President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Trump, once a crypto skeptic, had pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. Money has poured into crypto assets since he won . Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency, is now above $95,000. And shares in crypto platform Coinbase have surged more than 70% since the election. Paul Grewal, chief legal officer of Coinbase, congratulated Atkins in a post on X. “We appreciate his commitment to balance in regulating U.S. securities markets and look forward to his fresh leadership at (the SEC),” Grewal wrote. “It’s sorely needed and cannot come a day too soon.” Congressman Brad Sherman, a California Democrat and a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, said he worries Atkins would not sufficiently regulate cryptocurrencies as SEC chair. “He’d probably take the position that no cryptocurrency is a security, and hence no exchange that deals with crypto is a securities exchange,” Sherman said. “The opportunity to defraud investors would be there in a very significant way.” Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. His work as an SEC commissioner started in 2002, a time when the fallout from corporate scandals at Enron and WorldCom had turned up the heat on Wall Street and its government regulators. Atkins was widely considered the most conservative member of the SEC during his tenure at the agency and known to have a strong free-market bent. As a commissioner, he called for greater transparency in and analysis of the costs and benefits of new SEC rules. He also emphasized investor education and increased enforcement efforts against those who steal from investors over the internet, manipulate markets, engage in Ponzi schemes and other types of fraud. At the same time, Atkins objected to stiff penalties imposed on companies accused of fraudulent conduct, contending that they did not deter crime. He caused a stir in the summer of 2006 when he said the practice of granting stock options to executives before the disclosure of news that was certain to increase the share price did not constitute insider trading. U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Atkins has the experience needed to “restore faith in the SEC.” “I’m confident his leadership will lead to clarity for the digital asset ecosystem and ensure U.S. capital markets remain the envy of the world,” McHenry posted on X. Atkins already has some experience working for Trump. During Trump's first term, Atkins was a member of the President’s Strategic and Policy Forum , an advisory group of more than a dozen CEOs and business leaders who offered input on how to create jobs and speed economic growth. In 2017, Atkins joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization. Crypto industry players welcomed Trump’s victory in the hopes that he would push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for. Trump himself has launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies.The United States will provide Ukraine with a $725 million weapons package, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, as President Joe Biden's outgoing administration seeks to bolster the government in Kyiv in its war with Russian invaders before leaving office in January. The assistance will include Stinger missiles, ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), drones and land mines, among other items, Blinken said in a statement. Reuters had reported last week that the Biden administration planned to provide the equipment, much of it anti-tank weapons to ward off Russia's attacking troops. "The United States and more than 50 nations stand united to ensure Ukraine has the capabilities it needs to defend itself against Russian aggression," Blinken's statement said. The announcement marks a steep uptick in size from Biden's recent use of so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which allows the U.S. to draw from current weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency. Recent PDA announcements have typically ranged from $125 million to $250 million. Biden has an estimated $4 billion to $5 billion in PDA already authorized by Congress that he is expected to use for Ukraine before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. The tranche of weapons represents the first time in decades that the United States has exported land mines, the use of which is controversial because of the potential harm to civilians. Although more than 160 countries have signed a treaty banning their use, Kyiv has been asking for them since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in early 2022, and Russian forces have used them on the front lines. The land mines that would be sent to Ukraine are "non-persistent," with a power system that lasts for just a short time, leaving the devices non-lethal. This means that - unlike older landmines - they would not remain in the ground, threatening civilians indefinitely.The Newport News government has applied for an almost $20 million federal grant that — if received — could help address the coal dust pollution that plagues the Southeast Community. For decades, Newport News residents have urged the city government to address the pollution coming from Dominion Terminal Associates and Kinder Morgan coal terminals. Residents say the coal dust blows into the surrounding community and coats homes and schools. In addition to dirtying the atmosphere, residents also worry it’s causing them respiratory problems. During a council work session last week, Chief Strategy Officer Eoghan Miller discussed ways the city is trying to be environmentally responsible. He noted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has Community Change Grant funding available for environmental and climate justice activities that benefit disadvantaged communities. The funding is designed to reduce pollution and increase community climate resilience. Miller said the city and a collection of community-based organizations submitted an application in November to address dust issues in the Southeast Community and requested $19.6 million in funding. “We’ve got our fingers crossed,” Miller said. “We hope to hear more.” Mayor Phillip Jones said remediation would take “a lot of money.” While the specific remedy remains to be determined, Jones said some potential solutions could include a coal fence or a dome. “$20 million, I think, will change downtown, especially when it comes to coal mitigation,” he said. The state Department of Environmental Quality is working on a project that deploys monitors to test air quality and assess potential health risks associated with dust from the coal storage and transportation facilities in Newport News and Norfolk. The study, known