7xm dot xyz Of the many, many Biden-era policies that the new Trump administration is expected to reverse, it appears that the pending TikTok ban is high on the list. After promising to save TikTok on the campaign trail, his spokeswoman last week confirmed that Trump’s plans to deliver. Since almost everyone — including Trump himself — as well as many companies utilize the technology, reeling in the ban is good politics and smart policy. Coincidentally, it is also consistent with the stance taken by President-elect Donald Trump’s pal and nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose populist and libertarian views will likely help shape Trump 2.0 even beyond the department. Much like what has come to be known as Barack Obama’s “Facebook election” in 2008, the 2024 cycle might well be known as the “TikTok election.” Trump joined with Vice President Kamala Harris and candidates from federal to local levels in embracing the app unequivocally and successfully, quickly gaining millions of followers almost overnight. From rowdy rallies to ebullient encouragement from supporters in every part of the country and soundbites hitting at opponents and detractors, to the now-iconic dance moves, the Trump campaign made its way into the history books with a good deal of help from his TikTok content. This was no accident. The president-elect and his campaign knew that connecting with young voters, especially those Gen-Z voters going to the polls for the first time, would be a critical part of the coalition that could return him to the White House. An NBC News poll taken last week showed that among first time voters, Trump’s support grew a whopping 22% from 2020 to 2024. As the Trump team recognized, these voters get their news and information largely from social media, and many from TikTok in particular, and little if any from traditional media outlets. Back to RFK, Jr. As a key advisor and voice in Trump world, he has been a similarly strong advocate for protecting TikTok and undoing the legislation that now threatens to ban the app. Last Spring, Kennedy, with more than three million followers of his own, came out publicly against a ban and committed to filing a lawsuit to fight it. In a post on X, Kennedy wrote: “Don’t be fooled — the TikTok ban is not about China harvesting your data. That’s a smoke screen. Intelligence agencies from lots of countries, especially ours, are harvesting your data from everywhere all the time. TikTok isn’t even majority Chinese-owned, and the company agreed to put its data behind a U.S. firewall. The Biden administration rejected that deal. Congress and the administration don’t understand that TikTok is an entrepreneurial platform for thousands of American young people. They want to screw them over just so they can pretend to be tough on China.” The initial misinformation and propaganda against TikTok when the ban was first proposed came in heavy and hard, and many people initially bought it. Myself included. I thought, without having even logged on, TikTok was garbage (wrong) and admittedly I can be pretty gullible when it comes to suggestions of Chinese chicanery. Nobody’s perfect. But I digress. The power of populism at this uniquely American moment is golden — an opportunity to give voices to the voiceless and an ear to those previously unheard. It is a good thing that both Trump and Kennedy understand that banning social media which is now a fact of American life, no matter what the app or the platform, is an attack on free speech and the populist power now driving American politics. Any politician still advocating for a TikTok ban is going against that populist sentiment and may want to re-think it — as even I have — lest they soon be looking for a new line of work. Christian Josi is the founder and managing director of C. Josi & Company, a global communications and public affairs resource organization. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org .Trudeau holiday relief package in peril? NDP want changes, as House stalemate persists

Timberwolves didn’t turn to small ball to close last game, and those lineups don’t seem to be on the horizon

None

BROOKLYN, N.Y. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Etsy, Inc. (Nasdaq: ETSY), which operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world, today announced participation at the following investor conferences. Company executives will participate in the UBS Global Technology and AI Conference on December 3, 2024 in Scottsdale, Arizona and the Wells Fargo 8th Annual TMT Summit on December 4, 2024 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California . These events are not being webcast. Etsy executives will participate in the Raymond James 2024 TMT & Consumer Conference in New York City . There will be a webcasted fireside chat on December 9, 2024 at 9:20 a.m. E.T. which investors can listen to on our investor relations website at investors.etsy.com . About Etsy Etsy, Inc. operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world. These marketplaces share a mission to "Keep Commerce Human," and we're committed to using the power of business and technology to strengthen communities