Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 238

College football: MPC’s Ellison commits to Washington State

ATLANTA >> As flattering as the scholarship offers were that came pouring in, Devin Ellison never felt overwhelmed or pressured to make a decision. The focus remained on what was best for him.

Attention to detail in what was being preached and offered to him enabled the Monterey Peninsula College receiver to have a better perspective on where the next stop in his journey would take him.

“It was about what the school had to offer and what kind of plan they had for me,” Ellison said. “Is the offense a good fit for me? Will I be put in a position to help the team win games? Will I grow as a player?”

The 22-year-old will be on a plane for Pullman on Sunday after committing to Washington State, turning down an offer from nationally-ranked Boise State.

“It wasn’t difficult at all,” Ellison said. “I felt Washington State was the best fit for me. The coaching staff has a plan for me. Their goal is to change the program and win some games. I want to be a part of that.”

One of two schools — Oregon State — to not abandon the Pac 12 last season, Washington State opened the season by going 8-1 before dropping its last four, including a 35-32 decision to Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

The Cougars are going through a coaching change in their program after Jake Dickert left for Wake Forest, hiring Jimmy Rogers on Dec. 28.

Devin Ellison is headed to play at Washington State next season. (Donald Fukui — Herald Correspondent)

“It’s a great set up for Devin,” MPC coach Ronnie Palmer said. “The work he’s put in the last two years has paid off. He’s made a lot of people around him better.”

While the Cougars played an independent schedule last year, they had notable wins over Washington, Fresno State and San Jose State, three teams that took part in bowl games this past season.

“When I got there for my visit, I knew Washington State was going to be my home and that’s where I wanted to be,” Ellison said. “It’s all about the college in Pullman. I loved the community, the people.”

The 6-foot-2,195-pound Ellison was a highlight reel last fall for MPC, leading the state in touchdown catches with 16 — despite not seeing the field in the second half in a handful of games for the four-time conference champions.

An electrifying kick returner as well with sub 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash, Ellison finished with 45 catches for 838 yards, averaging 18.3 yards each time he touched the ball.

“His stats could have doubled if we left him in,” Palmer said. “The goal was to go 1-0 each week. Devin understood the assignment. There was a lot of talent in that receiving group that earned reps and deserved to play. Devin was a great teammate.”

Ellison, who returned to his family’s home outside Atlanta in making his decision, began his collegiate career at Southern University in Baton Rouge before transferring to MPC two years ago, sitting out his first season because of academics.

“It was random,” said Ellison, on his decision to come to MPC. “I was looking for a (community college). I felt God led me to MPC. I took a chance. I knew what I could bring to the team. So I stayed, got my grade point average up to 3.5.”

While spending a year just practicing 2,500 miles from home had its challenges, Ellison grew to have a deeper appreciation for the game and how much football meant to him.

“Washington State is going to get a kid that’s hungry and competitive,” Palmer said. “He’s a kid that’s battle tested. He’s very mature. He’ll come in and be able to play and contribute immediately to the program.”

Prior to making Friday’s decision, Ellison also took official visits to Hawaii, Boise State, the University of Central Florida and the University of Texas El Paso.

“I just felt Washington State was so authentic and truthful,” Ellison said. “I can come in here and earn a spot and help them win games. They want me to be the face of the program. I’m excited to get started. It’s another step forward.”

A communications major, Ellison reflected on his time at MPC, the memories of going undefeated, winning a state bowl game, the early morning workouts, as well as the friendships established with his teammates and coaches.

“The most valuable lesson that I’ll take with me is to be a teammate,” Ellison said. “It plays a big part in football. You have to play for the guy next to you.”

Kurtenbach: That’s it? The SF Giants need to keep spending this offseason

This can’t be it.

The Giants have put together a nice enough offseason so far. The signing of shortstop Willy Adames (seven-year, $182 million contract) and the addition of 42-year-old Justin Verlander (one-year, $15 million) are nice, solid pickups.

But if that’s all Buster Posey is offering, it’s simply not enough.

Not in a division with the Dodgers. Not in a division with the Padres or Diamondbacks, either.

And it’s certainly not enough to take the Giants seriously as a playoff contender in the National League (much less a team that could do something in the playoffs) following three straight seasons of .500 or worse baseball.

Spending lavishly on a shortstop and then taking a flyer on a future Hall of Famer trying to recapture his youth in California is not an offseason to celebrate if you’re trying to add 10-plus wins year-over-year.

