Original MLS clubs LA Galaxy, NY Red Bulls cap their amazing turnarounds with showdown for MLS Cup

By ALI SWENSON and BARARA ORTUTAY Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, which they view as increasingly leaning too far to the right given its owner’s support of President-elect Donald Trump, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter, championed by its former CEO Jack Dorsey. Its decentralized approach to social networking was eventually intended to replace Twitter’s core mechanic . That’s unlikely now that the two companies have parted ways. But Bluesky’s growth trajectory — with a user base that has more than doubled since October — could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. But with growth comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. The skyrocketing user base — now surpassing 25 million — is the biggest test yet for a relatively young platform that has branded itself as a social media alternative free of the problems plaguing its competitors. According to research firm Similarweb, Bluesky added 7.6 million monthly active app users on iOS and Android in November, an increase of 295.4% since October. It also saw 56.2 million desktop and mobile web visits, in the same period, up 189% from October. Besides the U.S. elections, Bluesky also got a boost when X was briefly banned in Brazil . “They got this spike in attention, they’ve crossed the threshold where it is now worth it for people to flood the platform with spam,” said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University and a member of Issue One’s Council for Responsible Social Media. “But they don’t have the cash flow, they don’t have the established team that a larger platform would, so they have to do it all very, very quickly.” To manage growth for its tiny staff, Bluesky started as an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other distinctive features to attract new users , such as “starter packs” that provide lists of topically curated feeds. Meta recently announced that it is testing a similar feature. Compared to the bigger players like Meta’s platforms or X, Bluesky has a “quite different” value system, said Claire Wardle, a professor at Cornell University and an expert in misinformation. This includes giving users more control over their experience. “The first generation of social media platforms connected the world, but ended up consolidating power in the hands of a few corporations and their leaders,” Bluesky said on its blog in March. “Our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see. On an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself.” Because of this mindset, Bluesky has achieved a scrappy underdog status that has attracted users who’ve grown tired of the big players. “People had this idea that it was going to be a different type of social network,” Wardle said. “But the truth is, when you get lots of people in a place and there are eyeballs, it means that it’s in other people’s interests to use bots to create, you know, information that aligns with their perspective.” Little data has emerged to help quantify the rise in impersonator accounts, artificial intelligence-fueled networks and other potentially harmful content on Bluesky. But in recent weeks, users have begun reporting large numbers of apparent AI bots following them, posting plagiarized articles or making seemingly automated divisive comments in replies. Lion Cassens, a Bluesky user and doctoral candidate in the Netherlands, found one such network by accident — a group of German-language accounts with similar bios and AI-generated profile pictures posting in replies to three German newspapers. “I noticed some weird replies under a news post by the German newspaper ‘Die Ziet,’” he said in an email to The Associated Press. “I have a lot of trust in the moderation mechanism on Bluesky, especially compared to Twitter since the layoffs and due to Musk’s more radical stance on freedom of speech. But AI bots are a big challenge, as they will only improve. I hope social media can keep up with that.” Cassens said the bots’ messages have been relatively innocuous so far, but he was concerned about how they could be repurposed in the future to mislead. There are also signs that foreign disinformation narratives have made their way to Bluesky. The disinformation research group Alethea pointed to one low-traction post sharing a false claim about ABC News that had circulated on Russian Telegram channels. Copycat accounts are another challenge. In late November, Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, found that of the top 100 most followed named individuals on Bluesky, 44% had at least one duplicate account posing as them. Two weeks later, Mantzarlis said Bluesky had removed around two-thirds of the duplicate accounts he’d initially detected — a sign the site was aware of the issue and attempting to address it. Bluesky posted earlier this month that it had quadrupled its moderation team to keep up with its growing user base. The company also announced it had introduced a new system to detect impersonation and was working to improve its Community Guidelines to provide more detail on what’s allowed. Because of the way the site is built, users also have the option to subscribe to third-party “Labelers” that outsource content moderation by tagging accounts with warnings and context. The company didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment for this story. Even as its challenges aren’t yet at the scale other platforms face, Bluesky is at a “crossroads,” said Edward Perez, a board member at the nonpartisan nonprofit OSET Institute, who previously led Twitter’s civic integrity team. “Whether BlueSky likes it or not, it is being pulled into the real world,” Perez said, noting that it needs to quickly prioritize threats and work to mitigate them if it hopes to continue to grow. That said, disinformation and bots won’t be Bluesky’s only challenges in the months and years to come. As a text-based social network, its entire premise is falling out of favor with younger generations. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that only 17% of American teenagers used X, for instance, down from 23% in 2022. For teens and young adults, TikTok, Instagram and other visual-focused platforms are the places to be. Political polarization is also going against Bluesky ever reaching the size of TikTok, Instagram or even X. “Bluesky is not trying to be all things to all people,” Wardle said, adding that, likely, the days of a Facebook or Instagram emerging where they’re “trying to keep everybody happy” are over. Social platforms are increasingly splintered along political lines and when they aren’t — see Meta’s platforms — the companies behind them are actively working to de-emphasize political content and news. The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here . The AP is solely responsible for all content.What's really behind Macron's meltdown

