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Mickey, Minnie, Goffy and Wemby

Michael H/DigitalVision via Getty Images Investment Thesis Two months after our bullish rating on ZIM Integrated Shipping ( NYSE: ZIM ), the stock outpaced the broader market with an incredible return of 32%, which then affirmed our conviction in growth sustainability. With the continued excellent financial performance of Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in ZIM over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office

NEW YORK — There's a Christmas Day basketball game at Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby. An animated game, anyway. The real game takes place at Madison Square Garden, where Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs face the New York Knicks in a game televised on ABC and ESPN and streamed on Disney+ and ESPN+. The special alt-cast, the first animated presentation of an NBA game, will be shown on ESPN2 and also stream on Disney+ and ESPN+. Madison Square Garden is a staple of the NBA's Christmas schedule. Now it merges with a bigger home of the holidays, because the "Dunk the Halls" game will be staged at Disney, on a court set up right smack in the middle of where countless families have posed for vacation photos. Why that location? Because it was Mickey Mouse's Christmas wish. "Basketball courts often have the ability to make a normal environment look special, but in Disney it can only turn out incredible," Wembanyama said in an ESPN video promoting his Christmas debut. The story — this is Disney, after all — begins with Mickey penning a letter to Santa Claus, asking if he and his pals can host a basketball game. They'll not only get to watch one with NBA players, but some of them will even get to play. Goofy and Donald Duck will sub in for a couple Knicks players, while Mickey and Minnie Mouse will come on to play for the Spurs. "It looks to me like Goofy and Jalen Brunson have a really good pick-and-roll at the elite level," said Phil Orlins, an ESPN vice president of production. Walt Disney World hosted real NBA games in 2020, when the league set up there to complete its season that had been suspended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. The setting for the Christmas game will be Main Street USA, at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom. Viewers will recognize Cinderella's castle behind one baseline and the train station at the other end, and perhaps some shops they have visited in between. Previous alternate animated broadcasts included an NFL game taking place in Andy's room from "Toy Story;" the "NHL Big City Greens Classic" during a game between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers; and earlier this month, another NFL matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys also taking place at Springfield's Atoms Stadium as part of "The Simpsons Funday Football." Unlike basketball, the players are helmeted in those sports. So, this telecast required an extra level of detail and cooperation with players and teams to create accurate appearances of their faces and hairstyles. "So, this is a level of detail that we've never gone, that we've never done on any other broadcast," said David Sparrgrove, the senior director of creative animation for ESPN. Wembanyama, the 7-foot-3 phenom from France who was last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, looks huge even among most NBA players. The creators of the alternate telecast had to design how he'd look not only among his teammates and rivals, but among mice, ducks and chipmunks. "Like, Victor Wembanyama, seeing him in person is insane. It's like seeing an alien descend on a basketball court, and I think we kind of captured that in his animated character," said Drew Carter, who will again handle play-by-play duties, as he had in the previous animated telecasts, and will get an assist from sideline reporter Daisy Duck. Wembanyama's presence is one reason the Spurs-Knicks matchup, the leadoff to the NBA's five-game Christmas slate, was the obvious choice to do the animated telecast. The noon EST start means it will begin in the early evening in France and should draw well there. Also, it comes after ABC televises the "Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade" for the previous two hours, providing more time to hype the broadcast. Recognizing that some viewers who then switch over to the animated game may be Disney experts but NBA novices, there will be 10 educational explainers to help with basketball lingo and rules. Beyond Sports' visualization technology and Sony's Hawk-Eye tracking allow the animated players to make the same movements and plays made moments earlier by the real ones at MSG. Carter and analyst Monica McNutt will be animated in the style of the telecast, donning VR headsets to experience the game from Main Street, USA. Other animated faces recognizable to some viewers include NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who will judge a halftime dunk contest among Mickey and his friends, and Santa himself, who will operate ESPN's "SkyCam" during the game. The players are curious how the production — and themselves — will look. "It's going to be so crazy to see the game animated," Spurs veteran Chris Paul said. "I think what's dope about it is it will give kids another opportunity to watch a game and to see us, basically, as characters." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Speculation, not facts, used against terrorism suspect Harkat, his lawyer tells judgeIf there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I am a creature of habit. In 2020 and the four years prior, I had a standing Brazilian appointment at European Wax Center and you could find me there, like clockwork, every four weeks. I was always told that, no matter what, I shouldn't try shaving in between waxes because it would make the next session more painful. When my city closed all nonessential businesses at the start of the pandemic, I held out for a little over a month before coming to the realization that I was going to have to shave . I had always dutifully listened to my aesthetician's advice, but I was at the point where I couldn't take it much longer. My first attempt at shaving went terribly. I was not prepared for how spiky and sharp my hair would feel post-shave, the nicks and cuts, or the feeling that with one wrong move I would suffer from severe rug burn due to my vagina stubble. Also, I wasn't even going to attempt shaving the hair back there . Putting a razor in an area I could barely see without a mirror? No, thank you. Swearing off shaving for good left me with two choices: grow out a full bush or learn how to DIY a Brazilian wax. Thinking back to everything I knew about DIY waxing , one anecdote stuck in my mind. During one of my past waxing appointments, in an effort to make the waxing experience a little less awkward, I asked my aesthetician if she got waxed or waxed herself. "Don't ever try waxing yourself," she told me sternly. "One time a girl came in here after trying that, but the wax had dried on her hair because she was too scared to pull it off. She was lucky we were able to get it off. She was about 30 minutes away from having to go to the hospital." This story ran through my head every time I considered giving myself an at-home wax. I knew I was brave, but just how brave? Was I "rip my pubic hair off with hot wax" brave? I wasn't sure. With that thought in mind, I realized I needed backup. I considered my options. I could call my mother, but she couldn't do much more than cheer me on through FaceTime. Could I ask a friend who lived down the street? My cousin? The answer sat there on the couch next to me, watching "Homeland." My boyfriend. Yes, he would be the one to go into battle with me. We could do this together. "Would you be willing to give me a Brazilian wax?" I asked him. "Sure," he said noncommittally. My eyes lit up as the wheels in my brain started turning. A few days later when I brought up his everlasting love for me and his commitment to help me wax my nether regions, he was still game. I already owned the Bliss Poetic Waxing Hair Removal Kit ($13) that had great reviews online. One of my coworkers had even tried it herself and noted that it was one of the less painful kits she had tried, albeit messy. There were a few things I opted not to tell my boyfriend prior to beginning our waxing experience together. The first was that my aesthetician had given me the nickname "The Flincher" because every time she applied hot wax I would flinch. I figured my boyfriend would figure this out on his own. The second was that I was on my period. I had been waxed plenty of times while on my period, and I did what I normally did — showered and made sure I had a fresh tampon in. Again, I filed this under the "things my boyfriend would soon find out" category. Prior to beginning, I read the wax kit's instructions in their entirety, and decided my boyfriend should hear them as well. As I sat there explaining the laundry list of tips to him, I could see everything going in one ear and out the other as his eyes glazed over. Figuring our best bet was just to dive right in, I shut up and decided to get to it. The first thing we did was set up our space. I looked around for an area I could lay on that was about the height of a massage table, and my eyes landed on our kitchen counter. Not the most sanitary, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I laid two bath towels down and brought my full-length mirror into the kitchen, where I set it against the fridge. Just because I was willing to let a licensed aesthetician do her magic with my eyes closed, did not mean my boyfriend was going down there unsupervised with hot wax in hand. The waxing kit we used needed to be heated up in the microwave in 30 second intervals, which felt like a lifetime. Both of us were nervous, and by the time we hit our fifth minute, I was worried my boyfriend was going to lock himself in a bathroom and refuse to come out. Finally, after the sixth minute, the wax seemed hot enough to apply. I hopped up on the kitchen counter and butterflied my legs. At this point in time, my confidence was beginning to sway, and I could feel myself starting to sweat. Who did I think I was? The girl who hopped on the kitchen island 10 seconds ago and butterflied her legs without a care in the world was not the same girl staring at me in the mirror. I was not a professional, and neither was my boyfriend. Since I had a little more experience, I decided to attempt it on my own at first. I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself down. I mixed the wax and began spreading it over a patch of hair. My