No, instead, it’s merely treading water a bit faster.

I have long believed that if the Giants want to find happiness (and competitiveness), they need to create stars, not buy them.

But since it will be a while before this organization can produce a built-not-bought core, why not buy a few more players to hold us over?

I don’t want to hear that the Giants “tried” to sign Corbin Burnes this offseason. Every year, it’s the same story: Well, we tried, here are some consolation prizes.

Prizes that, conspicuously, always cost less than what was budgeted for the top target.

That’s the most annoying part of it all.

Last year, the Giants were more than okay with giving Shohei Ohtani more than $700 million. The offseason before, they were comfortable giving Aaron Judge more than $360 million.

But when both of those superstars turned out to merely be using the Giants for leverage with their preferred teams, the Giants didn’t take those big budgets and spend anything close to them.

No, $70 million a year for Ohtani turned into $50 million, total, for Blake Snell and Matt Chapman. Snell’s already Ohtani’s teammate with the Dodgers. Chapman signed a six-year extension in September. That’s a win and a loss.

And $40 million annually for Judge turned into $32.5 million for Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger. Conforto is also now a teammate of Ohtani with the Dodgers. They can have him.

But that’s the pattern. Budget big, spend less. I presume the differences went into some real estate holding.

The Giants weren’t in on Juan Soto this offseason — they learned their lesson from failed negotiations past — but they landed Adames, their top target. Again, it was a nice win.

But they were budgeted for Adames and Burnes — roughly $60 million annually.

I’m no accountant, but it seems as if they still have $20 million to spend this winter.

That is, coincidentally (or not), roughly the same amount of money the Giants are believed to be under the luxury tax threshold.

That said, last time I checked, the Giants are the only baseball team in the richest metro area in America. Why are they worried about the luxury tax?

If the Giants want to be able to sell this offseason as something more than status quo — something worthy of excitement, then they need to keep spending.

The good news is that players worthy of big contracts are still on the market.

Pete Alonso has averaged 37 home runs a year in his six-year career. He can play first base (a position where the Giants could desperately use an upgrade), but he’s having difficulty landing the kind of long-term deal he wants.

That’s the kind of situation that makes a power hitter amenable to nights amid a marine layer.

Make the offer. Go big. The idea that you’re keeping first base open for top prospect Bryce Eldridge is laughable. Eldridge might be the Giants’ first baseman of the future, but this team needs to do something for the present — and it’s not as if Eldridge can’t play the outfield or Alonso can’t be the designated hitter.

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And if not Alonso, what about Anthony Santander? Tony Taters has averaged 95 RBI per season for the last three campaigns and is coming off a 44-homer season. Even better? He’s a switch hitter with power both ways.

Why not add him to an outfield with Jung Ho Lee and Heliot Ramos? That move doesn’t block anyone from the minors, only 34-year-old Mike Yastrzemski.

Ha-Seong Kim, Carlos Estévez, Tanner Scott, Jack Flaherty — give any one (or two, or three) the money to come to San Francisco.

Because the Giants organization doesn’t need to buy anymore real estate, it needs to build a quality, exciting baseball team, if only for the 2025 season.

And what they’ve done so far this offseason — while nice — hasn’t come close to fulfilling that mandate.

Craig finds balance as COS for Monterey County Supervisor Daniels

SALINAS – Former city of Salinas mayor and Monterey County business leader Kimbley Craig has begun a new job that she says gives her an outlet to give back to the community and the ability “to work on policy and work on constituent issues behind the scenes.”

Craig didn’t seek reelection to the Salinas mayor’s seat this past November, and in December she announced her departure as CEO of the Monterey County Business Council to take on the position of chief of staff for newly-elected Monterey County Supervisor District 5 Kate Daniels.

“I knew that I wanted to serve the public in some meaningful way and it’s very difficult to be the CEO of a very successful organization and serve the public full time in both capacities,” said Craig.

On Tuesday, Daniels was sworn into office replacing Supervisor Mary Adams who did not seek reelection, and launching Craig in her new position.

Craig served the city of Salinas over a 12-year span first as a council member for two four-year terms before gaining the mayor’s gavel for two two-year terms. She announced last May she would not be running to serve another term as Salinas mayor.

