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The country's export sector plays a crucial role in driving economic growth and creating job opportunities. It serves as a key engine of economic development, contributing significantly to the country's GDP and trade balance. Therefore, any changes in export performance have a ripple effect on various aspects of the economy, making it essential to closely monitor and analyze export data.Share this Story : City of Ottawa worker fired after audit uncovers kickback scheme with landlords Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links Local News City of Ottawa worker fired after audit uncovers kickback scheme with landlords The auditor general's investigation found that, beginning as early as October 2023, six landlords began receiving inflated rent payments. Get the latest from Blair Crawford straight to your inbox Sign Up Author of the article: Blair Crawford Published Dec 02, 2024 • Last updated 51 minutes ago • 3 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. City of Ottawa auditor general Nathalie Gougeon launched her investigation after receiving a tip to the city's fraud and waste hotline earlier this year. Photo by Tony Caldwell / POSTMEDIA Article content A city employee has been fired and another has resigned after a city audit discovered a kickback scheme to fraudulently pay landlords inflated rents for housing families in need. Article content Article content Auditor general Nathalie Gougeon launched her investigation after receiving a tip to the city’s fraud and waste hotline earlier this year. Her investigation, with help from forensic auditors at Ernst & Young, found a city caseworker had colluded with landlords to pay rents from an emergency housing fund administered by the city that were as much as 63 per cent above market value. In return, the landlords paid more than $22,000 to the caseworker in kickbacks. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account Email Address Continue or View more offers If you are a Home delivery print subscriber, online access is included in your subscription. Activate your Online Access Now Article content Gougeon delivered her report to the city’s audit committee at its Dec. 2 meeting. That afternoon, city managers were to meet with Ottawa police who will decide whether to begin a criminal investigation. Gougeon’s investigation found that, beginning as early as October 2023, six landlords — four individuals and two corporations — began receiving inflated rent payments. All six were overseen by a single individual landlord. The caseworker is identified only as Employee A in the report. Employee A had a family member who also worked for the city, identified as Employee B, who received the kickback payments from the landlords beginning in January 2024. Both Employees A and B had previously worked with the landlord, but never disclosed that relationship to the city, a breach of the city’s code of conduct policy, Gougeon said. Investigators also examined text messages between Employee A and the landlord. “Is there anyway you can put a couple in there and get me a higher rent like $2300 or what can we do on this thing? It’s a one bedroom apartment, if you get me the rent, of course the bonuses will be much larger,” read one such message. Evening Update The Ottawa Citizen’s best journalism, delivered directly to your inbox by 7 p.m. on weekdays. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Evening Update will soon be in your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again Article content Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “Without information to justify the legitimacy of the payments made by the Landlord to Employee A, we observed multiple factors that indicate that these payments are consistent with a kickback scheme designed to provide a benefit to both the Landlord and Employee A,” Gougeon wrote in her report. The rents were paid with federal, provincial and municipal money through emergency housing programs administered by the city. Gougeon said her investigation was limited in scope, but identified “in excess of 20” rental agreements linked to the kickback payments. The report included three examples: a two-bedroom unit in Beacon Hill South that rented for $2,900, or 38 per cent above the $2,100 market value; a three-bedroom unit in Pineview that rented for $4,050, or 46 per cent above the $2,775 market value; and a three-bedroom unit in Ledbury/Heron Gate/Ridgemont that rented at $4,050, or 63 per cent over the $2,491 market rate for similar units in the area. The city has terminated all relationships with the landlords involved, as recommended by the auditor general, and is developing a transition plan for tenants who were affected. Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “This is going to be a slow process. We’re not looking to see any people back out on the street,” Gougeun said. “It’s being done to ensure the city’s reputation is kept intact.” The investigation also found that Employees A and B started up a moving company during the kickback period that profited by moving clients into the apartments with inflated rents. While caseworkers are supposed to examine lease agreements and provide clients advice on whether the rent being charged is fair, ultimately it is the clients themselves who decide whether to accept the agreement. Nevertheless, the city says it will do whatever it can, including civil lawsuits, to try to recoup the money. “As you can imagine, I was, and our team was, horrified when we were told by the auditor general of this investigation,” Clara Freire, general manager of the community and social services department, told the committee. “We took action right away.” The auditor general made six recommendations to the city to improve record keeping and staff training about the city’s code of ethics, all of which were accepted. Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The fraud and waste hotline receives about 1,000 tips a year, of which about 350 are investigated, Gougeon said. River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington asked Gougeon if the kickback scheme would ever have been detected if the whistleblower had not contacted the fraud and waste hotline. “Very bluntly — highly unlikely,” she replied. Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Recommended from Editorial Richmond Road businesses, residents fed up with LRT and road construction Ottawa's new three-item garbage limit is in full effect — Here's how to avoid fines and penalties Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : City of Ottawa worker fired after audit uncovers kickback scheme with landlords Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Trending Layoffs could be on the table for public servants. Here's everything you need to know Public Service Battle lines drawn between public servants, taxpayers over public service pension surplus Public Service City of Ottawa worker fired after audit uncovers kickback scheme with landlords Local News Is Ottawa ready for the return of former Senators winger Dany Heatley? Ottawa Senators Today's letters: Get the campers out of Ottawa parks Opinion Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local Savings

Do our “compostable” bags, utensils and containers really return to nature? Hailed as a solution to the plastic problem, a growing number of new materials — marketed as biodegradable, sustainable, earth-friendly, decomposable or plant-based — promise to break down naturally in compost, easing our conscience about waste. But the truth depends on where you live. In California, each community decides on the materials it will accept in its curbside collection program, based on the contract and capabilities of its waste processor. ​”It’s complicated ​and confusing,” said Mark Murray, executive​ director ​of the nonprofit Californians Against Waste , which advocates for waste prevention and recycling policies. The Bay Area’s patchwork of local policies determines whether these materials will help fertilize a farm — or be dumped into a landfill. If you live in San Francisco , Berkeley or Palo Alto , for example, certified “compostables” go in the green bin. If you live in Santa Cruz , they go in your trash bin. In San Jose , they also go in the trash bin, but they’re later pulled out and processed. That’s because cities negotiate different contracts with the region’s dozen or so compost facilities. It’s more expensive to process “compostables” than organic waste. And only a few facilities have the sophisticated equipment necessary to do the job. To add to the complexity, not all items are created equal. An uncoated fiber to-go container or bamboo fork, for instance, can often be treated like the leftovers from last night’s dinner. “Compostable” plastic is much more restricted; some facilities accept it only if it meets strict criteria , so green-bagged food scraps are often diverted to landfills. A “biodegradable” item will simply decay over time; it can’t be composted. To help consumers, California law prohibits the sale of products labeled “compostable” or “home compostable” unless they’ve been certified by an accredited group like the Biodegradable Products Institute . But that doesn’t mean all such certified items can just be tossed in your green bin. While certified fiberware will compost, most certified plastic is screened out, according to Jeanine Sidran of StopWaste, a public agency that reduces waste in Alameda County. “We all want a ‘compostable’ to be the magic wand that it’s marketed as,” said Melissa Valliant of Beyond Plastics, an advocacy group urging the federal government to update and expand its guidance on these materials. “But, unfortunately, it’s not.” A plastic bag mixed with compost at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. Plastic and other non compostable items are removed from the compost at multiple sorting stages. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) A worker uses heavy equipment to move compost material at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) Recology employee Robert Reed sifts through a mound of compost at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) Recology employees work to move compost material at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) Food items decompose in a mound of compost at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) A Recology employee pulls non compostable items from a conveyor belt at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) Steam rises from rows of compost at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) A small piece of plastic mixed with compost at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. Plastic and other non compostable items are removed from the compost at multiple sorting stages. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) A Recology employee sorts through non compostable items at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) A plastic bag mixed with compost at Recology’s Blossom Valley Organics North composting facility on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Vernalis, Calif. Plastic and other non compostable items are removed from the compost at multiple sorting stages. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) The global market for compostable packaging , made from a combination of recycled and plant-based materials, has exploded, increasing from $95.73 billion last year to a projected $167.29 billion by 2030. Compostable bags offer a tidy way to line the waste pail in our kitchens or collect vegetables in the produce aisle of a grocery. To-go containers are popular at restaurants; utensils are trendy at picnics with friends. Companies like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods increasingly use “compostable” packaging. Someday these products might have the potential to be better for the planet — but right now, they face many challenges, say experts. The major problem, they say, is that available equipment can’t keep up with demand. “Compostables” demand more heat to break down than food scraps, yard waste and other organic materials, said Murray. And they take longer. “Nobody wants to see flecks of stuff in their compost,” he said. Composting facilities are finicky. Their major customers are organic farms — and U.S. Department of Agriculture rules say these farms can’t use compost derived from compostable bioplastic packaging, for instance, due to concerns about chemical contamination and debris. They only accept materials that they know will truly break down. The most advanced facilities, like the GreenWaste San Jose Material Recovery Facility and Recology’ s facility east of Livermore, have sophisticated sorting. But many other facilities can’t distinguish between compostable and noncompostable packaging, so simply remove everything, sending it to landfill, Murray said. America would “need a five, maybe 10 time, increase” in infrastructure to handle all the compostables and food waste residents generate, said Eric Hudiburgh of the U.S. Composting Council. Faced with such limits, each community must make policies based on the materials its composting facility will accept, according to Lance Klug of the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery . Santa Cruz , for instance, doesn’t utilize compost processing, so only food scraps are allowed in the green bin. In Oakland , food vendors are prohibited from using “compostable” plastic foodware and residents must put such items in the trash, according to Recycling Program Specialist Etienne Lugo. Residents can line their compost pails with paper bags or newspaper, or place compost in cereal boxes, she said. In contrast, San Francisco and Berkeley will accept anything certified as “BPI-compostable,” including bags. GreenWaste , which serves San Jose, Portola Valley, Palo Alto, Atherton, Los Altos Hills and Woodside, instructs residents to put all “compostables” in the black trash bin; once picked up, it gets sorted and composted. Because San Mateo County relies on several different waste companies, there are slightly different rules for what they accept, said Karen Wang of San Mateo County’s Sustainability Department . For example, South San Francisco Scavenger Co. does not accept biodegradable green bags. But other haulers do. Backyard compost piles rarely reach the 100 – 140 degrees needed to break down these products. There’s another alternative: Throw away less stuff. “A clever person solves a problem; a wise person avoids it altogether,” said Robert Reed of Recology . Reed lines his kitchen compost with a paper towel and shops at his local farmer’s market carrying two five-gallon tubs. No plastic required. “What did your grandparents do? What did your parents do? They had a metal fork and a metal knife and they washed them,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.In a world filled with negativity and selfishness, acts of kindness and compassion shine brightly, illuminating the human spirit and restoring faith in humanity. Such was the case when a Rolls-Royce owner, who was involved in a minor accident, decided to donate the entire tip given to him to spread love and kindness.

Jays Acquire All-Star Infielder From Guardians in Blockbuster Trade: ReportsBeyond the practical aspects of ticket booking and travel arrangements, the railway authority in Shenzhen is also committed to providing emotional support to migrant workers during this bittersweet time of year. Through various initiatives such as organizing cultural performances, distributing festive goodies, and setting up photo booths for travelers to capture precious memories, the railway authority seeks to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that reminds migrant workers of the joys of returning home.Serie A Round 15 Best XI: De Gea, Di Marco, Mhitaryan, and C.D.K Shine

In the ever-changing landscape of Parisian wealth, the fortunes of two prominent individuals have recently experienced contrasting trajectories. Chinese entrepreneur Li Gangren saw his net worth increase by €5 million to reach a new total of €30 million, solidifying his position as one of the city's wealthiest individuals. On the other hand, French fashion designer Mu Anni's wealth took a hit, dropping by €10 million to €50 million.

