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betfred championship results COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday as Wolverines players attempted to plant their flag and were met by Buckeyes who confronted them. Police had to use pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game. Ohio State police said in a statement “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” Ohio State police will investigate the fight, according to the statement. After the Ohio State players confronted their bitter rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the top of the Wolverines' flag and ripped it off the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench. Eventually, police officers rushed into the ugly scene. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understood the actions of his players. “There are some prideful guys on our team who weren't going to sit back and let that happen,” Day said. The two Ohio State players made available after the game brushed off questions about it. Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, didn't like how the Buckeyes players involved themselves in the Wolverines' postgame celebration. He called it “classless.” “For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game," he said in an on-field interview with Fox Sports. “It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, you know some people got to — they got to learn how to lose, man. ... We had 60 minutes, we had four quarters, to do all that fighting.” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said everybody needs to do better. “So much emotions on both sides," he said. "Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest one in the country, so we got to handle that better.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Michigan, Ohio State fight broken up with police pepper spray after Wolverines stun Buckeyes 13-10Bradley Chubb update puts Dolphins between a rock and a hard place



CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets will be without point guard LaMelo Ball for at least two weeks because of a strained left calf. Ball felt discomfort in his calf after Wednesday night’s loss to the Miami Heat and did not play against the New York Knicks on Friday. The team said he will be reevaluated on Dec. 11, which is two weeks from the date of the original injury. Ball has been hot for the Hornets, averaging 40.3 points in his last four games. He is averaging a career-best 31.1 points and 4.7 3-pointers per game for the season, which ranks second in the NBA. He also is averaging 5.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 18 starts. Ball has had a history of injury problems, mostly to his ankles, since coming to the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The only Hornets player to ever receive a max contract extension, Ball has played in just 202 games with 182 starts in five seasons. The team also said guard Tre Mann’s lower back soreness has been diagnosed as a disk irritation. His absence from the lineup began on Nov. 23 against Milwaukee. He will continue his rehabilitation and be reevaluated in two weeks. “They are competitors and they want to be out there on the court to compete and hoop, but they also want to be out there for their teammates,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said prior to Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks. "I just walked past ’Melo as I was coming in here to do media, and he’s like, ‘I’m going to take care of everything I need to do on this return to play program and I’m going to attack it with the right mindset.’ I have all the confidence in the world in our performance staff and in those guys.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBANone

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Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death rowUCF and Tulsa will test their mettle against each other on Saturday afternoon in the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic in Sunrise, Fla. The Knights will make their first appearance in the event since recording a two-point loss to Missouri in 2022, while Tulsa's last trip to the Orange Bowl Classic was a loss to Florida State in 2012. UCF (7-2) may have something to prove being away from Addition Financial Arena. The Knights are 7-0 at home, whereas a November trip to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia produced an 86-70 loss to Wisconsin and a triple-overtime setback against LSU. The Knights relied heavily on their defense in Sunday's 66-51 win over Tarleton State. After a sluggish start offensively, UCF found its rhythm during a 37-point second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry finished with a game-high 16 points and freshman center Moustapha Thiam collected 10 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. UCF's Big 12 opener draws closer (at Texas Tech, Dec. 31), but head coach Johnny Dawkins remains focused on daily improvement. "I feel a sense of urgency to get better, not with regards to Big 12 play to be quite frank, but every game," Dawkins said. "I don't look too far in the future. Pretty much I've always been in the moment as a player and as a person, and so for me it's about just getting better because it's our standards." Tulsa (4-6) looks to stop a three-game slide following a 70-66 home loss to Southern University last Saturday. Keaston Willis scored in double figures for the sixth time this season, netting a season-high 23 points off the bench. But Isaiah Barnes, one of three Golden Hurricane players to start all 10 games, was injured in the first half and played only eight minutes. To complicate matters, head coach Eric Konkol's team is 0-6 when trailing at halftime. "We got to get some guys healthy that can be healthy for next Saturday (against UCF)," Konkol said. "We got a couple other guys dealing with some different things, but then (also) having some planning to figure out what's the best way going forward for this group." --Field Level Media

RICHMOND — He boasts that he can ring up Snoop Dogg on speed dial. Samuel L. Jackson depicted him in a Hollywood blockbuster. He commands speaking fees in all corners of the country, carrying trading cards and copies of his own book that he autographs for anyone who asks (and even some who don’t). And on Thursday night, Ken Carter was one of about two dozen people inside a basketball gym, where the only signs a game was taking place were the squeaks of sneakers and four buzzers to signal the end of each quarter. The stands were empty. There was no band, no students but for a few stragglers on their cell phones. Coach Carter is back at Richmond High School . Now 65, a grandfather and 25 years removed from the 1999 season depicted in the 2005 box-office hit, he faces a distinctly different challenge this time around. Look no further than the final score in his first game back on the bench, a 55-31 loss to a seven-player team from a small private Oakland academy. “Back in the day, the stands were full. I mean, totally full,” Carter said. “But I guarantee by our sixth game, we’re going to have this place full.” It was the Oilers’ fourth game of the season and their fourth loss. Carter had other engagements that prevented him from attending the previous three, forcing them to forfeit twice, and at first glance, he didn’t appear to be there Thursday, either. In his initial run with the program, from 1997-2002, Carter gained a reputation for wearing a suit and tie on game days and requiring his players to do the same. It was one of a number of rules set forth, as well as maintaining at least a 2.3 GPA, in a contract he had all of his players sign. Things have changed, and so has Carter’s wardrobe, which featured a navy blue, school-branded sweatsuit and unlaced white sneakers. He pledged to turn boys into men when he took over the program the first time around. Now, it’s about turning boys into basketball players. Back then, he inherited a team that had 45 players to fill out varsity, JV and freshman rosters. The team he took over this fall has 10 members, most of whom were struggling to fill out their jerseys. “Our kids are undersized, some of them their first year ever playing basketball,” Carter said. “I enjoy coaching here now more than I ever did, with the kids and their attitudes. The attitude of the kids is just wonderful. ... We have no problems academically. We’re just physically not a big team. But I think that’s going to change next year. I think we’re going to be pretty good next year.” Richmond has cycled through four coaches the past four years while posting one winning season, including a 1-21 finish last year while being outscored by an average of 48.5 points per game. Senior Jayden Briscoe said he believes Carter, a star player at Richmond in the 1970s, is dedicated to rebuilding the program. While it was Carter’s first time on the sidelines for a game, he has been coaching the team through practice all summer. “He makes us work a lot harder,” Briscoe said. “The other coaches, no hate to them, but their practices were a lot different. It’s a different work ethic. Carter, he’ll have us (scheduled to) practice for two hours and we’ll end up being there for four hours. The other coaches, it would be an hour and 30 minutes.” Carter plans to put his own resources into the program and hopes that his name recognition can prevent some of the area’s most talented players from opting for private school, such as Salesian, the private power just down the road that qualified for the state Open Division tournament. “There’s not a college coach in America that I can’t call that’s not going to return my call,” he said. The setting that inspired the film, where he returned Thursday night, couldn’t feel further from the bright lights of Hollywood. No player on the court had been born when the movie was released. But Carter clearly still carried weight with the current generation. “I wanted to see him so bad,” said Irvelle Winchester, a freshman guard for the opposing Envision Academy. “It was something that was local, so I liked the movie a lot. I didn’t know who he was until I watched it, but I was like, ‘Dang.’ How he turned a trash team into a good team. I lowkey look up to him.” After one physical play, Winchester fell to the floor and Carter jumped from his seat on the bench to go check on him. Afterward, Carter stuck around to take photos, sign autographs and chat with the entire opposing team and its coaches. After the handshake line, he made a beeline for the parking lot and returned with a stack of cards that he signed and passed around, along with a few copies of his book. “I’m one of the so-called celebrities that you can touch,” he said. “People ask me, ‘Why did I return to Richmond?’ First of all, it was just the love of Richmond. I’d like to see this school be extremely successful. Now I have a Rolodex of resources, so we can get things done. ... This completes the circle.”

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Samsung has slashed £100 off its latest smartwatch in the Black Friday sale. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is currently reduced to £499, down from the usual £599. The deal is also available at Amazon , while other Samsung discounts include £50 off the Galaxy Watch7 at £239, down from £289. Shoppers can bag an even bigger discount by trading in their old device, with savings of up to £190 off the already reduced price. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is touted as the ‘toughest Galaxy Watch ever’ and is crafted with Sapphire Crystal glass that’s designed to withstand dust, snow, rain and more. Samsung says the device has been tested to military standards and can resist temperatures between -20C and 55C, withstand altitude between -500m and 9,000m, and features 10ATM pressure-resistance up to 100m in fresh or salt water. READ MORE: 'I'm a shopping writer and these are my top Dunelm Black Friday picks' READ MORE: I tried out Marshall's Major V headphones and they have a massive edge on rivals It has a 47mm face, ‘aerospace-grade’ titanium casing and a rugged rubber strap, as well as a powerful battery that can run for up to 100 hours in Power saving mode and up to 48 hours in Exercise power saving mode. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is ideal for fitness fanatics as it can track a range of exercises and provide records and the number of calories burned at the end of a workout. It can also monitor your heart rate, sleep patterns and help you navigate the world with accurate dual-frequency GPS. There’s also a range of AI-powered functions, including the option to send quick-reply messages in the best tone by analysing previous messages. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra has racked up a 4.6-star rating after 445 reviews, with 89 percent of reviewers leaving a positive score. One happy customer said: “Super smashing great. Absolutely love the watch, upgrading from the Watch4 to the Ultra is a massive upgrade. The screen is unbelievably clear and snappy. The battery life [is] incredible, three days and eight hours I’ve managed. Highly recommend.” Another said: “The Galaxy Watch Ultra is a game-changer in the smartwatch industry. It combines rugged design with top-tier performance, making it an excellent choice for both tech enthusiasts and fitness lovers. Its robust set of features, impressive battery life and stylish design make it worth every penny. If you’re in the market for a high-end smartwatch that excels in both functionality and aesthetics, the Galaxy Watch Ultra should be at the top of your list.” A third glowing review says: “Brilliant smart watch. Really good, smart and the battery life is very good. The display is vibrant and high quality. The health metrics are good [but] haven’t tried out the swimming or multisport tracking at the moment. The fit of the band is highly adjustable and the connectivity with the S24 Ultra is seamless.” However, despite leaving a four-star review, one shopper noted the Ultra can feel ‘heavy’, writing: “Overall a nice product, clean and neat look, stylish, good battery backup. One disadvantage I felt is it’s a bit heavy.” Elsewhere, Sky Mobile is offering the Samsung Galaxy Watch7 for £9 when spreading the cost. For those who prefer Apple products, Sky also stocks the Apple Watch Series 10 for £13.

Photos: China’s robotic advancements – from medical to industrialCOLUMBUS, Ohio — Curt Cignetti’s eyebrows dipped, his lips pursed and his head cocked back in disbelief and, maybe, disgust. “Is that a serious question?” the Indiana coach launched toward an inquiring reporter after . “I’m not even going to answer that. The answer is so obvious.” Seconds later, Cignetti did answer, in the form of a head nod and a “well, of course, dude” expression. It is, after all, playoff lobbying season. And though Cignetti side-stepped the original playoff question here Saturday, he couldn’t resist commenting the second time around. But for many across the country — especially those residing in a particular part of our great nation (ahem, the South) — Indiana’s candidacy is not so obvious. And it didn’t get any more clear, for them, after the 38-15 loss to the Buckeyes. In fact, while writing away on this column, high above Ohio Stadium, this reporter received a couple of messages from those folks down South. Ah, yes — it’s that time of year. However, the SEC’s best argument for five teams — yes, — to get into the 12-team field likely fizzled on Saturday afternoon. Just minutes after Ohio State beat Indiana, , a bubble playoff team whose loss likely paves the way for the Hoosiers — and Tennessee too — to get in the field. Or does it? Last week’s College Football Playoff committee rankings seemed to position any Big 12 or ACC runner-up behind those programs. But we’ll know more Tuesday night when the committee releases its rankings. For now, let the politicking continue. Within Ohio Stadium after Saturday’s game, Cignetti and players met reporters with the playoff cloud lingering overhead. QB Kurtis Rourke is hoping for a “rematch” against Ohio State in the postseason, and linebacker Aiden Fisher says the Hoosiers — a team with 20 Group of Five transfers — showed their physicality against what is likely the most talented roster in college football. “People ask can this Group of Five team hold up? Look at the film,” Fisher deadpanned. He’s right, in a way. This wasn’t too disastrous of a performance by Cignetti’s crew. Ohio State scored in the final seconds to extend the lead from 16 to 23, and the Buckeyes got 14 points off special teams miscues from the Hoosiers. Indiana allowed a 79-yard punt return from star Caleb Downs, and it dropped a punt snap to give Ryan Day’s team seven more. In fact, IU’s defense allowed just 316 yards. But its offense, oh brother, its offense. The Hoosiers scored 15 points, 30 points below their average, and had 151 yards, more than 300 yards below their average. After its game-opening 70-yard touchdown drive, Indiana gained 81 yards on 48 plays. It gave up five sacks, completed just eight passes and averaged 2.6 yards a play. “Every time we dropped back to pass, something bad happened,” Cignetti said. Cignetti pointed to a couple of factors for the offensive outing: the noise and Ohio State’s talent. The Buckeyes are “loaded,” he said, and the Hoosiers needed to switch to a silent count because of the noise, something that rattled the squad and resulted in O-line miscommunication. “I didn’t think we played our best game today,” Cignetti said. But did it show enough to be in the playoff? “I don’t make those decisions,” Cignetti responded. “It’s more important now that I focus on the next game. Big rival [Purdue]. That needs to be everybody’s focus.” The focus for the masses was, is and will be Indiana’s schedule, ranked 106th among 137 FBS teams entering Saturday. Their opponents have a cumulative record of 10 games below .500. They’ve played one ranked team (Ohio State). Before Saturday, they’d beaten just one program with a winning record (Washington at 6-5). Those are the negatives. There are positives, too. Indiana beat nine of 10 opponents by double figures, was top five in the country in both scoring offense and defense and hung around — at least for a quarter and a half! — with the Buckeyes. Before kickoff Saturday, Cignetti, boastful and brash, let his feelings be known in an interview on ESPN. “We’ve got the largest scoring margin in college football, right?” he said. “There’s a narrative out there that’s created another chip for us. People can stick that narrative up their you-know-what.” Plenty of other bubble teams have their own problems, too. Tennessee lost to five-loss Arkansas. Any ACC or Big 12 champion will likely have at least two losses. SEC teams Ole Miss and South Carolina have three defeats, and Clemson lost at home to Louisville (not to mention the season-opening slaughtering against Georgia in Atlanta). Even two-loss Georgia, despite playing the country’s toughest-ranked schedule, struggled for three quarters with UMass (the Bulldogs allowed a whopping 226 yards rushing). Every team has a wart or two or three or four. It’s a near-impossibility to separate the group of potential at-large squads, a thankless position for committee members and the poor sap (Michigan AD Warde Manuel) that the CFP unnecessarily trots out each week to explain the rankings. Perhaps it’s why professional football has no committee. No at-large teams. No silly data-driven decisions and wacky metrics to separate playoff squads. In the NFL, it’s quite literally settled on the field, with postseason berths tied to division and conference finishes. Some want that model for this sport. One of them was here on Saturday: Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, a man who in the spring . The model would include three or four automatic qualifiers for each the SEC and Big Ten; two each for the ACC and Big 12; one G5 auto bid; and then three to five at-large spots in a further expanded 14- or 16-team field. Is that the future? Maybe. For now, let the lobbying, the silly metrics and the impossible debates continue.

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The five-part series will debut globally on December 10, following elite global players on and off the field as they compete in the US Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida. A trailer for the series titled Polo, executive produced by Harry and Meghan, was released on Thursday, giving a behind-the-scenes look at the “fast-paced and glamorous world of polo”. In a statement, Harry said: “This series offers audiences an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look into the passion and determination driving some of the world’s elite polo players, revealing the grit behind the glamour. “We’re proud to showcase the true depth and spirit of the sport — and the intensity of its high-stakes moments.” It has been produced by the Sussexes’ Archewell Productions, having previously released three documentaries with Netflix as part of a multimillion-pound deal with the streaming giant. Heart Of Invictus, which aired last August, followed a group of service members on their road to the Invictus Games, the Paralympic-style sporting competition set up by Harry in 2014 for injured and sick military personnel and veterans. Netflix also released the documentary series Live To Lead and the controversial six-part Harry & Meghan documentary in December 2022. Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020 after stepping down from royal duties.

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Aquestive therapeutics COO Jung Cassie sells $214 in stock“The holidays are the ideal time for family and friends to get a better sense of wellness issues that may be going on with senior loved ones,” said Katy Yahr, a licensed professional counselor and owner of Seniors Helping Seniors® Charleston. “Spending time together provides an opportunity to notice early warning signs of potential health issues, whether physical or cognitive." Here are some signs to watch for during holiday visits: ● Declining in personal hygiene and grooming ● Increasing confusion and memory lapses ● Noticeable changes in mental status or shifts in personality ● Frail appearance or difficulty with balance ● Pantry not well-stocked or spoiled food found in the refrigerator "Part of why I love working with Seniors Helping Seniors® is that our whole team is passionate about uplifting the lives of seniors and their families, and we are always looking for new ways to reach out and lend a hand," says Yahr. "If you notice something concerning, we are here to help your loved ones thrive during their later years." For more information contact Owner- Operator Seniors Helping Seniors® Charleston Katy Yahr, MA, LPC at 843-699-2970 or katy@shscharleston.com .

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Canada wants your help to name its 1st moon roverDonte DiVincenzo grabbed a defensive rebound under the hoop off a Max Christie air ball, took a couple of hard dribbles to the side of the floor and heaved the ball forward into the frontcourt, dropping his pass over Christie’s out-stretched arms and into the lap of Julius Randle. The result was an easy flush for Randle that extended Minnesota’s lead to 12 in the second quarter of the Wolves’ win over the Lakers on Monday night at the Target Center. ADVERTISEMENT As Randle was putting away the score, Wolves head coach Chris Finch looked back and pointed at DiVincenzo, his way of saying, “Thank you.” Minnesota scored 20 fast-break points Monday, marking just the fourth time this season it’s hit such a total. Nine of those points came off DiVincenzo dimes. “He did a really good job of igniting our break,” Finch said. “We’ve been emphasizing trying to kick ahead more, throw the pass wide, change the angle of the floor, all that. He did a really good job of getting off of it, he and Nickeil (Alexander-Walker) connected on a couple. His decision-making was really good tonight, getting off of it quick and finding the open guy and moving it.” DiVincenzo noted there’s a distinct trust factor in basketball, and it’s prevalent in several areas within the game. If you want your teammates to consistently do something, they need to believe you’ll hold up your end of the bargain. If the Wolves want Rudy Gobert to block a shot, they need to be checking the man he is leaving on the defensive glass. If you want your teammates to run the floor hard in transition, you had better be willing to kick the ball ahead. “That’s what we did tonight, everybody,” DiVincenzo said. “And when we do that, it deflates the other team.” Minnesota has infrequently been difficult to play against this season. A piece of that equation is the Wolves often leave the easy money on the table. Fast-break points sit atop that list. According to CleaningTheGlass.com, only 13.1% of Minnesota’s offensive possessions are played in transition. That’s dead last in the NBA, even after Monday’s performance. Transition was a weak point of last year’s team, as well, but the additions of Randle and DiVincenzo were supposed to infuse some pace. But old habits die hard. The Wolves have rarely looked for opportunities to get out and run. They often don’t seem interested in the idea. It requires effort and intention. So, it’s a difficult switch to flip after it spent much of last year in the “off” position. ADVERTISEMENT “Just knowing you’ve got to run the floor at all times,” Wolves wing Jaden McDaniels said. “Even when you’re tired, or if the game is not going your way, just to get easy points and run the floor for your teammates.” Randle agreed that sometimes he’ll dribble up the floor and no one will be running alongside him, but added there are things he should do differently, as well. “I might get the rebound and I’m probing instead of just pushing and throwing the ball ahead and looking to flatten the defense out that way,” he said. “Or you’re probing instead of punching the gaps, or whatever it is, and you’re letting the defense catch up, so it’s just little things like that.” Minnesota’s best transition groups figure to be those that don’t include Gobert. But those lineups have been hindered by an inability to grab defensive rebounds. That has to be priority No. 1 in any instance; but once that’s secured, there needs to be more urgency to go. As Monday showed, transition offense can be a major feather in the cap of a team that sometimes struggles to score with consistency. For instance, in the first quarter, the Wolves scored just 22 points, but six came in transition. The positive sign for Minnesota is that when the issue was emphasized, players like DiVincenzo made a point to answer the call. “I think playing fast, making quick decisions, letting us use our athleticism and our quick decisions (helps),” DiVincenzo said. “I think when you slow down sometimes, guys kind of get out of rhythm. Playing fast, getting the early transition opportunities, gets everybody going, and then we can play both types of games.” ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .

December 3 - San Jose State will face South Florida in the Hawaii Bowl, officials announced Tuesday. The contest will be held Dec. 24 on the Hawaii campus in Honolulu. The Spartans (7-5) of the Mountain West completed the regular season by beating neighbor Stanford 34-31 on Friday. San Jose State features star receiver Nick Nash, who leads the nation with 104 receptions, 1,382 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. The Spartans also played in the Hawaii Bowl last season, falling 24-14 to Coastal Carolina. South Florida (6-6) won four of its last six games, but lost 35-28 to fellow American Athletic Conference foe Rice on Saturday. "We are excited for the opportunity to compete in the Hawaii Bowl against a very good San Jose State team," Bulls coach Alex Golesh said in a news release. "Hawaii is a unique and beautiful destination that our players are excited to experience, and we look forward to productive bowl practices and a great game as we continue to build our program." --Western Michigan and South Alabama will meet in the Salute to Veterans Bowl at Montgomery, Ala., on Dec. 14. It will be the first contest of the bowl season. Western Michigan (6-6) gained bowl eligibility with a 26-18 victory over Eastern Michigan in Mid-American Conference play on Saturday. "This is a great opportunity for our football program and our university," Broncos coach Lance Taylor said in a news release. "South Alabama is a well-coached, physical team that will be a great test for our team." South Alabama (6-6) lost to Texas State 45-38 in Sun Belt play on Friday. The Jaguars have won four of their past six games. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, was back on Capitol Hill Tuesday looking to shore up support as he fends off new allegations of misconduct and sexual impropriety. The allegations were top of mind for Republican senators, one of whom called recent reports "very disturbing." Several GOP lawmakers suggested Hegseth needed to come forward and address them. But Hegseth, holding hands with his wife as he walked the halls, continued to ignore questions about the New Yorker report that he was forced to step down from two veteran nonprofit groups -- Veterans for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America -- amid accusations of financial mismanagement, sexist behavior and other disqualifying behavior. The magazine cited what it called a detailed seven-page whistleblower report -- compiled by multiple former C.V.A. employees -- stating that, at one point, Hegseth had to be restrained while drunk from joining the dancers on the stage of a Louisiana strip club, where he had brought his team. The report also says that Hegseth, who was married at the time, and other members of his management team sexually pursued the organization’s female staffers, the magazine said. ABC News has not independently confirmed the magazine's account. Hegseth's attorney, Tim Parlatore, told The New Yorker the claims were "outlandish." MORE: GOP senators seek 'normal process' to confirm Trump nominees, torn over FBI background checks "We're going to meet with every senator that wants to meet with us, across the board, and we welcome their advice as we go through the advice and consent process," Hegseth told reporters as he arrived for a second day of sitdowns with senators. Hegseth was asked dozens of questions by reporters, including what he would say to those troubled by the allegations, whether the women who've spoken out are lying, whether he had a drinking problem and if the Trump transition team had been aware of the allegations. He did not respond, including when asked by ABC's Elizabeth Schulze about GOP Sen. Joni Ernst saying she thinks he should have agreed to a background check. Trump's team came out in defense of Hegseth earlier Tuesday. Senior adviser Jason Miller, in an interview on CNN, attempted to brush off the allegations as "innuendo and gossip." "So, when it comes to Pete Hegseth, there aren't any concerns, and we feel very good about his positioning for being confirmed by the Senate," Miller said. "Now we have to take the process very seriously." Republican senators, peppered with questions on Hegseth and other recent Trump picks as they returned to Washington this week, also say they want a "normal" confirmation process to play -- which would routinely include FBI background checks. But some of their statements, so far, stopped short of glowing endorsements. "I think some of these articles are very disturbing. He obviously has a chance to defend himself here, but some of this stuff is -- it's going to be difficult. Time will tell,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Leadership comes from the top, and I want to make sure that every young woman who joins the military space is respected," Graham said, seemingly referencing Hegseth's comments against women serving in combat roles . Sen. Josh Hawley, another member of the key panel, argued Hegseth would have the opportunity to answer all questions during the confirmation process though notably indicated some of his Republican colleagues are "very worried." "I would just urge my Republican colleagues, who are very worried, I know a number of them are expressing public concern -- it's fine, but I would just urge them, before they make up their minds, right before they make up their minds, let them have this hearing and listen to let's go through the process here and give them a shot to answer this and more and to lay out this vision for you," Hawley said. MORE: Tuberville praises defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth amid misconduct allegations Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who stood by Hegseth as a "great" pick on Monday, had similarly suggested Hegseth could face headwinds. "Obviously, if it's to a certain degree, people are not going to vote to confirm it," Tuberville said when asked about the allegations after their meeting. "But what I know when I talk to him about what I've read, what I've studied and been around him, I'll vote for him." Many suggesting that he needs to come forward and address it. "Well, these allegations that have come up just in the last 12 to 14 hours are a surprise to all of us, and so yes, he does need to address those because this was not something of which we were aware, nor was President Trump aware of them," said Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., who met with Hegseth on Monday night with a group of senators. Asked about his ability to make it through the nomination process, Lummis said she hopes to meet with him one-on-one and deferred to how he addresses the new allegations. "It depends on how he addresses the issues that have been raised," Lummis said. "Some of the earlier issues that were raised about an incident in California I think were satisfactorily addressed and would not have interfered with his nomination, but some new things that have come to light in the last 12 to 14 hours are things he needs to address." "I have read all the articles, I have seen all the allegations. And Mr. Hegseth is going to have to address it," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said. "I want to know if they're true, and I want to hear his side of the story. And he's going to have to address them," Kennedy added. Hegseth met Tuesday with Sen. Deb Fischer, one of two Republican women on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and GOP Sen. Bill Hagerty in their respective offices. He was also scheduled to meet with Republican Sens. Ted Budd, Shelley Moore Capito, Jim Risch and Eric Schmitt. Schmitt said he was "definitely going to ask questions" about the allegations.Maybe 15 minutes before the Wild hosted and defeated the Nashville Predators on Saturday, general manager Bill Guerin took a few minutes to talk to the media about his first noteworthy acquisition of the season—the trade with Columbus, which will bring David Jiricek to the State of Hockey in the first few days of December. Maybe it’s just the pessimistic nature of a fanbase that hasn’t seen a men’s professional team play for a championship in more than three decades, but the grumbling had begun even before the collected media had reached the press box for Saturday’s game. “Seems like a lot to pay for a minor-leaguer,” was one of the comments overheard at the rink on Saturday. Indeed, to get Jiricek – the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft – and a lower-round pick, Guerin surrendered defenseman Daemon Hunt and four draft picks, including Minnesota’s 2025 first-rounder and a second round pick in 2027. He wasted no time in getting an up-close look at the new guy, calling Jiricek up to the NHL level on Sunday, and sending former Gophers forward Travis Boyd back down to Iowa. Guerin and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell are old friends from their time working together with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But there was no discount offered from Waddell to his old pal in Minnesota. “It took awhile. Donny,” Guerin said with an exasperated grin. “He played with me. He’s one of my old mentors. He made me work for it. He’s the best.” Still, Guerin would not have pulled the trigger had he not believed in two things: 1) The Wild can turn all of Jiricek’s size (6-foot-4) and potential into another piece of their bright future on the blue line. 2) The price they paid was not as steep as it might look on the surface. To that second point, consider that Hunt was not really part of the Wild’s NHL-level defensive picture, even at a time like this when Jonas Brodin’s long-term viability is a serious question mark. And after getting two points with an overtime win over the Predators on Saturday, the Wild were tied for the most points in the NHL, meaning that at this pace, that 2025 first-round draft pick is going to come in the 25th spot or later. If the Wild go into a tailspin this season, the pick sent to Columbus is lottery protected, meaning the Blue Jackets will not get to pick in the top 10 at the Wild’s expense. To the first point, Jiricek is a player Guerin and his assistants have had their eye on for some time, even before he was named the top defenseman in the tournament while playing for Czechia in the 2023 World Juniors. “He’s not 30, he’s not a rental. He’s a 21-year-old defenseman that we can invest in. And we did. That’s how I look at it. It’s an investment,” Guerin said. In 2022, the Wild grabbed Liam Ohgren with the 19th overall pick, more than a dozen selections after Jiricek was picked by Columbus and was posing for pictures in a new red-white-and-blue sweater. “He was somebody that we really liked (during) his draft year. We knew we weren’t going to get him, but we liked him,” Guerin said. “And, you know, when this became available, I did my due diligence and asked our staff what they thought. They were all on board with it. So it’s good.” Perhaps in hopes of getting the fans on board, Guerin also stressed patience. Jiricek has not yet been a star in the NHL, despite his high draft stock. But the Wild are confident that their system of developing players — especially defensemen — is the change the new guy needs. “He’s a young player. He’s got a lot to learn. He’s going to continue to improve, just like all young players,” Guerin said, name-dropping two youthful every-night members of the Wild roster who still have ample room to grow. “Brock Faber’s got to get better. Matt Boldy’s still going to get better. All these guys are going to continue to improve because they’re so young. So just because they’re in the NHL doesn’t mean they’re not going to develop their game and get better. That’s our job as the coaches, management. That’s our job to help him get better.” If he has to spend some future draft capital to put those pieces in place, that is clearly a chance Guerin is willing to take.Ottawa Senators vs. Carolina Hurricanes FREE LIVE STREAM (12/13/24): Watch NHL regular season online | Time, TV, channelArkansas WR Andrew Armstrong declares for NFL draft, skipping bowl

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— BIRTH NAME: James Earl Carter, Jr. — BORN: Oct. 1, 1924, at the Wise Clinic in Plains, Georgia, the first U.S. president born in a hospital. He would become the first president to live for an entire century . — EDUCATION: Plains High School, Plains, Georgia, 1939-1941; Georgia Southwestern College, Americus, Georgia, 1941-1942; Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, 1942-1943; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, 1943-1946 (class of 1947); Union College, Schenectady, New York, 1952-1953. — PRESIDENCY: Sworn-in as 39th president of the United States at the age of 52 years, 3 months and 20 days on Jan. 20, 1977, after defeating President Gerald R. Ford in the 1976 general election. Left office on Jan. 20, 1981, following 1980 general election loss to Ronald Reagan. — POST-PRESIDENCY: Launched The Carter Center in 1982. Began volunteering at Habitat for Humanity in 1984. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Taught for 37 years at Emory University, where he was granted tenure in 2019, at age 94. — OTHER ELECTED OFFICES: Georgia state senator, 1963-1967; Georgia governor, 1971-1975. — OTHER OCCUPATIONS: Served in U.S. Navy, achieved rank of lieutenant, 1946-53; Farmer, warehouseman, Plains, Georgia, 1953-77. — FAMILY: Wife, Rosalynn Smith Carter , married July 7, 1946 until her death Nov. 19, 2023. They had three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III (Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff); a daughter, Amy Lynn; and 11 living grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Source: Jimmy Carter Library & MuseumSOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaxart, Inc. (Nasdaq: VXRT) today announced completion of enrollment of the sentinel cohort of a Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating Vaxart's oral pill COVID-19 vaccine candidate against an approved mRNA vaccine comparator. The sentinel cohort comprised of 400 participants, with 200 receiving Vaxart's COVID-19 vaccine candidate and 200 receiving an approved mRNA vaccine comparator. "We are pleased to complete the enrollment of the sentinel cohort, an important milestone that reflects the collaboration of our entire team, as well as the trust and commitment of the participants and investigators involved,” said Dr. James F. Cummings, Vaxart's Chief Medical Officer. "We look forward to DSMB and FDA review followed by the planned initiation of the Phase 2b trial's second portion. Our continued progress brings us closer to our goal of potentially demonstrating advantages of our mucosal technology against an approved mRNA vaccine.” An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will review 30-day safety data from the sentinel cohort. Upon favorable review by the DSMB and FDA, the study will progress after Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) approval to the second part of the trial by enrolling approximately 10,000 participants. The trial will strive to enroll participants in line with U.S. demographics, as well as including at least 25% over the age of 65. The Phase 2b trial is a double-blind, multi-center, randomized, comparator-controlled study to determine the relative efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of Vaxart's oral pill COVID-19 vaccine candidate against an approved mRNA COVID-19 injectable vaccine in adults previously immunized against COVID-19 infection. The full Phase 2b trial will measure efficacy for symptomatic and asymptomatic disease, systemic and mucosal immune induction, and the incidence of adverse events. The primary endpoint is relative efficacy of Vaxart's COVID-19 vaccine candidate compared to an approved mRNA comparator for the prevention of symptomatic disease. Primary efficacy analysis will be performed when all participants have either discontinued or completed a study visit 12 months post-vaccination. Funding for this award was received under Project NextGen, a $5 billion initiative led by BARDA and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to accelerate and streamline the development of the next generation of innovative COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and enablers. Vaxart's project award through the Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV) is valued at up to $456 million. This project has been funded with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR); BARDA, under Other Transaction (OT) number 75A50123D00005. As a pioneer of oral vaccines, Vaxart was the first U.S. company to complete a Phase 2 clinical trial of an oral vaccine for COVID-19. About Vaxart Vaxart is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a range of oral recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary delivery platform. Vaxart vaccines are designed to be administered using pills that can be stored and shipped without refrigeration and eliminate the risk of needle-stick injury. Vaxart believes that its proprietary pill vaccine delivery platform is suitable to deliver recombinant vaccines, positioning the company to develop oral versions of currently marketed vaccines and to design recombinant vaccines for new indications. Vaxart's development programs currently include pill vaccines designed to protect against coronavirus, norovirus and influenza, as well as a therapeutic vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), Vaxart's first immune-oncology indication. Vaxart has filed broad domestic and international patent applications covering its proprietary technology and creations for oral vaccination using adenovirus and TLR3 agonists. Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding Vaxart's strategy, prospects, plans and objectives, results from preclinical and clinical trials and the timing of such results, commercialization agreements and licenses, and beliefs and expectations of management are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as "should," "believe," "could," "potential," "will," "expected," "anticipate,” "plan," and other words and terms of similar meaning. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Vaxart's ability to develop and commercialize its product candidates, including its vaccine booster products; Vaxart's expectations regarding clinical results and trial data, and the timing of receiving and reporting such clinical results and trial data; and Vaxart's expectations with respect to the effectiveness of its product candidates. Vaxart may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions, or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, expectations, and projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that Vaxart makes, including uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement, and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates, and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, and safety that could affect the availability or commercial potential of any product candidate, including the possibility that Vaxart's product candidates may not be approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities; that, even if approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities, Vaxart's product candidates may not achieve broad market acceptance; that a Vaxart collaborator may not attain development and commercial milestones; that Vaxart or its partners may experience manufacturing issues and delays due to events within, or outside of, Vaxart's or its partners' control; difficulties in production, particularly in scaling up initial production, including difficulties with production costs and yields, quality control, including stability of the product candidate and quality assurance testing, shortages of qualified personnel or key raw materials, and compliance with strictly enforced federal, state, and foreign regulations; that Vaxart may not be able to obtain, maintain, and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual property protection; that Vaxart's capital resources may be inadequate; Vaxart's ability to resolve pending legal matters; Vaxart's ability to obtain sufficient capital to fund its operations on terms acceptable to Vaxart, if at all; the impact of government healthcare proposals and policies; competitive factors; and other risks described in the "Risk Factors" sections of Vaxart's Quarterly and Annual Reports filed with the SEC. Vaxart does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Contact Vaxart Media and Investor Relations : Matt Steinberg FINN Partners [email protected] (646) 871-8481While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 8, 2024

RIMOUSKI, Québec, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Puma Exploration Inc. (TSXV: PUMA, OTCQB: PUMXF) (the “Company” or “Puma”) announces that it has closed a non-brokered placement (the “FT Private Placement”) consisting of 6,685,000 flow-through units (the “FT Units”) at $0.10 per FT Unit for gross proceeds of C$668,500. Each FT Unit comprises one flow-through share and one common share purchase warrant (“Warrant”). Each Warrant is exercisable to purchase one common share of the Company at $0.15 per share valid for 24 months. The Warrants are subject to an acceleration clause that entitles the Company to provide notice (the "Acceleration Notice") to holders that they will expire 30 days from the date the Company delivers the Acceleration Notice. The Company can only provide the Acceleration Notice if the closing price of the Company's Common Shares on the TSXV is equal to or greater than $0.25 for 30 consecutive trading days. The Acceleration Notice can be provided at any time after the statutory hold period and before the expiry date of the warrants. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a hold period of four months and one day pursuant to applicable securities laws. The net proceeds of the FT units will be used to incur eligible Canadian exploration expenses and flow-through mining expenditures, as defined under the Income Tax Act (Canada), that will be renounced in favour of the purchasers, with an effective date of no later than Dec. 31, 2025. The funds will advance the exploration of the newly acquired McKenzie Gold Project and other company assets in northern New Brunswick. In connection with the closing of the private placement offerings, the company paid aggregate cash finder's fees of $39,445 and issued 394,450 non-transferable finder warrants. The finder warrants have the same terms than the warrants included in the units and exercisable at $0.15 per common share. Certain directors and other insiders of the Company participated in the Private Placement. They subscribed for 350,000 FT Units for an aggregate price of $35,000, an amount no more than the maximum amount permissible under applicable securities laws and regulatory rules. Participation by the directors and other insiders in the Private Placement is considered a "related party transaction" under Multilateral Instrument 61- 101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval in connection with the insiders' participation in the Private Placement in reliance on sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 in that the fair market value (as determined under MI 61-101) of any securities issued under the Private Placement (and the consideration paid to the Company therefor) to interested parties (as defined under MI 61-101) did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization (as determined under MI 61-101). Qualified Person The content of this press release was prepared by Marcel Robillard, President, who supervised the preparation of the information that forms part of this news release. About Puma’s Assets in New Brunswick Puma has accumulated an impressive portfolio of prospective gold landholdings strategically located close to roads and infrastructure in Northern New Brunswick - the Williams Brook Project and the new McKenzie Gold Project. Both are located near the Rocky Brook Millstream Fault (“RBMF”), a major regional structure formed during the Appalachian Orogeny and a significant control for gold deposition in the region. Puma’s work to date has focused on the Williams Brook property, but prospecting and surface exploration work on its other properties have confirmed their potential for significant gold mineralization. About Puma Exploration Puma Exploration is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on finding and growing a pipeline of precious metals projects in New Brunswick, near Canada's Famous Bathurst Mining Camp. Puma has a long history in Northern New Brunswick, having worked on regional projects for over 15 years. Puma’s successful exploration methodology, which combines old prospecting methods with detailed trenching and up-to-date technology such as Artificial Intelligence, has been instrumental in facilitating an understanding of the region's geology and associated mineralized systems. Armed with geophysical surveys, geochemical data and consultants’ expertise, Puma has developed a perfect low-cost exploration tool to discover gold at shallow depths and maximize drilling results. The Company is committed to its DEAR business model of D iscovery, E xploration, A cquisition and R oyalties to generate maximum value for shareholders with low share dilution. Connect with us on Facebook / X / LinkedIn . Visit www.explorationpuma.com for more information or contact: Marcel Robillard , President and CEO. (418) 750-8510; president@explorationpuma.com Mia Boiridy , Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Development. (250) 575-3305; mboiridy@explorationpuma.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve several known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Puma to be materially different from actual future results and achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made, except as required by law. Puma undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. The quarterly and annual reports and the documents submitted to the securities administration describe these risks and uncertainties.