With presents gathering under Christmas trees, and most players back at pre-season training, we’re only six weeks away before the 2025 trial matches start. Watch every ball of Australia v India LIVE & ad-break free during play in 4K on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer > Yet, there are still concerns that linger across the NRL ranging from key position question marks to how well recruits will fit into their new teams. New Broncos coach Michale Maguire needs to stamp out the rock star mentality that cruelled the club since the 2023 decider. Meanwhile, the Knights are hoping for another playmkaer to stand up and support Kalyn Ponga so they can shed the one-man team tag. And the Sharks need star recruit Addin Fonua-Blake to hit the ground running in a bid to put an end to their failures in the finals. Below, we dive into each team’s Christmas wish list because even a club like the four-peat Panthers are in need of a little something from Santa. Read on for every NRL club’s Christmas Wish. BRONCOS What they need: Madge’s messaging to get across Brisbane drew a line in the sand when they sacked Kevin Walters in September, less than 12 months after the coach took them to the grand final. The shock move and then hiring of hard taskmaster Michael Maguire put the entire club on notice after a shocking 2024 season. The message was clear: no more Mr Nice Guy for a coach. The Broncos players need to stop acting like rock stars and get back to being footballers. The Broncos faithful demand success and it’s time for the players to act accordingly. Young guns Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam are saying all the right things since Maguire arrived, but the proof will be in the pudding. Walsh spoke about “taking on more of a leadership role” but a few weeks later was spotted at the back of the group during fitness drills. After Mam injured several people in a car and was caught drug driving, Maguire booted him from Red Hill and to a construction site to learn about the real world. If Maguire gets his message across, the Broncos will absolutely be contending for a premiership in 2025. MORE NRL NEWS OFF-SEASON CENTRAL: DCE’s contract backflip as Manly devise Trbojevic switch ‘CARNIVORE’: Cleary ahead of schedule in bid to forge new halves combo amid diet TRANSFER CENTRE: Eels pick up gun after Bulldogs release; Raiders star extends RAIDERS What they need: Their young guns to kick on Ricky Stuart has been open about adopting a youth policy in a bid to end the club’s 31 year title drought, but that all depends on if and how quickly those young guns develop. In halves, Ethan Strange and Ethan Sanders, fullbacks Kaeo Weekes and Chevy Stewart and outside backs Xavier Savage, Matthew Timoko and Sebastian Kris, the Raiders have one of the most exciting young crops of backline stars in the game. The upside is they still have so much room for improvement, but how quickly they find consistency will determine how far the Raiders go in 2025. The pack is led by Hudson Young, Zac Hosking, Morgan Smithies and Joseph Tapine, who all arguably still have their best football in front of them. The challenge for Stuart’s young brigade is to learn quickly from their mistakes and narrow the distance between their best and worst games, to get the Raiders firing and pushing for the finals. If enough of their young guns fire, the Raiders will be a dangerous beast in 2025 and they can build a premiership contender around them for the next five years at least. BULLDOGS What they need: Their middle forwards to gel It often takes time for new recruits to find their feet at their new clubs, and in 2024 the Bulldogs showed a mountain of improvement. Under Cameron Ciraldo, they made their first finals appearance since 2016, going down to the Sea Eagles in week one. So how can they improve in 2025? Their middle forwards needed strengthening, and Ciraldo and Phil Gould have done just that, signing several enforcers. While Canterbury made do with the players they had, it was clear the likes of Sam Hughes and Josh Curran desperately needed help in the front row, with Max King sitting out for an extended period with a wrist injury. Tom Amone, 28, has been drafted in from the Super League, departing Leigh Leopards. He has previously played for the Rabbitohs and Tigers, and made his NRL debut in 2019. Phil Gould labelled him the “best front row forward in the UK for the past two years” and he could slot straight into the middle forward rotation. Meanwhile, Sitili Tupouniua also arrives after 106 games at the Roosters. The 27-year-old has played majority of his football in the back row, but a shift closer to the middle of the field could be on the cards with Jacob Preston, Viliame Kikau and Jaeman Salmon already in the Bulldogs’ ranks. Should both of those recruits hit the ground running at Belmore, the Bulldogs are only going to get better and a deeper finals run could be a possibility. DOLPHINS What they need : To lift the Bennett curse The Wayne Bennett curse is very real. Bennett has been replaced at NRL clubs six times and it’s been decades since any of his successors tasted sustained success. Jason Demetriou (Rabbitohs) and Anthony Seibold (Broncos) are the most-recent examples of clubs spiralling after the legendary coach departs. But take a trip further down history lane and you’ll see the curse ended the head coaching careers of Ivan Henjak (Broncos), Steve Price (Dragons) and Rick Stone (Knights). The only coach to enjoy premiership success at a club after Bennett left is the great Tim Sheens, who replaced him at the Raiders in 1988. Bennett guided Canberra to their first grand final in 1987, but Sheens took the Green Machine to four more deciders over the next seven years and won three of them. Kristian Woolf has replaced Bennett as the Dolphins head coach after serving as his assistant for the expansion club’s first two seasons. Club officials are confident Woolf will end the curse because he’s the product of a succession plan years in the making. But try telling that to Demetriou, who did the exact same thing at Souths and lasted just 58 games in the role before he was axed. SHARKS What they need: Addin Fonua-Blake to hit the ground running The Sharks finally broke their finals curse under Craig Fitzgibbon and now they need a big man to break down the next door - winning the premiership. Addin Fonua-Blake is arguably the best front-rower in the world and has been named in the Dally M Team of the Year for the past two seasons. Cronulla came from the clouds to sign Fonua-Blake after the Warriors granted him a release back to Sydney for family reasons. Now Fitzgibbon must work out how to ensure his side gets the most out of the Tongan star while the Sharks remain in their premiership window. If AFB can get the pack consistently going forward then it will put halfback Nicho Hynes on the front foot and allow him to rediscover his Dally M Medal form. There’s talk Braydon Trindall may wear the No. 7 jersey next season, but