Trump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staffAt first glance, President-elect Donald Trump’s most controversial Cabinet nominees are an odd list of ideologues and eccentrics chosen for political loyalty more than any substantive qualifications. But a more important and potentially dangerous factor ties their nominations together: They are foot soldiers in a power grab that, if it succeeds, would weaken the institutional guardrails that limit the president’s powers and concentrate more authority in Trump’s hands. Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host who could become defense secretary, has proposed purging military officers he sees as too committed to diversity, including Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “The Pentagon likes to say our diversity is our strength,” Hegseth said in June. “What a bunch of garbage.” (“Pete’s a leader,” former Trump aide Steve Bannon said. “He’s kind of a madman — but hey, you need that.”) People are also reading... Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who as director of national intelligence would oversee the CIA and 17 other agencies, has criticized the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine so fervently that a Russian state television host once called her “our girlfriend.” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist who is Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services, has said he wants to fire hundreds of senior officials in the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health on “day one.” Trump has encouraged him to “go wild.” Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s nominee for attorney general, didn’t last long. He withdrew his name from consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Gaetz had promised to purge the Justice Department and FBI of anyone who might get in the president’s way. Their pledges are all in keeping with Trump’s broader promise to dismantle much of the federal bureaucracy and bring what remains under his personal control. During his first term, Trump often expressed frustration at the legal and political limits on what he could do as president. In 2018, he expressed an expansive view of his powers under the Constitution: “I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want.” But in practice, he found himself hemmed in by experienced Cabinet officials, White House lawyers and military officers, some of whom dubbed themselves “the adults in the room.” His attorneys general, Jeff Sessions and Bill Barr, quietly sidelined his demands that they prosecute Hillary Clinton and other top Democrats. His last defense secretary, Mark Esper, resisted his proposal to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy active-duty troops against demonstrators in Washington and other cities. So it’s no surprise that he wants to bring those national security agencies to heel. But Trump’s plans to expand his personal authority extend much further. He has vowed to weaken civil service rules that protect federal bureaucrats from being fired if they disagree with their bosses’ decisions. “We will pass critical reforms making every executive branch employee fireable by the president,” he said last year, adding: “I will wield that power very aggressively.” Trump also has proposed weakening Congress’ power to direct spending. He plans to revive the practice of “impounding” funds — blocking agencies from spending money that Congress has appropriated for programs he doesn’t like. A 1974 law made impoundment illegal, but Trump has suggested he will ignore the prohibition and challenge it in court. And Trump warned the Senate that if it refuses to confirm any of his Cabinet nominees, he may put them in office anyway — by using “recess appointments,” which allow a president to fill top jobs when Congress isn’t in session. And if the Congress doesn’t recess, Trump threatened to adjourn both chambers under a presidential power laid out in the Constitution for “extraordinary occasions.” That makes it all the more important that Republicans in the Senate preserve their constitutional powers, subject Trump’s nominees to searching scrutiny and reject any that are unqualified, dangerous or both. They will help determine whether Trump can undo the checks and balances the Founders wrote into the Constitution and turn the executive branch into an instrument of a would-be autocrat’s will. McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

