, Fertilizer Institute, of America, Toy Association, National Chicken Council, Independent, Manufacturers, RV Industry Association, Industry Alliance, American Chemistry Council, Reproductive Health, University of California, Republican Congress, CNN, CNN Health, Heritage Foundation, U.S . Rep Locations: United States, U.S, Los Angeles, San Bernardino , California, Apopka , Florida, George H.W ., Hurricane, Georgia, Pacific, Fontana , California, ProPublica ., Fontana, Weld County , Colorado, Colorado , New Mexico, North Dakota, West Virginia, San Francisco, New York

☆ Hegseth is still standing, but hasn’t yet saved his Pentagon bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

And Hegseth threw himself into his task, meeting Republican senators, offering to quit alcohol if he’s confirmed, and mounting fiery rearguards on the Megyn Kelly radio show and in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Hegseth told Kelly on Sirius XM that he spoke to Trump Wednesday morning and that the president-elect had told him, “’Hey Pete, I got your back. But Sen. Markwayne Mullin said he’d spoken to both Trump and Hegseth and that the president-elect was still committed to his pick. A number of Republican senators have told reporters they hold Ernst in high regard. I don’t - no one’s ever approached me and said, ‘Oh, you should really look at getting help,’” Hegseth told Kelly.

Persons: Pete Hegseth’s, can’t, Donald Trump, Hegseth, he’s, Kelly, Iowa Sen, Joni Ernst, “, ”, ” Hegseth, Maine’s Susan Collins, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, Murkowski, “ ’, Pete, It’s, They’re, Trump, I’ve, ’ ” Hegseth, Tim Parlatore, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Ron DeSantis, Sen, Josh Hawley, Markwayne Mullin, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, West Virginia Sen, Shelley Moore Capito, she’d, Ernst, DeSantis, it’s, Connecticut Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal, “ I’ve, they’re, Pete Hegseth, ” Blumenthal, Tapper, Rick Scott, CNN Hegseth, ‘, you’ve, Jennifer, ” Hegseth’s, North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, ” Cramer, ’, Cramer, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Gabbard, Kennedy, Matt Gaetz, —, JD Vance, Marco Rubio —, he’d, MAGA, Rubio Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Trump, Fox, Iowa, GOP, “, Sirius XM, Mar, Missouri Republican, Oklahoma Republican, West Virginia, Connecticut Democratic, Armed Services Committee, New Yorker, Fox News, North, Health, Human Services Department, Florida Rep Locations: Florida, Iraq, Afghanistan, West, Iowa, Connecticut, New, North Dakota, DeSantis, Virginia

☆ OpenWeb's ousted CEO who refused to quit speaks exclusively with BI about his battle with the board
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Shoval's messy battle with the board goes publicTensions boiled over in mid-2024 when OpenWeb's board changed Shoval's reporting line, a move he felt breached his contract. Then the company announced to staffers that Shoval would be replaced with an interim CEO, OpenWeb's former chairman Tim Harvey. AdvertisementShoval made his dispute with the OpenWeb board public by posting on LinkedIn in October. His complaint argued that he should be reinstated as CEO and able to appoint two new board directors of his choosing. Kimberly White/Getty Images for TechCrunchShoval maintains that OpenWeb board meetings and decisions were conducted improperly and that he still has the right to appoint two new board directors of his choosing.

Persons: Nadav Shoval, Shoval, podcaster Scott Galloway, Tim Harvey, OpenWeb, Ariel Zimmerman, he's, Kimberly White, TechCrunch Shoval, Omer Cygler, — Galloway, Cygler —, Scott Galloway, cohost Kara Swisher, Andrew Harnik, it's Organizations: BI, BlackRock, Insight Partners, Georgian Partners, New York Times, NYU Stern, LinkedIn, Tel, New, Israel Defense Forces, Maglan, TechCrunch, Big Tech, Fox News, CNN, Yahoo, Lion Investments Locations: Shoval, OpenWeb, BlackRock, Tel Aviv, New York, New York City, San Francisco

☆ Directing Art Basel Miami Beach is a massive undertaking. Bridget Finn, a veteran in the art world, was up to the task.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Brea Cubit | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Bridget Finn is the new director of Art Basel Miami Beach, set to have 286 galleries this year. This article is part of BI's 2024 Art Basel series, taking you inside the art fair's global scene. The latest feather in her cap is helming this year's Art Basel Miami Beach show as its new director. This year, 34 galleries will make their Art Basel Miami Beach debut, the most first-time participants at the fair in over 15 years. "I would be so bold as to say that Art Basel Miami Beach is often the platform where new trends in art appear.