Franklin Resources Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsWASHINGTON (AP) — As a former and potentially future president, Donald Trump hailed what would become Project 2025 as a road map for “exactly what our movement will do” with another crack at the White House. As the blueprint for a hard-right turn in America became a liability during the 2024 campaign, Trump pulled an about-face . He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans written in part by his first-term aides and allies. Now, after being elected the 47th president on Nov. 5, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the detailed effort he temporarily shunned. Most notably, Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy . Those moves have accelerated criticisms from Democrats who warn that Trump's election hands government reins to movement conservatives who spent years envisioning how to concentrate power in the West Wing and impose a starkly rightward shift across the U.S. government and society. Trump and his aides maintain that he won a mandate to overhaul Washington. But they maintain the specifics are his alone. “President Trump never had anything to do with Project 2025,” said Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement. “All of President Trumps' Cabinet nominees and appointments are whole-heartedly committed to President Trump's agenda, not the agenda of outside groups.” Here is a look at what some of Trump's choices portend for his second presidency. As budget chief, Vought envisions a sweeping, powerful perch The Office of Management and Budget director, a role Vought held under Trump previously and requires Senate confirmation, prepares a president's proposed budget and is generally responsible for implementing the administration's agenda across agencies. The job is influential but Vought made clear as author of a Project 2025 chapter on presidential authority that he wants the post to wield more direct power. “The Director must view his job as the best, most comprehensive approximation of the President’s mind,” Vought wrote. The OMB, he wrote, “is a President’s air-traffic control system” and should be “involved in all aspects of the White House policy process,” becoming “powerful enough to override implementing agencies’ bureaucracies.” Trump did not go into such details when naming Vought but implicitly endorsed aggressive action. Vought, the president-elect said, “knows exactly how to dismantle the Deep State” — Trump’s catch-all for federal bureaucracy — and would help “restore fiscal sanity.” In June, speaking on former Trump aide Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Vought relished the potential tension: “We’re not going to save our country without a little confrontation.” Vought could help Musk and Trump remake government's role and scope The strategy of further concentrating federal authority in the presidency permeates Project 2025's and Trump's campaign proposals. Vought's vision is especially striking when paired with Trump's proposals to dramatically expand the president's control over federal workers and government purse strings — ideas intertwined with the president-elect tapping mega-billionaire Elon Musk and venture capitalist Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a “Department of Government Efficiency.” Trump in his first term sought to remake the federal civil service by reclassifying tens of thousands of federal civil service workers — who have job protection through changes in administration — as political appointees, making them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. Currently, only about 4,000 of the federal government's roughly 2 million workers are political appointees. President Joe Biden rescinded Trump's changes. Trump can now reinstate them. Meanwhile, Musk's and Ramaswamy's sweeping “efficiency” mandates from Trump could turn on an old, defunct constitutional theory that the president — not Congress — is the real gatekeeper of federal spending. In his “Agenda 47,” Trump endorsed so-called “impoundment,” which holds that when lawmakers pass appropriations bills, they simply set a spending ceiling, but not a floor. The president, the theory holds, can simply decide not to spend money on anything he deems unnecessary. Vought did not venture into impoundment in his Project 2025 chapter. But, he wrote, “The President should use every possible tool to propose and impose fiscal discipline on the federal government. Anything short of that would constitute abject failure.” Trump's choice immediately sparked backlash. “Russ Vought is a far-right ideologue who has tried to break the law to give President Trump unilateral authority he does not possess to override the spending decisions of Congress (and) who has and will again fight to give Trump the ability to summarily fire tens of thousands of civil servants,” said Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, a Democrat and outgoing Senate Appropriations chairwoman. Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, leading Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, said Vought wants to “dismantle the expert federal workforce” to the detriment of Americans who depend on everything from veterans' health care to Social Security benefits. “Pain itself is the agenda,” they said. Homan and Miller reflect Trump's and Project 2025's immigration overl ap Trump’s protests about Project 2025 always glossed over overlaps in the two agendas . Both want to reimpose Trump-era immigration limits. Project 2025 includes a litany of detailed proposals for various U.S. immigration statutes, executive branch rules and agreements with other countries — reducing the number of refugees, work visa recipients and asylum seekers, for example. Miller is one of Trump's longest-serving advisers and architect of his immigration ideas, including his promise of the largest deportation force in U.S. history. As deputy policy chief, which is not subject to Senate confirmation, Miller would remain in Trump's West Wing inner circle. “America is for Americans and Americans only,” Miller said at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on Oct. 27. “America First Legal,” Miller’s organization founded as an ideological counter to the American Civil Liberties Union, was listed as an advisory group to Project 2025 until Miller asked that the name be removed because of negative attention. Homan, a Project 2025 named contributor, was an acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director during Trump’s first presidency, playing a key role in what became known as Trump's “family separation policy.” Previewing Trump 2.0 earlier this year, Homan said: “No one’s off the table. If you’re here illegally, you better be looking over your shoulder.” Project 2025 contributors slated for CIA and Federal Communications chiefs John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick to lead the CIA , was previously one of Trump's directors of national intelligence. He is a Project 2025 contributor. The document's chapter on U.S. intelligence was written by Dustin Carmack, Ratcliffe's chief of staff in the first Trump administration. Reflecting Ratcliffe's and Trump's approach, Carmack declared the intelligence establishment too cautious. Ratcliffe, like the chapter attributed to Carmack, is hawkish toward China. Throughout the Project 2025 document, Beijing is framed as a U.S. adversary that cannot be trusted. Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, wrote Project 2025's FCC chapter and is now Trump's pick to chair the panel. Carr wrote that the FCC chairman “is empowered with significant authority that is not shared” with other FCC members. He called for the FCC to address “threats to individual liberty posed by corporations that are abusing dominant positions in the market,” specifically “Big Tech and its attempts to drive diverse political viewpoints from the digital town square.” He called for more stringent transparency rules for social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube and “empower consumers to choose their own content filters and fact checkers, if any.” Carr and Ratcliffe would require Senate confirmation for their posts.

Quest Diagnostics Inc. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsLAS VEGAS (AP) — Max Verstappen returned to the Las Vegas Grand Prix as the defending winner of the Sin City spectacle and a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship well within his reach. The Dutchman needed only to finish Saturday night's race ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren to make it four straight for the Red Bull driver. Verstappen starts fifth and Norris is sixth. Norris can additionally lose the title if he fails to outscore Verstappen by three points on the neon-lit street circuit that zips down the famed Las Vegas Strip. The race is back for a second year and again promoted by Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1. The debut event was a bit of a disaster in that locals were livid for months over ongoing construction, as well as traffic detours and delays, the inability to access many local businesses, outrageous price gouging by the tourism industry as well as LVGP ticketing, and then a loose valve cover that nearly destroyed Carlos Sainz Jr.'s Ferrari minutes into the first practice. It caused an hours-long delay for repairs, fans were kicked out of the circuit, and F1 ran practice until 4 a.m. — when it legally had to reopen the streets to the public. This year has been far less hectic, in part because all of the infrastructure headaches were a year ago, but also that last year's race was spectacular. Despite all its speed bumps, the actual running of the race was one of the best of the F1 season and could produce a similar show Saturday night. George Russell of Mercedes starts from the pole ahead of Sainz , who wants redemption after the valve-cover fiasco last year. He had to serve a penalty because his car was damaged in the incident. Ferrari is expected to be the class of the field, which could tighten the nail-biting constructer championship battle. Red Bull, the two-time reigning winners, have fallen to third in the standings behind McLaren and Ferrari. But with Las Vegas the first of the final three races of the season, McLaren is clinging to a 36-point lead for a championship worth an estimated $150 million in prize money. McLaren last won the constructor title in 1998, while Ferrari last won it in 2008. The race is the final stop in the United States for F1, which has exploded in American popularity the last five years. The trio of races in Miami; Austin, Texas; and Las Vegas are more than any other country. After the race completion, F1 next week is expected to announce it will expand the grid to 11 teams to make room for an American team backed by General Motors' Cadillac brand. The team was initially started by Michael Andretti, who could not receive approval from F1 on his expansion application. Andretti has since turned over his ownership stake to Indiana-businessman Dan Towriss and Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They would run the Cadillac F1 team that would likely join the grid in 2026. The announcement of the American team did not come during the weekend to not derail from the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is the showpiece of the Liberty Media portfolio. With one-time infrastructure costs last year, the debut event was believed to cost Liberty nearly $1 billion. Expenses are down this year, but Liberty put in as much glitz and glamour as possible, anyway. There are nightclubs around the course and on top of the paddock, an ice-skating rink, top-level musical acts and a 10 p.m. local start to make it feel like a true Las Vegas big Saturday night event. AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Myth 2: Frozen Steamed Buns Are InedibleNone

Saquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing and moves within 100 of Dickerson's record PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to top 2,000 yards rushing in a season, reaching the milestone with a 23-yard run in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys. That rush gave Barkley 2,005 yards with one game left and left him exactly 100 yards from Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105, set in 1984 for the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley could potentially top the record in next week’s finale against the New York Giants. However, that game will be mostly meaningless for the Eagles, who could opt to rest Barkley to protect him from injury ahead of the playoffs. Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined Jets ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the New York Jets. The Bills put the game away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo’s defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a 2-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills improved to 13-3 to match a franchise single-season record. Saquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing as Eagles beat Cowboys 41-7 to clinch NFC East PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards to top 2,000 on the season, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett ran and threw for scores before departing with injured ribs, and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title by routing the Dallas Cowboys 41-7. Barkley has 2,005 yards and needs 101 in next week’s mostly meaningless regular-season finale to top Eric Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The Eagles led 24-7 in the third quarter when Pickett was drilled by defensive end Micah Parsons, ending his first start in place of the concussed Jalen Hurts. Penn State coach James Franklin says Nick Saban should be college football's commissioner SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin believes college football needs a commissioner and he even has a candidate in mind: former Alabama coach Nick Saban. Franklin made the suggestion Sunday at Penn State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day ahead of the Fiesta Bowl. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions are preparing for their game against No. 3 seed Boise State on Tuesday. The veteran coach was responding to a question about Penn State’s backup quarterback situation after Beau Pribula transferred to Missouri before the playoff. Pribula’s decision highlighted some of the frustrating aspects of a new college football world in the Name, Image and Likeness era and the transfer portal, forcing players to make tough decisions at inopportune times. Mayfield throws 5 TD passes and Bucs keep playoff, NFC South hopes alive with 48-14 rout of Panthers TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw for 359 yards and five touchdowns to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers keep their division and playoff hopes alive with a 48-14 rout of the Carolina Panthers. The team’s fifth win in the past six weeks nudged the first-place Bucs a half-game ahead of Atlanta for the best record in the NFC South at 9-7. The Falcons played on the road later Sunday night at Washington. Atlanta holds the tiebreaker in the division race and can end Tampa Bay’s three-year reign as NFC South champions by beating the Commanders and winning again next week at home against the last-place Panthers. Lakers send D'Angelo Russell to Nets in trade for Dorian Finney-Smith, Shake Milton LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have traded guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton. The Lakers also sent forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks to Brooklyn. Russell averaged a career-low 12.4 points per game for the Lakers this season in a diminished role under new coach JJ Redick. Finney-Smith is a steady 3-and-D wing who fills an obvious need for the Lakers. Russell is being traded by the Lakers to the Nets for the second time in his career. He also made the move in 2017. LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career. Rising Sun Devils: Arizona State looks to pull off another big surprise at the Peach Bowl ATLANTA (AP) — As they prepare for Arizona State’s biggest game in nearly three decades, the guys who made it happen aren’t the least bit surprised to be rated a nearly two-touchdown underdog in the College Football Playoff. That’s a familiar position for the Sun Devils. They've been an underdog most of the season. Of the eight teams still vying for a national championship, there’s no bigger surprise than 11-2 Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago and were picked to finish dead last in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. Now, they're getting ready to face Texas in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal game on New Year’s Day. Penn State's polarizing QB Drew Allar puts critics on mute and keeps winning games SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it’s usually a backhanded compliment. They say he’s a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn’t try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here’s the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that’s hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. The polarizing Allar has another chance to quiet his critics on Tuesday, when Penn State plays Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Fiesta Bowl. Feels like 1979: Nottingham Forest moves into 2nd place behind rampant Liverpool in Premier League The Premier League table is starting to have a 1979 kind of feel to it with Liverpool at the top of the standings and Nottingham Forest in second place as the closest challenger. Liverpool padded its lead with a 5-0 rout of West Ham on Sunday while upstart Nottingham Forest climbed into second place by beating Everton 2-0 to continue its surprising push for a Champions League place. Manchester City marked Pep Guardiola's 500th game in charge by beating Leicester 2-0 but is still 14 points behind Liverpool having played a game more.New Jersey school board to refund state over $33K in funds spent on ‘Staff Fun Day’