Thanksgiving Weekend Sports Guide: Your roadmap to NFL matchups, other games, times, oddsThe long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here's a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. All times are in EST. All odds are by BetMGM Sportsbook. What to watch Thursday • NFL: There is a triple-header lined up for pro football fans. Chicago at Detroit, 12:30 p.m., CBS: Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears go against the Lions, who are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in February. Lions favored by 10. New York at Dallas, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The Giants and Cowboys are both suffering through miserable seasons and are now using backup quarterbacks for different reasons. But if Dallas can figure out a way to win, it will still be on the fringe of the playoff race. Cowboys favored by 3 1/2. People are also reading... Miami at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m., NBC/Peacock: The Packers stumbled slightly out of the gate but have won six of their past seven games. They'll need a win against Miami to try to keep pace in the NFC North. Packers favored by 3. • College Football: Memphis at No. 18 Tulane, 7:30 p.m., ESPN. If college football is your jam, this is a good warmup for a big weekend. The Tigers try to ruin the Green Wave’s perfect record in the American Athletic Conference. Tulane is favored by 14. What to watch Friday • NFL: A rare Friday showdown features the league-leading Chiefs. Las Vegas at Kansas City, 3 p.m. Prime Video: The Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are 12-point favorites over the Raiders. • College Basketball: Some of the top programs meet in holiday tournaments around the country. Battle 4 Atlantis championship, 5:30 p.m., ESPN: One of the premier early season tournaments, the eight-team field includes No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Arizona. Rady Children's Invitational, 6 p.m., Fox: It's the championship game for a four-team field that includes No. 13 Purdue and No. 23 Mississippi. • College Football: There is a full slate of college games to dig into. Oregon State at No. 11 Boise State, noon, Fox: The Broncos try to stay in the College Football Playoff hunt when they host the Beavers. Boise State favored by 19 1/2. Oklahoma State at No. 23 Colorado, noon, ABC: The Buffaloes and Coach Prime are still in the hunt for the Big 12 championship game when they host the Cowboys. Colorado favored by 16 1/2. Georgia Tech at No. 6 Georgia, 7:30 p.m., ABC: The Bulldogs are on pace for a spot in the CFP but host what could be a tricky game against rival Georgia Tech. Georgia favored by 19 1/2. • NBA. After taking Thanksgiving off, pro basketball returns. Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., ESPN: The Thunder look like one of the best teams in the NBA's Western Conference. They'll host Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks during the first half of a Nov. 23 game against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles. Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press What to watch Saturday • College Football. There are more matchups with playoff implications. Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, noon, Fox: The Wolverines are struggling one season after winning the national title. They could make their fan base a whole lot happier with an upset of the Buckeyes. Ohio State favored by 21. No. 7 Tennessee at Vanderbilt, noon, ABC: The Volunteers are a fairly big favorite and have dominated this series, but the Commodores have been a tough team this season and already have achieved a monumental upset over Alabama. Tennessee favored by 11. No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson, noon, ESPN: The Palmetto State rivals are both hanging on the edge of the CFP playoff race. A win — particularly for Clemson — would go a long way toward clinching its spot in the field. Clemson favored by 2 1/2. No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. ABC: The Aggies host their in-state rival for the first time since 2011 after the Longhorns joined the SEC. Texas favored by 5 1/2. Washington at No. 1 Oregon, 7:30 p.m., NBC: The top-ranked Ducks have been one of the nation’s best teams all season. They’ll face the Huskies, who would love a marquee win in coach Jedd Fisch’s first season. Oregon favored by 19 1/2. • NBA: A star-studded clash is part of the league's lineup. Golden State at Phoenix, 9 p.m., NBA TV: Steph Curry and the Warriors are set to face the Suns' Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. What to watch Sunday • NFL: It's Sunday, that says it all. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS: Joe Burrow is having a great season for the Bengals, who are struggling in other areas. They need a win to stay in the playoff race, hosting a Steelers team that's 8-3 and won five of their past six. Bengals favored by 3. Arizona at Minnesota, 1 p.m., Fox: The Cardinals are tied for the top of the NFC West while the Vikings are 9-2 and have been one of the biggest surprises of the season with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Vikings favored by 3 1/2. Philadelphia at Baltimore, 4:25 p.m., CBS: Two of the league's most electric players will be on the field when Saquon Barkley and the Eagles travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Ravens favored by 3. San Francisco at Buffalo, 8:20 p.m. NBC/Peacock: The 49ers try to get back to .500 against the Bills, who have won six straight. Bills favored by 7. • NBA. The best teams in the Eastern Conference meet in a statement game. Boston at Cleveland, 6 p.m., NBA TV: The defending champion Celtics travel to face the Cavs, who won their first 15 games to start the season. • Premier League: English soccer fans have a marquee matchup. Manchester City at Liverpool, 11 a.m., USA Network/Telemundo. The two top teams meet with Manchester City trying to shake off recent struggles. • Auto Racing: The F1 season nears its conclusion. F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 11 a.m., ESPN2 – It's the penultimate race of the season. Max Verstappen already has clinched his fourth consecutive season championship. Who rules the sidelines? A look at the 10 winningest NFL coaches Who rules the sidelines? A look at the 10 winningest NFL coaches Before the 2023 National Football League season started, it seemed inevitable that Bill Belichick would end his career as the winningest head coach in league history. He had won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and 298 regular-season games, plus 31 playoff games, across his career. Then the 2023 season happened. Belichick's Patriots finished 4-13, the franchise's worst record since 1992. At the end of the year, Belichick and New England owner Robert Kraft agreed to part ways. And now, during the 2024 season, Belichick is on the sideline. He's 26 wins from the #1 spot, a mark he'd reach in little more than two seasons if he maintained his .647 career winning percentage. Will he ascend the summit? It's hard to tell. Belichick would be 73 if he graced the sidelines next season—meaning he'd need to coach until at least 75 to break the all-time mark. Only one other NFL coach has ever helmed a team at age 73: Romeo Crennel in 2020 for the Houston Texans. With Belichick's pursuit of history stalled, it's worth glancing at the legends who have reached the pinnacle of coaching success. Who else stands among the 10 winningest coaches in NFL history? Stacker ranked the coaches with the most all-time regular-season wins using data from Pro Football Reference . These coaches have combined for 36 league championships, which represents 31.6% of all championships won throughout the history of pro football. To learn who made the list, keep reading. You may also like: Ranking the biggest NFL Draft busts of the last 30 years Bettmann/Contributor // Getty Images #10. Dan Reeves - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1981-2003 - Record: 190-165-2 - Winning percentage: .535 - Championships: 0 Dan Reeves reached the Super Bowl four times—thrice with the Denver Broncos and once with the Atlanta Falcons—but never won the NFL's crown jewel. Still, he racked up nearly 200 wins across his 23-year career, including a stint in charge of the New York Giants, with whom he won Coach of the Year in 1993. In all his tenures, he quickly built contenders—the three clubs he coached were a combined 17-31 the year before Reeves joined and 28-20 in his first year. However, his career ended on a sour note as he was fired from a 3-10 Falcons team after Week 14 in 2003. Bettmann/Contributor // Getty Images #9. Chuck Noll - Seasons coached: 23 - Years active: 1969-91 - Record: 193-148-1 - Winning percentage: .566 - Championships: 4 Chuck Noll's Pittsburgh Steelers were synonymous with success in the 1970s. Behind his defense, known as the Steel Curtain, and offensive stars, including Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swann, Noll led the squad to four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979. Noll's Steelers remain the lone team to win four Super Bowls in six years, though Andy Reid and Kansas City could equal that mark if they win the Lombardi Trophy this season. Noll was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, two years after retiring. His legacy of coaching success has carried on in Pittsburgh—the club has had only two coaches (Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin) since Noll retired. Focus on Sport // Getty Images #8. Marty Schottenheimer - Seasons coached: 21 - Years active: 1984-98, 2001-06 - Record: 200-126-1 - Winning percentage: .613 - Championships: 0 As head coach of Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, and San Diego, Marty Schottenheimer proved a successful leader during the regular season. Notably, he was named Coach of the Year after turning around his 4-12 Chargers team to a 12-4 record in 2004. His teams, however, struggled during the playoffs. Schottheimer went 5-13 in the postseason, and he never made it past the conference championship round. As such, the Pennsylvania-born skipper is the winningest NFL coach never to win a league championship. Focus on Sport // Getty Images #7. Paul Brown - Seasons coached: 25 - Years active: 1946-62, '68-75 - Record: 213-104-9 - Winning percentage: .672 - Championships: 7 The only coach on this list to pilot a college team, Paul Brown, reached the pro ranks after a three-year stint at Ohio State and two years with the Navy during World War II. He guided the Cleveland Browns—named after Brown, their first coach—to four straight titles in the fledgling All-America Football Conference. After the league folded, the ballclub moved to the NFL in 1950, and Cleveland continued its winning ways, with Brown leading the team to championships in '50, '54, and '55. He was fired in 1963 but returned in 1968 as the co-founder and coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. His other notable accomplishments include helping to invent the face mask and breaking pro football's color barrier . Bettmann/Contributor // Getty Images #6. Curly Lambeau - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1921-53 - Record: 226-132-22 - Winning percentage: .631 - Championships: 6 An early stalwart of the NFL, Curly Lambeau spent 29 years helming the Green Bay Packers before wrapping up his coaching career with two-year stints with the Chicago Cardinals and Washington. His Packers won titles across three decades, including the league's first three-peat from 1929-31. Notably, he experienced only one losing season during his first 27 years with Green Bay, cementing his legacy of consistent success. Born in Green Bay, Lambeau co-founded the Packers and played halfback on the team from 1919-29. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a coach and owner in 1963, two years before his death. You may also like: Countries with the most active NFL players Bettmann/Contributor // Getty Images #5. Tom Landry - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1960-88 - Record: 250-162-6 - Winning percentage: .607 - Championships: 2 The first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry held the position for his entire 29-year tenure as an NFL coach. The Cowboys were especially dominant in the 1970s when they made five Super Bowls and won the big game twice. Landry was known for coaching strong all-around squads and a unit that earned the nickname the "Doomsday Defense." Between 1966 and 1985, Landry and his Cowboys enjoyed 20 straight seasons with a winning record. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1990. Focus on Sport // Getty Images #3. Bill Belichick - Seasons coached: 29 - Years active: 1991-95, 2000-23 - Record: 302-165 - Winning percentage: .647 - Championships: 6 The most successful head coach of the 21st century, Bill Belichick first coached the Cleveland Browns before taking over the New England Patriots in 2000. With the Pats, Belichick combined with quarterback Tom Brady to win six Super Bowls in 18 years. Belichick and New England split after last season when the Patriots went 4-13—the worst record of Belichick's career. His name has swirled around potential coaching openings , but nothing has come of it. Belichick has remained in the media spotlight with his regular slot on the "Monday Night Football" ManningCast. Tom Pennington // Getty Images #2. George Halas - Seasons coached: 40 - Years active: 1920-29, '33-42, '46-55, '58-67 - Record: 318-148-31 - Winning percentage: .682 - Championships: 6 George Halas was the founder and longtime owner of the Chicago Bears and coached the team across four separate stints. Nicknamed "Papa Bear," he built the ballclub into one of the NFL's premier franchises behind players such as Bronko Nagurski and Sid Luckman. Halas also played for the team, competing as a player-coach in the 1920s. The first coach to study opponents via game film, he was once a baseball player and even made 12 appearances as a member of the New York Yankees in 1919. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1963 as both a coach and owner. Bettmann/Contributor // Getty Images #1. Don Shula - Seasons coached: 33 - Years active: 1963-95 - Record: 328-156-6 - Winning percentage: .677 - Championships: 2 The winningest head coach in NFL history is Don Shula, who first coached the Baltimore Colts (losing Super Bowl III to Joe Namath and the New York Jets) for seven years before leading the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons. With the Fins, Shula won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and 1973, a run that included a 17-0 season—the only perfect campaign in NFL history. He also coached quarterback great Dan Marino in the 1980s and '90s, but the pair made it to a Super Bowl just once. Shula was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997. Story editing by Mike Taylor. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. You may also like: The 5 biggest upsets of the 2023-24 NFL regular season Bettmann/Contributor // Getty Images Be the first to know

Syria's Interim FM Vows To Represent“All Sectors Of Society”Share this Story : Pembroke cyclist injured after being hit in head by object thrown from vehicle Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links Local News Pembroke cyclist injured after being hit in head by object thrown from vehicle At about midnight on Dec. 1, the cyclist was on Pembroke Street East when they were assaulted, police said. Author of the article: Staff Reporter Published Dec 02, 2024 • Last updated 42 minutes ago • 1 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account. An Ontario Provincial Police cruiser. POSTMEDIA / FILE PHOTO Article content The OPP are investigating after a cyclist in Pembroke was taken to hospital after being hit in the head with an object thrown from a vehicle. Article content Article content At about midnight on Dec. 1, the cyclist was on Pembroke Street East between Drive-in Road and Old Mill Road when a dark-coloured vehicle with three or four people inside approached, police said in a news release. After being struck from something that was thrown from the vehicle, the cyclist required treatment at the hospital. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. 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Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Recommended from Editorial Three charged after youth abducted, held for ransom in Orléans OPP East Region charges 23 drivers in RIDE program's first week Article content Share this article in your social network Share this Story : Pembroke cyclist injured after being hit in head by object thrown from vehicle Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Comments You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments. Create an Account Sign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Trending Layoffs could be on the table for public servants. Here's everything you need to know Public Service Battle lines drawn between public servants, taxpayers over public service pension surplus Public Service City of Ottawa worker fired after audit uncovers kickback scheme with landlords Local News Is Ottawa ready for the return of former Senators winger Dany Heatley? Ottawa Senators How the Canada Post strike impacts Canadians News Read Next Latest National Stories Featured Local SavingsHouse Speaker Mike Johnson and U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks spoke to reporters following an event in Indianola Oct. 18, 2024. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ reelection win for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District was confirmed Wednesday as the recount requested by Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan concluded. The Associated Press called the race at 3:07 p.m. Wednesday, several weeks after the Nov. 5 general election. As of the latest updates from the AP, Miller-Meeks won with unofficial results showing her at 206,955 votes to Bohannan’s 206,157 — a 798-vote margin, slightly smaller than the 802-vote gap reported when Bohannan requested the recount earlier in November . The recount process was conducted in all 20 counties in the 1st Congressional District over the course of seven days, with the final two counties — Johnson and Keokuk counties — finishing their recounts Wednesday. There were no changes to the vote totals during the recount process in Keokuk County, according to the local county auditor’s office. In Johnson County, Miller-Meeks’ lead dropped by two votes and Bohannan’s dropped by six, according to county auditor staff. Bohannan conceded the race in a Wednesday statement, congratulating Miller-Meeks on her victory. She thanked election officials and volunteers for their efforts during the election and recount process — as well as thanking Iowans “for their patience” as the recount was conducted. “Although this is not the result we wanted, I am so proud of our campaign,” Bohannan said. “We exceeded all expectations and turned a district that many pundits thought was unwinnable into one of the very closest races in the country. ... I am honored by the roughly half of Iowans in this district – people of all political parties – who voted for me to be their next congresswoman. Although I won’t be able to represent them in Washington DC this January, I want them to know that I will continue our important work of putting Iowa first.” With the conclusion of the 1st Congressional District recount, all recount processes for 2024 elections in the state have concluded. Three legislative races were also brought to recount from the 2024 election with results showing two Democratic incumbents, Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Waukee, and Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport, keeping their seats, as well as confirming the loss of incumbent Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, to Republican Mike Pike. With these recounts over, Iowa’s federal delegation will continue to be all Republican. Republicans will also hold a trifecta of control at the Iowa Statehouse, with supermajorities in both the state House and Senate. Miller-Meeks gave her victory speech at her Election Night watch party and has criticized Bohannan for pursuing a recount. She, alongside the House GOP campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee, have criticized Bohannan for not conceding the race earlier because of the cost to the state, claiming the process had cost $21,000 as of Tuesday. Mike Marinella, a NRCC spokesperson, released a statement congratulating Miller-Meeks on her reelection Wednesday. “Congratulations to Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks on her incredible victory,” Marinella said. “As a doctor, veteran, and Congresswoman, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks has always answered the call to service. Rep. Miller-Meeks’ record speaks for itself, and she will continue to deliver valuable results for veterans, farmers, small business owners and families across Southeast Iowa.”By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Related Articles National Politics | Elon Musk’s preschool is the next step in his anti-woke education dreams National Politics | Trump’s picks for top health jobs not just team of rivals but ‘team of opponents’ National Politics | Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus National Politics | Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships, citing ‘hurried’ House action National Politics | A history of the Panama Canal — and why Trump can’t take it back on his own Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill U.S. citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev ; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Michelle L. Price and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A law requiring Missouri voters to show government-issued photo identification to cast regular ballots will stand after a lower-court judge found it constitutional Tuesday. Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem’s decision upholds the law, which was made possible by a 2016 voter-approved constitutional amendment allowing lawmakers to enact photo ID requirements. “To maintain a secure system for voting, it only stands to reason that a photo ID should be essential,” Missouri Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said in a statement praising the ruling. Voter photo ID supporters such as Ashcroft say the practice prevents voter fraud and improves public confidence in election results. Voting rights advocates say getting the records needed to obtain proper photo identification can be challenging, especially for older voters and people with disabilities. The National Conference of State Legislatures reports 36 states request or require identification to vote, of which at least 21 ask for a photo ID. Under Missouri’s law, people without government-issued photo identification can cast provisional ballots to be counted if they return later that day with a photo ID or if election officials verify their signatures. The law also requires the state to provide a free photo identification card to those lacking one to vote. Missouri’s NAACP and League of Women Voters, along with two individual voters, sued to overturn the law in 2022. They argued that some voters faced substantial obstacles getting up-to-date and accurate government-issued photo IDs and worried that casting a provisional ballot could put them at higher risk of having their votes not counted. Beetem initially dismissed the lawsuit , finding neither of the two individual voters “alleged a specific, concrete, non-speculative injury or legally protectable interest in challenging the photo ID requirement.” The Missouri ACLU and Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, who sued on behalf of the plaintiffs, in response added another voter to the lawsuit and asked Beetem again to find the voter ID requirement unconstitutional. Beetem noted in his Tuesday ruling that all of the individual plaintiffs have successfully voted since the law took effect. “Their claim that their provisional ballots may be rejected is purely speculative,” Beetem wrote. “In addition, the evidence at trial confirms that rejection rates for provisional ballots are low, and the rates specifically for signature-mismatch are exceedingly low.” He concluded that the law’s rules on photo identification “protect the fundamental right to vote by deterring difficult to detect forms of voter fraud.” Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they will appeal Beetem’s ruling. “The League believes the state should be making it easier, not harder, for Missourians to exercise their fundamental right to vote,” Missouri League of Women Voters President Marilyn McLeod said in a statement. “There’s no evidence of voter impersonation in Missouri, so these restrictions don’t make our elections any safer or more secure.” Don't let this be the end of the free press. The free press is under attack — and America's future hangs in the balance. As other newsrooms bow to political pressure, HuffPost is not backing down. Would you help us keep our news free for all? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. The 2022 law also includes permits in-person voting for any reason two weeks before an election, a compromise negotiated by Senate Democrats . Related From Our PartnerMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian Senate on Thursday began considering a ban on children younger than 16 years old from social media after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly supported the age restriction. The world-first bill that would make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts is likely to be passed by the Senate on Thursday, the Parliament’s final session for the year and potentially the last before elections, which are due within months. The major parties’ support for the ban all but guarantees the legislation will become law. But many child welfare and mental health advocates are concerned about unintended consequences. Unaligned Sen. Jacqui Lambie complained about the limited amount of time the government gave the Senate to debate the age restriction, which she described as “undercooked.” “I thought this was a good idea. A lot of people out there thought it was a good idea until we looked at the detail and, let's be honest, there's no detail,” Lambie told the Senate. The House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly carried the bill 102 votes to 13. Once the legislation becomes law, the platforms would have one year to work out how they could implement the ban before penalties are enforced. The platforms complained that the law would be unworkable, and urged the Senate to delay the vote until at least June next year when a government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies made its report on how young children could be excluded. Critics argue the government is attempting to convince parents it is protecting their children ahead of general elections due by May. The government hopes that voters will reward it for responding to parents' concerns about their children's addiction to social media. Some argue the legislation could cause more harm than it prevents. Criticisms include that the legislation was rushed through Parliament without adequate scrutiny, is ineffective, poses privacy risks for all users, and undermines parental authority to make decisions for their children. Opponents of the bill also argue the ban would isolate children, deprive them of the positive aspects of social media, drive them to the dark web, discourage children too young for social media to report harm and reduce incentives for platforms to improve online safety.

