# Ramaswamy was the target of death threats in New Hampshire that led to FBI arrest, campaign says
By **KATHY McCORMACK** and **HOLLY RAMER**
December 11, 2023. 8:39 PM EST

---

**CONCORD, N.H. (AP)** - A New Hampshire man has been accused of sending text messages threatening to kill a presidential candidate ahead of a scheduled campaign event Monday, federal prosecutors said.

The U.S. Attorney's office did not name the candidate. However, a spokesperson for Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said Monday that the texts were directed at his campaign.

"We are grateful to law enforcement for their swiftness and professionalism in handling this matter and pray for the safety of all Americans," Stefan Mychajliw, deputy communications director, said in a statement.

Tyler Anderson, 30, of Dover, was arrested Saturday and charged with sending a threat using interstate commerce. He did not speak at his initial court appearance Monday other than telling the judge he understood the proceedings, and his court-appointed attorney declined to comment afterward. A detention hearing was scheduled for Thursday.

Ramaswamy went on to hold his event at the Roundabout Diner & Lounge in Portsmouth.

According to court documents, the man received a text message from the candidate's campaign on Friday notifying him of Monday's breakfast event in Portsmouth.

The campaign staff received two text messages in response, according to an FBI agent affidavit. One threatened to shoot the candidate in the head, the other threatened to kill everyone at the event and desecrate their corpses.

The cellphone number was traced to the man, the FBI said. Agents executed a search warrant at the man's home on Saturday. The texts were found in a deleted folder, the affidavit said.

The man told the FBI in an interview that he had sent similar texts to "multiple other campaigns," the affidavit said. The document includes a screenshot of texts threatening a mass shooting in response to an invitation to see a candidate "who isn't afraid to tell it like it is." Republican Chris Christie calls his events "Tell it Like It Is Town Halls."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Christie campaign thanked law enforcement officials for addressing those threats.

The charge provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.


# Biden's focus on bashing Trump takes a page from the winning Obama and Bush reelection playbooks
By **WILL WEISSERT**
December 10, 2023. 8:44 AM EST

---

**WASHINGTON (AP)** - President Joe Biden's campaign manager recently sent a fundraising email meant to reassure supporters worried about the Democrat's reelection chances, urging them to take a "quick walk down memory lane."

Julie Chavez Rodriguez noted that many Democrats 12 years ago questioned whether President Barack Obama would win a second term. Biden was Obama's vice president.

"Flash forward to November 6, 2012. I think you may remember the day," she wrote. Underneath was a photo of the Obamas and Bidens celebrating their election victory.

More than a nostalgic message, that sentiment can increasingly be seen in Biden's strategy for winning in 2024.

Biden is trying to focus the campaign on former President Donald Trump's comments and policy proposals, sometimes more than his own. It's a time-worn strategy of White House incumbents to try to negatively define their rivals in the public's eyes. In 2012, Obama and his allies did it with Republican Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and current Utah senator. In 2004, President George W. Bush was successful against Democratic nominee John Kerry, then a Massachusetts senator.

But Trump, the current front-runner for the Republican nomination, is already better defined than perhaps any figure in U.S. politics. And even as Trump's promises to seek retribution and references to his enemies as "vermin" animate many Democrats, Biden faces low approval ratings and questions about his age and his handling of the economy and foreign affairs.

"You can't really run a playbook for the last election, or what worked previously," said Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist who was Romney's 2012 senior adviser and spokesman. "I think Trump is an entirely different, nonlinear opponent compared to an Obama vs. Romney."

Some prominent Democrats have suggested that there's a danger in making the race too much about Trump. They say Biden should play up parts of his own record and focus on abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Abortion was an issue credited with helping the party exceeding expectations in last year's midterms and several races this year.

After spending much of his presidency declining to refer to Trump by name, Biden has stepped up his warnings about his predecessor. Biden's campaign has in recent weeks blasted Trump's suggestions that he wouldn't rule as a dictator "other than Day 1," that he would again pursue a repeal of Obama's health care overhaul, and that he would stage massive raids to try to deport millions of people.

Biden recently told a crowd of donors in Massachusetts, "We've got to get it done. Not because of me."

"If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running," Biden said. "We cannot let him win."

Trump's campaign did not respond to messages seeking comment. Biden's campaign says defining clear contrasts between the president and Trump is key to its strategy.

"Next year's election will be a choice between President Biden's proven track record of lowering costs and delivering for middle class families, and Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans' bleak vision of dividing us," Biden campaign spokesman Ammar Moussa said, referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement. "We're going to do the work to ensure voters understand the enormous stakes of next year's election."

Obama's 2012 campaign relied heavily on grassroots organizing and television ad spending to motivate voters. Biden, though, is working to prioritize unconventional ways to reach voters in line with significant shifts in Americans' media consumption habits, particularly about political issues.

The dynamics of the 2024 race are also different from 2012. Biden has a record of legislative accomplishments on popular issues such as infrastructure. In 2012, Americans were sharply divided over Obama's signature accomplishment, the health care law often called "Obamacare," though it is now viewed more positively.

Biden's aides also point to low unemployment and other signs of economic strength, although polls show Americans don't feel the economy is strong and they rate Biden poorly on the issue.

Obama campaign veterans hold key roles in Biden's political operation, from White House senior adviser Anita Dunn, who worked in the Obama White House, to Chavez Rodriguez, a former Obama campaign volunteer and administration official.

Another, Kate Bedingfield, who was deputy campaign manager for Biden's 2020 campaign and then White House communications director, said presidents always want to "make the campaign about their opponent and not their own record." That is because governing means making compromises that can be sometimes harder to communicate in ways that resonate with voters, she said.

"They want to shift the dynamics of the race to be about the threat that their opponent poses," Bedingfield said. "For the Biden campaign, in Donald Trump they have an almost existential threat."

Obama built his winning campaign around attacking Romney months before Romney was formally the GOP nominee and defining him as a corporate raider willing to slash jobs to boost profits.

In 2004, Bush won reelection despite the growing unpopularity of the war in Iraq by portraying Kerry as a flip-flopper while pro-Bush groups ran a series of ads raising questions about Kerry's record as a swift boat commander in Vietnam.

Biden has kept a relatively light schedule of campaign rallies, holding just one in the first four months after launching his reelection campaign. He has held dozens of private fundraisers and spent the past week raising money in Boston, Washington, and Los Angeles.

Obama didn't hold his first reelection campaign rally until May 2012.

One of the most memorable pro-Obama ads featured an Indiana plant worker who described being asked to help build a stage from which the plant's employees were told they were being laid off. The plant worker blamed Romney and his private investment firm for making more than $100 million by shutting down the plant, a claim that the fact-checking site Politifact rated "mostly false."

Efforts to vilify Romney only intensified when video emerged of him saying 47% of people would vote for Obama because they were "dependent upon government" and "believe that they are victims."

Biden's team has similarly picked up on economic themes to slam Trump, including promoting the story of electronics giant Foxconn. Trump promised as president that the company was building a major plant that would create thousands of jobs in the critical swing state of Wisconsin. Those jobs never materialized.

A year before the 2012 election, however, polls suggested Romney's public image could be shaped by negative ads in a way that Trump's cannot.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in late 2011 found voters were somewhat more likely to have a favorable than an unfavorable opinion of Romney, 36% to 31%. Notably, another 31% said they hadn't heard enough about Romney to have an opinion.

A recent Quinnipiac poll found 42% of registered voters said they had a favorable opinion of Trump and 55% had an unfavorable opinion. The same poll found only 37% having a favorable opinion of Biden while 59% had a unfavorable opinion.

Bedingfield agreed that many voters have already made up their mind about Trump. But she said Biden was able to use Trump's well-defined political brand against him in 2020 and could do the same next year.

"People looked at what he had done and said, 'We don't want more of this,'" she said of Trump. "That gives the Biden campaign a really strong roadmap."

Stuart Stevens, who was Romney's chief strategist, said that the country is now far more polarized than in 2012 and that the focus on Biden's low polling numbers "is in the framework of a pre-Trump era."

"I think we're really in a very different world," Stevens said, adding that 2024 "is inevitably going to be more of a referendum on Trump."


# At DC roast, Joe Manchin jokes he could be the slightly younger president America needs
By **AAMER MADHANI**
December 10, 2023. 1:58 AM EST

---

**WASHINGTON (AP)** - Sen. Joe Manchin used a weekend Washington roast to tease a potential third-party run for the White House, joking that the nation could use someone slightly younger than the leading contenders.

Speaking Saturday night during the Gridiron Club's winter dinner, Manchin said the country could benefit from a younger leader than President Joe Biden or the 2024 GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump.

"With all due respect, the president is 81 years old. Donald Trump is 77," said Machin, a West Virginia Democrat who announced last month he would not run for reelection in 2024. "I truly believe the American people are ready to pass the torch to a new generation, somebody younger. I'd say maybe someone close to 76 that doesn't look a day over 70."

The retiring lawmaker is 76.

Manchin previously indicated he could potentially launch a run for the White House, saying in an NBC "Meet the Press" interview in November that he would "absolutely" consider a run for president. Some Democrats have expressed concern that a run by the centrist Manchin as an independent could cut into Biden's support and pave the way for Trump winning a second term in the White House.

The annual dinner in Washington of the Gridiron Club and Foundation, which traces its history to 1885, features songs and speeches from Democrats, Republicans and journalists that are expected to "singe" but "not burn" the capital's political elite.

