CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Front Row Motorsports, one of two teams suing NASCAR in federal court, accused the stock car series Thursday of rejecting the planned purchase of a valuable charter unless the lawsuit was dropped. Front Row made the claim in a court filing and said it involved its proposed purchase of the charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Front Row said the series would only approve it if Front Row and 23XI Racing dropped their court case. “Specifically, NASCAR informed us that it would not approve the (charter) transfer unless we agreed to drop our current antitrust lawsuit against them,” Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row, said in an affidavit filed in the U.S. District Court of Western North Carolina. The two teams in September refused to sign NASCAR's “take-it-or-leave-it” final offer on a new revenue sharing agreement. All other 13 teams signed the deal. Front Row and 23XI balked and are now in court. 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan has said he took the fight to court on behalf of all teams competing in the top motorsports series in the United States. NASCAR has argued that the two teams simply do not like the terms of the final charter agreement and asked for the lawsuit be dismissed. Earlier this week, the suit was transferred to a different judge than the one who heard the first round of arguments and ruled against the two teams in their request for a temporary injunction to be recognized in 2025 as chartered teams as the case proceeds. The latest filing is heavily redacted as it lays out alleged retaliatory actions by NASCAR the teams say have caused irreparable harm. Both Front Row and 23XI want to expand from two full-time cars to three, and have agreements with SHR to purchase one charter each as SHR goes from four cars to one for 2025. The teams can still compete next season but would have to do so as “open” teams that don't have the same protections or financial gains that come from holding a charter. Freeze claimed in the affidavit that Front Row signed a purchase agreement with SHR in April and NASCAR President Steve Phelps told Freeze in September the deal had been approved. But when Front Row submitted the paperwork last month, NASCAR began asking for additional information. A Dec. 4 request from NASCAR was “primarily related to our ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR,” Freeze said. “NASCAR informed us on December 5, 2024, that it objected to the transfer and would not approve it, in contrast to the previous oral approval for the transfer confirmed by Phelps before we filed the lawsuit,” Freeze said. “NASCAR made it clear that the reason it was now changing course and objecting to the transfer is because NASCAR is insisting that we drop the lawsuit and antitrust claims against it as a condition of being approved.” A second affidavit from Steve Lauletta, the president of 23XI Racing, claims NASCAR accused 23XI and Front Row of manufacturing “new circumstances” in a renewed motion for an injunction and of a “coordinated effort behind the scenes.” “This is completely false,” Lauletta said. Front Row is owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, while 23XI is owned by retired NBA Hall of Famer Jordan, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and longtime Jordan adviser Curtis Polk. NASCAR had been operating with 36 chartered teams and four open spots since the charter agreement began in 2016. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo. The teams contend they must be chartered under some of their contractual agreements with current sponsors and drivers, and competing next year as open teams will cause significant losses. “23XI exists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing, striving to become the best team it can be. But that ambition can only be pursued within NASCAR, which has monopolized the market as the sole top-tier circuit for stock car racing,” Lauletta said. "Our efforts to expand – purchasing more cars and increasing our presence on the track – are integral to achieving this goal. “It is not hypocritical to operate within the only system available while striving for excellence and contending for championships,” he continued. “It is a necessity because NASCAR’s monopoly leaves 23XI no alternative circuit, no different terms, and no other viable avenue to compete at this level.” ___ AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racingMeta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration fund. The donation comes just weeks after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the offering Thursday. The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Stephen Miller, who has been appointed deputy chief of staff for Trump's second term, has said that Zuckerberg, like other business leaders, wants to support Trump's economic plans. The tech CEO has been seeking to change his company's perception on the right following a rocky relationship with Trump. Trump was kicked off Facebook following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The company restored his account in early 2023. RELATED STORY | Meta's Mark Zuckerberg is the second richest person in the world. Here's who he just outranked During the 2024 campaign, Zuckerberg did not endorse a candidate for president but has voiced a more positive stance toward Trump. Earlier this year, he praised Trump's response to his first assassination attempt. Still, Trump had continued to attack Zuckerberg publicly during the campaign. In July, he posted a message on his own social network Truth Social threatening to send election fraudsters to prison in part by citing a nickname he used for the Meta CEO. "ZUCKERBUCKS, be careful!" Trump wrote. Corporations have traditionally made up a large share of donors to presidential inaugurals, with an exception in 2009, when then-President-elect Barack Obama refused to accept corporate donations. He reversed course for his second inaugural in 2013. Facebook did not donate to either Biden's 2021 inaugural or Trump's 2017 inaugural. Google donated $285,000 each to Trump first inaugural and Biden's inaugural, according to Federal Election Commission records. Inaugural committees are required to disclose the source of their fundraising, but not how they spend the money. Microsoft gave $1 million to Obama's second inaugural, but only $500,000 to Trump in 2017 and Biden in 2021. RELATED STORY | Celebrity private jet-tracking accounts suspended by Meta without reason, college student claims

