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A Perth couple died while “selflessly” saving one of their daughters from drowning at a treacherous beach near Walpole, it has been revealed. Curtin University professor Mohammad Shahidul Hasan Swapan, 44, and his wife, Sabrina Ahmed, 40, were pulled from the ocean at Conspicuous Beach in Nornalup, about 17km from Walpole, at 2.40pm on Saturday. Friends of the couple say the pair, who were on holiday with their young family, had dived into the water to save their daughter from drowning. She survived. But despite desperate efforts from first responders to revive her parents, they could not be saved. A friend of the pair, a 42-year-old man who also dived in to help, was also pulled from the water in distress but he survived. He was rushed to Denmark Hospital where he remained in a stable condition on Sunday. “The magnitude of this tragedy is beyond words,” a tribute for the couple posted online said. “This is, without a doubt, one of the most heart-wrenching losses the Bangladeshi community in Perth has ever experienced. They were a wonderful couple, deeply respected and loved by everyone who knew them. “Please keep their two young daughters, their extended family, and their friends in your thoughts and prayers.” Dr Swapan was an associate professor at Curtin University’s School of Design and the Built Environment. Sustainability expert Peter Newman worked alongside him and said everyone at the university was in shock. “He was a beautiful, gentle leader who loved his kids and loved his job and we’ll all miss him,” he said. Dr Swapan’s wife was also an academic who studied planning and development at Khulna University in Bangladesh before the couple moved to Perth in 2011. Manjimup Shire president Donelle Buegge said the accident was an absolute tragedy, particularly at this time of year. Conspicuous Cliff is about 100km west of Albany on a rugged stretch of the WA coast exposed to strong seas and massive swells. “Unfortunately it is a pretty rough coastline, but it’s summer and it’s warm and there’s no lifeguards there,” Ms Buegge said. “It is a popular fishing beach and I’m surprised people were swimming there.” Royal Life Saving research found that drowning cases peak during the summer months, with most occurring between Christmas and New Year. Last summer 26 per cent of all Australian drowning deaths occurred during this period. There have been 26 drowning deaths recorded since December 1. “The festive season is a time for relaxing, social gatherings and celebrations, but we know this is the riskiest time to be around water,” Royal Life Saving Australia chief executive officer Dr Justin Scarr said. “So it’s also when we need to stay most vigilant around water. “The dangers are heightened when people travel, visit unfamiliar locations, or celebrate near water, and the risk is highest on public holidays, particularly Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which consistently record the highest drowning rates.” The tragedy comes as Surf Life Saving launched a new Beach Passport in a bid to reduce drowning deaths. The passport is available in multiple languages and tailors information to different age groups.Link Natural recognised at Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards 2024LOS ANGELES — Anze Kopitar, Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2 on Saturday night for their season-high third consecutive win. Alex Laferriere and Adrian Kempe also scored for Los Angeles, and David Rittich made 20 saves. Kopitar snapped a tie 1:37 into the third period, finding himself alone at the top of the crease before finishing for his eighth goal of the season. Kempe added a power-play goal with 3:46 remaining after Ottawa was called for its second too many men penalty. Moore closed it out with an empty-netter. Ottawa's Adam Gaudette scored for the third straight game. Tim Stutzle also scored, and Anton Forsberg made 22 saves. Takeaways Senators: Gaudette is up to 12 goals in 22 games, matching his career high in 59 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2019-20. Kings: Moore returned after sitting out a 2-1 win at Anaheim on Friday because of an illness. But veteran fourth-liner Trevor Lewis was sidelined by a lower-body injury in the first period. Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson, right, dives to stop a shot by Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/Mark J. Terrill Key moment Kopitar swatted in Moore’s rebound early in the third. The captain added a late assist to break a tie with Peter Stastný (1,239) for 42nd on the NHL career points list. Key stat Stutzle (three goals, five assists) and Senators winger Drake Batherson (two goals, six assists) are each on six-game point streaks. Up next The Senators finish a three-game California trip on Sunday at Anaheim, and the Kings host Dallas on Wednesday.New RTX GPU Specs Leaked! Big Boosts in Performance.

Remember, at Gamers' Gold, the adventure never ends. Stay tuned for more exciting updates, promotions, and rewards coming your way. Happy gaming, and may your virtual adventures be epic and unforgettable!Donald Trump was once a crypto sceptic. Now his re-election has sent the volatile price of Bitcoin sky-high. These days, he's known as 37244-510. Not quite as catchy as SBF, the three-letter acronym mentioned in hushed tones back when he was revered as the richest man in the crypto sphere. Sam Bankman-Fried once was the bold warrior in Bitcoin's battle for control of the future. He was the mop-top geek, the maths genius who threatened to upend banking and finance and change the way we thought about business. In the end, he went down for the oldest and most traditional of financier foibles, stealing money from his own clients. These days, he is best known as the nerd who presided over one of the biggest financial frauds in American history. When he was finally sentenced in March this year, Bankman-Fried was ordered to repay more than $US11 billion. Had he managed to run his firm FTX like a legitimate business instead of a cash cow for his own amusement, he'd now rank amongst the world's richest after Bitcoin finally broke through the $US100,000 barrier. Instead, he's now a resident of Metropolitan Detention Centre Brooklyn, living in a dormitory cell and reportedly working on an appeal to his 25-year sentence. Given he was Joe Biden's second biggest donor in 2020, pumping through almost $US5.2 million in campaign contributions, an appeal for a pardon wouldn't be out of the question in the government's dying days. But now there might be another source of salvation — Donald Trump and his most trusted advisor, Elon Musk, part crypto devotee, part puppeteer. When Musk's takeover for Twitter began wobbling, Bankman-Fried reportedly offered to help finance the bid with a $US5 billion loan. And Bankman-Fried wasn't a one-party backer. He carefully played both sides of the political divide, and was a big Republican donor too, but opted to do so on the quiet because he thought the press was, as he put it, "super-liberal". "I donated the same amount to both parties," in 2022. "All my Republican donations were dark," he said, referring to political donations kept off the public record. "The reason was not for regulatory reasons, it's because reporters freak the f*** out if you donate to Republicans." Mistrust of the press is a sentiment that very much aligns with incoming President Donald Trump, whose sudden conversion to cryptocurrency has driven this latest boom. Bitcoin's true value Trump, once a sceptic who dismissed Bitcoin as a "scam", was in good company as a doubter. Warren Buffet, considered the world's greatest investor, has described Bitcoin as "rat poison squared". "I've seen people do stupid things all my life and I really, I empathise with that, they're going to play the lottery, they're going to get 60c back on the dollar and state, the numbers racket is something to be avoided," . "I mean, people love the idea they're going to make more money tomorrow ... the gambling instinct is so strong." In the past month, both the head of Australia's corporate regulator Joe Longo and Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock have also voiced their concerns. Longo told an Australian Securities and Investment Commission annual forum that Bitcoin was a good example of "the bigger fool theory" where the goal was to simply find a buyer prepared to pay even more for a worthless asset. Bullock went further, arguing that, despite all the hype, it had no role to play in Australian society. "Don't call it an alternative currency," she said. "It's not a currency, it's not money, it's being used as some sort of asset class." "I don't understand it," she said. "But, you know, I don't really see a role for it in, certainly in the Australian economy or payments system." Devotees dismiss these criticisms, arguing Bitcoin doubters simply don't understand. But it's difficult to pinpoint any useful function Bitcoin serves. Initially, it was touted as a new means of exchange a global monetary system that would make national currencies obsolete. Bitcoin, however, is now a teenager — a geriatric in technology terms — and after 15 years, that hasn't happened, primarily because of its volatility. Why spend Bitcoin on buying something if you think it will appreciate in value? And, as a seller, why accept it as a currency if you fear it might crash? The same goes for its role as a store of wealth. It may be at record highs right now but, as this graph illustrates, it has fluctuated wildly over time in a series of booms and crashes that have undermined its ability to be a hedge against inflation and created as much poverty as it has generated wealth. Instead, it has degenerated into a tool for speculators and gamblers. Its defenders point to the role of blockchain, the unique ledger system that underpins bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, and its potential for wider business applications. That may be a legitimate argument. But it doesn't justify the mania attached to cryptocurrencies. And when it comes to investment in new technology, it has been overtaken by the rush towards Artificial Intelligence and quantum computing. Ironically, for all the hype that it would make national currencies obsolete, Bitcoin itself is still valued in US dollars. And those that trade it proudly measure their gains and their wealth in good, old style fiat currencies. Less regulation — what could go wrong? Trump is now a true believer, promising in his usual overstated mode that he plans to transform America into "the crypto capital of the planet". The president-elect has even suggested creating a "bitcoin reserve" that could be used to pay off the country's $US35 trillion debt. To encourage that, Trump and Musk are pushing for regulation around the crypto industry to be loosened, with Musk going so far as to suggest that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau be junked. The president-elect, meanwhile, recently announced he would fire the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary Gensler, on day one. A noted critic of the crypto industry, Gensler decided he wouldn't hang around for the ritual humiliation and announced he would step aside the day Trump walks into the White House, leaving many to ponder whether the crypto industry's reported $100 million in Republican campaign funding would influence the decision on his replacement. Gensler blazed a trail through Wall Street in a bid to stamp out conflicts of interest and boost transparency, launching court actions against multiple crypto firms. What the incoming president has failed to grasp is that Gensler's actions have helped underwrite the latest surge in activity in cryptocurrency. In January, with tighter regulation in place, the for old style financiers including Fidelity, BlackRock and Grayscale to launch what's known as Exchange Traded Funds that invested solely in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Once approved, those funds, which ordinary investors can trade on Wall Street and on the Australian Securities Exchange, then had to load up on Bitcoin, helping drive the price higher through most of this year. Last week, Trump announced Gensler would be replaced by Paul Atkins, a noted crypto enthusiast. Unlike many of Trump's other appointments, however, Atkins is a well credentialed candidate with a background in law, years of experience in senior roles at the regulator and as a former SEC commissioner. Nevertheless, he is expected to take a less aggressive stance towards the industry and possibly review many of his predecessor's court actions. Endorsing Atkins on his own social media outlet, Trump said: "He also recognises that digital assets and other innovations are crucial to making America greater than ever before." But there is a growing disconnect between Trump's stance on cryptocurrencies and his view of the US dollar. The greenback is considered the global reserve currency. Everything else is priced against it, be it commodities like oil and metals or other currencies. That's something Trump wants to maintain, as a symbol of American dominance even as he wants to retreat back into isolationism. Just last week, he threatened to penalise any country planning to shift away from US dollar dominance, aiming specifically at the so-called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations. "We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty US Dollar or, they will face 100 per cent Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful US Economy," Trump thundered on Truth Social. But it was the debasement of the US dollar, through money printing, huge and ongoing deficits and soaring national debt — now approaching $US35 trillion — that led to the creation of Bitcoin in 2009. Those deficits, and America's national debt, are expected to explode under Trump's high protection and low taxing policies, endangering his vision for "The Mighty US Dollar". Investing in Bitcoin as a national reserve to repay that debt will only further undermine the greenback. Crypto tonight? It's impossible to understate the scale of the Bitcoin frenzy which, once again, is beginning to feed on itself. The devotees now feel vindicated. The sceptics have been left bemused. Back in September, Bitcoin was trading just north of $US53,000 a token. A fortnight ago, it punched through $US100,000, sending waves of jubilation through the legions of investors, many of whom were ambushed by the downturn two years ago when it plunged to just $US16,000. Last month, more than $US10 trillion worth of digital assets changed hands on centralised exchanges as bitcoin and its many imitators encroached even further into mainstream finance. The latest boom fortuitously has coincided with the release of Changpeng Zhao — the brains behind the world's now biggest crypto exchange Binance — from a federal prison in California. Incarcerated for four months after pleading guilty to breaching anti-money laundering rules, the man known simply as CZ once was Bankman-Fried's great rival and ultimately the architect of his downfall. But the pair were not just business rivals. Prior to the implosion of Bankman-Fried's FTX empire, they frequently clashed on the subject of regulation. Born out of a desire to overthrow the existing monetary system during the depths of the Global Financial Crisis in 2009, Bitcoin's renegade mindset sat well with Zhao even after most countries declared his Binance empire off limits and outside the law. Bankman-Fried figured the opposite; that for Bitcoin and the crypto industry to truly deliver, it needed to be accepted by the mainstream and be properly regulated. Ironically, it was his FTX that bit the dust while Zhao's Binance went on to global dominance. While both this year were jailbirds, their financial fortunes headed in opposite directions. Zhao has not only maintained his fabulous wealth, he's expanded it, amassing one of the biggest fortunes on the planet. During the past year, according to data analysis from Newsworthyheadlines.com, Zhao's wealth grew more than six-fold to $US63 billion, mostly as a result of the Trump driven boom. Even his stay in prison was profitable. As the rally tentatively took hold midway through the year, Zhao added around $US3 billion to his fortune, or an estimated $US25.6 million each day he was behind bars. Who said crime doesn't pay? The great meme coin snowjob Then there are meme coins, which have been around almost as long as Bitcoin but have no intrinsic value, earn no income and pay no dividends. And they proliferate. Haliey Welch attracted fame midway through the year on a big night out with a girlfriend. A jovial on-camera quip about her special technique for pleasing her man was uploaded to social media and, in an instant, the Tennessee 20-something became a sensation. Now, she's attracted a fortune. A fortnight ago, the so-called Hawk Tuah Girl launched a meme coin, a type of crypto currency that doesn't even pretend to do anything useful. Within hours of the launch, the value of Hawk coin had soared to almost $500 million before suddenly losing 90 per cent of its value, wiping out most of its investors in a single day. Welch has since gone to ground. Hawke coin has been criticised as a "pump and dump" or a "rug pull" where founders spruik the value to gullible buyers and create a buying frenzy before offloading everything. The most famous meme coin is Dogecoin, created by two software engineers a decade ago, for the sole purpose of ridiculing Bitcoin. To their utter dismay, it is still around and has been a favoured trading option for Elon Musk, whose new job in the Trump administration will be to jointly head DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency). Driven entirely by social media hype, meme coins routinely soar and crash and, in an unregulated environment, are ripe for manipulation. Despair to jubilation in just 24 months "Remember when cryptocurrency was so heavily and onerously regulated, so unnecessarily scrutinised by the authorities that the whole market crashed in spectacular fashion as one tightly regulated crypto platform after another collapsed into oblivion?" "Yeah, me neither. Because that's not quite how it went, is it?" Jemima Kelly, a columnist for the Financial Times posed this question in a piece late last month that injected a dose of reality into the current debate over Bitcoin and regulation. When the market for cryptocurrencies crashed two years ago, what was exposed in almost every case was a web of deceit and incompetence, aided by loose or non-existent regulatory oversight. Operating outside the finance industry mainstream, consumer protection and even licensing became an ad-hoc affair and, when the inevitable crash occurred, it hit hard. Two years ago, they were falling like dominoes. FTX, Celsius, Tether, BlockFi, Voyager Digital, Terraform, Luna. They all hit the skids, torching countless billions of dollars of investor cash. The crashes were replicated around the world. Here in Australia, as funds and digital tokens disappeared. In almost every case, the story was the same. Investor funds were plundered for other purposes, often plugging holes in other parts of the leaky structure. Often, they were used for personal largesse. Despite the cloak of rebellion under which many hide, those running these outfits operate in much the same fashion as financiers and banks have done for thousands of years. They clip the ticket on transactions, charge fees for storage and gouge commissions at every opportunity. Both Bankman-Fried and Zhao created their empires in this very traditional manner. Financial institutions, whether they be traditional banks or cryptocurrency exchanges, thrive during periods of exuberance. Commissions on trillions of dollars of transactions adds up pretty quickly into handsome fees and huge profits. Not surprisingly, there has been a sudden roar from those very crypto ticket clippers, some predicting Bitcoin is now on a trajectory to push past the $US1 million mark. The not so subtle message is: "Better get on board now." Can crypto overtake gold? Mike Mangan discovered gold around the turn of the century. Rattled by the dotcom bust and concerned by America's plunge into money printing to boost its economy, the Sydney based former investment banker, stock analyst and funds manager turned to investing in the oldest form of wealth or, more specifically, those who mine it. Gold, he explains, is a hard asset, a relatively unique metal because of its resistance to corrosion, it's malleable nature, visual attractiveness and its scarcity, all of which contributed to its use in coinage and jewellery, dating back thousands of years. "It has a history, and history and reputation are so important when it comes to finance," he says. That goes a long way to explaining why gold-trading dwarfs the Bitcoin market. But Mangan empathises with Bitcoin devotees, many of whom were left disillusioned by the near collapse of capitalism during the Global Financial Crisis, and their search for an alternative. "I wouldn't underestimate the cognitive dissonance of people wanting to find an alternative in a system they believe is going to hell,'' he explains. The rise of Bitcoin, he says, "reflects a loss of confidence in the monetary system". While global currencies no longer trade on a gold standard, most countries, and particularly China in recent years, continue to amass gold as a store of wealth. America hasn't added to its gold reserves at Fort Knox for years but it holds the biggest reserves of any country by a long shot. Like Bitcoin, gold too has punched through to record levels in recent months. Unlike Bitcoin, it's rise has been steady during the past 20 years, providing a perfect hedge to the degrading of the US dollar and to inflation, as this graph in US dollars shows. It also doesn't easily evaporate, as cryptocurrencies often do. And if in any future global conflict power systems and electricity grids are fried, the ability to retrieve a virtual asset — one that doesn't physically exist — will be compromised. "Cryptocurrencies were supposed to be all about protecting yourself from a world in chaos," Mangan says. "But if the world does descend into the kind of dystopian future many fear, what happens to your Bitcoin?" Credits Ian Verrender Gabrielle Flood Leigh Tonkin Related topics Banking Business, Economics and Finance Cryptocurrency Currency Stock Market United States World PoliticsOn one hand, some argue that humor can be a powerful tool for shining a light on societal issues and breaking down barriers. When done thoughtfully, humor can help to humanize individuals from marginalized communities and challenge harmful stereotypes. However, it is important to remember that humor is subjective, and what may be considered funny to one person could be hurtful or offensive to another.