In his remarks, Manchin also poked fun at the notion he could be a spoiler if he decides to run.

"I've heard it all. You all heard it all," Manchin said. "Most of you probably told me. They say that my running would throw the election to Trump. Others say my running might help Biden. Hell, I'm trying to find out how it would help me."

Manchin also used humor to offer a defense of the political organization No Labels, a group with which Manchin has long ties and is weighing running a third-party slate for the White House. Supporters of Manchin and another retiring senator, Republican Mitt Romney of Utah, have launched an effort to encourage the pair to seek the No Labels' nomination.

"You'd think that No Labels is the cause of every problem that we have in Washington," Manchin said. "How did you end up with so many classified documents in Mar-a-Lago? It was No Labels."

Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina offered the Republican response at the dinner.


# Peek inside Joe Biden's campaign fundraisers, where big money mingles with old jokes in swanky homes
By **CHRIS MEGERIAN** and **WILL WEISSERT**
December 9, 2023. 8:16 AM EST

---

**LOS ANGELES (AP)** - If you're a Democrat with money to burn and friends in high places, you can spend thousands on tickets to a fundraiser with President Joe Biden. If not, keep reading to see what you're missing.

With an election year around the corner, Biden is accelerating his fundraising to prepare for an astronomically expensive campaign. (Think billions, not millions.) In this rarefied world, money equals access, and supporters regularly pay top dollar for a personal glimpse of the world's most powerful man.

Biden is collecting cash across the Los Angeles area this weekend, and his first stop was a sprawling estate where the host joked "it's just a normal Friday at our house" as hundreds of donors sipped wine in the backyard.

"You're the reason why we're gonna win, God willing, in 2024," Biden told the audience.

Each fundraiser is a little different, but there's a similar script. A look at what it's like inside the presidential money hunt.

## The setting
Fundraisers are a rare glimpse at the lives of the country's wealthiest and most influential. Biden's motorcade has rolled up to a mountain villa in Park City, Utah, a townhouse in New York City and a sprawling estate at the top of Hollywood Hills.

In a Manhattan apartment with floor-to-ceiling views of Central Park, reporters were required to slip disposable covers over their shoes before they could enter the living room where donors nibbled on crustless tea sandwiches.

At Friday's fundraiser in Los Angeles, attendees wore colored wrist bands that indicated where they should sit. Ushers held up red, green, blue and orange signs to direct them to the right place.

The press corps can enter fundraisers only to hear Biden's formal remarks; no cameras are allowed. When Biden is mingling with supporters or answering their questions, reporters are sequestered in a garage, home gym or spare bedroom. Sometimes they are kept outside on the sidewalk.

## The introduction
The lucky host often gets the privilege of introducing the president. Usually, these remarks are predictably laudatory, but sometimes they get spicy.

Randi McGinn, a prominent New Mexico lawyer, joked about the attractiveness of the president's Secret Service detail and referenced Donald Trump's dalliance with a porn star.

Biden smiled - or grimaced, it was hard to tell - and made the sign of the cross as she spoke.

The president always thanks his hosts and any elected officials present. If he spots any children, Biden often jokingly warns them "this is going to be boring, boring, boring for you."

## The unexpected
Although fundraisers are often run-of-the-mill occasions, careful reporters know to stay attentive. Biden has a history of being more candid than usual when surrounded by deep-pocketed supporters.

During a June fundraiser in California, Biden upset China by describing President Xi Jinping as a "dictator." Biden also said Xi was unaware that a Chinese balloon that floated over the United States was being used for spying.

"The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didn't know it was there," Biden said.

In Park City in August, Biden ruminated about his signature legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act.

"I wish I hadn't called it that," Biden said, "because it has less to do with reducing inflation than it does to do with dealing with providing for alternatives that generate economic growth."

And on Tuesday in Weston, Massachusetts, the 81-year-old president suggested he might not be seeking reelection if it weren't for Trump's comeback bid.

"If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I'd be running," Biden said. "But we cannot let him win, for the sake of the country."

## The stories
Donors pay top dollar to hear Biden speak at private events, but reporters can rattle off some of his well-worn lines from memory.

The president says he's "never been more optimistic" about the country as long as we "remember who in hell we are." He cites his legislative accomplishments, from limiting prescription drug costs to investing in infrastructure such as roads and bridges. He says the rich need to "pay their fair share" of taxes. He warns that the U.S. is at "an inflection point."

He usually talks about meeting with Xi while they each served as vice presidents of their respective countries. In Biden's telling, Xi asked him to define America. "I said, 'I can do it in one word - possibilities,'" Biden says.

A centerpiece of Biden's fundraisers is his story of deciding to run for president against Trump in 2020.

He talks about "people coming out of the woods, carrying torches" during the 2017 marches in Charlottesville, Virginia, and "chanting the same antisemitic bile that was chanted in Germany in the '30s." When Trump said there were "very fine people on both sides" of the violence, Biden says, "that's when I decided I couldn't remain silent any longer."

## The attacks
Fundraisers are an opportunity for Biden to rile up his supporters and score points on his opponents in a friendly environment.

He often says "this is not your father's Republican Party," and he warns about "the extreme right, the MAGA movement," referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

Sometimes he avoids mentioning Trump's name by making oblique references to "my predecessor." But given Trump's standing as the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024, Biden has seen little reason to hold back.

Biden generally warns about the potential for cuts to health care or rollbacks to environmental programs if Trump wins next year. And Biden always keeps the focus on what he describes as a threat to the country's institutions.

"Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans," Biden said in Minneapolis last month, "are determined to destroy this democracy."


# GOP presidential candidates share stories of family and faith. Offstage, their sharp edges reemerged
By **HANNAH FINGERHUT**
December 9, 2023. 8:43 PM EST

---

**SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP)** - A trio of Republican presidential candidates shared stories of family and faith before hundreds of voters in northwest Iowa on Saturday, having congenial individual conversations with their hosts not long after dueling at the campaign's latest fractious debate. But off the stage at a small Christian college in Sioux Center, the rivals' sharp edges reemerged.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy leaned on their families to drive home their origin stories, without other candidates interrupting, at the event held in a rural, conservative corner of a state that holds the leadoff contest on the election calendar in about a month.

Later, DeSantis and Ramaswamy both went after Haley, a further sign that her opponents see her as a growing threat in the 2024 race where former President Donald Trump, who skipped the event, is the front-runner in polls of Republicans nationwide and Iowa, where the caucuses are set for Jan. 15.

After DeSantis' time with the moderators, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra and his wife, Lynette, he returned to a recurring campaign theme: Haley's campaign is funded by liberal Democrats and Wall Street donors and she is "taking positions that are more palatable to those folks."

Ramaswamy told reporters that his criticisms of Haley at Wednesday night's debate were intended to illustrate the "deep ideological divide" in the Republican Party. He said he was unfairly being criticized himself for targeting Haley, the only woman in the race.

"It's part of a double standard that the people in this country are sick of when it comes to identity politics," he said. "The good news is - I'm not letting them get away with that."

Haley did not speak to the news media after her appearance.

Steve Rehder, 59, was relieved to hear from candidates without the "crossfire." He said he is deciding between supporting Haley or DeSantis, but "really likes" Haley and her debate performance.

"The way she had to stand while she was being attacked at the last debate. I know she just wanted to come unglued at the guy, but she stood there," said the livestock farmer from Hawarden.

On the stage before about 750 people, including many students from Dordt University, each candidate discussed faith, family and politics. Also appearing was pastor Ryan Binkley, who has not qualified for any debates.

DeSantis was accompanied by wife, Casey. Haley sat with her 25-year-old daughter, Rena. Ramaswamy brought his 3-year-old son, Karthik.

Feenstra said it was a unique chance for people to hear the candidates' principles and positions, unlike the debates that left little time for real answers from candidates because of infighting and bickering.

Feenstra said he may endorse in the race, but has not yet.

"I want them to make their own decision based on what they're hearing," he told reporters. "They can make that decision on their own without some politician telling them this is what has to happen."

The three candidates are making stops across Iowa all weekend as pressure mounts for an attention-grabbing performance in the caucuses.

As for the absent Trump, "I'd love to hear his stance on faith and family," Feenstra said. "I think that'd be very important to northwest Iowa and all of Iowa."

Rehder agreed, saying it was admirable for candidates to come to Sioux County and share their faith values. While Trump was the "right guy at the right time" and was a great president, Rehder said, "he needs to shut his mouth."

"I don't know how he would handle this kind of setting," Rehder said about the "faith and family" event. "But maybe he should be here so we could see that part."


# Nikki Haley looks for a strong showing, not necessarily a win, in Iowa caucuses
By **HANNAH FINGERHUT**
December 8, 2023. 10:22 PM EST

---

**SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP)** - For Nikki Haley, a win in Iowa doesn't necessarily mean a win in the state's Republican presidential caucuses.

"The way I look at it, we just need to have a good showing in Iowa," the former South Carolina governor said Friday in response to a question during a town hall event in Sioux City. "I don't think that means we have to win necessarily, but I think that means we have to have a good showing."

The comments stand in stark contrast to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who declared decisively that "we're going to win Iowa" on NBC's "Meet the Press" last Sunday. DeSantis wouldn't say whether he would end his campaign if he didn't finish first or second.

DeSantis and Haley are likely battling for a second-place finish, since former President Donald Trump continues to sit comfortably atop the field in polls of Republicans in Iowa and nationwide.

