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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to lead U.S. intelligence services , is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings , as a congresswoman, with Syria’s president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence . “I think she’s compromised," Duckworth said on CNN’s “State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican Party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III." Duckworth's comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans. “For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That’s the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s pocket.” Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard's selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment.” “The problem is if our foreign allies don’t trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they’ll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine : the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs. Gabbard also has suggested that Russia had legitimate security concerns in deciding to invade Ukraine, given its desire to join NATO. Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views. “It’s insulting. It’s a slur, quite frankly. There’s no evidence that she’s a asset of another country,” he said on NBC. Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia. “We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she’s made and get them into full context,” Lankford said.

AP News Summary at 3:42 p.m. EST

Hornets vs. Magic Injury Report Today – November 25Depleted Notre Dame defense hopes to make impact against Georgia in CFP quarterfinal

Xavier aims to rebound from a tough week and get one more critical tune-up for a rivalry matchup when it hosts Morgan State on Tuesday night in Cincinnati. The Musketeers (7-2) were ranked No. 22 in the AP poll two weeks ago but fell out after a 25-point loss to Michigan in the Fort Myers Tip-Off tournament final on Nov. 27. Xavier then barely escaped with a 71-68 home win over South Carolina State on Dec. 1 before losing 76-72 at TCU on Thursday. Dante Maddox Jr. came off the bench to score nine points in 20 minutes on three 3-pointers against the Horned Frogs. He also grabbed six rebounds before fouling out. The Musketeers have been waiting for the Toledo transfer to add a punch to an underwhelming bench cast that many thought would be a strength for Xavier coming into the season. "I really feel like you can almost be baited into a false sense of how deep your team is because you're around guys every day and have a good, older group, which we do," Musketeers coach Sean Miller said. "You see the good in a lot of different guys. It's not until you get 8 to 10, 10 to 15 games in when you truly understand how deep your team is." Maddox hit a 3-pointer and started a fastbreak with a steal that gave Xavier a 60-54 lead with 7:28 remaining, but the Musketeers faded down the stretch and lost for the second time in three games. Maddox is averaging 4.7 points per game, while Ryan Conwell leads the team with 16.6. Tuesday's game will be the last chance for Xavier to straighten up before visiting No. 22 Cincinnati on Saturday for the teams' annual intense crosstown showdown. Morgan State (5-7) is coming off a 102-81 road loss at Bowling Green on Saturday. Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection Will Thomas led the Bears with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, while Kameron Hobbs scored 12 points off the bench. Amahrie Simpkins made all five of his field-goal attempts to add 11 points and Wynston Tabbs had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. Tabbs leads Morgan State in scoring this season at 16.8 points per game, while Simpkins (12.8) and Thomas (12.2) round out the Bears' double-digit scorers. The Bears have struggled away from home, losing all five road contests this season. --Field Level MediaCongresswoman Nanette Barragán (D-CA) introduced the Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Act, a bill that would support the development and deployment of clean shipping technology to transition to zero-emission vessels. The legislation would significantly reduce pollution, promote environmental justice, and green the shipping industry—a vital component of the global economy and coastal communities. Maritime shipping is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in coastal communities. As port economies continue to grow, the need for sustainable maritime solutions is more urgent than ever. “I’m proud to introduce The Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Act, which provides critical investments to transition the maritime sector toward zero-emission technologies. This will help the U.S. meet its climate goals while addressing environmental justice concerns in our port communities, including the Port of Los Angeles in my district. By investing in the research, development, and deployment of green-shipping technologies, Congress can promote a cleaner maritime sector that aligns with the nation’s broader climate goals,” said Representative Barragan. The legislation authorizes a $1 billion a year Zero Emission Vessel Innovation Fund within the Maritime Administration to provide grants and low-interest loans to accelerate projects