As Sampdoria-Bene prepare to face Arsenal in the upcoming match, the challenge ahead is nothing short of herculean. The Italian team will be taking on a formidable opponent with a rich history and a strong squad. However, despite the tough task at hand, Sampdoria-Bene's recent performances have been nothing short of exceptional.In the Li household, even in the most unexpected of moments, love always prevailed – whether through tears, laughter, or the simple joy of being together. And as the night wore on, the gentle rhythm of their shared breaths filled the air, a testament to the unbreakable bond that held them all together, now and forever.

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Rosanna Davison shares ‘beautiful’ snaps while ‘making memories’ with family on winter holiday to MoroccoTiger Woods is returning to the PNC Championship with 15-year-old son Charlie, his first competition since the British Open in July and after having a sixth surgery on his back three months ago. Woods has played the 36-hole PNC Championship with Charlie every year since 2020. The tournament invites players who have won majors or The Players Championship with family members, typically their children. “Playing together is something we look forward to and it’s always more special when you’re surrounded by friends and family,” Woods said. The PNC Championship is Dec. 21-22 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, for 20 teams. New to the tournament this year are Fred Couples and stepson Hunter Hannemann, and Trevor Immelman and son Jacob. Because the tournament is sanctioned by the PGA Tour Champions, Woods will be able to ride in a cart, key to him playing. He chose to sit out last week at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where he is the tournament host, because he said his game was not sharp enough to compete against a field of the top 40 players in the world. Woods set a Masters record in April by making his 24th consecutive cut, but he missed the cut in the other three majors. He had a microdiscectomy in September to alleviate pain down his legs, his sixth surgery on his lower back. The biggest one was fusion surgery in 2017, and he followed that by winning the Tour Championship a year later and capturing his 15th major with a fifth Masters title in 2019. His last victory was the Zozo Championship in Japan in the fall of 2019, tying Sam Snead for the PGA Tour’s record of 82 career titles. But there is no indication of how often he can play in 2025. “Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again,” Woods said last week. “But I truly don’t know. I’m just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year.” The PNC Championship features 13-year-old Will McGee, the son of Annika Sorenstam, and 89-year-old Gary Player. Nelly Korda returns to play with her father, former tennis Grand Slam champion Petr Korda.

The Best Canadian ETFs $100 Can Buy on the TSX TodaySaquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There's no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley's historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He's not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP's first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren't QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn't. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP's new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It's not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. "I don't think that's crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left," Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven't reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team's struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Colby Rogers shines as Memphis rolls past Ole Miss

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett is rejoining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs signed the two-time Super Bowl champion on Saturday, while also announcing safety Jordan Whitehead was activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers. Barrett spent five seasons with Tampa Bay from 2019 to 2023. He led the NFL with a franchise-record 19 1-2 sacks in his first year with the Bucs, then helped the team win its second Super Bowl title the following season. In all, Barrett started 70 games with Tampa Bay, amassing 45 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He was released last winter in a salary cap move, signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency, then abruptly announced his retirement on social media before the start of training camp in July. Barrett, who also won a Super Bowl during a four-season stint with the Denver Broncos, decided to unretire last month. He signed with the Bucs after clearing waivers earlier in the week. Whitehead has missed the past four games with a pectoral injury. His return comes of the heels of the Bucs placing safety Christian Izien on IR with a pectoral injury. On Saturday, the Bucs also activated rookie wide receiver Kameron Johnson from IR and elevated punter Jack Browning to the active roster from the practice squad. NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Fiji-Aust sport dealFARGO, N.D., Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NI Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”, NASDAQ: NODK) announced today the appointment of Seth C. Daggett as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective December 1, 2024. Mr. Daggett brings over two decades of industry experience, most recently serving as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Treasurer. Mr. Daggett succeeds Cindy L. Launer, who had been serving as Interim CEO during the Board of Directors’ (the “Board”) search for a permanent CEO, as previously announced. “It is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to lead this outstanding organization,” Mr. Daggett said. “I look forward to continue working alongside our talented team of employees and agents who are committed every day to serving our customers and local communities,” said Mr. Daggett. “I’m confident that we will build upon our strong and longstanding foundation in North Dakota to create lasting value for our shareholders and a new chapter of sustained growth and success. I look forward to working closely with the Board and the Company’s leadership team to help build off this foundation and lead the organization toward a successful future.” Eric K. Aamundstad, Chairman of the Board, commented, “On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank Cindy for her service as Interim CEO. Her experience was invaluable in helping lead the company through this transition period. We are fortunate to have a proven leader in Seth, who has earned the respect of the Board, our employees, and agents for his judgment, strong leadership, extensive industry experience, and demonstrated ability to build and develop successful teams. He has deep ties not only to the Company, but also the North Dakota community, and we are confident in his ability to lead the Company forward.” Ms. Launer will return to her role as an independent non-executive director on the NI Holdings Board effective December 1, 2024. With Mr. Daggett’s appointment as CEO, Matt Maki, Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, will assume the role of Interim CFO, effective December 1, 2024. The Company will immediately begin a search for a permanent CFO, with no definitive timeline. About Seth Daggett Seth Daggett most recently served as the Company’s Executive Vice President, Treasurer and CFO. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Daggett was CFO and Treasurer of RAM Mutual Insurance Company. He began his career as an auditor at Deloitte, prior to joining Travelers Companies, Inc. where he spent over ten years in a variety of roles, including Senior Director of Finance. A graduate of the University of North Dakota, he currently lives in West Fargo, North Dakota with his wife and children. About Matt Maki Matt Maki most recently served as the Company’s Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Maki served as Vice President of Accounting and Treasurer of RAM Mutual Insurance Company. He began his career as an auditor at Ernst & Young, subsequently joining Travelers Companies, Inc., where he held various roles in international finance, financial reporting and treasury. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, he currently lives in Duluth, Minnesota with his wife and children. About the Company NI Holdings, Inc. is an insurance holding company. The company is a North Dakota business corporation that is the stock holding company of Nodak Insurance Company and became such in connection with the conversion of Nodak Mutual Insurance Company from a mutual to stock form of organization and the creation of a mutual holding company. The conversion was consummated on March 13, 2017. Immediately following the conversion, all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Nodak Insurance Company were issued to Nodak Mutual Group, Inc., which then contributed the shares to NI Holdings in exchange for 55% of the outstanding shares of common stock of NI Holdings. Nodak Insurance Company then became a wholly-owned stock subsidiary of NI Holdings. NI Holdings’ financial statements are the consolidated financial results of NI Holdings; Nodak Insurance Company, including Nodak Insurance Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries American West Insurance Company, Primero Insurance Company, and Battle Creek Insurance Company; and Direct Auto Insurance Company. Safe Harbor Statement Some of the statements included in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could vary materially. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially include risks we describe in the periodic reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update such statements or to announce publicly the results of any revisions that we may make to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements. For a detailed discussion of the risk factors that could affect our actual results, please refer to the risk factors identified in our SEC reports, including, but not limited to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC. Investor Relations Contact: Matt Maki Vice President, Interim Chief Financial Officer 701-212-5976 IR@nodakins.combest casino sites trustpilot 。

RAHWAY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 22, 2024-- Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has been notified that TRC Capital Investment Corporation (TRC Capital) has commenced an unsolicited “mini-tender” offer, dated November 12, 2024, to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of Merck common stock at $96.38 per share. The offer price is approximately 4.32% below the closing price of the Merck common stock on November 11, 2024 ($100.73), the last trading day before the date of the offer, and approximately 3.48% below the closing price of the Merck common stock on November 21, 2024 ($99.86), the day prior to this release. Merck does not endorse TRC Capital’s offer and recommends that Merck shareholders reject the offer and not tender their shares in response to TRC Capital’s unsolicited mini-tender offer. This mini-tender offer is at a price below the closing price for Merck’s shares (as of the day prior to this release) and is subject to numerous conditions, including TRC Capital’s ability to obtain financing. Merck is not associated in any way with TRC Capital, its mini-tender offer or the offer documentation. TRC Capital has made similar unsolicited mini-tender offers for shares of other publicly traded companies. Mini-tender offers seek to acquire less than 5% of a company's outstanding shares. This lets the offering company avoid many of the disclosure and procedural requirements the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires for tender offers. As a result, mini-tender offers do not provide investors the same level of protections as provided by larger tender offers under U.S. federal securities laws. On its website , the SEC advises that the people behind mini tender-offers “frequently use mini-tender offers to catch shareholders off guard” and that investors “may end up selling at below-market prices.” The SEC's website also contains important tips for investors regarding mini-tender offers. Like TRC Capital’s other offers, this one puts individual investors at risk because they may not realize they are selling their shares at a discount. Merck urges shareholders to obtain current stock quotes for their shares of Merck common stock, to review the terms and conditions of the offer, to consult with their brokers or financial advisers, and to exercise caution with respect to TRC Capital’s mini-tender offer. Merck shareholders who have already tendered are advised they may withdraw their shares by following the procedures for withdrawal described in the TRC Capital offer documents prior to the expiration of the offer, which is currently scheduled for 11:59 a.m. EST on December 11, 2024. Merck encourages brokers, dealers, and other investors to review the SEC’s letter regarding broker-dealer mini-tender offer dissemination and disclosure. Merck requests that a copy of this news release be included with all distribution of materials related to TRC Capital’s offer for shares of Merck common stock. About Merck At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter) , Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn . Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the “company”) includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company’s ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company’s patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and the company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC’s Internet site ( www.sec.gov ). View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122275388/en/ CONTACT: Media Contacts:Robert Josephson (203) 914-2372 robert.josephson@merck.comMichael Levey (215) 872-1462 michael.levey@merck.comInvestor Contacts:Peter Dannenbaum (732) 594-1579 peter.dannenbaum@merck.comSteven Graziano (732) 594-1583 steven.graziano@merck.com KEYWORD: NEW JERSEY UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES HEALTH FINANCE GENERAL HEALTH PHARMACEUTICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY SOURCE: Merck & Co., Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/22/2024 04:17 PM/DISC: 11/22/2024 04:17 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241122275388/en(The Center Square) – The question before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday was whether a Tennessee law banning gender dysphoria treatment for minors is unconstitutional. Twenty-three other states have similar bans, but the Tennessee case is the first one to have made it to the nation's highest court. Behind the legal questions debated are medical questions that are in dispute. A transgender girl identified as "L Williams" is at the center of the case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union and later supported by the Biden administration. In an article posted on the ACLU's website, L said she was emotionally distressed as she began puberty. “You're at a point where not only are you going through puberty, but you're also going through nightmare puberty,” L said. “I mean, obviously, nobody's 100% comfortable with [the changes,] but you're immensely uncomfortable with them.” L's parents sought puberty and hormone blockers in another state when Tennessee lawmakers passed its ban in 2023. They were on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court when the case was argued. Also on the steps was Dr. Jared Ross, a member of Do No Harm, a group of medical professionals who say their mission is to keep identity politics out of medical education, research, and clinical practice. Ross has a story, too, about a blue-haired girl who came into an emergency room one night. She described herself as "gender-confused," Ross said in an interview with The Center Square. "She was cutting herself with a razor blade because voices were telling her to," Ross said. "Can you imagine if I had affirmed these voices, affirming what she was hearing? That would have been malpractice, that would have been criminal. I didn't affirm those voices. I also didn't affirm her gender confusion." Do No Harm filed an amicus brief challenging the medical evidence presented by the ACLU and the Biden administration. It points to a study called the "Cass Review," a multi-year project from the United Kingdom that said studies of the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones were uncontrolled observational studies subject to bias." The ACLU says it also has medical evidence on its side. The American Medical Association and the American College of Pediatrics are among the groups that support gender dysphoria treatment for minors. At least one medical organization is taking a second look at the treatments. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons said in April that it is reviewing the practice. "ASPS currently understands that there is considerable uncertainty as to the long-term efficacy for the use of chest and genital surgical interventions for the treatment of adolescents with gender dysphoria, and the existing evidence base is viewed as low quality/low certainty. This patient population requires specific considerations," the organization said in a statement. Doctors who don't support treatments for gender dysphoria for minors are accused of discrimination and not caring about the patients. But that's not the case, Ross said. "The other side often plays this as we're neglecting these kids or we're minimizing their suffering that they're going through," Ross said. "I don't doubt that they're suffering. They're suffering tremendously. They need love and compassion and good evidence-based mental health care." Until the Supreme Court rules in 2025, the Tennessee law and others like it will stay on the books.Amritsar: With the completion of the religious penance, the leadership of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), including its president Sukhbir Singh Badal, now faces the formidable task of reorganisation of the party, a process that will require new enrolment and the appointment of delegates and to sink differences between the Akali leaders. In accordance with the directions issued by the Jathedar of Akal Takht on Dec 2, the SAD working committee was initially required to accept the resignation of Sukhbir Singh Badal within three days, by Dec 5. However, this deadline was later extended, granting a revised period until Dec 25 to complete this process. One of the most significant tasks ahead is to negotiate a truce with the dissident Akali leaders, who had initially approached the Akal Takht with a formal complaint against SAD president. To facilitate the truce, the Sikh high priests constituted a committee under the leadership of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami with former SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Iqbal Singh Jhunda, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Manpreet Singh Ayalee, Santa Singh Umedpuri and Bibi Satwant Kaur as its members. “There has been no meeting of the committee, nor any information regarding one, so far,” said Wadala, who was the chairman of the SAD Sudhar Lehar that was recently dissolved. The Sikh high priests had directed that the SAD leadership had lost its moral right to politically lead the Panth due to its past transgressions. They issued directives for a new enrollment process, incorporating both new and existing delegates and complete the process within six months. The Sikh high priests also mandated the election of office-bearers, including the president, within this timeframe and specifically cautioned against bogus enrollments, stipulating that only those members with valid Aadhaar cards should be included. While the Sikh high priests have directed the Akali leaders to unite, it seems to be a distant dream. “Sukhbir and other Akali leaders have not fully complied with the directives of the Akal Takht. The working committee was instructed to accept Sukhbir’s resignation within three days, but this has not been done. Media reports suggest that the timeframe has been extended to 20 days, however, it is unclear who authorised this extension, as no such letter from the Akal Takht has been issued. Furthermore, we have yet to hear of any meeting convened under the leadership of Dhami,” said Bibi Jagir Kaur. We also published the following articles recently SAD in Catch-22 situation after Akal Takht directives The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) faces challenges implementing Akal Takht directives regarding Sukhbir Badal's resignation and party membership. SAD leadership argues that complying with religious orders could jeopardize their political party registration. A seven-member committee for new enrollments remains inactive, with SGPC president Harjinder Dhami seeking legal counsel to avoid conflicts. Religious connotations are in line with law, follow Akal Takht directives: SAD gen secy Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) General Secretary Gurjeet Singh Talwandi asserts that political parties aligning with religious principles is legally permissible. Citing an Election Commission affidavit to the Supreme Court, Talwandi argues that no law prohibits such associations. He emphasizes that parties like SAD and Shiv Sena have strong religious roots, protected by the court. Baljit Singh Daduwal elected president of Shiromani Akali Dal Azad Sikh preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal was appointed president of the newly formed Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Azad at a Kurukshetra gurdwara gathering. Chosen after a 15-day consultation period led by five HSGMC members, Daduwal's leadership aims to address Sikh issues and the upcoming HSGMC elections. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .

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Participation in hockey in British Columbia was struggling in 2021 — the pandemic had dealt a heavy blow to player registrations, and numbers had already been flagging before COVID-19 arrived. “I think there were a lot of families that were impacted at that time,” said Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association president Melanie Earland, whose group governs minor hockey in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, including Metro Vancouver. “The world changed,” she said. Player participation had peaked in 2016-2017 with more than 62,000 registrations, Hockey Canada statistics for B.C. show, falling under 58,000 just before the pandemic began in 2020, then plummeting to 39,056 that season. Rising costs and growing competition from other sports had also been chipping away at youth hockey participation. But that is now changing, with registration for this season in B.C. surging past the 63,000 mark, a rebound that follows a concerted effort to make the game more accessible, especially to groups not traditionally linked to the sport such as new Canadians and Indigenous communities. Tom Oberti, president of the West Vancouver Minor Hockey Association, said his organization had seen record registrations this year, more than 8 per cent higher than last season. “We’re bursting at the seams,” Oberti said, noting the association has had to look outside West Vancouver to find ice time to fit all the players. “The reason why we’ve grown is because we’ve put a lot of effort into reaching out to new, non-traditional hockey demographics,” he said. “For example, we run ball hockey programs in elementary schools to introduce the sport, and we’ve done a lot to reach out to the Mandarin-speaking community, because it’s a growing segment of our community on the North Shore.” Oberti said the association has leveraged Mandarin- and Persian-speaking families already with kids in youth hockey, establishing links to new players through parent groups on social media platforms targeting specific communities such as WeChat and WhatsApp as well as word of mouth from schoolchildren who already play the game. Families new to Canada want to do things they consider Canadian, Oberti said, and they are embracing hockey. “Hockey has an advantage there,” he said. “There are a lot of families that do want to participate in the sport — or who are interested in the sport — because of the way it’s intertwined in the fabric of social life in Canada.” At the Richmond Jets Minor Hockey Association, vice-president Trent Gustafson said while his group has seen about a 15-to-20 per cent drop-off in participation from a peak in 2018-2019, registration is growing again, and players from non-traditional communities make up a big part of that rebound. “We’re up to around 915 to 920 kids playing hockey at Jets this year,” Gustafson said. “We don’t collect (data) in terms of the ethnicity of our members specifically, but I can safely say more than half are non-Caucasian members.” Just as important as getting children in these communities playing hockey, Gustafson said, is the fact that parents new to the game are also eager to volunteer. He said that is a vital contribution to the minor hockey system largely run by volunteers and parents in their spare time. “Those parents are, frankly, just as crazy hockey parents as you’re getting in some of the other cities and towns in not only British Columbia but across the country,” he said. “It’s interesting, the people it seems these days that are almost more willing to volunteer are some of the newer people to hockey. They’ve just fallen in love with the game.” Earland said other efforts to attract players include a try-hockey-for-free program in Cloverdale, B.C., for Indigenous youth, and they are trying to make the game more affordable through equipment programs and other initiatives. “Nobody in minor hockey wants to hear a family say, ‘We want to play but our kids can’t afford it or we can’t afford it,’” she said. She said she wants every child to have an opportunity to play hockey. “It’s a fabulous sport. It offers friendships and teamwork and camaraderie for all of our youth.” Chilliwack Minor Hockey Association president Lee McCaw said his group does not target any specific community for new players, but the province’s rapid population growth and its diversity means more kids being registered from every background. “I think our inclusion for everybody to be able to participate is huge,” McCaw said. “We have a huge First Nations population in our city, and there’s a lot of learn-to-skate programs that are specifically designed for every ethnicity group and everybody inclusively, together and within Chilliwack.” Nathan Bosa, the president of the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association, said even if there are no specific programs aimed at the diverse newcomer groups, sport could be an opportunity to support them. “We’re talking about this as a board a while ago, about having a program for new people coming into Canada and into Kamloops (to) give them a little bit of an instruction on how things work,” Bosa said. “It’s something that we’re going to be looking at in the new year. I think we’ve started to see that the influx is very noticeable, and it’s good. Getting children into sport, whether it’s hockey or something else, allows children and their parents to make friends and it brings them into the community, Bosa said. Bosa and McCaw also noted the impact of hockey exposure in the South Asian community as another factor in attracting new players, including Hockey Night in Canada’s Punjabi broadcast, and homegrown talent such as Arshdeep Bains from Surrey playing for the Vancouver Canucks in February. The Winnipeg Jets, meanwhile, signed forward Kevin He to a three-year entry-level deal this month, making him the first player born in China to ink an NHL deal. Scott Furman, Hockey Canada’s vice-president of growth and retention, said progress has also been made on other fronts, with the visibility of women’s hockey skyrocketing as the Professional Women’s Hockey League drives female player registration to a new high beyond 100,000 countrywide this season. Furman said the upheaval and change in management at Hockey Canada in recent years meant a new approach, bringing inclusion and more programs to help with the costs of the game. He said the rebound in B.C. is symbolic of this change. “Last season, for the first time, we hit 50,000 players that identified as black, Indigenous or people of colour, and that was an 8-per-cent increase on the previous season,” Furman said. “In B.C., I think about 19 per cent of players identify as black, Indigenous or people of colour, which is well above the national average. And the South Asian community represents 4.5 per cent of all players — a 46 per cent increase since the 2021 season. “It certainly is a positive trend, but nothing’s taken for granted. And we’ve got to continue to do the work to make sure that it continues in that fashion.”

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Every market has its ups and downs. However, for investors in the popular cryptocurrency market, these swings only represent opportunities when it comes to investing correctly at the right time and in the long term. Indeed, it has been a good time to make such investments. December is one of those seasons when you can purchase the top coins at good rates, and the rewards will be visible a few years down the line. In this article, we shall examine six coins and explain why we think they will help us earn decent, disappointing profits in 2025. Rexas Finance (RXS): The Rising Star with Massive Potential Rexas Finance is setting itself apart as one of the low-cap altcoins in 2025 that can be taken up on a massive scale as a means of investment. Their Unique Selling point lies in their innovative way of asset tokenization. By converting various real-world assets (RWAs) such as real estate, commoditized products, or even distinctive pieces of art, Rexas Finance is breaking into new horizons in its quest for rapid growth and, in the process, expanding its market reach, since more previously unreachable segments are now accessible. Therefore, Rexas Finance is able to provide an all-encompassing ecosystem with the inclusion of AI, DeFi, and Smart Contracts and has made it so that tools such as the Rexas Token Builder, Launchpad, and many others can be utilized by amateurs as well as skilled professionals alike. The ongoing presale, which is still some days away from ending, has managed to raise a total of $21.8 million up to date, and 87% of Stage 9 tokens, which are being sold for $0.125 have already been purchased, which in turn generates confidence in potential investors. There are plans for RXS to list on other major exchanges after the presale, which will also contribute to liquidity. Names are already being mentioned, and Rexas finance is on the list by many analysts who suggest that this would be amongst the top three altcoins in 2025 that would give investors good ROI on their initial investment. Ethereum (ETH): The Backbone of DeFi and NFTs Presently, Ethereum is the king of smart contract platforms, being the backbone for DeFi applications and the NFT craze. With its current price at $3,555 with a market cap of $428.17 billion, Ethereum stands out as the perfect blockchain for developers who want to develop decentralized applications. The move from Ethereum to Ethereum 2.0, enabled by a more efficient proof-of-stake consensus mechanism, suggests a positive ETH price evolution. According to many experts, ETH may be as much as $10,000 by the year 2025, making an exceptional profit as the network becomes more scalable and adapted to different industries. Polygon (MATIC): Scaling Ethereum’s Future MATIC or polygon is an Ethereum network governance token and operates as a Layer 2 scaling solution. Polygon is expected to grow considerably thanks to Ethereum’s increased adoption. Currently, Polygon is trading at $0.6879 and has a market cap of $1.60 billion, which is considered a low market price for most investors. This is due to its application, where the rise of dAPPs continues to increase its growth. Apart from that, Polygon’s partnership with big brands such as Meta and Disney bolsters its growth. Some analysts expect Polygon to see a 2,200 percent return by 2025, making it one of the best altcoins for profits as its ecosystem develops. Solana (SOL): High Speed Cryptocurrency Currently trading at $223.31 with a market cap of $106.13 billion, Solana (SOL) is a reputable blockchain that boasts of speed and cost efficiency as its features, with thousands of transactions being handled in a second. DEXs and NFTs also bring investor confidence to its rapidly growing ecosystem. Solana is expected to grow more than 1000x within the year 2025, based on its solid technology, increasing adoption rate, and key partnerships. Solana is among the top altcoins that have the potential to bring in the highest returns soon. Shiba Inu (SHIB): From Meme Coin to Utility Powerhouse Shiba Inu (SHIB) was a humorous coin but has now matured into an established coin with real applications. Investing in SHIB, which has a price of $0.0000277, has created a larger market for ShibaSwap, Shiba’s NFT marketplace and the Shibaverse metaverse. The project’s anti-inflationary concept, supported by token burning, seeks to shorten supply and increase worth. Given new use cases and increasing acceptability, many analysts expect that the SHIB price can touch $0.001, which is tremendously beneficial. Shiba Inu can potentially provide a massive return to initial investors as the project develops further. Bitcoin – In the World of Digital Currencies, Bitcoin Reigns Supreme Having been the very first development of its kind, BTC dominates such a sector with over two dozen new competitors. With that being said, the Bitcoin Algorithm and the Network do look bright for competition. Due to its attributes, which are unchanged, perceived, and amount to Bitcoin’s value, it is usually sought by those with a dear grasp for the future. Currently, the BTC coin trades at $95,738 with a market cap of $1.89 trillion, making it a strong market advocate. According to forecasters, the value would eventually go to over $150,000 in 2025 as they expect institutions to adopt the currency internationally. Conclusion The best cryptocurrencies to invest in December for huge profits in 2025 are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Rexas Finance, Polygon, Solana, and Shiba Inu. Each project has its own strong points that can lead to growth, from basic blockchain technology to advancement in tokenomics and community building. For more information about Rexas Finance (RXS) visit the links below: Website: https://rexas.com Win $1 Million Giveaway: https://bit.ly/Rexas1M Whitepaper: https://rexas.com/rexas-whitepaper.pdf Twitter/X: https://x.com/rexasfinance Telegram: https://t.me/rexasfinanceCall to support independents this Christmas

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According to SI.com , former NBA star Lou Williams has an opinion on who is and should be the face of the WNBA and it’s not Caitlin Clark . Williams thinks that Las Vegas Aces star and WNBA MVP, A’ja Wilson is still the face of the league despite Caitlin Clark’s success in the WNBA. In a recent interview with FanDuel TV show ‘ Run It Back’ , Lou Williams said, “I still think that [the title of face of women’s basketball] still belongs to A’ja Wilson. A’ja has done a tremendous job of being a champion, being an MVP, doing all of these things. And now her visibility has gone up. You’re starting to see her in commercials.... [So] I still feel like it’s A’ja Wilson.” When the discussion arises about who the face of the league is, there are only two logical choices. With A’ja Wilson being the reigning MVP (2020, 2022, and 2024) and Caitlin Clark who was named Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year 2024 and WNBA Rookie of the Year captivating new WNBA fans, the choices are clear. Wilson has not only won the league MVP in three of the last five seasons, but she has proven to be a team leader in guiding the Aces to two WNBA championships. Last season, Wilson set the single season scoring record with 1,000 points. Clark has brought new fans to the league and a little bit more recognition for the league to people who were not usually watching WNBA games before Clark. You can also measure her superstardom coming into the league from college basketball and playing against the likes of former LSU standout and Chicago Sky star Angel Reese. Williams also went on to say, “A’ja has done a tremendous job of being a champion, being an MVP, doing all of these things. And now her visibility has gone up. You’re starting to see her in commercials.” In respect to Clark, Williams said, “I think some of these people are here for the wrong reasons and I don’t think they stay around to see the tremendous career that she’s gonna put together. Is she the absolute face of the WNBA? She’s one of them, for sure... but I think that still belongs to A’ja Wilson.” This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.Kriti Sanon And Kabir Bahia Attend Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's Performance In Dubai; PHOTOS

SoundHound AI ( SOUN 18.01% ) stock is posting big gains in Thursday's trading. The company's share price was up 17.9% as of 12:30 p.m. ET. SoundHound AI stock is surging amid a day of strong momentum for meme stocks. Speculative growth plays are seeing a strong rebound on the heels of recent valuation volatility, and the conversational artificial intelligence ( AI ) is also getting a boost from bullish analyst coverage. SoundHound AI stock surges to new high After valuation pullbacks that occurred in conjunction with news that the Federal Reserve only expects to deliver two interest rate cuts next year, speculative growth stocks are seeing strong rebound momentum. With today's gains, SoundHound has notched a new high and is up more than 1,000% across 2024's trading -- a rally that makes it one of the year's best-performing stocks. With speculative growth stocks seeing strong bullish momentum, investors appear to be bidding SoundHound up with recent bullish coverage from analysts in mind. On Monday, H.C. Wainwright published new coverage on the stock that maintained a buy rating and raised the firm's one-year price target from $8 per share to $26 per share. While the firm's analysts noted that recent valuation gains have been driven by market excitement, they believe that the company will perform well enough to support its growth-dependent valuation. What comes next for SoundHound AI stock? With today's gains, SoundHound's market capitalization has been pushed up to roughly $8.8 billion. The company is now trading at approximately 105 times this year's expected sales. SOUN PS Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts SoundHound's conversational AI services suggest highly scalable business opportunities, and it's likely that demand for this kind of software will continue to increase rapidly over the long term. On the other hand, investors should keep in mind that the stock's highly growth-dependent valuation opens the door for high levels of volatility if growth falls short of expectations or macroeconomic conditions take a turn for the worse.The ABC has lost its curiosity. Joe Rogan can help Kim Williams recover it

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White supremacist Nick Fuentes is facing battery charges for allegedly macing a woman who confronted him on Nov. 10. In a report obtained Friday by multiple media outlets, Berwyn, Illinois police wrote that a passerby described seeing “a male push a female down the stairs, spray her with mace” and break her phone. Officers responding to the scene identified said male as Fuentes. They said the woman had been provoked by a viral social media post on Election Day, in which Fuentes celebrated an expected rollback of abortion rights by writing: “Your body, my choice. Forever.” “Nicholas then grabbed her phone and momentarily went inside his house before coming back out,” per the police report. “They both then waited for police to arrive. Marla related she did not want to sign complaints at this time.” The incident report, which was first obtained by The Smoking Gun, said Fuentes had been searched, fingerprinted and booked Nov. 27 on a misdemeanor battery charge. He was released but is set to appear in Cook County court on Dec. 19. Fuentes, a 26-year-old far-right influencer who has previously espoused his “love” for Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler, encouraged people to storm the U.S. Capitol in 2021 and dined with President-elect Donald Trump in 2022, is now selling “mugshot merch” on his website. Fuentes appeared to acknowledge the arrest on Friday on X , formerly Twitter, writing: “Free me n***a.” Fuentes’ address was leaked online after his anti-abortion post on the eve of Trump’s election, which eventually garnered more than 50,000 likes. He defended the post to police by arguing he simply “posted a political joke online,” per the report. Rose told Vice last month that she initially only intended to ask Fuentes if he had been harassed or received deliveries of diapers, since Rose said his critics on social media said they’d send him some. She said she only rang his doorbell when an onlooker encouraged her to. “I didn’t expect him to answer,” she told the outlet . “And then as I was saying hi, the spray immediately started. I was going to ask him, ‘Why do you feel comfortable saying the things that you say?’ And it was obvious he’s very scared, probably extremely paranoid.” “I’m 5-foot-1,” explained Rose. “He’s not a big man himself, but I’m 57, he’s 26.” Vice’s report also included a brief video clip of the scuffle. Fuentes told police he has been receiving death threats following his post on Election Day, and that he was in “fear for his life” when Rose appeared at his doorstep. Rose is reportedly planning to file a civil lawsuit against Fuentes over the incident. The “your body, my choice” line has taken on a life of its own. Many of Fuentes’ followers have seized on the phrase by using it to reply to women’s posts on various social media platforms, parents on TikTok have been sharing instances of boys harassing other children with it in real life. JD Vance Praises Trump For Talking To 'Anybody' When Pressed About Nick Fuentes Dinner Daily Wire CEO Tells A White Supremacist He’s ‘Talented’ And ‘Very Funny’ Court Rules Idaho Can Enforce Ban On Interstate Abortion TravelIran envoy to Beirut: Syria developments ‘a threat’ to entire region

