SINCERETALK

The South African sporting calendar will be full of events throughout the new year that will keep fans thoroughly entertained. News24 looks at what could be on the bucket list of SA sports fans. from News24 news24/topstories/rss https://ift.tt/R1x6ECY via sinceretalk

As House Speaker Mike Johnson faces pushback from a group of his fellow GOP lawmakers, and threats of an ouster on January 2, "one thing" is saving the congressional leader in the meantime. Vanity Fair special correspondent and MSNBC political analyst Molly Jong Fast submitted on Monday that Democrats are the reason Johnson is able to stay afloat after negotiating with the opposing party to keep the government open. "Mike Johnson has been really needing those Democratic votes," Fast said. READ MORE: Mike Johnson facing 'nonsensical food fight' as lawmakers gear up for chaotic House speaker battle "It's not just [House Minority Leader] Hakeem [Jeffries] (D-NY), it's the Democrats," she continued, "because you know there are about 30 Republicans who will not vote for a CR, and that's been a real problem. I would say there's a sort of an anti-government streak." "Here's the question, right?" Fast said. ...

Prosecutors are accusing a Austin, Texas 17-year-old of animal cruelty after allegedly poisoning another student's pet goat, the Daily Mail reports. Aubrey Vanlandingham, who often entered her own pet goat, Lacey, "in animal shows across the state for cash prizes and certificates," according to Daily Mail , is accused of using toxic pesticide to poison "Willie" the goat in the school's barn. The Guardian reports that Willie "died about 21 hours later after convulsing and showing signs of respiratory distress," after the Vista Ridge High School student allegedly force fed the goat pesticide, according to documents. READ MORE: Republicans reassert their dominance in Texas Vanlandingham told police, the news outlet notes, "that she deliberately poisoned the goat because she believed the animal’s owner was 'a cheater', according to the affidavit. This was not the first time she tried to kill the goat. "We were there when he ...

After an appeals court upheld veteran journalist E. Jean Carroll's $5 million judgement against Donald Trump on Monday — one day after the president-elect former floated the idea of retribution against the ex-advice columnist — ex-federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann explained why Trump is likely the one in danger. "This is an interesting day," the former FBI counsel told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace during the latest episode of Deadline: White House. "I think clearly what the former president and president-elect is doing is another shot across to send a message to those people who might sue him for wrongs," Weissmann continued. "E. Jean Carroll obviously was the victim here, as found by not one but two juries that awarded her a sum of over 85 million dollars, and they found that she was sexually is assaulted." READ MORE: 'Guardrails of the rule of law': Why federal appeals court upheld Trump/Carroll abuse verdict The former top prosecutor...

Former US president Jimmy Carter, a man defined by his humility and idealism, has died at 100. Many US presidents come from modest upbringings. Born in Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter’s Depression-era childhood was no exception. His home lacked running water and electricity, while his rural high school lacked a 12th grade. What made Carter exceptional was the degree to which these humble beginnings would influence his life, most notably his time as America’s 39th president from 1977-1981. How a peanut farmer became president A farmer, nuclear submarine officer, state governor and proud Christian, Carter assumed office during a tumultuous time in American history. Three crises in particular are not only widely credited with helping elect the former peanut farmer into the Oval Office, but also still influence how Americans think about American power and politicians half a century later. The first crisis occurred in March 1973, when newscasts on living room TVs across the country di...

Progressive commentators on Saturday weighed in on a dayslong dispute between Republican President-elect Donald Trump's billionaire tech industry backers and far-right MAGA allies over the H-1B guest worker program—saying the program's right-wing supporters and detractors alike aim to distract from the real threat to workers: the billionaire CEOs who exploit both American employees and those who come from abroad. "Billionaires want you to wage a culture war while they win the class war," said Warren Gunnels, a top adviser to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), on Friday night. Gunnels' comments came after Tesla CEO Elon Musk , who spent $277 million to help Trump get elected this year, vowed to go to "war" to protect the H-1B program, which grants temporary visas to highly educated foreign professionals who work in specialized fields such as technology, medicine, and engineering. Silicon Valley heavily relies on guest workers with H-1B visas, and ...