In this podcast, Motley Fool analyst Nick Sciple and host Ricky Mulvey discuss: Potential futures of and lingering questions about quantum computers . A restructuring at Warner Bros. Discovery that's pleasing its investors, and why the media conglomerate may be a falling knife. Then, Motley Fool contributor Lou Whiteman joins host Mary Long for a look at FedEx , and holiday shipping season. Visit our sponsor: Get $1,000 off Vanta at www.vanta.com/fool To catch full episodes of all The Motley Fool's free podcasts, check out our podcast center . To get started investing, check out our beginner's guide to investing in stocks . A full transcript follows the video. This video was recorded on Dec. 12, 2024. Ricky Mulvey: We're going to the quantum verse. You're listening to Motley Fool Money. I'm Ricky Mulvey be joined today by Nick Sciple. Nick, good to see you. Nick Sciple: Great to be here with you, Ricky. Ricky Mulvey: Let's get into this Google announcement, which is a little tough to parse through anytime you're talking about quantum processes, but Alphabet announced a new quantum computing chip called Willow. The stock has jumped about 12% over the past week as Wall Street analysts pretend to understand quantum science. Now the stock is at an all time high. Google reporting that, "Willow performed a standard benchmark computation in under five minutes that would take one of today's fastest supercomputers, 10 septillion, that is 10 to the 25 years." We're getting into some logarithmic math. Sounds like this thing can get all the Bitcoin at once, Nick, but what does Google want from this research? Nick Sciple: Sure, I think Google just wants to stay on the cutting edge of new computing technology. As you laid out here, these quantum computers have the promise if they reach commercialization to do calculations that today's existing computers couldn't do in the entire history of the universe, if you are going to stretch out the time there. Just trying to push forward the state of the art of science as Google has done with their AI investments in the past and other places. This is one of the big focuses that Google has outside of their core business to just invest in innovation. Ricky Mulvey: For those who are unfamiliar with this game, and none of us are going to pretend to be quantum experts here. I don't want to put words in your mouth, Nick, but what can a quantum computer do that's so much better than a regular computer? Why are the researchers so interested in this? Nick Sciple: Yeah, without getting too deep down into the weeds, my understanding is you essentially use the fundamental particles of the universe to do the computing for you. Use atleast qubits, which is electrons, that sort of thing, which can exist in a superposition state. We're getting down into a complex physics. They can be both zero and one, at the same time, unlike classical computers, they have to be either zero or one, at any given particular time, this unlocks significant potential to perform multiple calculations at once, faster and simulate problems in large data sets you couldn't do today. However, there's lots of instability in these qubits and we haven't been able to get them to be stable enough to build these computers in a functional way, but this breakthrough that Google announced really is a sign that we're getting closer. If we do reach commercialization, then this would be a breakthrough in computing and could change the world. Ricky Mulvey: This is a bleeding edge technology, and as you mentioned, getting these chips and computers stable is a monumental challenge in and of itself because you're not dealing with ones and zeros. You're dealing with particle uncertainty at an atomic level, which sounds a little above my pay grade, but there's a lot of promise and use cases to watch. What are you going to be watching as this technology plays out? Nick Sciple: You think about a breakthrough in computing technology could touch things, healthcare, code breaking, that sort of thing. For me, the place where I think you'd see quantum computing used first is in defense. If you think about past cutting edge technologies, they all seem to find the first application in defense rockets, the Internet, drones, GPS, nuclear technology, all these things started out as defense applications. Really makes sense. The DOD isn't worried about profits or commercialization, really worried about national defense, and we've agreed as a country there is not a price we want to put on that. I'd expect quantum computing to find its first applications in the defense field. You think about code breaking certainly has been one of the earliest applications of computers going back all the way to the beginning, so you could definitely tell a story about where that could be applied in the defense realm. If we do reach something where this applies, I think defense is going to be the place where you see it used first. Ricky Mulvey: One thing I'll be watching. You mentioned code breaking, and this could fundamentally change as this tech plays out. Cybersecurity companies as cyber threats change. There's a book quantum supremacy and lays out one example where there could be two Internets where if you're trying to send secure information, you might not be able to do that along the normal broadband infrastructure we have. If you're a company doing banking information, that kind of thing. You might need laser beams to send it because otherwise it could just be so easy for these quantum computers to break into. Let's talk about the stock side because remember, a few months ago, everyone was worried about Google and how it didn't understand artificial intelligence. Well, now investors are saying. Boy oh, boy, do you understand quantum computing, and we're excited about that. Wall Street Journal columnist Dan Gallagher has a column out today saying, "Google's quantum boost doesn't really compute pointing out that basically the $250 billion that was added to the company's market cap is looking speculative at best. This is because the advertising business generates about that money in a single year." Pessimism always sounds smart, Nick, and this is something I'm excited about. Quantum computing is cool. You tell me, is this smart analysis from Mr. Gallagher? Does this belong at the Player Haters' Ball? Nick Sciple: I would say you could say both in one way or the other. It's smart analysis in the sense that is this quantum computing technology commercially ready enough to be adding that type of market cap to Google, Alphabet's stock today? No, this is only the second milestone that Google has laid out toward their quantum computing commercialization road map. I think there's seven of those milestones. There's really no guarantee that it ever gets there. I mentioned defense really being at the cutting edge, the DARPA program manager that's in charge of quantum computing and said their basic position here is skepticism. They're skeptical that we'll ever reach a quantum computer with enough of these qubits that are stable enough for this to be built. It's really a question of whether we're actually reach commercialization, although it's a huge breakthrough for Google. That said, I think some of the movement in the stock is less about hey, we're about to have a quantum computing tomorrow. It's renewed confidence in Google their leadership and their technology position. You mentioned AI earlier this year, a lot of concerns that AI could disrupt that core Google advertising business and we've seen some really exciting announcements from Google Gemini, their AI tool in recent weeks that at least have given me some confidence in the AI business. While quantum computing is a long way off as far as these frontier technologies, I do want to mention one breakthrough technology that is actually finally gaining traction for Google, and that's self driving cars. This is another technology that started out as a defense program. Twenty years ago, DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency had their 2004 grand challenge, which is really kicking off the quest for self driving cars. Now we're 20 years on, and Google is finally reaching commercialization of these, according to data from California's Public Utilities Commission, where it noted 312,000 rides per month in California in August. That's double what they'd done three months before and just in recent weeks Google has announced plans to expand rapidly across the US and Austin, Atlanta, and Miami in 2025, announced partnerships with Uber to expand that in those new cities. This is an area that you really don't hear mentioned that often as a real value driver for Google. Do I think quantum computing alone is enough to move Google stock? No, but do I think there's a good argument that we should be more optimistic about Google and that, the company has brighter days ahead of it and isn't under deep threat by some of this disruption folks were worried about earlier this year, I think that's true, and I think there's a good argument to be made that Google's fairly valued here. Ricky Mulvey: The one thing in Google at about 25 times earnings right now. One thing on the self driving stuff that I'm waiting for is someone out in Colorado, Nick. You mentioned the three cities, Austin, Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, these cars are already cooking. None of those cities get snow or ice a lot. I'm very much looking forward to seeing these self driving cars artfully work in icy and winter conditions. I think that's going to be my transition point to saying, This is really going to roll out across the country, but I'm ready to get in self driving car. Nick Sciple: You left out LA there, Ricky, that's another. There's no accident. All those cities have favorable weather to the technology. Let's say that. We're not there where this is going to be commercial in every city, but we're getting there where this isn't a science project anymore. This is a real commercial business. Ricky Mulvey: Let's go to Warner Brothers . Warner Brothers Discovery, maybe taking a note from Comcast last week, announcing that it is separating its cable and streaming division. This is a week after Comcast announced that it was straight up spinning off most of its cable assets. Cynically you could say hey, it's telling private equity firms, you can easily cut here if you want to hive off this part of the company. For Warner Brothers Discovery, its global linear networks division will house its cable brands. Streaming and studios now will include Max and other streaming assets. You're seeing Warner Brothers Discovery investors get excited about this. Stock is popping more than 10% as I was looking this morning. Why are they so excited about a little restructuring, Nick? Nick Sciple: It's been a tough run for Warner Brothers Discovery down about 50% since the merger between Warner Brothers and Discovery back in 2022. I think, the market is excited about potentially a new strategy for the business. CEO David Zaslav has really been pounding the table on the need for more transactions, more consolidation in the media space, and perhaps with a change of administration, maybe those deals are a little bit more easy to do. You look at Warner Brothers Discovery today, just over $40 billion in debt. The past couple of years, the company has really had to focus on cutting costs, laying off workers to focus on cash flow. The main driver of the business continues to be cable networks. About half of the revenue close to 90% of the EBITDA comes from the cable networks, but these are really no growth businesses. Ad dollars continuing to leave traditional media streaming still on the ascendancy, just had to take a nine billion dollar write down on its cable assets. In August, if you look at the streaming business, there is some growth there, and that business has reached break even, although you have to take those numbers with a grain of salt, but still, HBO Max is a little bit of a mess, if you compare it to some of these other streaming companies, combining HBO's content with Discovery's reality TV, and that sort of thing has led them to be a little bit behind some of the folks in the market. I don't have any transaction. I guess this reorganization sets the company up to separate perhaps some of these bad linear assets from the studio and streaming assets, although they have problems, have a long term future. Zaslav on the press release said we continue to prioritize ensuring our global linear networks business is well positioned to drive free cash flow, while our streaming and studios businesses focus on driving growth by telling the world's most compelling stories, our new corporate structure better aligns organizations, and this is the big part. Enhances our flexibility with potential future strategic opportunities across an evolving media landscape. I think in April, we reached two years since that merger between Warner Brothers and Discovery, now that we're two years on from that, those transactions can take place. I think hiving off these two businesses sets that up. I think what you're likely to see is either spinning off these cable assets and attaching a lot of this debt to those assets. You can have a good co, bad co spin off or perhaps you see some consolidation with some of these other struggling cable businesses out there, whether that's the spin off from Comcast or Paramount is out there and is a under new leadership perhaps is going to be looking to sell off some pieces. Ricky Mulvey: A lot of these companies with these cable assets seem to be making moves in 2024 that maybe they know they should have been making in the mid 2010. I think Paramount is one example. We were chatting before the show where you wanted to talk about the BET Network, where the valuation falling from about 2-3 billion dollars, having bids for that to 1.6 now. I'm talking about a different company, but bringing this theme together, do you think these companies, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Discovery, have they really just missed the boat to sell these assets at a good price? Are these distressed sellers right now? Nick Sciple: I think they are distressed sellers. These companies are in a tough spot where you're heavily indebted and you need to be able to support that debt burden. However, your assets that are generating the cash flow to do that or in a difficult position, a shrinking business. As you mentioned, the valuation of these cable assets is moving down into the right. If you just look at BET, best case scenario, we're looking at 20% decline in valuation over just the course of a year. We could expect these assets to continue going down. They're no longer prestige properties that folks would be excited to buy and own, notwithstanding the Ellison family getting involved with Paramount earlier this year. I think now we're looking at vultures trying to bid up these assets and run them for cash flow. I think there's still quite a bit of cash to be squeezed out of these businesses, but the market has certainly come to the conclusion that the growth days are over. As you see things like sports abandoning cable for some of these streaming platforms, the things that were really holding the cable bundle together are finally leaving. Ricky Mulvey: If you're waiting for Netflix to come in, you had co-CEO Ted Sarandos at UBS media conference on Tuesday saying, "We're better builders than buyers." Implying we're not going to come in and take a lot of these distressed cable assets off your hands. In some cases, you're seeing these companies pick and choose how they do it. We were talking about Comcast , where they spun off pretty much every cable channel they had with the exception of the Bravo network, which has a lot of their reality programming that does quite well on Peacock. You wonder, what are they doing this for and who do they expect the buyers to be? Let's get into the valuation a little bit, because Warner Brothers Discovery right now trades at about six times free cash flow. The earnings are a little funky depending on how you add in the depreciation. We heard from Yasser El-Shimy on the show a couple of weeks back that he likes this as a value play. You have a lot of properties in there that are valuable. You have the HBO brand, which for at least me and my household, that's a must have, along with Netflix. You have a cyclical theater business that's a little bit down this year because they don't have a Barbie type movie on their hands, but maybe it can make a profit again, but when you look at this through your stock analyst lens, are you looking at a value play here or a falling knife? Nick Sciple: For me, I wouldn't call Warner Brothers Discovery a value play. I'd have to put it in the falling knife category, just in the sense that, the cable networks, as I mentioned earlier, heading to zero over time, there is cash flow to squeeze out of this business, but the long term trajectory of this business is going to be down. If you look at streaming, they've got a great library of assets. HBO Max is great, but they're far from the leader in this space. Netflix really forced everyone to follow them toward profitability a couple years ago, really set the terms of engagement in streaming. If you look at Amazon , they really seized the lead in advertising and streaming by pushing all their prime members to an ad support platform. You're behind the leading subscription video on Demand company. You're behind the leading advertising video on Demand company. You're also heavily indebted and backed into a corner with some of these better resourced, more diversified companies. For me is there a future for the Warner Brothers movie division? Of course. I think they're going to have a long term future. Does it need to be an independent company? No. Long term, I think these assets end up being held by a number of different larger companies as opposed to remaining an independent media business. Ricky Mulvey: Who wins from these content arms dealing games? Nick Sciple: We're talking about companies in the streaming race. If I had to pick a place to invest I mentioned the diversified players in a much better position than the pure plays on cable assets, so you think about the odd companies out here, Warner Bros and Paramount really I would say, distressed assets. Better companies on that layout, Comcast and Disney in a better position, given that they're more diversified, they have the Parks business to fall back on, Comcast, in their case, has the cable business. Those companies are really better position but if I'm going to invest in the media and the content space, as I've said before, I think the company that my favorite is, is TKO Group Holdings , Ticker is TKO. It's the parent company of WWE and the UFC and the reason I think they're in a good spot here is they're the arms dealer to these competing streaming platforms, they've had the ability to just to see the amount folks are paying for their content move up into the right, for a long time, WWE Raw has been the highest rated episodic cable program on TV, they've made that jump from cable to Netflix, so in January of this year will be the lead live element of Netflix's ad-supported business, you've got next year, their rights deal for the UFC is set to expire. Likely to see that be reupped with ESPN, they're looking at a 10-year deal. I think that's going to be significantly higher. This is a company that all these potential players in streaming are looking for access to the audience that TKO brings, you look at what's happening in sports where basically everybody wants a piece of this and they have the ability to sell into this market, so I think if you invest in a company like TKO or some of these other folks that are selling scarce content into these competing streaming businesses, I think those are the folks who are most best positioned to benefit from what's going on in streaming while all these other streaming competitors fight it out. Ricky Mulvey: Also, you got two top dogs in the WWE in professional wrestling in the UFC in mixed martial arts. The folks in those organizations, certainly people, I don't want to bet against or be against in any type of fight. Nick Sciple, appreciate you joining me here on Motley Fool Money. Thanks for breaking it down. Nick Sciple: Thanks, Ricky. Happy to do it again anytime? Ricky Mulvey: Holiday shipping season is upon us, and my colleague, Mary Long is taking a look at a few of the key players. She's starting off with FedEx with Motley Fool contributor Lou Whitman. Today's show is brought to you by Vanta. Whether you're starting or scaling a company, demonstrating top-notch security practices and establishing trust is more important than ever. Vanta automates compliance for SOC2, ISO27OO1 GDPR, and more, saving you time and money while helping you build customer trust plus, you can streamline security reviews by automating questionnaires and demonstrating your security posture with a customer-facing Trust Center, all powered by Vanta AI. Over 7,000 global companies like Atlassian , Flow Health, and CORA use Vanta to manage risk and proof security in real-time. My audience gets a special offer of $1,000 off Vanta at vanta.com/fool, that is V-A-N-T-A.com/fool for $1,000 off. Mary Long: Lou Whitman, it is shipping season. People are ordering gifts, most likely over the interwebs and those gifts have got to get from point A to point B, potentially with a few stops along the way, so today, we're going to shine the spotlight on a company that plays a big role in moving stuff around the world, we're talking FedEx. On the one hand, this company needs no introduction but on the other, I do think that Amazon and how speedy prime delivery is has warped our understanding of how packages move, so let's focus on that and set the table here. If the majority of packages arriving on your doorstep are from Amazon, it can be easy to forget that there are actually other movers and shakers that are playing a really massive part in this logistics puzzle. Break it down for us. FedEx splits its business into the Express segment and the freight segment. What's each of those do? Exactly. Lou Whitman: Yes so for years, they actually had broken down further between the a network for Express and a network for non-Express. As you said, this year, they combine that into one operation, which should make it more efficient but basically, there's the parcel service, which is packages and everything coming from retailers, and then to use their old slogan, the absolutely positively has to be the overnight stuff. Yes, they used to break that separate from the can wait a few days, but now they're trying to bring that together. Freight, on the other hand, that's just an LTL trucking business, less than truckload, those are the big stuff, those are the stuff you need a forklift instead of just dropped off at your door. Mary Long: Out of those two newly split segments, which is more interesting to you as an investor, where's the big story with this company? Consumers were probably more familiar with packages shipping back and forth to each other, but where's the money being made? Lou Whitman: The parcel business is 85% of total revenue, whether it's Express or can get there whenever, that's also where there is the higher potential for higher margins. Definitely, that is where your focus should be. Express actually still makes up more than half of parcel revenue, it isn't mostly just gifts from Grandma, there is still a big business shipping overnight business, that's the business where they really can and we can break down a little more just inside that business, but if they're going to generate plus margins going forward, it's probably going to be from that business and not the trucking business. Mary Long: Yes, so let's break that down a little bit more. Like, what levers can FedEx pull to grow here? If you look at average daily package volume, so the number of packages being sent, that's been pretty flat over the past year. Is increasing that number a big priority here or is it more about pricing power? Lou Whitman: Part of that is out of their control, part of it is just the economy. You can't force your customers to ship things, it is a demand-based business, and all across the board, the transports, we've seen volumes fall, it's just been a weak market. They can't really control that, what they can control, and what they are increasingly trying to do is get to those premium services and focus on that. Refrigeration is a big one, whether it's produce or medical, refrigerated shipping is a highly specialized thing, Amazon trucks don't have refrigerators in them, so you can't really compete there. There is specialized competitors, but the big guys, they're focused on things like this where they can drive higher margin, it's a lot better business for them than just getting the toys on time for the holidays or something like that. Mary Long: Between 2020 and 2022, FedEx saw some decent growth, and maybe this goes back to this stuff that's out of their control, more macro factors that you just mentioned. They had $69 billion in revenue in 2020, 83.5$billion in 2021, 93.5 billion in 2022, so decent movement but since then, revenue has been on a downward trajectory. Is it just the macro picture that caused that, or are there other things that are within FedEx's toolbox that they can use to address that? Lou Whitman: It's very much a macro story and specifically a pandemic story. We all started buying everything at home and getting it shipped, so the demand for shipping services went up, and that echoed through the system for a few years but we've seen just like I said, this broader transport slump. For one thing, e-commerce hasn't disappeared post-pandemic, but it has normalized, so you have seen just regression to the mean but as importantly, this macro idea, we've been talking for years now about hard landings, about recessions, about what's to come, that causes large corporate customers to scale back on inventory and scale back on just what they have in their warehouses, which means less demand for shipping. There has been some move around the edges. FedEx has new management, and they're trying to get rid of some of the more marginal business, so a little bit of it might be by choice but mostly, all across the board, you will see the stocks reflected this, this has just been a bad year, 18 months for these companies, FedEx included. Mary Long: FedEx got a new CEO a couple years ago, he'd been with the company for a long time, but more recently, in this new role, he's implemented some cost-cutting measures that initiative was called Drive, deliver results through innovation, value, and efficiency. What innovation, value, and efficiency are we seeing? What I think most recently this drive program led to $1.8 billion in cost savings over the 2024 fiscal year, what are we seeing cut, and what are we seeing come out on the other side as a result of those cuts? Lou Whitman: The overall goal is about four billion a year, so at 1.8 billion, you're right, they're about halfway there, which is on track. We talked at the top about consolidating business units, some of it is as simple as that, but part of it, too, is just as you consolidate these things, you can use your warehouses more efficiently. At some places, these networks had separate facilities, you can better use your jets and other big asset, things like that. A lot of this is just the slow and steady of making the network more efficient. It is a new management team, Raj Supermanian. You really have to give him some credit. He has been there forever, but he took over for Fred Smith. Fred Smith is the guy who founded the business. Smith has a reputation for being, shall we say, opinionated. He believes in himself, he is still the executive chairman of the board. It isn't easy for someone to come in following the founder and say, you know what? We need to change a lot of things here, and we need to cut a lot of things. Basically, tell your former boss, I know better. It's working, and it's to his great credit that they have come in and done this, I think it'll benefit him over time. Mary Long: What is Fred Smith's unwritten role within the company now? You mentioned he's still executive chairman, he's still involved, but is this like a Howard Schultz type of situation where he still got the era of management, what's the unwritten situation there? Lou Whitman: I can only guess. Fred has a lot of different interests, which probably helps Raj do his job, but I can only guess that Fred knew about a lot was coming before, good corporate governance as you should tell the board chairman, but I would think that they're not going to want to be surprising Fred at any meetings right now. Mary Long: We kicked off this segment by talking about Amazon. tough to talk, logistics, package delivery without mentioning Amazon. Once upon a time, FedEx was partnered up with Amazon. That relationship ended in 2019, FedEx initiated that breakup saying, hey, Amazon's developing its own delivery capabilities, and now they're a threat rather than somebody that we want to partner with. In January of this year, FedEx announced it was launching a data-driven commerce platform called FDX. Is that supposed to help FedEx better compete with Amazon in a different category? What's the state of play of that particular competition right now? Lou Whitman: The platform, if we're honest, is table stakes in 2024. You'd be shocked at how this business works and how much of logistics is still done by the office phone, with a whiteboard, with just getting things done that way but increasingly, consumers and especially these corporate customers are demanding a digital platform, so this is FedEx trying to join the century and get on board with the rest of us. As for Amazon and FedEx, in one sense, yes, it hurt FedEx because it was a huge shipping customer, and at the end of the day, you want full trucks. You make money when you have volume but it tended to be a lower margin volume, I don't know many people who have partnered with Amazon who are like, this is the high margin side of our business and most of Amazon's retail competitors aren't real keen to hand Amazon the customer data that comes with having them do their shipping form. There's plenty of business here. Yes, you lost a major customer, but they are coexisting, they went from being frenemies to just rivals but really, FedEx, there's plenty of business for FedEx and UPS and everyone else just to serve everyone, not name Amazon and it's really hard for Amazon to get that business from the retailers that they are competing with. Mary Long: Amazon also is not FedEx's only competitor, there's also UPS, which I'll be talking with Aunt Shavon about later next week. There's DHL. Within this whole logistics landscape, what grade does FedEx get? Where does it stand and stack up against its competitors? Lou Whitman: I'd say a solid B+, and the comparison with UPS is a great one, and Aunt will have great thoughts on that. UPS has a much better dividend, which I'm sure Anthony would love to talk about. It's a powerful competitor. Over time, there's plenty of room to both win. I'd note UPS is much more unionized, which gives less flexibility, they would argue it gives more predictability on cost, but costs are high. FedEx can hold its own as an investment as a more nimble company, even though it's a mature industry, they've been around for decades, but they still over the years, have done a good job getting out ahead of trends. I think they still have that entrepreneurial mindset, and I grade them pretty well on that. Mary Long: Before we wrap up, an increasingly important part of this business is reverse logistics. Apart from mere direction, how is that so different from just old regular everyday forward logistics? Lou Whitman: Yes, very literally it's returns, which returns is reverse logistics is a fancy way of saying returns, it's a huge pain for retailers, and you're dealing with the customer. The customer, you don't want to make them angry in this process, you have to deal with restocking. You have to deal with just the uncontrolled from your warehouse, shipping something, putting the label on it, very controlled environment. There's a lot more chaos when the consumer brings it back and how it's packaged and all that. The estimates I've seen indicate it can be 3-4 more times more profitable for these reverse logistics specialists than just sending out the original shipment, so it's a business you want to be good at. We talked a second ago about FedEx being more entrepreneurial. FedEx bought a company called Genco Distribution, a huge player in reverse logistics all the way back in 2015. It was a great deal then and it has made them a huge player in the space, if you as a consumer notice, lot of shipments did you get from UPS? If you have to return it, the label, they email you will say FedEx, they are a huge player into space, it's one of these areas where the business is less commoditized and you can make margin, and it's certainly the thing that they're looking to expand versus, say, just getting the package there in four or five days. Mary Long: With that Genco acquisition, has that made FedEx the key player in reverse logistics, or are there others that are maybe beating them at this game? Lou Whitman: There's a lot of them, some people do it. A company I love to talk about GXO Logistics , they do a lot of reverse for customers but of these big shipping companies, I think FedEx I probably get some nasty phone calls about this, but FedEx is the one that you're going to see getting a lot of that business among these third party working with lots of people. Mary Long: Lou Whitman, always a pleasure. Thanks so much for joining us today on Motley Fool Money. Lou Whitman: Thanks for having me. Ricky Mulvey: As always, people on the program may have interests in the stocks they talk about the Motley Fool may have formal recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell stocks based solely on what you hear. All personal finance content follows Motley Fool editorial standards and are not approved by advertisers, the Motley Fool only picks products that it would personally recommend to friends like you. I'm Ricky Mulvey. Thanks for listening, we'll be back tomorrow. Thanks.PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — Newly married and sworn as a Naval officer, Jimmy Carter left his tiny hometown in 1946 hoping to climb the ranks and see the world. Less than a decade later, the death of his father and namesake, a merchant farmer and local politician who went by “Mr. Earl,” prompted the submariner and his wife, Rosalynn, to return to the rural life of Plains, Georgia, they thought they’d escaped. The lieutenant never would be an admiral. Instead, he became commander in chief. Years after his presidency ended in humbling defeat, he would add a Nobel Peace Prize, awarded not for his White House accomplishments but “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” The life of James Earl Carter Jr., the 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, ended Sunday at the age of 100 where it began: Plains, the town of 600 that fueled his political rise, welcomed him after his fall and sustained him during 40 years of service that redefined what it means to be a former president. With the stubborn confidence of an engineer and an optimism rooted in his Baptist faith, Carter described his motivations in politics and beyond in the same way: an almost missionary zeal to solve problems and improve lives. Carter was raised amid racism, abject poverty and hard rural living — realities that shaped both his deliberate politics and emphasis on human rights. “He always felt a responsibility to help people,” said Jill Stuckey, a longtime friend of Carter's in Plains. “And when he couldn’t make change wherever he was, he decided he had to go higher.” Carter's path, a mix of happenstance and calculation , pitted moral imperatives against political pragmatism; and it defied typical labels of American politics, especially caricatures of one-term presidents as failures. “We shouldn’t judge presidents by how popular they are in their day. That's a very narrow way of assessing them," Carter biographer Jonathan Alter told the Associated Press. “We should judge them by how they changed the country and the world for the better. On that score, Jimmy Carter is not in the first rank of American presidents, but he stands up quite well.” Later in life, Carter conceded that many Americans, even those too young to remember his tenure, judged him ineffective for failing to contain inflation or interest rates, end the energy crisis or quickly bring home American hostages in Iran. He gained admirers instead for his work at The Carter Center — advocating globally for public health, human rights and democracy since 1982 — and the decades he and Rosalynn wore hardhats and swung hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Yet the common view that he was better after the Oval Office than in it annoyed Carter, and his allies relished him living long enough to see historians reassess his presidency. “He doesn’t quite fit in today’s terms” of a left-right, red-blue scoreboard, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the former president multiple times during his own White House bid. At various points in his political career, Carter labeled himself “progressive” or “conservative” — sometimes both at once. His most ambitious health care bill failed — perhaps one of his biggest legislative disappointments — because it didn’t go far enough to suit liberals. Republicans, especially after his 1980 defeat, cast him as a left-wing cartoon. It would be easiest to classify Carter as a centrist, Buttigieg said, “but there’s also something radical about the depth of his commitment to looking after those who are left out of society and out of the economy.” Indeed, Carter’s legacy is stitched with complexities, contradictions and evolutions — personal and political. The self-styled peacemaker was a war-trained Naval Academy graduate who promised Democratic challenger Ted Kennedy that he’d “kick his ass.” But he campaigned with a call to treat everyone with “respect and compassion and with love.” Carter vowed to restore America’s virtue after the shame of Vietnam and Watergate, and his technocratic, good-government approach didn't suit Republicans who tagged government itself as the problem. It also sometimes put Carter at odds with fellow Democrats. The result still was a notable legislative record, with wins on the environment, education, and mental health care. He dramatically expanded federally protected lands, began deregulating air travel, railroads and trucking, and he put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. As a fiscal hawk, Carter added a relative pittance to the national debt, unlike successors from both parties. Carter nonetheless struggled to make his achievements resonate with the electorate he charmed in 1976. Quoting Bob Dylan and grinning enthusiastically, he had promised voters he would “never tell a lie.” Once in Washington, though, he led like a joyless engineer, insisting his ideas would become reality and he'd be rewarded politically if only he could convince enough people with facts and logic. This served him well at Camp David, where he brokered peace between Israel’s Menachem Begin and Epypt’s Anwar Sadat, an experience that later sparked the idea of The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter's tenacity helped the center grow to a global force that monitored elections across five continents, enabled his freelance diplomacy and sent public health experts across the developing world. The center’s wins were personal for Carter, who hoped to outlive the last Guinea worm parasite, and nearly did. As president, though, the approach fell short when he urged consumers beleaguered by energy costs to turn down their thermostats. Or when he tried to be the nation’s cheerleader, beseeching Americans to overcome a collective “crisis of confidence.” Republican Ronald Reagan exploited Carter's lecturing tone with a belittling quip in their lone 1980 debate. “There you go again,” the former Hollywood actor said in response to a wonky answer from the sitting president. “The Great Communicator” outpaced Carter in all but six states. Carter later suggested he “tried to do too much, too soon” and mused that he was incompatible with Washington culture: media figures, lobbyists and Georgetown social elites who looked down on the Georgians and their inner circle as “country come to town.” Carter carefully navigated divides on race and class on his way to the Oval Office. Born Oct. 1, 1924 , Carter was raised in the mostly Black community of Archery, just outside Plains, by a progressive mother and white supremacist father. Their home had no running water or electricity but the future president still grew up with the relative advantages of a locally prominent, land-owning family in a system of Jim Crow segregation. He wrote of President Franklin Roosevelt’s towering presence and his family’s Democratic Party roots, but his father soured on FDR, and Jimmy Carter never campaigned or governed as a New Deal liberal. He offered himself as a small-town peanut farmer with an understated style, carrying his own luggage, bunking with supporters during his first presidential campaign and always using his nickname. And he began his political career in a whites-only Democratic Party. As private citizens, he and Rosalynn supported integration as early as the 1950s and believed it inevitable. Carter refused to join the White Citizens Council in Plains and spoke out in his Baptist church against denying Black people access to worship services. “This is not my house; this is not your house,” he said in a churchwide meeting, reminding fellow parishioners their sanctuary belonged to God. Yet as the appointed chairman of Sumter County schools he never pushed to desegregate, thinking it impractical after the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board decision. And while presidential candidate Carter would hail the 1965 Voting Rights Act, signed by fellow Democrat Lyndon Johnson when Carter was a state senator, there is no record of Carter publicly supporting it at the time. Carter overcame a ballot-stuffing opponent to win his legislative seat, then lost the 1966 governor's race to an arch-segregationist. He won four years later by avoiding explicit mentions of race and campaigning to the right of his rival, who he mocked as “Cufflinks Carl” — the insult of an ascendant politician who never saw himself as part the establishment. Carter’s rural and small-town coalition in 1970 would match any victorious Republican electoral map in 2024. Once elected, though, Carter shocked his white conservative supporters — and landed on the cover of Time magazine — by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Before making the jump to Washington, Carter befriended the family of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., whom he’d never sought out as he eyed the governor’s office. Carter lamented his foot-dragging on school integration as a “mistake.” But he also met, conspicuously, with Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace to accept his primary rival's endorsement ahead of the 1976 Democratic convention. “He very shrewdly took advantage of his own Southerness,” said Amber Roessner, a University of Tennessee professor and expert on Carter’s campaigns. A coalition of Black voters and white moderate Democrats ultimately made Carter the last Democratic presidential nominee to sweep the Deep South. Then, just as he did in Georgia, he used his power in office to appoint more non-whites than all his predecessors had, combined. He once acknowledged “the secret shame” of white Americans who didn’t fight segregation. But he also told Alter that doing more would have sacrificed his political viability – and thus everything he accomplished in office and after. King's daughter, Bernice King, described Carter as wisely “strategic” in winning higher offices to enact change. “He was a leader of conscience,” she said in an interview. Rosalynn Carter, who died on Nov. 19 at the age of 96, was identified by both husband and wife as the “more political” of the pair; she sat in on Cabinet meetings and urged him to postpone certain priorities, like pressing the Senate to relinquish control of the Panama Canal. “Let that go until the second term,” she would sometimes say. The president, recalled her former aide Kathy Cade, retorted that he was “going to do what’s right” even if “it might cut short the time I have.” Rosalynn held firm, Cade said: “She’d remind him you have to win to govern.” Carter also was the first president to appoint multiple women as Cabinet officers. Yet by his own telling, his career sprouted from chauvinism in the Carters' early marriage: He did not consult Rosalynn when deciding to move back to Plains in 1953 or before launching his state Senate bid a decade later. Many years later, he called it “inconceivable” that he didn’t confer with the woman he described as his “full partner,” at home, in government and at The Carter Center. “We developed a partnership when we were working in the farm supply business, and it continued when Jimmy got involved in politics,” Rosalynn Carter told AP in 2021. So deep was their trust that when Carter remained tethered to the White House in 1980 as 52 Americans were held hostage in Tehran, it was Rosalynn who campaigned on her husband’s behalf. “I just loved it,” she said, despite the bitterness of defeat. Fair or not, the label of a disastrous presidency had leading Democrats keep their distance, at least publicly, for many years, but Carter managed to remain relevant, writing books and weighing in on societal challenges. He lamented widening wealth gaps and the influence of money in politics. He voted for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and later declared that America had devolved from fully functioning democracy to “oligarchy.” Yet looking ahead to 2020, with Sanders running again, Carter warned Democrats not to “move to a very liberal program,” lest they help re-elect President Donald Trump. Carter scolded the Republican for his serial lies and threats to democracy, and chided the U.S. establishment for misunderstanding Trump’s populist appeal. He delighted in yearly convocations with Emory University freshmen, often asking them to guess how much he’d raised in his two general election campaigns. “Zero,” he’d gesture with a smile, explaining the public financing system candidates now avoid so they can raise billions. Carter still remained quite practical in partnering with wealthy corporations and foundations to advance Carter Center programs. Carter recognized that economic woes and the Iran crisis doomed his presidency, but offered no apologies for appointing Paul Volcker as the Federal Reserve chairman whose interest rate hikes would not curb inflation until Reagan's presidency. He was proud of getting all the hostages home without starting a shooting war, even though Tehran would not free them until Reagan's Inauguration Day. “Carter didn’t look at it” as a failure, Alter emphasized. “He said, ‘They came home safely.’ And that’s what he wanted.” Well into their 90s, the Carters greeted visitors at Plains’ Maranatha Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and where he will have his last funeral before being buried on family property alongside Rosalynn . Carter, who made the congregation’s collection plates in his woodworking shop, still garnered headlines there, calling for women’s rights within religious institutions, many of which, he said, “subjugate” women in church and society. Carter was not one to dwell on regrets. “I am at peace with the accomplishments, regret the unrealized goals and utilize my former political position to enhance everything we do,” he wrote around his 90th birthday. The politician who had supposedly hated Washington politics also enjoyed hosting Democratic presidential contenders as public pilgrimages to Plains became advantageous again. Carter sat with Buttigieg for the final time March 1, 2020, hours before the Indiana mayor ended his campaign and endorsed eventual winner Joe Biden. “He asked me how I thought the campaign was going,” Buttigieg said, recalling that Carter flashed his signature grin and nodded along as the young candidate, born a year after Carter left office, “put the best face” on the walloping he endured the day before in South Carolina. Never breaking his smile, the 95-year-old host fired back, “I think you ought to drop out.” “So matter of fact,” Buttigieg said with a laugh. “It was somehow encouraging.” Carter had lived enough, won plenty and lost enough to take the long view. “He talked a lot about coming from nowhere,” Buttigieg said, not just to attain the presidency but to leverage “all of the instruments you have in life” and “make the world more peaceful.” In his farewell address as president, Carter said as much to the country that had embraced and rejected him. “The struggle for human rights overrides all differences of color, nation or language,” he declared. “Those who hunger for freedom, who thirst for human dignity and who suffer for the sake of justice — they are the patriots of this cause.” Carter pledged to remain engaged with and for them as he returned “home to the South where I was born and raised,” home to Plains, where that young lieutenant had indeed become “a fellow citizen of the world.” —- Bill Barrow, based in Atlanta, has covered national politics including multiple presidential campaigns for the AP since 2012.

