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Telecom Application Development: Key Features That Enhance Business GrowthCopy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Most of us don’t require Formula One-level focus to get through our days. But we all struggle with distraction — and the techniques that drivers use to optimise their performance can help anyone to be more intentional and effective in all sorts of situations. We asked McLaren F1 team driver Oscar Piastri , along with a sports psychologist and an attention expert, for tricks to stay on track. Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Fetching latest articles

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Android Circuit: OnePlus 13R Details, HMD Fusion Review, Xiaomi 14T Pro FeatureThe AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) — Randall Pettus II and Sam Vinson each scored 17 points as Northern Kentucky beat Kentucky State 85-59 on Saturday. Pettus also contributed five rebounds, six assists, and six steals for the Norse (1-4). Vinson shot 6 for 8 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line and added four steals. LJ Wells shot 5 of 8 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line to finish with 12 points. The Thorobreds were led in scoring by Lavar Miller Jr., who finished with 19 points and four steals. Kentucky State also got 13 points and 10 rebounds from Ogien Ayo. Gregory Melvin also had 11 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

NEW YORK — The brooding waltz was carefully composed on a sheet of music roughly the size of an index card. The brief, moody number also bore an intriguing name, written at the top in cursive: “Chopin.” A previously unknown work of music penned by the European master Frederic Chopin appears to have been found at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan. The untitled and unsigned piece is on display this month at the opulently appointed institution, which had once been the private library of financier J.P. Morgan. A previously unknown musical manuscript, possibly by Frederic Chopin, is held in a display case after it was discovered at The Morgan Library & Museum on Nov. 13 in New York. Robinson McClellan, the museum curator who uncovered the manuscript, said it's the first new work associated with the Romantic era composer to be discovered in nearly a century. But McClellan concedes that it may never be known whether it is an original Chopin work or merely one written in his hand. The piece, set in the key of A minor, stands out for its “very stormy, brooding opening section” before transitioning to a melancholy melody more characteristic of Chopin, McClellan explained. “This is his style. This is his essence,” he said during a recent visit to the museum. “It really feels like him.” McClellan said he came across the work in May as he was going through a collection from the late Arthur Satz, a former president of the New York School of Interior Design. Satz acquired it from A. Sherrill Whiton Jr., an avid autograph collector who had been director of the school. McClellan then worked with experts to verify its authenticity. The paper was found to be consistent with what Chopin favored for manuscripts, and the ink matched a kind typical in the early 19th century when Chopin lived, according to the museum. But a handwriting analysis determined the name “Chopin” written at the top of the sheet was penned by someone else. Born in Poland, Chopin was considered a musical genius from an early age. He lived in Warsaw and Vienna before settling in Paris, where he died in 1849 at the age of 39, likely of tuberculosis. A previously unknown musical manuscript, possibly by Frederic Chopin, is seen in a display case after it was discovered at The Morgan Library & Museum, Nov. 13 in New York. He’s buried among a pantheon of artists at the city’s famed Père Lachaise Cemetery, but his heart, pickled in a jar of alcohol, is housed in a church in Warsaw, in keeping with his deathbed wish for the organ to return to his homeland. Artur Szklener, director of the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Warsaw, the Polish capital city where the composer grew up, agreed that the document is consistent with the kinds of ink and paper Chopin used during his early years in Paris. Musically, the piece evokes the “brilliant style” that made Chopin a luminary in his time, but it also has features unusual for his compositions, Szklener said. “First of all, it is not a complete work, but rather a certain musical gesture, a theme laced with rather simple piano tricks alluding to a virtuoso style," Szklener explained in a lengthy statement released after the document was revealed last month. He and other experts conjecture the piece could have been a work in progress. It may have also been a copy of another's work, or even co-written with someone else, perhaps a student for a musical exercise. Jeffrey Kallberg, a University of Pennsylvania music professor and Chopin expert who helped authenticate the document, called the piece a “little gem” that Chopin likely intended as a gift for a friend or wealthy acquaintance. “Many of the pieces that he gave as gifts were short – kind of like ‘appetizers’ to a full-blown work,” Kallberg said in an email. “And we don’t know for sure whether he intended the piece to see the light of day because he often wrote out the same waltz more than once as a gift.” David Ludwig, dean of music at The Juilliard School, a performing arts conservatory in Manhattan, agreed the piece has many of the hallmarks of the composer’s style. “It has the Chopin character of something very lyrical and it has a little bit of darkness as well,” said Ludwig, who was not involved in authenticating the document. But Ludwig noted that, if it's authentic, the tightly composed score would be one of Chopin’s shortest known pieces. The waltz clocks in at under a minute long when played on piano, as many of Chopin’s works were intended. “In terms of the authenticity of