and empower people. Our primary marketplace, Etsy.com , is the global destination for unique and creative goods. Buyers come to Etsy to be inspired and delighted by items that are crafted and curated by creative entrepreneurs. For sellers, we offer a range of tools and services that address key business needs. Etsy, Inc.'s "House of Brands" portfolio also includes fashion resale marketplace Depop, and Reverb, the largest online marketplace dedicated to music gear. Each Etsy, Inc. marketplace operates independently, while benefiting from shared expertise in product, marketing, technology, and customer support. Etsy was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York . Etsy has used, and intends to continue using, its Investor Relations website and the Etsy News Blog (etsy.com/news) to disclose material non-public information and to comply with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, you should monitor our investor relations website and the Etsy News Blog in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts. Investor Relations Contact: Deb Wasser , Vice President, Investor Relations and ESG Engagement Sarah Marx , Director, Investor Relations ir@etsy.com Media Relations Contact: Kelly Clausen , Vice President, Communications & Community press@etsy.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/etsy-to-participate-in-upcoming-investor-conferences-302316790.html SOURCE Etsy, Inc.Australia edge out US to reach Davis Cup semi-finals, Sinner inspires Italy

Topline Some Republican senators have indicated they’re undecided about whether they’ll vote to confirm President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, as questions are raised about her comments about Russia and interactions with foreign adversaries like Syria’s president. Key Facts What To Watch For Gabbard, or any of Trump’s nominees, can afford to lose only three Republican votes to be confirmed by the Senate, assuming all Democrats vote against the nominee, as the GOP will control the chamber with a 53-47 majority. Vice President-elect JD Vance would cast a tie-breaking vote if three Republicans vote no. Contra Some Republicans defended Haley against Democrats’ criticism on Sunday. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told CNN Duckworth’s statement that Gabbard is “compromised” were “ridiculous and outright dangerous,” adding, “that’s the most dangerous thing she could say—that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., told NBC it is “totally ridiculous” to characterize Gabbard as “an asset of another country,” calling it “insulting” and “a slur.” Who Is Tulsi Gabbard? Gabbard is a former Democrat who became an independent after leaving Congress, and announced last month she joined the Republican Party and was endorsing Trump. Gabbard, first elected to the Hawaii State House at the age of 21 in 2002, left after one term when she was deployed to Iraq with the National Guard. She was elected to Congress in 2013 and served until 2021. Gabbard ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 before dropping out of the race and endorsing President Joe Biden. She’s known for clashing with members of her party on foreign policy, often opposing foreign interventions—but drawing criticism for backing the views of Russia and other U.S. adversaries. In announcing she was cutting ties with the Democratic Party in 2022, Gabbard called it an “elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by radicalizing every issue.” Gabbard is perhaps best-known for clashing with Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2019, when she noted Harris oversaw marijuana convictions while working as a prosecutor in California. What Has Gabbard Said About Russia? Gabbard has blamed NATO and the Biden administration for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, writing on X in 2022, “this war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine’s becoming a member of NATO.” She also criticized the U.S. for sending aid to Ukraine and baselessly accused the Biden-Harris administration of “prioritizing sending more weapons to Ukraine over the interests of the people of North Carolina” recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, she wrote on X last month. In 2022, she said it was an “undeniable fact” that there are 25 U.S.-funded biolabs in Ukraine that could leak dangerous pathogens, as Russia baselessly accused the U.S. and Ukraine of operating biological weapons facilities as a pretext for its war in Ukraine (though Gabbard did not allege bioweapons were being made). What Has Gabbard Said About Assad? Gabbard said during a 2019 MSNBC appearance Assad—who used brutal tactics , allegedly including chemical weapons, to beat back a civil war, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths—“is not the enemy of the United States” because Syria does not pose a direct threat to the United States. Gabbard later said she viewed Assad as a “brutal dictator.” She also brought a Syrian Kurdish leader , Ilham Ahmed, Co-President of the Syrian Democratic Council, as a guest to Trump’s State of the Union address in 2019. During her time in Congress, she quietly met with