Persons: Bridget Finn, Finn, —, Bridget Finn —, Paola Chapdelaine, she's, Caitlin Keogh's, Caitlin Keogh, Basel's, Agosto Machado, Terrence Musekiwa, Diego Vega Solorza Organizations: Art Basel Miami Beach, Business, Service, Art Basel, Miami Beach Convention Locations: Basel, Manhattan, NY, Bortolami, Americas, Asia, Europe, New York, Mexican, Brazilian

☆ Trump picks former Development Finance Corp. CEO Adam Boehler as special envoy for hostage affairs
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Ece Yildirim | In Ecedyildirim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Adam Boehler, the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, addresses the daily coronavirus task force briefing in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 14, 2020. Boehler worked alongside his friend Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House advisor at the time. The White House reportedly viewed Witkoff's meetings more as an opportunity for him to better understand the situation, than as a full diplomatic effort. Boehler will assume a role that is currently held by special envoy for hostage affairs Roger Carstens, who was appointed by Trump in 2020. During the Covid pandemic, the new agency was also tasked with coordinating some of the medical supply chain, parts of which were working under an emergency Defense Production Act mandate from the White House.

Persons: Adam Boehler, Donald Trump, Boehler, Jared Kushner, Trump's, Trump, Adam, Omer Neutra, Steve Witkoff, Biden, Roger Carstens, Carstens, Joe Biden Organizations: U.S . International Development Finance Corporation, White, Rubicon Founders, Abraham Accords, Great, NBC News, Reuters, Trump, International Development Finance Corporation Locations: Washington , U.S, Nashville, Israel, Gaza, United States of America, Qatar, U.S

☆ French President Emmanuel Macron resists calls to resign and vows to name a new prime minister in days
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-05 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Embattled French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped to appoint a new prime minister in the coming days, in a combative televised address that will do little to ease a deepening political crisis. Macron was speaking one day after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted by lawmakers in a no-confidence vote. He had harsh words for the far-right National Rally, whose leader, Marine Le Pen, has orchestrated opposition against Macron and has vowed to frustrate his agenda. “Let’s be honest, they think about one thing: the presidential election,” Macron said of Le Pen’s party, claiming their “cynical” approach had brought “a sense of chaos” to the country. Whoever he picks as prime minister must be approved by a sharply divided parliament, where he faces an avowed opposition from both wings.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Michel Barnier, ” Macron, Barnier, “, Le, ”, National Assembly “, Barnier’s Organizations: CNN, Macron, Republican, National Assembly, ”

President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will nominate former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., to lead the Small Business Administration in his second term. Senator Kelly Loeffler, from the Great State of Georgia, to serve as Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA)," Trump wrote on Truth Social. She ran in the 2020 special election for the seat but lost in a runoff election to Democrat Raphael Warnock. After the 2020 election, as Trump pushed his claims of widespread voter fraud, Loeffler repeatedly refused to acknowledge that he had lost the presidential election. The small business administrator is subject to Senate confirmation.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sen, Kelly Loeffler, Trump, Loeffler, Johnny Isakson, Raphael Warnock, Elise Stefanik, Marco Rubio, Pam Bondi Organizations: Small Business Administration, Senate, Trump Administration, NBC News Locations: Great State of Georgia, U.S, Washington, Georgia, Fulton, Florida

☆ The House GOP's math problem: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-04 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In today’s edition, national political reporter Bridget Bowman and senior congressional reporter Scott Wong examine the House GOP's math problem after the final race call of the 2024 elections. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., resigned from the House last month after Trump selected him to be the next attorney general. More importantly, Biden has now borrowed Trump’s rhetoric to describe what he views as Hunter’s experience with the justice system. The leading Republican in the country (Trump) and the leading Democrat in the country (Biden) have both claimed the system is unjust because of politics.

Persons: Bridget Bowman, Scott Wong, Pete Hegseth's, Washington, Adam Gray, John Duarte, Donald Trump’s, Mike Johnson, Trump, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, Johnson, Stefanik, Kathy Hochul, Read, Pete Hegseth, Frank Thorp V, Rebecca Shabad Pete Hegseth, “, ” “, ’ ” Hegseth, Hegseth’s, Penelope Hegseth, ”, Hegseth, “ I’ve, “ I’m, ” Hegseth, Sen, Joni Ernst, Ron DeSantis, Bill Hagerty, Joe Biden, Chuck Todd, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, Biden, Donald Trump, —, What’s, Chuck →, Hunter Biden Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Defense Department, GOP Rep, ’, United Nations, Rep, Trump, Democratic, CBS News, “ Fox, New York Times, Fox News, Pentagon, Florida Gov, Hunter Biden, Republican, Biden Locations: California’s, New York, Florida, Monterey , California, Iowa, Ukraine, California

President-elect Donald Trump is considering replacing embattled defense secretary choice Pete Hegseth with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to two sources familiar with the decision-making. Another told NBC News that Trump and DeSantis directly spoke about the issue. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., according to two sources familiar with the decision-making. Hegseth has denied that he mistreated women and did not respond when asked about the drinking allegations Tuesday evening.

