Transgender activists broadcast their intrusive takeover of at least one women’s bathroom on Capitol Hill on December 5.

The transgender takeover marked an escalation by the mostly male movement in their campaign to demand access to spaces that are used by women to guard their sexual privacy and career opportunities in a diverse society.

Watch:

🚨BREAKING: Chelsea Manning is using the ladies room in the Capitol complex pic.twitter.com/vp4mz017So

— Pablo Manríquez (@PabloReports) December 5, 2024

The intrusions were done by two groups. One took over a bathroom in the Capitol Hill Visitor Center, and the other group occupied a bathroom in a hallway of a building used for the representatives’ offices.

The second group included Chelsea Manning, a former soldier who claimed transgender status after being convicted in 2013 for leaking secret military information during the Iraq War.

The activists were later constrained by the U.S. Capitol policy, according to a tweet shared by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC).

She has recently pressured GOP leaders to recognize that incoming House Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride is a man, despite establishment media support for his claim of “transgender” status.

Quick, how many do you think can actually define what a woman is? https://t.co/jj8ymnaX6e

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 5, 2024

The intrusion and scuffle will make it harder for Democrats to downplay or sideline their support for the aggressive ideology. The aggressive intrusion was portrayed as a harmless plea for privacy: The activists were wearing shirts that said: “We Just Need to Pee: Let us Be.”

Trans rights activists — including Chelsea Manning — are staging a protest in a women’s bathroom in the Cannon building (a House building) next to Speaker Johnson’s office.

“Trans rights are under attack! What do we do? Act up! Fight back!” pic.twitter.com/XREbC1OchX

— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) December 5, 2024

The activists’ video showed them occupying a bathroom in the Capitol Visitor Center:

 

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A post shared by Elizabeth Booker Houston (@bookersquared)

Bathrooms are symbolically important for transgender activists, who use them to claim that men who claim to be transgender deserve some sympathy from women.

The transgender ideology argues that governments must enforce individuals’ demand to be treated as members of the opposite sex once they claim transgender status. So the ideology says courts and police should punish citizens, employers, and coworkers who refuse to use opposite-sex pronouns when dealing with a person who claims the scientifically unverifiable status of transgender.

Many men who claim to be transgender are heterosexuals. Some share of the men who claim to be transgender also use the women’s bathrooms for sexual gratification.

In November, Democrats lost many votes because of their support for the demand that their changeable gender is more important than everyone else’s immutable sex.

Since then, Democratic efforts to finagle the losing issue have failed, partly because the party’s core of progressive groups deeply empathize with transgender activists’ demand that they be liberated from the biological constraints of their bodies.

A man called Kaelie who identifies as a ‘woman’ brags about having a ‘legal’ right to use women’s restrooms:

“It’s legal in my state as a trans woman to use the bathroom I identify with”. pic.twitter.com/iaYYC3zFJk

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 19, 2023

Just two cute girls, you’d never know they were trans! Especially Dixie. pic.twitter.com/OMuBQmZ9AV

— Dr. Jebra Faushay (@JebraFaushay) December 5, 2024

Many polls show rising public opposition to transgenderism and to males’ use of women’s bathrooms, changing areas, spas and other privacy-protecting spaces. The opposition is broad and includes conservative, K-12, feminist and gay and lesbian groups.

If you don’t support transgender people in girls’ sports and women’s bathrooms that means you’re a misogynist. pic.twitter.com/f4cpV6ACzv

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) December 2, 2023

USGS says that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake has hit Northern California in Humboldt County.

The epicenter is off the coast near Petrolia, in Humboldt County, the USGS said.

Also, a tsunami warning that had been issued for coastal areas in California and Oregon, including San Francisco, was canceled just before noon local time.

“The tsunami Warning is canceled for the coastal areas of California and Oregon,” the National Tsunami Warning Center wrote on X. “No tsunami danger presently exists for this area.”

At least 5.3 million people in California were under the tsunami warning, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a yellow alert, which predicted localized but minimal damage.

More than 1.3 million people lived close enough to the quake that they could have felt it, the USGS estimated.

The USGS says Thursday’s earthquake was “primarily strike-slip,” which is less likely to cause a tsunami because the earth’s tectonic plates moved more horizontally than vertically.

The warning had been in effect from Davenport, California, to Douglas/Lane Line Oregon, the National Tsunami Warning Center said.

The earthquake was initially reported as a 6.6 quake but then was upgraded by USGS.

It was reported at 10:44 a.m. local time, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.

Subsequent earthquakes were reported in the region, including a 5.0 magnitude near Ferndale and a 4.2 magnitude near Petrolia, according to the USGS.

Shake alerts in the USGS’s earthquake early warning system were delivered as far north as Lincoln City, Oregon, and as far south as Salinas, California, the agency said.

“System was activated and performed as designed. Still trying to ascertain how much warning people received,” the USGS said.

There were no immediate reports of any damage.

The earthquake was felt as far south as San Francisco, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. As of 12:36 p.m. Thursday, at least 35 aftershocks have been recorded by USGS in Northern California following

The largest aftershock was recorded as a 5.0.

The San Francisco Zoo announced that guests have been evacuated and animals and staff are moving to higher ground after a Tsunami Warning was issued due to the quake in Humboldt County.

There is a major delay in the Bay Area’s BART transportation system due to the quake. There’s no train service though the underwater Transbay Tube.

Governor Gavin Newsom says he signed a state of emergency declaration following the earthquake. He says damage assessments are underway.

California State Senator Mike McGuire said on social media that about 10,000 residents are without power in the region and there are reports of homes that have come off their foundation.

Rio Dell Mayor Debra Garnes tells ABC News that there are no injuries reported, but there are cracks in the road and one middle school had a gas leak as a result of the earthquake.

The Ferndale city manager reported minor damage related to roofs.

In the Santa Cruz area, phones buzzed with a tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.”

Regarding aftershocks, there is currently a 5% chance of a magnitude 6 or larger earthquake occurring in the next week, and a 34% chance of a magnitude 5 quake occurring in that time frame, the USGS said.

USGS officials advised people to be prepared for aftershocks in the coming days and weeks.

Police appear to be closing in on the identity of the man suspected of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan, sources told ABC News.

Authorities on Thursday released images of the suspect taken from a surveillance camera at the HI New York City Hostel at West 103rd Street on the Upper West Side, where it appears the suspect shared a room with two other men, according to police sources.

Detectives canvassed other hostels in the area and showed people the suspect’s picture, sources said. Police have determined the suspect checked into an Upper West Side hostel using a New Jersey license that isn’t his, police sources told ABC News.

The gunman shot Thompson at close range on Wednesday morning outside a Hilton Hotel where the CEO was attending a conference.

The “brazen, targeted attack” was “premeditated,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Bullet casings found at the scene had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” written on them, police sources said.

The motive remains unknown, police said.

The gun used in the shooting hasn’t been recovered, sources said.

Police believe the shooter used a B&T Station Six, known in Great Britain as a Welrod pistol, according to police sources. The gun doesn’t have a silencer but does have a long barrel that enables the 9 mm to fire a nearly silent shot. The gun requires manually cycling ammunition from the magazine.

The weapon is not easily attainable so investigators have been running down all recent purchases, according to police sources. NYPD detectives arrived Thursday at a gun shop in Connecticut that sold a weapon of the same type, sources said.

Thompson, 50, was in New York City for the UnitedHealthcare investors conference, which was scheduled to start at 8 a.m. His schedule was widely known, police sources said.

Surveillance footage reviewed by police shows someone who appears to be the suspect leaving a 57th Street subway station near the crime scene just before the shooting, polices sources told ABC News.

The suspect appeared to lie in wait near the Hilton Hotel. After Thompson exited his hotel and walked across the street to the Hilton, the masked gunman shot him at about 6:40 a.m., police said.