Assad in Syria, explaining she “felt that it’s important that if we profess to truly care about the Syrian people, about their suffering, then we’ve got to be able to meet with anyone that we need to if there is a possibility that we can achieve peace.” What Has Trump Said About Gabbard? Trump touted Gabbard’s military record in announcing the appointment on Nov. 13 in a statement: “For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans.” Trump said, “Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength.” Gabbard has criticized Trump in the past: She called Trump’s 2017 strikes on Syria “reckless,” and during a 2020 appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Gabbard called the killing of Soleimani an “act of war” and said Trump violated the Constitution by ordering the strike. Big Number 36%. That’s the share of respondents to a CBS/YouGov poll released Sunday who said Gabbard is a good choice for director of national intelligence, while 27% said she’s not good and 36% said they haven’t heard enough. Key Background Gabbard is one of several controversial, and surprising, Trump cabinet picks Republicans have expressed skepticism about, including former Fox News host Pete Hegseth for Defense secretary, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services secretary. Trump announced his cabinet nominees at a rapid clip, largely completing the process Saturday with the nomination of Brooke Rollins, a former policy advisor during his first term, as agriculture secretary. As director of national intelligence, Gabbard would oversee 18 intelligence agencies and advise the president, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council on intelligence matters. Further Reading Trump’s Cabinet And Key Jobs: Brooke Rollins Tapped For Agriculture Secretary (Forbes) Most Americans Approve Of Trump Transition—As Controversial RFK Jr. Gets High Marks, Poll Finds (Forbes) What To Know About Tulsi Gabbard—Former Democrat Named Trump’s Director Of National Intelligence (Forbes)Trump brushes off Ontario threat to pull U.S. energy plug as booze ban pondered

NoneNashville Predators (7-11-3, in the Central Division) vs. New Jersey Devils (14-7-2, in the Metropolitan Division) Newark, New Jersey; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Nashville Predators visit the New Jersey Devils after Roman Josi scored two goals in the Predators’ 4-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets. New Jersey has a 5-3-2 record in home games and a 14-7-2 record overall. The Devils have a 14-2-2 record in games they score three or more goals. Nashville is 7-11-3 overall and 2-5-3 on the road. The Predators are 7-2-0 in games they score at least three goals. The teams meet Monday for the first time this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Nico Hischier has 10 goals and 11 assists for the Devils. Luke Hughes has over the last 10 games. Filip Forsberg has eight goals and eight assists for the Predators. Adam Wilsby has over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Devils: 7-3-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.6 assists, 3.6 penalties and 9.2 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game. Predators: 3-5-2, averaging 2.1 goals, 3.2 assists, 4.9 penalties and 11 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game. INJURIES: Devils: None listed. Predators: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Stomping around the NBA as the defending champions can have its benefits. Last week, the Boston Celtics took advantage of theirs. One really cool perk: a team reunion happens near the White House Rose Garden with the President of the United States offering compliments on — of all things — points per possession. Also, Jaylen Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP, can basically tweet things into existence, like meeting childhood idol Bill Nye the Science Guy, then actually get him to come to a game. But the luxuries that last year’s accomplishments bestowed on the 2024-25 Celtics do little to nothing for what matters this season: winning again. Since the 2017 and 2018 seasons, the NBA has not produced back-to-back champions. Not with the Golden State Warriors, who won in 2022 on the last fumes of their dynasty, or with the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets, who are still led by the league’s best player in Nikola Jokic. Boston, with its young superstars Brown and Jayson Tatum still in their 20s and a strong core stocked with veterans Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and (insert name of healthy center here), would figure to be the favorites again next June. Yet, that’s not a given. Even with the distinction of being the only team thus far this year to knock off the Cleveland Cavaliers, who started the season 15-0, Boston faces the same obstacles that tripped up the previous five champs. Specifically, can they recapture the angst? “I think we still got a lot to prove,” White said last Friday night, following the Celtics’ closer-than-expected 108-96 win over the Washington Wizards. “It’s going to be a long season, We just got to enjoy the ups and downs and know what led us to our