That decision was driven by a need “to make a change in my life,” Craig said. “It was a challenging council at that time. I ran on economic development and supporting public safety and … that was not the top priorities for that particular council.”

During her tenure on Salinas’ governing body, Craig had her own business, then took on the role of CEO of the Monterey County Business Council which she has steered for about the last seven years.

In the city of Salinas, those who sit on the dais perform their civic duties part time, which usually requires they have another full-time job.

“Stepping down from the MCBC was really just necessary for me to start my new position with Kate Daniels,” said Craig.

Daniels and Craig have known each other for many years, both having attended Carmel High School, and have “worked politically very well together for the last several years,” said Craig.

The two had been in discussion about working together and Craig said her experience in constituency engagement, knowledge of the community and ability to work independently to help attain the new supervisor’s goals, made her a strong candidate for the job.

Craig saw the opportunity to work with Daniels in a district she knows very well as something she wanted to do full time.

“I lived in Pebble Beach, I went to Pacific Grove Middle School, I went to Carmel High School, I went to MPC, my dad was a business owner in Monterey for 40 years,” said Craig, who added she knows that district like the back of her hand.

In her new position as Daniels’ chief of staff, Craig will act as confidential representative for Daniels, conducting significant analytical and consultative duties, as well as performing a variety of liaison, coordination, constituency and administrative support work on issues, among other duties.

Craig’s role is multifaceted covering everything from being “a second set of ears” to “making sure that I’m there for (Daniels) in terms of the projects she wants to get done.”

The Chief of Staff will also make sure the Supervisor is fully prepared, but stresses, “Kate Daniels is one hell of a smart woman and I have mad respect for her and her knowledge.”

Craig added that she thinks the two have a mutual respect for each other, and understand that though Craig may bring a different perspective, Daniels is there to make the decisions.

“My biggest responsibility as Chief of Staff is to ensure that her office is responsive, and what she says is ‘the most responsive,’ so part of that is being the representative for that district and being the representative for every person that lives in that district in ensuring they get what they need from their supervisor,” said Craig.

Monterey County Supervisor District 5 Kate Daniels and her Chief of Staff Kimbley Craig. After years of working with and for the community, Craig says she is still passionate about giving back to her community and attributes that drive to something she learned by example from her parents. (Photo Courtesy Kimbley Craig)

After years of working with and for the community, Craig says she is still passionate about giving back to her community and attributes that drive to something she learned by example.

“My parents just instilled in me a responsibility and a drive to volunteer and give back to your community,” she said. “When you grow up with parents who are on the Board of Directors for Lyceum, or for the church, or for the Blind and Visually Impaired Center, or for Independent Transportation Network …. my dad is still volunteering, he’s 80 years old, he’s still volunteering his time regularly for Independent Transportation Network. I mean, it’s always been in my life.”

Looking to her own future, Craig says in five year’s time she is hopefully still working for Daniels. She acknowledges that she used to be “a big five-year planning gal, but life …. you don’t always get to dictate what life brings you.”

She says that for her, it is about focusing on her new job, her partner in life, being available for her dad (her mother passed in the last few years) and maybe having a little extra time to pick up a hobby or two.

“But also making sure that I have balance … to have better balance,” said Craig. “It was really important for me to continue to doing the work that I’m passionate about but also have some balance.”

Craig said she thinks everybody at some point in their life looks and asks themselves if what they are doing is working.

“I’ve always been a firm believer that if what you’re doing isn’t working for you, then you should change it,” she said.

Craig said she has had many people ask if she plans to run for office again, but that is not a goal, and that being able to work on policy and constituent issues behind the scenes is where she wants to be right now.

“There’s no political aspirations other than to work for Kate,” said Craig.

She understands her new job will be demanding and require her to be available, accessible and responsive, but it is one job and she plans on performing it well.

Craig says she is excited for new beginnings in 2025.

Excerpts from President-elect Donald Trump’s sentencing

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump spoke for six minutes. The judge talked for seven. In the end, the first criminal court sentencing of a former or future president took little more than half an hour.

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A Manhattan prosecutor and one of Trump’s defense lawyers also spoke before Judge Juan M. Merchan issued the sentence, which is known as an unconditional discharge.

Here are some key excerpts from the proceeding:

President-elect Donald Trump

“This has been a very terrible experience. I think it’s been a tremendous setback for New York and the New York court system. … I think it’s an embarrassment to New York, and New York has a lot of problems, but this is a great embarrassment.”