“The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “It appears that the gun malfunctions, as he clears the jam and begins to fire again.”

The shooter fled on foot into an alley, where a phone believed to be linked to the suspect was later recovered, police sources said.

The suspect then fled on a bike and rode into Central Park, police said.

The shooter was also caught on surveillance video at 5 a.m. Wednesday outside the Frederick Douglass Houses, a public housing project on the Upper West Side, sources told ABC News. That footage showed the suspect carrying what appeared to be an e-bike battery.

Police are working to determine if the suspect prepositioned the bike and took the subway to the shooting scene, sources said.

Police have recovered a water bottle and candy wrapper from the crime scene which they believe are linked to the gunman. Fingerprint and DNA tests on the items are ongoing, law enforcement sources told ABC News.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, said in a statement that she is “shattered” by the “senseless killing.”

“Brian was an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives,” she said. “Most importantly, Brian was an incredibly loving father to our two sons and will be greatly missed.”

The Thompsons each owned separate homes in the same suburb of Minneapolis and had been living separately for years, according to property records and interviews with neighbors.

Neighbor Patty Grabski called Brian Thompson “a really impressive person” and described Paulette Thompson as “always friendly and very kind.”

Grabski said her husband, who worked with Brian Thompson up to three years ago, thought of him as “the smartest person in the room.”

Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz wrote several social media posts appearing to celebrate UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder while suggesting other executives should also be targeted.

Thompson was shot and killed at close range in midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning, outside the Hilton Hotel.

The suspect remains at large.

“And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” Lorenz wrote hours later, referencing Thompson’s death in a Bluesky post with a report about Blue Cross Blue Shield no longer covering anesthesia for the full length of some surgeries.

Lorenz also posted an image of Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Kim Keck with a similar article on both Bluesky and X.

She reposted another user who wrote, “[H}ypothetically, would it be considered an actionable threat to start emailing other insurance CEOs a simple ‘you’re next’? Completely unrelated to current events btw.”

She later seemed to defend the harsh posts, claiming there’s “very justified hatred” against CEOs for the “amount of death and suffering” for which they allegedly bear responsibility.

“People have very justified hatred toward insurance company CEOs because these executives are responsible for an unfathomable amount of death and suffering. As someone against death and suffering, I think it’s good to call out this broken system and the ppl in power who enable it,” Lorenz wrote.

Lorenz shared several posts written by other social media users attacking Thompson and seeming to justify his death through the implication that he had killed scores through inadequate health insurance.

“He will be shown the same empathy he showed for others every single day,” one post read.

He will be shown the same empathy he showed for others every single day 🫶 https://t.co/EqpB67rkP1

— Julia Marie (@julia_doubleday) December 4, 2024

Another post read, “My insurance will neither cover monoclonal antibodies to prevent COVID or sufficient Paxlovid to treat COVID. They have no problem with my suffering or possible death. Murder is wrong, no matter how it’s done.”

My insurance will neither cover monoclonal antibodies to prevent COVID or sufficient Paxlovid to treat COVID. They have no problem with my suffering or possible death.
Murder is wrong, no matter how it’s done. https://t.co/H3k0Mq3yrt

— Amy Mitchell (@amymitchellart) December 4, 2024

“‘Every life is precious’ stuff about a healthcare CEO whose company is noted for denying coverage is pretty silly,” a third one read.

“Every life is precious” stuff about a healthcare CEO whose company is noted for denying coverage is pretty silly

— Malcolm Harris (@BigMeanInternet) December 5, 2024

She also shared other left-leaning journalists’ posts, including Jezebel staff writer Kylie Cheung and journalist Ken Klippenstein, who’s had past stints at The Intercept and The Nation.

Cheung wrote, “the way we’re socialized to see violence only as interpersonal—not see state violence (policies that create poverty/kill), structural violence, institutional violence—is very deliberate. same w/ panics about ~shoplifting~ vs how much corporations steal from every single one of us.”

the way we’re socialized to see violence only as interpersonal—not see state violence (policies that create poverty/kill), structural violence, institutional violence—is very deliberate. same w/ panics about ~shoplifting~ vs how much corporations steal from every single one of us https://t.co/ZS3dH23Upp

— Kylie Cheung (@kylietcheung) December 4, 2024

“No s— murder is bad. The jokes about the United CEO aren’t really about him; they’re about the rapacious healthcare system he personified and which Americans feel deep pain and humiliation about,” Klippenstein wrote. In another post, he quipped that he hoped Thompson’s ambulance ride “was in network.”

Thompson was 50 years old and left behind a wife and two sons.

Lorenz clarified her post that read, “And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” telling Fox News Digital, “my post uses the royal we and is explaining the public sentiment.”

“That said, healthcare executives absolutely want people dead as long as it helps their bottom line and that’s the entire problem,” Lorenz said. “My sympathies are with the innocent people who have died or suffered after being denied coverage by greedy insurance companies.”

When asked about her post about Keck, Lorenz told Fox News Digital her “motivation” was “to show who was behind this type of decision.”

She added to her post about the Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO on X, “I hope people learn the names of all of these insurance company CEOs and engage in very peaceful letter writing campaigns so that they stop ruthlessly murdering thousands of innocent Americans by denying coverage.”

“Healthcare is a human right. We need universal healthcare now,” Lorenz added.

I hope people learn the names of all of these insurance company CEOs and engage in very peaceful letter writing campaigns so that they stop ruthlessly murdering thousands of innocent Americans by denying coverage. Healthcare is a human right. We need universal healthcare now.

— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) December 5, 2024

Lorenz left The Washington Post in October and launched her User Magazine Substack. The far-left writer also had a past stint at the New York Times and has been embroiled in several online controversies over the years.

In 2022, she infamously sobbed on the air during an MSNBC interview about alleged online harassment she’d faced, in a moment that was derided by conservatives. Lorenz then criticized the progressive network for how it had handled the story.

Known for her extreme fears of COVID-19, she went viral earlier this week when she fretted that people not wearing masks in 2024 were “raw-dogging the air.”

Only 6% of federal employees work from an office full-time, and a third are fully remote. And some aren’t actually working when they “work from home,” a Senate investigation found.

“Washington is still operating as if it’s March 2020,” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), the chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus and the report’s author, wrote.

“Just three percent of the federal workforce teleworked daily prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, six percent of workers report in-person on a full-time basis, while nearly one-third are entirely remote,” the report states.

Government office buildings have an occupancy rate of only 12%, yet the government spends $16 billion a year to operate them. Even the head of the General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate, works from home in Missouri.

“You may be more likely to see a ghost than a bureaucrat haunting the halls of some government buildings in Washington, D.C. these days,” Ernst continued.

Office buildings are so empty that the water supply at the office of the Environmental Protection Agency — which is tasked with ensuring clean drinking water — was left stagnant for so long that it developed dangerous bacteria, according to the audit. But unions have demanded that full individual workstations for each employee be maintained for the rare occasions they are used, in addition to demanding that members be allowed to work from home.

Elon Musk, co-chair of the incoming Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, has signaled that federal employees should have to work from the office — and those who don’t want to can quit, resulting in a leaner government.

President Joe Biden used his 2022 State of the Union to say that federal employees must return to the office, and his chief of staff repeatedly demanded that cabinet officials follow through because “there’s no substitute for face-to-face.” Yet the Biden administration signed a contract, in the waning days of his presidency, with the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) union locking them into telework through 2029.

That’s despite the fact that administration just completed a $120 million office renovation on a massive SSA headquarters that is 91% unused. One SSA employee ran a personal home inspection business for three years while supposedly doing his job from home, having his mother occasionally send emails from his computer

“Apparently, the president of a public employees union, not the President of the United States, is currently deciding personnel policy for the U.S government,” Ernst wrote.