No one wants to see any player take a vicious hit like the one that knocked Trevor Lawrence out of the game. It’s easy to agree on that point. Eliminating violent shots is the hard part. The NFL has instituted several rules to protect quarterbacks but football is a physical sport and players have to react instantly and make split-second decisions going at high speeds so injuries keep occurring. Lawrence was carted off the field in the first half of Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to Houston on Sunday after Azeez Al-Shaair leveled the defenseless quarterback with a forearm to the facemask. The late hit put Lawrence in the fencing position — both fists clenched — and he stayed on the ground for several minutes, while a brawl ensued. Lawrence didn’t require hospitalization for his concussion but it’s unknown when he’ll return. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out/been praying for me,” Lawrence wrote on X. “I’m home and feeling better. Means a lot, thank you all.” Al-Shaair was ejected from the game and faces a fine and potential suspension after his latest unsportsmanlike penalty. The Texans' linebacker was flagged and later fined $11,255 for a late hit out of bounds on Titans running back Tony Pollard last week. He was fined earlier this year after he punched Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline in Week 2. That occurred during a scuffle that started after his hard shot on quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline that wasn’t flagged. Al-Shaair once got away with grabbing Tom Brady by the throat on a pass rush in a game between the 49ers and Buccaneers. Outraged Jaguars players called Al-Shaair’s hit “dirty” and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans made it known he didn’t condone it. “It’s not what we’re coaching,” Ryans said. “Want to be smart in everything we do and not hurt the team, get a penalty there. Have to be smarter when the quarterback is going down. Unfortunate play. Not representative of who Azeez is. He’s a smart player, really great leader for us. We felt his presence not being there. His loss really affected us on the defensive side. Just not what we’re coaching. Didn’t want to see the melee and all the aftermath. That’s not what we’re about. Not representative of us. I’ll talk to Azeez, address him personally, and we’ll move forward from it.” Fox Sports color analyst Daryl Johnston, a former fullback for the Dallas Cowboys, didn’t hold back his criticism, calling it a “cheap shot.” “It’s everything you’re not supposed to do,” Johnston said. “Everything. You’ll see this in slow motion and Azeez Al-Shaair does everything you’re trying to prevent in this situation. It’s reckless. It’s disrespectful. There’s an honor that you give to your opponent on the football field and you respect him. And there’s opportunities to be physical and give big hits and play this game in that manner. And there’s other times when there’s a respect that you grant to your opponent.” Some former NFL quarterbacks blasted Al-Shaair on social media. “There is no place in the game of football for dirty hits like this one,” Robert Griffin III wrote on X. Chase Daniel called it “one of the dirtiest hits” he’s ever seen on a quarterback. Even defensive players struggled to defend Al-Shaair. “That was uncalled for,” Hall of Fame defensive lineman Michael Strahan said on Fox’s studio show while fellow Hall of Famer Howie Long agreed. But the play also sparked debate about the quarterback slide. Lawrence slid feet first, which signals that he’s giving himself up on the play. The NFL rulebook states: “A defender must pull up when a runner begins a feet-first slide.” But defensive players aren’t automatically penalized if they make contact with a sliding quarterback if they already committed and the contact is unavoidable. The rules state it’s a foul when “the defender makes forcible contact into the head or neck area of the runner with the helmet, shoulder, or forearm, or commits some other act that is unnecessary roughness.” Al-Shaair did that so he was penalized and will face other repercussions. Still, given the hard-hitting nature of the sport, it won’t be the last time this happens.Policy-as-Code: WTF Is It?

Election pledges sharpened into six-point plan for change

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich's Michael Olise netted a second-half double as they came back from conceding an early goal to win 5-1 against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday to earn their first away victory in this season's competition. Bayern's third successive win moves them up to eighth into the automatic qualification places on 12 points, while Shakhtar are 27th with four points, three points off the playoffs. Bayern had suffered defeats in both of their previous away games in the competition and went behind after five minutes when Oleksandr Zubkov's through ball found Kevin, who cut inside Kim Min-jae before sending his shot into the far corner. The German side were on level terms just six minutes later. Olise lost possession in the area but the ball fell kindly to his teammate Konrad Laimer who took a touch to control it and then smashed his effort into the roof of the net. Shakhtar had the chance to go back in front but Georgiy Sudakov put his shot wide after an excellent pass from Kevin had teed him up almost from the penalty spot. Bayern went down the other end, Jamal Musiala took the ball into the box and laid a pass off to Thomas Mueller who made no mistake with a simple slotted finish on the stroke of halftime. Shakhtar put pressure on Bayern at the start of the second half but were unable to find a second goal before the visitors eased to victory. Bayern thought they had extended their lead when Musiala volleyed home from a corner but the goal was chalked off for a foul on the keeper. However, minutes later the referee pointed to the spot for a foul by Alaa Ghram on substitute Sacha Boey. Olise stepped up in the 70th minute and although keeper Dmytro Riznyk went the right way the ball was powered into the top corner to put Bayern well and truly in the driving seat. Musiala got the goal he deserved for an excellent performance three minutes from time, collecting a loose ball in the box and firing past Riznyk. There was still time for some Olise magic in added time as he skilfully weaved his way through the Shakhtar defence before coolly finding the bottom corner with his shot. Sign up here. Reporting by Trevor Stynes; editing by Clare Fallon and Ken Ferris Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabRamon Foster was a part of one the best offensive lines in the league during the 2010s. Serving as a starting guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the height of the Killer B Era , Foster knows pressure situations. And while his playing days are over, his time in the NFL isn't, and he faces one of the biggest decisions of his career: Ramon Foster named hearing officer in Azeez Al-Shaair Suspension Appeal Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair’s appeal of his three-game suspension will be heard today by Ramon Foster, hearing officer jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA. - Tom Pelissero, NFL Media via X-Twitter Texans’ LB Azeez Al-Shaair was ejected for this hit that injured Jaguars’ QB Trevor Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/usbLN2KhAx Now, there are plenty of people who want to throw Houston Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair under the jail for his hit on Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence. And before I go any further I want to make it clear that the hit has no place in football, and you never want to see someone get injured the way Lawrence did, as he has now been placed on I.R. But let's make something abundantly clear, not only is the game of football inherently physical, but Trevor Lawrence and a littany of other QBs try and toe the line way too much when it comes to how late they slide. Don't take my word for it, listen to 7x Super Bowl champion Tom Brady : . @TomBrady discusses late hit on Trevor Lawrence: "If we don't want these hits to take place, we've got to penalize both the offense and the defense." pic.twitter.com/fnmCJ7oZwj But the whole reason that Roman Foster is a part of this debacle is that the NFL decided to throw an unprecedented three-game suspension at Azeez Al-Shaair for the hit, which he is appealing and Foister will be overseeing. To make matters worse, however, the NFL and Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan put out a defamatory letter that attacked Al-Shaair as a player and as a person: "Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL," Runyan wrote in a letter to Al-Shaair. "Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.” Both HC Demeco Ryans and GM Nick Caserio defended their team captain, clapping back against Runyan and the NFL's decision in an effort to defend the person and character of Al-Shaair: #Texans HC DeMeco Ryans blaming Trevor Lawrence for Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit and calling out the Jaguars for the ensuing melee is QUITE THE STANCE pic.twitter.com/LEToh84LxJ #Texans GM Nick Caserio ripped the league for its characterization of LB Azeez Al-Shaair, calling it "unfair," "embarrassing," and "bulls***."" Caserio says the NFL is not consistent with their suspensions and he provided examples to back his claims: pic.twitter.com/9AWLW3VgAz https://t.co/slnKS8CmLL So we'll have to wait and see what the former Steelers starter decides to do in this situation, but there's clearly one right decision in this scenario, and it starts and ends with approving Al-Shaair's appeal. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