Hynes will still be crucial to their success. “I feel like if we keep everyone on board then we can fight for a premiership every year,” Hynes said. “When you’re going so well as a club, obviously people want to come hunting your players. “They (teammates) might get offered a bit more money than what we have (in the salary cap) and I would never begrudge a teammate for wanting to look after family and go and find a good opportunity. “But in saying that I feel like we’re building something special – it’s something you want to be a part of.” TITANS What they need: A halfback to stand up The Titans have arguably the best forward pack in the competition, with former Eels prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard joining a talented group that includes the likes of rep players David Fifita, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Moeaki Fotuaika. The Titans also have plenty of talent in their backline in Jayden Campbell, Keano Kini and AJ Brimson. However, there are plenty of question marks at the halfback position. The Titans just haven’t been able to settle on one in quite some time. Tanah Boyd was too hot-and-cold and was allowed to let walk in the off-season. 34-year-old Kieran Foran had some good moments in 2024 in the No. 7, but he’s at the back end of his career and is more of a five-eighth than a natural halfback. The Titans have a couple of interesting halfback options on their roster who have both yet to feature in an NRL game. They are rugby union convert Carter Gordon and teen talent Zane Harrison. Gordon has been impressive at training and in the Q Cup since joining the club halfway through 2024. A former flyhalf for the Wallabies, halfback would be the smoothest positional transition for Gordon. Whether it’s Gordon, Blues u-19 rep Harrison or perhaps Foran, the Titans need strong play from their halfback in 2025, as the lack thereof is what is keeping them from being a finals team. SEA EAGLES What they need: Tom Trbojevic to stay fit If the Sea Eagles want to compete for a premiership, Tom Trbojevic simply must stay on the field. The 28-year-old has been consistently plagued by injuries in his NRL career, with his most recent being an AC joint blow to close out the 2024 season. Before that a hamstring injury ruled him out of Origin, while he also suffered a pectoral rupture in the series opener in 2023. Throw in the mix other hamstring and shoulder injuries and it’s been a horrid run since 2020 for the superstar fullback. It’s clear to see that Anthony Seibold’s side are a better team when Trbojevic is wearing the No.1 jersey, and the club have previously floated the idea of him playing in the centres where he featured once in 2024 against the Cowboys in Round 18. There’s been reports that the Sea Eagles will consider shifting him to five-eighth if Daly Cherry-Evans doesn’t play on in 2026, hoping to prolong his career. But regardless, Manly have a big opportunity in 2025 if they can keep their big-name stars fit, especially Trbojevic who has shown in the past he can be the competition’s best player, winning the Dally M Medal in 2021. “If Manly want a genuine chance of winning a trophy at some stage, Turbo has got to be the fullback,” Cooper Cronk said on Fox League during the 2024 season. “If they want to take down the big teams, he has to be at fullback.” STORM What they need: To stop Nathan Cleary Melbourne’s grand final side is getting even stronger with the addition of prop Stefano Utoikamanu and they’re already favourites to win the competition next year. But Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary will have something to say about that as he chases a ridiculous fifth straight premiership. The Storm have the best spine in the NRL with Ryan Papenhuyzen, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant are all in the prime of their careers. They really should have converted their 2024 minor premiership - finishing four points clear - into a title but Cleary once again guided his side to victory in the big dance. However, their legendary coach Craig Bellamy believes the grand final heartbreak could ignite a Storm dynasty. “Hopefully we’ll be wiser for (the grand final loss) and learn a few things,” Bellamy said. “There’s a bit of a theory (that) you’ve got to lose one before you win one. Hopefully that’s the case. “Just going on our experience, our 2020 side, we had nine players from that squad that played against us this year for other teams. “It was an inexperienced side, for playing in a grand final, and hopefully we can build on that next year and go from there because we aren’t losing too many.” KNIGHTS What they need: Somebody to help Ponga It was almost comical at times just how much better Kalyn Ponga was than his teammates during the 2024 season. Newcastle’s season came to an end against the Cowboys in the first week of finals after Ponga missed two chances to win the game at the death. But the reality is the Knights would have been nowhere near playing finals, let alone winning one, without Ponga. Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien used 11 different halves combinations in 2024 and Cooper Cronk believes the Knights need to find another running threat at five-eighth to ease the pressure on Ponga in attack. Jackson Hastings could try and fill that void, but he’s fallen out of favour with O’Brien, while English recruit Will Pryce is another option. But Pryce has only just turned 22 and still has some defensive frailties in his game which it’s hard to see him overcoming this summer. “I think (Jack) Cogger’s probably got enough of the fundamentals of a No.7 to be the organising, ball playing, majority kicking game player,” Cronk said. “But I think they need more of a running threat than Kalyn Ponga. “If I was Adam O’Brien, I’m probably going Cogger at No.7 and then finding someone a little bit dynamic that can run the football at No.6. “Not like a fullback in Kalyn, but just someone who can add a point of difference on the other side.” COWBOYS What they need: A harder edge The Cowboys have all the talent in the world and have proven they can score from anywhere on the field, but defence has been what’s let them down in 2023 and 2024. What’s been so strange about their defensive issues over the past two seasons, is that the season prior in 2022, they were a very stout football team. In 2022, the Cowboys were 20 minutes away from a grand final before being run down by the Eels in a prelim. That season, their defence was a huge reason for their success. North Queensland allowed 361 points in the regular season. In 2023 and 2024, that number spiked to 542 and 568 respectively. Their roster in 2023-2024 was extremely similar to the 2022 one, so it’s an attitude issue that Payten must get to the bottom of. If he and his team can become steelier defensively, the Cowboys are premiership threats. The arrival of John Bateman is a sure indication that Todd Payten is looking for more toughness in his players if they are to