Federal employees get paid more when their offices are in high cost-of-living areas. But at some agencies, up to 80% of teleworking employees now live in lower cost-of-living areas, while still collecting the higher pay. Some agency heads have told Congress that they have implemented policies requiring employees to come to work a few days per pay period, but reports from the ground suggest that’s not actually enforced.

More than 90% of Department of Housing and Urban Development employees work from home and are not required to come to the office more than once a week. One HUD employee — a former union president — allegedly got a DUI while supposedly working from home. Remote work enabled another woman to hold two six-figure government jobs at the same time, with each employer thinking she was working full-time.

The Patent and Trade Office considers itself a pioneer in teleworking, having widely done so since the 1990s. But in one nine-month period, it paid at least $8.8 million in hourly wages that “teleworking” employees didn’t actually work, its inspector general found.

The federal government doesn’t have widespread systems monitoring whether employees log in to their computers, or from where, each day, Ernst said. When the Department of Health and Human Services did look at employees’ computer logins, it found that up to 30% of “teleworkers” on any given day were not actually working during the COVID pandemic, when the health department was presumably needed.

The VA’s website advertises to prospective employees: “At VA, you can break away from the traditional 9 to 5, 40-hour workweek without sacrificing the opportunities and benefits that come with job security.” Despite an epidemic of veteran suicides, one-third of calls to a mental health hotline for veterans went unanswered in Atlanta, with “no sense of urgency.” Therapists didn’t show up for appointments with veterans, while the Veterans Affairs manager responsible for scheduling the appointments posted a photo online showing he was “working” from a bubble bath.

The report said that only two of 76 local offices actually picked up the phone at the IRS, whose inspector general said “maximizing telework in response to the pandemic … may have contributed to declines in productivity.” The Biden administration has also made a massive number of new hires at the IRS, even though it’s not clear the existing employees are working to their potential.

Ernst said, “If bureaucrats don’t want to return to work, make their wish come true.”

She proposed that the government be required to sell off any real estate that is not being fully used, and that agencies should also be relocated across the country to lower-cost areas that have a connection to the work being done—with the Department of Agriculture, for example, being in farm country. The Strategic Withdrawal of Agencies for Meaningful Placement (SWAMP) Act, and several other pieces of proposed legislation, would do that.

The top two election officials in Richmond, Virginia, resigned on Wednesday after a report claimed their office misappropriated $500,000 on expenses, including alcohol, unnecessary hotel stays, private security, and a luxury remodeling of office space leased by a government agency. Their resignations will reportedly take effect on December 31.

Richmond General Registrar Keith Balmer resigned on Wednesday, with the Richmond Electoral Board reportedly accepting both his resignation and the resignation of his deputy, Jerry Richardson. This comes just one week after Richmond Inspector General James Osuna released a report claiming their office wasted almost $500,000 in taxpayer money.

Balmer has yet to issue a statement following his resignation, but on November 26, he wrote in a post to the Richmond Office of Elections’ account on the social media platform X that he would address the report “in the coming days.”

I will be addressing this IG report in the coming days. And I got a lot to say. – Keith Balmer

— Office of Elections (@RVA_Votes) November 26, 2024

According to The Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter Samuel Parker, the election official expressed frustration with the media presence when he arrived to tender his resignation, remarking to reporters, “My god, I’m not the mayor.”

In his report, Osuna accused Balmer of spending over $200,000 on security, both through private security contracts and through the purchase of a firearm for a temporary office worker who was not insured to provide security.

Balmer reportedly justified spending on security by citing increased threats toward election officials and, at one point, paid two security guards to escort him to meetings, despite the inspector general determining there were no threats specific to Balmer or his office.

He was also accused of spending about $230,000 to remodel office space leased by Balmer’s government agency over a three-month period last year when he was also accused of ignoring lower-priced vendors and purchasing luxurious office furniture despite being notified of companies offering more competitive prices.

The election official was also accused of improper travel expenses, including purchasing alcohol using taxpayer money during business hours, renting hotel rooms for additional days before and after conferences and events, and purchasing both food and alcohol for non-city employees using his city bank card.

Balmer was accused of committing 26 financial offenses during his time in office, and Osuna substantiated all but one.

For more than two weeks, New Jersey residents have reported seeing mysterious drones hovering over their homes and neighborhoods at night in the northern part of the state.

The drones, sometimes traveling in groups, have been spotted nightly in some areas. But law enforcement officials have been unable to provide an explanation for the large number of sightings.

The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation, and has asked for the public’s tips to determine if the drones pose a threat to residents.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have many answers, and we don’t want to guess or hypothesize about what’s going on,” FBI spokeswoman Amy J. Thoreson said Wednesday. “We are doing all we can to figure it out.”

The drones have disrupted a medevac helicopter picking up a patient and led to FAA drone flight restrictions over the Trump National Golf Club in Somerset County and Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County.

Here’s what we know about the drone sighting so far:

When did nighttime drone sightings begin?

On Nov. 18, police began investigating reports of large numbers of drones hovering at night in Morris County.

Where have unexplained drones been reported?

Reports have been filed with police about drones in Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Morristown, Morris Township, Chester, Randolph, Rockaway, Morris Plains, Dover and Parsippany in Morris County. Authorities in Hillsborough and Branchburg in Somerset County, and communities in Warren County, have also received reports.

Social media reports about sightings in other towns have been plentiful, including numerous reports in Hunterdon, Monmouth and Sussex counties.

The Warren County Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging “recent drone activity observed in Warren County.” Prosecutors asked for residents’ assistance in documenting drone sightings, “especially those that involve critical infrastructures.”

There have been reports of sightings near Merrill Creek Reservoir in Harmony, in Warren County.

The FBI also said there have been sightings in “several areas along the Raritan River.”

What’s unusual about the sightings?

Residents said the drones appear in large numbers and seem to hover in the same area night after night. Some of the drones have also been unusually large, according to the reports.

One Morris County resident reported seeing eight drones at once near Black River Middle School in Chester. Another reported seeing 15 over a three-hour period in Morris County.

Some of the drones have been described as appearing to be the size of a car or a small plane.

How are the authorities responding to the reports?

The FBI confirmed last week it is investigating the sightings.

On Monday, the FAA announced it temporarily prohibited drones from the airspace over Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster. The FBI said it requested the restrictions “out of an abundance of caution.”

The FBI asked the public on Tuesday for tips about sightings to help determine if the drones pose a danger to the public.

Local law enforcement officials said the drones are not a threat to residents.

What should residents do if they spot a suspicious drone?

The FBI asked the public to report sightings via its tips line, 1-800-CALL-FBI (800 225-5324). Officials also asked for photos and videos of the drones, which can be uploaded at tips.fbi.gov. For online reports, click on “submit a tip” and then use the “other FBI crimes” tab.

What are possible explanations for the sightings?

It remains unclear if the large number of drone sightings are related — or if there is a single explanation for all of the devices spotted hovering over New Jersey.

Some people theorized the drones are being used by criminals to case houses for robberies. Others suggested they are being used by possible terrorists. Law enforcement officials have not said if any of those theories are plausible.

Theories about the drones belonging to hostile foreign powers, being used for political intrigue, or being controlled by aliens abound on social media.

Pramod Abichandani, a professor who directs the Advanced Air Mobility Lab at New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, doesn’t buy those theories.

“To me,” he said, “the simplest explanation is the correct explanation.”

He believes the drones probably belong to commercial or U.S. military operators. Whatever entity owns the drones would likely have significant money and staff to fly so many drones for many hours for many days, he said.

That’s especially true when flying drones in groups, known as swarms, which is technically challenging.

“There are companies in New Jersey that are defense contractors that do swarming of drones,” said Abichandani, who teaches a “Drone Science Fundamentals” class at NJIT. “There are enough smart people now in the world, in the U.S. and New Jersey, that if they really want to, they can start experimenting with swarms of drones.”