as the Tidewater Air Monitoring Evaluation project , will measure and analyze toxic metals and particulates in the air in the two communities and use the information to conduct health risk assessments. Miller told the Daily Press that in addition to dust coming from the coal terminals, the grant could also be used to mitigate other environmental factors such as dust coming off the interstate. “Even if we get the funding, there’s probably not a single solution that completely eradicates these fugitive dust issues, and so it’s probably looking at a host of measures to hopefully reduce some of the fugitive dust issues, pollution issues, climate action issues that we have, in the Southeast Community particularly, and citywide,” he said. According to Miller, the city hopes to find out before the end of the year whether it will receive the grant money. Southeast Community resident Yugonda Sample-Jones, a longtime advocate for addressing the coal dust issue, said her organization EmPower All, the Sierra Club, the University of Virginia and numerous other local organizations have been raising awareness about the harm of coal dust in the Southeast Community and she hopes she hopes the city can undergo a holistic effort to create “a truly healthy space.” She said she collaborated with the city on the community change grant application and hopes funding could be used for a dome, fence, or some other barrier to protect residents from dust. “This is the most momentum we’ve had at a local level to do something about environmental justice,” she said. Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
John Elway: remorse over bypassing Josh Allen in draft mitigated by watching Broncos rookie Bo NixAmerican rugby sevens star Ilona Maher will join 15-a-side club Bristol in January in a bid to play in next year's women's Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the USA to a bronze medal at this summer's Olympic Games in Paris and is the sport's most popular player on social media. "This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal," Bristol head coach Dave Ward said. "She is one of the biggest names in women's sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will add real value to our programme on and off the field." Last week Maher finished second on US television show "Dancing with the Stars", and she was on the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition in July. Maher has signed a three-month deal with Bristol ahead of the World Cup, which starts in England in August. She made her 15-a-side debut for the USA in 2021. "I am excited to join the Bristol Bears and put myself in the best position to earn a spot to represent USA in the 2025 Rugby World Cup alongside such a talented and driven group as the Bears," Maher said in a club statement. Bristol's first game next month is on January 4 against local rivals and Premiership Women's Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury, in a repeat of last season's final. obo/iwd/mw
Congress readies nearly $900 billion in defense spending
Elway: Remorse over passing on Allen mitigated by play of NixNo. 25 UConn working on climbing back up poll, faces No. 15 BaylorThe LPGA said Wednesday that players assigned male at birth or those who have not transitioned to female before puberty are not eligible to compete in LPGA tournaments. The U.S. Golf Association concurrently released similar guidance that applies to its championship season. The new gender policies will take effect at the start of the 2025 season. “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a statement. “The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.” Under the new policies, athletes who are assigned female at birth are eligible to compete on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and in USGA women’s competitions. Players who were assigned male at birth and have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events. “We remain committed to providing opportunities for everyone to compete for a national title or team but have made changes to our eligibility criteria that reflects current scientific data and strives to maintain competitive integrity,” USGA CEO Mike Whan said in a statement. “Our updated policy reflects a thoughtful and thorough process during which the USGA consulted with leading medical professionals from around the world.” In its statement, the USGA said “current scientific and medical research shows that sports performance differences exist between biological sexes and such differences begin to occur during the onset of puberty.” The LPGA added that its update was “informed by a working group of top experts in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law.” The LPGA axed its requirement that eligible players be “female at birth” in 2010, after a transgender woman filed a lawsuit against the tour. The organization currently allows players to compete if they have undergone gender-affirming surgery after puberty and met hormone therapy requirements. Its updated policy would rule golfer Hailey Davidson ineligible. Davidson previously played on the men’s teams at Wilmington and Christopher Newport, a Division III school in Virginia. In 2015, she began undergoing hormone treatments in her early 20s, and in January 2021, she underwent gender-affirming surgery. Davidson missed qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open by one shot in May, and in October came up short in her bid to become the first transgender golfer to earn an LPGA card. As Davidson sought to qualify for the tour this year, the LPGA said its gender policy was under review. The organization in August sent a memo to players saying it would conclude a more than yearlong review of its current policy, which it planned to update ahead of the 2025 season. In October, reports surfaced of a letter signed by 275 current and former female golfers asking the LPGA, USGA and International Golf Federation to repeal their policies allowing people assigned male at birth to compete in women’s events. “Can’t say I didn’t see this coming,” Davidson wrote Wednesday on her Instagram story. “Banned from the Epson and the LPGA. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.” Whan, the USGA CEO, told The Associated Press the organization’s decision was rooted in competitive balance. “It starts with competitive fairness as the North Star,” Whan said. “We tried not to get into politics, or state by state or any of that stuff. We just simply said, ‘Where would somebody – at least medically today – where do we believe somebody would have a competitive advantage in the field?’ And we needed to draw a line.” Earlier this week, Marcoux Samaan announced that she was stepping down as LPGA commissioner, effective Jan. 9.