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Republicans Gabe Evans and Dan Woog won key races in Congress and the Colorado House of Representatives by razor thin margins in November. U.S. Rep.-elect Gabe Evans speaks during a news conference after defeating Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo in the 8th Congressional District race in Thornton, Colorado, on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post) Evans, a state lawmaker, unseated incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo by less than 2,500 votes to represent Colorado’s 8th Congressional District. The district includes sections of Adams, Larimer and Weld counties and played a pivotal role in the partisan battle over control of the House of Representatives. The flipped seat will split Colorado’s congressional delegation between four Democrats and four Republicans, despite the state’s distinctly blue shift in recent elections. It also will give Republicans a slight buffer in Washington, D.C., where the party will enter the next term with a 220-215 seat majority in Congress. In state House District 19, the race was so close it required a recount, but Woog prevailed over Democrat Jillaire McMillan by 110 votes. McMillan conceded the race to Woog in mid-November, but because Woog won by less than 0.5% of the total votes, an automatic recount of the results was triggered. House District 19 was one of three statehouse districts that flipped from blue to red this year and brought the Democratic majority in the house down to 43-22, one seat shy of a two-thirds supermajority. When Democrats had a supermajority, they could override governor vetoes and put constitutional amendments before voters without Republican support. The district encompasses Dacono, Erie, Frederick, Firestone, east Longmont and surrounding areas, and it includes parts of both Boulder and Weld counties. The Denver Post contributed to this report. The Times-Call is counting down the top 10 stories of the year as voted on by editors. No. 10 – State pauses progress on Draco Pad No. 9 – Wind storm triggers preemptive outage from Xcel, prompting outrage No. 8 – Winchell’s still not open No. 7 – Evans, Woog win key races in Congress, state houseA Psychologist Suggests 4 Ways To Combat Digital ‘Brain Rot’

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Iran has lifted the ban on Meta's messaging platform WhatsApp and Google Play , a first step to scale back internet restrictions, Reuters quoted the Iranian state media on Tuesday. Tehran has some of the strictest internet controls in the world. However, tech-savvy Iranians using virtual private networks (VPN) routinely bypass blocks on social platforms like Facebook, X and YouTube. "A positive majority vote has been reached to lift limitations on access to some popular foreign platforms such as WhatsApp and Google Play", Iran's official IRNA news agency said on Tuesday, referring to a meeting on the matter headed by President Masoud Pezeshkian. "Today the first step in removing internet limitations... has been taken," IRNA quoted the Islamic Republic's minister of information and communications technology Sattar Hashemi as saying. Social media platforms were widely used in anti-government protests in Iran. In September the United States called on Big Tech to help evade online censorship in countries that heavily censor the internet, including Iran. Iran stays new, stricter hijab law On December 18, Iran paused the process of implementing a new and stricter law on women's hijab , AP reported. The law approved by the Iranian parliament in September last year will not be sent to the government. The law levies harsher punishments for women who refuse to wear the hijab and for businesses that serve them, penalties previously rejected by Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian as he tries to restart talks with the West over sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear program. “According to the discussions held, it was decided that this law will not be referred to the government by the parliament for now,” Shahram Dabiri, the vice president in charge of parliamentary affairs, was quoted as saying by the agency. Had the bill passed to the government, Iran's president would have had little room to maneuver. By law, he’s required to endorse the bill within five days, after which it would have taken effect in 15 days. The president has no authority to veto it. Pezeshkian could try to convince Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state, to halt the bill. (With Reuters, AP inputs)Tired of the usual counting-down-the-seconds-to-the-New Year ritual? Provide biodegradable lanterns where you can write down something you want to leave behind in the past year. Release them at midnight to symbolize starting fresh. Here’s a few things you might want to do with friends and family to celebrate the changing of the year Virtual salubong with family from all over the world Host a countdown party over a video call with loved ones working abroad. Include games, karaoke, and a toast of drinks local to your home country (tuba, anyone?) to make them feel like they’re in the same room. Or how about you upgrade your celebration by preparing food and drinks representing the countries where family members live, or celebrating the New Year for an entire day as it strikes in each time zone they’re at? Take extra effort to create a Pinoy food fiesta Don’t order the usual Chinese feast. If it’s a potluck family party, ask everyone to flex their regional delicacies: Cebu lechon, Bicol Express, Ilocos empanada, moron from Leyte, pastil from Cotabato—imagine the feast you’re greeting the new year with! Let go Provide biodegradable lanterns where you can write down something you want to leave behind in the past year. Release them at midnight to symbolize starting fresh. Celebrating by the beach? Write down one thing you want to let go in a banana leaf and set these leaves adrift toward the sea. Or, you can write your resolutions, hopes, and wishes on a lantern or biodegradable balloon and release them into the air to symbolize sending your prayer to the heavens. Have a fiesta-inspired countdown It’s a good way to orient kids about your culture. From Cebu? Host a mini Sinulog festival with music, dance, and decorations to bring the energy of your province to your New Year’s celebration. Use tribal drums! From Aklan? Make the celebration Ati-Atihan inspired. From Leyte? Hala bira like the Pintados. Nothing more Pinoy than a karaoke countdown challenge Starting at 10 p.m., cue songs that would be included in the countdown playlist, capping it off with a banger that’s considered a family theme song. Highest score wins the big prize of the night. Make kindness a tradition Start and end the year by giving back and showing kindness. Organize a family activity on the last day and the first day where you bring donations to those in need, or distribute food packs to those who are living on the streets. Counting your stack of donated items can be your version of an NYE countdown. Create a capsule Encourage family members to write a letter to their future self, or to their loved ones, and seal these in a box to be opened in the future, on another New Year’s Eve many years from now. Include photos, Polaroids, gifts, or objects. Street party with the neighbors Involve the community and create a countdown with local performances, from kids to neighborhood Maritesses. Organize a potluck featuring each household’s specialties. Let everything Glow in the Dark Have you ever had a blacklight party? Now’s the time. Make sure everything glows—outfits, decor, and drinks. Stock on glow sticks, neon paint, and luminescent decorations. Use glow-in-the-dark numbers to count down to the New Year. Stargazing Just want to run away from the noise of it all? Celebrate somewhere quiet, like Tanay or Tagaytay, somewhere quiet and with a high elevation, and with zero light pollution. Bring telescopes, blankets, and hot drinks for a celestial countdown under the stars. Champagne tower Build a champagne (or if you can’t do alcohol—sparkling juice) tower and pour the final bottle as the clock strikes midnight. Let the oldest member of the family take the top glasses for a symbolic toast.College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta. Alabama left out of playoff as committee rewards SMU's wins over Crimson Tide's strong schedule The College Football Playoff committee took wins over strength of schedule, taking SMU over Alabama for the final at-large spot in the field. The field was expanded from four to 12 teams this season, but that didn’t save the committee from controversy. SMU showed it could compete against a traditional power, losing to Clemson 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal in the ACC title game on Saturday. Alabama had some ups and downs in its first season under coach Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide had quality wins against Georgia and South Carolina, but lost at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Big Ten wins playoff selection derby, followed by SEC despite notable Alabama omission College football’s conference shakeup left concerns about two super conferences dominating the playoff field. They weren’t totally unfounded, or 100% born out. The Big Ten, not the Southeastern Conference, was the biggest winner. The ACC scored, too. The Big Ten led the initial 12-team playoff field with four making the cut, topped by a No. 1 Oregon team that was part of the Pac-12 exodus. Then came the SEC — and one notable omission. ACC runner-up SMU got the nod over college football blue-blood Alabama, another blemish in Kalen DeBoer’s first season as Nick Saban’s championship-or-bust successor. Darnold delivers for Vikings with career-high 347 yards and 5 TDs to beat Falcons, Cousins 42-21 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns, both career highs, and the Minnesota Vikings pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons 42-21 for their sixth straight victory. Darnold added another highlight to his brilliant first season with the Vikings following Cousins' departure in free agency to Atlanta with a 22-for-28 performance and no turnover-worthy plays despite heavy first-half pressure. Jordan Addison had eight catches for 133 yards and three scores and Justin Jefferson racked up seven receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Cousins threw two more interceptions without a touchdown in his return to Minnesota. Saquon Barkley sets Eagles season rushing record and has Dickerson's NFL mark in his sights PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley has broken LeSean McCoy's Eagles franchise record for rushing yards in a season. Barkley has 1,623 yards. He surpassed McCoy's mark of 1,607 yards with a 9-yard run in Sunday's 22-16 win over Carolina. Barkley finished the game with 124 yards, within a yard of his season average. He has four games left and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's 40-year-old NFL record of 2,105 yards. Dickerson set that record in a 16-game season and Barkley has one more game. Eagles fans serenaded Barkley with “MVP!” chants and McCoy congratulated him on social media. Saints QB Derek Carr injures left hand on dive in 4th quarter of win over Giants EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr injured his left hand late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 14-11 victory over the New York Giants when he went airborne while trying for a first down and crashed to the turf. Carr tried to leap over a Giants tackler and landed at the New Orleans 39-yard line, extending his non-throwing hand to break his fall. He was on the turf for a minute or two before walking to the medical tent. He was examined and slowly walked to an area where X-rays are done. The injury could hurt the already slim playoff hopes of the Saints. Tamar Bates scores 29 points to help Missouri beat No. 1 Kansas 76-67 COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Tamar Bates had 29 points and five steals to help Missouri beat Hunter Dickinson and No. 1 Kansas 76-67. Mark Mitchell scored 17 points in Missouri’s first win over Kansas since a 74-71 victory on Feb. 4, 2012. Anthony Robinson II had 11 points and five steals for the 8-1 Tigers. Dickinson had 19 points and 14 rebounds, but he also committed seven turnovers. The 7-2 Jayhawks have lost two straight on the road after falling 76-63 against Creighton on Wednesday night. Scottie Scheffler ends his big year in the Bahamas with his 9th victory NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler ended his biggest year with another victory. Scheffler was coming off a two-month break and looked as good as ever. He shot 63 in the Hero World Challenge and set tournament records at Albany with a 72-hole total of 263 and a six-shot victory. Tom Kim was the runner-up and Justin Thomas finished third. Scheffler ends his year with nine victories in 21 tournaments. That includes the holiday tournament in the Bahamas and the Olympic gold medal in Paris. It's the third-highest winning percentage in the last 40 years. Tournament host Tiger Woods had two better years. Lindsey Vonn is encouraged by how close she is to being competitive in ski racing return at age 40 COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is encouraged by how close she is to being competitive again in her ski racing return at 40 years old. Vonn is still getting her ski equipment dialed in and getting used to going full speed again on her new titanium knee. That’s why all that she's reading into being more than two seconds behind in a pair of lower-level super-G races Sunday is that she’s right there. This after nearly six years away from ski racing and an abbreviated prep period. She was 2.19 seconds behind in the first race and 2.06 in the second. Both were won by her American teammate Lauren Macuga. Plane circles MetLife Stadium with message to co-owner John Mara to fix the Giants' 'dumpster fire' EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — A small plane circled MetLife Stadium roughly 90 minutes before New York was to play host to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, asking Giants co-owner John Mara to overhaul the team that has made the playoffs twice since winning the Super Bowl in February 2012. “Mr. Mara, enough. Please fix this dumpster fire!” the message read as it was towed behind the rear of a small plane.

Questions regarding photo radar tickets in Ottawa amid postal workers' strikeSome tech industry leaders are pushing the incoming Trump administration to increase visas for highly skilled workers from other nations. The heart of the argument is, for America to remain competitive, the country needs to expand the number of skilled visas it gives out. The previous Trump administration did not increase the skilled visa program, instead clamping down on visas for students and educated workers, increasing denial rates. Not everyone in corporate America thinks the skilled worker program is great. Former workers at IT company Cognizant recently won a federal class-action lawsuit that said the company favored Indian employees over Americans from 2013 to 2022. A Bloomberg investigation found Cognizant, and other similar outsourcing companies, mainly used its skilled work visas for lower-level positions. Workers alleged Cognizant preferred Indian workers because they could be paid less and were more willing to accept inconvenient or less-favorable assignments. Question: Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? Economists Caroline Freund, University of California-San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy YES: Innovation is our superpower and it relies on people. Sourcing talent from 8 billion people in the world instead of 330 million here makes sense. Nearly half our Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Growing them also relies on expanding our skilled workforce. The cap on skilled-worker visas has hardly changed since the computer age started. With AI on the horizon, attracting and building talent is more important than ever. Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research YES: After years of openly allowing millions of undocumented entrants into the country, why is there controversy over legally increasing somewhat the number having desirable skills? Undocumented immigration significantly impacts lower skill level jobs and wages competing with domestic workers at every skill level. Why should special cases be made against those having higher skills? Could they just not walk across the border anyway, why make it more inconvenient to those with desirable skills? James Hamilton, University of California-San Diego YES: Knowledge and technology are key drivers of the U.S. economy. Students come from all over the world to learn at U.S. universities, and their spending contributed $50 billion to U.S. exports last year. Technological advantage is what keeps us ahead of the rest of the world. Highly skilled immigrants contribute much more in taxes than they receive in public benefits. The skills immigrants bring to America can make us all better off. Norm Miller, University of San Diego YES: According to Forbes, the majority of billion-dollar startups were founded by foreigners. I’ve interviewed dozens of data analysts and programmers from Berkeley, UCSD, USD and a few other schools and 75% of them are foreign. There simply are not enough American graduates to fill the AI and data mining related jobs now exploding in the U.S. If we wish to remain a competitive economy, we need highly skilled and bright immigrants to come here and stay. David Ely, San Diego State University YES: Being able to employ highly skilled workers from a larger pool of candidates would strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. companies by increasing their capacity to perform research and innovate. This would boost the country’s economic output. Skilled workers from other nations that cannot remain in the U.S. will find jobs working for foreign rivals. The demand for H-1B visas far exceeds the current cap of 85,000, demonstrating a need to modify this program. Executives Phil Blair, Manpower YES: Every country needs skilled workers, at all levels, to grow its economy. We should take advantage of the opportunity these workers provide our employers who need these skills. It should be blended into our immigration policies allowing for both short and long term visas. Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: San Diego is a premiere example of how highly skilled workers from around the globe enrich a community and its regional economy. Of course Visa levels need to be increased. But let’s go further. Tie visas and immigration with a provision that those who are admitted and educated at a U.S. university be incentivized, or even required, to be employed in the U.S. in exchange for their admittance. Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates NO: While attracting high-skilled immigrants can fill critical gaps in sectors like technology, health care and advanced manufacturing, increasing high-skilled immigration could displace American workers and drive down wages in certain industries. There are already many qualified American workers available for some of these jobs. We should balance the need for specialized skills with the impact on the domestic workforce. I believe we can begin to increase the number of visas after a careful review of abuse. Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth YES: We should expand skilled visas to drive innovation and economic growth. Individuals who perform high-skilled work in labor-restricted industries or graduate from respected colleges with relevant degrees should be prioritized for naturalization. We depend on immigration for GDP growth, tax revenue, research, and so much more. Despite the abhorrent rhetoric and curtailing of visas in the first term, I hope the incoming administration can be persuaded to enact positive changes to a clearly flawed system. Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health YES: But it should be based upon need, not politics. There are several industries that have or could have skilled workforce shortages, especially if the next administration tightens immigration as promised and expected. Over the years, there have been nursing shortages that have been met partially by trained and skilled nurses from other countries. The physician shortage is expected to get worse in the years to come. So, this visa program may very well be needed. Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: While skilled immigration could boost our economy and competitiveness, the U.S. should prioritize developing our domestic workforce. Hiring foreign nationals in sensitive industries or government-related work, especially in advanced technology or defense, raises security concerns. A balanced approach could involve targeted increases in non-sensitive high-demand fields coupled with investment in domestic STEM education and training programs. This could address immediate needs while strengthening the long-term STEM capabilities of the American workforce. ©2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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NoneCARSON, Calif. — The LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have been Major League Soccer mainstays since the league's inaugural season in 1996, signing glamorous players and regularly competing for championships through years of success and setbacks in a league that's perpetually improving and expanding. Yet just a year ago, both of these clubs appeared to be a very long way from the stage they'll share Saturday in the MLS Cup Final. The Galaxy were one of MLS' worst teams after a season of internal turmoil and public fan dissent, while the Red Bulls were merely a steady mediocrity seeking yet another coach to chart a new direction. A year later, these MLS founders are meeting in the league's first Cup final between teams from North America's two biggest markets. "Two original clubs being able to put themselves in this situation, I think it's great," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. "To see two clubs that have been at it as long as this league has been around be here, I think it's a special moment. Couldn't be two more different and contrasting styles as well, which could make for an interesting game, and I would imagine a high-intensity game." Everything changed in 2024 after a dismal decade for the Galaxy, who are favored to cap their transformation by winning their team's record sixth MLS championship with a roster that's dramatically different from its past few groups — albeit with one massive injury absence in the final. The transformation of the Red Bulls happened only in the postseason, when a team that hadn't won a playoff game since 2017 suddenly turned into world-beaters under rookie coach Sandro Schwarz. New York struggled through the final three months of league play with only two wins before posting road playoff victories over defending champ Columbus, archrival New York City FC and conference finalist Orlando to storm into the Cup final. "We know about the history (of our club), and we know tomorrow will define what that could mean," Schwarz said Friday. "To feel the pressure for tomorrow, it's necessary, because it's a final, and without pressure it's not possible to bring the best quality on the field." The Red Bulls have never won an MLS Cup, only reaching the championship match once before. What's more, they've somehow never won a Cup in any tournament, although they've collected three Supporters' Shields for MLS' best regular-season record. The Galaxy's trophy case is large and loaded, and those five MLS Cups are on the top shelf. But not much of that team success happened in the past decade for the club that famously brought David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and many other international stars to Hollywood. In fact, this season has ended a grim era for the Galaxy, who haven't lost all year at their frequently renamed home stadium — which was the site of protests and boycotts just a year ago. The club's fans were tired of LA's steady underachievement and ineptitude in the front office run by team president Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. One year ago Thursday, the Galaxy hired Will Kuntz, a longtime Los Angeles FC executive who engineered his new club's roster transformation, most dramatically by landing new designated players Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil — two international talents that LAFC also had in its sights. "I give Will and the group up there a ton of credit," Vanney said. "It's one thing to have players you like, and it's a whole other thing to get them here and get them to connect with your group." Pec and Paintsil combined for 32 goals and 27 assists while boosting the incumbent talents of striker Dejan Joveljic and Riqui Puig, the gifted Barcelona product who runs the offense from the midfield. The Galaxy clicked in the postseason, scoring a jaw-dropping 16 goals in four matches. Puig has been the Galaxy's most important player all season, but he won't be in the MLS Cup Final after tearing a knee ligament late in last week's conference final victory over Seattle. The loss of Puig — who somehow kept playing on his injured knee, and even delivered the game-winning pass to Joveljic — makes the Galaxy even more difficult to anticipate. "He played a lot in the regular season, so it was not so easy to analyze all these games now without him," Schwarz said. "But the main focus is to analyze what we need to do, because it's not clear now how they're playing without him." The Galaxy could give some of Puig's responsibilities to Marco Reus, the longtime Dortmund standout who joined LA in August. Reus is nursing a hamstring injury, but Vanney expects him to play.