success last year.” Rewind to last season and think back to those Celtics players who wouldn’t leave the house without a big ol’ chip on their shoulders. They loved that chip. Carried it everywhere they went. Nursed it to sleep every night. Gave it a name and called it Disrespect. Back then, it was easy to fuel a whole season with that energy because Boston was coming off a disappointing playoff run (losing in Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat) and feeling the tight squeeze of a narrowing championship window. So when Boston finally broke through, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals, it felt like long-delayed relief. As the confetti fell, Tatum found his mother and shouted: “What they gonna say now?!” then repeated it during his television interview. After soaking in champagne, Brown rushed to Instagram to mock those who betted against Boston. They replaced the chip with a golden trophy. Yet since then, it seems they’ve tried to manufacture the angst for more motivation this year. Over the summer, they searched for slights. When Brown didn’t get picked as an injury replacement for the USA men’s basketball team — his teammate White was selected instead — he again used social media as an outlet for his emotions. And after Tatum returned from the Paris Olympics, earning a gold medal despite remaining on the bench in two games, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla called it a “gift” that could inspire him to work toward even more success in the future. Still, when you’re a reigning champ, it’s hard to live in the space of feeling disrespected. Not while standing and listening to President Joe Biden praise their accomplishments, as the Celtics did last Thursday afternoon during their visit to the White House. By Friday night, the love affair continued in downtown D.C. as Celtics fans once again commandeered Capital One Arena in support of their favorite team against the Wizards. It wasn’t enough that the color green dotted every section of the arena, and for the crowd to have been pro-Boston all night. Mazzulla felt he needed to contrive some chaos. “It changed the energy in the arena. Did you feel that?” Mazzulla said about picking up a technical foul in the third quarter. “It wasn’t really about energizing the team, I think it was just manipulating the environment. I thought that’s what the environment needed at the time. We just have to make those calls from time to time.” Mazzulla didn’t need to manipulate a thing last Tuesday night when Boston, playing in front of a fired-up home crowd, gave the Cavs their first loss. The tactic to stir up the room — his players, really — was necessary Friday night with the Celts shooting poorly (11 for 46 from the three-point arc overall) in a close game against a team that had lost nine straight. “Every game’s a little different. Some games (there’s) more energy, some games we just have to find a way,” White said. “Our coach does a good job of just trying to figure out the game and trying to figure out how we are, and put us in the right position to win.” Maybe because they’re champions, the Celtics can ratchet up the intensity when necessary, as they did in knocking off the best team in the Eastern Conference one night, then get away with playing abysmally against one of the worst teams in the league a few days later. Especially because they’re champs, Brown can get a personal audience with Nye in the back hallway of Capital One Arena, and pose for a photo with the man who made learning science a joy for him. No disrespect to the champs, but maybe this Boston group is so good that it doesn’t need any more made-up motivations.Flagg's growth, Broome's consistency show in matchup of AP All-Americans

Texans foiled by mistake after mistake in 32-27 loss to Titans

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration next month — extending a diplomatic olive branch even as Trump threatens to levy massive tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump's incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed Thursday that Trump invited Xi but said it was “to be determined” if the leader of the United States' most significant economic and military competitor would attend. Xi is likely to see the invitation as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Danny Russel, vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said Xi would not allow himself to “be reduced to the status of a mere guest celebrating the triumph of a foreign leader — the U.S. president, no less.” Still, Leavitt saw it as a plus. “This is an example of President Trump creating an open dialogue with leaders of countries that are not just our allies, but our adversaries and our competitors too,” she said in an appearance on Fox News' program ”Fox & Friends." “We saw this in his first term. He got a lot of criticism for it, but it led to peace around this world. He is willing to talk to anyone and he will always put America’s interest first.” CBS News first reported the invitation to Xi. Asked at a Chinese Foreign Ministry briefing on Thursday about Trump's invitation, spokesperson Mao Ning responded: “I have nothing to share at present.” Leavitt said that other foreign leaders have also been invited but did not provide any details. The move by Trump to invite a leader of an adversarial nation to the American moment that is Inauguration Day is unorthodox. But it also squares with his belief that foreign policy—much like a business negotiation—should be carried out with carrots and sticks to get the United States' opponents to operate closer to his administration's preferred terms. Jim Bendat, a historian and author of “Democracy’s Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President,” said he was not aware of a previous U.S. inauguration attended by a foreign head of state. “It's not necessarily a bad thing to invite foreign leaders to attend,” Bendat said. “But it sure would make more sense to invite an ally before an adversary.” Edward Frantz, a presidential historian at the University of Indianapolis, said the invitation helps Trump burnish his “dealmaker and savvy businessman” brand. “I could see why he might like the optics," Frantz said. “But from the standpoint of American values, it seems shockingly cavalier." White House officials said it was up to Trump to decide whom he invites to the inauguration. “I would just say, without doubt it's the single most consequential bilateral relationship that the United States has in the world,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said. “It is a relationship both fraught with peril and responsibility.” Trump on Thursday during an appearance at the New York Stock Exchange , where he was ringing the opening bell to open the market, said he’s been “thinking about inviting certain people to the inauguration” without referring to any specific individuals. “And some people said, ‘Wow, that’s a little risky, isn’t it?’” Trump said. “And I said, ‘Maybe it is. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.’ But we like to take little chances.” Meanwhile, a top aide to Hungarian President Viktor Orban, one of Trump's most vocal supporters on the world stage, said Thursday that Orban isn't slated to attend the inauguration. “There is no such plan, at least for the time being," said Gergely Gulyás, Orban's chief of staff. The nationalist Hungarian leader is embraced by Trump but has faced isolation in Europe as he's sought to undermine the European Union's support for Ukraine, and routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the bloc’s efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion. Orban recently met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Every country's chief of mission to the United States will also be invited, according to a Trump Inaugural Committee official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The Xi invitation comes as Trump has threatened to enact massive tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China to get those countries to do more to reduce illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He has said that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada and that China could be hit with even higher tariffs. China produces precursor chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, but Beijing has stepped up efforts over the last year to crack down on the export of the chemicals. “We’ve been talking and discussing with President Xi, some things, and others, other world leaders, and I think we’re going to do very well all around,” Trump said in a CNBC interview Thursday. Xi during a meeting with President Joe Biden last month in Peru urged the United States not to start a trade war. “Make the wise choice,” Xi cautioned. “Keep exploring the right way for two major countries to get along well with each other.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also pushed back on Trump's threats, warning such a tariffs move would be perilous for the U.S. economy as well. Trudeau earlier this week said that Americans “are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive” and said he will retaliate if Trump goes ahead with them. Trump responded by calling Canada a state and Trudeau the governor. In addition to the tariff dispute, U.S.-China relations are strained over other issues, including what U.S. officials see as Beijing indirectly supporting Russia's war on Ukraine. The Biden administration says China has supported Russia with a surge in sales of dual use components that help keep its military industrial base afloat. U.S. officials also have expressed frustration with Beijing for not doing more to rein in North Korea's support for the Russian war. China accounts for the vast majority of North Korea’s trade. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dispatched thousands of troops to Russia to help repel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk border region. The North Koreans also have provided Russia with artillery and other munitions, according to U.S. and South Korean intelligence officials. Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration takes place a day after the U.S. deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of social media giant TikTok, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the United States.