The DeSantis campaign has largely focused on Iowa, hoping to deny Trump a big win in the caucuses. A super PAC supporting DeSantis has invested more than $16 million in advertising and more on building a campaign organization.

But DeSantis has faced growing pressure from Haley, who is piquing the interest of donors and voters looking for an alternative to Trump. She recently won the support of the Koch network, the largest conservative grassroots organization in the nation.

Dan Dykstra asked Haley the question Friday, wondering what percentage she'd need to get in Iowa to be satisfied.

Dykstra acknowledged that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is supporting DeSantis, but "that doesn't mean I have to," the 68-year-old attorney said. The Sioux City Republican will likely choose Haley or DeSantis on Jan. 15, but he hasn't committed just yet.

What he really wanted to know: How would Haley, or any candidate, deny Trump the nomination? Haley said a strong showing in Iowa would tee up a favorable match-up between her and the former president in her home state of South Carolina.

"If she can beat DeSantis and keep the momentum going," Dykstra said, "then I think that's a big deal."


# Indiana secretary of state appeals ruling for US Senate candidate seeking GOP nod
December 8, 2023. 8:31 PM EST

---

**INDIANAPOLIS (AP)** - The Indiana secretary of state is appealing a ruling that a law stipulating voting requirements for a candidate's party affiliation is unconstitutional in a decision that lifted the hopes of a U.S. Senate hopeful who wants to run as a Republican.

The Indiana attorney general's office filed the notice of appeal Friday with the Indiana Supreme Court on behalf of Secretary of State Diego Morales.

The filing came a day after a Marion County judge granted an injunction sought by John Rust, the former chair of the egg supplier Rose Acre Farms who is running to replace Sen. Mike Braun. Rust filed a lawsuit in September against Morales, the Indiana Election Commission and Jackson County Republican Party Chair Amanda Lowery to challenge the law and ensure the possibility of his place on the ballot.

The law in question says a candidate's past two primary elections must be cast with the party the candidate is affiliated with or a county party chair must approve the candidacy. In court documents, Rust argued that this statute "should be struck down as being unconstitutionally vague and overly broad."

A phone message seeking comment from Rust was left Friday evening by The Associated Press.

Rust voted as a Republican in the 2016 primary but as a Democrat in 2012. He did not vote in the 2020 Republican primary because of the pandemic and the lack of competitive Republican races in Jackson County, the lawsuit said. Rust said his Democratic votes were for people he personally knew.

Lowery, the county's Republican Party chair, said in a July meeting with Rust that she would not certify him, the lawsuit said. Rust has said Lowery later cited his primary voting record.

In a November hearing, Rust said the law keeps legitimate candidates who have recently moved to Indiana or have switched political identifications from running for office.

In his ruling, Marion County Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Dietrick said the law "unduly burdens Hoosiers' long recognized right to freely associate with the political party of one's choosing and to cast one's vote effectively."

Should Rust prevail, he still faces an uphill challenge for the GOP nomination. U.S. Rep. Jim Banks has received the endorsement of the Indiana Republican Party and former President Donald Trump. Rust must also fulfill a signature quota for the nomination.

Casting himself as a conservative gay man with an "outsider's voice" to Washington, D.C., Rust is the former chair of his family business Rose Acre Farms in southern Indiana. Rose Acre Farms identifies itself as the second-largest egg producer in the U.S.

The company was one of four major egg producers in the country accused of fixing the price of eggs in the 2000s. A jury in an Illinois federal court recently ruled the producers conspired to limit the domestic supply of eggs to increase prices between 2004-2008 and ordered the companies to pay $17.7 million in damages. Rose Acre Farms has denied any wrongdoing.

Sen. Mike Braun is vacating the seat in his bid for governor.


# US envoys work for new hostage release deal, scale-down of Israel-Hamas war but say no timetable
By **MELANIE LIDMAN**, **TARA COPP**, and **SAMY MAGDY**
December 18, 2023. 8:31 PM EST

---

**TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)** - The head of the CIA jetted to Europe for talks with Israeli and Qatari officials Monday, sounding out the potential for a deal on a new cease-fire and the release of hostages in Gaza, as the U.S. defense secretary spoke to Israeli military leaders about scaling back major combat operations against Hamas.

Still, there was no sign that a shift in the war was imminent after more than two months of devastating bombardment and fighting. Fierce battles raged in northern Gaza, where residents said rescue workers were searching for the dead and the living under buildings flattened by Israeli strikes.

Pressure is growing, as France, the U.K. and Germany - some of Israel's closest allies - joined global calls for a cease-fire over the weekend. Israeli protesters have demanded the government relaunch talks with Hamas on releasing more hostages after three were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops while waving a white flag.

U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed concern about the large number of civilian deaths in Gaza. But after talks with Israeli officials Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, "This is Israel's operation. I'm not here to dictate timelines or terms." The U.S. has vetoed calls for a cease-fire at the U.N. and has rushed munitions to Israel.

The U.N Security Council delayed a vote to Tuesday on an Arab-sponsored resolution calling for a halt to hostilities to allow unhindered access to humanitarian aid. Diplomats said negotiations were taking place to get the U.S. to abstain or vote "yes" on the resolution.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will keep fighting until it ends Hamas rule in Gaza, crushes its formidable military capabilities and frees hostages still held in Gaza since the deadly Oct. 7 attack inside Israel that ignited the war. Militants killed some 1,200 people and abducted 240 others in the attack.

The war has killed more than 19,000 Palestinians and demolished much of the north into a moonscape. Some 1.9 million Palestinians - nearly 85% of Gaza's population - have fled their homes, with most packing into U.N.-run shelters and tent camps in the southern part of the besieged territory.

## HOSTAGE TALKS
In an apparent sign that talks on a hostage deal were growing more serious, CIA Director William Burns met in Warsaw with the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency and the prime minister of Qatar, a U.S. official said.

It was the first known meeting of the three since the end of a weeklong cease-fire in late November, during which some 100 hostages - including a number of foreign nationals - were freed in exchange for the release of around 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the talks were not "at a point where another deal is imminent."

Aiming to increase public pressure on the Israeli government, Hamas released a video showing three elderly Israeli hostages, sitting in white T-shirts and pleading for Israel to bring their immediate release.

The comments were likely made under duress, but the video signaled Hamas wants to move on to discussions of releasing sick and elderly men in captivity. Israel has said it wants around 19 women and two children freed first. Hamas says the women include soldiers, for whom it is expected to demand a higher price in terms of prisoner releases.

Hamas and other militants are still holding an estimated 129 captives. Hamas has said no more hostages will be released until the war ends.

## SCALING DOWN THE WAR
Austin, who arrived in Israel with Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown, said he and Israeli officials exchanged "thoughts on how to transition from high intensity operations" in Gaza and how to increase the flow of humanitarian aid.

American officials have called for targeted operations aimed at killing Hamas leaders, destroying tunnels and rescuing hostages. U.S. President Joe Biden warned last week that Israel is losing international support because of its "indiscriminate bombing."

Speaking alongside Austin, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said only that "the war will take time."

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the Israeli chief of staff met with Austin and Brown and presented "plans for the continuation of the battle in the coming stages."

European countries appear to be losing patience. "Far too many civilians have been killed in Gaza," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell posted on X.

Under U.S. pressure, Israel provided more precise evacuation instructions earlier this month as troops moved into the southern city of Khan Younis. Still, casualties have continued to mount and Palestinians say nowhere in Gaza is safe as Israel carries out strikes in all parts of the territory.

Israel reopened its main cargo crossing with Gaza to allow more aid in - also after a U.S. request. But the amount is less than half of prewar imports, even as needs have soared and fighting hinders delivery in many areas. Israel blocked entry off all goods into Gaza soon after the war started and weeks later began allowing a small amount of aid in through Egypt.

## MORE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
At least 110 people were killed in Israeli strikes Sunday on residential buildings in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, Munir al-Boursh, a senior Health Ministry official, told Al Jazeera television.

Fierce fighting continued Monday in Jabaliya and the Gaza City districts of Zaytoun and Shijaiyah, where tens of thousands of Palestinians remain trapped, crowded in homes or schools.

In Jabaliya, first responders and residents searched the rubble of many collapsed buildings. "They use their hands and shovels," said Amal Radwan, who is staying at a U.N. shelter there. "We need bulldozers and above all the bombing to stop."

More than 19,400 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Health Ministry, which has said that most are women and minors and that thousands more are buried under rubble. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.

Israel's military says 127 of its soldiers have been killed in the Gaza ground offensive. It says it has killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.

Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas, saying it uses them as human shields. But the military rarely comments on individual strikes.

## REGIONAL TENSIONS
In Bahrain early Tuesday, Austin said that the U.S. and other nations have created a new force to protect commercial ships passing through the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Houthis say their attacks aim to end Israel's offensive in Gaza, and their campaign has prompted a growing list of companies to halt operations in the major trade route.

"This is an international challenge that demands collective action," Austin said in statement.

Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah have traded fire along the border nearly every day since the war began. And in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, over 300 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, including four overnight during an Israeli military raid in the Faraa refugee camp, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

This has been the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2005. Most have been killed during military raids, which often ignite gunbattles, or during violent demonstrations.


# Pentagon announces new international mission to counter attacks on commercial vessels in Red Sea
By **TARA COPP** and **LOLITA C. BALDOR**
December 18, 2023. 8:02 PM EST

---

**MANAMA, Bahrain (AP)** - The U.S. and a host of other nations are creating a new force to protect ships transiting the Red Sea that have come under attack by drones and ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced early Tuesday in Bahrain.