(The Center Square) – The House is set to vote on the compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act which authorizes nearly $900 billion to support U.S. military service members, infrastructure, and defense capabilities during the 2025 fiscal year. The 1,813-page document released Saturday by the Senate and House Armed Services Committees outlines U.S. defense policy priorities and their costs for 2025. Most of the proposed funds, $849.9 billion out of the $895.2 billion topline, would go to programs within the Department of Defense. Though the result of a bipartisan compromise, some provisions remain a point of contention, including a Republican addition that prohibits the military’s health program from covering any gender dysphoria treatments on minors that could "result in sterilization.” Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith, D-Wash., has urged House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to “abandon” the provision and allow the House to bring forward a bill that “doesn’t attack the transgender community.” Johnson has argued that the current NDAA will “restore our focus on military lethality and to end the radical woke ideology being imposed on our military.” If the legislation passes, junior enlisted service members would receive a historic 14.5% pay raise and all other service members a 4.5% basic pay raise. The NDAA plan would also address multiple quality of life issues for service members, highlighted in a September report from the Government Accountability Office that revealed unsanitary and rundown living conditions for military personnel. It authorizes $2.7 billion to improve housing conditions, build more housing, and increase oversight. It also increases healthcare access and childcare services for military members by cutting red tape and approving $176 million for the construction of new childcare centers and $110 million for the construction of new schools. More from this section “Funding our military is one of Congress' most important responsibilities,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority Chairman, Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said on X. “Our brave men and women in uniform and their spouses allow us to enjoy the freedoms we have today. They deserve every benefit in this bill.” The legislation authorizes hundreds of billions in defense-related infrastructure and technology investments, including approximately $17.5 billion for military base or industrial construction projects; $33.5 billion to build seven battle force ships; and more than $161 billion for innovation and technology research and related programs. Nearly $16 billion would go to the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, funding new technologies like hypersonic weapons and AI to deter the Chinese Communist Party and mitigate espionage and cybersecurity risks. Anti-terrorism initiatives in the Middle East and overseas U.S. military construction projects countering North Korea and Russia would also receive funding, as well as a U.S.-Israel missile defense program and the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. “We remain determined to confront increasingly hostile threats from Communist China, Russia, and Iran, and this legislation provides our military with the tools they need to deter our enemies,” Johnson said in a statement. “The safety and security of the American people is top priority, and this bill ensures our military has the resources and capabilities needed to remain the most powerful force in the world.” U.S. border security receives a relatively small portion of funds from the NDAA, with $90 million authorized for the construction of a new command and control facility at the U.S.-Mexico border and a $10 million increase in funding for the DOD’s counternarcotics activities. The House Rules Committee is set to vote Monday afternoon on advancing the measure to the House floor, where it can pass with a majority vote. The Senate must vote on it by the end of the month for it to take effect.