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Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’

Brits will watch FIVE hours of telly a day over Christmas and ‘lie’ to loved ones to avoid socialising for a boxset

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Central kicker Nathan Zimmer (41) boots the extra point in the first quarter of the Division I non select regional game against West Ouachita on Friday, November 22, 2024 in Central, Louisiana. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save BUNKIE VS. DUNHAM Division III select 7 p.m. at Parkview Baptist RECORDS: No. 5 Bunkie 12-0; No. 1 Dunham 12-0 LAST WEEK: Bunkie beat Jewel Sumner 14-12; Dunham beat Lafayette Christian 34-30 PLAYERS TO WATCH: BUNKIE: QB Dillon Compton, LB Luke Normand, WR Kyle Johnson, RB Zion Lee; DUNHAM: QB Elijah Haven, DL Elliot Trahan, WR Jarvis Washington, OL Joshua Beychok. NOTEWORTHY: Bunkie is in the semifinals for the first time since 1988 ... Dunham seeks its second Prep Classic berth in three years ... Haven has passed for 2,455 yards and 32 TDs, along with 601 rushing yards and 16 TDs ... Trahan has 68.5 tackles with 12.5 sacks/tackles for loss ... Johnson, a Houston signee, has 900 yards receiving for Bunkie. CATHOLIC VS. KARR Division I select 7 p.m. at Morris Jeff Stadium RECORDS: No. 4 Catholic 11-0; No. 1 Karr 11-0 LAST WEEK: Catholic beat Rummel 14-7; Karr beat St. Thomas More 42-14 PLAYERS TO WATCH: CATHOLIC: DB Jacob Bradford, OL Erv Smith, WR-KR Cohen LeBlanc, LB Max Maurer; KARR: DL Corey Adams, WR TaRon Francis, A Aiden Hall, DL Richard Anderson. NOTEWORTHY: Catholic is the defending Division I select champion ... Karr seeks its first title since 2019 when the Cougars were the Class 4A champions ... Catholic’s Bradford signed with LSU on Wednesday ... Catholic QB Baylor Graves has 1,386 passing yards and completed 72 percent of his passes ... Francis is one two LSU signees for Karr. CECILIA AT PLAQUEMINE Division II nonselect 7 p.m. at PHS’ Canova Stadium RECORDS: No. 18 Cecilia 10-3 at No. 6 Plaquemine 12-1 LAST WEEK: Cecilia beat North DeSoto 57-40; Plaquemine beat Opelousas 35-22 PLAYERS TO WATCH: CECILIA: QB Diesel Solari, DB/WR Brent Gordon, RB Braylon Calaias; PLAQUEMINE: RB Tyrese Mosby, DL Paul Smith, QB Nico Victorian, WR John Walker. NOTEWORTHY: Cecilia was the Division III nonselect runner-up a year ago ... It's Plaquemine’s first semifinal berth in 10 years ...Solari is a returning all-state player for CHS ... Mosby has 2,350 rushing yards and 37 TDs, while Victorian has passed for 1,994 yards and 27 TDs for the Green Devils. CENTRAL AT NEVILLE Division I nonselect 7 p.m. at Neville-Monroe RECORDS: No. 4 Central 11-1; No. 1 Neville 11-1. LAST WEEK: Central beat West Monroe 21-7; Neville beat Chalmette 31-7 PLAYERS TO WATCH: CENTRAL: DL DK Mays, QB Jackson Firmin, DB Steven Ranel, OL Graham Harris, LV KD Mays; NEVILLE: QB Parker Robinson, RB Jaylon Nichols, DB Jayden Reed, WR Trendon Dumas. NOTEWORTHY: The teams meet in the playoffs for the second straight year ... In 2023, the No. 18 Wildcats upset No. 2 Neville 17-16 in the regional round ... Central’s last semifinal berth was in 2008 ... ... Robinson has passed for 2,169 yards and 18 TDs, while Nichols has 1,158 rushing yards and 22 TDs for Neville ... Central's Firmin, a Nicholls signee, has passed for 1,428 yards, nine TDs. MADISON PREP VS. SHAW Division II select 7 p.m. at Joe Zimmerman Stadium RECORDS: No. 5 Madison Prep 9-3; No. 2 Archbishop Shaw 10-2 LAST WEEK: Madison Prep beat Istrouma 13-6; Shaw beat Kennedy 21-14 PLAYERS TO WATCH: MADISON: QB Tylan Johnson, RB Alfred McKnight, LB Calvin Spears, OL Robric Walker; SHAW: RB Jasper Parker, QB Mason Wilson, LB Rontrae Carter. NOTEWORTHY: MPA seeks its first finals berth since winning the Class 3A title in 2020 ... Shaw is led by Parker, who signed with Michigan, as did Eagle WR Jacob Washington on Wednesday ... The Chargers have a triple threat with QB Johnson (2,259 passing yards, 28 TDs), McKnight (1,354 yards, 20 TDs) and WR Keyon Robinson (1,116 receiving yards, 12 TDs). OUACHITA CHRISTIAN VS. ASCENSION CATHOLIC Division IV select 7 p.m. at Boutte Stadium RECORDS: No. 11 Ouachita Christian 12-1; No. 2 Ascension Catholic 11-0 LAST WEEK: Ouachita Christian beat Covenant Christian 30-16; Ascension Catholic beat Riverside Academy 40-35 PLAYERS TO WATCH: OUACHITA CHRISTIAN: QB Luke Vidrine, RB Makin Lenard, DL Cooper Russell ASCENSION CATHOLIC: RB Chad Elzy Jr., LB Mace Melancon, DL Josh Barber, OL Austin Paine. NOTEWORTHY: ACHS seeks its first title-game berth since 2018 ... OCS plays in a Baton Rouge-area semifinal for the second straight year, the Eagles lost to Southern Lab in 2023 ... ACHS’ Elzy has rushed for 1,977 yards, 35 TDs and averages 10.7 yards per carry ... Camille LeBoeuf adds 1.125 passing yards for ACHS... Luke Vidrine leads OCS with 2,244 passing yards and 25 TDs ... Makin Lenard has 1,443 yards rushing, 24 TDs. UNION PARISH AT ST. JAMES Division III nonselect 7 p.m. at SJHS RECORDS: No. 5 Union 9-4; No. 1 St. James 9-2 LAST WEEK: Union beat Kinder 44-14; St. James beat Pine 26-7 PLAYERS TO WATCH: UNION: RB Derrick Dew, QB Braxton Patterson, LB Tyquereis Wilson, WR Chase Meeking; ST. JAMES: WR Jakias Villanueva, DB Jarrell Williams, QB Jujuan Jackson, LB Nolan Zenon. NOTEWORTHY: Union beat St. James 36-35 in the Division III nonselect final a year ago ... Jackson, a freshman, has 1,515 passing yards and 20 TDs for SJHS, while RB Kani King-Young has 918 rushing yards with 11 TDs ... WR Villanueva has 69 catches for 872 yards and 12 TDs.End of the Eras Tour, with Taylor Swift to take final bow in Vancouverbetfred darts

