California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers headed back to the state Capitol Monday to begin steeling themselves for another Donald Trump presidency and to kick off a special session aimed at protecting the state’s progressive policies from his administration. The Democratic governor, long a Trump foe, is maneuvering to position his huge, powerful state to once again be the center of a resistance effort against Trump extremely conservative agenda. Newsom is calling on his Democratic allies in the Legislature, who hold supermajorities in both chambers, to approve additional funding to the attorney general’s office to prepare for a robust legal fight against all anticipated federal challenges launched by Trump and the cronies he is already naming to top positions. Democratic Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel on Monday introduced legislation to set aside $25 million for legal fees to respond to potential attacks by the Trump administration on state policies regarding civil rights, climate change, immigration and abortion access. “While we always hope to collaborate with our federal partners, California will be ready to vigorously defend our interests and values from any unlawful action by the incoming Trump Administration,” Gabriel vowed in a statement. California sued the first Trump administration more than 120 times with various levels of success. “We’re not going to be caught flat-footed,” Newsom vowed at a recent news conference. Trump often depicts California as representing everything he sees wrong in America. Democrats, which hold every statewide office in California and have commanding margins in the Legislature and congressional delegation, outnumber registered Republicans by nearly two-to-one statewide. Trump called the Democratic governor “New-scum” during a campaign stop in Southern California, and has relentlessly lambasted the Democratic stronghold over its large number of undocumented immigrants, its homeless population and and its thicket of protectionist regulations. Trump also waded into a water rights battle over the endangered delta smelt , a tiny fish that has pitted environmentalists against farmers and threatened to withhold federal aid to a state increasingly under threat from wildfires. Before the special session was set to begin, state lawmakers swore in more than two dozen new members and elected leaders for the 2025 legislative session. Hundreds of people also demonstrated around the Capitol on Monday to urge the Legislature to block Trump’s mass deportation plans . They carried banners reading: “Not one cent for mass deportation” and “MAGA out of California.” “With the results of the presidential election, we need our state elected officials to use every tool and every resource they have available to them to protect our immigrant Californians,” said protester Deborah Lee. State Attorney General Rob Bonta vowed that his office will protect the state’s immigration population. In another challenge to Trump, Newsom last week unveiled a proposal to revive a rebate program for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates a federal tax credit for people who buy electric cars, as it’s expected to do. Newsom is also considering creating a backup disaster relief fund for the wildfire-prone state after Trump’s threats to cut off funds. Bonta also announced legislation Monday aimed at bolstering reproductive rights in the state, including by allowing the attorney general to seek monetary penalties against local governments that infringe on those rights. The proposals are all part of the state’s efforts to safeguard against threats to abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade . Republican lawmakers blasted Newsom and his Democratic allies over the special session. Rep. Vince Fong, who represents the state’s Central Valley farm belt, said California should work with the incoming Trump administration. “Gavin Newsom’s actions are tone-deaf to the concerns of Californians who disapprove of the direction of our state and country,” Fong insisted in a video on social media. California legislators will likely act to protect dozens of laws expected to be targeted by the Trump administration, including one that has made the state a sanctuary for people seeking abortions who live in states where such practices have been severely limited. California, the nation’s most populous state, was the first to mandate that by 2035 all new cars , pickup trucks and SUVs sold in California be electric, hydrogen-powered or plug-in hybrids. The state also extends state-funded health care to all low-income residents regardless of their immigration status. Newsom hasn’t provided details about what actions the lawmakers will consider but said he wanted major funding in place before Trump’s inauguration day, Jan. 20. The state spent roughly $42 million in litigation costs during the first Trump administration, officials said. California successfully clawed back $57 million between 2017 and 2018 after prevailing in a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from imposting immigration enforcement conditions on certain federal law enforcement grants. Another legal victory over the citizenship question in the 2020 census forced the federal government to return $850,000 to the state, according to the attorney general’s office. “We are positioned, if necessary, to be the tip of the spear of the resistance and to push back against any unlawful or unconstitutional actions by the Trump administration,” said Gabriel, who chairs the budget committee. Additional reporting by journalists Haven Daley and Sophie Austin from the Associated PressHow AI Can Help Stop Illegal Crossings Along the BorderOn Dec. 2, Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) announced a new strategic partnership with SNC, the global aerospace and national security company. The partnership is part of the U.S. Air Force’s Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) contract. In support of the SAOC program, one of two 747-8i aircraft recently arrived in Wichita from SNC’s Aviation Innovation and Technology Center (AITC) in Dayton, Ohio. Delivery of the aircraft signifies the next phase of SAOC engineering and manufacturing development since the contract award in April 2024. Under the USAF’s SAOC award, SNC will modernize and deliver a replacement for the current fleet of E-4B “Nightwatch” aircraft, which entered service in 1974. This highly specialized aircraft serves as an airborne command center for the president of the United States, secretary of defense, and chairs of the joint chiefs of staff to ensure continued critical command, control and communication