"When I play the violin, the flow of the music just carries me. I don't know how, but when the music starts, and my ears hear it, I go with the flow," Lewis Nyambaya said. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/cqN7ewm via sinceretalk

On Friday, the Office of New York Attorney General Letitia James released body camera footage from the night that Marcy Correctional Facility inmate Robert Brooks was beaten to death. Now, calls are mounting for those involved to be held criminally accountable. Politico reported that both New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and New York state senator Julia Salazar — who chairs the senate's Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee — are both demanding answers and justice. The video shows several officers standing around Brooks, who had just arrived at Marcy after being transferred from the Mohawk Correctional Facility in Oneida County, taking turns beating him while he was restrained in handcuffs and leg shackles. Just six hours after the beating , Syracuse.com reported that Brooks died from his injuries at Wynn Hospital in Utica. While officers hadn't turned on their body cameras, the video footage was obtained via "standby" mode that captures video w...

When President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20, journalists will likely be on high alert given his previous threats of vengeance against his critics in the media. And one journalist isn't sure if the Fourth Estate will be up to the task of reporting honestly on his administration. During a Friday night interview on MSNBC , Vanity Fair special correspondent Molly Jong-Fast opined that the prospect of the president of the United States using the force of his office to hound reporters was a "scary" scenario. And she pointed out that the media industry in 2025 is far less equipped to resist him than it was in 2017. "That's a real question," Jong-Fast told MSNBC guest host Jason Johnson in response to his question about whether Trump's threats could create a "chilling effect" on the press. "It's really sort of scary to think that that's the moment we're in right now." READ MORE: 'We're ...

The growing power requirements of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers are now already having a negative impact on millions of Americans, according to a new report. Bloomberg reported Friday that in many major metropolitan centers, AI data centers are gobbling up so much electricity that the quality of power residents are receiving is starting to go down. As AI continues to proliferate, its footprint on local power grids could present a risk to older home appliances and fragile municipal infrastructure. According to Bloomberg, many of the distorted power readings it analyzed based on hundreds of thousands of home sensors are within 50 miles of an AI data center. This includes homes in both urban and rural areas, and manifests in the form of "bad harmonics." The publication reported that those bad harmonics — in which waves of electricity traveling into a home are excessively distorted — "can force home electronics to run hot, or even cause the motors in refrige...

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen suggested that the United States is on the precipice of economic calamity unless lawmakers act quickly in the coming weeks. Yellen wrote on Friday that the United States will soon need to raise the statutory debt ceiling in order to stay current on its debt service obligations, and that the U.S. is in danger of defaulting on its debt as soon as January 14 unless new legislation is passed. In the letter — which was also addressed to other key congressional leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeen Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — Yellen hinted she may be forced to act within her capacity to stave off an economic crisis, though she didn't elaborate further. "Treasury currently expects to reach the new limit between January 14 and January 23, at which time it will be necessary for Treasury to start taking extr...

A Republican state lawmaker in Utah abruptly resigned Thursday less than two months after winning re-election. Rep. Kera Birkeland was appointed to the Utah House of Representatives in April 2020 and was elected to a full term later that year. On Nov. 5, she won another term with 60 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger Kris Campbell. But on Thursday evening, she said her constituents deserve better . "The residents of District 4 have granted me a profound opportunity; in several elections , they entrusted a young mother like me to be their voice. Their steadfast support, along with their commitment to hold me accountable, has been a profound source of motivation for me. My deep affection for each member of this District drives me to recognize that they merit a representative who can provide them with even more than I am currently capable of offering," said Birkeland. She added: "It is with a heavy heart that I announce my decision to resign from the Uta...

In less than two weeks, a special election in Virginia will determine whether Democrats get to keep their majority in both chambers of the state's legislature — or lose to their right-wing colleagues. Speaking with Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, Don Scott, on Thursday, MSNBC's Katie Phang asked the Democratic leader, "How do you get support up among democrats for a special election that is going to take place within days after the holidays?" Scott replied, "I think it is very important that we realize what happens in this election is so important in making sure that Virginia stays on the right path. In spite of the fact that Donald Trump won the election, he still lost Virginia, and I think everyone knows how important it is that we continue to protect reproductive healthcare in Virginia, that we continue to press forward with our public safety initiatives, and making sure we remain the number one state for business." READ MORE: 'Dumps...