it, in a way it doesn’t matter because it sparks our imaginations,” Ludwig said. “A discovery like this highlights the fact that classical music is very much a living art form.” The Chopin reveal comes after the Leipzig Municipal Libraries in Germany announced in September that it uncovered a previously unknown piece likely composed by a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in its collections. Christmas music has a long and storied history beginning centuries ago with pagan rituals. Those traditions evolved with St. Francis of Assisi’s Nativity plays in the 13th century, and survived Puritan rule when many Christmas traditions and celebrations were banned during part of the 17th century. Traveling minstrels spread original songs before the invention of the printing press in 1440 ushered in an era of texts that served as the foundation for some of the most beloved Christmas songs. These tunes would be shared in the form of poetry and hymns printed on broadsides . Today, Christmas music runs the gamut from silly to revolutionary. Songs range from grandmothers getting trampled by reindeer to those based on the work of a Romantic-period poet. Who knew that the catchy tune of Wenceslas, the king with the funny name, is a reverent song about the patron saint of the Czech Republic? Or perhaps it would surprise readers to discover that “Silent Night” was designated as an item of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. These songs we know by heart and hear so often have rich histories rooted in things like war, religion, social reform, and slavery. Stacker compiled a list of Christmas songs released before 1920 and explored the origins of these pieces. This list includes Christmas carols, famous instrumentals, popular hymns, and spirituals from countries around the world. Many of these songs were created out of a chance collaboration between artists spanning time and space; a clergyman pens a hymn, and years later, a composer resurrects those words and sets them to a melody. It may come as no surprise, then, that what people consider to be Christmas classics are among the most-covered Christmas songs of all time . “Silent Night,” for example, had 137,315 recordings according to a 2017 Billboard report. Read on to learn about the rich histories of some of the most beloved Christmas songs that are more than a century old. You may also like: 71 years of Emmy history Written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 and originally titled “One Horse Open Sleigh,” “Jingle Bells” is one of the most beloved and ubiquitous Christmas carols in existence. In 1965, astronauts Wally Schirra and Thomas Stafford made “Jingle Bells,” the first song heard from space as they orbited Earth aboard the Gemini 6. It may be surprising that this Christmas classic was written as a Thanksgiving song. This traditional English Christmas carol refers to the practice of wassailing, the definition of which has evolved over the years . In the song, wassailing is the practice of traveling door-to-door, wishing good health, and asking for a bit of hospitality and Christmas tidings in return, including a drink from a communal bowl filled with mulled cider or ale called wassail. Other familiar variants of the song include “Here We Come A-Caroling,” and “Here We Come A Christmasing.” Published by hymn writer John Mason Neale in 1853, this carol was based on the life of the virtuous ruler Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia . Wenceslaus I was revered for his piety, morality, and virtue. After his assassination, he was posthumously conferred as a king by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, which is why people don’t sing of good Duke Wenceslaus. Wenceslaus was elevated to sainthood immediately after his death, and he's considered the patron saint of the Czech Republic. The version of “O Tannenbaum” most of us are familiar with today was written in 1824 by Ernst Anschütz, a well-known organist and composer from Leipzig, Germany. Anschütz’s version was one of many based on a 16th-century German folk song that pays homage to the steadfast nature of the "Tannenbaum," the German word for a fir tree. The song’s association with Christmas began with Anschütz even though no explicit mention of Christmas was made in his original lyrics. Furthermore, most Christmas trees are spruce, not fir. Readers may be more familiar with the song’s English title, “O Christmas Tree.” If you’ve ever wondered what “God rest you merry” means, you’re not alone. This carol’s title is often misinterpreted, mispunctuated, and widely debated. The phrase “rest you merry” is used in the same way we use “rest assured.” It is not an address to merry gentlemen but rather an imperative statement to all gentlemen to be happy, citing the birth of Christ. It’s even referenced in Charles Dickens' classic “A Christmas Carol.” The earliest known print edition of the carol dates back to 1760, but its author is unknown. You may also like: 30 celebrities you might not know are LGBTQ Originally titled “Three Kings of Orient,” this carol was written by journalist-turned-clergyman John Henry Hopkins in 1857 for a Christmas pageant and published six years later. The carol chronicles the Christian gospel of Matthew in which three biblical magi, commonly known as the three wise men, bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the birth of Jesus. Edmund Sears—a Unitarian pastor in Wayland, Mass.