WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump doesn't think much of Joe Biden's foreign policy record. The Republican president-elect frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But a funny thing happened on Trump's way back to the White House: The Biden and Trump national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza , Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife's edge. It's not clear how much common ground those teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House on Jan. 20, 2025. “There is a deep conviction on the part of the incoming national security team that we are dealing with ... and on our part, directed from President Biden, that it is our job, on behalf of the American people, to make sure this is a smooth transition,” Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a weekend appearance at a forum in California. “And we are committed to discharging that duty as relentlessly and faithfully as we possibly can.” To be certain, Trump and his allies haven't let up on their criticism of Biden, putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of Biden and Democrats for the series of crises around the globe. The president-elect says Biden is responsible for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, arguing that policies under his watch led to Hamas and Russia becoming emboldened. And shortly before Syria's Bashar al-Assad's government collapsed last week, Trump blamed Biden's old boss, former President Barack Obama, for failing to enforce his own “red line” in 2013 after Assad deployed chemical weapons that killed hundreds of civilians, and laying the groundwork for Islamic militants to establish a beachhead in the country. But amid the hectoring of Biden, Trump team officials acknowledge that the Biden White House has worked diligently to keep Trump's circle apprised and help ensure there is a smooth handoff on national security matters. “For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity that they can play one administration off the other, they’re wrong, and we are — we are hand in glove," Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for national security adviser, said in a Fox News interview last month. “We are one team with the United States in this transition.” While Trump rarely has a good word for the Democratic administration, there's an appreciation in Trump world of how the Biden White House has gone about sharing critical national security information, according to a Trump transition official who was not authorized to comment publicly. The coordination is precisely how lawmakers intended for incoming and outgoing administrations to conduct themselves during a handover when they bolstered federal support for transitions. It's already the most substantive handoff process since 2009, aides to Biden and Trump acknowledged, surpassing Trump's chaotic first takeover in 2017 and his wide refusal to cooperate with the incoming Biden team in 2021. Trump's pick to serve as special envoy to the Middle East , Florida real estate developer Steve Witkoff, consulted with Biden administration officials as he recently traveled to Mideast to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. Sullivan, who was to travel to Israel on Wednesday for talks with Netanyahu, has in turn kept Waltz in the loop about the Biden administration's efforts at getting a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza before Trump's inauguration. Biden administration officials say that the two national security teams have also closely coordinated on Ukraine and Syria, though they have provided scant detail on what that coordination has looked like. “Let me put it this way: Nothing that we’re doing and nothing that we’re saying are coming as a surprise to the incoming team,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. "They will decide for themselves what policies they might want to keep in place, what approaches they might want to continue and which ones they won’t." Trump made clear during his campaign that he would move to end the war in Ukraine quickly once he came to office. He called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin earlier this week to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine . But the Biden White House has begun gently — and publicly — making the case for how continued support for Ukraine lines up with Trump's priorities. On Saturday, Sullivan pointed to comments made by Trump on social media to buttress the case that Biden’s push for continued support of Ukraine falls in line with the incoming president’s thinking. Trump earlier that day had noted that Assad’s rule was collapsing because Russia “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.” “Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success,” Trump said in the posting on Truth Social. Sullivan underscored that Biden and Trump are in agreement that there should be no American boots on the ground in Syria and that the war in Ukraine was a major factor in Assad’s fall. “I was a little bit struck by it — earlier in the post, he said part of the reason this is happening is because of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Sullivan said of Trump. “And I think he even referenced the sheer scale of the casualties that Russia has suffered in Ukraine, and for that reason, they’re not in a position to defend their client, Assad. And on that point, we’re in vigorous agreement.” Two days later in Washington, Sullivan made the case that Trump should