ANZ taps HSBC's Nuno Matos as new CEO, shares fall"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

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WASHINGTON The Biden administration is considering the removal of the foreign terror designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian group that toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime, according to a report published Tuesday. The discussions aim to "create a pathway for the world to interact with the new government," one former US official told NBC News. Two officials who spoke to the network said Washington is looking to lift the designation "soon," while another said the talks were still in the early stages. The report came hours after White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said there were "no discussions right now about changing the policy with respect to HTS, but we are watching what they do." The State Department said earlier that the group "is using the right words," but the US will judge it not by those words, but by their actions in the coming days, regarding a potential lifting of the designation. HTS has been designated as a terrorist organization by the US, UK, UN and Türkiye. However, the group and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, have sought to rebrand themselves as a more moderate force in Syria, emphasizing inclusion and a political path forward. Removing the group's terror designation would involve lifting the $10 million bounty on al-Jolani, said the report.

ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted while being led into court Tuesday as new details emerged about his possible motivation behind the ambush. In his first public words since a five-day search ended with his arrest at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania, Luigi Nicholas Mangione emerged from a patrol car shouting about an “insult to the intelligence of the American people” while deputies pushed him inside a courthouse. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family is fighting attempts to extradite him to New York so that he can face a murder charge in the Manhattan killing of Brian Thompson , who led the United States’ largest medical insurance company. A law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said that at the time of his arrest, Mangione was carrying a handwritten document expressing anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed and power. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive health care system in the world and that profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin. In social media posts, Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski — who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology — a “political revolutionary,” according to the police bulletin. Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors were beginning to take steps to bring Mangione to New York, but at a brief hearing Tuesday, defense lawyer Thomas Dickey said his client will not waive extradition and instead wants a hearing on the issue. Mangione was denied bail after prosecutors said he was too dangerous to be released. He mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally looking at papers, rocking in his chair or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion but was quieted by his lawyer. “You can’t rush to judgment in this case or any case,” Dickey said afterward. “He’s presumed innocent. Let’s not forget that.” Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City, after a McDonald’s customer recognized him and notified an employee, authorities said. Images of Mangione released Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald's while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and beanie. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair. New York police officials have said Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Thompson and the same fake ID the shooter had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs. A law enforcement official who wasn’t authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said a three-page, handwritten document found with Mangione included a line in which he claimed to have acted alone. “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official. It also said, “I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.” Thompson, 50, was killed last Wednesday as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. From surveillance video, New York investigators determined the shooter quickly fled the city, likely by bus. Mangione was born into a life of country clubs and privilege. His grandfather was a self-made real estate developer and philanthropist. Valedictorian at his elite Baltimore prep school, he went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Maryland Del. Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” From January to June 2022, Luigi Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. "There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, from surfing to romance, Ryan said. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. ___ Scolforo reported from Altoona and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Contributing were Associated Press writers Cedar Attanasio and Jennifer Peltz in New York; Michael Rubinkam and Maryclaire Dale in Pennsylvania; Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio.FIL:E – People photograph the New York Stock Exchange in New York’s Financial District on Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan, File) New York, United States — Wall Street stocks were little changed on Thursday while Asian equities rose in thin Boxing Day trade, extending their “Santa Claus Rally” with several bourses still shut for the holiday. Japan’s Nikkei index closed up 1.1 percent, boosted by comments from the Bank of Japan governor and share price gains for top-selling automaker Toyota. China’s plans for massive bond issuances in 2025 also bolstered investor sentiment. “Even though many in the region are still shaking off a bit of a holiday hangover, with several markets closed for Boxing Day, Asian stocks opened higher, riding a favorable wave from China’s financial bond juggernaut,” said Stephen Innes from SPI Asset Management. In New York, major indices veered in and out of positive territory in a sleepy post-Christmas session. The broad-based S&P 500 finished down less than 0.1 percent. Large technology companies that have led the market in much of 2024 mostly took a breather. These included Netflix, Tesla and Amazon, all of which declined. “What’s interesting today is that we’re seeing small stocks bounce back a little bit,” said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers, noting that the Russell 2000 index put on 0.9 percent. Holiday consumer data showed a 3.8-percent increase in US retail spending from November 1 to December 24, according to a Mastercard SpendingPulse review of a key period for retailers. London Stockton, an analyst at Ned Davis Research, noted that the “Santa Claus rally could still be alive, with strong seasonality into the end of the year.” Stock markets have traditionally fared well in the last five trading days of the year and the first two in the new year, a trend known as the “Santa Claus rally.” Among a number of possible reasons advanced by experts include the festive holiday mood and purchasing ahead of the end of the tax year. Innes said remarks from Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda in which he refrained from signaling a potential interest rate hike next month also “influenced bullish regional sentiments.” Japanese market heavyweight Toyota ended nearly six percent higher after reports in the Nikkei business daily said it aimed to double its return on equity — a key measure of a company’s financial performance. New York – Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 43,325.80 (close) New York – S&P 500: DOWN less than 0.1 percent at 6,037.59 (close) New York – Nasdaq: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,020.36 (close) Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 percent at 39,568.06 points (close) Hang Seng: UP 1.1 percent at 20,098.29 points (Tuesday close) Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,398.08 points (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0424 from $1.0414 on Tuesday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2526 from $1.2538 Dollar/yen: UP at 158.00 yen from 157.06 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.19 pence from 83.05 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.7 percent at $69.62 per barrel Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $73.26 per barrel

Making spiking a specific offence is about making sure the law is up to date to deal with it as a crime, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones has said. Labour plans to make spiking a specific offence and has laid out plans for venue staff to be trained in relation to spiking, with a pilot to begin within weeks before a wider rollout next year. Ms Davies-Jones, asked about why it was worthwhile to make spiking a new offence when it is already illegal, said: “Spiking is a crime already. “A lot of people don’t realise that it is a crime already, which is part of the problem.” She said there were around 6,000 reports of spiking last year but that because it is an underreported crime, it is not clear how big of a problem it is. “Part of the problem we’ve got is around the data collection, so you don’t know if you’ve been spiked with a drink, a needle, a vape, for example,” she told Politics Hub on Sky News. Modernising the offence and giving police the tools to get accurate data allows a clearer picture of where, how and how often spiking is happening, she said. It is about “clarifying it, modernising it, making sure that people know exactly what this is...the law isn’t quite, it isn’t up to date. “It isn’t modern enough.” Sir Keir Starmer earlier said he hopes the change will give people “the confidence to come forward”, in a meeting of police bosses, transport figures and hospitality executives in Downing Street. Ms Davies-Jones and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper were among the attendees at the round-table discussion on Monday morning. Labour pledged in its manifesto to introduce a new offence for spiking, but there was no detail in the King’s Speech this year about a specific crime, though it promised to ensure an improved police response to cases. According to information published by the Metropolitan Police, spiking offences are currently covered by more than one law, but most come under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Sir Keir told the meeting: “There are a number of measures that we are setting out this morning – we want to talk it through with you. “The first is to make spiking a specific offence so that it counts, it’s reported.” He said that such a measure would mean that it “enables everybody to have the confidence to come forward” and also “it allows perpetrators to know that it’s a specific offence”. Detailing the training scheme, he went on: “We’re beginning the piloting of training for staff in venues.” He said the scheme would be “partly to spot what’s happening, but also to know what to do in the event that there is an incident in a venue”. “That will start in December with a pilot then it will be rolled out from March of next year,” Sir Keir added. He also said that the “final” point of discussion for the morning was “police indexing – (the) way that we count it across different police forces”. Sir Keir added: “At the moment it’s quite hard to get your arms around the pure numbers.” Plain clothes officers are being deployed in areas around bars and clubs to spot predatory behaviour. The text-to-report number, 61016, that allows women to contact British Transport Police to report harassment on the train, is due to be relaunched. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Spiking is a disturbing and serious crime which can have a damaging and long-lasting impact on victims. “That’s why today we are taking decisive action to prevent this devastating crime and to crack down on perpetrators, by introducing a new criminal offence for spiking and launching specialist training for thousands of bar staff nationwide. “People shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of their drinks on a night out. “These changes are about giving victims greater confidence to come forward, and ensuring that there is a robust response from the police whenever these appalling crimes take place.”None

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SAN FRANCISCO – Northern California was under a rare and brief tsunami warning alert Thursday that tested local emergency notification systems after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook part of the state. The National Weather Service canceled its alert after roughly an hour and before the tsunami was expected to arrive. In that hour, some cities and counties ordered evacuations while others relied on social media and text messages to inform people of the warning. Some people headed for higher ground, while others drove to the beach to get a better view. Recommended Videos People took to social media to figure out why a warning was issued and then canceled so quickly, and how the NWS determines when to send alerts. Here are answers to more questions. What exactly is a tsunami? The word for tsunami comes from the Japanese characters for harbor and wave. It's a series of extremely long waves set in motion when energy from an earthquake causes the ocean floor to suddenly rise or fall, according to the National Weather Service . How common are they in California? Since 1800, California's shores have been struck by more than 150 tsunamis, most of them minor, according to the California Geological Survey. Phones buzzed Thursday when the National Weather Service issued its warning just minutes after the quake struck west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County. It read in part: “You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now.” Why was there an alert if there wasn't a large tsunami? The National Weather Service Bay Area posted on the social platform X early Friday that the region doesn't get tsunami alerts often and “there are lot of questions, frustration, and even some anger” about Thursday's event. A warning alert is the most serious of four tsunami alerts, including a watch alert for a possible tsunami and an advisory alert telling people to stay out of the water and away from the shore. The last time California received a warning alert was 2011 when an earthquake in Japan caused about $100 million in damages along the California coast. Basically, a distant, offshore earthquake or other trigger event gives scientists more time to analyze data and confirm that a large tsunami was generated before sounding a warning. But Thursday’s earthquake was local and close to the coast, forcing a hasty high-level alert in order to give people the maximum time to prepare as tsunami waves can travel very fast, up to 500 mph (800 kph) in the deep ocean, the NWS wrote. “By the time we actually observe it, it may be too late, because it's right there in our back doors,” said Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with NWS Bay Area, on Friday. Scientists used the time Thursday to monitor buoys and get more information on the earthquake itself, he said. They canceled the alert after seeing little sea-level change and determining the quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, he said. “These things happen so infrequently for us, I think it just caught a lot of people off-guard,” he said. How did Northern California respond? Authorities in Eureka, the biggest city in Humboldt County, sent texts and went door-to-door to order businesses in high-risk areas to evacuate, said City Manager Miles Slattery. He said only a small portion of the city was at risk, and Thursday's test run showed evacuees need to work on leaving by foot, rather than by car. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the commuter light-rail system known as BART stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated. Responses varied as fire and police in Berkeley evacuated certain areas of the city while in San Francisco, officials sent alerts and messages on social media telling residents to stay away from water, beaches, harbors, marina docks, and piers. “Move at least one block inland,” said the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. Emergency personnel in vehicles with public address systems also went to make sure no one was on beaches and other low-lying areas. But some critics said San Francisco should have sounded its loud emergency sirens, which have been off-line since 2019 for repairs. In San Mateo County, just south of San Francisco, officials considered but decided against sounding its tsunami warning sirens after receiving more comprehensive information from the NWS that any tsunami would affect coastlines north of the Golden Gate Bridge, said Michelle Durand, a spokesperson for the county. Fire and police cleared the beaches while emergency personnel gathered to monitor the situation, she said, which “prioritized both public safety and the prevention of unnecessary panic.”

Giving thanks for America, overtime, the ‘Piano Man’Mariah Carey's holiday concert at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh was cancelled on Wednesday, hours before the show's scheduled start time. The venue's website said that fans will be able to get ticket refunds. The multi-time Grammy Award winner in a brief statement said she had contracted the flu. "Pittsburgh, I am sorry to say, I've come down with the flu. It breaks my heart that I unfortunately have to cancel tonight's show. I love you all so much," Carey informed her fans on social media. Read More: Luigi Mangione's Alleged Tinder And OnlyFans Profiles, TikTok Videos Surface "Tonight's show with Mariah Carey has been cancelled. Fans will receive an email with refund options. If you do not receive an email, please contact your point of purchase," the venue said. For those who bought through Ticketmaster, refunds will be processed automatically. For tickets purchased at the PPG Paints Arena box office or through other vendors, fans may need to follow specific instructions provided by the seller. Read More: From TikTok Fame To Crypto Flop: Mapping Hawk Tuah Girl Hailey Welch's Journey Mariah Carey’s 2024 schedule Mariah Carey’s 2024 schedule includes her ongoing 'Celebration of Mimi Live' residency at Dolby Live, Park MGM in Las Vegas, which has been extended through February 15, 2025. Following this, she will embark on her highly anticipated "Christmas Time Tour," celebrating the 30th anniversary of her Merry Christmas album. The tour begins November 6 in Highland, California, and concludes December 17 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, covering 20 cities, including Los Angeles, Houston, Nashville, and Washington, D.C. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US Buzz, World and around the world.Baltic index snaps 7-session losing streak as larger vessel rates riseNone

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Hicks 6-9 1-1 16, Konan Niederhauser 4-6 4-7 12, Baldwin 2-8 8-8 12, Dilione 3-6 0-2 6, P.Johnson 5-8 3-4 15, Kern 9-12 2-5 20, Nzeh 1-2 1-1 3, Dunn 0-4 0-0 0, Carter 0-2 0-2 0, Stewart 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 30-57 20-32 85. Dean 5-10 1-2 13, Tsimbila 0-0 0-0 0, J.Johnson 5-11 5-6 15, Medor 3-6 1-2 8, Richardson 0-2 0-0 0, Rivera 7-12 1-5 15, Tripp 5-9 2-2 13, Smith 0-1 0-2 0, Riley 0-1 0-1 0, Pettis 0-1 0-0 0, Zona 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 26-54 10-20 66. Halftime_Penn St. 42-34. 3-Point Goals_Penn St. 5-14 (Hicks 3-5, P.Johnson 2-3, Carter 0-1, Dilione 0-1, Dunn 0-1, Kern 0-1, Baldwin 0-2), Fordham 4-18 (Dean 2-5, Tripp 1-1, Medor 1-2, Pettis 0-1, Smith 0-1, Richardson 0-2, Rivera 0-2, J.Johnson 0-4). Fouled Out_Tsimbila. Rebounds_Penn St. 37 (Kern 13), Fordham 27 (Dean 9). Assists_Penn St. 13 (Baldwin 7), Fordham 16 (Medor, Richardson, Tripp 3). Total Fouls_Penn St. 19, Fordham 24.