Adam McKay is sharing an un-popular opinion. The director, 56, praised “ Wicked ” earlier this week on social media but said that its “radical” subject matter could lead the movie musical to get banned. “On a pure storytelling level ‘Wicked Part 1’ is right up there as one of the most radical big studio Hollywood movies ever made,” McKay wrote on X . “I know ‘Part 2’ swings back to the center a bit but ‘Part 1 ‘ is nakedly about radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, propaganda.” He went on to compare the project, which stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, to a slew of self-described “radical” films, including “Bridge on the River Kwai,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Hunger Games,” and “Citizen Kane.” “What’s really striking about ‘Wicked Part 1’ is that it’s coming out NOW when America has never been more right wing and propagandized,” continued McKay. “And yes, I know the theatrical production and the book are much older so part of the timing is a coincidence but still...” “Wicked” is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel and the Tony award-winning musical, which starred Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. The movie follows a witch named Elphaba (Erivo) as she attends Shiz University and befriends her roommate Glinda (Grande). Elphaba also becomes a supporter of animal rights after witnessing the creatures being stripped of their jobs and speech capabilities. One X user commented that their interest was peaked after learning the movie’s subject matter, to which McKay wrote back , “I think you’ll be shocked. If America keeps going on the track it is I wouldn’t be surprised to see the movie banned in 3-5 years.” After a second follower asked how far McKay believed a potential ban on the film would go, the former “SNL” writer refused to back down. “Jesus dude. You really think I’m 100% saying the movie will for sure be banned to the point where no one can ever see it?” McKay quipped. “The idea of shutting down non profits at the President’s discretion is in motion. Things r changing fast.” The Hollywood director hasn’t been afraid to vocalize his thoughts over the years, most recently slamming Vice President Kamala Harris last month after she lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. McKay called for others to “abandon” the Democratic Party with him. He said in part, “Who would have guessed lying about Biden’s cognitive health for 2 yrs, refusing to do an open convention for a new nominee, never mentioning public healthcare & embracing fracking, the Cheneys & a yr long slaughter of children in Gaza wouldn’t be a winning strategy?” Meanwhile, “Wicked” has continued to garner buzz since its release last month, with over-the-top interviews from Erivo, 37, and Grande, 31, circulating during their press tour. One bizarre statement made by Out magazine reporter Tracy Gilchrist went viral on social media, with the journalist telling the duo she had seen posts online that people were “holding space” for “Defying Gravity.” Erivo and Grande appeared to have a strong emotional reaction to the phrase, and a clip of the encounter had tens of millions of views, which led some viewers to ask if they were having a “fever dream.” In an interview with Variety, the actresses explained their reactions . Erivo said she was so emotional because she didn’t know people were “holding space” with her character’s breakout song and “really feeling power in that,” but chalked it up to the fact that she “hasn’t been looking” for documented instances. “I mean, it’s been happening on some platforms. I mean, I guess. I had no idea that this thing was going on,” the actress said. Grande admitted she was baffled by Gilchrist’s comment. “So I didn’t know what any part of it meant,” the Grammy winner bluntly revealed. “I didn’t understand the first sentence. And then I definitely didn’t understand what was happening — how you [Erivo] responded. I was like, ‘Oh, what did she say? What did you hear?’ And I just wanted to be there ’cause I knew something big was happening, and I didn’t know how to be there,” Grande added. Erivo teased, “After a while I didn’t know how to be there.”King scores 28, North Carolina Central downs Gardner-Webb 78-77Luigi Mangione’s face is now familiar worldwide, following his arrest for allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in Manhattan. But new details on the life and background of the Ivy League-educated 26-year-old are still emerging by the hour. Mangione, in custody in Pennsylvania following a five-day manhunt and facing a second-degree murder charge in New York, struggled with police and yelled out as he entered an extradition hearing on Tuesday. Those who knew Mangione are now trying to reconcile the friendly computer science major with the suspect who allegedly shot and killed Thompson and was arrested carrying a short manifesto criticizing health insurance companies for putting profits above care and specifically singling out UnitedHealthcare, according to the New York Times and CNN. Well-known family Mangione was born in 1998 to Louis and Kathleen Mangione, and was part of a well-known family in Maryland that owned a wide range of businesses. Luigi’s grandfather, Nick Mangione Sr., and his wife purchased a golf course and country club in Howard County in the 1970s. It included a 220-room hotel, a 10,000-square-foot ballroom and an 85-seat amphitheater, according to the Washington Post. They had five daughters and five sons, including Luigi’s father Louis. They later bought another country club and a radio station in the 1980s. Mangione Sr. died in 2008, but his children have continued to run the family businesses. Thomas J. Maronick Jr., a lawyer and radio host who knew Mangione Sr., praised the family, describing them as “incredibly generous.” He said they were generous with charities. Maronick Jr. said he was shocked that Luigi Mangione has been named as the shooter. “Given the family, and how generous and supportive of charity they are, and the esteem their name carries in Maryland, it’s the last person you’d expect,” he said. Promising childhood before disappearance Former classmates at the Gilman School, an all-boys, $37,000 a year private school in Baltimore, told the New York Times that Luigi Mangione