The seriousness of the attacks, several of which have damaged the vessels, has led multiple shipping companies to order their ships to hold in place and not enter the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the security situation can be addressed.

The U.S. military's Central Command reported two more of the attacks on commercial vessels Monday. A strike by attack drone and ballistic missile hit a tanker off Yemen, at roughly the same time a cargo ship reported an explosive detonating in the water near them, the military said.

"This is an international challenge that demands collective action," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in statement released just after midnight in Bahrain. "Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative."

The United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain will join the U.S. in the new mission, Austin announced. Some of the countries will conduct joint patrols while others provide intelligence support in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Several other countries have also agreed to be involved in the operation but prefer not to be publicly named, a defense official said on the condition of anonymity to discuss additional details of the new mission that have not been publicly announced.

The mission will be coordinated by the already existing Combined Task Force 153, which was set up in April 2022 to improve maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden. There have been 39 member nations in CTF 153, but officials were working to determine which of them would participate in this latest effort.

Separately, the United States has also called on the United Nations Security Council to take action against the attacks.

In a letter to council members obtained Monday by The Associated Press, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Houthi attacks targeting commercial vessels legally transiting the international waterways continue to threaten "navigational rights and freedoms, international maritime security, and international commerce."

The 15 council members discussed the Houthi threat behind closed doors Monday but took no immediate action.

Two U.S. warships - the USS Carney and the USS Mason, Navy destroyers - have been moving through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait daily to help deter and respond to attacks from the Houthis.

The move to set up the expanded operation came after three commercial vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-back Houthis in Yemen on Dec. 3. Those attacks were part of an escalating campaign of violence that also included armed and other drones launched in the direction of U.S. warships.

To date the U.S. has not struck back at the Iranian-back Houthis operating in Yemen or targeted any of the militants' weapons or other sites. On Monday Austin did not answer a question as to why the Pentagon had not conducted a counterstrike.


# UN Security Council delays vote on resolution urging cessation of hostilities in Gaza to deliver aid
By **EDITH M. LEDERER**
December 18, 2023. 4:55 PM EST

---

**UNITED NATIONS (AP)** - The U.N. Security Council delayed until Tuesday morning a vote on an Arab-sponsored resolution calling for a halt to hostilities in Gaza to allow for urgently needed aid deliveries to a massive number of civilians as members intensified negotiations to try to avoid another veto by the United States.

The council said Monday's 5 p.m. EST vote would not take place, and diplomats said negotiations were taking place to get the United States, Israel's closest ally, to abstain or vote "yes" on the resolution.

A key issue is how to implement and sustain a desperately needed aid operation. Human Rights Watch accused Israel earlier Monday of deliberately starving Gaza's population by blocking the delivery of water, food and fuel, a method of warfare that it described as a war crime. The United Nations' food agency reported on Dec. 14 that 56% of Gaza's households were experiencing "severe levels of hunger," up from 38% two weeks earlier.

The draft on the table Monday morning called for an "urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities" for humanitarian access to deliver aid. But this language is expected to be watered down to a "suspension" of hostilities or something possibly weaker to satisfy the Americans, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions have been private.

The U.S. vetoed a Security Council resolution on Dec. 8 that was backed by almost all council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The 193-member General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a similar resolution on Dec. 12 by a vote of 153-10, with 23 abstentions.

The importance of a Security Council resolution is that it is legally binding, but in practice many parties choose to ignore the council's requests for action. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but though they are a significant barometer of world opinion.

The draft resolution that was being considered by the 15 council members on Monday recognizes that civilians in Gaza don't have access to sufficient food, water, sanitation, electricity, telecommunications and medical services "essential for their survival." Also, it would express the council's "strong concern for the disproportionate effect that the conflict is having on the lives and well-being of children, women and other civilians in vulnerable situations."

More than 19,400 Palestinians have been killed according to the Gaza Health Ministry since Israel declared war on the Palestinian militant Hamas group following its surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,200 people - mostly civilians - and took about 240 hostages.

Hamas controls the Gaza Strip and its Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Thousands more Palestinians lie buried under the rubble in Gaza, the U.N. estimates. Israel says 116 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive.

The proposed council resolution reiterates its demand that all parties comply with international humanitarian law, especially protecting civilians and the infrastructure critical for their survival including hospitals, schools, places of worship and U.N. facilities.

The draft, obtained by The Associated Press, demands the parties to the conflict - Hamas and Israel - fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law and enable "the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip."

It "calls for an urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access" in Gaza and also "firmly condemns all violations of international humanitarian law, including all indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian objects, all violence and hostilities against civilians, and all acts of terrorism."

The draft also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all Hamas-held hostages.

The draft confirms its "unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution," and stresses "the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority."

The draft is being negotiated by the United Arab Emirates, which is the Arab representative on the Security Council, and requests U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres establish am expeditious mechanism to monitor all humanitarian shipments to Gaza by land, sea and air.


# Iceland volcano erupts weeks after thousands were evacuated from a town on Reykjanes Peninsula
By **DAVID KEYTON**
December 18, 2023. 9:42 PM EST

---

**STOCKHOLM (AP)** - A volcanic eruption started Monday night on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, turning the sky orange and prompting the country's civil defense to be on high alert.

The eruption appears to have occurred about four kilometers (2.4 miles) from the town of Grindavik, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said. Grainy webcam video showed the moment of the eruption as a flash of light illuminating the sky at 22:17 local time. As the eruption spread, magma, or semi-molten rock, could be seen spewing along the ridge of a hill.

"The magma flow seems to be at least a hundred cubic meters per second, maybe more. So this would be considered a big eruption in this area at least," Vidir Reynisson, head of Iceland's Civil Protection and Emergency Management told the Icelandic public broadcaster, RUV.

In November, police evacuated the town or Grindavik after strong seismic activity in the area damaged homes and raised fears of an imminent eruption.

Iceland sits above a volcanic hot spot in the North Atlantic and averages an eruption every four to five years. The most disruptive in recent times was the 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed huge clouds of ash into the atmosphere and grounded flights across Europe for days because of fears ash could damage airplane engines.

Scientists say a new eruption would likely produce lava but not an ash cloud.

Iceland's foreign minister, Bjarne Benediktsson said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that there are "no disruptions to flights to and from Iceland and international flight corridors remain open."

A coast guard helicopter will attempt to confirm the exact location - and size - of the eruption, and will also measure gas emissions.

Grindavik, a fishing town of 3,400, sits on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the capital, Reykjavik and not far from Keflavik Airport, Iceland's main facility for international flights.


# Elon Musk restores X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
By **The Associated Press**
December 10, 2023. 6:08 AM EST

---

Elon Musk has restored the X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pointing to a poll on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that came out in favor of the Infowars host who repeatedly called the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax.

It poses new uncertainty for advertisers, who have fled X over concerns about hate speech appearing alongside their ads, and is the latest divisive public personality to get back their banned account.

Musk posted a poll on Saturday asking if Jones should be reinstated, with the results showing 70% of those who responded in favor. Early Sunday, Musk tweeted, "The people have spoken and so it shall be."

A few hours later, Jones' posts were visible again and he retweeted a post about his video game. He and his Infowars show had been permanently banned in 2018 for abusive behavior.

Musk, who has described himself as a free speech absolutist, said the move was about protecting those rights. In response to a user who posted that "permanent account bans are antithetical to free speech," Musk wrote, "I find it hard to disagree with this point."

The billionaire Tesla CEO also tweeted it's likely that Community Notes - X's crowd-sourced fact-checking service - "will respond rapidly to any AJ post that needs correction."

It is a major turnaround for Musk, who previously said he wouldn't let Jones back on the platform despite repeated calls to do so. Last year, Musk pointed to the death of his first-born child and tweeted, "I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame."

Jones repeatedly has said on his show that the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 20 children and six educators never happened and was staged in an effort to tighten gun laws.

Relatives of many of the victims sued Jones in Connecticut and Texas, winning nearly $1.5 billion in judgments against him. In October, a judge ruled that Jones could not use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than $1.1 billon of that debt.

Relatives of the school shooting victims testified at the trials about being harassed and threatened by Jones' believers, who sent threats and even confronted the grieving families in person, accusing them of being "crisis actors" whose children never existed.

Jones is appealing the judgments, saying he didn't get fair trials and his speech was protected by the First Amendment.

Restoring Jones' account comes as Musk has seen a slew of big brands, including Disney and IBM, stop advertising on X after a report by liberal advocacy group Media Matters said ads were appearing alongside pro-Nazi content and white nationalist posts.

They also were scared away after Musk himself endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory in response to a post on X. The Tesla CEO later apologized and visited Israel, where he toured a kibbutz attacked by Hamas militants and held talks with top Israeli leaders.

But he also has said advertisers are engaging in "blackmail" and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away.

"Don't advertise," Musk said in an on-stage interview late last month at The New York Times DealBook Summit.

After buying Twitter last year, Musk said he was granting "amnesty" for suspended accounts and has since reinstated former President Donald Trump; Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, following two suspensions over antisemitic posts last year; and far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was kicked off the platform for violating its COVID-19 misinformation policies.

Trump, who was banned for encouraging the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, has his own social media site, Truth Social, and has only tweeted once since being allowed back on X.