—wrote a five-stanza poem titled “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” in 1849. It was adapted by American composer Richard Storrs Willis in 1850 and set to a melody called “Carol.” The words of this poem-turned-carol are regarded as an account of the issues at the time. Topics referred to in the song include the end of the Mexican-American war and a call for peace among men. Proudly rejoicing the nativity of Jesus, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” was an African-American spiritual dating back to 1865. John Wesley Work Jr. was a composer and ethnomusicologist who compiled hundreds of spirituals and even composed a few, including “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” in his work: “American Negro Songs and Spirituals; A Comprehensive Collection of 230 Folk Songs, Religious and Secular.” Written by William Chatterton Dix in 1865 and published in 1871, this carol explores what the shepherds present at the birth of Jesus must have been thinking when they encountered him. In gospel, hymns, and art, shepherds are central characters in the Nativity of Jesus. The song is set to the familiar melody of “Greensleeves,” a 16th-century English folk song. The exact origins of this popular carol are unknown, but it is most often credited to John Francis Wade. Originally written and printed in Latin as “Adeste Fideles,” it first appeared in Wade’s 1751 collection “Cantus Diversi.” You may also like: Exploring minority representation in the biggest box office winners ever What began in 1818 as a modest performance outside of St. Nicholas parish in Oberndorf, Austria, has become one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. Translated into over 300 languages, “Stille Nacht” was written by a priest named Joseph Mohr and composed by Franz Xaver Gruber in 1818. The song became popular among traveling folk singers, and before long, it could be heard around the world. The English version we know today called “Silent Night” was not written until 1863. “Stille Nacht” was named an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011 . “Carol of the Bells” is no doubt familiar to you, if not by name, then by melody. The carol was based on an Ukranian folk chant called "Shchedryk,” which was traditionally sung on New Year’s Eve as it spoke of good fortune for the upcoming year. American composer Peter J. Wilhousky adapted the lyrics "Shchedryk” into a Christmas song in 1919 using the original musical arrangement by Ukranian composer Mykola Leontovych. Many artists have covered the carol over the last century, and one of its more popular variants is “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo” by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. “In the Bleak Midwinter” was based on a poem of the same name written by English poet Christina Georgina Rossetti in 1872. English composer Gustav Holst first set the poem to music in 1906. This particular carol was published by Cecil Sharp, a famous conservator of English folk tradition, in 1911. The song is packed with symbolism that dates back to pagan rituals. Holly, representing males, and ivy, representing females, used to be burned together during the pagan festival of Beltane to encourage a fruitful spring. In Christianity, holly is symbolic of the crown of thorns Jesus wore during his crucifixion. With this rich history, evergreens like holly and ivy are viewed as symbols of rebirth and renewal, which are common themes celebrated at Christmas time. This carol was based on the poem "Christmas Bells," written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas Day in 1863. With an injured wife and a son who joined the union army against his father’s wishes, Longfellow lamented hearing bells on Christmas Day during the American Civil War. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness when goodwill and peace on Earth seemed impossible. The poem was set to music in 1872 by English composer John Baptiste Calkin. You may also like: Mistakes from the 50 best movies of all time “O Holy Night” is based on a French poem titled "Minuit, Chrétiens," written by Placide Cappeau at the behest of a parish priest. Composer Adolphe Adam set the poem to music that same year, and it quickly gained popularity throughout France. When Cappeau denounced the Catholic Church to join the socialist movement, the church responded by denouncing his beloved carol. The song made a resurgence after it was translated into English and introduced in America by John Sullivan Dwight. After visiting Bethlehem in the Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem , Phillips Brooks was inspired to write about his experiences. Brooks, an Episcopal priest, shared the poem he had written with Lewis Redner, his church’s organist, and asked him to create a melody for it so they could perform it at an upcoming Sunday school service. In a single evening, Redner composed the tune that we know today. Reflecting on the success of the carol, Redner stated : “Neither Mr. Brooks nor I ever thought the carol or the music to it would live beyond that Christmas of 1868.” Mistakenly attributed, for many years, to Martin Luther—the seminal figure of Europe’s Protestant Reformation in the 16th century—and even titling early versions of this piece “Luther’s Cradle Song,” “Away in a Manger” is a relatively simple carol with unknown origins. The first record of the text being set to music with the title “Away in a Manger” is found in the 1885 publication “Little Children's Book for Schools and Families.” The carol we know as “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” was originally titled "Hymn for Christmas-Day,” published in 1739 by Charles Wesley, leader of the Methodist movement and brother to John Wesley, the movement’s founder. But it was George Whitefield who adapted the text in 1753 to give us that familiar opener “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” The melody was composed by Felix Mendelssohn and later adapted by William H. Cummings in 1855 to create the song that's popular today. This numeric carol was originally published in England in 1780 in a children’s book called “Mirth Without Mischief.” It is believed to be a type of children's memory-and-forfeit game in which the singer must remember every verse or forfeit something if they make a mistake. You may also like: Best and worst Al Pacino movies Citing the gospel of Luke, this English carol is based on a French song called “Les Anges dans nos campagnes.” The lyrics were written by James Chadwick, a bishop in 1862. His words were set to the