focused on zero-emission vessels, clean alternative fuel vessels that reduce ship emissions by at least 90%, and the necessary charging and fueling infrastructure to support both. The bill prioritizes projects that launch job training programs for maritime workers, include extensive input from port communities, use project labor agreements, and bring co-benefits such as reduced underwater noise. Funding for automated ships is prohibited, to safeguard good paying maritime jobs. By prioritizing innovative clean shipping solutions and centering the needs of impacted communities, the legislation is set to redefine the future of maritime transport, paving the way for a cleaner, greener shipping industry. “We applaud Representative Barragán for introducing the Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Act,” said Antonio Santos, Federal Climate Policy Director, Pacific Environment. “This bill will provide much-needed dedicated funding for the research, development and deployment of zero-emission ships and supporting infrastructure. Importantly, the bill prioritizes projects that advance environmental justice, engage frontline communities disproportionately harmed by maritime pollution and support workforce development. We call on Congress to pass this bill to accelerate the shipping industry’s transition off of dirty fossil fuels and help spur the market for the green-shipping technologies of the future.” “Transitioning the shipping industry to zero-emission technologies has the power to help us meet global climate goals and improve public health, and that starts right here in the U.S. This bill would provide much needed resources to ensure that we have the vessels, technologies, and charging or fueling infrastructure needed to make the transition to clean shipping in the United States. We are grateful for Representative Barragán’s unwavering support in the pursuit of cleaner shipping in the U.S. and a future with clean air for all.” – Caroline Bonfield, Ocean Conservancy’s U.S. shipping emissions policy manager “The Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Act is a transformative bill, positioning the U.S. to help lead the way in innovative technologies and designs that will propel a new era of green shipping,” said Regan Nelson, senior ocean advocate, Natural Resources Defense Council. “Importantly, Representative Barragan’s bill will support the transition to carbon-free and quiet ships, securing wins for the climate, public health, and marine wildlife that are harmed by ocean noise.” The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Kevin Mullin (Calif.), Seth Magaziner (R.I.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C), Suzanne Bonamici (Ore.), Valerie Foushee (N.C.), Troy Carter (La.), and Robert Garcia (Calif.) The full text of the bill can be found here. The following organizations have supported the legislation: Pacific Environment, Ocean Conservancy, NRDC, Green Latinos, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, Communities for a Healthy Bay, Clean Air Task Force, Move LA, Little Manila Rising, California Environmental Voters, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sunflower Alliance, Coalition for Clean Air, Brightline Defense, Ocean Defense Initiative, Stand.Earth, International Electric Marine Association, ExploMar, ZULU Associates, Fourth Tack LLC, Elliott Bay Design Group, EV Maritime, MOLABO, NT Systems, Waterfront Alliance. Source: Congressmember Nanette Barragán

Humans have been exploring space for almost 70 years. But if we thought all that experience would make it any easier for us to venture beyond our planet, then 2024 has put that idea to rest. While there have been some major achievements in space exploration this year, including China returning farside lunar samples to Earth for the first time , a record-breaking student-made rocket and the first-ever private spacewalk , there have also been some major blunders from NASA, SpaceX and other organizations from across the globe. From astronauts stranded on board a leaky space station and crashlanding moon landers to a tumbling solar sail, here are 10 of the biggest space mishaps of 2024. Related: NASA delays historic Artemis missions — yet again Astronauts stranded in space The most high-profile and long-running space mishap story in 2024 was probably the saga of Boeing's leaky Starliner capsule, which stranded NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board the International Space Station (ISS) in June. The defective capsule, which had multiple issues, eventually returned to Earth without passengers in September, after several delays as NASA scrambled to find a solution . Some experts claimed that the astronauts would have been perfectly safe on board the returning vessel. However, this was disputed by other experts. The pair were originally supposed to spend just a week in space, but by the end of 2024 they will have spent 209 days on the ISS and are not scheduled to return until at least March 2025 . Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. ISS leak and 'areas of concern' If Wilmore and Williams' time on board the ISS was not already dramatic enough, in September, a new report highlighted the urgency of a long-running leak aboard the space station and identified 50 additional "areas of concern" related to it. The leak was first identified in Russia's section of the ISS in 2019 and has since spawned several other cracks in that part of the station. The leak and resulting cracks have been temporarily treated with "sealant and patches" but are still letting some air escape into space. The new report warned that a permanent fix is needed to avoid a cascade of other issues and a potential "catastrophic failure" in the next few years. However, the Russian space agency Roscosmos disagrees about the severity of the issue and is so far refusing to fix it , likely because the ISS is scheduled to be demolished in 2030 . Florida house hit by space junk The final and potentially most alarming ISS mishap of note this year was when a mysterious piece of space junk fell back to Earth in March and crashed through the roof of a family house in Naples, Florida . NASA later admitted that the falling debris, which was around 4 inches (10 centimeters) across, was the charred remains of a pallet of batteries ejected from the ISS in 2021 . The debris was expected to completely burn up in the atmosphere, but this did not happen. In June, the house's owners filed a lawsuit against NASA , asking the agency to pay up to $80,000 in damages. This case has not been resolved yet. Moon lander fails While China's lunar samples return mission has been a huge success this year, other agencies and private organizations have had less success in sending spacecraft to the moon in 2024. First, in January, Astrobiotic Technology's Peregrine spacecraft, which was carrying the first private lunar lander to the moon, malfunctioned shortly after takeoff and became stranded in space before eventually falling back toward our planet and burning up in our atmosphere . This launch had already been heavily criticized before takeoff because the spacecraft was attempting to carry human remains to the moon . Later the same month, Japan successfully launched and landed its Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM), also known as the "moon sniper" thanks to its incredibly accurate navigation system. However, the spacecraft didn't live up to its nickname and ended up landing upside down . Despite this, the lander managed to survive for several months despite its solar panels being pointed at the ground. In February, another private lander, Odysseus, completed its trip to the moon and became the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the lunar surface in more than 50 years . However, the spacecraft, built by Intuitive Machines, also didn't quite stick the landing and ended up faceplanting in the dust , shortly before succumbing to the bitter cold of the lunar night. Tumbling solar sail In August, attention turned to NASA's new Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3), which finally unfurled its massive 860-square-foot (80 square meters) foil sail after launching into space in April. However, the big reveal didn't exactly go to plan. Live Science was the first outlet to report that initial observations suggested the solar sail was uncontrollably tumbling end over end in orbit around Earth, which was later confirmed by the first photos of the giant silver sail . However, mission scientists claimed this had been expected and said the issue would be resolved shortly. But in October, Live Science's sister site Space.com revealed that the main boom holding ACS3's sail had bent and the spacecraft was still tumbling. It is unclear if this problem has been rectified. Mars robots take a hit In January, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter ended its roughly three-year mission after sustaining fatal damage in a crash landing during its 72nd flight on the Red Planet. Subsequent photos revealed a large section was missing from one of the flying robot's rotor blades , damage which cannot be repaired. The helicopter is still technically operational and could have a second life as a weather station over the next few decades. But astronauts might need to go to Mars to retrieve any of the data it collects . NASA's Curiosity rover, which has been tirelessly surveying Mars for more than 12 years, also sustained some serious damage this year. Images released in September show a series of holes in the rover's middle right wheel , including a gaping tear that exposes the inner mechanisms of the wheel's drum. However, the rover shows no immediate signs of being slowed down by its injuries and is currently en route to explore mysterious Martian "spiderwebs." Multiple Voyager issues After more than 90 combined years of relatively smooth sailing through the solar system , and now interstellar space, NASA's historic Voyager probes experienced some pretty major issues in 2024. Voyager 1, which launched in 1977 just a few weeks after Voyager 2, has had the most eventful year of the two probes. The craft spent the first few months of the year transmitting "gibberish” signals . NASA identified the problem and implemented a temporary fix in March when the probe was a staggering 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth. But the problem partially persisted until the agency eventually restored full communication in June. Then, in September, the probe performed a risky maneuver to start relying on different thrusters , after its main propulsion system suddenly went