was intelligent. They said he made mobile apps before college, and participated in clubs including model U.N. and robotics. Mangione was also an athlete, and was on the wrestling team. Former classmate Aaron Cranston told the Times he became friends with Mangione in high school, describing him as perhaps the “smartest” at the elite private school. “He was a big believer in the power of technology to change the world,” Cranston told the paper. In his senior yearbook page, Mangione thanked his parents for sending him to Gilman, saying the school was “the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” “Thanks for dealing with me these past 18 years,” Mangione wrote to his parents. “I cannot thank you enough for supporting me along the way.” The yearbook page shows he fulfilled his community service requirement at the Maryland nursing home company Lorien Health Services, which his father was an owner of, according to the Times. After graduating and giving the valedictorian speech at Gilman in 2016, Mangione attended the University of Pennsylvania where he majored in computer science. He later got his master’s in computer and information science. Mangione was interested in video game development, and his LinkedIn profile states that he fixed 300 bugs as an intern for the company Firaxis Games in the video game “Civilization VI.” His LinkedIn page shows Mangione worked as a software engineer for the California-based company TrueCar for several years starting in 2020. In recent years, those who knew him said Mangione was dealing with significant back pain. He lived for six months in Honolulu, moving into a “co-living” space called Surfbreak that caters to remote workers. Surfbreak’s founder, R.J. Martin, told the Times that Mangione was a smart, accomplished and upbeat engineer. Fellow Surfbreak resident Jackie Wexler told the Honolulu Civil Beat that Mangione was “just such a thoughtful and deeply compassionate person at everything he did.” He didn’t complain about his back pain, but it had a major impact on his life, Martin said. “He knew that dating and being physically intimate with his back condition wasn’t possible,” Martin told the Times. “I remember him telling me that, and my heart just breaks.” The now-charged suspect’s GoodReads account paints a complex picture. It includes praise for a the book “Industrial Society and Its Future” by Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber. His reading history included several books on dealing with chronic back pain, and his X profile shows an X-ray image of a spinal fusion surgery, though it’s unconfirmed if the image actually depicts Mangione. Friiends told the Times that Mangione’s family was unaware of his whereabouts before his arrest on Monday. His mother, Kathleen, reported to San Francisco police that her son was missing on Nov. 18, the San Francisco Standard reported . Public records suggest Mangione may have relatives in San Francisco, the Standard added.

City pedestrian path could close during car park worksNEW YORK - Wall Street’s main indexes closed lower on Dec 10 as investors anxiously awaited key inflation reports that could influence the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision next week. Among the S&P 500‘s 11 major industry sectors, communication services was the biggest boost with help from a rally in shares of Google-parent Alphabet after it unveiled a new chip. The biggest drag was from technology, pressured by a sell-off in Oracle shares after the cloud computing company missed Wall Street estimates for second-quarter results. Also weighing on technology was a sell-off in chips after China announced on Dec 9 an investigation into Nvidia over suspected violations of the country’s anti-monopoly law. The probe was widely seen as retaliation against Washington’s latest curbs on the Chinese chip sector. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 lost 16.53 points, or 0.27 per cent, to end at 6,036.32 points, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 49.45 points, or 0.25 per cent, to 19,687.24. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 143.46 points, or 0.32 per cent, to 44,259.60. A November reading of the Consumer Price Index, due on Dec 11, is among the last major reports ahead of the Fed’s Dec 17-18 meeting. Headline inflation is expected to have risen slightly in November to 2.7 per cent from 2.6 per cent in October. The Producer Price Index report will follow on Dec 12. “There’s a little bit of wait-and-see in the market ahead of the CPI and PPI data this week,” said Ms Mona Mahajan, head of investment strategy at Edward Jones. “Markets want to see a number that won’t be too disruptive to the Fed next week.” If the CPI comes in line with estimates, investors will expect an “all clear” for the Fed to lower rates by 25 basis points next week, she added. Traders see an 86 per cent chance for a cut next week, CME’s FedWatch Tool showed. Bets had jumped after news on Dec 6 of an uptick in unemployment along with a rebound in job growth, which had slowed in October. Noting the S&P 500‘s roughly 27 per cent gain for the year so far, Ms Lindsey Bell, chief strategist at 248 Ventures in Charlotte, North Carolina, said investors are cautious ahead of the economic data and Fed meeting. “We’re in a seasonally strong period of the year and investors are just kind of taking a breather,” said Ms Bell. Market participants will be watching out for signs that the US central bank will pause its easing cycle in January, after a host of Fed officials last week hinted at a slower pace of monetary policy easing on the back of a resilient economy. “It’s less about what the Fed does next week but what they say about the future trajectory of interest rates,” said Ms Bell. Among individual stock movers, software firm MongoDB lost ground despite raising its forecast for annual results. Shares in Walgreens Boots Alliance rallied after reports that it is in talks to sell itself to private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Alaska Airlines shares rose as it raised its fourth-quarter profit forecast, while Boeing gained ground after Reuters reported the planemaker restarted production of its 737 Max jets last week. Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers shares fell after its quarterly results beat expectations but its current quarter forecasts disappointed. REUTERS

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