Comment on 5 things about the trans-Pacific balloon challenge

By LINLEY SANDERS and MEG KINNARD, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As several of President-elect Donald Trump’s choices for high-level positions in his incoming administration face scrutiny on Capitol Hill, a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that Americans have their own doubts. Relatively few Americans overall approve of Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Defense, or Tulsi Gabbard, his pick for intelligence chief, although a substantial share doesn’t know who those figures are.

Dear Eric: I just read the letter from the parent who was baffled by continued contact from a son’s former classmate. I offer some thoughts on behalf of someone who is still in touch with many of my son’s former classmates. One, they might genuinely enjoy you as a person. As they become adults, it’s a wonderful opportunity to form independent friendships. Two, some young people might see you as a parental figure that they don’t have.

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and DAVID BAUDER, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — About six months ago, Donald Trump was sitting in a courtroom in lower Manhattan listening to a jury make him the first former president convicted of a crime. On Thursday, he will ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange just blocks from that courthouse and be recognized by Time magazine as its person of the year. The honors for the businessman-turned-politician represent the latest chapter in his love-hate relationship with New York.

By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. It’s the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released.

An Orlando man was indicted Tuesday for allegedly running a scheme to defraud political donors of hundreds of thousands of dollars they thought was going to former President Donald Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis and others, according to the Department of Justice. Jason Pallante, 52, was charged by a federal grand jury with three counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud for using dozens of online websites — a fraction of the 2,000 domains DOJ said he purchased — that he designed to appear affiliated with various political campaigns in 2024 to trick people into donating, according to the indictment. At one point, he received a $250,000 donation from someone who filled out a communications form on a website claiming to support former South Carolina Gov.

This is the weekend when the season gets real, with Winterfest Boat Parade, SantaCon and holiday music and shopping opportunities all over. As the folks at West Palm Beach cocktail dive Juicy will tell you: “Ugly sweaters make drinks taste better.” THURSDAY Rocking around: Mark Tremonti, founding member of rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge, will be at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday to share the splendid music from his most recent albums, “Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra” and “Christmas Classics New & Old.” Tickets for the 8 p.m.