New Syria PM calls for 'stability and calm'

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Ducks starting to ‘play with an identity’ ahead of hosting OttawaNone

Dakota Ditcheva hints at leaving PFL after beating the best they can offer her | Sporting NewsU.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to block Japanese company Nippon Steel's planned purchase of U.S. Steel. Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are "I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan," Trump said in a post to his social media platform Truth Social on Monday night E.T. "As President, I will block this deal from happening," he said, adding that he will make U.S. Steel "Strong and Great Again" through the use of tax incentives and tariffs. While he made similar statements on the 2024 campaign trail, it was the first time that Trump had spoken about the deal since he won a second presidential term last month. Nippon Steel, the fourth largest global steelmaker, reached an agreement to acquire U.S. Steel last December . However, the deal encountered opposition from United Steelworkers, a prominent labor union , as well as U.S. President Joe Biden, who has vowed that U.S. Steel will remain American-owned. The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment, which examines possible national security risks of transactions by foreign entities, has been reviewing the deal. U.S. Steel has an annual production capacity of around 20 million metric tons , while Nippon Steel is the leading steel producer in Japan. Together, the two companies would have a total capacity of up to 86 million tons . Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment on Trump's latest remarks. A spokesperson for Nippon Steel previously said the acquisition would revitalize the American Rust Belt and enhance U.S. national security "in a way no alternative can." Takahiro Mori, Nippon Steel's vice chairman, had told reporters in November that he believes the deal could be closed before Trump assumes the White House in January. In September, U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt had also expressed confidence , defending the planned sale as a deal that would strengthen national security, as well as economic and job security. Shares of U.S. Steel have fallen over 15% year-to-date, while Nippon Steel's shares slipped more than 4% across the same period of time, according to data from LSEG.

NoneBrock Purdy participated in the start of Thursday's practice with the 49ers but the San Francisco starting quarterback was not on the field for the majority of the workout, casting doubt over his availability to play Sunday at Green Bay. Purdy is dealing with a right shoulder injury and the 49ers are also potentially without left tackle Trent Williams and Nick Bosa due to injuries. Bosa was listed as out of Thursday's practice with an oblique injury. Williams also didn't suit up Thursday. He played through an ankle injury last week after being listed as questionable. Purdy's typical Thursday post-practice media session was scrapped until Friday as the 49ers did not make any quarterback available. Kyle Allen would step in for Purdy as the starter if he can't play against the Packers. Run game coordinator Chris Foerster said the 49ers aren't where they want to be at 5-5 because they haven't won close games, not because of injuries. "Seven games left is like an eternity," Foerster said. "So much can happen. Do the math. What was our record last year? It was 12-5. I was on a 13-win team that was nowhere near as good as the team last year." With or without Purdy, Foerster said the challenge for the 49ers is not to give up the ball to a defense that has 19 takeaways. The 49ers have 13 giveaways this season. --Field Level Media