A range of independent TDs are contemplating the prospect of entering Ireland’s next coalition government as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael consider ways to secure a solid majority. Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran , who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.USDA Seeks Top Minds to Revolutionize Food Safety—Step Up to Protect America’s FamiliesST. LOUIS , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TricorBraun, a global packaging leader, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Veritiv Containers, previously known as All American Containers. Veritiv Containers is a national distributor of both custom and stock rigid packaging solutions for the food and beverage, wine and spirits, personal care, nutraceutical, and industrial sectors. The business operates from facilities across North America . "This acquisition further enhances our North American footprint, offering customers expanded solutions and supply chain options," said Court Carruthers, president and CEO, TricorBraun. "The Veritiv team is highly respected for their expertise, focus on quality, and customer service, and we are pleased to welcome them to the TricorBraun family." Veritiv Containers' leadership team will remain with TricorBraun and all dedicated team members will be offered positions with the company. Effective with the closing of the transaction, Veritiv Containers will operate as TricorBraun. Guy Considine , leader of the Veritiv Containers business added "we are grateful to have been part of the Veritiv team since the acquisition of All American Containers, and we are excited to join TricorBraun because of its significant focus on rigid packaging, where we can continue to grow, develop, and take terrific care of our customers, suppliers, and team members." The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025 after customary regulatory approval and completion conditions. Advisors Guggenheim Securities, LLC, acted as financial advisor and Sullivan & Cromwell served as legal advisor to TricorBraun on the transaction. About Veritiv Veritiv Operating Company, headquartered in Atlanta , is a leading full-service provider of packaging, jan-san, and hygiene products, services, and solutions. Additionally, Veritiv provides print and publishing products. Serving customers in a wide range of industries both in North America and globally, Veritiv has distribution centers throughout the U.S. and Mexico , and team members around the world helping shape the success of its customers. About TricorBraun Founded in 1902, TricorBraun is a global packaging leader. We leverage our scale, comprehensive scope and unparalleled expertise to solve customers' complex packaging problems and help them win in the marketplace. TricorBraun is composed of more than 2,000 packaging professionals operating from more than 100 locations across the Americas, Europe , Asia , and Australia . Contact: Becky Donner bdonner@tricorbraun.com | 630.645.1272 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tricorbraun-to-acquire-veritivs-rigid-containers-business-further-expanding-its-north-american-footprint-302326437.html SOURCE TricorBraun
World Cup selection drives US sevens star Maher's move to Bristol
Published 4:09 pm Sunday, December 29, 2024 By Associated Press By The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. As reaction poured in Sunday from around the world, former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary were among those praising Carter for a life devoted to helping others. “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end,” Clinton said, praising Carter for a commitment to civil rights, protecting natural resources, securing peace between Egypt and Israel, and other accomplishments. The son of the late Martin Luther King Jr., meanwhile, called Carter a “fighter who punched above his weight.” In a statement, Martin Luther King III added that “while history may have been hard on President Carter at times, today, he is remembered as a global human rights leader.” A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.”Storm Darragh damage shuts famous Welsh restaurant after roof ripped offBiden's inner circle weighs preemptive pardons ahead of Trump's 2nd term: report
The European Union looks to have clinched political agreement on the team of 26 commissioners who will be implementing President Ursula von der Leyen’s policy plan for the next five years. A final vote is still pending next week, but on Thursday, Politico’s Brussels Playbook newsletter reported a deal in the European Parliament on the appointments, suggesting it’s “now all but guaranteed” that the next European Commission will kick off on December 1. We’ve picked out three commissioner-designates to watch for tech policy moves as the next Commission takes up its five-year mandate, which runs into 2029, with responsibilities across areas like digital infrastructure and tech investment, support for startups, and enforcing the bloc’s laws on Big Tech. Teresa Ribera Rodríguez Executive vice president for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Big Tech will be watching Teresa Ribera Rodríguez closely. Once confirmed in post, the Spanish center-left politician is set for a major EVP role in the incoming Commission heading