Soccer-Ashworth exit does not change Man United direction, says AmorimSanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Freshpet, Inc. ( NASDAQ:FRPT – Free Report ) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,565 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $351,000. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 3,670.0% in the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 367 shares during the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the second quarter valued at about $52,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Freshpet in the third quarter valued at about $54,000. Finally, Quarry LP raised its position in shares of Freshpet by 275.2% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after buying an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. Freshpet Stock Up 0.2 % Shares of NASDAQ:FRPT opened at $146.36 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $147.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $137.21. The stock has a market cap of $7.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 164.45 and a beta of 1.41. Freshpet, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.16 and a fifty-two week high of $160.91. The company has a quick ratio of 3.91, a current ratio of 4.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently issued reports on FRPT. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Freshpet from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $161.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Freshpet from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Freshpet from $157.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Freshpet has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.36. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Freshpet Insider Activity at Freshpet In other Freshpet news, President Scott James Morris sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.38, for a total transaction of $786,900.00. Following the sale, the president now owns 122,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,260,164.40. This trade represents a 3.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, insider Thembeka Machaba sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.85, for a total transaction of $384,625.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 12,500 shares of company stock valued at $1,962,175 over the last 90 days. 3.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Freshpet Company Profile ( Free Report ) Freshpet, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, distributes, and markets natural fresh meals and treats for dogs and cats in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It sells dog food, cat food, and dog treats under the Freshpet brand name; and Dognation and Dog Joy labels through various classes of retail, including grocery, mass, club, pet specialty, and natural, as well as online. Read More Five stocks we like better than Freshpet When to Sell a Stock for Profit or Loss S&P 500 ETFs: Expense Ratios That Can Boost Your Long-Term Gains Low PE Growth Stocks: Unlocking Investment Opportunities How AI Implementation Could Help MongoDB Roar Back in 2025 The Significance of a Trillion-Dollar Market Cap Goes Beyond a Number Hedge Funds Boost Oil Positions: Is a Major Rally on the Horizon? Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FRPT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Freshpet, Inc. ( NASDAQ:FRPT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Freshpet Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Freshpet and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Winter Wonders: Why This Season Is Ideal for a Bathroom Remodel 12-28-2024 10:04 AM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: ABNewswire Mesa Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling This season, whether you're in Mesa or searching for bathroom remodeling nearby, is a surprisingly ideal time to embark on this transformative home improvement project. When the chill of winter sets in, many homeowners shift their focus to indoor projects. Among the most impactful and rewarding upgrades is bathroom remodeling. This season, whether you're in Mesa or searching for bathroom remodeling nearby [ https://www.google.com/maps/place/bathroom+remodeling+nearby/@33.41483416504856,-111.8313794017708,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x8afc255586c6ba45:0xcd1bc4f07c3f2ef3!8m2!3d33.3892588!4d-111.8410323!16s%2Fg%2F11vpmxhs39?entry=ttu ], is a surprisingly ideal time to embark on this transformative home improvement project. 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Bathroom remodeling in Mesa [ https://mesakitchenandbathroomremodeling.com/#:~:text=Bathroom%20Remodeling%20in%20Mesa ] or nearby areas also allows you to incorporate designs that suit your climate. For example, adding natural stone or wood elements can bring warmth and texture to your space, creating a welcoming oasis during cooler months. Efficient Material Availability While some may worry about material shortages during winter, this season often presents opportunities to access high-quality materials at lower costs. Many suppliers offer end-of-year sales or discounts on inventory to make room for new stock. This can translate to significant savings on tiles, countertops, fixtures, and other essential items for your bathroom remodel. Collaborating with a trusted bathroom remodeling company can help you navigate these options and make the most of your budget. Experienced contractors have established relationships with suppliers, ensuring timely delivery of materials even during the winter months. Professional Insights and Support Winter provides a chance to work closely with professionals who can help you design and execute your dream bathroom. Whether you need a full renovation or simple updates, their expertise ensures the project is completed efficiently and to your satisfaction. If you're in Mesa or searching for bathroom remodeling nearby, choosing a reputable company is key. Look for one with glowing reviews, proven experience, and a portfolio of completed projects that align with your vision. Their knowledge of local trends and climate considerations can further enhance the outcome of your remodel. Conclusion Winter is more than just a time to hibernate; it's an opportunity to invest in your home and create a space that enhances your daily life. From increased contractor availability and energy efficiency upgrades to trendy designs and holiday-ready aesthetics, there are countless reasons to consider bathroom remodeling this season. For homeowners in Mesa or those searching for bathroom remodeling nearby, the winter months offer unique advantages that make the process smoother and more rewarding. By working with a trusted bathroom remodeling company [ http://mesakitchenandbathroomremodeling.com/ ], you can bring your vision to life and enjoy a transformed space for years to come. Don't let winter pass by without taking advantage of its potential-start planning your bathroom remodel today! Mesa Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling offers top-notch services for transforming bathrooms in Mesa. Specializing in modern designs, functional layouts, and high-quality materials, the company caters to homeowners seeking personalized upgrades. Whether it's a complete overhaul or minor updates, their skilled team ensures exceptional craftsmanship. With a commitment to customer satisfaction, Mesa Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling is the go-to choice for those searching for reliable bathroom remodeling services in the Mesa area. Media Contact Company Name: Mesa Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling Contact Person: Support Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=winter-wonders-why-this-season-is-ideal-for-a-bathroom-remodel ] Phone: (623) 343-6363 Address:1440 S Country Club Dr #9 City: Mesa State: AZ Country: United States Website: http://mesakitchenandbathroomremodeling.com/ This release was published on openPR.

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Michael Gray Jr., Byron Ireland rally Nicholls to 76-75 victory over LouisianaThe Summit High School boys basketball team is entering a new era. After eight years of Jordan Buller being at the helm of the program, Summit head football coach Paul Lopez has taken over the reins of boys basketball team as the interim head coach. Last season, the Tigers earned a record of 12-12, which was enough for the team to return to the Class 4A playoffs for the first time since 2021 . With a new coach this season, Summit will look to make the playoffs again this winter, but like any team, will face several challenges throughout the season. Beyond navigating a new coaching staff, Summit will also be tasked with filling the void left by the five seniors that graduated from last year’s team. Seniors included playmakers like Emilio Jain, Hank Chabot and Max Nakos as well as leaders like Matthew Valdez. Despite losing the graduating seniors, Summit has returned a group of players that are not only powerful athletes, but also have the skills necessary to be leaders on the team. Most notably, Summit will rely on the star power and expertise of senior guard ​​Eduardo Gutierrez. Gutierrez led the team in points last season, averaging 14 points per game and scoring a total of 336 points. In addition to being able to score for the Tigers, Gutierrez possesses an ability to invigorate his teammates and harness that competitive edge that is necessary to win in close games. Another strong returner for the Tigers will be senior Alejandro Baray-Jain. Last season as a junior, Baray-Jain played in a total of 18 varsity games where he averaged 0.8 points, 0.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Fresh off a huge football season, Baray-Jain will look to be a leader for the Tigers on the court this winter, serving as one of the team’s captains. “It is my last year, so I just want to finish off strong,” Baray-Jain said. “With Coach Buller and Coach Kimball leaving last year and Coach Lopez and Coach Kelly stepping up, we didn’t see it as a challenge — we are grateful for it everyday. Everyone is a leader on this team. Being named a captain on this team by Coach Lopez already — I am beyond grateful for that.” Gutierrez and Baray-Jain will be supported by several newcomers to the varsity roster. Notable additions come from the Tigers’ football team and include senior Sean Mullaly as well as senior Cesar Sauceda. Like Baray-Jain, Mullaly and Sauceda were mainstays for the Summit football team this past fall. The two seniors, alongside Baray-Jain, were team captains for the Summit football team throughout the team’s 3-7 season. Like the girls basketball team, the Summit boys will make the transition from 4A to Class 5A this winter. Although some of the team’s opponents may be a little bit more challenging, the Tigers’ 5A Western Slope league schedule is full of familiar teams. Featuring Battle Mountain, Eagle Valley and Glenwood Springs, Summit has a good chance of ranking high in the four-team league by the season’s end. Last winter, Summit defeated Battle Mountain by over 30 points while falling to Glenwood Springs by six. Summit will see where it stands as a team on Wednesday, Dec. 6, when it takes on Windsor High School as part of the GoJo Tipoff Classic in Fort Collins. “Coach Lopez and Kelly are new to this,” Baray-Jain said. “Basketball is a completely different sport from football. They need all the help from us. We need to pave the way for the new kids. We will see how we respond to (Windsor). They are a good 6A team. They were really good last year. ... It is going to be a tough game, but the way we go into the game is going to affect others in the long run.” Summit will play on the road for the first month of the season before hosting Evergreen High School in Breckenridge on Jan. 7.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home Saturday after his meeting with Donald Trump without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. After the leaders’ hastily arranged dinner Friday night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trudeau spoke of “an excellent conversation” but offered no details. Trump said in a Truth Social post later Saturday that they discussed “many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address.” For issues in need of such cooperation, Trump cited fentanyl and the “Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration," fair trade deals "that do not jeopardize American Workers” and the U.S. trade deficit with its ally to the north. Trump asserted that the prime minister had made “a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation” of American families from fentanyl from China reaching the United States through its neighbors. The U.S., he said, “will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic.” The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Canadian officials say they are ready to make new investments in border security. Trudeau called Trump after the Republican's social media posts about the tariffs last Monday and they agreed to meet, according to a official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss detail of the private talks. The official said other countries are calling Canadian officials to hear how about how the meeting was arranged and to ask for advice. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, after speaking with Trump on the telephone, said Thursday she was confident a tariff war with Washington would be averted. At the dinner that was said to last three hours, Trump said he and Trudeau also discussed energy, trade and the Arctic. A second official cited defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast, pipelines and the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year as other issues that arose. Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. "Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Trudeau had said before leaving from Friday that Trump was elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now was talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added. The threatened tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries. When Trump imposed higher tariffs as president, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. ___ Gillies reported from Toronto.CROWN ROYAL JOINS FORCES WITH NATE SMITH AND SCOTTY HASTING TO SUPPORT VETERANS AS THE AWARD-WINNING WHISKY DONATES $50,000 TO CREATIVETS ON COUNTRY MUSIC'S BIGGEST NIGHT

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance. CHECK OUT: Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with LEGIT. Enroll Now! Port Harcourt, Rivers state - To make residents and key stakeholders happier, some Nigerian governors have approved Christmas bonuses for certain categories of people in their states. A governor approved N150,000 bonus to dozens of traditional rulers as Christmas 2024 gift. In this report, Legit.ng highlights governors who have approved bonuses of N100,000 and above for Christmas . Christmas: Ebonyi Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi recently announced that every worker in the state will get N150,000 Christmas bonus. This was confirmed by Monday Uzor, the governor's chief press secretary (CPS), in a Facebook post on Thursday, December 12. The governor's aide noted that the move demonstrated Nwifuru's commitment to workers' welfare, adding that 2023's bonus was N100,000. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! Abia state In early December 2024, Alex Otti, governor of Abia , approved the sum of N81.6 million as a Christmas bonus for the state’s 544 traditional rulers. Read also Court gives fresh order in Wike vs Abuja land owner case, details surface The gesture was disclosed in a statement by Uzor Nwachukwu, the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs. He said: “His Excellency, Dr. Alex C. Otti has graciously approved the sum of N150,000 to each of the 544 Abia traditional rulers as Christmas bonus." Against the backdrop of the update from the governor's office, Eze Linus Nto Mbah, the chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, confirmed Otti’s gesture, describing it as unprecedented. Eze Mbah said: “The Christmas bonus is a testament that Governor Otti acknowledges and recognises the traditional institution in Abia state.” Rivers' Christmas bonus On Tuesday evening, December 24, George Nwaeke, the head of the civil service of Rivers, informed the general public that the state's No.1 citizen, Siminalayi Fubara, "in the spirit of the yuletide", approved N100,000 for all workers under the payroll of the government in the oil-rich state. Pensioners also benefited from the development. Read also Governor Otti appoints Edo man as Head of Service in Abia, gives reason According to Nwaeke, this is to enable public servants to have a fulfilled Christmas 2024 celebration. Legit.ng understands that the 2024 Christmas bonus will go to workers in the different ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) as well as the pensioners both in the civil and public service. Nwaeke said: "I wish to state that this is the second time within the administration of His Excellency Governor Siminalayi Fubara that civil servants in the state will be receiving Christmas bonuses, to the tune of one hundred thousand naira, an amount which is above the value of the nation’s minimum wage, and the first time that pensioners are being included. "The one hundred thousand naira Christmas bonus for both civil and public servants as well as pensioners is part of Governor Fubara's "Rivers First mantra" aimed at securing the well-being and happiness of Rivers people across the various sectors of the economy." Read also Hardship in Nigeria: Remi Tinubu donates 1,000 bags of rice to Christians in Bauchi for Christmas Read more on Christmas 2024: Nigerian lawmaker splashes N11 million on party for Christmas Christmas: Benue governor declares 2-week public holiday for civil servants List of churches that don’t celebrate Christmas and why FG declares holidays for Christmas, New Year Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government of Nigeria declared public holidays to mark the Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations. In a statement obtained by Legit.ng , the minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, declared Wednesday, and Thursday, December, 25 and 26 2024, and Wednesday, January 1, 2025, as the public holidays. The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain felicitated with Christians and all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora , enjoining them to emulate the life of Jesus Christ in his practice and teachings of humility, service, compassion, and patience. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngCardinals' sudden 3-game tailspin has turned their once solid playoff hopes into a long shot

An indomitable spirit

CHENNAI: Floral tributes were paid to DMDK Founder and actor-politician Vijayakanth on his first death anniversary, which was being observed as a Guru Pooja, on Saturday. Leaders of various political parties, including DMDK General Secretary and the late actor's wife Premalatha Vijayakanth paid tributes at his memorial at the Party office at Koyambedu in the city, where his mortal remains were laid to rest. Thousands of DMDK activists, clad in black shirts, arrived from various parts of Tamil Nadu and thronged the party office to pay their tributes to Vijayakanth on the occasion, resulting in traffic snarls on the arterial road. It was virtually a sea of humanity, as the party workers and the general public started arriving right from early in the morning in all possible modes of transport, choking the busy stretch. Meanwhile, police denied permission for the DMDK to take out a silent procession from the party office to mark the occasion, resulting in jostling between the party cadres and the police personnel, who were deployed in large numbers, preventing them, leading to some tension. Police officials on the spot held talks with Vijayakanth's brother-in-law and Deputy General Secretary LK Sudeesh and also the late actor's son Vijay Prabhakar, to find an amicable solution. However, defying the ban, the DMDK cadres took out a procession following which police detained them. DMDK office-bearer R Parthasarathy said though the party had officially issued a letter seeking permission for the rally, there was no reply and the permission was denied at the last minute. "Had they rejected our plea, we would have gone to the court and got permission," he said. The DMDK had invited leaders of almost all political parties, including the ruling DMK headed by Chief Minister MK Stalin, allies of the DMK, Opposition AIADMK and other parties, including the BJP, PMK and Vijay’s TVK for the occasion. Meanwhile, HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu urged the public and media not to exaggerate the controversy surrounding the DMDK’s rally to mark Vijayakanth's first death anniversary, which proceeded despite Chennai city police denying permission. Speaking to the reporters after paying respects at Vijayakanth’s memorial at Koyambedu on behalf of DMK, Sekarbabu said, “Although permission was not granted, the rally was conducted peacefully; don’t exaggerate this.” CM, others hail Captain in their tributes Chennai: Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin, in his tributes, praised Vijayakanth as a friend and hailed his 'pure love.' The late leader, who had no blemish in his heart, continued to live in people's hearts, the Chief Minister said. Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Hindu Religious &Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekarbabu were among the leaders who visited Vijayakanth's 'samadhi' on the DMDK headquarters premises here at Koyambedu and laid wreaths. VK Sasikala, confidante of late Tamil Nadu CM and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, AIADMK leaders D Jayakumar and P Benjamin, BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai, senior Saffron party leader Tamilisai Soundararajan and NTK leader Seeman, paid homage to Vijayakanth, hailed as 'captain' by his admirers.