# European Union investigating Musk's X over possible breaches of social media law
By **KELVIN CHAN**
December 18, 2023. 2:48 PM EST

---

**LONDON (AP)** - The European Union on Monday made Elon Musk's online platform X the first tech company to face an investigation under Europe's tough new regulations designed to clean up social media and protect people from toxic online content.

"Today we open formal infringement proceedings against @X" under the Digital Services Act, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a post on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Musk, in response, questioned whether the EU would also scrutinize other social media sites.

The 27-nation bloc is ratcheting up the pressure on X after asking the company in October for information on its handling of hate speech, misinformation and violent terrorist content related to the Israel-Hamas war. The case presents the first test for the Digital Services Act, part of a set of pioneering regulations that the EU has drawn up to rein in the power of tech companies.

The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, "will now investigate X's systems and policies related to certain suspected infringements" of the DSA, spokesman Johannes Bahrke told a press briefing in Brussels. "It does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation."

The San Francisco-based social media platform says it is "committed to complying with the Digital Services Act, and is cooperating with the regulatory process. It is important that this process remains free of political influence and follows the law."

"X is focused on creating a safe and inclusive environment for all users on our platform, while protecting freedom of expression, and we will continue to work tirelessly towards this goal," the company said in a statement.

Musk has touted the platform as a place for free speech to thrive, but changes that the billionaire Tesla CEO made to the site after he bought it a year ago - such as cutting the number of content moderators and restoring the banned accounts of divisive public personalities - have turned off users and advertisers, who have fled over concerns about hate speech appearing alongside their ads. He has also pulled the platform out of a voluntary EU pact against disinformation.

The EU's investigation will look into whether X failed to do enough to curb the spread of illegal content - such as hate speech or incitement of terrorism - to its 112 million users in Europe.

That includes the effectiveness of X's tools for users to flag up illegal material in posts and ads so that it can be swiftly removed, as well as whether the company is following its own policies on restricting "sensitive content."

The investigation also will examine whether X's measures to combat " information manipulation," especially through its crowd-sourced Community Notes fact-checking feature, were effective within the European Union.

Another area of investigation is transparency. The EU said there are "suspected shortcomings" in researchers' access to X's publicly accessible data" as well as its ad database, both of which are required by the DSA.

Lastly, the investigation will look into whether users are being tricked by suspected "deceptive design" of X's interface, including for its blue check subscription service. The blue checkmarks once signified that the person or institution behind an account was genuine, such as a celebrity, athlete or journalist, but now merely indicate someone pays $8 a month to boost their posts above unchecked users.

"Are you taking action against other social media?" Musk tweeted in response to Breton. "Because if you have those issues with this platform, and none are perfect, the others are much worse."

The EU has called out X as the worst place online for fake news, and officials have exhorted owner Musk to do more to clean it up.

Now, it's taking official steps under the Digital Services Act, a set of far-reaching rules designed to keep users safe online and stop the spread of harmful content that's either illegal or violates a platform's terms of service, such as promotion of genocide or anorexia.

A raft of big tech companies faced stricter scrutiny after the DSA took effect earlier this year, threatening penalties of up to 6% of their global revenue - which could amount to billions - or even a ban from the EU.

Fines are, however, considered a last ditch resort, and Brussels could first use "interim measures" to force companies to comply.

There's no deadline for a decision on the investigation into X, and the commission said it would continue to gather evidence, carry out interviews and conduct inspections.


# Texas governor signs bill that lets police arrest migrants who enter the US illegally
By **VALERIE GONZALEZ** and **PAUL J. WEBER**
December 18, 2023. 9:24 PM EST

---

**BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP)** - Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday approved sweeping new powers that allow police to arrest migrants who illegally cross the U.S. border and give local judges authority to order them to leave the country, testing the limits of how far a state can go to enforce immigration laws.

Opponents have called the measure the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since a 2010 Arizona law - denounced by critics as the "Show Me Your Papers" bill - that was largely struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and Texas' law is also likely to face swift legal challenges.

The law, which takes effect in March, allows any Texas law enforcement officer to arrest people who are suspected of entering the country illegally. Once in custody, they could either agree to a Texas judge's order to leave the U.S. or be prosecuted on misdemeanor charges of illegal entry. Migrants who don't leave could face arrest again under more serious felony charges.

Abbott, who signed the law in front of a section of border fence in Brownsville, predicted the number of people crossing illegally into Texas would drop by "well over 50%, maybe 75%." He did not offer evidence for that estimate.

"The consequences of it are so extreme that the people being smuggled by the cartels, they will not want to be coming into the state of Texas," he said.

The law adds another tension point over immigration amid a struggle between the White House and Senate negotiators to reach a deal on border security. Republicans in Congress are demanding changes to the immigration system in exchange for any help for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs.

Texas Republicans have increasingly challenged the U.S. government's authority over immigration, saying President Joe Biden's administration isn't doing enough to control the 1,950-mile (3,149-kilometer) southern border. Texas has bused more than 65,000 migrants to cities across America since August 2022 and recently installed razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande, which has snagged and injured some asylum-seekers.

The U.S. government on Monday temporarily shut down two railroad border crossings in Texas, a move that rail operators said would hamper trade ahead of Christmas. Troy Miller, U.S. Customs and Border Protection's acting commissioner, said the closures at Eagle Pass and El Paso were a response to more migrants traveling on freight trains, particularly over the last week.

Miller said authorities are seeing "unprecedented" arrivals at the border, topping 10,000 crossings on some days this month.

Shortly after Abbott signed the new law, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said it would challenge the measure in court. More than 20 congressional Democrats also signed a letter urging the U.S. Justice Department to sue to stop the law, known as Senate Bill 4.

"SB 4 is dangerous for the people of Texas and interferes with the federal government's exclusive authority over immigration and foreign affairs," the letter read.

Mexico's government also has rebuked the measure. Under bilateral and international agreements, Mexico is required to accept deportations of its own citizens, but not those of other countries. Under the Texas law, migrants ordered to leave would be sent to ports of entry along the border with Mexico, even if they are not Mexican citizens. In September and October, Venezuelans were the largest nationality arrested for illegally crossing the U.S. border.

During debate in the Texas House in November, GOP state Rep. David Spiller pushed back against concerns that the law would be used as a dragnet to arrest immigrants statewide. He said enforcement would mostly take place in border counties. But he also rebuffed several efforts by Democrats to narrow the law, including a proposed carve-out for police on college campuses.

Because the illegal entry charge is a misdemeanor, which has a statue of limitation of two years, Spiller has said the law will not be used to target immigrants who have long been settled in the U.S.

"This is not, 'Round up everyone who is here illegally and ship them back to Mexico,'" he said during debate over the bill.

Opponents have accused Texas Republicans of using the law as a vehicle to force the Supreme Court's new conservative majority to revisit its landmark 2012 Arizona decision. At the time, Justice Anthony Kennedy said Arizona may have "understandable frustrations" with immigrants who are in the country illegally but that it can't pursue policies that "undermine federal law."


# Marvel, Disney drop actor Jonathan Majors after he's convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend
By **JENNIFER PELTZ**, **JAKE OFFENHARTZ**, and **JAKE COYLE**
December 18, 2023. 7:58 PM EST

---

**NEW YORK (AP)** - Jonathan Majors was convicted Monday of assaulting his former girlfriend after a trial that he hoped would vindicate him and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star. It did just the opposite: Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. dropped him hours after the verdict.

A Manhattan jury found Majors, 34, guilty of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation stemming from his March confrontation with then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. She said he attacked her in a car and left her in "excruciating" pain; his lawyers said Jabbari was the aggressor.

Majors, who was acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment, looked slightly downward and showed no immediate reaction as the verdict was read. He declined to comment as he left the courthouse.

His lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement that he "still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name." While he was convicted of an assault charge that involves recklessly causing injury, she said his team was grateful for his acquittal on the other assault count, which concerned intentionally causing injury.

"Mr. Majors is grateful to God, his family, his friends and his fans for their love and support during these harrowing eight months," Chaudhry said.

Marvel and Disney immediately dropped the "Creed III" star from all upcoming projects following the conviction, said a person close to the studio who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Before his arrest, Majors had been on track to become a central figure throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing the antagonist role of Kang. Majors had already appeared in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and the first two seasons of "Loki." He was to star in "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty," dated for release in May 2026.

Majors, whose credits include "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," "Devotion" and "Da 5 Bloods," had been one of the fastest-rising stars in Hollywood. The Yale School of Drama graduate also starred as a troubled amateur bodybuilder in "Magazine Dreams," which made an acclaimed debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was set to open in theaters this month. Ahead of Majors' trial, Disney-owned distributor Searchlight Pictures removed "Magazine Dreams" from its release calendar.

Majors' sentencing was set for Feb. 6. He faces the possibility of up to a year in jail for the assault conviction, though probation or other non-jail sentences also are possible.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that the trial "illustrated a cycle of psychological and emotional abuse, and escalating patterns of coercion."

The dispute between Majors and Jabbari began in the backseat of a chauffeured car and spilled into the streets of Manhattan.

Jabbari, a 30-year-old British dancer, accused Majors of hitting her in the head with his open hand, twisting her arm behind her back and squeezing her middle finger until it fractured.

Majors' lawyers alleged that she flew into a jealous rage after reading a text message - from another woman - on his phone. They said Jabbari had spread a "fantasy" to take down the actor, who was only trying to regain his phone and get away safely.