I don’t know what incentive there is for the Senate Democrats to play along with Donald Trump. Right now, there seems to be some reason, however oblique, to give lip-service at least to the idea of getting along with the president-elect, even though his administration already promises to be the worst of our lifetimes. Perhaps that will change by the time the next Congress is seated, but so far, it doesn’t look good. Robert F Kennedy Jr is, for instance, the most terrible choice imaginable to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. For one thing, he’s a conspiracy theorist . He believes vaccines cause autism, among other insane convictions. For another, he’s a scammer . During his brief campaign, he vowed to “restore America as the global example of health & well-being. Not through pills or syringes, but through character and self-discipline.” That’s rich from a former heroin addict and 70-year-old who’s clearly juicing . (This is not to mention the scam of sayi...

Trump Media — the social media company founded by Donald Trump in 2021 — is taking legal action against the purchaser representative in the president-elect's company's merger with Digital World Acquisition Corporation earlier this year. The suit, filed by DLA Piper, alleges that RejuveTotal LLC "abused its role to extort $14 million from Trump Media & Technology Group," according to Law.com's report. This is "all in an effort to generate leverage for [Patrick] Orlando in his other legal disputes with [Trump Media],” the lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of New York claims. READ MORE: Trump’s Truth Social stake down by $6.5 billion — on day he’s allowed to start selling Orlando's company, Digital World Acquisition Corporation, is accused of breaching "its fiduciary duty to serve Trump Media’s best interests by racking up—and charging for—unnecessary expenses and fees, as well as pushing for a multimillion-dollar payment in exchange for e...

Ruben Amorim has insisted he knows what he's doing as the Manchester United manager looks to revive the fallen English giants amid a row over the future of Marcus Rashford. from News24 news24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/Zi8Vfap via sinceretalk

If Mozambique fails, SA will be unable to handle the influx of economically displaced refugees, while the economic consequences of trade and food will affect South Africans directly, writes Qaanitah Hunter. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/73cAUzt via sinceretalk

This weekend, a Dallas-based conservative activist discovered that Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) was representing her constituents from an assisted-living facility and that the octogenarian congresswoman had reportedly been battling dementia. That news has rattled Congress, with members on both sides of the aisle calling for changes. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Granger's absence — who hadn't cast a vote in the House of Representatives since July — rattled members of the House Republican Conference as much as it did members of the Democratic minority. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said he didn't know his Lone Star State colleague was in an assisted living facility until it was widely reported in the media. “I think there’s no doubt a lot of us knew that she was gaining in age, like a lot of members do,” Gonzales told CBS' Face the Nation. “And, sadly, some of these members wait until it’s too long — things have gone too far.” READ MORE: Experts stunned ...

After months of Democratic — and some Republican — lawmakers' urging the House Ethics Committee to release its investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) alleged sexual misconduct, the committee released the report on Monday. While the committee's report "found evidence that Gaetz paid thousands of dollars for sex; violated Florida’s statutory rape law; used cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana illegally; violated the rule on accepting gifts from lobbyists; gave friends special privileges and favors; and tried to obstruct the committee’s investigation," NOTUS reports that the report also sheds light on another issue. The report also "suggests a Gaetz butterfly effect, where the committee’s investigation ties into the downfall of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy," the news outlet emphasizes. READ MORE: 'Repellent' report shows 'commonality between' Trump and ex-AG pick: NYT editor The pair's feud escalated when Gaetz publicly l...

President-elect Donald Trump's Federal Communications Commission nominee, Brendan Carr, went after Disney CEO Bob Iger in a letter Monday, over "the Disney-owned ABC network’s negotiations with its affiliated stations across the United States," CNN reports. In the "stern message to the owners of television stations and networks," according to CNN, Carr points to "ABC’s own conduct has certainly contributed to this erosion in public trust." The MAGA appointee is referring to the network's recent agreement to settle in the defamation case brought against them by Trump. READ MORE: The big reason why ABC News caved to Trump "Americans no longer trust the national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly," Carr emphasizes at the beginning of the letter. He "then delineates between national networks and local stations (which are licensed by the FCC), saying, 'Americans largely hold positive views of their local media ...

A new study conducted by the University of Michigan recently discovered the significant connection between sleep patterns and mood disorders. According to University of Michigan News , the initiative — led by Daniel Forger , a professor in the Department of Mathematics and director of the Michigan Center for Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics — found that "when people’s sleep cycles are misaligned with their internal clocks, or circadian rhythms, it can have drastic effects on their moods." Forger noted "that means getting sleep when the body’s expecting it provides a potent boost to one’s emotional state and could alleviate symptoms associated with mood disorders." READ MORE: The 8-hour sleep myth: How I learned that everything I knew about sleep was wrong The Intern Health Study — a project "funded by the National Institutes of Health at the University of Michigan which works with hundreds of first-year training physicians" — had "the ...

A handful of Republican leaders — some nominated to assume positions in Donald Trump's Cabinet — are planning to use their newfound power in the coming months to "reshape higher education," according to a Monday Bloomberg report . And they're starting with Harvard University. Per the report, the Harvard Crimson found in a survey that "only 13% of this year’s graduating seniors describe themselves as conservative or very conservative and more than three-quarters of faculty identify as liberal." After Harvard computer science Professor Harry Lewis found out some "teachers offered condolences to students and told them classes were optional" following Trump's victory over Kamala Harris last month, the former Harvard College dean believes "the infantilization of students and politicization of the classroom" has become a real problem. READ MORE: 'Repellent' report shows 'commonality between' Trump and ex-AG pick: NYT ...

South Africa's seventh Parliament has been characterised by wins for the opposition, with the ANC looking more and more subdued. from News24 news24/topstories/rss https://ift.tt/tHKDs3Y via sinceretalk

Twenty years ago, Alan Rusbridger – then editor of The Guardian in the UK – delivered a seminal speech on the role of newspapers at the annual Hugo Young Lecture, named in honour of the British journalistic legend and long-term columnist for the publ from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/bWGJqeA via sinceretalk

After three decades in media and business spaces, the former beauty queen’s focus has shifted to a dream deferred. She has gone back to school. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/yuOAJDn via sinceretalk

Weeks after lawyer Zuko Nonxuba was disbarred over the disappearance of R188 million in medical negligence payouts to his disabled child clients, an East London magistrate has issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of fraud and theft of trust funds. from News24 News24/TopStories/rss https://ift.tt/zjsTQV1 via sinceretalk

One public relations professional in South Carolina is now airing Rep. Nancy Mace's (R-S.C.) dirty laundry on social media, blasting the far-right congresswoman in several viral social media posts. The Daily Beast reported Friday that Wesley Donehue — the founder of the PR firm Push Digital Group — recently unleashed on his former client on his X account. Donehue informed his followers that the two-term congresswoman (who was recently reelected) caused him significant stress, and that he fired her several months ago. "I’m a political consultant and not a babysitter, a sex therapist or a doctor who can prescribe fixes for chemical imbalances," Donehue wrote in one tweet that's been viewed more than 1.5 million times . "I don’t have time for her constant egotistical bull— and drama in my life." READ MORE: 'Media blitz': Nancy Mace spent $165,000 pursuing TV appearances After former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) — who is now a Fox News host — critic...

Before he left office, President Joe Biden communicated his intent to confirm as many federal judges as possible in order to deny his successor the ability to pack the judiciary with far-right activists. That plan seems to have borne fruit, according to a new report. In a Friday article, Politico's Anthony Adragna wrote that Democrats' " fight to Trump-proof the federal judiciary " has been an overwhelming success. On Friday night, the Democratic-run U.S. Senate confirmed Biden's 235th judicial appointment, officially putting him past President-elect Donald Trump's 234 judges with a month left to go before Biden leaves the White House. According to NBC , among those 235 judges include one Supreme Court justice in Ketanji Brown Jackson (who replaced Justice Stephen Breyer after he retired), along with 45 powerful U.S. Court of Appeals judges, 187 U.S. District Court judges and two judges on the U.S. Court of International Trade. All federal judges serve li...