Nagpur: The None of the Above (NOTA) option reaffirmed its significance in Maharashtra's political narrative, garnering over 4.60 lakh votes in the recent assembly elections. Although this reflects a decrease of 2.81 lakh votes compared to the 2019 elections, NOTA still managed to outshine over 2,600 candidates across the state, making its presence felt in constituencies with razor-thin victory margins. Introduced in 2013 as a tool for voters to reject all candidates on the ballot, NOTA continued to act as a barometer of public dissatisfaction. IPL 2025 mega auction IPL Auction 2025: Who got whom IPL 2025 Auction: Updated Full Team Squads While it accounted for a modest 1.2% of the total votes polled, its role was pivotal in constituencies where the margin of victory was minimal. For instance, in Sakoli, NOTA votes surpassed the winning margin, raising eyebrows over the decisive influence of voter discontent. Congress state president Nana Patole narrowly escaped defeat in this constituency, winning by only 208 votes against BJP's Avinash Brahmankar, as 1,350 voters rejected all candidates. In Pathri, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) candidate Rajesh Vitekar clinched victory by just 687 votes, while 1,657 voters chose NOTA. A staggering 64% of the 4,136 candidates in the fray failed to secure more votes than NOTA. Among them, Independent candidates bore the brunt, with 2,086 independents trailing behind the ‘last button' option. Fringe players and unknown entities with minimal ground presence found themselves losing to voter apathy. In Nagpur North, 21 candidates were unable to match the 988 NOTA votes, while in Nanded North, 27 candidates fell short of NOTA's 596 votes. In Bhokardhan (Jalna), NOTA's tally of 727 votes left 24 candidates trailing. The highest NOTA count came from Aheri in Gadchiroli, with a remarkable 5,825 votes, followed by Dahanu in Palghar and Akkalkuwa in Nandurbar, both crossing the 5,000-mark. While NOTA primarily affected independents, it also dented the performance of major political alliances, including the BJP-led Mahayuti and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Urban centres like Nagpur Southwest and Pune Cantonment reported significant NOTA votes —over 1,800 — highlighting public dissatisfaction even with mainstream candidates. Rural constituencies, plagued by issues like unemployment and inadequate infrastructure, saw higher NOTA counts. Analysts suggest that voters expressed their frustration through NOTA as they found the traditional choices uninspiring. The rise of NOTA sends a clear message to political parties — voters are no longer willing to settle for mediocrity. The rejection of over 2,600 candidates and its influence in critical constituencies underscore the need for parties to reassess candidate selection, policy priorities, and grassroots engagement. As Maharashtra transitions into a new political chapter, the growing assertion of NOTA serves as a wake-up call for better governance and accountability. Voters have shown that they demand more than just promises — they seek genuine representation and action. Political experts attribute NOTA's sustained popularity to several factors — lack of credible candidates, disillusionment with governance, and growing awareness.President-elect Donald Trump will return to power next year with a raft of technological tools at his disposal that would help deliver his campaign promise of cracking down on immigration — among them, surveillance and artificial intelligence technology that the Biden administration already uses to help make crucial decisions in tracking, detaining and ultimately deporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status. While immigration officials have used the tech for years, an October letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by The Associated Press details how those tools — some of them powered by AI — help make life-altering decisions for immigrants, including whether they should be detained or surveilled. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Get the latest need-to-know information delivered to your inbox as it happens. Our flagship newsletter. Get our front page stories each morning as well as the latest updates each afternoon during the week + more in-depth weekend editions on Saturdays & Sundays.jili super ace hack 。

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By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday voiced his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports, saying that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. Related Articles National Politics | Will Kamala Harris run for California governor in 2026? The question is already swirling National Politics | Trump taps immigration hard-liner Kari Lake as head of Voice of America National Politics | Trump invites China’s Xi to his inauguration even as he threatens massive tariffs on Beijing National Politics | Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump National Politics | What Americans think about Hegseth, Gabbard and key Trump Cabinet picks AP-NORC poll The incoming president posted on social media that he met Harold Daggett, the president of the International Longshoreman’s Association, and Dennis Daggett, the union’s executive vice president. “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump posted. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen. Foreign companies have made a fortune in the U.S. by giving them access to our markets. They shouldn’t be looking for every last penny knowing how many families are hurt.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. At the heart of the dispute is whether ports can install automated gates, cranes and container-moving trucks that could make it faster to unload and load ships. The union argues that automation would lead to fewer jobs, even though higher levels of productivity could do more to boost the salaries of remaining workers. The Maritime Alliance said in a statement that the contract goes beyond ports to “supporting American consumers and giving American businesses access to the global marketplace – from farmers, to manufacturers, to small businesses, and innovative start-ups looking for new markets to sell their products.” “To achieve this, we need modern technology that is proven to improve worker safety, boost port efficiency, increase port capacity, and strengthen our supply chains,” said the alliance, adding that it looks forward to working with Trump. In October, the union representing 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for three days, raising the risk that a prolonged shutdown could push up inflation by making it difficult to unload container ships and export American products overseas. The issue pits an incoming president who won November’s election on the promise of bringing down prices against commitments to support blue-collar workers along with the kinds of advanced technology that drew him support from Silicon Valley elite such as billionaire Elon Musk. Trump sought to portray the dispute as being between U.S. workers and foreign companies, but advanced ports are also key for staying globally competitive. China is opening a $1.3 billion port in Peru that could accommodate ships too large for the Panama Canal. There is a risk that shippers could move to other ports, which could also lead to job losses. Mexico is constructing a port that is highly automated, while Dubai, Singapore and Rotterdam already have more advanced ports. Instead, Trump said that ports and shipping companies should eschew “machinery, which is expensive, and which will constantly have to be replaced.” “For the great privilege of accessing our markets, these foreign companies should hire our incredible American Workers, instead of laying them off, and sending those profits back to foreign countries,” Trump posted. “It is time to put AMERICA FIRST!”Officials with the FBI are alerting those in New Jersey and Pennsylvania of two dangerous scams. And while you may think these scams are easy to spot and there's no way anyone could fall for them, countless people's lives are turned upside down as a result of these fraudsters every year. Romance Scams As the holidays approach, the FBI says to be particularly careful not to fall for romance scams . Typically, a scammer will work to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear himself to the victim, and gain trust. Scammers will often seem genuine, caring, and believable, and may propose marriage, but will likely use any number of excuses to avoid actually meeting in person. At some point, the victim will be asked to give the scammer money, sometimes under the guise of needing cash or gift cards for a medical or personal emergency. Keep in mind that scammers can easily go through social media accounts and harvest lots of information about you, even on verified platforms like dating websites or apps, which may make the fake relationship seem that much more genuine. Experts say if someone wants to build a relationship with you, proceed cautiously, do your homework, and never send money or gifts to someone that you've never met. READ MORE: FBI issues warning to E-ZPass users in NJ, PA Ransomware Also around the holidays, the FBI says you need to be aware of ransomware attacks . You can fall victim to ransomware simply by opening an email attachment, clicking on an ad, following a link, or even visiting a website that's embedded with malware. This time of year, be cautious of emails or text messages regarding package deliveries or purchases that you may or may not have made. Once the code is loaded on a computer, it will lock access to the computer itself or data and files stored there. More menacing versions can encrypt files and folders on local drives, attached drives, and even networked computers. Most of the time, you don’t know your computer has been infected. You'll discover the problem when you can no longer access your files or you see messages demanding ransom payments. Again, do your homework — for example, if you are not expecting a package delivery, don't click on an email that says you are. Most commonly used passwords in NJ, PA Meanwhile, if you use any of these passwords, you should strongly consider changing them... The 10 Most Commonly Used Passwords in New Jersey The ten most commonly used passwords in New Jersey, as determined by NordPass . Gallery Credit: Chris Coleman Best elementary schools in New Jersey (2024) In November 2024, U.S. News & World Report released its list of the best elementary schools in New Jersey. Gallery Credit: Dino FlammiaBiden on Tuesday