The State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television has taken action to crackdown on the controversial and inappropriate trend of AI-generated parodies of the popular Chinese historical drama "Empresses in the Palace." Known as the "Zhen Huan Holding a Gun" meme, these altered images and videos show characters from the show brandishing weapons in a comedic or nonsensical manner. While these parodies may seem harmless on the surface, they have raised concerns about the potential negative impact on the original work and the boundaries of ethical content creation.: As part of an initiative to enhance fire safety protocols, the state disaster response and fire services department would hereafter demand installation of modern fire safety equipment in all new skyscrapers. New fire safety regulations integrate advanced technological solutions including the utilisation of drones to improve the fire fighting process, stated fire services director general, Madireddy Pratap. This decision follows a series of fire incidents in high-rise buildings. The DG has said drones will substantially contribute to monitoring fire conditions, evaluating damage and assisting fire-fighting efforts. He called for the installation of fire exits on multiple sides of newly constructed skyscrapers and the provision of advanced fire-fighting tools, such as drones and sky saviour bags, to fire prevention teams. The DG said fire safety drones, capable of transporting and discharging 20kg of DCB powder, present an economical approach to fire extinguishment. Sky saviour bags, designed for emergency evacuations, allow individuals to safely leap from buildings in the event of a fire. These technologies were recently demonstrated at the Ramakrishna Towers in Vijayawada city, effectively showcasing their capabilities in fire prevention and response, he said. Pratap told “The updated fire safety guidelines will require all new and existing skyscrapers to be equipped with contemporary fire safety systems, including smoke management mechanisms, fire-resistant materials, and automated DCB sprinkler systems.” The integration of drones is anticipated to provide real-time data and enhance coordination during fire emergencies. The authorities would undertake regular inspections and enforce adherence to the new regulations to uphold elevated safety standards, he said.

Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan, left, looks on as YouTuber “Pa Chiung” speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday.Photo: CNA PROPAGANDA:A lawmaker was responding to a YouTube video featuring rapper Chen Po-yuan that demonstrated methods used by China for bribing Taiwanese influencers By Fang Wei-li, Chung Li-hua and Sam Garcia / Staff reporters, with staff writer 請繼續往下閱讀... The primary goal of responding to China’s “united front” propaganda on social media should be to expose intermediaries so they face public scrutiny, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said. The statement came in response to Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源) exposing methods the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses to bribe Taiwanese influencers to promote its propaganda in a video produced by YouTuber “Pa Chiung (八炯)” that was published online on Friday. Commenting on the matter, Shen on Saturday said the government should establish mechanisms to respond to online propaganda, so the public can report influencers’ “united front” activities. 請繼續往下閱讀... This would increase public awareness and reduce the harm caused by influencers’ propaganda, he said. Regulations imposed by tracking cash flow to influencers could be quickly circumvented, Shen said. China could instead use virtual currencies or underground exchanges between Chinese and international platforms to avoid detection, he said. For example, influencers could create pro-China videos on YouTube while “selling products” on Douyin, he said. While the cash flow should be investigated, the primary goal should be to identify “united front” intermediaries, including travel agencies, gangsters, academics, businesspeople and even legislators and public servants, he said. Without these intermediaries, it would be much harder for China to engage with Taiwan’s public, he added. China’s primary method of recruiting Taiwanese influencers is by attracting pro-China supporters to specific content and using Alipay or WeChat for donations, Kuma Academy chief executive officer and Taiwan National Security Institute deputy secretary-general Ho Cheng-hui (何澄輝) said. Influencers need not visit China, but can post videos with donation QR codes on social media platforms and circulate them through closed communities like Line groups, Ho said. It is very difficult to track online cash flows, he added. However, if platforms take responsibility for revealing “united front” propaganda that is disguised as neutral and objective content, the public can develop the ability to recognize it, weakening its influence, he added. In recent years, China’s “united front” efforts have had two main aspects, Taiwan Thinktank China Research Center director Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The first is expanding China-friendly forces in Taiwan, such as the group of Chinese students associated with the CCP invited to Taiwan for a visit by the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, Wu said. The second is using influencers, as they can reach a wide audience and online freedom of speech shields them from legal issues, as long as there are no personal attacks, he said. 新聞來源: TAIPEI TIMES 不用抽 不用搶 現在用APP看新聞 保證天天中獎 點我下載APP 按我看活動辦法

As the year 2021 draws to a close, the outlook for foreign trade remains positive with a projected growth rate of 4.9%. This steady performance is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of the global trade industry in the face of unprecedented challenges.

Flux Power Receives Non-Compliance Letter from NasdaqAssad flees to Russia as sun sets on dynasty’s 54-year rule Russian Channel One also quoted Kremlin sources as saying that Assad and his family are in Russia DAMASCUS: Syria’s rebels said on Sunday the leader of Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, arrived in Damascus hours after fighters seized the capital and said they ousted President Bashar al-Assad, ending his family’s 54-year rule. On the other hand, Russia granted asylum to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family on humanitarian grounds. Russian Channel One also quoted Kremlin sources as saying that Assad and his family are in Russia. Earlier, there were conflicting reports of Assad’s death in a plane crash. The American newspaper The New York Times reported, citing unconfirmed reports, that Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus in the early morning of December 8 via IL-76 (YK-ATA), but nothing was known about his location. According to the two-minute radar data available, Assad’s plane was seen descending continuously from an altitude of 8,725 feet. The speed of the plane was recorded from 819 kilometres per hour to 159 kilometres per hour and then this speed reached 64 kilometres per hour. In Syria identifying the rebel leader by his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, the statement on Telegram said he had “knelt down prostrating to God in thanks” on the ground after arriving in the Syrian capital. A video showed him kneeling in a field and bringing his head to the ground. Syrians woke up to a changed country Sunday, as rebels swept into Damascus less than two weeks into a lightning offensive declaring they had toppled “tyrant” Assad. A statement that was read on Syrian state television, which rebels took over, quoted Jolani as saying: “We continue to work with determination to achieve the goals of our revolution... We are determined to complete the path we started in 2011”. That year, Assad cracked down on peaceful pro-democracy protesters, triggering a complex conflict that drew in foreign armies and jihadists. The televised statement said that “we will not stop fighting until all the rights of the great Syrian people are secured. The future is ours and we are moving towards victory.” “As a result of negotiations between B. Assad and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Assad has not spoken in public since the sudden rebel advance a week ago, when insurgents seized northern Aleppo in a surprise attack before marching into a succession of cities as frontlines crumbled. Earlier, there was no official announcement on Sunday of the whereabouts of Assad’s wife Asma or their children, the eldest of whom has long studied in Russia and received a degree from a university in Moscow last year. Soon after capture of the capital by rebels, celebrations erupted around Syria and crowds ransacked President Bashar al-Assad’s luxurious home on Sunday. Residents in the capital were seen cheering in the streets as the rebel factions heralded the departure of “tyrant” Assad, saying: “We declare the city of Damascus free.” AFPTV footage showed a column of smoke rising from central Damascus, and AFP correspondents in the city saw dozens of men, women and children wandering through Assad’s home after it had been looted. The rooms of the residence had been left completely empty, save some furniture and a portrait of Assad discarded on the floor, while an entrance hall at the presidential palace not far away had been torched. “I can’t believe I’m living this moment,” tearful Damascus resident Amer Batha told AFP by phone. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this day,” he said, adding: “We are starting a new history for Syria.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali said he was ready to cooperate with “any leadership chosen by the Syrian people”. Around the country, people toppled statues of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad’s father and the founder of the system of government that he inherited. For the past 50 years in Syria, even the slightest suspicion of dissent could land one in prison or get one killed. As rebels entered the capital, HTS said its fighters broke into a jail on the outskirts of Damascus, announcing an “end of the era of tyranny in the prison of Sednaya”, which has become a by-word for the darkest abuses of Assad’s era. UN war crimes investigators on Sunday described Assad’s fall as a “historic new beginning” for Syrians, urging those taking charge to ensure the “atrocities” committed under his rule are not repeated. The rapid developments came just hours after HTS said it had captured the strategic city of Homs, where prisoners were also released. Homs was the third major city seized by the rebels, who began their advance on November 27. Rebel factions aired a statement on Syrian state television, urging fighters and citizens to safeguard the “property of the free Syrian state”. State TV broadcast a message proclaiming the “victory of the great Syrian revolution”. Abu Mohammed al-Jolani visited Damascus’s landmark Umayyad Mosque, as crowds greeted him with smiles and embraces, AFP images showed. His group HTS is rooted in the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. Proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Western governments, HTS has sought to soften its image in recent years. On Sunday afternoon the rebels announced a curfew in the capital until 5:00 am (0200 GMT) Monday. The commander of Syria’s US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controls much of northeast Syria, hailed as “historic” the fall of Assad’s “authoritarian regime”. The Observatory Sunday said Israel struck Syrian army weapons depots on the outskirts of Damascus. Assad’s rule had for years been supported by Lebanese group Hezbollah, whose forces “vacated their positions around Damascus”, a source close to the group said Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the overthrow of Assad was a “historic day in the... Middle East” and the fall of a “central link in Iran’s axis of evil”. “This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, Assad’s main supporters,” he added. Meanwhile, world powers pledged to work for stability in Syria and the surrounding region after rebels toppled its longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Assad’s ally Moscow said Russian troops on their bases in Syria were on high alert but that there was “no serious threat” to them. US President-elect Donald Trump attributed the fall of Assad to losing the backing of Russia. “His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer.” National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said President Joe Biden was keeping a close eye on “extraordinary events” transpiring and remained in constant contact with regional partners. Beijing “is closely following the development of the situation in Syria and hopes that Syria returns to stability as soon as possible”, the foreign ministry said. Iran’s foreign ministry said it expects “friendly” relations with Syria to continue. It said it would adopt “appropriate approaches” towards Syria in accordance with the behaviour of “effective actors” in Damascus. However, Iran’s embassy in Syria was vandalised on Sunday, an AFP photographer said. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country, which has supported rebel movements in Syria, was “ready to take responsibility for all that is necessary to heal Syria’s wounds and guarantee its unity, integrity and security”. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s “barbaric state” in Syria. “I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I send them my wishes for peace, freedom, and unity,” he wrote on X. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed the fall of Assad as “good news” and urged a political solution to stabilise the war-stricken country. He said it was “essential that law and order be quickly re-established in Syria” and urged protection for all religious communities. A senior United Arab Emirates (UAE) official urged Syrians to collaborate in order to avert a spiral into chaos. “We hope that the Syrians will work together, that we don’t just see another episode of impending chaos,” presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Sunday called for peace and stability in Syria after the fall of its president Bashar al-Assad in the face of an Islamist-led rebel offensive. “The Syrian people have suffered under Assad’s barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure,” Starmer said in a statement. “Our focus is now on ensuring a political solution prevails, and peace and stability is restored,” he added, calling for “civilians and minorities” to be protected. The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas hailed Assad’s fall as “a positive and long-awaited development”. She said “it also shows the weakness of Assad’s backers, Russia and Iran.” She added that the EU’s priority was to “ensure security” in the region. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga welcomed Assad’s departure, saying that authoritarians who rely on support from Putin are destined to fall, while stressing Kyiv’s support for Syria’s people. Afghanistan’s Taliban government congratulated the Syrian people and rebels, hoping a transition would lead to “an independent and service-oriented Islamic government” and a Syria “free from external interference”. Iraq urged respect for the “free will of all Syrians and emphasises that the security, territorial integrity and independence of Syria are of paramount importance,” government spokesman Basim Alawadi said in a statement. Spain’s foreign ministry said it supports a peaceful a “political transition” in Syria that brings stability to the region. Irish prime minister Simon Harris said the protection of civilians in Syria was “paramount” and urged a “peaceful transition as well as free and fair elections”. The commander of a Kurdish-led force in Syria hailed “historic” moments on Sunday with the fall of the “authoritarian regime” of Bashar al-Assad. “In Syria, we are living through historic moments as we witness the fall of the authoritarian regime in Damascus,” said Mazloum Abdi, who heads the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that controls swathes of northeast Syria, said in a statement on Telegram. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden on Sunday said deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should be “held accountable” but called the nation’s political upheaval a “historic opportunity” for Syrians to rebuild their country. In the first full US reaction to Assad’s overthrow by an Islamist-led coalition of rebel factions, Biden expressed optimism. However, he also warned that Washington would “remain vigilant” against the emergence of terrorist groups. “The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice,” Biden said, speaking from the White House. “It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria.” Asked by reporters what should happen to the deposed president, who reportedly has fled to Moscow, Biden said that “Assad should be held accountable.” Biden, who is set to step down in January and make way for Republican Donald Trump’s return to power, said Washington will assist Syrians in rebuilding. “We will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations, to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward independent, sovereign” Syria “with a new constitution,” he said. However, Biden cautioned that hardline Islamist groups within the victorious rebel alliance will be under scrutiny. “Some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human right abuses,” Biden said. The United States had “taken note” of recent statements by rebels suggesting they had since moderated, he said, but cautioned: “We will assess not just their words, but their actions.” Biden said Washington is “clear eyed” that the Islamic State extremist group, often known as ISIS, “will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish” itself in Syria. “We will not let that happen,” he said, adding that on Sunday alone, US forces had conducted “a dozen” strikes against ISIS inside Syria. Biden also confirmed that US authorities believe the American journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria in 2012, still lives. “We believe he’s alive,” Biden said, but the US has yet “to identify where he is.” Earlier, Biden met with his national security team at the White House to discuss the crisis. Meanwhile, Israel has “seized” territory in Syrian-controlled areas of the Golan Heights, as its military warned Syrians living in five villages close to the Israeli-occupied portion of the strategic area to “stay home”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he ordered Israeli forces to grab a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, after a lightning advance by Syrian opposition forces ended Bashar al-Assad’s rule. Netanyahu said on Sunday that the decades-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian soldiers had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover. “We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border,” he said. After Netanyahu’s comments, the Israeli military issued an “urgent warning” to Syrians living in Ofaniya, Quneitra, al-Hamidiyah, Samdaniya al-Gharbiyya and al-Qahtaniyah – all close to the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights. “The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF [Israeli military] to act and we do not intend to harm you,” Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman, said on social media. Agricultural areas in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights were declared closed military zones and some schools shifted to online classes in anticipation of unrest. Meanwhile, Israeli media said on Sunday that the Israeli air force has bombed weapons depots in southern Syria and Damascus to prevent opposition groups from seizing them. “We attacked ammunition depots in southern Syria and in the Damascus airport area for fears they might fall into the hands of armed groups and local factions,” the Israeli public broadcaster KAN quoted an unnamed Israeli security official as saying. Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said weapons depots and surface-to-surface missile stockpiles were the targets of Israeli attacks in Syria, without providing further details. Following the recent clashes and collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government, Foreign Office on Sunday confirmed that all Pakistani nationals were safe in Syria and were advised to exercise caution. Almost 250 Pakistani pilgrims have been stranded in turmoil-hit country as flights to Lahore and other cities have been cancelled by the airlines. In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said: “We are closely monitoring the evolving situation in Syria.” She said that the Pakistan embassy in Syria was open for support and advice. “As of now Damascus Airport is closed. Our embassy remains in contact with stranded Pakistani nationals including Zaireen. It will facilitate their return once the airport opens.” She further said that Pakistan had always supported unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, and there was no change in its principled position. In addition, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held telephonic conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the unfolding situation in Syria. During the telephonic conversation, the deputy PM shared the details of the efforts made by the Pakistan’s government for the safety and security of its nationals in Syria. They also discussed possible cooperation between the two countries for the safety of the Pakistan nationals.

First and foremost, the enchanting and magical atmosphere of Disney parks serves as a unique and inspiring backdrop for studying. The vibrant colors, upbeat music, and whimsical architecture create a stimulating environment that can boost creativity and concentration. For many students, studying at Disney offers a refreshing change of scenery from the typical classroom or library setting, and helps to alleviate the monotony of traditional study spaces.4. Poorly Ventilated Spaces:

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In conclusion, the violations uncovered in the operation of the kindergarten in Tongzhou District highlight the need for continuous vigilance and regulation in the education sector. The well-being and future of our children depend on the integrity and professionalism of the institutions entrusted with their care. Let us work together to ensure that every child receives the education and support they deserve.As the day draws to a close and patrons prepare to depart, the lobby becomes a flurry of activity as suitcases are retrieved and belongings are gathered. The overflowing luggage serves as a visual reminder of the cherished memories and experiences that were created within the walls of the bathhouse. As guests bid farewell to the opulent surroundings and bid adieu to newfound friends, they carry with them a sense of peace, serenity, and rejuvenation that will linger long after they have left.No. 22 Xavier unbeaten but looking for more effort vs. South Carolina

In practical terms, a shift towards moderately loose monetary policy could manifest in various ways. Central banks may opt to maintain low interest rates for an extended period, provide additional liquidity to the financial system, or even implement targeted measures to support specific sectors of the economy. These policy tools aim to stimulate borrowing and investment, boost consumer spending, and ultimately drive economic growth.

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Powered by electric propulsion, the Xiaomi YU7 delivers impressive performance and efficiency. The SUV is equipped with a high-capacity battery pack that offers a respectable driving range on a single charge. With instant torque delivery and smooth acceleration, the YU7 provides a responsive and exhilarating driving experience. The advanced powertrain technology ensures that the YU7 is not only environmentally friendly but also capable of delivering an engaging and dynamic driving performance.Savvy mum's budget-friendly stocking filler ideas – costing from just £1.29Artificial intelligence can help you research travel destinations as well as simplify tasks like making reservations. But can AI also plan a trip or vacation better than you can? To put AI to the test, CBS News senior transportation and national correspondent Kris Van Cleave used Google's Gemini bot to explore travel options, while CBS News correspondent Nancy Chen, herself a seasoned traveler, relied on more conventional online tools to compare deals across flights, hotels and activities. Here's what they found. Which approach saved time and money? For the sake of comparison, both Van Cleave and Chen set out to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, but they went about planning the trip in different ways. Using Google's Gemini AI app, Van Cleave spent under a minute on his mobile phone to generate a potential itinerary. For her part, Chen spent about 45 minutes comparing deals and reviews across websites including Expedia, Kayak and Tripadvisor. The upshot? He saved time, while the total cost of a flight and three nights at a five-star hotel came out to $741.48, compared to $780.05 for the same itinerary rustled up by Chen. "I think he won this round, and I really need a vacation now," Chen said. Communication breakdown Yet while Gemini found some savings, it fell short once the pair was on the ground, and Van Cleave tasked it with creating an itinerary of free activities and events. "I am on my way, letting AI guide my day," Van Cleave said. The technology directed him to visit the Bellagio Resort & Casino, where it suggested he visit a free botanical garden. But that information appeared to be outdated. "What it didn't tell me — they seasonally tear it down for a holiday display," Van Cleave said. Chen, guided by her own internet research, visited the Pinball Hall of Fame, which was open and which displayed hundreds of pinball machines, including vintage games from 1953. AI also fell short for Van Cleave when it told him that morning fountain shows at the Bellagio are less crowded than those that take place in the afternoon. "The reason the morning fountain shows are less crowded is because there are no morning fountain shows," Van Cleave said. "They don't start until three." Van Cleave was misdirected yet again when he arrived at what he expected to be the Mirage, a casino resort, for a volcano show. In its place was a construction site where a new Hard Rock Cafe has yet to open. More successfully, AI steered Van Cleave to Vegas' art district on Fremont Street, and booked a dinner reservation that was to the correspondents' liking. To err is human Not that Chen's search was foolproof. She visited the Stratosphere Tower, the tallest observation tower in the U.S., in hopes of scoring a free ride to its top floor drinks lounge. There was just one hitch. "I thought it would be free to go up to the drinks lounge...but turns out it charged admission as well," she said. In the end — and recognizing the unscientific nature of CBS News' experiment — AI was a clear winner on speed. But it still appears to require human surveillance to ensure its recommendations are up to date and accurate. One AI travel tool company, GuideGeek, told CBS News it is 98% accurate, but that it is continually upgrading the tech to better advise users on attractions' business hours and other information. Users are also instructed to give the AI feedback when it provides a faulty recommendation in order to improve the product for other travelers. Indeed, major travel service providers seem confident that "generative AI," which functions by creating text, videos and other content based on existing data, is here to stay. Expedia, just to name one major travel site, has also launched its own AI travel tool , to provide customers with a range of information, such as the best time to visit certain destinations. Kris Van Cleave and Nancy Chen contributed to this report. Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.Anti-burglary cop squad to curb flat break-ins

Speaking to local authorities and media representatives, the villagers emphatically denied any accusations of imprisoning or confining the graduate against her will. They explained that they had merely provided her with a place to stay for the night, offering her food, warmth, and a comfortable bed until she could retrace her steps and find her way back home.