offline. And in October, NASA temporarily lost contact with the probe again when its main radio transmitter broke and it had to switch to a backup. Voyager 2 had a quieter year but also experienced some setbacks, including having to shut off one of its long-running scientific instruments to conserve its dwindling power levels. Falcon 9 rockets grounded (3 times) SpaceX 's iconic Falcon 9 rockets have shattered records in 2024, launching more than 120 times this year — mostly to deploy the company's ever-expanding Starlink megaconstellation . However, these launches have not always been plain sailing. The rocket was temporarily grounded three times in three consecutive months this year as federal agencies investigated various malfunctions with the spacecraft. The first grounding occurred in July when 20 Starlink satellites unexpectedly fell to Earth after being prematurely released into low-Earth orbit by their rocket. The second temporary ban came into effect in August when one of the rocket's reusable boosters exploded during a routine landing . And the third no-flight order came in September when another rocket crashed back to Earth in the wrong part of the ocean . Starship lost (and blowing holes in the atmosphere) While Falcon 9 has been busy in 2024, SpaceX's superheavy Starship rocket has often overshadowed its smaller relative with multiple high-profile launches this year — and the first successful recovery of one of its boosters, which was caught with chopstick-like pincers . However, the larger rocket has also run into a few problems this year, most noticeably when it was lost in the Indian Ocean in March, shortly after making it into orbit around Earth for the first time. The spacecraft was misplaced after a communication error prevented SpaceX from tracking its reentry. This year it was also revealed that Starship's second-ever launch, which happened in 2023, triggered a first-of-its-kind atmospheric hole when the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff. Shattering spacecraft As the space around Earth becomes increasingly crowded, the potential for things to go wrong — and the potential fallout from these disasters — also increases. And 2024 gave us several reminders of this. First, in June, ISS astronauts had to temporarily shelter in their return capsules — including Boeing's leaky Starliner pod — when Russia's Resurs-P1 satellite suddenly broke into more than 100 pieces near the space station. Then in August, a Chinese rocket exploded into more than 300 pieces after deploying the first of the country's "Thousand Sails" satellite constellation in space. It is still unclear exactly what went wrong. However, astronomers are concerned about how extremely bright the new satellites are. And in October, the Boeing-made satellite Intelsat 33e suddenly shattered into more than 20 pieces without warning. Scientists are still trying to figure out what happened. There was also a close call in February when a NASA probe and a Russian communication satellite narrowly avoided colliding with one another , which could have ended up being even more destructive than the examples above.Letter to the editor: Those playing blame game on Green Hill should look to judicial system

3 Possible Social Security Checks in November 2024? Here's WhyBOSTON (AP) — UConn coach Jim Mora pulled a move that would make Bill Belichick proud while preparing the Huskies to play the notoriously churlish former New England Patriot's next team in his old backyard. Mora and his players were more than 45 minutes late for what was scheduled as a 30-minute media availability a day before Saturday's Fenway Bowl against North Carolina. Mora then gave a non-apology straight out of Belichick’s playbook. “We practice at a certain time the day before a game,” Mora said. “And we stuck to the script.” A six-time Super Bowl winner in New England with Tom Brady, Belichick was fired after going 4-13 in 2023, leaving him just 14 wins short of matching Don Shula’s all-time record for NFL victories. Unable to land a pro job at the age of 72, Belichick signed on with North Carolina — his first college gig — when they fired 73-year-old Mack Brown. Belichick hasn’t taken over on the Tar Heels' sideline yet; interim coach Freddie Kitchens — another ex-Cleveland Browns coach — will lead them in the Fenway Bowl. But the future Hall of Famer's potential return to a football field in Boston has been the biggest story ahead of Saturday’s game. Belichick did not attend media day, and Fenway Bowl executive director Brett Miller tried to preempt questions about him by asking reporters “to keep questions focusing on the players and coaches out here today.” “I don’t need to beat around the bush any more than that,” he said in comments that would have been cryptic if it weren’t so obvious to everyone who he meant. “I know there’s probably a lot of questions that you guys have about next year, particularly one side. Please do your best to keep it to these guys, because they’ve earned the right to be here.” The request wasn’t completely successful, with Kitchens taking a question about Belichick specifically and saying he talks to his new boss every day. Earlier this month, Kitchens said: “He asks questions; I answer the questions.” “I’m going to try to soak in all I can from him, and be a better coach because