boyfriend came over and held my back so I could relax against his arms while I pulled the first strip. When it came time to do the actual pulling, I was a mess. My hands were sweating and my brain was melting at the thought of ripping this hair out. Seeing my hesitation, my boyfriend tried cheering me on: "Just rip it like a Band-Aid!" When that didn't work, he decided it was time to take the reins. He told me to lay back and get comfortable, and he got to work. As you can imagine, the first few strips were shocking, but eventually we got into a rhythm. We got through the rest of the waxing fairly painlessly (OK, as "painless" as a Brazilian wax done by someone who has never done it before can get), with my boyfriend stopping occasionally to ask questions. He quickly adopted the motto of "scoop and spread" when applying the wax, as well as "breathe in, breathe out" when pulling strips of wax. Toward the end, I was actually starting to feel like I was in a salon. A very inexpensive, not totally sanitary, and unlicensed salon. Overall, while I did find myself stressed out for much of the experience, I also found myself laughing 99 percent of the time. I am truly proud of the fact that my boyfriend was able to handle this task in stride with a very minimal amount of complaining. We've since broken up, (unrelated to the waxing, I swear) and although I was pulling wax off of my butt in the shower for two days afterward, I would probably do it again. Also, the kit was only $23, and my boyfriend's labor was free, so cheers to that! Renee Rodriguez (she/her) is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers with a sore throwing shoulder. Purdy injured his right shoulder in last Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks . Purdy underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage but the shoulder didn't improve during the week and Purdy was ruled out for the game. Coach Kyle Shanahan said star defensive end Nick Bosa also will miss the game with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Left tackle Trent Williams is questionable with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision. This will be the first time Purdy has missed a start because of an injury since taking over as the 49ers’ quarterback in December 2022. Brandon Allen will start in his place. The Niners (5-5) are currently in a three-way tie for second in the NFC West, a game behind first-place Arizona, and have little margin for error if they want to get back to the playoffs after making it to the Super Bowl last season. Purdy has completed 66% of his passes this season for 2,613 yards, 13 TDs, eight interceptions and a 95.9 passer rating that is down significantly from his league-leading mark of 113 in 2023. Allen has been mostly a backup since being drafted by Jacksonville in 2016. Allen last started a game in Week 18 of the 2021 season for Cincinnati and has thrown just three passes the last three seasons — including none since joining San Francisco in 2023. Joshua Dobbs will be the backup on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Hannah Kobayashi, the Hawaii woman who was at the centre of a Southern California missing person investigation before authorities said she voluntarily crossed into Mexico, has been found safe, her family said Wednesday. In their brief statement, Kobayashi’s mother and sister did not say when or where the 30-year-old was found, but they thanked supporters and said they were grateful she’d been located. “This past month has been an unimaginable ordeal for our family, and we kindly ask for privacy as we take the time to heal and process everything we have been through,” the statement said. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Kobayashi’s family said last week that they were investigating whether she may have been part of a green card marriage scam. The acknowledgement came after a report in Los Angeles Magazine that said she may have been involved in a possible immigration scam, but a lawyer for the family has said they had not been able to verify information about a possible “secret marriage” and asked the public to avoid jumping to conclusions. Kobayashi’s father died by suicide November 24 after the family came to Los Angeles last month to search for her. Kobayashi, 30, landed at Los Angeles International Airport on November 8 with plans to catch a connecting flight to New York City, where the aspiring artist planned to visit the Museum of Modern Art, her family said. She missed her connecting flight and was reported missing five days later, after sending a message to her family that described being scared and suggested that someone may be trying to steal her money and identity, according to her aunt. The Los Angeles Police Department found video showing Kobyashi crossing into Mexico via a San Diego land port on November 12. Police officials said Kobyashi intentionally missed her flight and that there was no evidence of human trafficking or foul play. A review of her social media accounts led investigators to believe “there were some desires or posts that would be consistent in somebody who would have the desire to disconnect from their phone,” said one of the officials, Lt Douglas Oldfield of LAPD’s Missing Persons Unit. If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300 224 636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.

Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Wemby

CLEVLEAND — Shane Bieber's comeback with Cleveland has double meaning. The former Cy Young winner re-signed with the Guardians on Wednesday, a reunion that seemed unlikely when he became a free agent. However, the 29-year-old Bieber decided to stay with the AL Central champions after making just two starts in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Bieber agreed last week to a one-year, $14 million contract. The deal includes a $16 million player option for 2026. It seemed like a long shot that Bieber, who is 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA in 132 starts, would return to Cleveland. He had turned down long-term offers in the past from the club, and it was expected he would sign with another contender, likely one on the West Coast. But the California native has a special connection with the Guardians, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. Bieber, who won the AL Cy Young in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, threw only 12 innings last season before lingering issues with his elbow forced him to have surgery. He is expected to join Cleveland's rotation at some point in 2025. A two-time All-Star, Bieber was named MVP of the midsummer event in 2019 when it was held in Cleveland. He has the highest strikeout ratio per nine innings (10.2) and third-highest winning percentage (.660) in the franchise's 124-year history. Bieber is one of just three Cleveland pitchers to start five season openers, joining Stan Coveleski (1917-21) and Corey Kluber (2015-19). While Bieber had some elbow issues in the past, he didn't show any issues before being shut down. He struck out 11 in six scoreless innings against Oakland on March 28, and followed that up with six more shutout innings at Seattle on April 2. DALLAS — Pitchers again dominated the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings, comprising 11 of the 15 unprotected players who were picked Wednesday. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox had the first pick and selected 24-year-old right-hander Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Smith was an undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest when he was signed by Milwaukee in July 2021. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder has gone 13-7 with a 2.69 ERA and 203 strikeouts over 157 innings in 19 starts and 54 relief appearances over three minor league seasons. There were 14 teams who made picks in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft of players left off 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Only Atlanta made two selections, after making none since 2017. Atlanta chose right-hander Anderson Pilar from the Miami Marlins with the 11th pick, and then took infielder Christian Cairo from the Cleveland Guardians with the 15th and final pick in the MLB portion. The 26-year-old Pilar was original signed by Colorado as a minor league free agent in 2015 and has pitched in 213 minor league games that included 17 starts. He is 28-20 with a 2.86 ERA. Teams pay $100,000 to take a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the big league roster all of next season or clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Six of the 10 players selected during the Rule 5 draft last December — five of them right-handed pitchers — remained last season with organization that selected them. Two of the four position players taken Wednesday by other teams came from the Detroit Tigers organization: catcher Liam Hicks and third baseman Gage Workman. Miami drafted second after Colorado passed making a selection, and took Hicks. Workman was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the 10th pick. Baltimore lost two right-handed pitchers on back-to-back picks, Juan Nunez to San Diego with the 12th pick before Connor Thomas went to Milwaukee. DALLAS — Tom Hamilton, who has called Cleveland games on the radio for 35 seasons, won the Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting on Wednesday. Hamilton, 70, joined the team's broadcast in 1990, when he was with Herb Score in the booth and part of the coverage of their World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. Hamilton became the voice of the franchise when Score retired after that second World Series. Hamilton will be honored during the Hall of Fame’s induction weekend from July 25-28 in Cooperstown, New York. He was selected the hall's Frick Award 16-member committee as the 49th winner. There were 10 finalists on this year's ballot, whose main contributions came as local and national voices and whose careers began after, or extended into, the Wild Card era. The other nine were Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ernie Johnson Sr., Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Dave Sims and John Sterling. DALLAS — The Texas Rangers acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger from the Miami Marlins on Wednesday in a trade for three minor league players. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, with 150 strikeouts in 535 at-bats with 31 walks. He started 59 games at third base and made 50 starts at first. Five days of service time short of being eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, he will be eligible next winter and can become a free agent after the 2028 World Series. Miami got infielders Max Acosta and Echedry Vargas and left-handed pitcher Brayan Mendoza. The acquisition of Burger comes about a month after the Rangers hired former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker as a senior adviser for baseball operations. Luis Urueta, Miami's bench coach the past two seasons, also was added recently to manager Bruce Bochy's on-field coaching staff for 2025. BRIEFLY WHITE SOX: Mike Tauchman is switching sides in Chicago. The White Sox announced a $1.95 million, one-year contract for the outfielder. Tauchman, 34, grew up in Palatine, Illinois, about 35 miles northwest of Chicago, and played college ball for Bradley in Peoria, Illinois. He spent the previous two seasons with the Cubs. TRADE: All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox for four prospects. Catcher Kyle Teel, infielder Chase Meidroth, right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez and outfielder Braden Montgomery are headed to Chicago. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

This column is for all the gray-haired men and women who grew up in the Cleveland area when I did, back in the second half of the 1950s and early 1960s when the only television stations were 3, 5 and 8, back when getting a chance to watch an Indians game on TV was a special occasion. Back when walking to home plate in the backyard or in Little League, we would hold a baseball bat behind our head, hold it with both hands and stretch our shoulders before taking a practice swing by aiming our bat at the pitcher. Because that is what our hero, Rocky Colavito, did. Colavito was 91 years old when he passed away on Dec. 10 at his home in Bernville, Pa. “Our collective hearts ache at the passing of Rocky,” Bob DiBiasio, the Guardians’ senior vice president of public affairs said in a statement. ”Rocky was a generational hero, one of the most popular players in franchise history.” Cleveland has had other sports heroes. LeBron James is from Akron and led the Cavaliers to the NBA championship in 2016 — their only title in a franchise history that began in 1970. Bernie Kosar graduated from Boardman High School near Youngstown and was selected by the Browns in the 1985 supplemental draft, thanks to some brilliant maneuvering by former general manager Ernie Accorsi. Kosar became a hero when he led the Browns to the AFC championship game in the 1986, ‘89 and 1989 seasons. The Browns haven’t had the sustained success Kosar provided from 1985-89 since then, nor in the bleak years in the decade before Kosar arrived. Kosar was a hero for what he did on the field. He became an instant martyr midway through the 1993 season when Bill Belichick unceremoniously cut Bernie because of “diminishing skills.” What makes the following James and Kosar had and still have different from the fans who put Colavito on a pedestal — a statue of him was literally put on a pedestal in Cleveland’s Little Italy three years ago — is Rocky played in an era when the Indians were not competing for championships. Colavito played for the Indians from 1955-59 and again from 1965 until he was traded to the White Sox midway through the 1967 season. He played only five games in 1955, but over the next four years he hit 21, 25, 41 and 42 home runs. His 42 homers in 1959 led the Majors. The ‘59 Indians finished second in the American League at 89-65, five games behind the AL champion White Sox. Shockingly, unbelievably, Indians general manager Frank Lane traded Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn, who in 1959 led the Majors with a .353 batting average. Kuenn hit only nine homers with the Tigers that year. Colavito was not a victim of “diminishing skills” when he was traded. He hit 35, 45, 37 and 22 home runs in four years with the Tigers. He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1964 and then back to Cleveland in 1965. Five years after being traded to Detroit, he was still our Rocky. He hit 26 home runs in 1965 and led both leagues with 108 RBI. He walked a Major League most 93 times. He hit 30 home runs in 1966. Baseball truly was America’s pastime when Colavito played. Players were mythical figures because they weren’t on television every game. They didn’t sign $200 million contracts. And so to see a game in person, and to see your favorite player hit a home run, well, there was nothing that could compare to that. In July 2019, a “Turn Back the Clock” night was held at the State Theatre in Cleveland to honor Colavito and promote a book written by Marc Summer titled: “Rocky Colavito: Cleveland’s iconic slugger.” More than 800 people attended the event. Fans stood in a long line to have their picture taken with Colavito or get his autograph. It was difficult seeing Rocky in a wheelchair — a reminder of our own mortality. He was in a wheelchair because diabetes forced doctors to amputate his right leg below the knee in 2016. “Father Time is undefeated,” as the late Jim Brown often said. I spoke with some fans in line as they were waiting to see Colavito up