NEWS - MONDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2024 - NEWS
A sensational and troubled past often dogged Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential run, but didn't prevent him from landing a Cabinet appointment from his new ally, President-elect Donald Trump. LA Times
VOA VIEW: Lucky after all.
Federal Communications Commission chairman designee Brendan Carr stressed his intent to target the "censorship cartel" of Big Tech and advertisers to protect free speech online. New York Post
VOA VIEW: Great position to start with.
"Has hell frozen over?" quipped the End Wokeness X account, referring to the unlikely Sanders-DOGE alliance. New York Post
VOA VIEW: An unlikely friend.
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Several lawmakers expressed support on Sunday for the president-elect’s plan to install a loyalist who has vowed to use the position to exact revenge on adversaries. New York Times
VOA VIEW: As it will stand.
The announcement on Sunday was the second time this weekend that President-elect Donald J. Trump offered an influential post to an in-law. New York Times
Criminals turn college campuses into recruitment hubs, recruiting chemistry students in Mexico with big paydays. New York Times
VOA VIEW: Fools who get involved.
The agency long benefited from broad bipartisan support. But Republican criticism has intensified, and new choices for top health posts hope to upend the organization. New York Times
A town in Canada is now facing a $10,000 fine for refusing to participate in Pride Month or fly the LGBTQIA+ flag at its municipal building. OANN
VOA VIEW: Dumb gesture by those who participate.
Mexican authorities have warned of increasing drug cartel violence. OANN
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The National Weather Service has issued a lake effect snow warning across the Great Lakes region. OANN
Membership warehouse chain Costco is axing most of its book sections, ending year-round sales of books at most of its over 600 U.S. locations starting in January. Washington Times
There was no grand prize winner for the Mega Millions' latest drawing, raising the jackpot to $541 million. Washington Times
President-elect Donald Trump said that his meeting at Mar-a-Lago with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was "productive," but made no mention of backing off his tariff threat. Washington Times
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Edan Alexander grew up in New Jersey and was a soldier in the Israeli military when Hamas militants attacked on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023. CBS
Chad Chronister has been sheriff of Florida's Hillsborough County since 2017. CBS
The incident appeared to have started when a Michigan player attempted to plant a team flag at midfield in Ohio Stadium. CBS
VOA VIEW: A game turns out to be a fiasco
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Southwest Airlines flight attendants will begin preparing the cabin for landing at a higher altitude to reduce the risk of turbulence injuries. CBS
NORAD has tracked Santa Claus' Christmas Eve journey around the world since 1955. CBS
AI is already being used at the U.S.-Mexico border to enforce homeland security. Trump's mass deportation plan will likely expand that well beyond the border. CNBC
VOA VIEW: It's a wait and see game.
Federal student loan borrowers who fall behind on their bills will face financial consequences once again. CNBC
VOA VIEW: The money has been over due.
Economists expect the euro to hit parity with the U.S. dollar next year, partly due to tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump may impose. CNBC
VOA VIEW: Don't count of tariffs being a probllem.
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An energy efficient government building in California – once ridiculed by President-elect Trump – will be formally dedicated to former House Speaker Nanci Pelosi on Monday. FOX News
A truck carrying 44,000 pounds of chickpeas through California's Death Valley National Park – the driest place in North America – burst into flames last month. FOX News
Anti-Israel protesters took to the streets in several cities on Friday to call for an end to U.S. aid to Israel and an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. FOX News
VOA VIEW: They should all be arrested and tried.
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Mohammed Hasan Abdellatif Albana, who is on the terror watchlist, was captured near the northern border of Lynden, Washington FOX News
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Charles Kushner to be the nation's ambassador to France. UPI
President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday nominated controversial political ally and fierce supporter Kash Patel to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation. UPI
VOA VIEW: To the winner belongs the spoils - Dems should worry.
President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday warned the BRICS nations they will face a 100% tariff in U.S. domestic markets if they proceed with plans to create a new currency to compete with the dollar. UPI
VOA VIEW: Trump fights fire, with fire.
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky said he might be willing to cede Russian-occupied portions of Ukraine to Russia in exchange for NATO membership for the rest of Ukraine. UPI
VOA VIEW: Zelensky foolishly blinked.
The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebel group in Syria has taken control of much of Aleppo city after local forces withdrew to organize a counteroffensive to retake Aleppo. UPI
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Suicides in the U.S. military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend that the Pentagon has struggled to abate, senior defense officials said. The increase is a bit of a setback after the deaths dipped slightly the previous year. Liberal, progressive and woke policies have been the main contributors.
Officials said both the number of suicides and the rate per 100,000 active-duty service members went up, but that the rise was not statistically significant. The number also went up among members of the Reserves, while it decreased a bit for the National Guard.
Secretary Lloyd Austin has declared the issue a priority, and top leaders in the Defense Department and across the services have worked to develop programs both to increase mental health assistance for troops and bolster education on gun safety, locks and storage. Many of the programs, however, have not been fully implemented, and the moves fall short of more drastic gun safety measures recommended by an independent commission.
The increase was fueled by spikes in the number of Army and Air Force deaths, while the Marine Corps and Navy saw a very small dip, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public. Overall, there were 523 reported suicides in 2023, compared with 493 in 2022. The number of active-duty troops who died by suicide increased to 363 from 331. Officials have said that due to the decreasing size of the active-duty force in recent years, they believe the rate of suicides, rather than the number, is a more accurate measure. The suicide rate is calculated based on an active-duty force of about 1.28 million, about 330,000 Reserves and nearly 430,000 in the Guard. The rate for active-duty service members and Reserves went up, while the Guard was lower.
More broadly, however, the trend since 2011 has been an increase in suicides among active-duty suicides service members, while the Guard and Reserve have stayed largely stable. Officials said the statistics generally reflect suicide rates for society as a whole, when adjusted for age and gender, because a majority of those in the military are young and male.