challenge for a first title since 2015. EELS What they need : Jason Ryles to bring some Craig Bellamy magic to the Eels. No rookie coach has done a better apprenticeship than Jason Ryles after working under Craig Bellamy at the Storm and Trent Robinson at the Roosters. But working well under the master coaches and going out and succeeding in your own right are two totally different things and when you factor in the Eels’ history, Ryles will be under the blowtorch from Round 1. The Eels have the longest title drought in the NRL stretching back nearly 40 years and it is hard to see how the team that played in the spoon bowl last year has gotten that much better on paper. They may have signed Zac Lomax and Josh Addo-Carr, but they let three of their best players in Blaize Talagi (Panthers), Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Titans) and Clint Gutherson (Dragons) go. The key will be Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown and how they take ownership of the side in Gutherson’s absence and fullback Isaiah Iongi’s development in the No.1 jersey. But if Ryles wants to take this team back to the finals, let a lone compete for a drought-breaking title, he is going to have to inspire largely the same roster to greater heights in 2025. That comes down to making players better individually as part of a passionate team goal, which is what has made Bellamy so successful over such a long period of time. Ryles will be looking to sprinkle that magic in each of his players’ Santa stockings this Christmas and hope his players can deliver their best seasons’ on the field in 2025. Ryles needs to give the players clarity in the game plan and get them to buy into his vision for taking them back to the top or it could be another long season. PANTHERS What they need: A clean bill of health The Panthers have kept surgeons busy this off-season, with Nathan Cleary, Dylan Edwards, Blaize Talagi and Mitch Kenny all having shoulder surgeries. Cleary and Edwards both had a Latarjet procedure, while Kenny went under the knife on both of his shoulders, having had scans after a holiday in Europe, which showed he had underlying issues. Talagi, meanwhile, suffered his injury while playing for Samoa. All four are set to be key figures in Penrith’s spine in 2025, and Edwards and Cleary could be racing the clock to be fit for their Las Vegas season opener. Regardless, Panthers powerbrokers will be hopeful the quartet will recover from their surgeries in a timely manner, and Cleary has already revealed he’s ahead of schedule, returning to pre-season training on December 12. “There are a few guys at the club who have come back from shoulder surgery and everyone is doing really well. We’re all progressing well together,” Cleary said. If the Panthers can have some luck with injuries write off their chances for a fifth straight title at your peril. RABBITOHS What they need: A big dose of Bennett magic There’s no beating around the bush — 2024 was a nightmare season for the Rabbitohs. They sacked Jason Demetriou, came 16th and marquee man Latrell Mitchell had a year to forget. South Sydney powerbrokers turned to Wayne Bennett to turn the club’s fortunes around, and there’s arguably not a better coach to do just that. The 74-year-old is widely regarded as the game’s best ever mentor, with an innate ability to get the best out of his players and mould his squad into a competitive side. The last time Bennett was in charge in Redfern was during the 2021 season, taking them to the grand final and eventually going down to the Panthers. The Rabbitohs have a host of talented players, namely Mitchell, Jack Wighton, Cody Walker, Cameron Murray and Campbell Graham. Throw in the mix talented English halfback Lewis Dodd, and they’ve got a strong side. So there’s no reason why they can’t return to finals football, and if they are to find themselves in the top eight Bennett is going to look like a genius... once again. DRAGONS What they need: Their halves to forge a strong partnership It’s always a tough ask to step into the shoes of an experienced playmaker, but Lachlan Ilias has been tasked with doing just that for the second time in his career. Ending a drawn out contract saga, Ben Hunt was granted a release and eventually joined the Broncos, having previously requested a release from his Dragons contract on multiple occasions. Ilias was the man to replace Adam Reynolds at the Rabbitohs, which came with lofty expectations of the halfback who at the time was inexperienced in first grade. In 2024, Ilias was then dropped by Demetriou in March before suffering a nasty leg injury in NSW Cup, which ended his season prematurely. Fast forward to pre-season an Ilias will once again be replacing an experienced halfback in Hunt. There’s no doubting the 24-year-old is a quality player, but only time will tell if he is able to forge a competitive partnership with five-eighth Kyle Flanagan. With Flanagan inking a contract extension recently and Daniel Atkinson joining next year, the two halves in 2025, could be playing off for a spot in the team in the 2026 season. Regardless, the former Souths No.7 has revealed he was a Dragons fan as a youngster. “That was my first team while I was growing up, so it’s not too unfamiliar, but it feels good... and I’m just so glad that Shane (Flanagan) gave me a chance and said, it would be really nice to have you here.” ROOSTERS What they need: Next crop of leaders to stand up The Roosters lost an enormous amount of experience at the end of the 2024 season, with almost 1000 caps walking out the door. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Hull KR), Joseph Manu (rugby), Luke Keary (Catalans), Joseph Suaalii (rugby), Sitili Tupouniua (Bulldogs) and Terrell May (Tigers) all departed. Throw in fellow stars Brandon Smith and Sam Walker missing the first half of next season with ACL injuries and the Roosters will be doing well just to make the top eight. It means players like Angus Crichton, Connor Watson, Lindsay Collins and Victor Radley will need to step up and fill the leadership void. If they don’t then their shocking record against the top teams will continue into 2025. Since the start of 2020, the Roosters have just one win from 22 games against Penrith and Melbourne. “I hear it all the time they say ‘Roosters football, the Roosters way.’ Well they’ve got to tear it up because it (isn’t) working,” Matty Johns said on Fox League. “Their inability to beat those sides isn’t about the roster, it is about the style of football they play. “It’s a big season and a big off-season of self assessment.” WARRIORS What they need: Someone to fill the void left by Shaun Johnson Shaun Johnson’s decision to retire from rugby league has left a massive void in the halves for the Warriors. The 34-year-old’s form directly correlated to New Zealand’s form, but now they’ll be desperate that one of their playmakers can stand tall in the No.7 in 2025. Te Maire Martin was the man who stepped into the halfback role in his absence in 2024, and the 29-year-old was impressive when called upon. Martin has 93 NRL games under his belt now across stints at the Panthers, Cowboys and Broncos, which followed his time away from the game due to a brain injury. Luke Metcalf looks almost certain to return to the No.6 jersey, while Martin could be facing competition from Chanel Harris-Tavita and also new recruit Tanah Boyd. Harris-Tavita shapes as a solid utility option on the bench, with the ability to play in the halves, at hooker and even the outside backs at a push. Boyd, meanwhile, is an out-and-out halfback and was allowed to leave the Titans to seek first grade opportunities elsewhere by Des Hasler. The 24-year-old has overall struggled to cement his spot in first grade sides, but he has ability and was handed a two-year deal by Warriors powerbrokers, adding depth to their playmaking stocks. TIGERS What they need: Lachlan Galvin to re-sign It’s clear Lachlan Galvin is the future at the Tigers. The 19-year-old was arguably the unofficial Dally M Rookie of the Year in 2024, being out of the running due to a suspension. The teenager ran the ball dangerously, attacked the line with the confidence of a superstar and he also possesses some impressive playmaking skills. Galvin is arguably the hottest young prospect in the game, but requested a release from his Tigers contract mid-season, before backflipping on that move. As it stands, the teenage gun will be free to negotiate with rivals from November 1 in 2025, with two more years on his contract. However, there’s been suggestions that the club should hand him a 10-year deal, with chief executive Shane Richardson saying: “We’re working closely with Galvin, his family and his agent about extending him in the new year”. It’d be a big showing of faith from Galvin to sign a fresh deal, but the Tigers should only improve in 2025 with the arrival of a host of big-name stars, including Jarome Luai, Terrell May, Sunia Turuva, Royce Hunt and Jack Bird. John Bateman’s impending departure will reportedly free up cap space to hand to the young gun, and if the Tigers can get his extension over the line it will be a huge boost.Integrated Circuits: Revolutionizing the Electronics Industry

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was a full participant in practice on Monday, opening the door for him to return from a three-game absence on Wednesday when Pittsburgh hosts the Kansas City Chiefs. Pickens hasn't played since tweaking his hamstring earlier this month. The Steelers (10-5) have struggled to generate much in their passing game with their leading receiver watching from the sideline in sweatpants. Though Monday's practice was a walkthrough, Pickens said he felt good and hopes he'll be able to face the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. The 23-year-old was going through post-practice drills on Dec. 6 when he felt his hamstring tighten up, forcing him to miss the first games of his three-year career. Pittsburgh has gone 1-2 in his absence, including back-to-back losses to Philadelphia and Baltimore in which Russell Wilson passed for just 345 yards while missing one of the NFL's top downfield threats. Wilson is encouraged by the way the sometimes mercurial Pickens — who has been flagged and fined multiple times this season for infractions ranging from facemasks to unsportsmanlike conduct — has remained engaged. “He’s been great in the midst of his little trial here over the past few weeks,” Wilson said. “And so we’re excited to have him back if that’s the case fully and let him do his thing.” Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) were also listed as full participants on Tuesday. Neither veteran has played since getting hurt against Cleveland on Dec. 8. While Pickens, Elliott and Ogunjobi could be available as Pittsburgh tries to hold off Baltimore for the AFC North lead, cornerback Joey Porter (knee) and WR Ben Skowronek (hip) are likely out after missing practice for a second straight day. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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Alec Baldwin goes off on ‘uninformed’ Americans, female directors and wife’s ‘trauma’Several years ago, we were having a discussion with some friends, and someone was trying to come up with the first name of someone we’d all seen on television. “You know, he was in that show with the woman who was a ballerina in that other show,” someone said. Then Johno piped up, emphatically: “Now, let’s not start the name game,” he said. It was more command than comment, so we moved on. I understand his frustration with that. As I cram more and more into this watermelon on my shoulders, I tend to have a bit of trouble connecting the dots. My mind was once nimble, and I had immediate recall. The accuracy of that recall is another story. Last week, an old colleague sent me a photograph of a yellowed newspaper clipping. “Look what I found,” he wrote. It was an Op-Ed page with three essays about an incident that once happened at a movie theater when I joined him and his wife for an afternoon film. The clipping wasn’t familiar, so I read each piece before responding — including the one I wrote long ago. Finally I fessed up: “Neat find,” I said. “Of course, I have absolutely no memory of any of it.” I can’t say that I’m surprised. For years I have heard members of my family recite stories from the Perkins/Fuller lore that I’d swear they were making up on the spot to gaslight me. But considering I’ve spent most of my existence lost in thought and not really paying attention to what’s being said, I know these stories must be true. I’m reminded of a song by one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Bob Schneider, and one particular lyric resonated. The narrator talks about a conversation he had with a guy he met in a bar. The stranger had told him he could remember the names of everyone he’d ever met, and though it may be a gift, he thought it “more of a curse, I must confess.” In the next line, our narrator asks him to name everybody in his first-grade class, and reports: “... and he did — I guess.” That would be impressive – assuming he did it accurately. Our narrator would never know unless he knew all the names already. And how would he? That’s the weird thing about memory — people tend to remember things differently. Like many local folks, I follow a Facebook page called Old Dothan Memories, and I am amused by some of the threads that point this out. They most always revolve around the locations where some business or building long gone and lost to time once stood, living now only in the memories of those who recall. It tickles me to read how someone is firmly convinced that something was on this corner, when everyone knows it was on that one. More often than not, the outlier is correct and everyone else is wrong. As an exercise, I thought I’d make a list of all the phone numbers I have had. I started with the home phone number I grew up with. Simple