close. “I’m a big Rocky fan from a long time ago,” said Gloria, who at the time lived in Strongsville. “He lived on our street in Parma. I’m that little girl again waiting for him to come out of his house so I could see him.” Anthony Farone, now 72, also lived on Heresford Drive in Parma at the same time Colavito did. Anthony had an in; his uncle, Frank Farone, worked as a policeman at Cleveland Stadium. Frank Farone got to know Rocky well and through Anthony’s father, Lou Farone, Anthony introduced his starry-eyed nephew to Colavito in the summer of 1959. “When I was seven years old, I drank a Coke out of the same bottle as Rocky,” Farone said. “Imagine that. My uncle took us over to his house. Ray Narleski (former Indians pitcher) was there. We sat there drinking a Coke and talking about baseball and the Indians.” That must have been so cool.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government, weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect, was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration, including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club, and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes. Advertisement Advertisement

Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Nordstrom to be acquired by Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group in $6.25 billion deal Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. Nordstrom shareholders will receive $24.25 in cash for each share of Nordstrom common stock, representing a 42% premium on the company’s stock as of March 18. Nordstrom’s board of directors unanimously approved the the proposed transaction, while Erik and Pete Nordstrom — part of the Nordstrom family taking over the company — recused themselves from voting. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom Family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration. What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. American consumers feeling less confident in December, Conference Board says American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group says. The Conference Board said Monday that its consumer confidence index fell back in December to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market tumbled more than a dozen points to 81.1. The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda's U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse? Researchers and watchdog groups say the emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow people to efficiently produce detailed and novel online reviews has put merchants, service providers and consumers in uncharted territory. Phony reviews have long plagued many popular consumer websites, such as Amazon and Yelp. But AI-infused text generation tools enable fraudsters to produce reviews faster and in greater volume, according to tech industry experts. The deceptive practice is illegal in the U.S. and becomes a bigger problem for consumers during the holiday shopping season, when many people rely on reviews to buy gifts. A tech company and watchdog group that uses software to detect fake reviews says AI-generated reviews have multiplied. Romanian lawmakers narrowly approve new pro-European coalition during period of political turmoil BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian lawmakers have voted narrowly in favor of a new pro-European coalition government led by incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The move on Monday could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in the 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party, the center-right National Liberal Party, the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government on Monday night. Government regulators close investigation into Ford Focus recalls Government safety regulators are closing an investigation into two previous recalls of the Ford Focus after determining that Ford Motor Co. has satisfied its concerns. Ford recalled around 1.5 million Ford Focus sedans from the 2012-2018 model years in 2018 because they could lose power. The issue was a malfunctioning canister purge valve and software that didn’t adequately detect when it was stuck open. Ford fixed the software in two separate recalls, but after cars continued to stall, the government opened an inquiry last year. Earlier this fall, Ford offered to replace the canister purge valve on all of the vehicles, satisfying regulators' concerns. AI will eavesdrop on world's wildest places to track and help protect endangered wildlife PUERTO JIMÉNEZ, Costa Rica (AP) — A biologist hid 350 audio monitors across Costa Rica’s tropical rainforests to spy on endangered spider monkeys in order to help protect them. But she had to go back to collect the data and feed those sounds into artificial intelligence systems that can recognize monkey calls. Now tech giant Microsoft's philanthropic arm is hoping to supercharge AI-assisted wildlife research with new solar-powered devices that can capture sounds, images and other wilderness data for a year or more without human intervention. Researchers say more AI wildlife surveillance is urgently needed to monitor the health of species at risk of extinction.