of it,” Kitchens said after Belichick was hired. “I love Carolina, I want what’s best for Carolina, and I know that right now at this moment in time, coach Belichick is what’s best for Carolina. “At the end of the day, he’s a ballcoach,” he said, “and I enjoy working for ballcoaches.” Mora also brushed off a question about whether the next Carolina coach would have any impact on Saturday's game. “It's irrelevant to us," said Mora, who was 0-1 against Belichick in four seasons as an NFL head coach. "We can't control the emotions of our opponents. And as far as I know, coach Belichick will not be taking the football field on Saturday, so it's not relevant to this football team in our preparation. North Carolina (6-6) will be playing in a bowl for the sixth straight year – the second-longest streak in program history. The Tar Heels climbed from back-to-back nine-loss seasons in the final years of Larry Fedora to reach into The Associated Top 25 in each of the previous four seasons under Brown, who also coached them from 1988-97 in one of the most successful eras of Carolina football history. After starting out 3-0 this year, the Tar Heels lost four straight — including a 70-50 loss to Sun Belt Conference team James Madison. They won three more to gain bowl eligibility before a loss to Boston College that sealed Brown's fate, and a season-ending loss to rival NC State. UConn is playing in its second bowl game in three seasons under Jim Mora, bouncing back from last year’s 3-9 record to post its first eight-win season since Randy Edsall took the Huskies to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010. An independent, UConn won all of its games against the non-Power 4 conferences and lost to Syracuse, Wake Forest and Duke of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Maryland of the Big Ten. Miller said the bowl, which has struggled to find traction in a city more focused on the success of its professional sports teams, sold more tickets this year than in its first two. The Belichick angle is certainly part of that, but the game has also had some good success picking teams, hosting Louisville in 2022 -- the year before the Cardinals climbed into The Associated Press Top 10 – and then SMU last year, one season before the Mustangs made the College Football Playoff. “Could one of these teams be next,” Miller said. “We’ll see.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballSouth Korea arrests ex-defense min in treason charges over martial law

Scheifele scores winner as Jets beat Blackhawks 4-2 in Sorensen's debut

Images of unmasked suspect in UnitedHealth executive shooting key to arrestHAVRE – Hunter numbers were down, big game numbers were below average, and upland bird harvest was mixed, according to the final report from the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Havre check station. “Hunter numbers at the check station were the lowest we have seen since 2015,” noted Havre-area biologist Scott Hemmer, who manages the station. Hunters who stopped at the check station (1,657) were down 18% from 2023, and 7% below the long-term average. Mule deer brought through the check station totaled 370 for the year, which was down 31% from last year and 32% below the long-term average, and the lowest seen since 2015. Mule deer doe harvest was down the most at 59% below the average, while buck harvest was 21% below average. Reduced mule deer doe harvest was expected this year with fewer antlerless mule deer licenses issued and restrictions on antlerless mule deer harvest on public land. For the year, 118 white-tailed deer were brought by the station, which was 21% lower than 2023, and 23% below the long-term average. "Hunter reports were variable throughout the region, but most indicated lower numbers of deer this year,” Hemmer said. “Some hunters reported seeing decent numbers of antlerless deer and young bucks, but fewer older bucks.” The 150 antelope checked was slightly lower than 2023, and 39% below the long-term average. The general season ended on Nov. 10. “Most antelope hunters reported improved numbers of antelope seen compared to recent years,” Hemmer said. “Although the number of antelope checked was still low, hunter success was still fair.” For the year, 19 elk were recorded, which is 24% below last year and 51% below the long-term average. A reduction in elk harvest, particularly from Missouri Breaks hunting districts, was expected due to fewer antlerless elk licenses issued for those districts in response to below objective elk populations. For the eight weeks the check station was open, the pheasant harvest of 719 birds was about the same as last year, and near the long-term average. Sharp-tailed grouse (122 birds) harvest was 25% below last year’s total, but only 4% below the long-term average. Gray (Hungarian) partridge harvest (100) was below last year’s banner year, but still well above the long-term average. “Reports from the western half of the region generally indicated considerably better upland bird numbers than the past several years,” Hemmer noted. “Reports from the eastern half of the region indicated that although bird numbers were still fair, they were down from the last couple years when numbers were better than average.” Duck harvest (65) was down slightly from last year and slightly above the long-term average. The station was open for eight weekends from Oct. 12 (the opener of general antelope and pheasant) through Dec. 1 (the end of the deer/elk general season). Biologists gather a lot of valuable information and biological data on game animals brought through check stations. The harvest data FWP collects at check stations represents a real-time partial representation of the regionwide harvest. FWP subsequently conducts a telephone survey throughout the winter to estimate hunting and harvest levels throughout the region and across the state. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