If the drones were watching houses for future crimes, as some have suggested, or were being used by hostile foreign entities, they likely would not be so loud or brightly lit, he said.

“It would be extremely careless on the part of people who are working for foreign powers to just expose themselves like that,” Abichandani said. “It takes an incredible amount of competence to do something nefarious with drones.”

Is it legal to fly a drone at night?

The law is complicated, and depends on multiple factors, including: how much the drone weighs, if the pilot has a waiver from the FAA, if drones are used for commercial purposes, if operators have passed a required test, and if the drone is flying over people. Night-flying drones must have lights visible for up to three miles.

What penalties can drone operators face?

Operators who endanger aircraft or pedestrians could be fined up to $75,000 and lose their drone operators’ pilot certificates.

For example, drones over a landing zone prevented a medevac helicopter from picking up an accident victim last week near Raritan Valley Community College in Somerset County, local officials said. It is unclear who was piloting the drones. The drone operator could face fines or a loss of a drone pilot certificate if cited by law enforcement officials.

How can you tell if you’re seeing a drone and not a helicopter?

Drones typically have four propellers in a square formation, with a light near each — two green, and two red, Abichandani said. Helicopters typically have a light on the tail rotor and one in the front. Both can be quite loud.

Do drones have registration numbers that make them easily identifiable?

Since March, the FAA has required a “digital license plate” for drones. The agency is developing data sharing capabilities for law enforcement, so they can have access to FAA registration information, an FAA spokesman said Wednesday.

While newer store-bought drones come with a feature that broadcasts its identification information, many people have older drones, or build their own from parts that don’t have identification.

“You cannot fly a drone without a remote ID broadcast service on the drone,” Abichandani said. “But how many people actually follow that is a different question.”

Can people shoot down drones?

Shooting down a drone is a federal crime and can be dangerous to those in the area, drone experts say.

Can drones be captured?

There are ways to disable a drone, either by jamming its radio signals or chasing it with another drone and ejecting a net over it, Abichandani said.

But the FCC regulates radio frequencies, and frequency jammers are illegal for most people, said William Austin, president of Warren County Community College, and creator of its drone-related associates degree.

It could be dangerous and possibly illegal to intercept drones. It could also be dangerous to those on the ground.

“It sounds like a great idea, but to pull it to the ground, you need someone very well trained in the equipment,” Austin said.

FBI officials did not respond to questions about whether law enforcement officials have attempted to capture drones that appear to hover over the same areas nightly in New Jersey.

The baby names that parents in the UK love the most have been revealed – and some may surprise you.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has now released its annual figures for the most popular baby names in England and Wales. The data always reflects the year just gone, so the list makes up the top 100 names for boys and girls from 2023.

This year, Muhammad has overtaken Noah as the top name for baby boys, with Noah dropping to second place after coming in first in 2021 and 2022, followed by Oliver. Muhammad was the second most popular name last year and has been in the top 10 since 2016. Back in 2012, it ranked only 20th so it’s climbed up the list significantly over the past decade.

Meanwhile, there have been no changes to the top three names for baby girls, with Olivia, Amelia and Isla, coming up top. Unsurprisingly, Olivia has stolen the crown as the most popular baby girl’s name for the eighth year in a row.

Regionally, Olivia was the most popular girl’s name in five out of nine regions in England and the most popular in Wales. Muhammad was the top moniker for boys in four out of nine regions but was ranked 63rd in Wales.

It seems parents have been opting for more unusual names this year with some less traditional monikers joining the top 100 list. The new additions to the girls’ list include Hazel, Lilah, Autumn, Nevaeh and Raya. Autumn appeared more popular during its respective season and ranked 96th overall. Hazel was ranked 91st, Lilah was 95th and Nevaeh and Raya in the last two spots.

The boys’ list saw the addition of Jax, Enzo and Bodhi, with Jax soaring to 87th despite being its first year on the list. Enzo came 95th while Bodhi was ranked 100th. Interestingly, there were more unique names and spellings for girls than boys overall, suggesting parents are choosing from a smaller pool of names for baby boys.

Trends and seasons have also impacted the names chosen by parents, with Holly, Robyn, and Joseph more popular in December and Summer and Autumn popular in their respective seasons. The Kardashian-Jenner family continued to inspire parents, with Reign and Saint, and Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, and Margot Robbie also sparked some names.

Royal names were less popular this year, showing the variety of modern influences on baby names. Poppy was the most popular name in November, likely because of the connection with Remembrance Day and poppies.

Top names for baby girls:

1. Olivia
2. Amelia
3. Isla
4. Lily
5. Freya
6. Ava
7. Ivy
8. Florence
9. Willow
10. Isabella
11. Poppy
12. Sophia
13. Evelyn
14. Elsie
15. Sienna
16. Mia
17. Daisy
18. Grace
19. Sofia
20. Phoebe
21. Rosie
22. Harper
23. Charlotte
24. Evie
25. Millie
26. Bonnie
27. Ella
28. Emily
29. Maya
30. Matilda
31. Aria
32. Delilah
33. Penelope
34. Hallie
35. Mila
36. Maeve
37. Ada
38. Luna
39. Ruby
40. Mabel
41. Maisie
42. Violet
43. Arabella
44. Margot
45. Emilia
46. Isabelle
47. Esme
48. Lottie
49. Aurora
50. Alice
51. Sophie
52. Eva
53. Layla
54. Ayla
55. Rose
56. Orla
57. Olive
58. Eleanor
59. Imogen
60. Eliza
61. Iris
62. Harriet
63. Thea
64. Robyn
65. Chloe
66. Erin
67. Bella
68. Elizabeth
69. Ottilie
70. Nancy
71. Emma
72. Scarlett
73. Zara
74. Ophelia
75. Elodie
76. Lyla
77. Maryam
78. Maria
79. Lola
80. Lyra
81. Nova
82. Ellie
83. Jessica
84. Gracie
85. Fatima
86. Summer
87. Eden
88. Molly
89. Amelie
90. Clara
91. Hazel
92. Darcie
93. Lara
94. Hannah
95. Lilah
96. Autumn
97. Nellie
98. Jasmine
99. Nevaeh
100. Raya

Top names for baby boys:

1. Muhammad
2. Noah
3. Oliver
4. George
5. Leo
6. Arthur
7. Luca
8. Theodore
9. Oscar
10. Henry
11. Theo
12. Freddie
13. Archie
14. Arlo
15. Jude
16. Alfie
17. Charlie
18. Jack
19. Thomas
20. Finley
21. Harry
22. Albie
23. Teddy
24. Jacob
25. Lucas
26. Tommy
27. Isaac
28. Mohammed
29. William
30. Edward
31. Elijah
32. Roman
33. Rory
34. Alexander
35. James
36. Louie
37. Reuben
38. Ezra
39. Oakley
40. Joshua
41. Adam
42. Sebastian
43. Hudson
44. Max
45. Louis
46. Ronnie
47. Ethan
48. Hugo
49. Harrison
50. Mason
51. Rowan
52. Reggie
53. Benjamin
54. Joseph
55. Albert
56. Sonny
57. Hunter
58. Jaxon
59. Jesse
60. Daniel
61. Zachary
62. Samuel
63. Frederick
64. Gabriel
65. David
66. Logan
67. Dylan
68. Mohammad
69. Frankie
70. Otis
71. Liam
72. Caleb
73. Felix
74. Kai
75. Jasper
76. Alfred
77. Toby
78. Grayson
79. Yusuf
80. Riley
81. Rupert
82. Brody
83. Ibrahim
84. Finn
85. Musa
86. Carter
87. Jax
88. Michael
89. Chester
90. Stanley
91. Leon
92. Milo
93. Bobby
94. Elliot
95. Enzo
96. Elias
97. Ellis
98. Ralph
99. Myles
100. Bodhi

The Department of Justice recently briefed the House Judiciary Committee about an internal investigation it had opened into special counsel Jack Smith’s office, according to committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH).