tune "Gloria," which was arranged by Edward Shippen Barnes. This Christmas ballad is believed to date back to the 15th century. Unlike many other carols that reference the gospels of Luke or Matthew, this story takes place sometime in between as Mary and Joseph journey to Bethlehem. It is one of the few depictions of Joseph struggling to accept Mary’s pregnancy, evidenced through lyrics such as “O then bespoke Joseph/ With words so unkind,/ Let him pluck thee a cherry/That brought thee with child.” The song was made popular again by Joan Baez’s rendition in 1961. The exact origins of this carol are unknown, but it is believed to be one of the oldest carols still sung today. Dating back to the 12th century, “The Friendly Beasts” is a traditional French carol about the animals present at the birth of Jesus and the gifts they bestowed on him. “Joy to the World” was originally written as a hymn by Isaac Watts. Watt’s adaptation of Psalm 98 interprets Christ as the king of the church and as the king of the world. “Joy to the World” is one of the most recorded Christmas songs of all time . Perhaps the darkest song on this list, “Coventry Carol,” depicts the biblical event “The Massacre of the Innocents” in which King Herod ordered the killing of all male babies under the age of two in Bethlehem. The song takes the form of a lullaby recited to the persecuted children. In Christianity, “The Massacre of the Innocents” is an important part of the broader Nativity story and thus a relevant story in the Christmas narrative. “Coventry Carol” was originally part of a medieval mystery play performed in England called “The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors.” You may also like: Best Grateful Dead albums of all time Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

Alabama and Mississippi tumbled out of the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 poll Sunday, and Miami and SMU moved in following a chaotic weekend in the SEC and across college football in general. Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight week and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State held their places behind the Ducks, who are the last unbeaten team. The shuffling begins at No. 5, where Notre Dame returned for the first time since Week 2 after beating Army for its ninth straight win. No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Tennessee each moved up two spots, No. 8 Miami got a three-rung promotion and No. 9 SMU jumped four places for its first top-10 ranking since 1985. SMU clinched a spot in the ACC title game and would play Miami, if the Hurricanes win at Syracuse this week, or No. 12 Clemson. Indiana dropped from No. 5 to No. 10 following its first loss, 38-15 loss at Ohio State. The Buckeyes would play Oregon in the Big Ten championship game if they beat Michigan for the first time in four years this Saturday. The SEC’s hopes for landing four spots in the College Football Playoff took a hit with two of their teams losing as double-digit favorites. Texas, Georgia and Tennessee are the only SEC teams with fewer than three losses after Alabama lost 24-3 at Oklahoma and Mississippi lost 24-17 at Florida. Alabama and Mississippi each dropped six spots in the AP poll, the Crimson Tide to No. 13 and the Rebels to No. 15. Texas A&M was the third SEC team to lose, 43-41 at Auburn in four overtimes. The Aggies tumbled five places to No. 20 but would play Georgia in the SEC championship game if they knock off Texas this week. Losses by BYU and Colorado created a four-way tie for first in the Big 12. No. 14 Arizona State, picked to finish last in the conference, handed BYU its second straight loss and is the highest-ranked Big 12 team. No. 17 Iowa State earned a five-rung promotion with its win at Utah. BYU is No. 19, and Colorado, which lost to Kansas, is No. 23. If the four teams each finish 7-2 in conference play, it’s Iowa State vs. Arizona State in the Big 12 championship game. No. 11 Boise State is first among the four ranked Group of Five teams. The Broncos got a one-spot bump despite struggling to beat a two-win Wyoming team. Tulane is No. 18, UNLV is No. 21 and Army is No. 25. Oregon, which was idle, was the consensus No. 1 team for the fourth straight week. The Ducks will be unbeaten in the regular season for the first time since 2010 if they beat Washington at home Saturday. Boise State’s ranking is its highest since it was No. 8 in the final poll of the 2011 season. Arizona State’s ranking is its highest since it was No. 12 in the final poll of the 2014 season. Indiana-Ohio State was the final top-five matchup of the regular season. The five were the most in a regular season since 1996. There also were five in 1936 and 1943. No. 24 Missouri, a 39-20 winner at Mississippi State, returned to the Top 25 after a one-week absence. Washington State’s four-week run in the rankings ended with its second straight loss, 41-38 loss at Oregon State.As one of the world's premier superstar athletes, LeBron James often finds himself on the receiving end of criticism over his views on basketball, life, and the world of politics. MMA star Colby Covington became the most recent public figure to call him out and even went viral for calling James a "f***ing scumbag." “I wanna ask LeBron, what does he mean by ‘There’s no party like a Diddy party’? Not only that, but I wanna ask how many Diddy parties he's been to," said Covington on media day . "LeBron you’re a f***ing scumbag and I hope you get locked up in the same cell with Diddy." LeBron James has managed to avoid any serious controversies after 21 years in the NBA but his political views often incite anger in some of his biggest critics -- even if it wasn't meant to be controversial. In the case of Colby Covington, he's been a longtime hater of LeBron James and has gone to great lengths to try and smear his legacy. In the past, Colby has called LeBron a coward, a communist, and even a " Chinese finger puppet ." He's been vocal about his hatred for the King and about