The cost of Neom has been estimated to be as high as $1.5 trillion. This year, however, has seen a sharp change in direction in terms of spending for the kingdom. "Saudi Arabia has poured tens of billions into projects that have yet to hint of any financial returns," one financier told CNBC. 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are In Saudi Arabia's northwestern desert, a sprawling construction site replete with cranes and pile drivers sits encircled by a recently-built road. A pair of tracks cuts through the site like deep gashes through the sand, comprising the spine of what planners say will be a high-speed rail system. The skeletal infrastructure forms the foundations of The Line, a multi-billion dollar high-tech city that its architects say will eventually house 9 million people between two 106-mile long glass skyscrapers more than 1,600 feet high. The project, whose estimated cost is in the hundreds of billions, is just one of the hyper-futuristic venues planned in Neom, the brainchild of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a region that the kingdom hopes will bring millions of new residents to Saudi Arabia and revolutionize living and technology in the country. It's a core pillar of Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil revenues and create new jobs and industries for its burgeoning young population. The cost of Neom has been estimated to be as high as $1.5 trillion . In the years since it was announced, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the mammoth sovereign wealth fund now overseeing $925 billion in assets, has poured billions into overseas investments, with ever-increasing waves of foreign investors flying to the kingdom to raise cash. This year, however, has seen a sharp change in direction in terms of spending, with a stated emphasis on keeping investments at home along with reports of cutting costs on megaprojects like those in Neom. The changes come as the Saudi deficit grows and the outlook for oil demand, along with global oil prices, sees sustained lows. That begs the question: does Saudi Arabia have enough money to meet its lofty goals? Or will it have to be more flexible to make its spending trajectory sustainable? Money Report European stocks set to start the week higher as global markets rally China's central bank keeps medium-term loan rate unchanged amid yuan weakness One Gulf-based financier with years of experience in the kingdom told CNBC: "The PIF's pivot towards domestic investments, widely acknowledged but now officially admitted, suggests that there is still a lot of spending needed. Saudi Arabia has poured tens of billions into projects that have yet to hint of any financial returns." The financier spoke anonymously as they were not authorized to speak to the press. Andrew Leber, a researcher at Tulane University who focuses on the political economy of the Middle East, believes that the current pace of spending won't last. "The number of 'we pay up front and hope for economic returns later' giga projects that are currently underway is not sustainable," Leber said. "With that being said," he added, "the Saudi monarchy has shown itself to be somewhat flexible whenever economic realities assert themselves. I do think that eventually, a number of projects will be quietly shelved in order to bring its fiscal outlays back into greater sustainability." Saudi Arabia in October cut its growth forecasts and raised its budget deficit estimates for the fiscal years 2024 to 2026 as it expects a period of higher spending and lower projected oil revenues. Real gross domestic product is now expected to grow 0.8% this year, a dramatic drop from a previous estimate of 4.4%, according to the ministry of finance. The kingdom's economy also swung dramatically from a budget surplus of $27.68 billion in 2022 to a deficit of $21.6 billion in 2023 as it ramped up public spending and decreased oil production due to its OPEC+ supply cut agreement. Its government forecasts a deficit of $21.1 billion for 2024, projecting revenue at $312.5 billion and expenditures at $333.5 billion. Saudi authorities expect that the budget will remain in deficit for the next several years as it pursues its Vision 2030 plans, but they add that they are fully prepared for this. "Our non-oil revenues have grown significantly, now it covers about 37% of expenditure. That's a significant diversification, and that gives you a lot of comfort that you can maneuver and be stable despite the fluctuation in oil price," Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan told CNBC in October. "Our aim is to make sure that our plans are stable and predictable." "We are not going to blink, we have significant fiscal