enough; done. The next would be the first number after moving away from home. I have no idea. College? Don’t remember that one either, but I’m pretty sure it had some 1s in it. I had a land line for years after moving back to town until I had it disconnected about a decade ago. I don’t remember that number, either. I remember only two of countless email addresses I no longer use, although there have surely been more. One is connected to an account through which I bought some digital music from Apple iTunes, but I can’t remember the password. That’s frustrating. Once when I was a child, I heard an adult recite a short string of numbers without reading them from paper. I was tremendously impressed. Wow, all those numbers. How in the world could she remember all that? But now it’s not so impressive. I know my Social Security number, driver license number, Delta Skymiles number, bank account number, routing number, various PIN numbers, my Wheel of Fortune Spin ID, the first three digits of pi, the street address of the Fountain Pen Hospital, the sequence of steps to reset the clock on the microwave, the number of scoops required for a pot of coffee, the year of the Norman Invasion, and Archie Campbell’s license plate number. I never get them confused – although it turns out that what I remember as Archie’s license plate, BR-549, is actually Junior Samples’ telephone number on Hee-Haw. The things I can’t remember start with my jacket size and go on to encompass an entire constellation of things I would be better off remembering. I think I may have remarked to someone recently that I tend to believe that if I cannot remember something, it must not have happened. I don’t know if I said it out loud or just thought it, or whether I was kidding if I did utter it. It’s disconcerting to run into someone I haven’t seen in many years, and in the course of reminiscing, discover that something they remember my having said or done is completely foreign to me. Have I forgotten, or are they remembering it wrong? One thing I know with great certainty: I do not share the gift – or curse – of Bob Schneider’s stranger in the bar. I have seen the class photographs from multiple school years, and while I can name a good third of them, the rest of those kids are absolute strangers to me. I don’t remember them, so they must not have really been there. Bill Perkins Bill Perkins is editorial page editor of the Dothan Eagle and can be reached at bperkins@dothaneagle.com or 334-712-7901. Support the work of Eagle journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at dothaneagle.com . Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! 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Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil held in downtown KelownaNone

UBS cuts price target on Bayer on weak outlookMOUNT VERNON, S.D. — Reagan Rus is always ready to compete. Those who’ve known Rus since she was a little kid gracing the halls of Mount Vernon Public School saw the potential competitor she would become as a muti-sport standout for Mount Vernon/Plankinton's sports teams. ADVERTISEMENT Numerous school records, all-state recognition and state championships. All the accolades came from a simple lesson at an early age. “My mom has always taught us to try and do our best,” said Rus, now in her senior year at Mount Vernon. “Although we can put in the most effort and whatever we do to get in that extra practice, we do it so we can excel. My mom pushed me to be the best I can be for our team.” As the cliche, “Mother knows best,” holds true here, Rus has been at the top of her game. She’s been a state champion in track and field in the 100-meter hurdles and 400-meter relay, holding the school record in the latter. In basketball, Rus was an all-state player last season for the first time and committed to Division II Northern State University to play college hoops in August. However, Rus’ volleyball play this season went to the next level, setting the Titans’ single-season team record with 510 kills. She also added 356 digs, 42 aces, 18 assists and 12 blocks. Averaging over 14 kills and 10 digs in 35 matches played, Rus powered the Titans back to the Class A state tournament for the first time since 2015. Rus also added her first all-state first-team selection in volleyball for the seventh-place finishing Titans, recording double-doubles in all three tournament games, totalling 55 kills and 52 digs. She was named to the all-Southeastern South Dakota Conference team and wrapped her five-year varsity career as the Titans’ all-time leader in kills (1,477) and digs (1,130). For displaying a high level of consistency as one of the top attackers in the region and being an integral part of MVP’s return to the Class A state tournament, Reagan Rus was selected as the 2024 Mitchell Republic volleyball player of the year. ADVERTISEMENT Since 2001, the Mitchell Republic volleyball player of the year has been selected by the newspaper’s sports staff, and conducted via a point-based voting system, awarding five points to the top player, four points to the second player and so on. Rus tallied 19 total points with three first-place votes, joining 2014 and 2015 player of the year Makaela Karst as honorees to have donned the Titans’ colors. Other players garnering consideration were Burke’s Kailee Frank, who received the remaining first-place vote, Emmie Hausmann and Paige Bull, Winner teammates Keelie Kuil and Gracie Root, and Hanson’s Ava Doyle. Rus’ first exposure to volleyball came during instructional camps hosted mainly at Dakota Wesleyan University, quickly picking up on the basics of the sport. By her sixth-grade year, volleyball became her fall activity. But the jump from middle school volleyball to high school presented Rus with a new challenge and new teammates. Nervous about integrating herself with the varsity roster at the beginning of the season, she attributes the feeling to not having much confidence in herself at the time. However, former teammate Maria Baker, who Rus credits as her influence for her own volleyball game, reached out to the then-eighth grader and helped Rus make the leap forward. “She was always really there for me if I needed to talk to someone and if I really needed support,” Rus said. “It was a big change for me and she helped bridge that gap. ... She was (MVP’s) go-to attacker at the time, and I just always wanted to be that go-to person.” ADVERTISEMENT Rus also credits Titans head coach Darcy Deinert for taking a chance on bringing her up to the varsity volleyball team when she did. However, Deinert was one of those that felt Rus had the potential to be a great player given her competitive spirit. “She has the determination and likes to be challenged,” Deinert said. “I knew she was physically and mentally capable of getting to a higher level because of her tenacity and her fire and will to compete at a level that challenged her.” Beginning to see valuable time on the floor at varsity as a freshman, Rus