ducked questions about his son, ignoring calls for him to explain his reversal as he was making his first presidential trip to Angola . He dismissed shouted questions about the matter with a laugh during a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço at the presidential palace, telling the Angolan delegation: “Welcome to America.” Biden was not scheduled to take questions from the press during his trip to Africa, and he has largely avoided interactions with reporters since President-elect Trump’s victory last month. Biden’s decision to offer his son a blanket pardon for actions over the past 11 years has sparked a political uproar in Washington, after the president repeatedly had said he would not use his extraordinary powers for the benefit of his family. Biden claimed that the Justice Department had presided over a “miscarriage of justice” in prosecuting his son, using some of the same language that Trump uses to describe his own legal predicaments. Biden's reversal drew criticism from many Democrats , who are working to calibrate their approach to Trump as he prepares to take over the Oval Office in seven weeks. There is concern the pardon — and Biden's claims that his son was prosecuted for political reasons — will erode their ability to push back on the incoming president’s legal moves. And it has threatened to cloud Biden's legacy as he prepares to leave office on Jan. 20. Hunter Biden is the closest presidential relative ever to be granted clemency, but other leaders have pardoned family members and close friends. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug charges after Roger Clinton had served his sentence. By the time Trump left office after his first term, he had issued 144 pardons, which included Charles Kushner , the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner. He also pardoned fervent supporters Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn and other people convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. In the months after the 2020 election, Trump and his allies were trying to overturn his loss, a failed effort that culminated in the violent riot by his supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. There were discussions at the time over whether Trump would preemptively pardon some of those involved in the effort — and maybe even himself — before he left office. But that never happened. Now, Democrats are having similar discussions about preemptive pardons on their side because of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail. He's made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. He talks about "enemies from within." He's circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He's also taken aim at Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris, promoting a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals to punish her because she was guilty of treason. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said last week on Boston Public Radio that Biden might consider broad pardons to protect people against whatever wrath Trump may seek, but also as a way to move the country past this acrimonious and divided time. “I think that without question, Trump is going to try to act in a dictatorial way, in a fascistic way, in a revengeful first year at least of his administration toward individuals who he believes harmed him,” Markey said. Presidents enjoy expansive pardon powers when it comes to federal crimes . That includes granting clemency to people who have not yet been charged, as President Gerald Ford did in 1974 when he pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. The decision at the time caused an uproar but has been seen in the ensuing decades as a move that helped restore order. Markey cited Ford's pardon as a way for the country “just to close that chapter and move on to a new era.” Biden could do the same, Markey said, to help the country move on “to an agenda that deals with the ordinary families.” Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia, took it a step further and suggested Biden should even pardon Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, federal charges that are now evaporating with Trump's upcoming return to the White House. “Why don't you go ahead and pardon Donald Trump for all his charges?" he said in an interview with CNN. “It would have gone down a lot more balanced. I'm just saying, wipe them out.” At the same time, Democratic lawmakers and criminal justice reformers are pushing Biden to grant pardons to broad groups of Americans. Democrats Ayanna Pressley, Jim Clyburn and Mary Gay Scanlon wrote to Biden on Nov. 20, asking him to use his clemency powers to "address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.” The letter, also signed by 61 others, suggested Biden could use his powers to send a powerful message of criminal justice reform and "rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges.” “We encourage you to use your clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers,” they wrote. So far, Biden has pardoned 25 people. Most presidents tend to grant a flurry of clemency requests at the end of their terms, and it's likely Biden will do the same. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said Biden is “thinking through that process very thoroughly.”