Sponsored by House Republicans, the audit is expected to be conducted by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee and completed by February. Election results in Pennsylvania have been challenged by the legal team of President Donald Trump, who has alleged without evidence that widespread voting fraud contributed to a projected Biden victory. Trump has yet to concede to Biden and has claimed several times that he is the true winner of the election....

The highest court in the Keystone State was unanimous in dismissing a lawsuit from Congressman Mike Kelly and other Republicans that sought to invalidate absentee voting and halt the certification of votes. In an order, five out of seven judges said that the lawsuit was filed too late—after procedures for mail-in ballots had been confirmed and millions had already voted. “It is beyond cavil that Petitioners failed to act with due diligence in presenting the instant claim,” the judges wrote....

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition William LaPlante spoke about the plan after a visit to Lockheed Martin facilities in Camden, Arkansas that produce HIMARS and Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS), according to a news release from the Department of Defense (DoD). Ukraine is “effectively employing” the lightweight mobile launchers and precision-strike munitions produced in the facilities, it said. “As we continue providing security assistance to Ukraine, we are working with industry to accelerate production of critical weapons and systems,” LaPlante said....

The Office of the Defense Secretary issued today its annual Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC) report, detailing how a country identified as the United States’ top strategic competitor has advanced. The document begins by reflecting on how the Pentagon’s millennial report two decades ago largely dismissed the PLA’s rise, yet it is now on track to become what President Xi Jinping described as a “world-class military” before the middle of this century....

Michael Hirsh, a former foreign correspondent for Newsweek magazine, mentioned the briefings in an anecdote while covering the Kosovo Air Campaign in 1999: “There was the war the generals said they were fighting, complete with impressive body counts. Then there was the real war, which was an utter quagmire. It took several years before the American public understood the difference.” Desert Storm was no different—only the war and time had changed: the Four O’Clock Follies....

However, officials said Monday they would continue to analyze forces needed in the Middle East, along with adjusting forces in Asia and across the Pacific. The study comes after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August, as the Biden administration faces complex concerns about China’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as Russia’s actions in Europe, especially concerning Ukraine. The study is the first of multiple planned assessments of the administration’s defense priorities and the policies surrounding them....

Beckham was cut by the Browns on Nov. 8 after recording just 17 catches and 232 yards in six games. Three days later, on Nov. 11, he signed with the Rams and has become a key contributor to their Super Bowl run. MORE: How a new diet fueled Cooper Kupp’s breakout 2021 season And at least one former teammate — Browns wideout Jarvis Landry, who also played with Beckham at LSU — will be cheering Beckham on come Sunday....

On Monday, a water main break in Odessa left at least 165,000 customers without water. This is the latest in a series of crises that the state has faced in recent years. “A major water break has occurred at the intersection of 42nd & San Jacinto. Crews are actively working to close valves in the system to isolate the break, however, this is taking longer than anticipated,” the city of Odessa said in a statement on Tuesday....

The next installments may or may not appear–Garcia Marquez, 75, is recovering from cancer–and though he’s surely the world’s most influential living writer, we may or may not stay tuned. “Living to Tell the Tale” abundantly exhibits his gift for observation: he recalls that soap opera being recorded onto a disc “with a needle like a plow that left tufts of black, luminous, almost invisible filaments, like angel hair.” The episode in which he travels with his mother to sell the old family home in a now deserted town is as powerful an evocation of loss, ruin and nostalgia as anything in his fiction....

That’s freedom. Bush once invited Fang to a Beijing banquet (police kept him away), but having the dissident to dinner is the last thing Bush needs to advance his China strategy. In pushing for reform, the administration has offered improved relations–including most-favored-nation trading status–while urging the release of Fang and others. Caught off guard by Fang’s request for a meeting, Bush countered: “I thought he wanted to stay out of the public eye....

Last minute changes in fixtures, unpaid player salaries, lack of basic ground infrastructure are some of the issues that have hogged the limelight as the KPL just about holds on for survival in its fifth season. The tournament that kicked off in 2013 with 12 participants has struggled to match the expectations of the football-loving state of Kerala. The first title was clinched by Eagles FC, a club that was later disbanded....

The election is critical because it provides a chance for Indonesia to have a legitimate government following Suharto’s authoritarian rule. Only such a government can implement real political and economic reforms. The results so far indicate that the reform parties–PDI-P of Megawati, PKB of Abdurrahman Wahid and PAN of Amien Rais–could win more than 60 percent of the vote. Megawati has emerged as the most popular leader, and she may become the next president of Indonesia....

Officer Dion Fernandes, 44, of Pittston Police, is accused of causing more than $5,500 worth of damage after attacking the vehicles on South Main Street on August 29, according to a criminal complaint seen by the Times Leader. Police managed to identify Fernandes in security camera footage. The incident allegedly showing Fernandes slashing several tires was also recorded and shared with local media and Mayor Michael Lombardo’s office. Lombardo confirmed that the officer was suspended and off-duty at the time of the incident....

Mohammed al Owais thanked Al Ahli administration for their efficient work and quick negotiations, expressing that his personal wish was to move to Al Ahli as he sees the club as the ideal place for his ambitions. Al Ahli’s President Ahmad Al Marzouki congratulated the new Al Ahli signing and wished him good luck with his new team.

Ventforet announced the transfer of Bozanic in a statement on their website on Thursday and he is expected to start training with Satoru Sakuma’s side on Friday. Bozanic’s departure from Victory is expected to help the A-League club retain James Troisi by offering the latter an increased salary as one of the Big V’s two marquee players. Troisi’s contract expires at the end of the campaign and the 28-year-old attacking midfielder has been in scintillating form in his second stint at Victory, scoring six goals and notching six assists, which has led to his selection in the Socceroos’ latest squad....

How did Memphis fail at Man Utd? Goal understands the Ligue 1 outfit have paid an initial fee of £15 million for the Netherlands international, though that could rise to £21.7m. Memphis joined United from PSV in the summer of 2015 but struggled to hold down a regular place under both Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. He leaves Old Trafford just 18 months into his four-year contract having scored just seven goals in 56 appearances for the 20-time English champions....

The 63-year-old previously distanced himself from the reports as Safa had not spoken to him about the vacant position. However, Baxter’s agent, Steve Kapeluschnik, confirmed on Thursday that Safa formally approached his client for the job. Kapeluschnik said he will only meet with Baxter after the Baroka game this coming weekend to discuss Safa’s offer. Matsatsantsa confirmed that they have already given Baxter permission to begin talks with the country’s FA....

Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin, who oversees the state’s elections, joined Boston Mayor Martin Walsh to issue a statement asking the FBI to look into the matter. They called the fire “a disgrace to democracy.” “What happened in the early hours of this morning to the ballot drop box in Copley Square is a disgrace to democracy, a disrespect to the voters fulfilling their civic duty, and a crime,” Galvin and Walsh stated....

The barns, painted in 2003, generally have a large painting of the state map on a broad side. Several are adorned with Ohio’s slogan, too. It’s simple. “Ohio, the heart of it all.” The shape of that heart might as well be a football. Now, the state has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 vs. football debate in the United States, and that heightened with Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision Tuesday to allow high school football to continue in 2020....

As of that date, 5,356 people are hospitalized in the state, a record high in the pandemic and representing more than one out of every five hospital beds. The previous record was 5,308 on December 15, 2020, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Ohio currently has the highest rate of hospitalizations per-capita in the United States, Robert Wylie, chief medical operations officer at the Cleveland Clinic, said at the press conference....