___

“The falsification of business records, as they said, was calling a legal expense — in the books where everybody could see them — a legal expense. In other words, that legal fees or a legal expense were put down as ‘legal expense’ by accountants. They weren’t put down by me. They were put down by accountants. I didn’t call them construction, concrete work. I didn’t call them electrical work. I didn’t call them anything. They called a legal fee or a legal expense, a legal expense. And for this I got indicted. It’s incredible, actually.”

___

“I get indicted for business records. Everybody should be so accurate. It’s been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I’d lose the election. And obviously that didn’t work. And the people of our country got to see this firsthand because they watched the case in your courtroom. And then they voted, and I won.”

___

“The people of this country understand what’s gone on. This has been a weaponization of government. They call it lawfare. Never happened to any extent like this, but never happened in our country before. And I just like to explain that I was treated very, very unfairly. And I thank you very much.”

Judge Juan M. Merchan

“Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances. Indeed, it can be viewed fairly that this has been a truly extraordinary case. … And yet the trial was a bit of a paradox, because once the courtroom doors were closed, the trial itself was no more special, unique or extraordinary than the other 32 criminal trials that took place in this courthouse at the same exact time.”

___

“The protections afforded the office of the president are not a mitigating factor. They do not reduce the seriousness of the crime or justify its commission in any way … one power they do not provide is the power to erase a jury verdict. It is clear from legal precedent … that Donald Trump, the ordinary citizen, Donald Trump, the criminal defendant, would not be entitled to such considerable protections.”

___

“This court has determined that the only lawful sentence that permits entry of a judgment of conviction without encroaching upon the highest office in the land is an unconditional discharge. … Therefore, at this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts. Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you assume your second term in office. Thank you.”

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass

“The verdict in this case was unanimous and decisive. And it must be respected.”

___

“Instead of preserving, protecting and defending our constitutionally established system of criminal justice, the defendant — the once and future president of the United States — has engaged in a coordinated campaign to undermine its legitimacy. Far from expressing any kind of remorse for his criminal conduct, the defendant has purposefully bred disdain for our judicial institutions and the rule of law. … Put simply, this defendant has caused enduring damage to public perception of the criminal justice system and has placed officers of the court in harm’s way.”

___

“But in this case, we must be respectful of the office of the presidency and mindful of the fact that the defendant will be inaugurated as president in 10 days. … As a practical matter, the most sensible sentence prior to his inauguration is an unconditional discharge.”

Defense lawyer Todd Blanche

“American voters got a chance to see and decide for themselves whether this is the kind of case that should have been brought. And they decided. And that’s why, in 10 days, President Trump is going to assume the office of the president of the United States.”

___

“It’s a very sad day. It’s a sad day for President Trump and his family and friends. But it’s also, in counsel’s view, a sad day for this country. … I know that President Trump shares this view that this will never happen again in this country.”

___

“We very much intend on pursuing an appeal of this verdict and what happened during this investigation. And we certainly believe that the only appropriate sentence, if one is to be imposed at all — which we very much believe it shouldn’t be, and that the case should be dismissed — is a sentence of an unconditional discharge.”

The Trump company is not banning private foreign deals, a break with its first term policy

By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump family business released a voluntary ethics agreement Friday that allows it to strike deals with private foreign companies, a move that could help outside actors try to buy influence with the new administration.

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The Trump company also announced it would commit to several safeguards from his first term designed to stop his private financial interests from shaping policy. That includes hiring an outside ethics adviser to vet deals.

“The Trump Organization is dedicated to not just meeting but vastly exceeding its legal and ethical obligations during my father’s Presidency,” said executive vice president Eric Trump.

The Trump Organization recently struck deals for hotels and golf resorts in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, raising concerns by government ethics experts that president-elect Trump’s personal financial interests could influence policy toward those countries.

The family company has expressed interest in striking deals in Israel and elsewhere, and has financial interests in two businesses with publicly traded stock that could get a boost from foreign investors. That includes Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of social media platform Truth Social, and a new cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial.

“The scale of corruption will be orders of magnitude greater than what we saw in the first Trump administration,” said government ethics lawyer Kathleen Clark of Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. People trying to win Trump’s favor now have an easy way to do so, she said, by using “massive influxes of cash through ‘investments’ in Trump crypto and real estate ventures.”