Persons: Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, “ Trump, Joni Ernst, Bill Hagerty, Mike Waltz, Trump, Giorgio Viera, Hegseth, ”, nicknaming DeSantis, Ron DeSanctimonious, Ernst, meanwhile, Hagerty Organizations: Florida Gov, NBC News, Trump, NBC, Street Journal, Pentagon, Sens, White House, Getty, Republican, New, Navy, Army Reserve, Army National Guard Locations: Iowa, New Hampshire, Iraq, Japan

WASHINGTON — Republicans will have a narrow majority in the House next year with Democrats flipping one final seat in California, leaving GOP leaders with even less margin for error as they try to advance President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. Thanks to Gray’s victory, Democrats netted one seat in the House elections, flipping nine Republican-held seats, mainly in blue states, as Republicans flipped eight Democratic-held seats. Democratic campaigns and groups outspent their GOP rivals in the fall, dropping $662 million on ads in House races to Republicans’ $485 million. And while Democrats lost the House, the Senate and the White House, they found their down-ballot candidates performed better than Vice President Kamala Harris. But because of how fragile their House majority is, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Democrat Adam Gray, John Duarte, Duarte, Gray, Derek Tran, George Whitesides, Michelle Steel, Mike Garcia, Susan Wild, Matt Cartwright, Adam Gray, Andy Alfaro, Kamala Harris, Harris, overperformed Harris, Mike Johnson, Trump, “, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, Walz, Johnson, Stefanik, Kathy Hochul Organizations: WASHINGTON, GOP, Democrat, GOP Rep, NBC News, ’, Democratic, Democrats, Pennsylvania, Modesto Bee, TNS, Getty Images, Republicans ’, NBC, Senate, White, Democratic Congressional, Republicans, Trump, United Nations, Florida State Department Locations: California, California’s, Central, New York, Oregon, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, Alaska and Colorado, Michigan, Modesto , Calif, Washington, U.S, Florida

Presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd on June 2, 2023 in Gilbert, South Carolina. President-elect Donald Trump is considering replacing embattled defense secretary choice Pete Hegseth with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to two sources familiar with the decision-making. "Trump talked to the governor and wants him to do it," a source familiar with the conversation told NBC News Tuesday night. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., according to two sources familiar with the decision-making.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, DeSantis, Trump, Joni Ernst, Bill Hagerty, Mike Waltz Organizations: Florida, Florida Gov, NBC News, Trump, NBC, Street Journal, Pentagon, Sens, White House Locations: Gilbert , South Carolina, Iowa

☆ As global defense spending surges, South Korean arms makers look like a clear winner
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-04 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Now, a new facet from South Korea is poised to make a splash in investors' portfolios — defense stocks. Sang Hun Seok, who is an Indo-Pacific visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a U.K.-based policy think tank, explained to CNBC that a steady increase in global expenditure, combined with growing geopolitical uncertainties has provided South Korean arms makers with larger global markets. Chosun Ilbo said that just four countries were importing South Korean arms in 2022, but this number rose to 12 in 2023. The appetite for South Korean arms can be explained by the mantra of "cheaper, better, faster." RUSI's Seok said simply: "South Korean exports are highly cost-efficient."

Persons: Wojtek Radwanski, Hun Seok, RUSI's Seok, Bruce Bennett, Hoshik Nam, KAI, Defense Mariusz Blaszczak, JSU's Nam Organizations: Afp, Getty, Hanwha Aerospace, Korea Aerospace Industries, Hyundai Rotem, LIG, Statistics, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Royal United Services Institute, CNBC, Italian Institute for International Political Studies, Chosun Ilbo, CNBC South, U.S ., Center for Strategic, International Studies, RAND Corporation, Jacksonville State University, FA, Defense, U.S Locations: Korean, Torun, Korea, South Korea, Stockholm, Indo, Pacific, U.K, South Korean, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, U.S, North Korea, Poland, Soviet, South

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