But as Majors sought vindication from the jury, the trial also brought forth new evidence about his troubled relationship with Jabbari, whom he met on the set of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" two years ago.

Prosecutors shared text messages that showed the actor begging Jabbari not to seek hospital treatment for an earlier head injury. One message warned "it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something."

They also played audio of Majors declaring himself a "great man," then questioning whether Jabbari could meet the high standards set by the spouses of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama. Majors' attorneys countered that Jabbari had surreptitiously recorded her boyfriend as part of a plot to "destroy" his career.

Over four days of tearful testimony, Jabbari said Majors was excessively controlling and prone to fits of explosive rage that left her afraid "physically quite a lot." She broke down on the witness stand as a jury watched security footage of him pushing her back into the car after the backseat confrontation. Prosecutors described the video as showing Majors "manhandling" her and shoving her into the vehicle "as if she was a doll."

Majors arrived in the courtroom each morning carrying a gold-leaf Bible, accompanied by family members and his current girlfriend, actress Meagan Good. Expressionless for much of the testimony, he wiped away tears as Chaudhry urged jurors during her closing arguments on Thursday to "end this nightmare for Jonathan Majors."

Majors did not take the stand. But Chaudhry said her client was the victim of "white lies, big lies, and pretty little lies" invented by Jabbari to exact revenge on an unfaithful partner.

The attorney cited security footage, taken immediately after the shove, that showed Majors sprinting away from his girlfriend as she chased him through the night. Jabbari then followed a group of strangers she'd met on the street to a dance club, where she ordered drinks for the group and did not appear to be favoring her injured hand.

"She was revenge-partying and charging Champagne to the man she was angry with and treating these strangers to fancy Champagne she bought with Jonathan's credit card," Chaudhry alleged.

The next morning, after finding Jabbari unconscious in the closet of their Manhattan penthouse, Majors called police. He was arrested at the scene, while Jabbari was transported to a hospital to receive treatment for the injuries to her ear and hand.

"He called 911 out of concern for her, and his fear of what happens when a Black man in America came true," Chaudhry said, accusing police and prosecutors of failing to take seriously Majors' allegations that he was bloodied and scratched during the dispute.

In her closing arguments, prosecutor Kelli Galaway said Majors was following a well-worn playbook used by abusers to cast their victims as attackers.

"This is not a revenge plot to ruin the defendant's life or his career," Galaway said. "You were asked why you are here? Because domestic violence is serious."


# NFL suspends Steelers safety Damontae Kazee for the rest of the season after illegal hit vs. Colts
December 18, 2023. 6:14 PM EST

---

**NEW YORK (AP)** - The NFL suspended Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee without pay for the remainder of the season for what the league described as "repeated violations" of rules designed to protect player safety.

The ruling, issued by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan on Monday, means Kazee will miss Pittsburgh's final three regular-season games and any potential playoff games if the Steelers (7-7) advance to the postseason.

Kazee was ejected from Pittsburgh's 30-13 loss to Indianapolis on Saturday after hitting diving Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in the second quarter. Pittman laid out to try and catch a pass and Kazee made contact with Pittman's head. Pittman left the game and went into the concussion protocol.

Runyan wrote in a letter to Kazee that illegal contact with Pittman "could have been avoided." Runyan pointed to Kazee's repeated violations of safety rules as one of the driving forces behind the suspension.

Kazee, a seven-year veteran, has been fined nearly a half-dozen times by the league this season. He will forfeit around $208,000 in game checks by missing Pittsburgh's final three games.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Monday before the NFL announced Kazee's suspension that he would not speculate on any potential discipline, saying it "doesn't help me, help (Kazee) or football itself."

The suspension means Pittsburgh will be without both of its starting safeties against the Bengals. Minkah Fitzpatrick is already out with a knee injury.

Kazee can appeal the decision to hearing officers Derrick Brooks or James Thrash, who have been appointed by the NFL and NFLPA to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.


# Judge criticizes Trump's expert witness as he again refuses to toss fraud lawsuit
By **PHILIP MARCELO**
December 18, 2023. 9:01 PM EST

---

**NEW YORK (AP)** - Former President Donald Trump has lost his latest bid to end the business fraud lawsuit he faces in New York as he campaigns to reclaim the White House.

Judge Arthur Engoron issued a written ruling Monday denying the Republican's latest request for a verdict in his favor in a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

And in doing so, the judge dismissed the credibility of one of Trump's expert witnesses at the trial, a professor who testified that he saw no fraud in the former president's financial statements.

The trial is centered on allegations Trump and other company officials exaggerated his wealth and inflated the value of his assets to secure loans and close business deals.

In the three-page ruling, Engoron wrote that the "most glaring" flaw of Trump's argument was to assume that the testimony provided by Eli Bartov, an accounting professor at New York University, and other expert witnesses would be accepted by the court as "true and accurate."

"Bartov is a tenured professor, but the only thing his testimony proves is that for a million or so dollars, some experts will say whatever you want them to say," Engoron wrote.

Bartov, who was paid nearly $900,000 for his work on the trial, said in an email that the judge had mischaracterized his testimony.

Trump took to his defense, calling Engoron's comments about Bartov a "great insult to a man of impeccable character and qualifications" as he excoriated the judge's decision.

"Judge Engoron challenges the highly respected Expert Witness for receiving fees, which is standard and accepted practice for Expert Witnesses," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

During testimony earlier this month, Bartov disputed the attorney general's claims that Trump's financial statements were filled with fraudulently inflated values for such signature assets as his Trump Tower penthouse and his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Bartov said there was "no evidence whatsoever of any accounting fraud."

But Engoron, in his ruling Monday, noted that he had already ruled that there were "numerous obvious errors" in Trump's financial statements.

"By doggedly attempting to justify every misstatement, Professor Bartov lost all credibility," the judge wrote.

In an email to The Associated Press, Bartov said he never "remotely implied" at the trial that Trump's financial statements were "accurate in every respect," only that the errors were inadvertent and there was "no evidence of concealment or forgery."

Bartov also argued that he billed Trump at his standard rate.

Closing arguments are scheduled for Jan. 11 in Manhattan.


# G League player and girlfriend are arrested in killing of woman found dead near Las Vegas
December 18, 2023. 4:22 PM EST

---

**LAS VEGAS (AP)** - A player with the Sacramento Kings' G League affiliate and his girlfriend have been arrested in the killing of a woman whose remains were found earlier this month near Las Vegas, authorities said.

Chance Comanche, 27, and Sakari Harnden, 19, face charges of murder and kidnapping in the killing of 23-year-old Marayna Rodgers, Las Vegas police announced Sunday.

Rodgers was reported missing on Dec. 7 and her remains were later found in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, police said.

Authorities have not released a cause of death or discussed a possible motive, but police said investigators suspected foul play and obtained evidence to arrest Harnden and Comanche.

Police said Harnden was a friend of Rodgers, who was a medical assistant from Washington state.

According to police, Rodgers was out with friends in Las Vegas on Dec. 5 and had a prearranged meeting with Harnden, who brought Comanche with her.

Harnden was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas and was being held without bail. Clark County Public Defender Marissa Pensabene said Monday in an email that she had no comment on Harnden's behalf.

Comanche was taken into custody Friday by the FBI in Sacramento, California, and was being held without bond. Police say he is awaiting extradition to Nevada and is scheduled to appear Tuesday in a Sacramento court. A lawyer for Comanche was not listed Monday in court records.

The prosecutor's office in Clark County, Nevada, didn't immediately respond to a message seeking further information. And the public defenders' offices in Las Vegas and Sacramento didn't immediately reply to Monday phone messages asking whether either was representing Comanche.

Comanche had been playing for the Stockton (California) Kings, the NBA G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings, and averaged 14 points and seven rebounds in 13 games.

Comanche, a power forward and center, played college basketball at the University of Arizona from 2015-17 before declaring for the NBA draft.

He went undrafted and signed a free-agent contract with the Portland Trail Blazers last April but played only one game.

Sacramento signed Comanche in October but waived him 10 days later, at which point he joined Stockton.


# Earthquake in northwestern China kills at least 116 people in Gansu and Qinghai provinces
By **KEN MORITSUGU**
December 18, 2023. 11:01 PM EST

---

**BEIJING (AP)** - An overnight earthquake killed at least 116 people in a cold and mountainous region in northwestern China, the country's state media reported Tuesday.

Search and rescue operations were underway in Gansu and neighboring Qinghai provinces. The earthquake left more than 500 people injured, severely damaged houses and roads, and knocked out power and communication lines, according to the media reports.

The magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck in Gansu at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers (six miles) just before midnight on Monday, the China Earthquake Networks Center said. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the magnitude at 5.9.

By mid-morning, 105 people had been confirmed dead in Gansu and another 397 injured, including 16 in critical condition, Han Shujun, a spokesperson for the provincial emergency management department, said at a news conference. Eleven others were killed and at least 140 injured in Qinghai, according to state media.

The earthquake was felt in much of the surrounding area, including Lanzhou, the Gansu provincial capital, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of the epicenter. Photos and videos posted by a student at Lanzhou University showed students hastily leaving a dormitory building and standing outside with long down jackets over their pajamas.

"The earthquake was too intense," said Wang Xi, the student who posted the images. "My legs went weak, especially when we ran downstairs from the dormitory."