The Trump Organization announced that it was hiring William A. Burck, a managing partner of Quinn Emanuel LLP, to vet deals that could pose conflicts with public policy.

As in the last ethics agreement, the five-page white paper also prohibits Trump from “day-to-day” decision making at the Trump Organization, limits financial information about the business shared with him and commits the company to donate to the U.S. Treasury profits from foreign government spending at its properties.

Under U.S. law, federal government officials are not permitted to hold financial interests in businesses that could sway their opinion on public policy they help shape, and are often forced to sell off their stakes. U.S. presidents are excluded from the post-Watergate ethics ban, but all presidents have voluntarily agreed to follow the law, except for Trump.

The first billionaire president would have had to sell more than a dozen golf courses around the world, office and residential towers in Las Vegas, Chicago and New York and several resorts, including Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

In his first term, Trump pledged to avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest at the outset of his presidency, but ended up openly courting business to his properties instead. He once tried to hold a G-7 meeting of global leaders at his golf resort in Doral, Florida. He had to abandon the idea after outcry from critics.

His Trump hotel in Washington D.C. was also a major source of concern for ethics watchdogs in his first term. The Trump International Hotel down the street from the White House quickly became a gathering spot for lobbyists, both domestic and foreign, as well as foreign diplomats.

Several groups accused Trump of violating the Constitution’s “emoluments” ban on gifts and payment to the president, citing the hotel in particular. The hotel has since been sold and the Supreme Court refused to rule on an emoluments violation after Trump had left office, citing that the issue was moot.

Now, the emoluments clause could become a legal headache for Trump again given his company’s sprawling businesses, including the two new, publicly traded ventures.

His financial stake in one of them, Trump Media, is worth billions of dollars.

Critics worry people who want to curry favor with the president, including foreign officials, could buy stock in the company, pushing the price up further along with his paper wealth.

Another new Trump family venture, World Liberty Financial, a platform used to trade cryptocurrencies, is also controversial.

In his first term in office, Trump said he was “not a fan” of cryptocurrency and tweeted in 2019, “Unregulated Crypto Assets can facilitate unlawful behavior, including drug trade and other illegal activity.”

He has since reversed that position, promising to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet” at a bitcoin conference in Nashville this year. He has tapped two cryptocurrency champions to join his administration, Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary nominee, Scott Bessent.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has warned that cryptocurrencies are volatile investments with few safeguards to protect investors from manipulation and fraud, and cracked down on some firms. It’s not clear if the agency’s close scrutiny of the industry will continue in the new administration. Trump’s nominee to head the SEC, Paul Atkins, is an advocate for cryptocurrencies.

Eric Trump, the son most heavily involved in running the Trump Organization, has expressed frustration that the company had become a lightning rod for conflicts of interest critics during his father’s first presidential term despite the company’s voluntary ethics ban on certain deals. He has said he wants a freer hand this time running the business.

In a Vietnam deal in October, the Trump Organization joined with a Vietnamese developer with ties to the ruling Communist Party for a $1.5 billion luxury golf resort, raising questions about whether this might influence U.S. policy.

The deal comes at an especially vulnerable time for Vietnam as Trump vows to raise tariffs on many countries. Vietnam has a large U.S. trade surplus that makes it a ripe target for Trump’s threat to punish countries he says are engaging in unfair trading practices.

The Trump Organization also has buildings bearing the Trump name in India, Turkey and several other countries. It owns two golf courses in Scotland, and one in Ireland, and has plans for resorts in other countries, including Oman and Indonesia that are at various stages of development.

Trump is planning 100 executive orders starting Day 1 on border, deportations and other priorities

By LISA MASCARO, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is preparing more than 100 executive orders starting Day One of the new White House, in what amounts to a shock-and-awe campaign on border security, deportations and a rush of other policy priorities.

Trump told Republican senators about the onslaught ahead during a private meeting on Capitol Hill. Many of the actions are expected to launch on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, when he takes office. Trump top adviser Stephen Miller outlined for the GOP senators the border security and immigration enforcement measures that are likely to launch soonest. Axios first reported on Trump and his team’s presentation.

“There will be a substantial number,” said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

Allies of the president-elect have been preparing a stack of executive orders that Trump could sign quickly on a wide range of topics – from the U.S.-Mexico border clampdown to energy development to federal Schedule F workforce rules, school gender policies and vaccine mandates, among other day-one promises made during his campaign.