Jordan wrote Wednesday in a letter obtained by the Washington Examiner to Jeffrey Ragsdale, the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility official who gave the briefing, that Jordan was unsatisfied with the information Ragsdale provided during it.

Ragsdale had said during the briefing, which took place last month, that he opened the inquiry into possible misconduct by Smith’s office in June 2023 but that he had not been able to take any further investigative steps while Smith’s prosecutions of President-elect Donald Trump remained pending, per Jordan. Ragsdale had said any action he took would have interfered with Smith’s cases, both of which have been terminated since Trump’s election win.

“While we appreciate you confirming an open investigation into Jack Smith’s prosecutors, we are concerned that your refusal to take prompt investigative steps will allow these attorneys to evade internal accountability by leaving the Department,” Jordan wrote.

Ragsdale had said he opened the inquiry into Smith’s office after someone working under Smith “self-reported” the possible misconduct to Ragsdale’s office, according to Jordan.

“It is absurd that OPR—the Department entity charged with upholding ethical conduct would only examine allegations of prosecutorial misconduct after the subject of the allegations has approved the inquiry,” Jordan wrote.

“This process does not inspire any confidence that OPR’s examination will be independent or impartial.”

It is unclear what the nature of the misconduct was, but it is normal for attorneys to self-report to the DOJ’s personnel office if they are aware of allegations being made about them in the media or elsewhere.

Jordan, for his part, has been seeking records from Ragsdale since at least May about various ethics allegations against Smith and the attorneys working for him, including Jay Bratt and J.P. Cooney. Several of the allegations have appeared in the media and in court papers.

Bratt’s misconduct allegation, for example, was first raised in court by an attorney representing Walt Nauta, one of the co-defendants in the classified documents case against Trump. The attorney, Stanley Woodward, said that during a closed-door meeting, Bratt inappropriately brought up Woodward’s application to become a judge while Bratt was trying to convince Woodward to comply with him in the Trump case. Smith has disputed the accusation.

Cooney, another one of Smith’s deputies who has come under scrutiny, was also a key figure involved in prosecuting Trump ally Roger Stone for lying to Congress.

According to a DOJ inspector general report, Cooney wanted to impose an unusually harsh sentence on Stone, and when he was overridden, he began accusing the Trump administration of giving Stone preferential treatment. The DOJ inspector general assessed in his report that this was not a “well considered” move by Cooney. Jordan said he has been seeking information from the DOJ about any internal investigations it conducted into Cooney’s “shocking sentencing recommendation” of Stone.

Jordan reiterated all of his past records requests to Ragsdale in his letter on Wednesday and also told the DOJ official to interpret the letter as a “preservation notice” of the records, a sign that the GOP-led committee will continue its investigation in the next Congress.

President Joe Biden’s senior aides are conducting a vigorous internal debate over whether to issue preemptive pardons to a range of current and former public officials who could be targeted with President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, according to senior Democrats familiar with the discussions.

Biden’s aides are deeply concerned about a range of current and former officials who could find themselves facing inquiries and even indictments, a sense of alarm which has only accelerated since Trump last weekend announced the appointment of Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel has publicly vowed to pursue Trump’s critics.

The White House officials, however, are carefully weighing the extraordinary step of handing out blanket pardons to those who’ve committed no crimes, both because it could suggest impropriety, only fueling Trump’s criticisms, and because those offered preemptive pardons may reject them.

The deliberations touch on pardoning those currently in office, elected and appointed, as well as former officials who’ve angered Trump and his loyalists.

Those who could face exposure include such members of Congress’ Jan. 6 Committee as Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming. Trump has previously said Cheney “should go to Jail along with the rest of the Unselect Committee!” Also mentioned by Biden’s aides for a pardon is Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who became a lightning rod for criticism from the right during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The West Wing deliberations have been organized by White House counsel Ed Siskel but include a range of other aides, including chief of staff Jeff Zients. The president himself, who was intensely focused on his son’s pardon, has not been brought into the broader pardon discussions yet, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

The conversations were spurred by Trump’s repeated threats and quiet lobbying by congressional Democrats, though not by those seeking pardons themselves. “The beneficiaries know nothing,” one well-connected Democrat told me about those who could receive pardons.

Biden’s ultimate decision, though, could prove just as consequential to some of the country’s most high-profile public officials as his choice to pardon his son.

That the conversations are taking place at all reflects the growing anxieties among high-level Democrats about just how far Trump’s reprisals could go once he reclaims power. The remarkable, 11-year breadth of Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter illustrated how worried the White House is about Trump officials seizing any potential openings for prosecution.

At issue, to repurpose a phrase, is whether to take Trump seriously and literally when it comes to his prospective revenge tour against Democrats and others in the so-called Deep State who’ve raised his ire.

End-of-administration pardons are always politically fraught. But President George H.W. Bush’s intervention to spare former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and Bill Clinton’s pardon of financier and donor Marc Rich seem quaint compared with what Biden officials are grappling with as Trump returns to the presidency with lieutenants plotting tribunals against adversaries.

And that was before the president pardoned his son, infuriating many of his own party already angry at Biden for insisting on running for reelection as he neared 82. Now, Biden’s aides also must consider whether they should offer the same legal inoculation to public officials who’ve attracted the ire of Trump or his supporters that the president granted his convicted son.

The White House is facing contradictory pressures from Capitol Hill. Some longtime Democratic lawmakers, like Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), have talked favorably about the precedent of former President Gerald Ford’s preemptive pardon of Richard Nixon, issued before any charges were filed against the disgraced former president.

“If it’s clear by January 19 that [revenge] is his intention, then I would recommend to President Biden that he provide those preemptive pardons to people, because that’s really what our country is going to need next year,” Markey said on WGBH last week.

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Penn.), a close Biden ally who hosted the president in his district shortly before the election, issued a plea Wednesday for Biden to offer blanket pardons.

“This is no hypothetical threat,” Boyle said in a statement, adding: “The time for cautious restraint is over. We must act with urgency to push back against these threats and prevent Trump from abusing his power.”

Other lawmakers, I’m told, have been just as emphatic in private with Biden’s aides in calling for preemptive pardons.

However, some congressional Democrats, including those who may be in Trump’s political crosshairs, are uneasy about the idea of being granted a pardon they’re not seeking.

“I would urge the president not to do that,” Schiff said. “I think it would seem defensive and unnecessary.”

Some senior Democrats I spoke with, however, wonder how many of those facing retribution are adopting a version of the vote-no-hope-yes mantra that often surrounds difficult legislative votes. Which is to say: Some may publicly oppose preemptive pardons, for reasons of innocence or precedence, while privately hoping the president offers legal protection.

What has some Biden aides particularly concerned is that even the threat of retaliation could prove costly to individuals because they’d be forced to hire high-priced lawyers to defend themselves in any potential investigation.

Especially for those officials without significant means, the specter of six-figure legal bills in the coming years is unnerving. Some Biden appointees, I’m told by people facing scrutiny, are already considering taking the best-paying jobs next year in part to ensure they have the resources to defend themselves against any investigations.

Adding to Biden’s challenge in the final weeks of his presidency is the pressure he’s also feeling from Democrats who want him to offer the same generous clemency to those less privileged that he handed his son.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) invoked Hunter Biden’s pardon this week in calling on the president to, on a case-by-case basis, spare “the working-class Americans in the federal prison system whose lives have been ruined by unjustly aggressive prosecutions for nonviolent offenses.”