bolster the little-known U.S. International Development Finance Corporation that was created during the Republican’s first term. The push for reauthorizing the foreign aid agency comes as Trump has promised to make massive cuts to the federal bureaucracy. Trump signed into law the agency's authority -- tucked into a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration — to provide $60 billion in loans, loan guarantees and insurance to companies in developing nations. Sullivan called the agency an effective tool for private-public partnerships, before allowing that “maybe I shouldn’t be the one” making the case “since I’m leaving, but I will give my advice anyway.” “It was created as we’ve all noted, under the Trump administration,” Sullivan said in remarks at the agency’s annual conference. “It has been strengthened under the Biden administration. And as we look to DFC reauthorization next year, it has to remain a bipartisan priority.” After Assad's government fell, the Biden administration issued a warning to Iran not to speed up its nuclear program after one of its closest allies was toppled, declaring “that’ll never happen on our watch.” The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic, hinted at coordination on the matter with the Trump team. The official said there had been “good discussions” with the incoming administration on the matter and there was an expectation the same policy would carry over. Biden has also approved a new national security memorandum that is meant to serve as a road map for the incoming Trump administration as it looks to counter growing cooperation between China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, the White House announced Wednesday. Biden administration officials began developing the guidance this summer. It was shaped to be a document that could help the next administration build its approach from Day 1 on how it will go about dealing with the tightening relationships between the United States’ most prominent adversaries and competitors, according to two other senior administration officials. One of those officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, sought to assure the incoming Trump team that the Biden White House effort “isn't trying to box them in or tilt them toward one policy option or another.” Instead, the official said, it's about helping the next administration build “capacity” as it shapes its policies on some the most difficult foreign policies it will face.
Home entertainment holiday specials: These offers are readily available, not a “limited quantity doorbuster.” I do not know how long the various promotions run, but the industry buzz is we will see repeats between now and Christmas so if you miss the deal first time around, keep checking. There is a good chance you will see it offered again. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, $32.99: Normally $59.99, this streaming device is practically an entire entertainment system. In addition to streaming apps, it has an AI art mode that generates unique art by voice command. It also supports Xbox Live, so you can play Xbox games without buying an expensive console. Just add an Xbox controller, subscribe to the service and enjoy. Apple 10.2-inch iPad, $199: The ninth-generation iPad is older but still works well. It is reduced from the $329 MSRP. Cambridge Audio AXN10/MXN10 Network Players, $399: A network player connects directly to the internet to play music and internet radio from streaming sources. They are a must-have for anyone with a component audio system, and these two players from Cambridge are best-in-class with their exquisite construction, fine sound quality and easy-to-use, comprehensive StreamMagic app. Reduced from the introductory price of $599. Klipsch RP-600M II bookshelf speakers, $499/pair: You will not find a better speaker under $500. You will probably not find a better speaker for the $649 list price, either. The RP-600M II has received great praise from Stereophile magazine, a high-end audiophile publication that routinely tests audio products selling for $100,000 or more. After hearing the RP-600M II, I can understand why. They don’t require much power and the sound is transparent, rich, forward, lively, engaging and dynamic without coming across as over-boosted or unnatural. They dig solidly into the bass registers without a subwoofer and vividly bring any kind of music to life. Available online and in stores. Nebula Cosmos 4K SE projector, $999: A few weeks ago I praised this new 4K Google TV smart projector with a dual Laser-LED light source. It can throw a beautiful 4K image that rivals what you see in a good movie theater, is easy to use and the $1,299 price is a breakthrough. At $999 a lot more people should get a projector and experience how life-changing it can be for movies, sports, television and gaming. Samsung Q80D QLED televisions, $749-$1,749: The Q80D sale makes it possible to get a truly stunning high-end TV for little more than the cost of something ordinary. The 85-inch for $1,749 is a particular standout, a savings of $1,550. ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Shane Beamer has no doubt about where his surging, 16th-ranked Gamecocks belong in the postseason — chasing a national championship. “It's hard for me to say we're not one of the 12 best teams in the country,” a giddy Beamer said Saturday after watching his team pull off another late miracle, courtesy of quarterback LaNorris Sellers, to defeat No. 12 Clemson 17-14. Sellers scored his second touchdown , this one from 20 yards out with 1:08 to play, for South Carolina's sixth straight victory, four of them in that run coming over ranked opponents. Are you paying attention, College Football Playoff selectors? “If the committee's job is to pick the 12 best teams, you tell me,” Beamer said. It would be hard to pick against the Gamecocks (9-3, 5-3 SEC; No. 15 CFP) with Sellers, a confident, poised freshman, playing as well as he is. He finished with 166 yards rushing and 164 yards passing. Two games ago, he set career bests with 353 yards passing and five TD throws in twice rallying the Gamecocks from fourth-quarter deficits to defeat Missouri 34-30. This time, Sellers shrugged off his interception near Clemson's goal with less than 11 minutes left to lead his team to a field goal and then his game winner. Sellers spun away from defender Peter Woods in the backfield, broke through the line and cut left to reach the end zone. Sellers hears defenders get angry when they get their hands on but can't bring down the speedy, 6-foot-3 passer in his first year since taking over for Spencer Rattler. How does he do it? “I don't really know,” Sellers said. Beamer had an answer to that one, too. “He's a competitor, he's a warrior,” Beamer said. “He doesn't get too high or too low. He's out there having fun.” The Gamecocks hope to have more fun in a week so, confident they'll hear their name called among the expanded field of 12 that will play for a national crown. They know, too, they'll have Sellers leading the way. “He's a magician, man,” Gamecocks linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. said. “LeMagic, LeComeback, whatever you want to call him.” Clemson (9-3, 7-1 ACC, No. 12) had a final chance and drove to the South Carolina 18 with 16 seconds left — well within reach of a tying field goal — when Cade Klubnik was intercepted by Knight to end things. The Gamecocks were 3-3 after losing at Alabama in mid-October and then pulled off their longest winning streak since 2012. The Tigers also were hoping to play their way into the CFP's 12-team field. But their offense had too many costly mistakes and their defense could not corral Sellers. “He's a great player and made great players,” Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter said. Still, there could be postseason hope for Clemson, which will cross its fingers and pray Syracuse can pull off an upset over No. 8 Miami later Saturday that would get the Tigers into the Atlantic Coast Conference title game next week against SMU. Both teams came in on highs, the Tigers having won three straight and the Gamecocks five in a row, including three consecutive over ranked opponents Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Missouri. But neither team found its offensive rhythm in the opening half. Sellers was sacked by T.J. Parker and turned the ball over as Parker recovered with South Carolina inside the Clemson 20. The Tigers drove to the South Carolina 11 and turned down a chip-shot field goal to go for it on fourth-and-1. But Mafah was stopped way short by Jalon Kilgore and Knight. Klubnik had scoring runs of 13 and 18 yards for the Tigers. South Carolina: What a run by the Gamecocks, who before the season were picked 13th in the SEC and now may find themselves part of the national championship playoff field. Clemson: The Tigers lost to both ranked SEC opponents they faced this season, first to No. 1 Georgia to start the year and then to rival South Carolina. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney was proud of his team's regular season but knew the loss might leave it short of getting back to the playoff. “We could've had a great year,” he said. "We got better this season, a lot of positives to build on. “But this one is tough. It's tough. It hurts,” he continued. Shane Beamer knew what a big week it was when he got a voicemail from his old boss, former South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier. “Beamer, you're doing great,” said Spurrier, who coached the Gamecocks from 2005-2014. “This might be the biggest game in the history of South Carolina.” South Carolina and Clemson both await their postseason games. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballPep Guardiola admits he is questioning himself after Man City lose to JuventusArenaPlus, the country’s 24/7 digital sports entertainment gateway, gifted Filipino fans with a special experience on December 23, 2024. Lucky fans got to video call with Reaves and even more got to chat and ask their favorite basketball star questions on life in the league, his experience in the Philippines, and his partnership with ArenaPlus. Reaves gave out lots of prizes, including the one everyone wanted the most: Meet Austin Reaves in LA with an all-expenses paid trip. Fans joined by visiting ArenaPlus.ph This special Christmas event was made possible by the Philippines’ premiere sportsbook, ArenaPlus. Austin Reaves is ArenaPlus’ newest endorser, joining Jordan Clarkson and Scottie Thompson. Astig conversations with Austin Reaves Behind-the-scene livestream set-up for ArenaPlus “Meet Austin Reaves in Los Angeles”. Live on ArenaPlus’ social media pages, Reaves was game to answer questions from fans about his experiences as a professional basketball player, his career, and his partnership with ArenaPlus. Reaves shared his rookie story, saying he was given small tasks but was overall treated kindly. Occasionally, he had to run errands for essentials or carry bags, but for the most part, he was given a lot