While executive actions are common on the first day of a new White House, as a new president puts a stamp on certain priorities, what Trump and his team are planning is an executive punch unseen in modern times as he prepares to wield power in untested ways, bypassing the legislative machinery of Congress.

Some could be significant, others could be more symbolic messages of the new president’s direction.

Senators briefed by Trump and his team during a lengthy session at the Capitol this week are expecting the new administration to rollback many of the Biden administration executive orders while putting his own proposals in place.

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Finishing the U.S-Mexico border wall, setting up immigration detention facilities where migrants could be housed until they are expelled are all part of the mix – some $100 billion in proposals, senators said, that incoming Trump administration and the GOP Congress are working to fund as part of their big budget reconciliation legislation.

Senators expect Trump to revert back to many of the same U.S-Mexico border measures in place during his first term – including those that require migrants to apply in other countries or remain in Mexico, rather than enter the U.S., while their claims are being processed – as well as massive enforcement actions to deport those currently in the U.S. without legal authority.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who led negotiations on border security and immigration during the last Congress, said he expects the Trump team to focus initially on an estimated 1 million migrants who he said most recently entered the country, have been convicted of crimes or who courts have otherwise determined are otherwise ineligible to stay in the U.S.

“That’s the low-hanging fruit,” Lankford said. “People that recently crossed, people that were legally present and committed other crimes, people that the court has ordered them removed – that’s well over a million people. Start working through that process.”

Trump himself once mused during the presidential campaign about having a “tiny desk” at the Capitol on Inauguration Day, where he would sit and quickly sign his executive orders.

While there are no public signs he is considering that, the Republican senators are planning to welcome Trump inside the building after he takes the oath of office. The new president would typically sign the paperwork needed for the formal nominations of his Cabinet and administrative picks.

Many of Trump’s choices for top administration jobs are going through Senate confirmation hearings this upcoming week. Traditionally, the Senate begins holding votes on a president’s nominees as soon as he takes office, with some even being confirmed on Inauguration Day.

“That would be nice,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who said senators are still awaiting background checks and other paperwork for many of Trump’s picks. “We’ll see.”

Biden to deliver prime-time farewell to nation on Wednesday from Oval Office

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will deliver a farewell address to the nation Wednesday from the Oval Office, five days before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in.

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The president’s remarks at 8 p.m. Eastern are set to be his last significant opportunity to speak to Americans and the world before he leaves office at noon Jan. 20. They will follow a speech Monday at the State Department, where he will deliver an address focused on his foreign policy legacy.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier Friday that Biden would reflect on his “50-plus years as a public official.”

“He has some thoughts on the future, not just of the country, but how this country moves forward as a leader, when you think about global events, important global issues, and certainly he will lay that out,” she said.

The Supreme Court is considering a possible TikTok ban. Here’s what to know about the case

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The law that could ban TikTok is coming before the Supreme Court on Friday, with the justices largely holding the app’s fate in their hands.

The popular social media platform says the law violates the First Amendment and should be struck down.

TikTok’s parent company is based in China, and the U.S. government says that means it is a potential national security threat. Chinese authorities could force it to hand over sensitive data on the huge number of Americans who use it or could influence the spread of information on the platform, they say.

An appeals court has upheld the law, which bans TikTok unless it’s sold.

The law is set to take effect Jan. 19, the day before a new term begins for President-elect Donald Trump, who has 14.7 million followers on the platform. The Republican says he wants to “save TikTok.”

Here are some key things to know about the case:

Is TikTok banned?

Not now, but the short-form video-sharing app could be shut down in less than two weeks if the Supreme Court upholds the law.

Congress passed the measure with bipartisan support, and President Joe Biden, a Democrat, signed it into law in April.

TikTok’s lawyers challenged the law in court, joined by users and content creators who say a ban would upend their livelihoods. TikTok says the national security concerns are based on inaccurate and hypothetical information.

But a unanimous appeals court panel made up of judges appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents has upheld the law.

When will the Supreme Court decide?

The justices will issue a decision after arguments Friday, a lightning-fast movement by court standards.

The conservative-majority court could drop clues about how it’s leaning during oral arguments.

TikTok lawyers have urged the justices to step in before the law takes effect, saying even a monthlong shutdown would cause the app to lose about one-third of its daily American users and significant advertising revenue.