The quake struck in Gansu's Jishishan county, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the provincial boundary with Qinghai. The epicenter was about 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) southwest of Beijing, the Chinese capital. There were nine aftershocks by 10 a.m., about 10 hours after the earthquake, the largest one registering a magnitude of 4.1, a Gansu official said.

Tents, folding beds and quilts were being sent to the disaster area, state broadcaster CCTV said. It quoted Chinese leader Xi Jinping as calling for an all-out search and rescue effort to minimize the casualties. The overnight low in the area was minus 15 to minus 9 degrees Celsius (5 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit), the China Meteorological Administration said.

At least 4,000 firefighters, soldiers and police officers were dispatched in the rescue effort, and the People's Liberation Army Western Theatre set up a command post to direct its work.

Han, the Gansu spokesperson, said the rescue work was proceeding in an orderly manner and asked people to avoid going to the quake-hit areas to prevent traffic jams that could hinder the effort.

A video posted by the Ministry of Emergency Management showed emergency workers in orange uniforms using rods to try to move heavy pieces of what looked like concrete debris at night. Other nighttime videos distributed by state media showed workers lifting out a victim and helping a slightly stumbling person to walk in an area covered with light snow.

Middle school student Ma Shijun ran out of his dormitory barefoot without even putting on a coat, according to a Xinhua report. It said the strong tremors left his hands a bit numb, and that teachers quickly organized the students on the playground.

CCTV reported that there was damage to water and electricity lines, as well as transportation and communications infrastructure.

Earthquakes are somewhat common in the mountainous area of western China that rises up to form the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau.

Last year in September, at least 74 people were reported killed in a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that shook China's southwestern province of Sichuan, triggering landslides and shaking buildings in the provincial capital of Chengdu, where 21 million residents were under a COVID-19 lockdown.

China's deadliest earthquake in recent years was a 7.9 magnitude quake in 2008 that killed nearly 90,000 people in Sichuan. The tremor devastated towns, schools and rural communities outside Chengdu, leading to a years-long effort to rebuild with more resistant materials.


# 'Max Payne' and 'Rescue Me' actor James McCaffrey dies at 65
December 18, 2023. 7:48 PM EST

---

**NEW YORK (AP)** - James McCaffrey, who voiced "Max Payne" in the popular video game franchise and also starred in television shows including "Rescue Me," has died, according to his agent. He was 65.

McCaffrey's talent agent David Elliot confirmed Monday that the New York native passed away Sunday surrounded by family and friends.

His wife, actor Rochelle Bostrom, told The Hollywood Reporter that he died at home in Larchmont, a New York suburb of Manhattan, following a battle with myeloma, a form of cancer that affects white blood cells.

Fellow New York actor and "Entourage" star Kevin Dillon was among those who took to social media to honor McCaffrey.

"#rip James McCaffrey we were lucky to have known you," he wrote Sunday in an Instagram post that included a photo of the two.

McCaffrey had a 35-year career in television and film that also included roles in the television shows "Blue Bloods" and "Suits."

On the FX drama "Rescue Me," he portrayed a New York City firefighter killed on Sept. 11 who appears to Denis Leary's main character, who is also a firefighter, over the series' seven-season run, which ended in 2011.

McCaffrey also famously voiced Max Payne, the former NYPD officer who becomes a vigilante after his family is killed, in the video game series of the same name during the early 2000s.

"Trained at the Actor's Studio, he never lost his love for creating characters; however, his good looks often pushed him toward leading man roles," Elliot wrote in a message.

Besides his wife, McCaffrey is survived by his daughter, Tiernan McCaffrey, and other family members.


# North Korea's Kim threatens 'more offensive actions' against US after watching powerful missile test
By **HYUNG-JIN KIM**
December 18, 2023. 10:38 PM EST

---

**SEOUL, South Korea (AP)** - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened "more offensive actions" to repel what he called increasing U.S.-led military threats after he supervised the third test of his country's most advanced missile designed to strike the mainland U.S., state media reported Tuesday.

Kim's statement suggests he is confident in his growing missile arsenal and will likely continue weapons testing activities ahead of next year's presidential election in the United States. But many observers say North Korea still needs to perform more significant tests to prove it has functioning missiles targeting the U.S. mainland.

After watching Monday's launch of the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile, Kim said the test showed how North Korea could respond if the United States were to make "a wrong decision against it," according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

Kim stressed the need to "never overlook all the reckless and irresponsible military threats of the enemies ... and to strongly counter them with more offensive actions," KCNA said.

The Hwasong-18 ICBM is a developmental, solid-fueled ICBM that is considered North Korea's most powerful weapon. Its built-in solid propellant makes launches harder for outsiders to detect than liquid-fueled missiles, which must be fueled before liftoffs. But many foreign experts say North Korea still has some other technological hurdles to master to acquire reliable nuclear-tipped ICBMs, such as one to protect warheads from the harsh conditions of atmospheric reentry.

KCNA said the Hwasong-18 missile, launched on a high angle to avoid neighboring countries, flew a distance of 1,002 kilometers (622 miles) for 73.5 minutes at a maximum altitude of 6,518 kilometers (4,050 miles) before landing in an area off the North's east coast. It said Kim expressed "great satisfaction" with the launch, which verified again the reliability of "the most powerful strategic core striking means" of North Korea.

It was the North's third test of the Hwasong-18 missile. Its two previous launches occurred in April and July.

"Based on their statement, this looks to have been an exercise in signaling and a developmental test in one," said Ankit Panda, an expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "There's nothing new here technically as far as I can tell at this early stage, but they're certainly growing increasingly confident in their new solid propellant ICBM."

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said the North's latest ICBM test is yet another indicator of how far its missile engine technology has progressed, but added there are limits to what North Korea can learn from lofted trajectory firings.

"Demonstrating warhead targeting and reentry capabilities would involve provocative launches across greater distances," Easley said. "So more significant tests of both technology and diplomacy are likely in the New Year."

KCNA said its Hwasong-18 test was meant to issue a warning over its rivals' confrontational military moves on North Korea. It said a recent U.S.-South Korean meeting to discuss their nuclear deterrence plan openly revealed their intention to hold joint drills with a simulated nuclear attack on North Korea.

It also referred to the second Nuclear Consultative Group meeting between senior U.S. and South Korean officials last Friday. During their meeting in Washington, the two countries agreed to update their nuclear deterrence and contingency strategies and incorporate nuclear operation scenarios in their combined military exercises next summer, according to officials in Seoul.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said during a Cabinet Council meeting on Tuesday that a "nuclear-based, powerful Korea-U.S. alliance" would be formed soon.

The consultative body is responsible for sharing information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans and joint operations, though the U.S. will retain operational control of its nuclear weapons. The group's establishment was part of U.S. efforts to ease South Korean worries about North Korean provocations while keeping Seoul from pursuing its own nuclear program.

Since last year, North Korea has performed more than 100 ballistic missile tests in violation of U.N. bans in what outside experts call an effort to upgrade its nuclear arsenal and win greater U.S. concessions. The North has still avoided fresh international sanctions as China and Russia blocked the U.S. and others' efforts to toughen U.N. sanctions on the country. North Korea also faces outside suspicions that it receives sophisticated weapons technologies from Russia in return for supplying conventional arms to support Russia's war in Ukraine.

The United States and South Korea have expanded their military training and increased the temporary deployments of powerful U.S. military assets in South Korea.

On Tuesday, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan began putting into operation the sharing of real-time missile warning data on North Korea and established details of their trilateral exercises in coming years, South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement. It added the three countries will beef up their three-way cooperation to cope with regional challenges and promote peace in the region.


# Here's what you need to know about the deadly salmonella outbreak tied to cantaloupes
By **JONEL ALECCIA**
December 18, 2023. 2:44 PM EST

---

Hundreds of people in the U.S. and Canada have been sickened and at least 10 people have died in a growing outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to contaminated whole and pre-cut cantaloupe.

Health officials are warning consumers, retailers and restaurants not to buy, eat or serve cantaloupe if they don't know the source.

That's especially important for individuals who are vulnerable to serious illness from salmonella infection and those who care for them. High-risk groups include young children, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is especially concerned because many of the illnesses have been severe and because victims include people who ate cantaloupe served in childcare centers and long-term care facilities.

Here's what we know about this outbreak:

## How many people have been sickened in the cantaloupe salmonella outbreak?
Overall, at least 302 people in the U.S. and 153 in Canada have been sickened in this outbreak. That includes four killed and 129 hospitalized in the U.S. and six killed and 53 hospitalized in Canada.

## When did the cantaloupe outbreak begin?
The first U.S. case was a person who fell ill on Oct. 16, according to the CDC. The latest illness detected occurred on Nov. 28. Canadian health officials said people fell ill between mid-October and mid-November.

The first recalls were issued Nov. 6 in the U.S., according to the Food and Drug Administration. Multiple recalls of whole and cut fruit have followed.

## Where did the cantaloupes come from?
The cantaloupes implicated in this outbreak include two brands, Malichita and Rudy, that are grown in the Sonora area of Mexico. The fruit was imported by Sofia Produce LLC, of Nogales, Arizona, which does business as TruFresh, and Pacific Trellis Fruit LLC, of Los Angeles. So far, more than 36,000 boxes or cases of cantaloupe have been recalled.

On Dec. 15, Mexican health officials temporarily closed a melon-packing plant implicated in the outbreak.