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, told SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly on Wednesday that he believes he is the target of a “smear” campaign, comparing his experience to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation process.

After Trump nominated Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court in 2018, Democratic lawmakers quickly sought to derail his confirmation, portraying him as partisan and using sexual assault allegations that surfaced after his nomination to weaken his bid. On “The Megyn Kelly Show,” Hegseth sat down to discuss the backlash against him, with Kelly asking if he believes he is being “Kavanaugh’d.”

“I had a member, not 45 minutes ago, look me in the eye in private, just he and I, and say, ‘That’s what they’re trying to do to you,’” Hegseth said.

“‘That’s their playbook. Get ready for more, and they’re gonna make it up, just like they have so far. All anonymous, all innuendo, all rumor, nothing sourced, no verification and they’re just gonna keep doing it, because you’re a threat to them. You’re a threat to their system. You’re a threat to all the things in Washington D.C., the swamp, the things that people have rejected. You’re a threat to that, and so they’re coming after you.’”

“I know that, he knows that, and when you stand firm on that, it’s not difficult to just continue to fight. So yeah, we saw what happened, but guess what happened? Kavanaugh stood up, and he fought, and he won, and hopefully Republicans have learned that lesson,” Hegseth added.

Hegseth noted that despite the criticism from lawmakers, Trump still stood by Kavanaugh, stating that what the public is witnessing in his process is the “classic art of the smear” in order to take “tiny kernels of truth” and “blow them up into a masquerade of a narrative.”

Watch:

“What they never quote, and we’ll get into this too, are the legions of people from whom I served with in combat, multiple tours, from the multiple veterans organizations that I very proudly ran, and I really want to get into that, and my time at Fox News. They never asked the people closest to me,” Hegseth said.

“They never ask those people. That’s what a smear looks like. It’s a couple anonymous nuggets, usually from disgruntled people who were fired for cause, who are jealous or want a little bit of retribution, and so they peddle stuff to reporters who are not interested in the truth. They’re interested in smearing someone who supports Donald Trump’s agenda,” Hegseth continued.

Following the announcement of Hegseth’s nomination last month, reports of a sexual assault allegation surfaced, along with other outlets claiming the former Fox News host had abused alcohol.

In November, The New York Times also published a 2018 email from Hegseth’s mother, calling out her son for his alleged mistreatment and belittling of women. On Wednesday, Hegseth’s mother appeared on “Fox & Friends,” stating that she wanted to “discredit” the media’s attacks against him and that she had written the email “in haste.”

In response, Hegseth denied the claims and has been meeting with Republican senators for private discussions regarding his nomination. Co-workers and friends of the former Fox host have also come forward, with host Will Cain creating a thread Wednesday on X showing how many public figures close to Hegseth are in support of him despite the “anonymous sources” calling for concerns of his alleged drinking habit.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was one of several senior executives at the company under investigation by the Department of Justice when he was gunned down outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday.

Thompson — who was killed in what police called a targeted shooting outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown — exercised stock options and sold shares worth $15.1 million on Feb. 16, less than two weeks before news of the federal antitrust probe went public, according to a Crain’s New York Business report from April.

The stock price dropped sharply after the revelation that the DOJ was investigating whether the company had made acquisitions that consolidated its market position in violation of antitrust laws, a source familiar with the probe told the outlet.

Thompson’s stock options reportedly had several years until expiration, and the sale of shares was his first since assuming the helm of parent company UnitedHealth’s insurance division in 2021.

Thompson, 50, along with UnitedHealth Group chairman Stephen Helmsley, Chief People Officer Erin McSweeney and Chief Accounting Officer Tom Roos, sold a combined $101.5 million in shares, with Helmsley personally netting just shy of $85 million, according to the report.

Charles Elson, founding director of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware, told Crain’s that share sales by firm principals are typically scrutinized by a company’s general counsel, who can determine whether any additional disclosures to the market may be required before the trades are executed.

Earlier this year, UnitedHealth was hit by one of the largest healthcare data breaches in US history, the company estimating as many as one-third of Americans’ private data — potentially including Social Security numbers — were compromised in the ransomware attack.

The company wound up paying the hackers a $22 million ransom, CEO Andrew Witty told a Congressional panel in May.

The massive firm — with annual revenue of around $372 billion — later said it estimated its financial cost as a result of the hack to be around $705 million, Reuters reported.

The man wanted for fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Wednesday morning was spotted inside a nearby Starbucks before killing his target, police said.

The NYPD released a new photo of the hooded suspect standing in front of the counter at the Starbucks at W. 56th Street and 6th Avenue, just minutes away from the Hilton hotel where he gunned down Thompson, 50.

It was not immediately clear how long the gunman, who has yet to be identified, was at the Starbucks or if he purchased anything.

Officials said that after firing at Thompson multiple times, with bullets striking his back and right calf, the gunman quickly fled the scene on foot.

He was then spotted mounting an e-Citi Bike on Sixth Avenue and disappearing into Central Park, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.

Thompson was rushed to the nearby Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police do not suspect the shooting was a random act of violence, claiming the gunman staked out the hotel, where Thompson was due to speak at an investors’ conference later that day for UnitedHealth Group.

Thompson’s wife, Paulette “Pauley” Thompson, 51, said that before the shooting, the father of two had received threats related to his job leading America’s largest private insurer.

“Every indication shows that this is a premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters.

No arrests have been made so far as police search for the suspect.

NYPD Crime Stoppers has put out a $10,000 reward for information regarding Thompson’s murder.

President-elect Trump’s transition team has signed on to an agreement for the FBI to vet the incoming administration’s cabinet nominees, the transition team announced Tuesday.

Trump’s team says it will “submit names for background checks and security clearances,” an agreement typically signed even before the election.

The FBI historically vets each cabinet nominee and also handles security clearances, a process that could not begin until the agreement was made.

“This agreement with the Department of Justice will ensure President Trump and his team are ready on Day 1 to begin enacting the America First Agenda that an overwhelming majority of our nation supported on Election Day,” incoming White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a statement.

A number of Republicans in the Senate had been apprehensive about the transition team’s initial unwillingness to face FBI background checks, and several praised the Tuesday agreement.

“I think that’s good –– it’ll save them some headache,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., according to Politico.

“And it’ll give the public and senators a little comfort, I think, so I’m glad to hear that.”

Trump and his allies have been openly critical of the FBI both on the campaign trail and since the election. Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee to lead the organization, has been a crusader against the “deep state” since Trump’s first term and has echoed Republican claims that Democrats have “weaponized” the FBI.

“Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday.

“This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border. Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI,” he added.

Patel’s name spread across news reports as he became known as the man behind the “Nunes Memo,” a four-page document from then-Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., released in 2018 that revealed improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia investigation into Trump.

“If they had gotten it right in the first place, when Devin and I and so many others were actually putting out the truth, instead of serving as a disinformation machine for the left-wing agenda, there would be no reassessment,” Patel told Fox News Digital of the memo last year.

“They could not have done their work in the deep state without their partners in the mainstream media, who are part of that deep state.”

Bitcoin’s price broke $100,000 on Wednesday night, capping a bull run that has seen the original cryptocurrency rise more than 30% since Election Day.

It’s a big round number, and also a symbolic one — marking what could be the industry’s next stage of long-term growth.

The landscape for digital assets, and bitcoin in particular, has never looked brighter.

ETFs launched in January now hold north of $100 billion in assets — making it easier than ever for anyone to buy bitcoin or ether.

Wall Street, at one time an enemy crypto dreamed of slaying, has become a crucial ally, adding exponentially to the asset’s staying power.

Clear regulations in the U.S., once a pipedream, are now essentially a certainty. An ally’s been nominated to lead the SEC, and crypto will soon have a cheerleader in the White House itself.