Aircons for lizards, wreaths for rhinos: What the zoo is getting for ChristmasExciting news in the aviation industry as JD Airlines, a leading Chinese airline, has officially announced its membership in the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This move signifies JD Airlines' commitment to global standards and best practices in air transportation, as well as its dedication to providing passengers with a seamless and efficient travel experience. In addition to this milestone, JD Airlines has also revealed its plans to expand its flight routes to include destinations in South Korea and several countries in Southeast Asia.Jaland Lowe flirted with a triple-double as Pitt improved to 6-0 with a 74-63 win over LSU on Friday afternoon at the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Lowe finished with a game-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists for the Panthers, who have won their first six games of a season for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. It would have been the second straight triple-double for Lowe, who had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against VMI Monday. Ishmael Leggett chipped in 21 points and Cameron Corhen supplied 14, helping Pitt outshoot the Tigers (4-1) 44.4 percent to 37.3 percent overall. Vyctorius Miller and Jalen Reed recorded 14 points apiece for LSU, with Reed also snatching seven boards. Cam Carter contributed 11 points. Pitt took control in the first four-plus minutes of the second half, opening the period on a 13-0 run to build a 40-28 lead. The Tigers were held scoreless following the break until Carter converted a layup with 13:13 to go. It was still a 12-point game after Zack Austin hit a pair of free throws with 12:50 remaining, but LSU then rallied. Corey Chest, Reed and Jordan Sears each had a bucket down low for the Tigers during an 8-1 spurt that made it 43-38. However, Lowe stemmed the tide, answering with back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Panthers up 49-38 with 9:31 left. Miller did everything he could to keep LSU in contention, scoring eight points in a span of 1 minute, 23 seconds, with his four-point play getting the Tigers within 56-52 with 6:03 to play. But Pitt never let LSU get the upper hand, and it led by at least six for the final 5:05 of the contest. The Tigers had a 28-27 edge at intermission after ending the first half on an 8-2 run. LSU overcame a quick start by the Panthers, who raced out to a 12-6 advantage and led by as many as eight in the first 20 minutes of action. --Field Level Media

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Agriculture & Natural Solutions Acquisition Corporation Receives FIRB Approval In Connection with Previously Announced Business Combination(Reuters) - Companies ranging from finance majors to Silicon Valley behemoths are pledging donations to Donald Trump's inaugural fund as business leaders rush to ensure a favorable relationship with the U.S. president-elect after his November election win. Trump is set to take office in January and executives are hoping a positive rapport with his administration, such as the one Tesla boss Elon Musk has established, could mean notable benefits for their companies. Below is a list of companies that are contributing funds for Trump's inauguration for his second term in the White House. UBER TECHNOLOGIES Uber Technologies and its CEO Dara Khosrowshahi donated $1 million each, a company spokesperson told Reuters. AMAZON.COM Amazon is donating $1 million. The company will also air the inauguration event on its Prime Video service, an Amazon spokesperson said. META PLATFORMS Meta Platforms has donated $1 million, a company spokesperson told Reuters. OPENAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a personal donation of $1 million to the inaugural fund, an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed. "President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. BANK OF AMERICA AND GOLDMAN SACHS Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. lender, and investment bank Goldman Sachs plan to contribute to Trump's inaugural committees, but have yet to decide on the amount, spokespersons for each bank said. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh, Deborah Sophia and Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)

NASA’s industry partners under the second initiative have made progress in developing technologies to advance future low Earth orbit space missions. Table of Contents Space Exploration and In-Orbit Transportation Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, SpaceX and Outpost Technologies are focused on maturing their spacecraft designed for commercial space transportation, logistics and research, human transportation to the moon and Mars, and cargo delivery. Blue Origin is advancing work on its integrated commercial space transportation capability to ensure safe, affordable and high-frequency U.S. access to orbit for crew and other missions. SpaceX and Outpost Technologies have completed flight tests of the Starship reusable rocket and the Cargo Ferry reusable cargo vehicle, respectively. SpaceX is now preparing to launch new generations of Starship in advance of the under NASA’s Artemis program. Northrop Grumman, meanwhile, cleared a project management review with NASA related to the company’s development of the . Commercial Space Station NASA has partnered with Sierra Space and Vast to build in-orbit space stations as the existing International Space Station nears the . Sierra Space has completed two full-scale ultimate burst pressure tests of its Large Integrated Flexible Environment, a NASA-funded inflatable habitat structure component. The company also tested materials for the habitat’s air barrier to ensure they meet the recommended safety standards. Ahead of the expected 2025 launch of the Haven-1 commercial space station, Vast achieved technical milestones, including fabricating key components such as the primary structure pathfinder, hatch, battery module and control moment gyroscope. It also completed a solar array deployment test and the station’s preliminary design review. In-Space Servicing and Manufacturing NASA partners Special Aerospace Services and ThinkOrbital are focused on in-space servicing and manufacturing capabilities. Special Aerospace Services is developing an for the assembly of commercial LEO space stations, servicing, retrieval and inspection of in-space systems, while ThinkOrbital works on autonomous in-space welding, cutting and X-ray inspection technologies. “Our commercial partners’ growing capabilities in low Earth orbit underscore NASA’s commitment to advance scientific discovery, pioneering space technology and support future deep space exploration,” said Angela Hart, manager of the Commercial LEO Development Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.GREEN LAKE, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning this summer and left his wife and three children has been located in Eastern Europe and is communicating with law enforcement, but he has not committed to returning home, authorities said. Ryan Borgwardt began communicating with authorities Nov. 11, after they tracked him down, Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said Thursday. The sheriff showed a video that Borgwardt sent police that day from an undisclosed location. The sheriff said no charges have been filed and that he doesn't think they will be necessary while authorities “keep pulling at his heartstrings” to come home. Here are some things to know about Borgwardt and his disappearance: Who is he? Borgwardt, who is in his mid-40s, lived with his wife and children in Watertown, a city of about 23,000 people northwest of Milwaukee that is known for its German heritage, parochial schools and two dams on the Rock River. When did he disappear? The sheriff has said his department was told Aug. 12 that Borgwardt had not been heard from since the previous day, when he traveled about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from home to Green Lake to go kayaking. Borgwardt’s wife said he texted her at 10:49 p.m. to say he was heading to shore. How was the search conducted? Deputies found Borgwardt’s vehicle and trailer near Green Lake. His kayak was discovered on the lake, overturned and with a life jacket attached to it, in an area where the water is about 200 feet (60 meters) deep. An angler later found Borgwardt’s fishing rod. The search for his body continued for more than 50 days, with divers scouring the lake on several occasions. How did authorities find Borgwardt? Clues — including that he reported his passport lost or stolen and obtained a new one a few months before he disappeared — led investigators to speculate that he made it appear that he had drowned to go meet a woman he had been communicating with in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Podoll declined to comment when asked what he knew about the woman, but he said law enforcement contacted Borgwardt “through a female that spoke Russian.” His identity was confirmed through asking him questions that the sheriff said only Borgwardt would know and by a video he made and sent them Nov. 11. He has spoken with someone from the sheriff's department almost daily since. However Podoll said Thursday that Borgwardt's exact location in Eastern Europe was not known. Why are U.S. authorities struggling to pinpoint his location? Podoll said Chief Deputy Matt Vande Kolk has been the one communicating with Borgwardt and their conversations have all taken place via email. Vande Kolk told The Associated Press in an email Friday that authorities are trying to determine Borgwardt's exact location. But that might not be easy even with modern surveillance technology. Scott Shackelford, executive director of the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University, said authorities should be able to locate Borgwardt through his device's internet protocol address, a unique number assigned to every device connected to the internet. But he said it's very easy to mask an IP address and make it appear as if the device is in one country when it's really in another. Software exists that can route your IP address across the globe, Shackelford said. Police may not have the expertise, the manpower or any interest in digging through multiple layers of cyber deception, he said. What was in the video Borgwardt sent to law enforcement? Wearing an orange T-shirt, Borgwardt, unsmiling, looks directly at the camera, apparently filmed on a cellphone. Borgwardt says he is in his apartment and briefly pans the camera, but mostly shows a door and bare walls. “I’m safe and secure, no problem,” he says. How did he fake his death? Borgwardt has told authorities he overturned his kayak on the lake, dumped his phone in it and paddled an inflatable boat to shore. He told authorities he chose Green Lake because it is Wisconsin's deepest at 237 feet (over 72 meters). He then rode an electric bike stashed by a boat launch about 70 miles (110 kilometers) through the night to Madison, the sheriff said. From there, by Borgwardt's account, he traveled by bus to Detroit and then Canada, where he boarded a plane. Police are still verifying Borgwardt’s description of what happened, Podoll said. Why did he do it? Borgwardt faked his death and fled because of “personal matters,” thinking it was the right thing to do, the sheriff said. Investigators found that he took out a $375,000 life insurance policy in January for his family. “He was just going to try and make things better in his mind, and this was the way it was going to be,” Podoll said. What's next? Borgwardt has not yet decided to return home, and if he does it will be of his own free will, according to Podoll. Deputies are stressing to him the importance of returning home and cleaning up the mess he made. The sheriff suggested that Borgwardt could be charged with obstructing the investigation into his disappearance, but so far no counts have been filed. The search for Borgwardt, which lasted more than a month, is said to have cost at least $35,000. Borgwardt told authorities that he did not expect the search to last more than two weeks, Podoll said, and his biggest concern is how the community will react to him if he returns. This story was updated to correct the spelling of Scott Shackelford’s last name, which had been misspelled “Shackleford.” Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!

In Hyderabad and Telangana, an increasing number of individuals are impersonating doctors on social media, offering unqualified health advice. These self-proclaimed experts have gained large followings, ranging from 100,000 to 300,000, giving tips on conditions like obesity and diabetes. Hyderabad: A growing number of individuals in Hyderabad and Telangana are impersonating medical professionals on social media, posing as doctors and offering health advice without the proper qualifications. These self-proclaimed “health experts” have amassed large followings, ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 on platforms where they provide tips on managing conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and even infertility. The Telangana State Medical Council (TSMC) has launched an investigation into 35 such individuals, many of whom are employed in small to mid-sized hospitals. Despite lacking the necessary medical credentials, these individuals have been seen wearing stethoscopes and claiming to offer expert medical guidance. They have reportedly promoted treatments for conditions such as diabetes reversal and pancreas detoxification, raising serious concerns about public health safety. Drive against fake doctors in Telangana Today Inspection by Telangana medical council team at Gajwel town caught 10 fake doctors / Rmps filing FIR against them... pic.twitter.com/t3JiISwpTr — Telangana Medical Council (@TGMedCouncil) November 29, 2024 This crackdown follows a previous case where the TSMC apprehended a person impersonating an ICU specialist, only to discover they had no formal medical training. Many of the suspects under investigation are also accused of promoting unapproved drugs and health supplements through videos, advertising them as cures for various ailments. Fake doctors giving concerning medical advises One of the most concerning cases involves an individual who, despite lacking any formal medical qualifications, offered advice on a variety of health issues—from obesity and skin care to sexual health—under the guise of a cosmetic and personal care specialist. This individual, who has amassed 300,000 followers on social media, routinely posted videos offering medical prescriptions and advice. As per a Times of India report, Dr. G Srinivas, Chairman of the TSMC, underscored the severity of these actions, stating, “An untrained person offering any nutritional advice, prescribing medications, or posing as a doctor within a hospital setting is prohibited by law. Such actions are considered impersonation and are punishable.” Click for more latest Hyderabad news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Harsh Trivedi, working as a Senior Sub Editor at TV9 Network primarily covers news updates from 8 major cosmopolitan cities. Harsh is a language agnostic journalist who is committed to ethical, credible, factual and responsible journalism through his research-driven stories. He talks about ‘Free Press’ and its significance for a free and functional democracy. In his 4.5-year-long TV & Digital journalism journey, Harsh is experienced in covering politics, crime & sports for some of the country’s leading media outlets including Network 18, ITV - NewsX, and The Free Press Journal, with an added experience of on-ground coverage from Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh during the 2023-Five State Vidhan Sabha Elections.RJ Johnson, Daylen Berry lift Charleston Southern to surprising 83-79 victory over Miami