Roughly one-third of FDA-regulated human food imported into the U.S. comes from Mexico, including about 60% of fresh produce imports. The average American eats about 6 pounds of cantaloupe a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

## How did the cantaloupes get contaminated?
Health officials in the U.S. and Canada are still investigating, but cantaloupes generally are prone to contamination because they are "netted" melons with rough, bumpy rinds that make bacteria difficult to remove.

Salmonella bacteria are found in animals' intestines and can spread if their waste comes in contact with fruit in the field. Contamination can come from tainted water used in irrigation, or in cleaning and cooling the melons.

Poor hygienic practices of workers, pests in packing facilities and equipment that's not cleaned and sanitized properly can also lead to contamination, the FDA says.

The Mexico growing area saw powerful storms and hurricanes in late summer and early fall that resulted in flooding that could be a factor, said Trevor Suslow, a produce safety consultant and retired professor at the University of California, Davis.

Once the melons are contaminated, the nubby rinds harbor nutrients that can help the salmonella bacteria grow, Suslow said.

If the cantaloupe become moldy or damaged, the bacteria can move from the outside of the rind to the inner layer or into the flesh. Also, when the fruit is sliced - in a home kitchen, grocery store or processing plant - the bacteria can spread to the flesh.

Cut fruit in a tray or clamshell package can harbor the bacteria. If the fruit isn't kept very cool, the germs can grow.

## How should consumers handle cantaloupe?
It is difficult to remove disease-causing bacteria from cantaloupe at home. Food safety experts recommend rinsing whole melons in cool water and scrubbing them with a clean produce brush and then drying completely.

Blanching the cantaloupes briefly in very hot water is another method, Suslow said. And Purdue University researchers found that household items such as vinegar and iodine diluted in water could reduce exterior contamination with salmonella by 99%.

For high-risk people, it might be best to avoid cantaloupe, especially pre-cut cantaloupe and especially during an outbreak, said Amanda Deering, a Purdue University food scientist.

Understanding that certain foods can pose a serious health risk is key, she added.

"As consumers, we just assume that our food is safe," she said. "You don't want to think that a cantaloupe is what's going to take you out."


# Trump campaign lawyer testified in Nevada fake electors case to avoid prosecution, transcripts show
By **RIO YAMAT** and **GABE STERN**
December 18, 2023. 11:30 PM EST

---

**LAS VEGAS (AP)** - The lawyer who helped orchestrate the Trump campaign's fake elector scheme in 2020 was a target in a criminal investigation in Nevada, but his name was removed from the indictment in exchange for his cooperation with authorities, according to newly released transcripts of secret grand jury proceedings in Las Vegas.

The documents made public Sunday show that in late November, Kenneth Chesebro testified to a grand jury in Clark County, Nevada, about the plot that ultimately led to the indictments this month of six Nevada Republicans, who made a last-ditch attempt to keep then-President Donald Trump in power by sending a phony electoral certificate to the National Archives.

The fake electors - involved in the GOP at the state or county level - are charged in state court with offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument.

Chesebro's deal with state Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford's office, which investigated the case, comes on the heels of Chesebro's plea agreement with prosecutors in Georgia, where he was charged alongside Trump and 17 others with participating in efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss in Georgia.

Ford's office declined to comment on the cooperation deal Monday.

Chesebro pleaded guilty in Georgia to one felony charge of conspiracy to commit filing false documents just as jury selection was getting underway in his trial. As part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to dismiss six other counts.

In the Nevada case, Chesebro told the grand jury that he sent the state GOP an "organized step-by-step explanation of what they would have to do" to sign certificates falsely stating that Trump, not President Joe Biden, had won their state.

Chesebro also admitted in his testimony that he viewed Nevada as "extremely problematic" to the fake elector plot that spanned seven battleground states - Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

"It requires the meeting of the electors to be overseen by the Secretary of State, who is only supposed to permit electoral votes for the winner of the popular vote in Nevada," Chesebro said, reading a portion of one of his memos to the grand jury.

The transcripts show that the grand jury was seated in the case on Nov. 14, nearly three years after the six Nevada Republicans gathered in Carson City, Nevada, on Dec. 14, 2020, and signed the fake certificate. The grand jury convened two more times before handing up the indictment.

According to the transcripts, the grand jury also heard testimony from a National Archives employee, a U.S. Postal Service inspector, investigators on the case and Mark Wlaschin, the deputy secretary of state for elections in Nevada.

Wlaschin, who is deeply involved in Nevada's electoral processes, described a "level of disbelief" when receiving the false slate of electors claiming Trump won Nevada. He said he reached out to the National Archives to let them know that the documents would likely be sent to them as well.

"It wasn't legal size or a package or a box or anything like that," he told the grand jury of the folder he received containing the documents. "Inside it it had a number of documents. It looked like bizarro documents, frankly."

Wlaschin wrote a letter to Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald, one of the indicted fake electors who communicated with Trump directly about the plot, upon receiving the false documents a day after the fake electors signed them.

"We are returning these documents as they do not meet the statutory requirement for filing with our office," he wrote.

All six fake electors in Nevada pleaded not guilty Monday. Their trial is scheduled for March.


# Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards gives final end-of-year address
By **SARA CLINE**
December 18, 2023. 8:22 PM EST

---

**BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)** - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards delivered his final end-of-the-year address Monday, highlighting some of his accomplishments in office over the past eight years and his vague plans for the future.

Edwards, first elected in 2015 and currently the lone Democratic governor in the Deep South, was unable to run for reelection this year due to consecutive term limits and Republicans seized the opportunity to regain the governor's mansion.

Among his accomplishments during his two terms in office, Edwards touted the state's Medicaid expansion, infrastructure investments, the state's unemployment rate reaching record lows and helping take the state from a more than $1 billion budget shortfall to having surplus funds this past legislative session.

"A lot has happened over the last eight years that I have been governor," Edwards said during his address at the governor's mansion in Baton Rouge. "I can tell you that by any metric you can come up with and objectively speaking, we are much better off today than the day I first took office."

While Edwards said much has been accomplished over the past eight years, there are some goals that were not completed, including increasing the minimum age, adding exceptions to the state's near total abortion ban and eliminating the state's death penalty. Edwards said he is going to continue to talk about these issues on the way out of office in hopes of setting them up for success in the future - an uphill battle in the GOP-dominated Legislature.

Monday's address was the second-to-last public event for the governor. His final public event will be his farewell address in his hometown of Amite on Jan. 3.

When asked about life after he leaves office, Edwards - who before entering the political world had opened a civil law practice - said he plans to move back to Tangipahoa Parish with his wife and go "back into private business."

He added that he is "genuinely pulling for" Gov.-elect Jeff Landry and wants him to do a "wonderful job." Landry is a Republican who Edwards has repeatedly butted heads with over political issues.

While Edwards said that he has "no expectation or intention" to run for political office in the future, he didn't completely rule it out.

"I don't leave here intending to run for office again, but I don't say 'never' because I don't know exactly what my situation is going to be. ... I also don't know what the situation is going to be with the state," Edwards said.

Landry will be inaugurated Jan. 8.


# A group representing TikTok, Meta and X sues Utah over strict new limits on app use for minors
By **HANNAH SCHOENBAUM**
December 18, 2023. 8:09 PM EST

---

**SALT LAKE CITY (AP)** - A trade group that represents TikTok and other major tech companies sued Utah on Monday over its first-in-the-nation laws requiring children and teens to obtain parental consent to use social media apps.

Two laws signed in March by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox will prohibit minors from using social media between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. unless authorized by a parent - and require age verification to open and maintain a social media account in the state.

The restrictions are designed to protect children from targeted advertisements and addictive features that could negatively impact their mental health. Both laws take effect March 1, 2024.

The NetChoice trade group argues in its federal lawsuit that although Utah's regulations are well-intentioned, they are unconstitutional because they restrict access to public content, compromise data security and undermine parental rights.

"We are fighting to ensure that all Utahns can embrace digital tools without the forceful clutch of government control," said Chris Marchese, Director of the NetChoice Litigation Center. The trade association includes many of the world's leading social media companies, including TikTok, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc., Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta, and X, formerly known as Twitter.

Cox predicted there would be lawsuits challenging both bills but said he wasn't worried because there is a growing body of research that demonstrates how social media use can negatively impact the mental health outcomes of children.

"I'm not going to back down from a potential legal challenge when these companies are killing our kids," Cox argued earlier this year.

The governor's office did not immediately respond Monday to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit. The office of Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes will represent the state in court.

"The State of Utah is reviewing the lawsuit but remains intently focused on the goal of this legislation: Protecting young people from negative and harmful effects of social media use," spokesperson Richard Piatt said.

In another lawsuit filed by NetChoice, a federal judge temporarily blocked Arkansas from enforcing its new law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts. Similar laws in Texas and Louisiana have not yet taken effect.

Utah's state laws impose steep fines for social media companies that do not comply with the age-verification rule, which NetChoice says may lead companies to collect an excess of personal information from users that could end up threatening their online safety. The state regulations prohibit companies from using any design or feature that causes a child to become addicted to their app.

Under the laws, parents will have access to their children's accounts and can more easily sue social media companies that they claim have caused their children harm. The laws shift the burden of proof from the families onto the social media companies, requiring them to demonstrate that their products were not harmful. Any social media platform with at least five million users is subject to the new regulations.

The lawsuit also challenges the state-imposed social media curfew, arguing that it could negatively impact children by cutting them off from the news, study tools and communications with their peers.

NetChoice has asked a federal judge to halt the laws from taking effect while its case moves through the legal system.