resource under our disposal, and we are very disciplined in our fiscal position," the minister said. Saudi Arabia has an A/A-1 credit rating with a positive outlook from S&P Global Ratings and an A+ rating with a stable outlook from Fitch. That combined with high foreign currency reserves — $456.97 billion as of September, a 4% percent increase year-on-year, according to the country's central bank — puts the kingdom in a comfortable place to manage a deficit, economists told CNBC. Riyadh is successfully issuing bonds, tapping debt markets for more than $35 billion so far this year. The kingdom has also rolled out a series of reforms to boost and de-risk foreign investment and diversify revenue streams, which S&P Global said in September "will continue to improve Saudi Arabia's economic resilience and wealth." When asked if the kingdom's spending trajectory is sustainable, Al-Jadaan replied: "Absolutely, yes," adding that the government recently published its numbers for the next three years and that "we think it is very sustainable." Still, many analysts outside the kingdom, as well as individuals working within the kingdom and on NEOM projects, are skeptical of the megaprojects' feasibility. Reports that some projects have been dramatically cut down — in the case of the Line, its size target slashed from 106 miles to 1.5 miles and population target down from 1.5 million by 2030 to less than 300,000 — attest to that concern on a higher level. Neom executives acknowledge that the current phase of work on The Line is for a building length of 1.5 miles — which would still make it the longest building in the world. However, the eventual goal of 106 miles has not changed, they say, stressing that cities are not built overnight and that construction is continuing apace. For Tarik Solomon, chairman emeritus at the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia, "it's promising to see transparency and some project cutbacks." "The Kingdom's rising external borrowing reflects challenges with Vision 2030 feasibility," he told CNBC. "Though debt remains manageable at 26.5% of GDP, continued small pressures add up, underscoring the need for fiscal discipline and achievable goals." Solomon pointed to the desire of many Saudi residents for improvements to the infrastructure they use in their daily lives — like Riyadh's public transport, network connectivity, schools, and health care. "The road to resilience for Saudi Arabia isn't in figuring out ski slopes in the desert but in building with innovation, complexity, and the courage to pursue what's truly impactful," he said. Also on CNBC Donald Trump chooses hedge fund executive Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary Trump might name Kevin Warsh as Treasury chief then Fed chair later, report says Trump and Fed Chair Powell could be set on a collision course over interest ratesPASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) will table an amendment for the extraordinary taxation of excessive bank profits, party leader Nikos Androulakis said on Monday. Speaking at the Ikonomikos Tachydromos Forum 2024, he clarified that "it will not be an excessive measure, since it does not contain a fiscal nature alone, but a political one as well. While people pay for high prices and small and medium-sized businesses are in dire straits, in Greece we have the greatest gap between deposit interests and loan interests, and large fees as well, after having provided billions in constant recapitalizations." Androulakis called on banks to show a social sensitivity, "something they have not done to date," he said, "while they have already handled a lot of money from the Recovery and Resilience Fund. Therefore, our initiative is both of a fiscal and political nature." At the same time, the party leader also announced a new legislative initiative by PASOK to manage the distortion in the real estate market and the rapid increase of rents due to the golden visa program of foreign investments. "We proposed that the golden visa program not be linked to short-term rentals. In other words, whoever buys a house on the golden visa program, this should be meant either for self-use, or for long-term rental. Tomorrow (Tuesday) I shall reintroduce the proposal, with the addition of an amendment that provides that when the golden visa holder comes to renew it in five years, they cannot lease the property short term," Androulakis said. He cited the Bank of Greece speaking of oligopoly practices at the expense of consumers in four sectors - banks, food commerce, private health, and energy. When "we have done almost nothing to deal with these, then someone has to assume initiative," he said, adding, "if the prime minister does not have the courage to do it, we shall do so. And we shall see in Parliament that New Democracy deputies, who a few weeks ago said they had a more social attitude than the New Democracy economy team, I invite them tomorrow to show this social attitude by voting overwhelmingly for PASOK's fair amendments in the taxation bill." Androulakis also said that he will raise the country's greatest issues during his meeting with the prime minister on Wednesday, such as the economy, inflation, housing, and the rule of law.Kendrick Lamar Just Released a New Album Inspired by One of the Last Great American Muscle Cars