played exclusively in the front row, often getting rotated out depending on the point in a match. Always having the mindset of wanting to attack, the substitutions served as motivation to work on other skills valuable to a player. Rus’ focus immediately went to her passing and setting of the volleyball, always getting extra reps to time up her contact of the ball and putting the ball in position for teammates to make a play. Her defense also showed improvement, due to her willingness to get to the ball where others might look to someone else. “As a defender, you just want them to go get (the ball),” Deinert said, “And that was easy for her. She had to analyze what angle it’s coming from and to learn that this ball’s going over here or if a girl is taller than our blocker, and it came quite quickly.” “I hated coming out of the game,” Rus added. “I just wanted to be in there all the time so I can influence the game in whatever way possible. I worked as hard as I could when we had practice and got as many reps as I could so I didn’t have to come out.” ADVERTISEMENT Regardless of whether she’s collecting kills, draining triples or leaping over hurdles, Rus will always be found with a smile on her face. Even as the Titans grew together on the court or in the weight room, Rus was counted on with the other seniors on the roster to keep the atmosphere light and enjoyable, while also setting the example for the mostly young roster. One aspect of Rus’ personality is undeniable: her passion for sports. “She loves the game, whether it's volleyball, basketball or track,” MVP girls basketball head coach Preston Kristensen said. “She embraces every moment, and as she's gotten older, she's taken over that leadership role and understands that she's setting the tone and the girls feed off her.” “We talked about body language all the time and she's rocking a smile out there while still competing at a high level,” he added. “That's going to relax the rest of the teammates, you know, let them settle in.” Knowing about the added responsibilities of becoming the mentor she once looked up to as an eighth grader, Rus set a goal of being more positive on herself at the beginning of the volleyball season, knowing patience was going to be key as the team built chemistry on the floor. She noticed early on following the Titans’ Oct. 3 victory against Winner how it can guide a team towards their goals. “We were just really positive,” Rus said. “We all just wanted to win and that was our main goal for all of us together this year.” From there, the group began to rewrite their potential goals for the year, and Rus shifted her focus to developing a repertoire of attack shots, mainly to hit positions where holes might be created. By the time MVP faced conference foe and Class B third-place finisher Burke on Oct. 26 for the SESD tournament title, the adjustments on the floor were realized. ADVERTISEMENT The Titans came back from an ugly first set to beat the Cougars for the championship, cementing their status as a team poised to make a run towards the state tournament. The remaining matches brought a renewed focus along with a new demeanor from everyone. “We were bringing a lot of energy,” Rus said. “Those games were very loud for us and we were very positive, which helped our team chemistry. They were high-stakes games, so we just tried to minimize errors as much as we could and find those open spots.” “Reagan had a lot to do with that environment,” Deinert added. “When everybody feels like they’re fighting for something similar, I think the group just goes together and she had a big part in leading that. ... Just the willingness of the group to give to something bigger was pretty cool.” Rus will return to the hardwood for MVP girls basketball this year following a career season in 2023, where she averaged 16.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, earning a spot on the Class A all-state third team. Rus enters 2024 only needing 17 more points to top 1,000 for her career. Following the spring track and field season, Rus will be off to Northern State to join the women’s basketball team, chasing a dream of hers from when she first picked up a basketball and through the countless pickup games against former teammate and current South Dakota State player Emilee Fox and her older brother Reed, who plays football for the University of South Dakota “I’ve been playing basketball for the last few years in the summer just trying to get my name out there,” Rus said. “I just knew I wanted to play basketball and college as it was always a dream of mine just to play in college.” ADVERTISEMENT As for high school, this volleyball season will forever be one of Rus’ lasting memories, and will miss going for those kills to clinch matches while rooting on her teammates along the way. Her impact beyond the walls of Mount Vernon competing for the Titans hasn’t gone unnoticed by those she’s been around and had the opportunity to compete under. “I hope she understands that all the hard work she put in for herself and all the work she did off the court to help build our programs is very appreciated,” Kristensen said. “The coaches couldn't thank her more for all her hard work and dedication.” “I hope she’s able to go into her next chapter in life and be able to say, ‘All right, I’m ready,” Deinert added, “‘I’m ready for this and I’m prepared.’ I hope she leaves prepared and knows that she and any player can believe in themselves and know they can do great things.” Here’s a look at the other players who received consideration, with their point totals in parentheses: Kailee Frank, Burke (14): A senior outside and middle hitter, Frank showcased her proficiency on both ends of the court, netting 375 kills and 337 digs, ranking second on the Cougars in those categories. She was also named to the Class B all-state first team for the second time, previously named to the first team in 2023 and as an honorable mention in 2022. Emmie Hausmann, Burke (9): A junior outside and middle hitter, Hausmann paced the Cougars with 378 kills and 90 service aces. She was named to three all-conference volleyball teams and helped Burke to a 35-4 record and a third-place finish at the Class B state tournament for the second consecutive season. Keelie Kuil, Winner (6): A senior outside hitter, Kuil helped lead Winner back to the Class A state tournament for the first time since 2019. Earning a Class A honorable mention, Kuil led the Warriors with 335 kills and finished among the team’s leaders with 321 digs and 39 aces. Gracie Root, Winner (5): A junior setter, Root finished with 848 assists for the season and was second on the team with 338 digs and third with 32 aces. The Warriors finished the season at 26-9 and came in eighth place in the Class A state tournament. Ava Doyle, Hanson (4): A sophomore setter and outside hitter, Doyle helped the Beavers to a 21-7 record and a Class A SoDak 16 appearance. She finished the regular season with 274 kills, 213 digs, and 56 