during national emergencies. NIAR’s experience in composites and advanced materials, digital twin, advanced manufacturing technologies such as additive manufacturing, aircraft and component testing, and certification will enhance SNC’s ability to deliver a cutting-edge, innovative solution to the USAF. “SAOC is a critical program that will ensure our nation is adequately prepared to ensure unfaltering communication during a national emergency,” said John Tomblin, WSU executive vice president for WSU Research and Industry and Defense Programs and NIAR executive director. “This is the most significant industry contract in the history of the university.” “The partnership between NIAR and SNC will modernize and replace outdated aircraft that are vital to the operations of the United States Air Force,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran. “I look forward to seeing NIAR’s experience in advanced, cutting-edge technology enhance the design of SNC’s innovative aircraft remodeling as these two companies work to make our country more secure.”Darts legend Adrian Lewis will lose his PDC Tour Card - 14 years after his maiden World Championship triumph. The 39-year-old is regarded as one of the sport's most talented players having won four major honours. 'Jackpot' won back-to-back world titles at Alexandra Palace in 2011 and 2012. He also emerged victorious at the European Championship and UK Open in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Lewis is also a four-time winner of the PDC World Cup of Darts having won the trophy alongside Phil Taylor on each occasions. But his form has dipped in recent years, and in April 2023, Lewis, who has been caring for his ill wife Sarah, announced he would be taking a break away from the sport. Last year was the first time since his debut 2005 appearance at the World Championship that saw him fail to feature. And his continued absence from darts will see him yet again miss out on competing at the iconic sports venue in next month's tournament. Lewis' current PDC Tour Card runs until the end of the year, but he has decided against entering in the PDPA World Championship qualifier, which starts on Monday. As a result, he will lose his Tour Card due to inactivity - much to the dismay of his adoring fans. Taking to social media, one X user posted: "The streets will never forget the big man!" Another messaged: "No Adrian Lewis at the PDPA qualifier so unfortunately he will lose his tour card. Miss you already king." A third added: "Such a great player to watch. Hopefully he’s well and we can see him back again some time." This supporter commented: "Ah man gutting. My favourite growing up and getting into darts." Meanwhile this fan simply stated: "One of the greatest to ever throw the tungsten." While Lewis will not be competing on the PDC Tour in 2025, he did announce in August he will return to action next year on the MODUS Super Series. And he also stressed he would be willing to enter the PDC qualifying school to earn his spot on the Tour. When asked by darts cult hero Wayne Mardle on when fans will see him back competing in PDC's biggest events, Lewis said: "I'm going to see where I'm at first. "Obviously I'll do the MODUS next year, see where I'm at see where my games at and if I'm enjoying it. Then obviously, I'd love to go to Q-School." Commenting on his time away from the sport, he added: "It was never my intention to put the darts away forever. "You know, I said I was taking a break, I never said I was retiring and there was always a possibility I was going to come back. I didn't really have the hunger, which I knew I needed to have to succeed. My wife has got an incurable kidney disease so we were in and out of hospital a lot of the time. "Then, my daughter, she's disabled, she's got autism and it was just all getting too much for me. That's not going away of course, but we can learn to deal with it."victoria sports tower 。

SOUTH HAVEN — Lake Michigan College received a grant for a hoop house and hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 15 at its South Haven campus. According to a news release, the Julian Samora Research Institute, housed within Michigan State University’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement, partnered with LMC on a grant aimed at connecting Latino farmers with new agriculture technology. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Luigi Mangione case: Police get closer to ‘motivation and mindset’ in CEO killing

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Trump names billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to BritainIn a rare incident, a woman in the remote Machil area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district gave birth on a snow-covered road in Chontiwari Payeen after being unable to reach the hospital due to uncleared roads post snowfall. Locals alleged administrative negligence, stating that despite only few inches of snow, the roads remained non-motorable, leaving them to fend for themselves. “The administration, particularly the concerned department, failed to clear just few inches of snow,” said a local resident, adding that the situation reflects the stepmotherly treatment to far-off villages. In videos shared on social media, residents expressed anger and frustration. “Is there anyone listening? We are being left at God’s mercy,” lamented a local, highlighting the difficulties faced in transporting the patient to the hospital. Muhammad Jamaal Lone, a resident of Chontiwari, criticized the absence of adequate healthcare facilities in the area. “We have a health center, but there are no doctors. We’ve been struggling for hours to save the mother and child,” he said. The incident sparked outrage, with locals demanding accountability from the administration besides, immediate measures to improve road clearance and healthcare services in the region, to avert such incidents in future. Meanwhile, Tehsildar Saqib Ahmed, refuted the allegations, calling them baseless. He clarified that the woman developed severe labor pains and delivered the baby en route to the hospital. “Both the mother and the child are safe,” he said, as per news agency KNO. He added that the administration had earlier advised expectant mothers nearing their delivery date to stay in Kupwara for immediate medical attention due to the snow. “I spoke to the family, and they expressed satisfaction with the services provided. Immediate healthcare was ensured, and both mother and child are currently under medical care at PHC Dudi,” he stated. Regarding snow clearance, the Tehsildar said, “Major roads have been cleared, and efforts are underway to clear the remaining ones.”