how he uses tricks to enhance his reputation. In this latest quote, Colby is seemingly exposing LeBron for his apparent (and unconfirmed) connection to Diddy, who was recently arrested on sex trafficking charges. Diddy's infamous parties have become legendary in the community and anyone associated with them has been branded as partially complicit in his behavior. LeBron doesn't have any personal connection to Diddy but he may have admitted to going to one of his parties in a resurfaced video that has gone viral online. Seemingly, many stars have attended the "Diddy" parties over the years, which may or may not have included illegal sex acts. If James were ever caught participating in something like that, his entire reputation would essentially be shot and the image he's worked so hard to build over the past 20 years will almost immediately be washed away. Fortunately for James, that comment is the only connection he has to Diddy but it's still enough for some (like Colby Covington) to use it against LeBron's legacy. As arguably LeBron's biggest hater, this won't be the last we hear from Covington on this subject but he shouldn't expect to get any response from LeBron. At this stage of his career, James has accomplished far too much to let one man's petty hatred get under his skin. Instead, this season, LeBron is keeping his head down and taking care of business one game at a time. For those he can't win over with his superior work ethic, he'll win over with his sheer dominance on the court. But James doesn't really care either way because the only validation he needs is from himself. With averages of 23.0 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game this season, LeBron is defying Father Time with every game and he's setting a new standard for individual greatness in the modern era. In the meantime, he's also giving back to his community, supporting his family by helping them achieve their dreams and growing his empire in business and entertainment. At this point, it's no wonder why LeBron is unphased by all the hate and why he lets people like Colby Covington go off on his name with no response. This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

When you talk of Pep Guardiola's mistakes in the transfer market at Manchester City, Cole Palmer is the name most people would throw at him. But while the Chelsea forward has become one of the Premier League's best players since leaving the Etihad in the summer of 2023, a more recent sale has also haunted the Premier League champions. When Julian Alvarez left for Atletico Madrid in August, even City boss Guardiola admitted "it could be a problem" if his squad picked up injuries. But he could not have predicted the impact the Argentine forward was going to have in Spain after joining for a fee in the region of £81m. The 24-year-old World Cup winner scored his 12th goal of the campaign on Wednesday to help Atletico beat Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League. Alvarez also had a hand in their other two goals for Antoine Griezmann, making it 10 wins in a row in all competitions for the Madrid outfit. Former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Nigel Spackman told TNT Sport: "He is a striker that is making the game look so easy at the moment." While Alvarez's numbers are nowhere near Palmer's 57 goal involvements in 62 games since joining Chelsea, he has started to make a big impact. His 12 goals and two assists in 24 appearances have helped Atletico to third in La Liga, just three points off leaders Barcelona, and 11th in the Champions League standings. City, on the other hand, have won just once in their last 10 games as key players such as Phil Foden, Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku have struggled for fitness and form. Erling Haaland has managed to score just four times in this period, although he has 18 in all competitions this term, but the club's next top scorer is on three goals and that is six players. Alvarez's tally of four in the Champions League also continues his incredible record in the competition. Team-mate Griezmann said: "Julian is an outstanding player. It's a joy and a source of pride to have him with us. Hopefully we can keep helping him and enjoy having him around." Alvarez has been directly involved in 12 goals in as many Champions League starts - scoring nine and assisting three. To put that into perspective, it took compatriot Lionel Messi 24 appearances to reach 12 goals in the same competition. That means of players to have played 1,000+ minutes in the competitions history - only Haaland, with 78, has a better minutes per goal or assist ratio than Alvarez's 98. After arriving from River Plate in 2022, Alvarez scored 36 goals and registered 18 assists in 103 appearances for City. Despite this form and lifting Premier League titles and the Champions League, the 2022 World Cup winner was playing second fiddle to the prolific Haaland. Guardiola said Alvarez had asked to leave the club because he wanted a "new challenge" - even though he was keen to keep him at the Etihad. The Spaniard said: "He believes his period here must be over so both clubs arrive to an agreement. "He's incredibly loved by the team for his behaviour but like I said many times for many players, he wants to leave and have a new challenge. "We saw what we have. If we have many, many injuries it will be a problem, but in a few months Oscar Bobb will be back and Phil [Foden] is in that position, [James] McAtee can play in that position, [Ilkay] Gundogan can play in that position, Bernardo [Silva]... "Maybe it is a mistake, I don't know, but I don't like leaving players without playing for a long time."WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray told bureau workers Wednesday that he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought,” roughly three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations, including two that led to separate indictments of Trump last year as well as inquiries into Biden and his son.