of leniency and wasn’t held to many responsibilities. “I’m doing little things here and there, but for the most part, they were very kind to me. Every now and then, I had to run to the store to get essentials needed on the road or just for little things. But overall, they let me off the hook. I definitely had to carry a couple of bags every now and then, but like I said, they let me off the hook pretty well.” Reaves also shared his usual game day routine, starting with waking up early, followed by pre-game workouts, treatment, and strategy sessions. “We all wake up at 8, go to the practice facility around 8:30 or 8:45 to eat breakfast. After treatment, we shoot around 10, then walk through what they’re going to do, what we can do to stop them, and what we can do to be successful, followed by some shots. After that, I go home, take a good shower, and nap. When I wake up, if the game is around 7 o’clock, I get to the arena by about 4:30 for more treatment, lifting, and pre-game shooting to get ready for the game. After pre-game shooting, there are probably 50 minutes before the game starts. I go back, eat a little, and then the coach comes in to talk. After that, it’s basically game time.” In addition, Reaves shared how he prepared for the upcoming season, mentioning that he’s working on getting stronger, faster, and improving as a basketball player, believing there’s always room for growth and improvement. “The main thing was really getting into the weight room, getting a lot stronger, faster, and becoming a better athlete. On top of that, I try to become a better player in all aspects. I feel like I do everything well and continue to grow in those areas. You can never perfect the game of basketball, and that’s the beautiful thing about it. You can always continue working to get better, and that’s what I do every summer.” Reaves expressed his gratitude to ArenaPlus, seeing the partnership with the brand as a great opportunity to return to Manila, revisit good memories, and connect with fans in order to give back and create a memorable experience for them. “Once we got the opportunity to partner with ArenaPlus, we knew it was a great chance to come back to Manila and revisit the many fun times we had. With ArenaPlus, we’ve been given the opportunity to return and have a great time with the fans. We want to give back and do something for the fans.” Meet Austin Reaves in Los Angeles Over 30 prizes were given out during the livestream, including a DJI 3 drone, sports merchandise and sports vouchers. Reaves himself drew the major prize: the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet him in LA with an all-expenses paid trip. Reaves personally invited the winner, a speechless Joseph Marana, via a live call. The once-in-a-lifetime experience is set for February during the NBA All-Star Week in LA. Being business-savvy should be fun, attainable and A+. BMPlus is BusinessMirror's digital arm with practical tips & success stories for aspiring and thriving millennial entrepreneurs.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump doesn't think much of Joe Biden's foreign policy record. The Republican president-elect frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But a funny thing happened on Trump's way back to the White House: The Biden and Trump national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza , Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife's edge. It's not clear how much common ground those teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House on Jan. 20, 2025. “There is a deep conviction on the part of the incoming national security team that we are dealing with ... and on our part, directed from President Biden, that it is our job, on behalf of the American people, to make sure this is a smooth transition,” Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during a weekend appearance at a forum in California. “And we are committed to discharging that duty as relentlessly and faithfully as we possibly can.” To be certain, Trump and his allies haven't let up on their criticism of Biden, putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of Biden and Democrats for the series of crises around the globe. The president-elect says Biden is responsible for the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, arguing that policies under his watch led to Hamas and Russia becoming emboldened. And shortly before Syria's Bashar al-Assad's government collapsed last week, Trump blamed Biden's old boss, former President Barack Obama, for failing to enforce his own “red line” in 2013 after Assad deployed chemical weapons that killed hundreds of civilians, and laying the groundwork for Islamic militants to establish a beachhead in the country. But amid the hectoring of Biden, Trump team officials acknowledge that the Biden White House has worked diligently to keep Trump's circle apprised and help ensure there is a smooth handoff on national security matters. “For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity that they can play one administration off the other, they’re wrong, and we are — we are hand in glove," Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for national security adviser, said in a Fox News interview last month. “We are one team with the United States in this transition.” While Trump rarely has a good word for the Democratic administration, there's an appreciation in Trump world of how the Biden White House has gone about sharing critical national security information, according to