up a climate brief-cum-economic transformation EVP role. But she’ll also be taking over competition enforcement from Margrethe Vestager — a portfolio that’s given the likes of Apple , Amazon , Google , and Meta plenty of headaches over the years. This combined strategic portfolio makes her the most powerful figure in the incoming Commission — on paper, at least. The EU has put a fresh focus on trying to rein in platform power in recent years, thanks to the bloc’s flagship Digital Markets Act (DMA), a popular competition reform that came into force this March. It responds to Big Tech’s market-shaping muscle by applying a set of upfront rules on how they can operate key platforms, doing things like banning self-preferencing and requiring openness and interoperability, which the EU hopes will result in fairer dealing for competitors and tech users. Von der Leyen has previously said enforcement of the digital regime is a priority for her second term as EU chief. As EU competition chief, Ribera Rodríguez is set to wield major decision-making power in tech. She will inherit a clutch of active DMA investigations, including advanced probes of Apple and Meta , where the EU has already said it suspects breaches but isn’t expected to decide the cases until next year. Google’s self-preferencing is also under investigation. Other DMA probes could follow on the seven designated gatekeepers, with Reuters reporting that Amazon will face a probe next year . Penalties under the DMA can reach up to 10% of global annual turnover or more for repeat offenders. But we’ve already seen notable operational changes as tech giants have been forced to offer stuff they can frame as compliance, such as Apple allowing web distribution for iOS apps and Meta creeping toward “less personalized” ads . Expect a lot more service reconfiguring as enforcement steps up, though, and Ribera Rodríguez brings down the DMA hammer. She will also be in charge of classical competition enforcement, which (while typically slower to yield results) has similarly beefy sanctions for violations — an area where the EU recently slapped Meta with a fine of nearly $840 million for tying its online classified ads service to its dominant social network, for instance. Again, the Commission has a number of open cases that Ribera Rodríguez could end up being in charge of wrapping up, such as a long-running probe of Google dominance of the adtech stack . The EU previously said it may need to consider breaking Google up if its suspicions of anticompetitive behavior are confirmed. Such a significant call may ultimately rest on Ribera Rodríguez’s sign-off. Speaking at her confirmation hearing in the European Parliament , where Ribera Rodríguez was questioned by MEPs (members of the European Parliament) earlier this month, she said she’s committed to working on a reform of EU competition policy to further speed up enforcement and wants to improve the Commission’s ability to enforce the DMA. The commissioner-designate also said she will focus enforcement on the worst offenders and pledged to clamp down on acquisitions that prevent innovation (i.e., killer acquisitions), suggesting Big Tech M&A will continue to face a bumpy ride in the EU with knock-on implications for startup exits (and investors). In her own mission letter to Ribera Rodríguez, von der Leyen similarly named “killer acquisitions” and DMA enforcement as key competition priorities, so her confirmation hearing was on script here, instructing the chosen competition chief to “address the challenges and dynamics of digital markets, including platform economies and data-driven business models,” and urging “rapid and effective” DMA enforcement. The EU president has also overtly aligned goals for the green and competition briefs, saying the EU needs a new approach to competition policy that aims to foster scale-ups that can help the bloc decarbonize faster. Additionally, von der Leyen wrote that geopolitical uncertainty must be factored in and competition policy should “reflect the growing importance of resilience in the face of geopolitical and other threats to supply chains and of unfair competition through subsidies.” She asked Ribera Rodríguez to oversee more simplification of EU State Aid rules to support efforts to boost the bloc’s competitiveness via what it’s calling “ Important Projects of Common European Interest ” (or IPCEIs). Here competition policy is being seen as a key lever for supporting emerging tech in strategic sectors, like microelectronics, batteries, and next-gen cloud infrastructure. So the job is tasked with helping to shape a higher tech, more autonomous future for the EU. Since the mission letter was penned, Donald Trump has been confirmed as the next U.S. president, further amping up unpredictability and trade risk for the EU. It will be interesting to see how the incoming competition chief uses antitrust powers as a bolster against external instabilities without, for example, being accused of acting politically/being anti-America by a transactional Trump administration. Henna Virkkunen Executive vice president for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy As well as a tech-focused EVP portfolio, Henna Virkkunen is being handed responsibility for “Digital and Frontier Technologies,” meaning she’s set to get a key role