In October 2017, a 30-year-old woman arrived at a hospital in Monterey, California, and requested a rape kit. According to a police report, she said she had been sexually assaulted four days earlier after attending a Republican women’s conference at a Hyatt Regency hotel. The perpetrator, she told police, was Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator who had been a speaker at the convention. The encounter, which did not result in charges against Hegseth and which he has admitted occurred but claimed was consensual, is now in the spotlight due to Hegseth’s surprise nomination as president-elect Donald Trump ’s pick for Secretary of Defense. Will it affect his candidacy? It seems unlikely. It’s clear at this point that allegations of sexual misconduct are no hindrance to being considered for the upper echelons of American power. The Trump cabinet may well include multiple men who have allegations of sexual misconduct against them, and it’s not even a surprise. After all, just look at Trump himself , who was found liable by an Manhattan civil jury earlier this year of sexual abuse against author E. Jean Carroll. Trump has been accused over and over again of everything from making lewd comments to sexual assault, yet none of this disqualified him in the eyes of the millions of mostly men who chose him to fill the nation’s highest office for a second time. Still, the sexual misconduct claims floating around the members of the proposed Trump cabinet this time around seem particularly egregious. The claim against Hegseth came into clearer focus on Wednesday, when Mediaite reported the details of the redacted police report and shared it in full. According to the police report, the woman said she had gone to a bar attached to the hotel where she spotted Hegseth, who she had observed acting inappropriately with women throughout the day by doing things like “rub” their legs. In a text message, she typed that Hegseth gave off a “creeper” vibe, the report says. At the bar, she said, she approached Hegseth and “commented on how she did not appreciate how he treated women.” Though she did not recall drinking to excess, the woman said, according to the police report, that things began to get “fuzzy” at the bar, and she remembers arguing with Hegseth by the pool after leaving the bar. The next memory she had was being alone with Hegseth in a hotel room. The report states she had her phone in her hand, and she claimed Hegseth asked her who she was texting and took it from her. She then claimed she tried to leave the room, saying no repeatedly, but Hegseth blocked the door with his body. Her next memory, according to the report, was Hegseth having sex with her, his dog tags hanging over her. She said he ejaculated on her stomach and threw a towel at her, before asking if she was okay. The woman went to the hospital four days later. She had been suffering nightmares and memory loss since the alleged assault, she said according to the report. When police interviewed Hegseth, he claimed the encounter was consensual, a claim his attorney repeated to Mediaite , saying, “The incident was fully investigated and police found the allegations to be false, which is why no charges were filed.” Indeed, charges were never filed against Hegseth, and he eventually paid the woman an undisclosed sum in a nondisclosure agreement. The allegation against Hegseth was reported before the Mediaite story—although not to the level of detail. But prior to Thursday, the allegations were a bit overshadowed by the sexual misconduct allegations against another (now former) Trump cabinet pick: Matt Gaetz. Gaetz, the now-ex Florida congressman who Trump announced last week he’d be nominating for attorney general, has been under investigation since 2021 by the House Ethics Committee for alleged sexual misconduct (you can read the full breakdown of the allegations against him here , which he has denied). Until recently, Gaetz was also being investigated by the Justice Department for alleged sex trafficking involving underage girls, though no charges were filed and Gaetz has denied wrongdoing. The House Committee is still debating whether to release the findings of their investigation, following Gaetz’s resignation from the House after his nomination, and Democrats are pushing to have the report released to the public. On Thursday, Gaetz abruptly announced he would be withdrawing from consideration, citing not wanting to be a distraction to the incoming Trump administration. However, CNN noted that the news came on the heels of their reporting another allegation against Gaetz involving sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl. But, incredibly, it’s not just these two men. Robert Kennedy Jr., the former independent presidential candidate and Trump’s newly minted pick for the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, has also been accused of sexual misconduct. Over the summer his children’s former babysitter, Eliza Cooney, alleged to Vanity Fair the political scion had groped her while she was working for him as a 23-year-old, something Kennedy has declined to comment on. “I know that there are hardworking people who don’t have skeletons in their closet,” Cooney told USA Today in an interview published Wednesday. “And I wish we were electing people with fewer skeletons in their closet.” There certainly are, but that doesn’t mean that those with such skeletons are facing any real consequences for their alleged actions. It’s been seven years since #MeToo, spurred in part from women’s anger over Trump’s ascendance, promised a national reckoning over sexual assault. Women shared their stories, screamed their pain, and tried to make a change in the way that we talk about rape and sexual violence. Now women may soon be living under a presidential regime that includes men who have been accused of all manner of sexual misconduct and have managed to reach the highest levels of power anyway. Looking at the proposed Trump cabinet, it feels as if little has changed.