a Trump transition official who was not authorized to comment publicly. The coordination is precisely how lawmakers intended for incoming and outgoing administrations to conduct themselves during a handover when they bolstered federal support for transitions. It's already the most substantive handoff process since 2009, aides to Biden and Trump acknowledged, surpassing Trump's chaotic first takeover in 2017 and his wide refusal to cooperate with the incoming Biden team in 2021. Trump's pick to serve as special envoy to the Middle East , Florida real estate developer Steve Witkoff, consulted with Biden administration officials as he recently traveled to Mideast to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive talks and spoke on condition of anonymity. Sullivan, who was to travel to Israel on Wednesday for talks with Netanyahu, has in turn kept Waltz in the loop about the Biden administration's efforts at getting a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza before Trump's inauguration. Biden administration officials say that the two national security teams have also closely coordinated on Ukraine and Syria, though they have provided scant detail on what that coordination has looked like. “Let me put it this way: Nothing that we’re doing and nothing that we’re saying are coming as a surprise to the incoming team,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. "They will decide for themselves what policies they might want to keep in place, what approaches they might want to continue and which ones they won’t." Trump made clear during his campaign that he would move to end the war in Ukraine quickly once he came to office. He called on Russian leader Vladimir Putin earlier this week to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine . But the Biden White House has begun gently — and publicly — making the case for how continued support for Ukraine lines up with Trump's priorities. On Saturday, Sullivan pointed to comments made by Trump on social media to buttress the case that Biden’s push for continued support of Ukraine falls in line with the incoming president’s thinking. Trump earlier that day had noted that Assad’s rule was collapsing because Russia “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.” “Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success,” Trump said in the posting on Truth Social. Sullivan underscored that Biden and Trump are in agreement that there should be no American boots on the ground in Syria and that the war in Ukraine was a major factor in Assad’s fall. “I was a little bit struck by it — earlier in the post, he said part of the reason this is happening is because of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Sullivan said of Trump. “And I think he even referenced the sheer scale of the casualties that Russia has suffered in Ukraine, and for that reason, they’re not in a position to defend their client, Assad. And on that point, we’re in vigorous agreement.” Two days later in Washington, Sullivan made the case that Trump should bolster the little-known U.S. International Development Finance Corporation that was created during the Republican’s first term. The push for reauthorizing the foreign aid agency comes as Trump has promised to make massive cuts to the federal bureaucracy. Trump signed into law the agency's authority -- tucked into a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration — to provide $60 billion in loans, loan guarantees and insurance to companies in developing nations. Sullivan called the agency an effective tool for private-public partnerships, before allowing that “maybe I shouldn’t be the one” making the case “since I’m leaving, but I will give my advice anyway.” “It was created as we’ve all noted, under the Trump administration,” Sullivan said in remarks at the agency’s annual conference. “It has been strengthened under the Biden administration. And as we look to DFC reauthorization next year, it has to remain a bipartisan priority.” After Assad's government fell, the Biden administration issued a warning to Iran not to speed up its nuclear program after one of its closest allies was toppled, declaring “that’ll never happen on our watch.” The U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic, hinted at coordination on the matter with the Trump team. The official said there had been “good discussions” with the incoming administration on the matter and there was an expectation the same policy would carry over. Biden has also approved a new national security memorandum that is meant to serve as a road map for the incoming Trump administration as it looks to counter growing cooperation between China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, the White House announced Wednesday. Biden administration officials began developing the guidance this summer. It was shaped to be a document that could help the next administration build its approach from Day 1 on how it will go about dealing with the tightening relationships between the United States’ most prominent adversaries and competitors, according to two other senior administration officials. One of those officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, sought to assure the incoming Trump team that the Biden White House effort “isn't trying to box them in or tilt them toward one policy option or another.” Instead, the official said, it's about helping the next administration build “capacity” as it shapes its policies on some the most difficult foreign policies it will face.