in shaping the bloc’s approach to web technologies and AI, and a lot more besides. But as well as the brief putting a focus on fostering investment to drive innovation and tech uptake — requiring her attention on areas like cybersecurity, digital skills, and infrastructure (and uptake of apps like the EU digital wallet ) — her responsibilities span enforcement of existing digital rules. It will be interesting to see where the liberal-conservative politician brings her A-game. In the case of AI, the EU adopted a risk-based framework for regulating artificial intelligence this summer (i.e., the EU AI Act ). Enforcement is due to start from early next year — with additional compliance deadlines following in the months and years ahead — but von der Leyen’s mission letter puts much more emphasis on “boosting artificial intelligence innovation” than enforcing these freshly inked rules. So, when it comes to AI at least, it appears Virkkunen is being told to prioritize ecosystem growth. Among first-order tasks she’s instructed with are helping get EU supercomputers fit for AI startups to use to train models; devising an “Apply AI Strategy” to boost new industrial uses of AI and improve public service delivery; and helping set up the European AI Research Council, which the Commission has said will “exploit the potential of data.” Other areas where the EU is keen to boost “frontier” tech investment — and therefore where Virkkunen will be expected to move the development needle — include supercomputing, semiconductors, IoT, genomics, quantum computing, and space tech. In a more explicit ecosystem-boosting measure, the EVP will be in charge of introducing an “EU Cloud and AI Development Act.” The bloc wants this to support SMEs by boosting computational capacity as it will be paired with an EU-wide framework to support innovative startups in gaining access to the compute to develop their tech. All of this plays into the “tech sovereignty” theme of the portfolio, which von der Leyen has linked to the overarching goal of driving the bloc’s competitiveness. The structure of Virkkunen’s portfolio means she will also take the lead on steering enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA), the sister regulation to the DMA. The DSA is an online governance framework that aims to ensure digital services do right by consumers by removing illegal content and not neglecting to enforce their own terms and conditions, with an additional layer of algorithmic accountability rules for larger tech platforms. The bloc has a raft of open DSA probes that Virkkunen is likely to be seeing through to conclusion, including investigations of marketplaces AliExpress and Temu , as well as social media platforms Facebook and Instagram ; TikTok ; and X (Twitter). Penalties for confirmed breaches can reach 6% of global annual turnover. So far the EU’s probe of X is the most advanced, with some preliminary findings announced this summer . But where the investigation finally lands should involve Virkkunen, who is taking up an oversight baton previously wielded by ex-internal market commissioner Thierry Breton, who made himself very visible indeed versus most of the rest of the Commission via some public clashes with X owner, Elon Musk . When it comes to enforcing the bloc’s digital rules, Virkkunen has named protecting children online as a priority. During her hearing with MEPs , she committed to presenting an action plan on cyberbullying and said she would look into “systemic risks,” such as addictive algorithms. Tackling “dark patterns” is also a task in her mission letter, with von der Leyen saying the EVP must work to combat “unethical techniques online” — including addictive design — and social media influencer marketing. Fixing issues with e-commerce is also on the list. So it’s a repeat of existing Commission DSA enforcement priorities . Online disinformation is another clear area of focus, which plays to the “democracy” component of Virkkunen’s EVP title. And this always-tricky issue could create some of the biggest risks for the EVP. Notably, an instruction from the EU president to “work to counter harmful disinformation” is all but certain to bring the bloc into fresh into conflict with Musk, whose platform X contains hateful nonsense of all stripes . So how Virkkunen handles Musk’s inevitable attacks will be essential viewing, especially as the X owner now sits alongside President-elect Trump, bending his ear as a self-styled “ first buddy .” If the EU’s rule of law clash with X hits a crisis point next year, it looks set to be Virkkunen making the call on whether to pull the plug on regional access to the platform, as the DSA contains powers for violating services to be temporarily blocked in extremis. Breton issued several public warnings of the power in a bid to rein in Musk. In the event, Breton himself is now out of power (after clashing with von der Leyen ) and the X owner’s geopolitical influence has scaled exponentially. The EU still hasn’t brought home the DSA probe of X it started almost a year ago, even as the bloc is now facing four more years of Musk-adjacent transatlantic turmoil. So Virkkunen is stepping into a complex (some might say toxic) brew in this particular case. Even as she’s been instructed to deliver “rapid and effective” DSA enforcement. “ Lykkyä