The court could quickly block the law from going into effect before issuing a final ruling, if at least five of the nine justices think it is unconstitutional.

What has Trump said about it?

The law is to take effect Jan. 19, the day before Trump takes over as president.

He took the unusual step of filing court documents asking the Supreme Court to put the law on hold so that he could negotiate a deal for the sale of TikTok after he takes office. His position marked the latest example of him inserting himself into national issues before he takes office. It also was a change from his last presidential term, when he wanted to ban it.

Parent company ByteDance has previously said it has no plans to sell. Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, last month.

Who else is weighing in?

Free-speech advocacy groups like the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have urged the court to block the law, saying the government hasn’t shown credible evidence of harm and a ban would cause “extraordinary disruption” in Americans’ lives.

On the other side, Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican former Senate leader, and a group of 22 states have filed briefs in support, arguing that the law protects free speech by safeguarding Americans’ data and preventing the possible manipulation of information on the platform by Chinese authorities.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

Horoscopes Jan. 10, 2025: Rod Stewart, if you don’t like something, be honest and do whatever is necessary to improve your life

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Evan Handler, 64; Pat Benatar, 72; George Foreman, 76; Rod Stewart, 80.

Happy Birthday: Change is up to you. If you don’t like something, be honest and do whatever is necessary to improve your life. Reaching out and participating in events and activities that feel good, address a concern or get you into social settings or networking groups will help transform your life. Know your value and use your skills wisely. It’s up to you to put a price on what you offer. Your numbers are 2, 15, 23, 27, 34, 38, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Temptation will cost you. Refrain from acting in haste or letting anyone make decisions for you. Broaden your vision, source information and the best way forward, and put your energy toward getting the results that satisfy your needs financially. Explore, fine-tune and represent yourself, and avoid indulgent behavior. 4 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A change of plans will work in your favor. A chance to get ahead and boost your reputation is apparent. Keep your hands on the wheel and be the driver on your road to victory. Thinking others can look out for your best interests will fail you. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Now you see it; then you don’t. Mixed emotions will cause trouble if you don’t compensate for those trying to railroad you into doing what’s best for them instead of you. Concentrate on stabilizing your life and protecting what you have. Learn from experience and proceed with caution. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Fine-tune your skills to fit current conditions. Taking responsibility will protect you from becoming a dinosaur in a competitive job market. Keeping up mentally and physically will ensure a decent job and the funds necessary to maintain your lifestyle. Say yes to love but no to excessive behavior. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Participate in events that connect you with people instrumental in helping you advance. A high-energy approach and willingness to reach out and offer as much in return will help you build a strong network of associates that ensure support. A change of attitude and renewed confidence will help you excel. 4 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Partnerships will require nurturing. Showing appreciation will make others receptive to engaging in activities that will bring you closer and into agreement with what you want to achieve. Changing your surroundings will spark your imagination and enable you to reinforce your plans. Make peace, love and romance a priority. 2 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You’ll get a unique perspective if you communicate with people from a different background. Travel may entice you, but it can also cost more than anticipated or put you in harm’s way. Protect your health and well-being by avoiding places that put you at risk. Sticking closer to home is favored. 5 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Find a platform to promote your goals. Refuse to let others decide what’s best for you. A persuasive discussion will help get your point across, encourage others to participate and map a way forward. A change of heart is apparent; don’t waste time. Initiate what works best for you. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be careful; your actions will only sit well with some. The simpler, the better. Aim to lower your overhead, limit indulgence and keep the peace with friends, associates and loved ones. Keep your plans and feelings tucked away until you know how others feel and are likely to respond. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take care of business; you’ll discover finishing what you start is more manageable than anticipated. The purpose is to own the moment instead of allowing outside pressures to infiltrate your domain. No one’s problems are or should be as important as yours. Apply your safety device first; it’s called efficiency. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put your energy into your surroundings, updating personal paperwork and matters that can influence your emotional and physical well-being. Make innovative changes to investments and how you handle your cash and professional progress or decline. Establish your priorities and adjust what no longer serves a purpose. 5 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Double-check anything you plan to incorporate into your life. Excessive behavior will cost you. Run a tight ship and reap the rewards. Avoid letting outsiders intervene. Trust and believe in yourself and rely on your ability to fend for yourself. Put emotions aside and focus on truth, functionality and legitimacy. 2 stars

Birthday Baby: You are complicated, speculative and diligent. You are cautious and spurring.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

Trump to be sentenced in hush money case, days before return to White House

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ and JAKE OFFENHARTZ, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — In a singular moment in U.S. history, President-elect Donald Trump faces sentencing Friday for his New York hush money conviction after the nation’s highest court refused to intervene.