Excitement around what Donald Trump will do for crypto has poured gasoline on the fire of a bitcoin bull run that was already in motion. But bitcoin hitting $100,000 is not just an effect of Donald Trump.

It’s a milestone hit during the fourth of bitcoin’s remarkably predictable “cycles,” which we’ll explain more about in a moment.

And if six-figure bitcoin in 2024 wasn’t itself predictable — it’s certainly a number traders had their sights on long before Trump declared his love of crypto back in May.

About that cycle. Bitcoin is once again following the familiar roughly every-four-year cycle that it has shown since 2013.

Every four years, by design, the amount of new bitcoin that’s created each day drops in half, as it did on April 19.

This decreases the liquid supply. Once that’s felt in the market, it causes an uptick in the price. (Warning: most attempts to time it by get-rich-quick schemers inevitably fail.)

Reality check

The Trump effect, and the promise of a friendlier Congress, has surely accelerated bitcoin’s climb to today’s new high.

On Deribit, the leading options exchange in the crypto market, people have been betting on $100,000 bitcoin for a while — but activity surged dramatically after the election.

Risks abound for new investors. To name a few:

• If the next Congress can’t get its act together on blockchain legislation;
• If the SEC doesn’t soften its stance on cryptocurrency in the new administration (though that looks like less of a risk following Paul Atkins’ nomination to lead the agency);
• Or if the president-elect changes his mind and starts selling the nation’s bitcoin holdings.

Any of those situations would likely slow, or even halt, bitcoin’s positive price momentum.

What goes up always comes down, eventually.

It’s highly likely that retail traders have once again piled into bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, chasing fast cash as they have in prior cycles.

How far bitcoin falls at the end of this cycle is the question.

Historically, bitcoin has fallen dramatically from its previous three cycle highs, typically to somewhere right around the prior cycle’s height of exuberance.

After BTC peaked just short of $70,000 in 2021, its price ultimately fell to around $20,000, right about where it peaked in the cycle ending in 2017.

That said, each crypto boom cycle has been driven not just by the halving but also some additional new piece of technology that got people excited. In 2017, it was initial coin offerings; in 2021, it was non-fungible tokens.

This time could be different

If bitcoin’s next bear market ends without it losing 80 to 90% of its value from the peak — say more like 50% — we’ll know something has changed, perhaps for good.

The entrance of institutional investors like state pension funds, deep pocketed companies like MicroStrategy and Block, Inc., and nation-states like Bhutan and El Salvador, could soften the next fall.

Bitcoin’s market cap now makes it the 7th largest asset in the world, higher than market values of Tesla, Meta (Facebook) and even silver, the precious metal.

It’s edging close to the value of Amazon and Alphabet.

This puts the original cryptocurrency in a different position than it has ever been in before.

This could help soften the severe volatility that has always marked the asset class, making more and more people comfortable with including it in their portfolio — whether or not anyone can find two people who agree on just exactly what Bitcoin is really good for.

In May 2010, a programmer famously spent 10,000 bitcoins to have two (large) Papa John’s pizzas delivered.

Today, 10,000 BTC (worth $1 billion) could buy nearly 65% of Papa John’s International — the company.

The LPGA Tour on Wednesday updated its gender-eligibility policy, which will go into effect at the start of the 2025 season.

The organization said in a news release that male players who have gone through male puberty are barred from competing in the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and all other elite LPGA competitions.

“Players assigned male at birth and who have gone through male puberty are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events,” the organization said.

“The policies governing the LPGA’s recreational programs and non-elite events utilize different criteria to provide opportunities for participation in the broader LPGA community.”

The announcement came after two pro golfers and a retired player called on the organization to change its rules.

“Golf offers opportunities for all athletes to compete at professional and elite amateur levels,” the LPGA Tour said. “Individual competitions are generally categorized as ‘women’s events,’ which have specific eligibility requirements, or ‘open events,’ where any player, regardless of sex, is eligible to compete.”

Outgoing LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said the policy change is based on science.

“Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” Marcoux Samaan said.

“The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.”

The CEO of UnitedHealth’s insurance division was gunned down Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown in what police called a “brazen, targeted” attack.

Brian Thompson, 50, was repeatedly shot by a masked gunman about 6:46 a.m. who had been lying in wait outside the Sixth Avenue hotel, said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

“Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” she said.

Thompson was hit in the torso, prompting a desperate attempt by first responders to save him with CPR, harrowing video shows.

He was rushed in critical condition to Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m., police said.

The mysterious gunman – who appeared to be skilled with a firearm, police said – ran off before hopping on an electric Citi Bike and disappearing into Central Park, said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny.

🔥🚨BREAKING: Footage of United Health CEO Brian Thompson being assassinated has been released. pic.twitter.com/O0TF4D86re

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) December 4, 2024

A manhunt was underway for the suspect as the NYPD and CrimeStoppers offered a $10,000 reward for information.

The motive behind the heinous hit remained unknown, Kenny said.

The gunman walked up to the hotel – where the UnitedHealth Group was holding its investors’ conference – about five minutes before the shooting, Kenny said.

Witnesses told The Post the suspect had been spotted near the hotel, on Sixth Avenue, milling around.

When Thompson – who had been staying at the nearby Marriott, according to sources – walked up to the hotel, the masked suspect struck, Kenny said.

“The shooter steps onto the sidewalk from behind the car, he ignores numerous other pedestrians, approaches the victim from behind and shoots him in the back,” Kenny said. “The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot.”

The shooter’s weapon appeared to have malfunctioned at that point, but he managed to quickly clear the gun and begin to fire again – a sign the suspect is proficient with firearms, Kenny said.

Thompson was struck by bullets at least once each in his back and right calf, Tisch said.

The suspect was described as a white male wearing a dark jacket, black face mask, and black and white sneakers. Officials said he was carrying a distinctive gray backpack.

Kenny said the shooter first ran off through the Ziegfeld alleyway between 54th and 55th streets, then hopped onto an electric Citi Bike – a ride captured in another surveillance photo.

The gunman peddled up the Avenue of the Americas toward Central Park, and was last seen around 6:48 a.m. biking onto Center Drive, Kenny said.

Cops recovered three live 9-millimeter rounds and three discharged shell casings at the scene, the chief said.

“The motive for this murder currently is unknown, but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted,” Kenny said. “But at this point, we do not know why.”

Thompson leaves behind his wife Paulette ‘Pauley’ Thompson, 51, and two children in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The family had received threats, Paulette Thompson told NBC News.

“There had been some threats,” she said, according to NBC. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”

The shooting sent shockwaves through the investors’ conference, where Forbes reported emotional attendees began to cry.

The slain CEO was “a stand up guy, a good dude,” said one investor who had previously dined with Thompson, according to Forbes. “I’ve never met anyone who had anything bad to say about him.”

Andrew Witty, CEO of parent company UnitedHealth Group, said the firm had been holding its Investor Day conference at the hotel on Wednesday, which Thompson was attending.

The conference was abruptly called off due to “a very serious medical situation” with one of its team members, Witty said in a statement.

Thompson, who had worked with UnitedHealth for the last 20 years, took the role of CEO in 2021 and was based at its offices in Minnetonka, Minnesota, according to his LinkedIn account.

When promoting Thompson, Witty praised his commitment to the company, which serves as the largest private health insurer in the US.

“Brian’s experience, relationships and values make him especially well-suited to help UnitedHealthcare improve how healthcare works for consumers, physicians, employers, governments and our other partners, leading to continued and sustained long-term growth,” Witty said at the time.

The exec lived in a five-bedroom home that he purchased in the North Star State in 2018 for $1 million, according to Zillow.

Thompson previously served as the company’s head of government programs, including Medicare and retirement.

The UnitedHealth Group, which employs more than 100,000 people across America, is ranked fourth in the Fortune 500.