Ford, GM, Stellantis, and other US automakers and suppliers have invested nearly $146 billion over the past three years in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of electric vehicles according to the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan. But in MAGAmerica, much of that investment could be wasted if the incoming enfant terrible decides to gut the exhaust emissions rules hammered out between the Biden administration and the auto industry last year. The New York Times reports that automakers aren’t pouring money into EVs any more. Instead, they are mounting lobbying campaigns designed to convince the incoming occupant of the Offal Office not to tear up that agreement — something he has promised to do. That conversation would require diplomatic finesse, the Times says, which is an understatement if there ever was one. Trump still holds grievances against some of the automakers, who he thinks betrayed him because during his first term when they supported Obama-era auto emissions rules instead of the ones he was proposing. Lobbyists and officials from several car companies say the automakers want the Biden regulations to remain largely intact, with some changes such as more time for compliance and lower penalties for companies that don’t meet the requirements. It’s not that they love the current rules, but they are trying to pay for their transition to electric cars with profits from their conventional cars. If the rules get tossed overboard, they fear other companies that have not invested heavily in electric cars could undercut their prices with devastating consequences. If that were to happen, potentially 1.1 million jobs in the automotive sector could be at risk. The current regulations affect vehicles starting in model year 2027 and become more stringent through 2032. Automakers will be able to comply by selling a mix of gasoline powered cars, hybrids, EVs, or cars powered by hydrogen. Trump insists on calling these regulations an electric car mandate, even though they are an “all of the above” solution that Republicans profess to adore. The EPA estimates that as a result of the current rules, about 56 percent of new passenger vehicles sold would be electric and another 16 percent would be hybrids by 2032. That’s up from about 9 percent and 11 percent today. Companies that don’t meet the new restrictions would face substantial penalties or could purchase “emissions credits” from companies that have exceeded the standards by selling more EVs. Tesla, which makes only electric vehicles, has earned billions of dollars by selling emissions credits to other automakers. It collected $2.1 billion in the first nine months of this year alone — 43 percent of its net profit . During Tesla’s early years, the credits were a critical source of revenue that may have helped stave off bankruptcy for the company. John Bozzella is the president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents 42 car companies that produce nearly all the new vehicles sold in the United States. In a letter to Trump on November 12, he wrote that for the auto industry to remain “successful and competitive,” it needs “stability and predictability in auto-related emissions standards.” That is undoubtedly true, but since Trump is notorious for not reading things — like the daily intelligence briefing — it is doubtful the letter will have much impact. Automakers plan car models years in advance and have already designed the cars they expect to sell in 2028 under the assumption that the emissions rules would still be in place. “The worst thing of all for the automakers, even worse than a difficult regulation, is a back and forth swing every four years. The regulations determine that all automakers have to follow the same rules,” said Stephanie Brinley, of S&P Global Mobility. Virtually all auto executives expect electric vehicles to displace gasoline cars eventually. If American carmakers give up on their EV plans now, they risk being overtaken by carmakers from Europe and China , or so the thinking goes. CleanTechnica ‘s Zach Shahan and Scott Cooney discussed this at length in a recent YouTube discussion. The companies are treading lightly when it comes to the the policies they would like to see from the incoming administration. Many are concerned Trump might hold a grudge against them because they opposed his first term efforts to erase the Obama EV rules. “Given their track record with Trump, I don’t know how much sway the autos will have in terms of the decision the president makes,” said Thomas Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, a conservative research group, who served on the first Trump administration’s transition team. Among Trump’s biggest grievances is a 2019 legal agreement that four of the world’s largest automakers — Ford, Volkswagen, Honda, and BMW — secretly struck with the state of California to reduce their tailpipe emissions according to stringent limits set by that state. The move enraged Trump, since it came as his administration was attempting to revoke California’s authority to set its own rules. To exact revenge, his administration