Invest Smart! Top Stocks to Watch in 2025.ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — AJ Clayton scored 16 points as Ohio beat Robert Morris 84-68 on Saturday. Clayton had seven rebounds for the Bobcats (3-5). Victor Searls scored 14 points and added seven rebounds. Jackson Paveletzke and Aidan Hadaway both scored 11 points. The Colonials (6-3) were led by Josh Omojafo, who recorded 15 points. Antallah Sandlin'El added 14 points for Robert Morris. Alvaro Folgueiras finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. The loss ended a six-game winning streak for the Colonials. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

No fewer than 12,000 supporters of Prophetess Naomi Ogunwusi, the estranged wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, have demanded justice for her, describing her arrest, arraignment and remand in a custodial facility as unfair. Naomi was arrested alongside the Chief Executive Officer of Agidigbo FM , Oriyomi Hamzat, after the stampede at a funfair they organised in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, turned tragic, claiming the lives of 35 children on December 18, 2024. The prophetess, Hamzat, and the Principal of Islamic High School, Ibadan, where the event was held, Fasasi Abdullahi, are currently remanded at the Agodi Custodial Centre by Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi of Magistrate’s Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan. The defendants were arraigned on four counts bordering on conspiracy, causing death by negligence, endangering public safety, and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities at the event. Naomi, Hamzat, and Abdullahi pleaded not guilty to the charges. The ex-queen had planned to host 5,000 children, aged 0-13, across Ibadan for free under the aegis of the Women in Need of Guidance and Support Foundation with the funfair. The programme was scheduled to start at 10 am, while police were expected to be at the venue by 8 am. Reports indicated that the event was initially planned for 5,000 children, but over 7,500 children showed up. Sunday PUNCH gathered that the stampede occurred as children and their parents attempted to break through the main gate and scale the school fence to enter the venue at all costs. Naomi and Hamzat have been in custody since the incident turned disastrous. However, the ex-queen’s supporters continue to call for her release, arguing that she was carrying out a charitable programme to bring smiles to the faces of underprivileged children. Thousands of Naomi’s supporters signed an online petition to demand fairness in the judicial process concerning her matter. The petition, which started on Thursday, had gathered 12,000 signatures as of the time of filing this report on Saturday. The originator of the petition, Yetunde Ola, stated that Naomi’s actions were driven by an earnest intention to alleviate the suffering of hungry children, but she found herself “unfairly entangled in a web of legal accusations that were both disheartening and misplaced.” “We, the supporters of Queen Naomi, are seeking justice. It is paramount that her court cases are addressed with utmost impartiality and integrity. We must hold our judicial systems accountable for their actions and ensure that they remain transparent, fair and unbiased in their proceedings. “Our plea is, thus, simple: Give Queen Silekunola Naomi a fair trial, unaffected by bias and calumny. We present this petition to highlight the necessity for a just legal process that respects the evidence and operates in compliance with the principles of justice. “We reinforce our commitment to stand by Queen Naomi, championing justice, fairness, and truth,” she said. Related News Ibadan funfair stampede: Sympathisers seek Ooni's ex-queen, Oriyomi Hamzat's release VIDEO: Parents who smuggled kids to Ibadan Funfair should be held responsible for stampede - Femi Branch Ibadan stampede: Naomi’s mother laments ex-queen’s detention, appeals to Tinubu This was as her mother, Funmilayo Ogunseyi, called on President Bola Tinubu and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in her daughter’s legal troubles. In an emotional video that has gone viral, Ogunseyi claimed that her daughter’s predicament was orchestrated by “powerful persons.” “They say her ordeal is an ‘order from above.’ Please, I beg those in power to release her. She is not a killer; she came to help. Naomi is fragile and sick. President Tinubu, I beg you, come to our aid,” she implored. The sentiments shared by Naomi’s supporters and her mother re-echoed insinuations that the ex-queen was being persecuted with her arrest and remand. However, the Oyo State Government stated that there was no reason to persecute the prophetess. Speaking with Sunday PUNCH , the state Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said those spreading such insinuations would be unfair if they expected the government to interfere with the judicial process. He also denied that the government knew about the programme. He said, “It is a laughable insinuation. What is the motive for victimising the lady? We barely know her name. The government does not know anything about her apart from the normal stuff on social media. We have no relationship with her in any manner. There is no altar of political conflict or anything that looks like it between the Oyo State Government and the woman. “The government did not officially know anything about her enterprise, what she does, or what she planned to do in Oyo State. We were not formally notified because there is no documentation to show that the government was given notification of what she wanted to do through the normal time-tested processes. So, she remained an unknown quantity and faceless to this administration. “Are they asking us to meddle with the judiciary? A case was taken to court. Even a government official, the principal of a secondary school, was equally arraigned and detained because 35 of our children died. “And there are no draconian issues extraneous to a normal course of justice on the ground. “So, we will advise, therefore, that those who are engaged in such meddlesomeness allow the course of justice to prevail. That is the beauty of democracy. No matter whose ox is gored, for democracy to survive and thrive, justice must take its course.” However, a video of a meeting between the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Toyin Balogun, and Naomi has surfaced online. The meeting was held a day before the programme. In the video, Balogun is seen and heard asking the ex-queen about the programme. After Naomi explained, the commissioner promised to attend the event. Balogun said, “It is a fantastic intervention, I must say. It’s laudable to have an aspiration to put smiles on the faces of children, particularly the ones I call the special children. You are probably going to have to do this again next year; you are probably going to have to come back. “On behalf of the Oyo State Government, on behalf of the Ministry of Women Affairs, we will be looking forward to doing something collaborative for both the women and the children in Ibadan, going forward. It is a laudable venture, one we are proud of and happy to be part of.”

Santa Claus and helpers continued a long-standing tradition at Alfords Point on Christmas Eve. or signup to continue reading Driving around the streets, they handed out lollies to the kids and collected for the Salvos. The group included Mark Henry, who has Santa's driver for 29 years, Michelle Wheatley from Menai Salvos and Gerry Flannery from Menai Men's Shed. They collected $1230 for the the Salvos, to be spent on $50 vouchers at IGA Menai, which will be distributed to the needy. "It was very successful - families were lining the street just waiting for us," Gerry Flannery said. "Having Michelle on board was a big incentive. "We are grateful to Mark Henry, from Alfords Point, for all he does in the community. We could not manage without him. "Our thanks to the residents of Alfords Point, and a happy New Year to everyone." St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news.Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.au St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reporter covering politics, urban affairs, council, development and general community news.Email: mtrembath@theleader.com.auCardinals' sudden 3-game tailspin has turned their once solid playoff hopes into a long shot

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Some residents push back as data centers proliferateTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 9, 2024 / Toggle3D.ai (the "Company") (OTCQB:TGGLF)(CSE:TGGL)(FSE:Q0C), a Nextech3d.ai (OTCQB:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR) spinout is an innovative AI 3D platform harnessing the power of generative AI to convert CAD files, apply stunning 4K texturing, and seamlessly publish superior 4K 3D models announces the departure of Board member Belinda Tyldesley for personal reasons. We thank her for her service! Toggle3d.ai also announced the appointment of Peter Bloch, a successful entrepreneur as new BOD member replacing Mrs. Tyldesley. Bio: Peter Bloch was the Chief Executive Officer of BresoTEC Inc. Mr. Bloch was also the CEO & Chairman of Bionik Laboratories from 2012 to 2018. Mr. Bloch is a CPA, CA, with a track record of building both public and private technology companies, mainly in the life sciences industry. In these roles, Mr. Bloch has secured significant funding for both private and public companies, gained experience with initial public offerings and led a number of acquisitions and partnership transactions. His past 25 years of executive management experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer and joint interim CEO of Sanofi Canada Inc., the Canadian affiliate of Sanofi -Aventis, a global healthcare leader; Chief Financial Officer of Intellivax Inc., a biotechnology company which was sold to GlaxoSmithKline for $1.75 billion; founder of Tribute Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company; the Chief Financial Officer of Gennum Corporation, a public semiconductor company focused on the TV and medical device market and Chief Financial Officer of Just Energy, a large public electricity and gas company . These companies have ranged in size from start-ups to companies with revenues of over $2 billion. Mr. Bloch also has substantial experience serving on the Board of Directors of both public and private companies. Mr. Bloch also serves as an advisor to Mars Discovery District, a large Canadian incubator for technology companies. About Toggle3D.ai Toggle3D.AI is a leading provider of innovative 3D rendering solutions, dedicated to transforming the way businesses visualize and present their products. Our platform harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to deliver high-quality, customizable images quickly and efficiently, helping e-commerce businesses thrive in a competitive market. Toggle3D.ai Investor Relations Visit the Toggle3D Investor Relations website and sign up for the investor mailing list to receive the latest news, press releases, investor presentations, CEO interviews, financial information and more. Sign up for the investor mailing list - click here Follow Toggle3D.ai on Social Media Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Toggle3D Insta: https://www.instagram.com/toggle3d.ai/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Toggle3D LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toggle3d-ai/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Toggle3Dai For further information, please contact: Toggle3D.ai Evan Gappelberg Director 866-ARITIZE (274-8493) Forward-looking Statements The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the completion of the transaction are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Nextech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Toggle3D.AI Inc. View the original on accesswire.com

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ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Sydney Shaw scored 20 points and made four 3-pointers, JJ Quinerly added 14 points and No. 12 West Virginia handed Boise State its first loss, 82-47 on Saturday in the Gulf Coast Showcase. West Virginia advances to the championship game on Sunday, while Boise State plays for third place. The Mountaineers have started 8-0 in back-to-back seasons after last year's 11-0 beginning. Quinerly also had three steals to help West Virginia reach double figures in that category in every game this season. The Mountaineers also forced 20-plus turnovers for the eighth straight game. Boise State was held to just six points in the first and third quarters. West Virginia went on two 10-0 runs in the first quarter to build a 16-point lead. The Mountaineers led by double figures the rest of the way. It was 45-23 at halftime then Quinerly scored four straight points to begin a 9-0 run that ended in a 32-point lead. Freshman Jordan Thomas, coming off her first career double-double, had 10 points and six rebounds for West Virginia. Elodie Lalotte scored 11 points for Boise State (7-1). Teryn Gardner addd 10. West Virginia was coming off an 89-54 victory over High Point on Friday to begin the tournament. The Mountaineers led by as many as 39 points and forced 22 turnovers in that one. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballLance Terry scored a game-high 22 points, helping lead Georgia Tech to a 92-49 rout of visiting Alabama A&M on Saturday in Atlanta. Javian McCollum added 18 points, while Jaeden Mustaf chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds, as Georgia Tech (6-7) won its second game in three outings. Baye Ndongo had 10 points for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 54.1 percent (33 of 61) from the field and made 10 of 21 (47.6 percent) on 3-pointers. AC Bryant and Bilal Abdur-Rahman each led the Bulldogs (4-9) with 11 points. Alabama A&M managed to shoot just 20.8 percent (15 of 72) from the field en route to its sixth straight loss. After London Riley's 3-pointer cut the Bulldogs' deficit to 16-15, McCollum's triple began a 12-0 scoring run, extending Georgia Tech's lead to 28-15 with 5:30 remaining in the opening half. Bryant's layup stopped the Yellow Jackets' run, but McCollum scored five straight points to push Georgia Tech's advantage to 15 at the 4:13 mark. The lead expanded to 18 points before Quincy McGriff's layup trimmed the Bulldogs' deficit to 16. Terry's back-to-back triples jump-started a 12-3 run to close the first half with Georgia Tech ahead 50-25. McCollum led all scorers with 18 first-half points, while McGriff led Alabama A&M with seven. Ndongo's dunk to open the second half started a 10-1 Georgia Tech run, stamped with Duncan Powell's triple with 17 minutes left to push the Yellow Jackets' lead to 60-26. After Angok Anyang knocked down a pair of free throws for the Bulldogs, Terry's fourth triple was followed by Naithan George's layup, extending Georgia Tech's lead to 68-35 with 11:49 left. Jaylen Colon and Terry then traded triples, before Georgia Tech's 13-6 spurt was stamped with Ndongo's layup at the 3:33 mark, giving the Yellow Jackets an 84-44 edge. Georgia Tech's dominant day was stamped with baskets from a pair of Yellow Jacket walk-ons, as Emmers Nichols and Marcos San Miguel each tallied their first career points in the closing minutes. --Field Level Media

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Stock market today: Wall Street hits records despite tariff talkNone

Trump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staffJoe Depa named as EY Global Chief Innovation Officer to lead its global innovation strategy

NVIDIA has introduced a fresh hotfix driver for its graphics cards, identified as the GeForce Hotfix Driver 566.45. This update focuses primarily on enhancing game performance and stability for a specific set of games. One of the major issues addressed in this hotfix is the potential for intermittent micro-stuttering in “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.” Gamers who have faced disruptions will now experience smoother gameplay. Moreover, the update brings significant stability improvements for a variety of Ubisoft titles that rely on the Snowdrop engine, ensuring a more seamless gaming experience. However, this driver doesn’t offer any performance boosts . Users not engaged in playing the mentioned titles might not notice any tangible benefits from this update. Thus, the installation of this driver is most beneficial for gamers currently involved in these specific games. In addition to these fixes, NVIDIA has updated its app settings. By default, Game Filters will no longer be automatically enabled. This alteration is aimed at eliminating any inadvertent performance drops experienced by users due to these filters. For those interested in incorporating this update, the NVIDIA GeForce Hotfix Driver 566.45 is available for download. This update is tailored for gamers seeking a more refined experience in particular titles. Unlocking New Potential: NVIDIA’s Latest GeForce Hotfix Driver 566.45 In the rapidly evolving world of gaming technology, NVIDIA continues to set the pace with its latest release, the GeForce Hotfix Driver 566.45. This update is strategically designed to tackle specific gaming issues, ensuring enhanced performance and greater stability for users. Enhanced Game Stability and Micro-Stuttering Fixes NVIDIA’s most recent hotfix addresses critical challenges like the intermittent micro-stuttering plaguing “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.” Gamers will benefit from smoother gameplay without the disruptions that could impede their gaming experience. Additionally, titles developed using the Snowdrop engine, predominantly Ubisoft games, will see remarkable improvements in stability, providing a seamless gaming adventure. Optimized Settings for Superior User Experience A noteworthy change in this update is the modification of the Game Filters settings. By disabling automatic enablement of these filters, NVIDIA aims to prevent inadvertent performance drops, optimizing in-game graphics settings according to user preferences. This subtle change ensures that gamers can customize their experience without encountering unexpected performance issues. Limited Scope: Who Should Download? While this driver is a boon for players of the specific games it targets, it does not offer general performance enhancements. Therefore, users not actively engaging with the games mentioned might not notice significant benefits. It is particularly tailored for those seeking a refined experience in the affected titles, suggesting that the user demographic is relatively niche. Insights into Market Trends The release of this hotfix aligns with NVIDIA’s commitment to addressing specific gamer needs, showcasing a responsive approach to customer feedback. As the gaming industry grows, an increasing focus on tailored updates reflects the demand for personalized technology solutions—a trend likely to continue as competitive dynamics evolve. Predictions and Future Innovations Looking ahead, NVIDIA is likely to continue optimizing its drivers to address game-specific issues promptly, potentially setting a precedent for competitor strategies. This approach not only enhances user satisfaction but also fortifies NVIDIA’s market leadership in high-performance graphics solutions. For more insights and updates from NVIDIA, visit the official NVIDIA website . Whether you’re an avid gamer or simply keeping an eye on the latest technological advancements, NVIDIA’s newest hotfix showcases the company’s dedication to improving user experience and adapting to the ever-changing demands of the gaming community.