Prior to joining UnitedHealth, Thompson spent six years in Minneapolis at PwC, an auditing and accounting firm.

Kenny said detectives are working with Citi Bike, which puts GPS tracks on its bikes, to track down the shooter’s ride.

He said the NYPD was “looking at everything.”

“We’re looking at his social media,” he said. “We are interviewing employees, we are interviewing family members. We will be speaking to law enforcement in Minnesota.”

Mayor Eric Adams sought to reassure New Yorkers that the shooting wasn’t a random act of violence in one of the most visible and highly trafficked places in the country – mere blocks and hours away from the Rockefeller Christmas tree’s lighting.

“It appears as though this was a targeted murder,” he said during an unrelated news conference.

“It seemed to have been clearly targeted by an individual, and we will apprehend that individual.”

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said the shooting will not affect the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting later that evening.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that state police will provide the NYPD with whatever they need.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz offered prayers for Thompson’s family.

“This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” he said in a statement.

The French government collapsed on Wednesday as parliament voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his cabinet, throwing the nation into the worst political and fiscal turmoil in decades.

The chaos leaves Europe’s second largest economy without a functioning government for the first time in 60 years — the most severe fallout to date from the efforts to shrink its deficit.

It is the latest political drama to stem from a bleak fiscal situation that caused backlash from financial investors. The UK faced its own economic and political turmoil that forced its central bank to intervene in 2022.

While an ocean away, it is a warning for President-elect Trump whose fiscal plans are expected to drive the deficit higher.

Barnier was ousted after just three months in the job. He was appointed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the snap elections that resulted in a deeply fractured parliament with no majority.

The “no-confidence” vote was called this week after Barnier pushed through an unpopular social security measure without parliamentary approval.

Barnier’s budget proposal, which came against a fiscal backdrop that was worse than initially thought, included roughly $60 billion worth of tax hikes and spending cuts.

France’s far-right firebrand Marine Le Pen has led the opposition against the budget.

The left-wing New Popular Front alliance joined forces with Le Pen’s National Rally to pass the no-confidence motion.

Investors have been dumping French government debt, pushing up the nation’s borrowing costs — upping the pressure to get its fiscal house in order.

The yield on France’s 10-year government bond briefly surpassed that of Greece, the country that faced its own devastating debt crisis a decade ago.

A caretaker government will have to lean on unprecedented measures to avert a shutdown this year.

Macron will have to appoint a new prime minister.

That official will begin the budget process again.

Republicans will have 220 seats in the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress, completing their majority caucus, after the last election to the House with outstanding results was called on Dec. 4.

The House Republican Conference on Nov. 12 declared victory in its quest to retain the majority in 2024’s general elections, and the Associated Press called the majority-making 218th House seat for the GOP—in Arizona’s 6th Congressional district, where Rep. Juan Ciscomani won re-election—on Nov. 13.

However, in a few races, the differences between candidates were just hundreds of votes and thus were too close to call until recounts and legal proceedings were completed. That process concluded on Dec. 4, nearly one month after Election Day on Nov. 5.

In the 13th district near the San Francisco Bay Area, Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.) lost re-election to Democratic nominee Adam Gray by just 187 votes out of more than 205,000 votes cast. The contest was the final federal race to be called in the 2024 general election.

Democrats also flipped a GOP-held seat in California’s 45th district, which is located in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. The contest’s Democratic nominee, labor lawyer Derek Tran, defeated two-term Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) by a narrow margin of 613 votes, with the race being called on Nov. 27. The district was regarded as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. The race was divided along county lines—the Los Angeles County half of the district voted heavily for Tran, while the Orange County portion voted narrowly for Steel.

Meanwhile, in Iowa’s First Congressional District, two-term Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks defeated Democratic nominee Christina Bohannan by just 798 votes, with that race also called on Nov. 27. The race was expected to be highly competitive, and the Cook Political Report had rated it as a “toss up.”

These results conclude the counting of votes in 2024’s federal elections, which resulted in Republican control of both houses of the 119th Congress from 2025 to 2027.

The House majority will be narrow, at just three seats, a decline from five seats after 2022’s midterm election.

President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election also means that conservatives will control all three branches of government, as six of the U.S. Supreme Court’s nine current justices were appointed by Republican presidents and are widely regarded as being conservative jurists.

Losses and Gains

Steel and Duarte will be among the several Republican incumbents who lost reelection in 2024. The list includes Rep. Mike Garcia of California as well as Reps. Marc Molinaro, Anthony D’Esposito, and Brandon Williams of New York. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) also lost reelection, though she will be nominated by Trump to be the Secretary of Labor once he takes office on Jan. 20, 2025.

These losses, however, were offset by Republican gains in five other seats. In Alaska’s at-large district, Republican nominee Nick Begich defeated Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) by a two-percentage-point margin. The party also won two House seats in Northeastern Pennsylvania: In the 7th District, Republican state legislator Ryan Mackenzie defeated Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.); in the 8th District, Republican businessman Robert Bresnahan defeated Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.).

Other Republican gains include state Rep. Gabe Evans’s victory for the Republicans in the race for Colorado’s Eighth Congressional District, in which he defeated Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D). In Michigan’s Seventh district, former state Sen. Tom Barrett (R) beat Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr., also a former state senator, in the open election to replace Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D), who herself was elected to the U.S. Senate from Michigan, replacing the retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

Vacancies

Despite their victories, Republicans will not begin the 119th Congress with a full majority. Several members of the conference have been selected by Trump for executive branch positions and, thus, will have to resign their seats in the House to assume them.

Departing members include Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), who was appointed National Security Adviser with Cabinet rank. Waltz will take his seat in the 119th Congress on Jan. 3, only to resign 17 days later on Jan. 20 to assume his new office, which does not require Senate confirmation. Similarly, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) will also resign from office should her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations be confirmed by the Senate.

It’s highly likely that special elections to these seats will yield Republican winners, given their partisan rating and electoral history.

One former House Republican, Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), was nominated for the role of attorney general by Trump but withdrew shortly afterward amid heavy opposition to his nomination. Gaetz resigned from the 118th Congress immediately after he was nominated and, despite his withdrawal, has announced he will not take his seat in the 119th Congress. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has already announced plans to hold special elections for the seats held by Gaetz and Waltz.

The immediate departures of Waltz and Gaetz and the expected departure of Stefanik will mean the conference has a zero-seat majority of 217 members in a 432-member House. During this time, Republicans will need every single member of the conference to vote with the party in order to pass legislation, and a sudden vacancy may unexpectedly give House Democrats the majority.

Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the FBI, was recently informed by the bureau that he had been targeted as part of an Iranian hack, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Hackers are believed to have accessed at least some of Patel’s communications, according to one of the sources.

Trump transition spokesman Alex Pfeiffer declined to comment specifically on the hack in a statement to CNN.

“Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI Director,” Pfeiffer said in the statement.

Members of Trump’s inner circle have been targeted by foreign hackers in recent months. Last month, the FBI informed Todd Blanche, one of Trump’s lead attorneys and now his pick to be deputy attorney general, that his cellphone was tapped by Chinese hackers, three sources familiar with the matter previously told CNN. The Chinese government has denied US allegations that it is behind that hack.

Blanche was the second Trump attorney believed to be targeted by foreign hackers. CNN reported in August that attorney Lindsey Halligan was targeted as part of a separate Iranian hacking effort.

Donald Trump Jr. has also said he was notified by the FBI that he was “one of the top targets” of Iran.

Iran has for several years targeted members of Trump’s first administration and more recently sent information they stole from his presidential campaign to people who were affiliated with President Joe Biden’s campaign this summer.

In June, Iranian hackers breached the email account of longtime Trump ally Roger Stone and used the account to try to break into a senior Trump campaign official’s email, investigators have said.

The Iranian government has denied US allegations that it was trying to meddle in the November election.