service aces to her line, earning all-Cornbelt Conference recognition. Paige Bull, Burke (3): A senior middle hitter, Bull’s presence at the net garnered a Class B all-state honorable mention, finishing with 123 total blocks. Adding 309 kills and 15 aces for the third-place finisher Cougars, Bull concluded her prep volleyball career having accumulated 437 total blocks, including 200 solo blocks. Previous award winners: 2001: Marcy Jacobsen, Mitchell; 2002 (winter): Chelaine Knudsen, Andes Central; 2002 (fall): Chelsey Miller, Mitchell; (*Note: 2002 season switch) 2003: Katrina Brooks, Andes Central; 2004: Gina Baldwin, Mitchell; 2005: Kelli Fiegen, Parkston; 2006: Jena Doom, Wagner; 2007: Kelli Fiegen, Parkston; 2008: Keaya Weber, Wagner; 2009: Jilanne Doom, Wagner; 2010: Charlee Nelson, Mitchell; 2011: Dana Misiaszek, Mitchell; 2012: Taylin Alm, Mitchell; 2013: Anna Flitner, Lyman; 2014: Makaela Karst, Mount Vernon/Plankinton; 2015: Makaela Karst, Mount Vernon/Plankinton; 2016: Sierra Mesman, Bon Homme; 2017: Mackenzie Miller, Mitchell; 2018: Chelsea Brewster, Mitchell; 2019: Taylee Indahl, Burke; 2020: Julia Weber, Bridgewater-Emery; 2021: Karly VanDerWerff, Platte-Geddes; 2022: Adisyn Indahl, Burke; 2023: Karly VanDerWerff, Platte-Geddes; 2024: Reagan Rus, Mount Vernon/PlankintonASR Africa commences construction of N250 million Abdul Samad Rabiu Laboratory Complex at University of Lagos

Share Tweet Share Share Email Google Payment Corp., the internet giant’s payment business, was placed under federal supervision by the US consumer finance agency on Friday. TakeAway Points: The US watchdog for consumer finance on Friday announced it was ordering federal supervision of Google Payment Corp., the internet giant’s payment arm, a decision the company immediately said it was challenging in court. According to the CFPB, consumer complaints indicated Google Payment had failed to investigate complaints about erroneous transfers, among other potential violations, and that the law allowed for supervision even if Google has discontinued the services in question. Okta shares popped in extended trading Tuesday after the company reported third-quarter results that beat Wall Street’s estimates. Google payment is under supervision Google quickly declared it was contesting the ruling in court. On Friday, the US consumer finance watchdog announced it was imposing federal oversight on Google Payment Corp., the internet behemoth’s payment division. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced the step, saying it had determined services offered by Google Payment had posed a risk to consumers. The regulator’s step and the subsequent lawsuit marked a government tussle with a Silicon Valley behemoth in the final weeks of President Joe Biden’s administration. The regulator’s move could be reversed after President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January. Under Biden, the CFPB has been more closely scrutinizing the growing sector of financial services provided by Silicon Valley rather than traditional banks. The agency cited nearly 300 consumer complaints, many of which concerned reports of fraud, scams, and unauthorized transactions. It said it did constitute a finding that the company had engaged in wrongdoing. Failed complaint investigations The CFPB order nevertheless said consumer complaints indicated Google Payment had failed to investigate complaints about erroneous transfers, among other potential violations, and that the law allowed for supervision even if Google has discontinued the services in question. In a lawsuit filed after the CFPB announcement, Google Payment Corp. said the regulator had relied on a small number of unsubstantiated complaints concerning a product it no longer offered. “As a matter of common sense, a product that no longer exists is incapable of posing such risk,” the company’s complaint said. Financial regulators use confidential supervisory exams to spot and correct companies’ violations of law. Last month, the CFPB finalized new regulations subjecting tech companies to the same supervision currently faced by banks if those companies offer digital wallets and payment services. The agency has also persisted in rulemaking in the final weeks of Biden’s administration, despite calls from Republican lawmakers to desist. Okta shares pop 18% on earnings beat Shares of Okta popped more than 18% in extended trading Tuesday after the identity management company released third-quarter results that beat analysts’ estimates and offered rosy guidance. Earnings per share 67 cents adjusted vs. 58 cents expected by LSEG, while revenue $665 million vs. $650 million expected by LSEG. Okta helps companies manage employees’ access to applications or devices with features such as single sign-on and multifactor authentication. The company swung to profitability, reporting net income of $16 million, or 9 cents per share, during the quarter, compared with a net loss of $81 million, or 49 cents per share, in the same period last year. Revenue increased 14% from $569 million a year ago, according to a release . The company reported $651 million in subscription revenue for the quarter, beating the $635 million average analyst estimate, according to Street Account. “Our solid Q3 results were underpinned by continued strong profitability and cash flow,” Okta CEO Todd McKinnon said in a statement. “The focused investments we’ve made in our partner ecosystem, the public sector vertical, and large customers are materializing in our business with each of these areas contributing meaningfully to top-line growth.” For the fourth quarter, Okta said it expects to report revenue between $667 million and $669 million, topping the $651 million average estimate, according to LSEG. The company expects to report earnings of 73 cents to 74 cents per share for the period, which also exceeded estimates. Prior to the close, Okta shares were down 10% for the year, while the Nasdaq is up 30% over that stretch. Okta will host its quarterly call with investors at 5 p.m. ET. Related Items: cfpb , Google Payment , Okta , US Regulato Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you The CFPB Alerts Users To Crypto-Integrated Gaming Platform Scams Major Fintech Regulatory Challenges Affecting the Industry, and Ways of Solving Them CommentsChipotle's chief customer and technology officer sells $2.9 million in stockBy JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

In this segment of “North Dakota Outdoors,” host Mike Anderson takes us to a school gymnasium where arrows are flying, and students are participating in the National Archery in the Schools program. Joining Anderson is Jeff Long, the Game and Fish Department’s education coordinator, and Bismarck educator Kelsy Achtenberg. For more information about the National Archery in the Schools program, check out the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov or call Jeff Long at (701) 328-6322.Iowa QB Cade McNamara slams 'ridiculous' rumors