Like so much else in the criminal case and the current American political landscape, the scenario set to unfold in an austere Manhattan courtroom was unimaginable only a few years ago. A state judge is to say what consequences, if any, the country’s former and soon-to-be leader will face for felonies that a jury found he committed.

With Trump 10 days from inauguration, Judge Juan M. Merchan has indicated he plans a no-penalty sentence called an unconditional discharge, and prosecutors aren’t opposing it. That would mean no jail time, no probation and no fines would be imposed, but nothing is final until Friday’s proceeding is done.

Regardless of the outcome, Trump, a Republican, will become the first person convicted of a felony to assume the presidency.

Trump, who is expected to appear by video from his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, will have the opportunity to speak. He has pilloried the case, the only one of his four criminal indictments that has gone to trial and possibly the only one that ever will.

The judge has indicated that he plans the unconditional discharge — a rarity in felony convictions — partly to avoid complicated constitutional issues that would arise if he imposed a penalty that overlapped with Trump’s presidency.

FILE – Judge Juan M. Merchan sits for a portrait in his chambers in New York, March 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

The hush money case accused Trump of fudging his business’ records to veil a $130,000 payoff to porn actor Stormy Daniels. She was paid, late in Trump’s 2016 campaign, not to tell the public about a sexual encounter she maintains the two had a decade earlier. He says nothing sexual happened between them, and he contends that his political adversaries spun up a bogus prosecution to try to damage him.

“I never falsified business records. It is a fake, made up charge,” the Republican president-elect wrote on his Truth Social platform last week. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office brought the charges, is a Democrat.

Bragg’s office said in a court filing Monday that Trump committed “serious offenses that caused extensive harm to the sanctity of the electoral process and to the integrity of New York’s financial marketplace.”

While the specific charges were about checks and ledgers, the underlying accusations were seamy and deeply entangled with Trump’s political rise. Prosecutors said Daniels was paid off — through Trump’s personal attorney at the time, Michael Cohen — as part of a wider effort to keep voters from hearing about Trump’s alleged extramarital escapades.

Trump denies the alleged encounters occurred. His lawyers said he wanted to squelch the stories to protect his family, not his campaign. And while prosecutors said Cohen’s reimbursements for paying Daniels were deceptively logged as legal expenses, Trump says that’s simply what they were.

“There was nothing else it could have been called,” he wrote on Truth Social last week, adding, “I was hiding nothing.”

Trump’s lawyers tried unsuccessfully to forestall a trial. Since his May conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, they have pulled virtually every legal lever within reach to try to get the conviction overturned, the case dismissed or at least the sentencing postponed.

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They have made various arguments to Merchan, New York appeals judges, and federal courts including the Supreme Court. The Trump attorneys have leaned heavily into assertions of presidential immunity from prosecution, and they got a boost in July from a Supreme Court decision that affords former commanders-in-chief considerable immunity.

Trump was a private citizen and presidential candidate when Daniels was paid in 2016. He was president when the reimbursements to Cohen were made and recorded the following year.

On one hand, Trump’s defense argued that immunity should have kept jurors from hearing some evidence, such as testimony about some of his conversations with then-White House communications director Hope Hicks.

And after Trump won this past November’s election, his lawyers argued that the case had to be scrapped to avoid impinging on his upcoming presidency and his transition to the Oval Office.

Merchan, a Democrat, repeatedly postponed the sentencing, initially set for July. But last week, he set Friday’s date, citing a need for “finality.” He wrote that he strove to balance Trump’s need to govern, the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling, the respect due a jury verdict and the public’s expectation that “no one is above the law.”

Trump’s lawyers then launched a flurry of last-minute efforts to block the sentencing. Their last hope vanished Thursday night with a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that declined to delay the sentencing.

Meanwhile, the other criminal cases that once loomed over Trump have ended or stalled ahead of trial.

After Trump’s election, special counsel Jack Smith closed out the federal prosecutions over Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. A state-level Georgia election interference case is locked in uncertainty after prosecutor FaniWillis was removed from it.

Follow the AP’s coverage of President-elect Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump.