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2025

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Trump set to make an announcement on lowering drug costs
Trump set to make an announcement on lowering drug costs 150 150 admin

President Trump is expected to make an announcement on his efforts to lower drug costs in the U.S. CBS News’ Jennifer Jacobs reports.
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Trump takes aim at diversity visa after suspect in Brown shooting linked to program
Trump takes aim at diversity visa after suspect in Brown shooting linked to program 150 150 admin

By Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to clamp down on a visa program that aims to increase diversity after the suspect in an attack at Brown University was linked to it, the latest in a flurry of legal immigration restrictions in the past month.

Hours after news broke that the suspect was found dead in New Hampshire on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X that he was a Portuguese national who obtained permanent residence via the diversity visa lottery program. Noem said her department would pause processing of diversity lottery applications “to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.”

The immediate effects of the move remained unclear on Friday since most of the people using the program apply from abroad through the State Department. A department spokesperson said the diversity program posed a threat to the U.S. public and that they were working “to put in place all necessary measures” to address it, but did not provide further details.

Trump, a Republican, returned to the White House in January vowing to clamp down on legal and illegal immigration. After an Afghan national was accused of attacking National Guard members in late November, his administration swiftly implemented new immigration restrictions, halting processing of Afghan immigration applications, ordering a review of approved asylum cases, and expanding Trump’s existing travel ban to 20% of the world’s countries.

While Trump officials framed the restrictions as needed for national security, critics said they used the attack to achieve a broader goal of reducing legal immigration.

Jorge Loweree, a managing director with the pro-immigration American Immigration Council, said the same dynamic was occurring with the diversity visa program.

“This isn’t about any one individual,” Loweree said. “What we’re seeing is this administration using these cases, these stories, as a pretext to their own end, which is to target people from countries that they deem to be undesirable.”

TRUMP’S OPPOSITION TO THE DIVERSITY VISA PROGRAM

Trump has long criticized the diversity visa program, which offers up to 55,000 immigrant visas each year to countries with lower rates of immigration to the U.S. The program, created by the U.S. Congress in 1990, uses a lottery system to determine which applicants are awarded visas. Those approved can obtain permanent residence and eventual citizenship.

During Trump’s first term in 2017, he called for ending the program after an Uzbek national was accused of a vehicle-ramming attack in New York City that killed eight people and injured many others. The attacker in that case, Sayfullo Saipov, was sentenced in 2023 to eight consecutive life sentences.

Noem said on X that the suspect in the Brown University shooting, Claudio Neves Valente, 48, had entered the U.S. in 2017 through the diversity visa program and “should never have been allowed in our country.” Noem did not provide any evidence of prior security concerns related to the suspect’s admission to the U.S., which occurred during Trump’s first term.

Neves Valente was found dead Thursday night in a storage rental facility in Salem, New Hampshire, officials said. He is also suspected in the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor two days after the Brown attack.

Neves Valente attended Brown University more than two decades ago and was a former classmate in Portugal of the slain MIT professor, Nuno Loureiro. 

DIVERSITY REGISTRATION DELAYS PRE-DATE ATTACK

The top countries of origin for diversity visa recipients in fiscal year 2024 were Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kenya, Egypt and Russia, according to State Department figures. Some 41% were from African countries, the figures showed.

Only 118 Portuguese nationals entered the U.S. through the program in the past decade. 

Even before Thursday’s revelation about the Brown University shooting suspect’s immigration history, the diversity program registration for fiscal year 2027, which typically begins in October, had already been delayed.

The U.S. State Department said in November that due to program changes, the registration would be postponed to an unknown date.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Alistair Bell)

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Union Pacific kicks off regulatory review for $85 billion coast‑to‑coast rail merger
Union Pacific kicks off regulatory review for $85 billion coast‑to‑coast rail merger 150 150 admin

By Sabrina Valle

NEW YORK, Dec 19 (Reuters) – Railroad operators Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern on Friday filed a nearly 7,000‑page merger application with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB),  drawing fresh scrutiny from rivals on their plan to create the nation’s first coast‑to‑coast freight railroad.

If approved by regulators, the merger would reshape how goods move across the United States, leaving the remaining two top U.S.-based freight railroads to compete with a transcontinental giant.

 Friday’s filing triggers a 30‑day period in which the railroad regulator can seek more information or propose initial remedies as it reviews the deal. It also opens a formal window for stakeholders to respond to the $85 billion transaction, including shippers, labor unions, consumer advocates and local officials, who can support, oppose or seek conditions as the STB evaluates its competitive and public‑interest impact.

Union Pacific’s merger proposal in July surprised analysts and industry executives, who said such an initiative would be unlikely under earlier administrations because of tougher antitrust scrutiny.

The proposal received public support from President Donald Trump. Union Pacific was among the corporations that contributed to Trump’s White House ballroom project, public disclosures show. UP Chief Executive Jim Vena and Trump have said creating a single East‑West railroad aligns with the president’s vision to “make America great again,” after a meeting between the two at the Oval Office in September.

        OPPOSITION FROM COMPETITORS 

The proposal drew strong opposition from competitors in an already concentrated industry. Four Class I freight railroads dominate the U.S. market, with Union Pacific and BNSF controlling most western routes and Norfolk Southern and CSX covering the East.

UP and NS argue the combination would eliminate the East‑West handoff barrier — especially the costly, delay‑prone Chicago interchanges — by providing single‑line service. They say this would reduce handoffs, improve transit times and help rail compete more effectively with long‑haul trucking.

Union Pacific’s Vena said on Friday he is confident the deal will get regulatory approval.

“If we stand still, we are going to get left behind. I’m not into that. The benefits of this transaction are undeniable,” Vena said.

BNSF, owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, said the merger will reduce shipper choices and lead to higher rates. BNSF CEO Katie Farmer said the company is still reviewing the filing and will have more to say soon, but added that so far it “does not change BNSF’s opposition to the proposed merger.”

“The transaction poses a significant threat to the U.S. economy and the American consumer through its long-term competitive harms,” she said in a note.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), one of the two large Canadian railroads operating in the United States, echoed BNSF’s concerns, saying the merger would pose extraordinary and far‑reaching risks to customers. The company said it will be active in the review and submit comments to STB.

“Approval of this merger is not inevitable,” CPKC said in a note.

CSX, which earlier this year tried and failed to negotiate a merger, is reviewing the filing and will participate in the STB process to ensure it remains well positioned to compete, the company said.

But the future of rail consolidation is still fluid, said Anthony Hatch, an independent analyst. CSX, BNSF and Canadian Pacific could eventually pair up in response to the UP–NS bid, depending on what competitive concessions, market access or operating advantages the STB ultimately grants, he said.

“If these railroads get enough market access through the STB process, they may decide they can remain independent — and if they don’t, they risk being outmatched unless they merge,” he said. “It is too soon to know.”

The UP–NS transaction is the first major railroad merger to be reviewed under the stricter STB framework adopted in 2001, which requires railroads to prove a merger will enhance competition — not just preserve it — and show clear public‑interest benefits, Hatch said. 

(Reporting by Sabrina Valle in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Andrea Ricci )

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At Putin’s annual news conference, a Russian journalist pops the question — to his girlfriend
At Putin’s annual news conference, a Russian journalist pops the question — to his girlfriend 150 150 admin

MOSCOW (AP) — The young journalist in a red bow tie stood during President Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference Friday and displayed a sign saying he wanted to get married. But his main question wasn’t directed at Putin — it was to his girlfriend, Olga, proposing marriage.

Putin complimented Kirill Bazhanov of Yekaterinburg’s Channel 4 on his snazzy tie, saying, “You’re ready to go to the registry office!” Bazhanov told Putin “we’d be very glad to see you at the wedding.”

The Russian leader’s year-end media session had serious questions, of course, about late pension payments, construction projects gone wrong, and the fighting in Ukraine, where Putin sent troops nearly four years ago.

But every year — amid the weighty questions from the domestic and international media — there are also odd and lighter moments, like this year when people asked Putin what his license plate number was and whether love at first sight existed.

It’s all part of the spectacle of the tightly orchestrated event — an opportunity for Putin, who has ruled Russia for 25 years, to expound on a wide array of subjects as well as to burnish his image as a fatherly figure to address the concerns of ordinary Russians who submit questions in advance.

Bazhanov did actually have a question for Putin — about greater support for young families. Later in the 4 1/2-hour news conference, one of the anchors passed along the news that Bazhanov’s girlfriend had said yes. Putin promptly quipped about collecting money for the wedding.

For those inside Moscow’s Gostinny Dvor amphitheater, the most important task was to get Putin’s attention. Most brought signs and some wore national dress. One reporter brought a clutch of Labubu dolls personalized to look like Russian officials and one in the form of U.S. President Donald Trump.

One reporter asked whether a comet approaching Earth could be a UFO, and reassured Putin that the city of Tyumen would be ready to welcome any extraterrestrial guests.

Putin seemed unfazed throughout, although Tajik journalist Shamsudin Boboyev caused a brief commotion when he tried to give Putin a book. Two security officials quickly stopped him from going onstage, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested Boboyev should simply describe the gift, which would be given to him later.

Toward the end of the session, a journalist who noted that Putin had said earlier he believed in love at first sight asked him if he was in love. The Russian leader, whose private life remains closely guarded, answered simply, “Yes.”

—-

Davies reported from Manchester, England.

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How much interest will a $25,000 CD account earn in 2026?
How much interest will a $25,000 CD account earn in 2026? 150 150 admin

Interest earnings on a CD account of this size can still be significant, and it won’t take too long to earn, either.
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Texas judge orders Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce records unsealed amid heated Senate primary
Texas judge orders Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce records unsealed amid heated Senate primary 150 150 admin

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Court documents detailing the divorce of Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, were released Friday by order of a judge, months after she filed citing “biblical grounds.”

The initial batch of documents showed that Angela Paxton sought the divorce on the grounds that Ken Paxton had committed adultery, but included no additional details. She had previously referenced “recent discoveries” when announcing the filing on social media in July. In a separate filing, Ken Paxton denied the allegations in the divorce petition. More records could still be released under an agreement between the Paxtons and a coalition of media outlets to make the documents public.

“It’s a victory, I think, for the American public and for the Texas voters,” Tyler Bexley, an attorney for the media intervenors, told reporters after the judge ordered the documents unsealed.

The divorce and the surrounding speculation have only fueled attacks against Paxton in one of the nation’s most heated Republican primaries as he seeks to unseat Sen. John Cornyn. Whether the divorce details resonate with voters remains to be seen, with the Senate primary set for March 3 next year. Despite years of controversy, the three-term attorney general has remained competitive in the race, which includes Rep. Wesley Hunt.

The divorce comes after 38 years of marriage, during which Angela Paxton had supported her husband through a series of legal troubles, including state and federal corruption investigations. A state securities fraud indictment against Ken Paxton was dismissed after a 2024 plea deal in which he agreed to pay restitution and complete community service, and the Justice Department dropped a federal corruption probe earlier this year.

Angela Paxton also stood by Ken Paxton’s side during that impeachment trial, which publicly exposed his extramarital affair. The 2023 impeachment trial ended in an acquittal for him.

Paxton’s support in Texas has remained strong amid a decade of legal troubles. He won reelection in 2022 by nearly 10 percentage points.

Paxton launched his bid to unseat Cornyn in April and has since drawn attacks from Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, with some in the party concerned that while Paxton could prevail in the GOP primary, he may complicate the general election and force national Republicans to spend heavily to hold the seat. On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico are facing off in their party’s primary.

Groups supporting Cornyn have spent more than $21 million on television ads this year, according to AdImpact, to promote the four-term senator and attack Paxton.

“What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said in July. “No one should have to endure what Angela Paxton has, and we pray for her as she chooses to stand up for herself and her family during this difficult time.”

Paxton has been a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, while Cornyn has at times drawn criticism within his own party for working with Democrats. Trump’s endorsement is expected to be a decisive factor in Texas, which he won in 2024 by nearly 14 percentage points. Trump has not yet endorsed in the race.

Judge Robert Brotherton approved the agreement on Friday to release the records, which had been originally sealed at the Paxtons’ request shortly after Angela Paxton filed. Media outlets sued to have them released.

“If there’s new information that hasn’t been released publicly yet, we certainly think the voters have the right to know that when they are making decisions in the upcoming elections,” Bexley said Friday.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of Ken Paxton at https://apnews.com/hub/ken-paxton.

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The Media Line: Israel, Egypt Sign Largest-Ever Gas Deal, Boosting Mideast Economic Ties  
The Media Line: Israel, Egypt Sign Largest-Ever Gas Deal, Boosting Mideast Economic Ties   150 150 admin

Israel, Egypt Sign Largest-Ever Gas Deal, Boosting Mideast Economic Ties   

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the largest natural gas deal in the country’s history on Wednesday night, involving an agreement with Egypt worth NIS 112 billion ($34.7 billion) that will ultimately mean NIS 58 billion ($18 billion) in revenue.   

The deal calls for Israel to export natural gas from the Leviathan reservoir to Egypt through 2040 and was facilitated by US President Donald Trump.  

In an announcement,  Netanyahu said, “We are working to extract gas from our territorial waters, and our economy is among the best in the world.  

“This deal greatly strengthens Israel’s position as a regional energy powerhouse, and it contributes to stability in our region.”  

Referring to the development coinciding with the Hanukkah holiday, the premier added, “Today we’re on the fourth candle of Hanukkah, and on this day, we’ve brought another jug of oil to the nation of Israel. But this time, the flame will burn not just for eight days, but for decades to come.”  

The agreement also involves the US company Chevron, which will work with Israeli partners to export gas to Egypt. It was under discussion for months and was presented as a key condition for convening a three-way meeting between Israel, Egypt and the United States, expected to take place later this month, according to a Tuesday report by Ynet.  

The report said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi also pressed Israel to pull back from the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors, citing sources familiar with the talks.  

A US source told Axios the agreement was a “huge opportunity” for Israel that would create “interdependence, get the countries closer together, create a warmer peace, and prevent war.” 

 

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US intelligence indicates Putin’s war aims in Ukraine are unchanged
US intelligence indicates Putin’s war aims in Ukraine are unchanged 150 150 admin

By Jonathan Landay, Erin Banco and John Irish

WASHINGTON/PARIS, Dec 19 (Reuters) – U.S. intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to capture all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire, six sources familiar with U.S. intelligence said, even as negotiators seek an end to the war that would leave Russia with far less territory. 

The reports present a starkly different picture from that painted by U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukraine peace negotiators, who have said Putin wants to end the conflict. The most recent of the reports dates from late September, according to one of the sources.

The intelligence also contradicts the Russian leader’s denials that he is a threat to Europe.

The U.S. findings have been consistent since Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022. They largely align with the views of European leaders and spy agencies that he covets all of Ukraine and territories of former Soviet bloc states, including members of the NATO alliance, according to the sources.

“The intelligence has always been that Putin wants more,” Mike Quigley, a Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a Reuters interview. “The Europeans are convinced of it. The Poles are absolutely convinced of it. The Baltics think they’re first.”

Russia controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including the bulk of Luhansk and Donetsk, the provinces that comprise the industrial heartland of the Donbas, parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces and Crimea, the strategic Black Sea peninsula.

Putin claims Crimea and all four provinces as belonging to Russia. Trump is pressuring Kyiv to withdraw its forces from the small part of Donetsk they control as part of a proposed peace deal, according to two sources familiar with the matter, a demand that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and most Ukrainians reject.

“The president’s team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the war” and Trump has stated that a peace deal “is closer than ever before,” said a White House official without addressing the intelligence reports.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the CIA and the Russian embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.  

PROGRESS ON SECURITY GUARANTEES

Trump’s negotiators – his son-in-law Jared Kushner and billionaire real estate developer Steve Witkoff – have for weeks been negotiating the 20-point peace plan with Ukrainian, Russian and European officials.

While U.S. officials say they have made progress, major differences remain on the issues of territory.

Kushner and Witkoff were meeting on Friday with Ukrainian negotiators in Miami and were to hold talks with Russian representatives this weekend, said a White House official.

U.S., Ukrainian and European negotiators reached a broad consensus on Monday in talks in Berlin on what four European diplomats and the two sources familiar with the matter said are robust U.S.-backed guarantees of Ukraine’s security against future Russian aggression.

One source and a diplomat said that those guarantees hinge on Zelenskiy agreeing to cede territory to Russia. But other diplomats said that was not the case and alternatives were still being examined as Zelenskiy has ruled out ceding territory.

The diplomats said the guarantees, which would take effect after the signing of a peace agreement, call for the deployment of a mostly European security force in neighboring countries and in Ukraine away from the front lines to aid in repulsing any future Russian attack.

Ukraine’s military would be capped at 800,000, said the source. But several diplomats said Russia seeks a lower cap to which the Americans are open.

The U.S. would provide intelligence and other support, and the package would be ratified by the U.S. Senate, they said. According to two sources familiar with the talks, Washington’s plan would also include U.S.-backed air patrols over Ukraine.

Zelenskiy on Thursday appeared cautious on the proposals, saying “There’s a question I still can’t get an answer to: What will these security guarantees actually do?”

And it is deeply uncertain whether Putin will agree to such guarantees as he has repeatedly rejected the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine.

RUSSIA STILL PUSHING TERRITORIAL DEMANDS

Putin on Friday offered no compromises, although he told an annual news conference that he was ready to discuss peace.

He said his terms would have to be met as his forces have advanced 6,000 square km (2,300 square miles) this year.

It is unclear how U.S. officials have responded to Putin’s demands. Witkoff has previously suggested that Russia has a right to claim the four provinces and Crimea.

Some Trump administration officials have acknowledged that Putin may be unwilling to settle for less than his initial goal of conquering Ukraine. 

“I don’t know if Putin wants to do a deal or Putin wants to take the whole country. These are things that he has said openly,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday at a press conference.

“We know what they wanted to achieve initially when the war began. They haven’t achieved those objectives.”

(Reporting by Erin Banco and Jonathan Landay in Washington and John Irish in Paris; Editing by Don Durfee, Diane Craft and Daniel Wallis)

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Rubio reaffirms commitment to NATO as Europe fears Russia's Putin may target U.S. allies next
Rubio reaffirms commitment to NATO as Europe fears Russia's Putin may target U.S. allies next 150 150 admin

Secretary of State Marco Rubio took questions from members of the press as the U.S. and European nations navigate turbulent waters with Russia. Rubio also weighed in on operations near Venezuela. CBS News’ Olivia Gazis reports.
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American Airlines stops offering miles for basic economy fares
American Airlines stops offering miles for basic economy fares 150 150 admin

Members of the carrier’s AAdvantage loyalty program no longer earn miles or status points when purchasing a basic ticket.
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