tykö! ” (“Good luck!”) as the Finns say. Ekaterina Zaharieva Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva is not an EVP, so hers is a much smaller portfolio, but as commissioner-designate for startups and R&D, she’s likely to become a familiar face in European startup land, and among the wider research community, over the next five years. Among the tasks von der Leyen set for Zaharieva in her mission letter is to work on a “European Innovation Act,” which is slated to streamline the bloc’s regulatory framework; facilitate access to venture capital for “European innovative startups and scaleups”; and provide support measures for testing new technologies, such as regulatory sandboxes. A perennial complaint from industry is that the EU’s love of rulemaking hampers homegrown startups versus unfettered global players, so von der Leyen’s policy plan is keen to sound active on ecosystem support measures. For instance, Zaharieva has been asked to come up with an “EU startup and scale-up strategy” to help grow the local tech ecosystem. In her confirmation hearing , she talked about expanding access to funding and cutting red tape. But, clearly, the devil will be in the details of how she goes about executing those aims. She will also lead on proposing a “European Research Area Act,” which the EU hopes will foster research and innovation by supporting the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge, and technology. Expanding the European Innovation Council (EIC) and European Research Council (ERC) are other stated missions. In the case of the EIC, Zaharieva has been specifically tasked with helping to create a network of trusted deep tech investors to push for co-investment with the private sector to grow homegrown innovation. Elsewhere, she will be involved in getting the aforementioned European AI Research Council up and running, which is part of the bloc’s efforts to support growth in the AI ecosystem. During her hearing in parliament earlier this month, Zaharieva also pledged to push EU member states to meet a 3% spending target on research and innovation, saying research and innovation must be at the heart of the bloc’s competitiveness agenda.
Number of prisoners in north falls to 840Hansi Flick-led Barcelona failed to return to winning ways tonight after letting their lead slip late in dramatic fashion in a 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo. Raphinha 15', Lewandowski 61'; González 84', Álvarez 86' Captain for the night Raphinha set Barça off and running on the night in the 15th minute after Jules Koundé’s ball over the top found the Brazilian, who danced around Óscar Mingueza before sliding past Vicente Guaita for his 8th league goal of the season. Celta were certainly up for the fight despite going down a goal, however, with the Galician side threatening Barcelona on the counter, and probably should have done better with a handful of half-chances they created. This particularly held true in the 39th minute when Jonathan Bamba got the better of Koundé before attempting to pick out the run of Anastasios Douvikas, but could only fluff his squared ball, which Barça calmly dealt with. Home supporters at the Estadio Abanca Balaídos were left shocked that Celta did not go up a man on the stroke of halftime after Gerard Martin looked to have brought down local hero Iago Aspas while already being on a yellow, but it would be an incandescent Aspas that went into the book instead. Smartly, Flick replaced Martin with Héctor Fort to begin the second half as Celta continued to push for an equalizer on the break, with their xG outstripping that of the visitors despite Barcelona’s regular possession dominance. It would appear to be all for nothing though when Robert Lewandowski bagged his 15th La Liga goal and 20th overall in the 2024-25 campaign in the 61st minute. 15 - Robert Lewandowski has scored 15 goals in LaLiga 2024/25, the best tally in the Top 5 European leagues (Harry Kane – 14 with Bayern München in the Bundesliga). Leader. — OptaJose (@OptaJose) Raphina won possession near the halfway line before feeding the Polish hitman who adjusted well to regain possession inside the box before seeing his effort glide past Guaita, quieting the Balaídos crowd. Flick would see his side reduced to ten men in the 82nd minute when Marc Casadó was sent off after receiving a second yellow. Claudio Giráldez's men would ultimately make them pay, first through substitute Alfonso González, who did well to strip Koundé at the back after the French international was clumsy in possession before reducing the deficit to just one goal. BARCA GET A RED CARD AND THEN GIVE UP TWO GOALS TO BLOW THEIR LEAD ALL IN JUST FOUR MINUTES 😮 — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) It would then be a turnaround to write home about two minutes later as Celta smelled blood in the water, with Hugo Álvarez leveling the scoreline at two-all in the 86th minute after a composed finish. Barça now heads into their midweek Champions League program five points clear of Atlético Madrid while preparing to welcome surprise outfit Brest to Catalunya. A jubilant Celta ends the night sitting in eleventh but could fall further down the table depending on results tomorrow. 📸 Octavio Passos - 2024 Getty Images
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