NoneThe fact that correspondence is needed between a ministry (of Culture) and a local government body (Municipality of Athens) about who is responsible for drawing up a study to clean a fountain can only be attributed to the peculiarity of Greek politics. The working hours wasted on bureaucratic recriminations would be enough to clean dozens of fountains. This is not the only example where unclear responsibility serves as an alibi for inaction. But local authorities are elected to govern and act, not to unionize.Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over Packers MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold added another exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 for their ninth consecutive victory. The Vikings are 14-2. They set up a final-week showdown in Detroit for both the division title and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs in the NFC. Jordan Love’s only touchdown pass for the Packers came with 2:18 left to pull the Packers within two points. Darnold responded with two completions for first downs to seal the game. Saquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing as Eagles beat Cowboys 41-7 to clinch NFC East PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards to top 2,000 on the season, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett ran and threw for scores before departing with injured ribs, and the Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East title by routing the Dallas Cowboys 41-7. Barkley has 2,005 yards and needs 101 in next week’s mostly meaningless regular-season finale to top Eric Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984. The Eagles led 24-7 in the third quarter when Pickett was drilled by defensive end Micah Parsons, ending his first start in place of the concussed Jalen Hurts. NFC's No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18 The NFC’s No. 1 seed will come down to the final week when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings. The winner takes the NFC North and gets a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage until the Super Bowl. The loser gets the No. 5 seed and must play on the road in the wild-card round. The Vikings held on for a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers to set up the high-stakes showdown in Week 18. The Lions visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. Win, lose or tie, they have to beat the Vikings for a second time this season. Bills clinch the AFC's No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the undisciplined Jets ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score and the Buffalo Bills clinched the AFC’s No. 2 seed with a 40-14 rout of the New York Jets. The Bills put the game away by capitalizing on two Jets turnovers and scoring three touchdowns over a 5:01 span in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Buffalo’s defense forced three takeaways overall and sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, including a 2-yard loss for a safety in the second quarter. The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills improved to 13-3 to match a franchise single-season record. Herro leads Heat over Rockets in game marred by fight and ejections in final minute HOUSTON (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 27 points before being one of being one of seven people ejected, six for their roles in a fight in the final minute of the Miami Heat’s 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Herro was thrown to the ground by the Rockets’ Amen Thompson with 35 seconds left and the Heat leading 99-94. Players and coaches from both benches then came onto the court. Both players were thrown out along with Rockets guard Jalen Green, coach Ime Udoka and assistant coach Ben Sullivan. Terry Rozier was also ejected for Miami. LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career. Rising Sun Devils: Arizona State looks to pull off another big surprise at the Peach Bowl ATLANTA (AP) — As they prepare for Arizona State’s biggest game in nearly three decades, the guys who made it happen aren’t the least bit surprised to be rated a nearly two-touchdown underdog in the College Football Playoff. That’s a familiar position for the Sun Devils. They've been an underdog most of the season. Of the eight teams still vying for a national championship, there’s no bigger surprise than 11-2 Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago and were picked to finish dead last in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. Now, they're getting ready to face Texas in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal game on New Year’s Day. Penn State coach James Franklin says Nick Saban should be college football's commissioner SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Penn State coach James Franklin believes college football needs a commissioner and he even has a candidate in mind: former Alabama coach Nick Saban. Franklin made the suggestion Sunday at Penn State’s College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day ahead of the Fiesta Bowl. The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions are preparing for their game against No. 3 seed Boise State on Tuesday. The veteran coach was responding to a question about Penn State’s backup quarterback situation after Beau Pribula transferred to Missouri before the playoff. Pribula’s decision highlighted some of the frustrating aspects of a new college football world in the Name, Image and Likeness era and the transfer portal, forcing players to make tough decisions at inopportune times. Penn State's polarizing QB Drew Allar puts critics on mute and keeps winning games SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it’s usually a backhanded compliment. They say he’s a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn’t try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here’s the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that’s hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. The polarizing Allar has another chance to quiet his critics on Tuesday, when Penn State plays Boise State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Fiesta Bowl. Crosby breaks Lemieux's Penguins career assists record in 3-2 victory over the Islanders PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux’s Pittsburgh franchise career record for assists on Michael Bunting’s power-play goal and the Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Sunday night. Crosby has 1,034 assists, good for 12th in NHL history. Only three players — Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman — have more assists with a single team. The 37-year-old Crosby has played 1,310-regular-season games. Lemieux played 915. Evgeni Malkin added the deciding power-play goal in the third for Pittsburgh, which has 14 goals with the man advantage in its last 13 games. Anthony Beauvillier also scored to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in their last eight home games. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves in his first start since Dec. 17.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It's DOGE time at the U.S. Capitol. Billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy arrived Thursday on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators behind closed doors about President-elect Donald Trump's plans to “dismantle” the federal government. Trump tapped the two business titans to head his Department of Government Efficiency , tasked with firing federal workers , cutting government programs and slashing federal regulations — all part of what he calls his "Save America" agenda for a second term in the White House. “We're going to see a lot of change around here in Washington,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson , as Musk, with a small child on his shoulders, breezed by and into the private meeting. Washington has seen this before, with ambitious efforts to reduce the size and scope of the federal government that historically have run into resistance when the public is confronted with cuts to trusted programs that millions of Americans depend on for jobs, health care, military security and everyday needs. But this time Trump is staffing his administration with battle-tested architects of sweeping proposals, some outlined in Project 2025 , to severely reduce and reshape the government. Musk and Ramaswamy said they plan to work alongside the White House's Office of Management and Budget, headed by Trump's nominee Russ Vought, a mastermind of past cuts . “DOGE has a historic opportunity for structural reductions in the federal government,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal . “We are prepared for the onslaught.” The duo, invited for what Johnson called a “brainstorming” session as they begin this “journey” together, face a first test in private with House and Senate lawmakers — some eager to hear what they have in mind. “I am fired up to go out and do something,” said Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., who joined with Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, in launching what they are calling the DOGE caucus in the House, with more than 50 Republicans and two Democratic members. Bean said the DOGE caucus will unveil an email tip line where people can report wasteful spending. He also envisions a scoreboard of sorts that people can view on a website showing “how many positions we’ve cut, agencies we’ve cut, what the actual number is.” In the Senate, Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa and Rick Scott, R-Fla., have launched a similar caucus. “I think that’ll be a great start to the whole process,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who will chair a House Oversight subcommittee in the new year as part of “building the bridge between Congress and DOGE.” While neither Musk nor Ramaswamy have much public service experience, they bring track records in private business — Musk's operations have vast government contracts — and enthusiasm for Trump's agenda, having campaigned alongside him in the final stretch of the election. The world's richest man, Musk poured millions into a get-out-the-vote effort to help the former president return to the White House. He is known politically for having transformed the popular social media site formerly known as Twitter into X, a platform embraced by Trump's MAGA enthusiasts. Despite its name, the Department of Government Efficiency is neither a department nor part of the government, which frees Musk and Ramaswamy from having to go through the typical ethics and background checks required for federal employment. They said they will not be paid for their work. One good-government group has said that DOGE, as a presidential advisory panel, should be expected to adhere to traditional practices of transparency, equal representation and public input — as happened with similar advisory entities from the Reagan to the Obama administrations. The Federal Advisory Committee Act “is designed expressly for situations like this," wrote Lisa Gilbert and Robert Weissman, the co-chairs of Public Citizen in a letter to the Trump transition team. "If the government is going to turn to unelected and politically unaccountable persons to make recommendations as grand as $2 trillion in budget cuts, it must ensure those recommendations come from a balanced and transparent process not rigged to benefit insiders.” The nation's $6 trillion federal budget routinely runs a deficit, which this year ran $1.8 trillion, a historic high, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It has not been balanced since the Clinton administration more than two decades ago. Republicans generally blame what they see as exorbitant spending for the deficit, while Democrats point to tax cuts enacted under Republican presidents Trump and George W. Bush as the major driver. Receipts last year as a percentage of gross domestic product came in just below the average for the past 50 years, while outlays were equal to 23.4% of GDP, compared to the 50-year average of 21.1% Some of the biggest increases in spending last year occurred with politically popular programs that lawmakers will be reticent to touch. For example, spending on Social Security benefits went up 8%, Medicare outlays increased 9%, spending on defense went up 7% and spending on veterans health care rose 14%, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he would like to see Musk testify before the House Armed Services Committee on the “bloated defense budget.” “I’d like to see Elon recommend some cuts. Let’s have him testify,” Khanna said. He said he’s open to hearing proposals on non-defense spending, but was skeptical. “If they find waste, maybe, but in terms of big numbers, I mean, no one is going to allow for cutting education funding for special needs kids and for low-income schools, or for cutting Social Security and Medicare,” Khanna said. “If they want to do that, they’re going to hand us a landslide in 2026.”

Providing a diverse range of perspectives from bullish to bearish, 4 analysts have published ratings on Ooma OOMA in the last three months. The table below offers a condensed view of their recent ratings, showcasing the changing sentiments over the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months. Bullish Somewhat Bullish Indifferent Somewhat Bearish Bearish Total Ratings 3 1 0 0 0 Last 30D 1 1 0 0 0 1M Ago 2 0 0 0 0 2M Ago 0 0 0 0 0 3M Ago 0 0 0 0 0 Analysts' evaluations of 12-month price targets offer additional insights, showcasing an average target of $17.12, with a high estimate of $18.00 and a low estimate of $15.50. Surpassing the previous average price target of $14.88, the current average has increased by 15.05%. Exploring Analyst Ratings: An In-Depth Overview An in-depth analysis of recent analyst actions unveils how financial experts perceive Ooma. The following summary outlines key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets. Analyst Analyst Firm Action Taken Rating Current Price Target Prior Price Target Eric Martinuzzi Lake Street Raises Buy $18.00 $14.00 Michael Latimore Northland Capital Markets Raises Outperform $18.00 $16.00 Matthew Harrigan Benchmark Raises Buy $17.00 $15.00 Josh Nichols B. Riley Securities Raises Buy $15.50 $14.50 Key Insights: Action Taken: Analysts frequently update their recommendations based on evolving market conditions and company performance. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise' or 'Lower' their stance, it reflects their reaction to recent developments related to Ooma. This information provides a snapshot of how analysts perceive the current state of the company. Rating: Analyzing trends, analysts offer qualitative evaluations, ranging from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey expectations for the relative performance of Ooma compared to the broader market. Price Targets: Analysts explore the dynamics of price targets, providing estimates for the future value of Ooma's stock. This examination reveals shifts in analysts' expectations over time. To gain a panoramic view of Ooma's market performance, explore these analyst evaluations alongside essential financial indicators. Stay informed and make judicious decisions using our Ratings Table. Stay up to date on Ooma analyst ratings. If you are interested in following small-cap stock news and performance you can start by tracking it here . Discovering Ooma: A Closer Look Ooma Inc is a communications services company. It is a smart software-as-a-service ("SaaS") and unified communications platform that deliver voice and collaboration features including messaging, intelligent virtual attendants and video conferencing, and residential phone service provides PureVoice high-definition voice quality, advanced functionality and integration with mobile devices. Its services rely upon the following main elements: multi-tenant cloud service, on-premise devices, desktop and mobile applications, and calling platforms. Ooma generates revenues from the sale of subscriptions and other services. Ooma: Delving into Financials Market Capitalization: Indicating a reduced size compared to industry averages, the company's market capitalization poses unique challenges. Positive Revenue Trend: Examining Ooma's financials over 3 months reveals a positive narrative. The company achieved a noteworthy revenue growth rate of 9.9% as of 31 July, 2024, showcasing a substantial increase in top-line earnings. In comparison to its industry peers, the company trails behind with a growth rate lower than the average among peers in the Information Technology sector. Net Margin: The company's net margin is a standout performer, exceeding industry averages. With an impressive net margin of -3.33%, the company showcases strong profitability and effective cost control. Return on Equity (ROE): Ooma's ROE surpasses industry standards, highlighting the company's exceptional financial performance. With an impressive -2.62% ROE, the company effectively utilizes shareholder equity capital. Return on Assets (ROA): Ooma's financial strength is reflected in its exceptional ROA, which exceeds industry averages. With a remarkable ROA of -1.39%, the company showcases efficient use of assets and strong financial health. Debt Management: Ooma's debt-to-equity ratio is below industry norms, indicating a sound financial structure with a ratio of 0.3 . The Basics of Analyst Ratings Within the domain of banking and financial systems, analysts specialize in reporting for specific stocks or defined sectors. Their work involves attending company conference calls and meetings, researching company financial statements, and communicating with insiders to publish "analyst ratings" for stocks. Analysts typically assess and rate each stock once per quarter. Analysts may enhance their evaluations by incorporating forecasts for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue, delivering additional guidance to investors. It is vital to acknowledge that, although experts in stocks and sectors, analysts are human and express their opinions when providing insights. Which Stocks Are Analysts Recommending Now? Benzinga Edge gives you instant access to all major analyst upgrades, downgrades, and price targets. Sort by accuracy, upside potential, and more. Click here to stay ahead of the market . This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Stock market today: S&P 500, Dow end at record as investors shake off tariff fears, digest Fed minutes

AmpliTech Group Announces Closing of $1.4 Million Registered Direct OfferingMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Sam Darnold tossed aside his stoic demeanor for a moment after realizing he was on the videoboard, aggressively twirling a towel to further stoke the crowd's fire after the Minnesota Vikings had pulled away from Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons late in the game. “I just felt the buzz. That was pure passion, pure joy, man,” Darnold said.

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ST. ALBANS CITY — Can you hear the silent sound of turkey’s wings? Thanksgiving must be in the air. Or at least it was during the second episode of the latest podcast released Friday by the Messenger. Functioning as a kind of political palette cleanser, the 40-minute audio piece asks some of the nicest people in St. Albans how to be good to each other during the Thanksgiving season. The episode’s guests are Sunni Tipper, the food programs coordinator at the Fairfield Community Center; Arleigh Young, downtown manager with the City of St. Albans; Joe Halko, former communications director at Northwestern Counseling & Support Services; and KarenMarie Peltier, Back Inn Time owner. Topics covered include some useful tips on how to best set up your space to be welcoming this season, along with a few food prep ideas. Guests also cover the importance of “listening” to a person’s words, body language and culture cues to understand how to make someone feel comfortable, no matter their political persuasion. “Sometimes you have some new individuals who haven't been with the group before, and I think one of the very first things that we need to be cognizant of is to get them involved in being conversational,” Halko said. “So they don't feel like they're an outsider in a group that knows one another pretty well.” Gearing up for gravy The second episode of the “Saint Albans Message” starts off in the Fairfield Community Center’s kitchen before moving forward with a discussion of the spaces we make, the relationships we form and the ways we communicate. Guests also gave a few helpful tips on how to best engage with your loved ones, as many prepare for family traditions centered around Thanksgiving this upcoming weekend. Halko, for example, explained how listening is often much more than passively reacting to vocal cues as it requires people to really take the time to absorb what someone is saying and how they might be saying it. As for the trick to continuing any conversation? Three words. “Tell me more.” “Tell me more. Those three words will help carry conversations that may seem like they’re going to get dormant or stale,” Halko said. “What you’re really saying is, you really do want to hear what they have to say.” The best interactions have respect behind them, Peltier said. As the owner of Back Inn Time, she said she’s worked with some people who aren’t always aware, and they can run roughshod over people when they don’t notice. In some cases, the largest personalities can even dominate a room, making everyone else feel uncomfortable and pushing them to seek out the exits. “That was like a mental workout, trying to bring other people into the conversation, but eventually some of us just kind of meandered off to a different room,” Peltier said. “Sometimes people are not self aware, and so we have to make space.” “We call it reading the room,” Young said. “And there’s a lot to that, and there are a lot of people that aren’t good at reading the room.” Forming family This episode’s podcast guests also came with plenty of useful tips to prevent any potential mishaps around family members. Sometimes, humor can be a strong tool, Tipper said, as it sets the guidelines while making feel comfortable to know they can laugh in a space. “If you’ve set a precedent with your own attitude and you feel comfortable navigating people out of those conversations, it becomes easier than you think,” Tipper said. Setting up a big table helps, too, as it helps bring people together physically, Young added, while good smells can bring a comfortable vibe. But even with all those preparations, Thanksgiving could still turn a corner, Peltier said. She emphasized the need for grace to be able to let things go when someone might say or do something hurtful. “I think it’s more important to look at the long view when I have differences with family members,” Peltier said. “10 years from now, this person is probably not even going to realize the damage they just did.” Alcohol use, or cannabis use, could even exacerbate the issue if it's a part of the family tradition. As Young reminded the group, a bad outcome is always within the realm of possibility. “Sometimes things aren’t going to go 100% alright. And that doesn’t mean it was a bad day,” Young said. “It just means that there was a situation that you couldn’t do anything about. And that happens.” The latest episode can be heard by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M4m672bngwConcerns have also been raised about the “renormalisation” of smoking. Dr Rachel O’Donnell, senior research fellow at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said restrictions on smoking in outdoor places can “reinforce” a message that smoking “isn’t a socially acceptable thing to do” and could also help smokers to kick the habit. In November, it emerged that the UK Government is to scrap plans to ban smoking in the gardens of pubs and restaurants in England. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the hospitality industry has “taken a real battering in recent years” and it is not “the right time” to ban smoking outside pubs. But smoking and vaping could be banned in other public places in England – such as in playgrounds or outside of schools – under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. According to the World Health Organisation, there is no safe level of second-hand smoke exposure. In a briefing for journalists, Dr O’Donnell said decision-making “should be on the basis of all the evidence that’s available”. She added: “Any debate about legislation on smoking in outdoor settings shouldn’t only focus on air quality and second-hand smoke exposure levels, because the impacts of restrictions in outdoor settings are also evident on our social norms.” Smoke-free outdoor environments “reinforce smoke-free as the acceptable norm”, she said. “This, I think, is a critically important point at a time where in the media, over the last year, we’ve seen various reports and questions as to whether we might be on the cusp of renormalisation of smoking for various reasons, and so smoke-free public environments still have a critically important role to play. “If you reduce opportunities to smoke, it can also help individuals who smoke themselves to reduce the amount they smoke or to make a quit attempt.” Dr O’Donnell said visibility of tobacco products and smoking is a “form of marketing for tobacco companies” as she pointed to studies highlighting the increasing number of tobacco depictions on screen. She went on: “The more often young adults observe smoking around them, the more likely they are to believe that smoking is socially acceptable, which feeds back into this idea of renormalisation of smoking. “So, restrictions on smoking in outdoor public places have other positive knock-on effects, potentially for young people as well, just sending out that clear message that this isn’t a socially acceptable thing to do and see, and this could help to discourage smoking initiation among young people at quite a critical time.” On being exposed to second-hand smoke at work, she added: “I think sometimes when we think about exposure to second-hand smoke in outdoor settings, in pubs, in restaurants, we think about that sort of occasional customer exposure, the nuisance element of it when people are out enjoying a meal with friends, but we also need to be reminded that this is a repeated occupational exposure for those who are working in hospitality and serving drinks and food. “Now, as we’ve already seen, concentrations of second-hand smoke in these settings are generally low, and they’re likely to present a low risk to health for most healthy people. “But ... there’s no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and so any individual with pre-existing heart, lung or respiratory conditions may be particularly vulnerable even to low levels of exposure. “We know that second-hand smoke is its known carcinogen, and on that basis those exposed in the hospitality sector have a right to be protected. “On that basis, there’s a need to protect them, as there is anybody in any workplace setting from second-hand smoke exposure in all areas of workplaces and spaces.” Sean Semple, professor of exposure science at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, said: “I think that if I were a policy-maker, which I am not, then I would be looking at those occupational exposures as well. “I have asthma, if I was being occupationally exposed to SHS (second-hand smoke), and knowing that I was one of a very small number of workers now being legally exposed to SHS in the workplace, then I might not be very happy about that.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “As part of our 10 Year Health Plan we are shifting focus from sickness to prevention, including tackling the harms of smoking and passive smoking. “The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill is the biggest public health intervention in a generation and will put us on track towards a smoke-free UK.”Mississippi State overcomes early deficit to down Prairie View A&M