filed an antitrust investigation into those automakers. Later on, two more companies — Stellantis and Volvo — joined the companies that sided with California. Mary Barra, the chief executive of GM, has shown herself to be the most malleable when it comes to positioning her company to take advantage of changes in the political winds. She met with Trump in his first weeks in office and urged him to weaken the pollution standard. She also had her company join the administration’s legal proceedings against the California deal. But just weeks after Biden’s election in 2020, she reversed course by dropping GM’s legal support of the Trump administration in its suit against California, and cheered Biden’s electric vehicle agenda. In a letter to environmental groups, Barra wrote, “President-elect Biden recently said, ‘I believe that we can own the 21st century car market again by moving to electric vehicles.’ We at General Motors couldn’t agree more.” She further cemented her relationship with Biden in 2022 when GM hired his niece, Missy Owens, to be the company’s head of ESG. Perhaps the kindest thing one can say about Barra is that she is a flexitarian when it comes to politics. The Trump inauguration committee has asked GM to provide about 250 vehicles for VIPs during the inauguration, which the company intends to support “in a big way,” according to a person familiar with the matter. We don’t know yet if any of those vehicles will be electric, but don’t bet on it. The manufacturers hope to impress on Trump that many of their new manufacturing facilities and battery plants, which are generating jobs and tax revenue, are in states like Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina that he won in this year’s election. When he was last in office, there were fewer that 6 such facilities. Now, there are over three dozen, most of them in so-called red states whose elected officials rather like the employment opportunities they provide. But that assumes Trump is rational, which he is not. One wildcard in all of this is Elon Musk, the carpetbagger from South Africa who is primarily focused on removing government obstacles to self-driving cars, which he says are vital to Tesla’s future. As for the emissions standards, Tesla prepared in advance for their elimination, said Rohan Patel, who served as vice president of global policy for Tesla before stepping down earlier this year. “They predicted that if a Republican won, no matter how influential Elon was, the rule would be weakened for sure or potentially go away,” he said. Musk has also made it clear he will not fight to preserve the $7,500 tax credit for buyers of electric vehicles that is provided by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Why? Because getting rid of it could bankrupt other automakers in years to come and make him richer, not because it will benefit America. See how this works now? The people get dumped on while the oligarchs get wealthier. The EV tax credit was designed to make EVs more competitive with gasoline-powered vehicles and has been a particular target of Trump. “In my view, we should end all government subsidies, including those for EVs, oil and gas,” Musk said on X last week. Getting rid of the tax credit might damage Tesla, but it would hurt Ford, GM and others more. During an earnings call in July, Musk said, “I think it would be devastating for our competitors and for Tesla slightly.” He is salivating at the prospect of his competitors being devastated. Who cares if tens or hundreds of thousands lose their jobs? Tough cookies for them, right? According to Autoblog , the repeal of the EV tax credit is being championed by billionaire oil mogul Harold Hamm, who leads Trump’s energy policy transition team, along with North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum , who is scheduled to be the next Secretary of the Interior. Naturally, oil and gas subsidies will not be removed, no matter what Musk thinks. Trump is 100 percent transactional. Anything he does has to reflect credit on him or enrich him personally. Musk and Trump had a bromance in 2017 that fell apart after about 6 months. Will this new love affair last even that long? Musk says he wants to get rid of all subsidies, but if he tries to mess with those that benefit oil, methane, and coal interests, he will provoke a withering backlash from those industries. The heads of the major car manufacturers must be having sleepless nights trying to understand how Elon came to be in charge of their fates. US consumers should plan for a glut of enormous pickup trucks and gargantuan SUVs. Lower prices? Forget about it. The automakers have to recoup their $146 billion investment in EVs somehow, and profits from those gas guzzlers is how they plan to do it. Brace yourself for price increases on conventional cars once the EV tax credit is demolished, and get ready for a time when 7- and even 8-year car loans are common. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. This is what America wanted and now it is going to get it — in spades. CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook X Email Mastodon Reddit