Dr Nihal Jayawickrama Shortly before the Presidential Election, Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the NPP, committed himself to the abolition of the office of Executive President. Following his election by the people to the office of President of the Republic, and the overwhelming majority which his party received in the general election, it may be confidently assumed that steps will shortly be taken to implement that commitment. The events that followed the enactment of the 19 th Amendment to the Constitution in 2015 demonstrated the futility of the partial abolition of the Executive Presidency. That amendment, while requiring the President to act on the advice of the Prime Minister, enabled the incumbent President (through a transitional provision) to preside over meetings of the Cabinet and also hold three key portfolios. When a few months later Parliament was dissolved, the general election was conducted under laws which had been formulated to complement an executive presidency. No provision was made for the election of the constitutional Head of State. A JVP Bill that sought to rectify the omission was held by the Supreme Court to require approval at a referendum in a determination which, it is submitted, was flawed in law and made per incuriam (lack of regard for the law or the facts) . Therefore, the abolition of the office of Executive President should be but one element in a comprehensive restructuring of the governmental structure. In other words, a new Constitution. Contrary to popular belief, the approval of the people at a referendum is not required for the repeal and replacement of the Constitution. What is required under Article 82(5) is that the number of votes cast in favour amounts to not less than two-thirds of the whole number of members of Parliament. Indeed, a referendum is not suitable for consulting the population on a complex issue such as the text of a new Constitution. For example, in Canada in 1992, a Bill designed to give effect to the multicultural character of that country, known as the Charlottetown Accord, which had been agreed upon by all the First Ministers and territorial and aboriginal leaders, was rejected at a national referendum for reasons which had no relevance whatsoever to the question at issue. Foremost among these was the widespread unpopularity of the then Prime Minister of Canada. In the United Kingdom in 2017, the referendum on the question of leaving the European Union received the affirmative votes of some who believed that it would lead to the restoration of the British Empire. An unnecessary referendum on the Constitution could lead to a voter who disapproves of a single provision voting to reject the Constitution altogether. UNNECESSARY PROVISIONS In designing a template for a new Constitution, it is useful to commence by identifying those provisions of the present Constitution which should be omitted altogether. The State The 1972 Constitution described the State in the following terms: Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a Free, Sovereign and Independent Republic. The 1978 Constitution added the words “Democratic Socialist” while rejecting the socialist policies of its predecessor and extending the life of Parliament without a general election. Accordingly, I would suggest that the 1972 formulation be restored. The Unitary State The whimsical intervention of a senior Cabinet Minister, acting on impulse, resulted in the inclusion of the following provision in the 1972 Constitution: “The Republic of Sri Lanka is a Unitary State” The 1978 Constitution not only repeated this provision, but also prevented its repeal except with a two-thirds majority in Parliament and approval of the people at a referendum. This impetuous, ill-considered, and wholly unnecessary embellishment would, in the years to follow, reach the proportions of a political battle cry. Sovereignty The 1972 Constitution contained the following provision: “In the Republic of Sri Lanka, Sovereignty is in the People and is inalienable”. The 1978 Constitution expanded on that provision, making it unamendable except with a two-third vote in Parliament, followed by a referendum, and thereby stultified the legislative process. Until 1972, all power flowed from the British monarch. The supreme law then in force was the Ceylon (Constitution) Order in Council 1946. However, the 1972 Constitution was not enacted by Parliament under powers conferred by that Order-in-Council. The 1972 Constitution was an autochthonous Constitution. It was drafted, adopted and enacted outside the existing constitutional framework, not in Parliament but at Navarangahala, a school hall, by persons who were elected to the House of Representatives at the general election of 1970. They asserted that sovereignty flowed not from “The King’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council” , but from the People who had given them a mandate “to function as a Constituent Assembly to draft, adopt and operate a new Constitution that will declare Ceylon to be a free, sovereign and independent Republic”. It was in the exercise of that sovereignty that they proceeded to draft and enact a new Constitution. That sovereignty of the people was declared to be inalienable in the sense that it could not be transferred, for example, to a foreign power, the military, or a political party, or indeed restored to the British Crown. That was the rationale for asserting for the first time in a constitution of our country that sovereignty was in the People. It was unnecessary to have reaffirmed it in the 1978 Constitution. Nor does it require repetition today. I have not been able to find a similar provision in any other Commonwealth constitution. Buddhism The question of constitutional protection for Buddhism was first raised when the 1972 Constitution was being drafted. It was originally sought to impose a duty on the State to protect the institutions and traditional places of Buddhist worship. Over time, that proposal metamorphosed into a requirement that the State shall give to Buddhism “the foremost place”, and shall “protect and foster Buddhism”, whatever these terms might mean. Representatives of lay organizations urged that Buddhism be declared the state religion, while some senior monks emphatically opposed the concept of a state religion and were more interested in the establishment of ownership of property required for the performance of rites and rituals. This constitutional provision is very divisive and provocative and identifies those Sri Lankan citizens who profess their belief in the great religions such as Hinduism, Christianity and Islam as being “the other” in the Sri Lankan polity. What the Buddha preached was a philosophy of life. Tolerance and pluralism form the basis of that philosophy. If Buddhist Philosophy was able to survive in the hearts and minds of the people through 450 years of western colonial rule, a constitutional injunction is surely not necessary to keep it alive in the free, sovereign and independent Sri Lanka. Directive Principles of State Policy The 1972 Constitution introduced for the first time an ideological statement of “Directive Principles of State Policy” which were declared to be not enforceable in any court; not to confer legal rights; and no question of inconsistency with them could be raised in the Constitutional Court or any other Court. However, in another part of the Constitution it was stated that the exercise and operation of the guaranteed fundamental rights and freedoms shall be subject to such restrictions as may be necessary for “giving effect to the Principles of State Policy”. Consequently, when the Bill to vest the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd was challenged, the Constitutional Court held that although the Bill infringed the freedom of association of the shareholders and directors of the company, it was nevertheless validated by the fact that it sought to achieve two of the Principles of State Policy, namely, “the development of collective forms of property”, and “raising the moral and cultural standards of the people”. The 1978 Constitution too contains a similar statement of unenforceable Principles of State Policy. Political ideology should have no place in a national constitution. Values and priorities change with the needs and pressures of a given time. The Constitution, which is the supreme and fundamental law, must therefore be sufficiently flexible to enable different shades of political opinion to be developed and implemented from time to time. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A NEW CONSTITUTION Recognition of Diversity The Constitution must recognize that Sri Lanka is not only a secular State, but is also a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural State. The tragedy of Sri Lanka is that many of our politicians have refused to recognize the fact – the unalterable, immutable, and enduring fact – that we are a multicultural country. In the contemporary multicultural State, minority communities have rights in common with, and no less than, everyone else. Indeed, because of the need to protect the distinctive character and identity of minority communities, which is what constitutes the cultural mosaic of the State, they even enjoy additional rights. For example, contemporary international law protects the physical existence of minority groups by criminalizing genocide, by recognizing the right to seek asylum, and by prohibiting discrimination. International Human Rights Law now provides guidance on the minimum acceptable standards for peaceful co-existence in a multicultural society. They include the right of minorities to use their own language, to profess and practise their own religion and the right to enjoy their own culture. International law also recognizes the right of a minority to determine its political status, and the right to participate effectively in decision-making, both at regional and national levels. Therefore, power-sharing at the centre is a requirement that should be incorporated in the Constitution. Whichever political party forms the government, it should be mandatory for the different ethnic groups to be represented in the Cabinet, at least in proportion to the number of such members elected to Parliament. The Official Languages The Constitution must recognize Sinhala, Tamil and English as the Official Languages of the State. The 1978 Constitution declares Sinhala and Tamil to be the “official languages”, and English to be the “link language”, whatever that might mean in terms of constitutional law. Thereafter, Sinhala and Tamil are described as the “national languages”. Then follow several other provisions detailing the language of administration, of legislation and of courts. Language is not only a mode of communication; it is also the medium through which knowledge is acquired. It is unfortunate, but true, that Sinhala does not serve either purpose adequately. Political leaders with foresight and sagacity, on the African continent, and in countries such as India, Singapore, and Malaysia, retained English – now the acknowledged international language. They adopted it as the medium of instruction, and thereby ensured that their peoples could communicate with the world beyond their geographical boundaries and acquire the knowledge that now emerges as rapidly as the old is debunked, and equip themselves to serve the global community in capacities other than as domestic helpers and semi-skilled workers. A Constitutional Head of State For thirty years after Independence, this country had a constitutional Head of State. He symbolized the State, not the ruling party. He was the principal unifying figure in the country; the non-partisan, independent, symbol of the State who provided stability to the State. He was accessible to anyone of whichever political persuasion, especially when the heavy hand of government was felt. He performed the ceremonial functions of the government, leaving to the political head the resolution of the important matters of State. Although the constitutional Head of State was required to act on advice, there have been troubling times when the Cabinet of Ministers sought his advice on how to deal with a particular situation. There have also been occasions when the constitutional Head of State requested reconsideration, or even declined to act as advised until he was furnished with sufficient reasons for doing so. In a multicultural country such as Sri Lanka, it is desirable that, in addition to the President, there should also be two Vice-Presidents. A new Constitution should therefore provide that: · There shall be a President of the Republic who is the Head of State, the Head of the Executive, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. · There shall be two Vice-Presidents who shall belong to two different ethnic groups, and neither of whom should belong to the ethnic group of the President. · The President and Vice-Presidents shall be elected by Parliament. Their term of office shall be six years. · The President and Vice-Presidents shall, except as otherwise provided by the Constitution, act on the advice of the Prime Minister, or of such other Minister to whom the Prime Minister may have given authority to advise the President on any function assigned to that Minister. · Whenever the President is prevented by illness or other cause from performing the duties of his office or is absent from Sri Lanka, a Vice-President designated by the Prime Minister shall act in the office of the President. The Electoral System The election of members of parliament from 21 District Lists, based on proportional representation, was introduced by Mr. J.R. Jayewardene as an integral element in the presidential executive system of government. Since each District encompassed several former constituencies, the expenditure involved in campaigning in such a large extent of territory, and the need to raise money for that purpose from various sources, inevitably on a quid pro quo basis, has been identified as one of the principal factors leading to corruption. The return to the first past-the-post system of single-member/multi-member constituencies, supplemented with an element of proportional representation to ensure that unrepresented interests are adequately represented, and that there is an equitable distribution of seats based on the totality of votes cast for each political party, ought to be an essential adjunct to the parliamentary executive system of governance. Local Government Local government is best undertaken by restoring the time-tested institutions, namely, village councils, urban councils, and municipal councils, complemented perhaps with District Development Boards. The extremely expensive concept of nine Provincial Councils, each with a Governor and a Board of Ministers, introduced at the request of the Government of India at the height of the ethnic conflict, has lost its relevance and ought to be abandoned. Fundamental Rights Over 30 years ago, Sri Lanka signed and ratified the two international covenants that define the universally accepted civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. However, successive governments failed to give constitutional force to the rights recognized in them, or to provide effective remedies. The 1978 Constitution selectively designated a few of these rights as fundamental rights and subjected even those to numerous restrictions. For example, the right to life is omitted. Others omitted include family rights, the right to privacy, the right to property, the freedom to leave the country, the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, the right to a fair hearing in respect of civil rights and obligations, and the rights of accused persons. “Birth or other status” is not a prohibited ground of discrimination, thereby enabling the perpetuation of the concept of illegitimate children. And, of course, none of the economic, social, or cultural rights are recognized. Finally, all existing law is declared to be valid and operative notwithstanding any inconsistency with the chapter on fundamental rights. Thereby, the entire body of law enacted over a period of 176 years, a veritable armoury of archaic powers and more recent intrusions into human dignity, remains in force notwithstanding any conflict with fundamental rights. When the citizens agree to be governed, what they insist in return from the rulers is that their rights and freedoms be effectively guaranteed. The Constitution should provide, as it does in many other countries, that an international human rights treaty, when ratified, will have the force of law, superseding any inconsistent existing law. If the government is unwilling to do so, why ratify a treaty at all? Alternatively, at least the provisions of the two international human rights covenants should be incorporated in the Constitution. That is not only a matter of sound common-sense and prudent governance; it is also a solemn treaty obligation. Ex Post Facto review of Legislation The concept of anticipatory review of a Bill is intrinsically flawed. It is a procedure whereby a Bill is examined and tested for constitutionality, not with reference to an act performed in the course of its actual implementation, but on a purely hypothetically basis. It is particularly important (even if the existing provisions for examining the constitutionality of Bills are retained) that the judicial review of legislation be restored. It is often when a law is being applied that its negative impact on a fundamental right, or on any other provision of the Constitution, becomes evident; not when a Bill is examined in the abstract. The meaning and content of laws also do not remain frozen in time. Consider, for instance, the Right to Life, which was originally thought to mean only the arbitrary deprivation of life. Over the years it has been interpreted to include the right to food, the right to livelihood, protection from the illicit dumping of toxic and dangerous substances and waste, access to medical services and protection from nuclear weapons, as well as the protection of the unborn child. The concept of Torture now includes minimum or mandatory sentences, and corporal punishment in schools. These are contemporary definitions of constitutional provisions which judges and lawyers may not have invoked when a particular Bill was examined in the abstract. A Constitutional Court The concept of constitutional jurisprudence is now a permanent feature of democratic political systems. It is derived from the principle of the separation of powers. A Constitutional Court, consisting of judges possessing the required expertise, should be established at the apex of the judicial hierarchy to exercise the fundamental rights and constitutional jurisdictions, including the judicial review of legislation. It will also enable the Supreme Court and other regular existing courts to focus on the enormous backlog that has developed over the years. The Constitutional Court does not review decisions of other courts but may do so if a question of great general or public importance arises in the proceedings of any court. It is a specialized court whose fields of competence are distinct from those of the Supreme Court. Permanent Secretaries The 1946 Constitution required a Permanent Secretary to exercise supervision over the departments assigned to the Ministry “subject to the general direction and control of his Minister”. General direction and control referred to matters of policy only, as clarified by Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake. In the 1972/1978 Constitutions the word “ general ” was deleted. Thereafter, the Permanent Secretary was required to perform his functions “ subject to the direction and control” of the Minister, while being himself personally responsible to Parliament as “the chief accounting officer” of the Ministry. The Minister, and through him numerous parliamentarians and constituents, became directly involved in the decision-making processes of government departments without incurring any accountability. The process of politicising the public service began. It is essential that the 1946 provision be reinstated. CONCLUSION We need to look ahead to the next 25 years and ask whether the framework of governance prescribed in the 1970s is appropriate or adequate to meet the challenges of the new millennium. Instead of regular and repeated assertions of Independence and Sovereignty, which reminds one of the fish that grows in a pond and considers itself the king of the sea, we must awaken to the reality that Sri Lanka, in common with the rest of the world, is now inextricably linked to the global village. As a former Chief Justice of Kenya once observed, we must not overstay our welcome in the pond when the ocean beckons. Dr Nihal Jayawickrama, LL.B (Ceylon), Ph.D (London) is a former Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Justice who also served briefly as Attorney-General. He was Associate Professor of Comparative Constitutional Law at the University of Hong Kong, and the Ariel F. Sallows Professor of Human Rights at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He is the author of The Judicial Application of Human Rights Law (Cambridge University Press, 2002, 2 nd ed.2017, 1200 pp). This article is based on a paper presented by him at the Sri Lanka Law College 150 th Anniversary International Research Conference last week.

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In light of these developments, it is important for users to be mindful of the terms and conditions of their subscription agreements and respect the rules set forth by content providers. While it may be tempting to share login credentials with others, it is essential to understand the implications of such actions and the negative impact they can have on the sustainability of the platform and the creative industry as a whole.Gorosito's 21 lead Ball State past Bellarmine 86-82betfred derby

Rare foreign-born CEO says Japan needs immigration to thriveThe Onion’s $1.75 Million Offer Faces Legal Scrutiny in Alex Jones Bankruptcy CaseHUNTINGTON, W.V. (AP) — Marshall has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal. The Thundering Herd were slated to play Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech announced on Saturday that the Bulldogs will take on the 19th-ranked Black Knights instead. Marshall said it pulled out “after falling below the roster minimum that was deemed medically safe.” The Herd (10-3) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 last weekend to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship for the first time. The program has won seven games in a row in the same season for the first time since 2020. “We apologize for the nature and timing of this announcement and for the turmoil it has brought to bowl season preparations for Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said in a statement. Coach Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss last Sunday, and Tony Gibson, the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, was announced as his replacement less than an hour later. By Thursday, at least 25 Marshall players had entered the transfer portal. Gibson held a meeting shortly after arriving on campus in Huntington to introduce himself to the team. He followed that up with phone calls, text messages and more meetings Friday and Saturday. “Any time coaches leave to take other jobs, it is emotional,” Gibson said at a news conference Thursday. “And kids that are 18-to-22 years old are going to make emotional decisions instead of just breathing for a day or two.” It's the first bowl for Louisiana Tech (5-7) since 2020. The Bulldogs have won two of their last three games, but they haven't played since a 33-0 victory over Kennesaw State on Nov. 30. “We are excited to accept the opportunity to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against a fantastic and storied program as Army,” Louisiana Tech athletic director Ryan Ivey said in a release. “I believe our football program is moving toward positive structure and the opportunity to play in this bowl adds to that momentum. We are looking forward to being in Shreveport for this matchup.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

US coach Emma Hayes admits to anthem uncertainty ahead of England stalemate

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. prosecutors are accusing two senior Syrian officials of overseeing a notorious torture center that abused peaceful protesters, including a 26-year-old American woman who was later believed to have been executed. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. prosecutors are accusing two senior Syrian officials of overseeing a notorious torture center that abused peaceful protesters, including a 26-year-old American woman who was later believed to have been executed. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. prosecutors are accusing two senior Syrian officials of overseeing a notorious torture center that abused peaceful protesters, including a 26-year-old American woman who was later believed to have been executed. The indictment was released Monday, two days after a shock rebel offensive overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad. The U.S., U.N. and others accuse him of widespread human rights abuses in a 13-year battle to crush opposition forces seeking his removal from power. The war, which began as a largely nonviolent popular uprising in 2011, has killed half a million people. The indictment, filed Nov. 18 in federal court in Chicago, is believed to be the U.S. government’s first against what officials say were networks of Assad intelligence services and military branches that detained, tortured and killed thousands of perceived enemies. It names Jamil Hassan, director of the Syrian air force’s intelligence branch, who prosecutors say oversaw a prison and torture center at the Mezzeh air force base in the capital, Damascus, and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, who prosecutors say ran the prison. Victims included Syrians, Americans and dual citizens, the indictment said. The U.S.-based Syrian Emergency Task Force has long pushed federal prosecutors for action on one case, that of 26-year-old American aid worker Layla Shweikani. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The group presented witnesses who testified of Shweikani’s 2016 torture at the prison. Syrian rights groups believe she was later executed at the Saydnaya military prison in the Damascus suburbs. The whereabouts of the two Syrian officials were not immediately known, and the prospects of bringing them to trial were unclear. Assad’s toppling by the rebels over the weekend has scattered his government and left citizens searching prison torture centers around the country for survivors and evidence. Advertisement AdvertisementIn recent years, the pressure to juggle work commitments and personal life has led many individuals to put their jobs ahead of everything else. Whether it's finishing work on vacation, attending meetings while commuting, or working odd hours, the demands of the modern workplace often take centre stage. But now, a viral video featuring a groom engrossed in his mobile phone, tracking stock market fluctuations during his wedding ceremony, has left internet users amused. (Also read: Techie groom seen working at his own wedding sparks backlash: ‘Divorce coming soon' ) The wedding distraction Shared on Instagram by the account Trading Leo, the video shows a groom in full wedding attire, dressed in a traditional sherwani. However, instead of paying attention to his ceremony or the bride, he is seen intently monitoring his trading dashboard. The camera captures the moment from behind, zooming in on his phone screen where the groom is clearly tracking stock market updates. The simple yet hilarious caption reads, "The Traders." Watch the clip here: A post shared by Trading Leo (@tradingleo.in) The clip, which was uploaded just a few days ago, has gone viral, accumulating over 13 million views and counting. The juxtaposition of a joyous occasion with the groom's obsession over his financial portfolio has sparked a range of reactions online. (Also read: Bride’s reaction to groom working on laptop at mandap leaves people in splits. Watch ) Reactions from the internet The internet has been buzzing with reactions. One user quipped, "When your portfolio is more important than your wedding vows!" Many found humour in the groom's apparent priority, with another user commenting, "I think he’s more invested in his stocks than his bride." Others expressed a mix of disbelief and amusement. "He’s definitely planning to invest in a honeymoon later, but first things first – the stocks!" one wrote. Another netizen noted, "Talk about ‘multi-tasking’ – nothing beats trading while saying ‘I do’." The video also sparked debates on the growing obsession with technology. "This is what happens when you can’t let go of your work, even for a moment," said one viewer. Meanwhile, another commenter joked, "Guess he’s trying to make the wedding a profitable venture!" Yet, some were more understanding. "Maybe he's just doing his job. People can’t escape the stock market these days," one person suggested, adding a more serious perspective to the conversation.Political Ripple: Chhagan Bhujbal's Exclusion Sparks Debate in Maharashtra

B orn in London in 1987, the actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett studied at the Brit school and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. After early stage roles including The History Boys at the National Theatre, he was cast in E4’s Misfits and Channel 4’s Utopia . He starred in the 2017 National Theatre production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America , as well as its Broadway transfer. He has appeared in films Dom Hemingway , Candyman , and Femme , for which he and George MacKay won a 2023 Bifa award for best joint lead performance. His TV roles include Doctor Who and The Trial of Christine Keeler . He stars in the second season of the heist thriller Culprits , on ITVX from 19 December. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (dir Jacques Demy, 1964) When I first saw this, not long ago, it kind of broke me. I thought it was the most amazing, colourful thing in the world – it is a classic for a reason. It’s about two young people who fall in love: Catherine Deneuve works at an umbrella store, and Nino Castelnuovo is a mechanic. Then he goes off to war, and he doesn’t die, but something bad happens. It’s the most heartbreaking story for Christmas, but doesn’t everyone love a bit of a Christmas cry? Mike Kelley: Ghost and Spirit, Tate Modern, until 9 March I didn’t really know anything about the artist but I thought this exhibition was really exciting – very political, very rebellious. He did a lot of performance art in New York, these crazy installations, but also monkeys with big butts and genitalia-like fruit. He had this idea that adolescence is like a poltergeist taking over your body, which I thought was a cool conceit. I liked the sense of humour and his grungy take on things, the way he stuck it to the man: it made me think that maybe now art and commerce are too closely aligned. The Racket by Conor Niland I’m obsessed with tennis. [Former player] Conor Niland has written a book about the highs and lows of failure – I’m not saying he’s a failure, but I think it is somewhat a study in failure. He got to 129th in the world, but he wanted to be the best Irish player in the Open era, and he was. I thought it was really interesting to write a book about missing the moment, not being the person you know you can be, and sometimes just having a string of bad luck. I’m an actor, so this was overly familiar at points. The Empress (Netflix) There were these [1950s] movies with Romy Schneider , the Sissi series, about Elisabeth, the Empress of Austria. This is a Netflix series about her young days and I’m really looking forward to watching the new season . It’s a German-language period drama about her life in the palace; the Emperor’s mother doesn’t approve of her, so there’s a power struggle, but eventually the country falls in love with her. It looks amazing and it’s got this Visconti-esque thing going on that I really like. Straker’s, London W10 I love this restaurant. They’ve got two little tables in the windows, and it’s perfect for a little chat or gossip. It just feels wholly intimate. It’s modern Italian cuisine – I had the flatbread with chilli and mussel butter, which I don’t think I’ve ever had before. At one point, the sommelier sat down and had a drink with us. It’s everything one would want in a restaurant: very relaxed, the food is spectacular, great drinks and great staff. It makes me want to live on Golborne Road.Swift's daily impact on Vancouver may have exceeded 2010 Games, says industry figureUS coach Emma Hayes admits to anthem uncertainty ahead of England stalemateThe billing of London-born former Chelsea boss Hayes against England’s Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman – arguably the best two bosses in the women’s game – had generated more buzz in the build-up than the players on the pitch, despite it being a rare encounter between the two top-ranked sides in the world. Hayes enjoyed her return to familiar shores but felt the US lacked the “killer piece” after they looked the likelier side to make the breakthrough. Elite meeting of the minds 🌟 pic.twitter.com/R4d8EArqTp — U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) November 30, 2024 Asked what was going through her mind during the national anthem, Hayes said: “I was definitely mouthing (it), and Naomi (Girma) and Lynn (Williams) could see that I was struggling with where to be and all that. “I got to the end of the anthems and I thought, ‘that’s so ridiculous. I’m proud to be English and I’m proud of our national anthem, and I’m also really proud to coach America’. “Two things are possible all at once. I don’t want to fuel a nationalist debate around it. The realities are both countries are really dear to me for lots of reasons, and I’m really proud to represent both of them.” The Lionesses did not register a shot on target in the first half but grew into the game in the second. US captain Lindsey Horan had the ball in the net after the break but the flag was up, while Hayes’ side had a penalty award for a handball reversed after a VAR check determined substitute Yazmeen Ryan’s shot hit Alex Greenwood’s chest. Hayes, who left Chelsea after 12 trophy-packed years this summer, said: “I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of top-level games, including here, so there’s a familiarity to being here for me. “It’s not new to me, and because of that there was a whole sense of I’m coming back to a place I know. I have a really healthy perspective, and I want to have a really healthy perspective on my profession. “I give everything I possibly can for a team that I really, really enjoy coaching, and I thrive, not just under pressure, but I like these opportunities, I like being in these situations. They bring out the best in me. “You’ve got two top teams now, Sarina is an amazing coach, I thought it was a good tactical match-up, and I just enjoy coaching a high-level football match, to be honest with you. I don’t think too much about it.” Hayes had travelled to London without her entire Olympic gold medal-winning ‘Triple Espresso’ forward line of Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith, all nursing niggling injuries. Before the match, the 48-year-old was spotted chatting with Wiegman and her US men’s counterpart, fellow ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, who was also in attendance. England were also missing a number of key attackers for the friendly including Lauren Hemp, Lauren James and Ella Toone, all ruled out with injury. "This shows where we are at and we need to keep improving. It is November now. This is good but we want to be better again. We have to be better again." 👊 Reaction from the boss ⬇️ — Lionesses (@Lionesses) November 30, 2024 Wiegman brushed aside suggestions from some pundits that her side were content to settle for a draw. She said: “I think we were really defending as a team, very strong. We got momentum in the second half, we did better, and of course both teams went for the win. “So many things happened in this game, also in front of the goal, so I don’t think it was boring. “We wanted to go for the win, but it was such a high-intensity game, you have to deal with a very good opponent, so you can’t just say, ‘Now we’re going to go and score that goal’. “We tried, of course, to do that. We didn’t slow down to keep it 0-0. I think that was just how the game went.”

Ukrainian President Zelensky Seeks Talks with Biden on Joining NATO; Trump's Remarks Seen as "Meaningless"The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . HUNTINGTON, W.V. (AP) — Marshall has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal. The Thundering Herd were slated to play Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech announced on Saturday that the Bulldogs will take on the 19th-ranked Black Knights instead. Marshall said it pulled out “after falling below the roster minimum that was deemed medically safe.” The Herd (10-3) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 last weekend to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship for the first time. The program has won seven games in a row in the same season for the first time since 2020. “We apologize for the nature and timing of this announcement and for the turmoil it has brought to bowl season preparations for Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said in a statement. Coach Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss last Sunday, and Tony Gibson, the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, was announced as his replacement less than an hour later. RELATED COVERAGE Colorado star Travis Hunter says Coach Prime `ain’t going nowhere’ UNLV hires former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen as its new football coach No. 19 Army and Navy have combined for 19 victories, their most ever entering their annual matchup By Thursday, at least 25 Marshall players had entered the transfer portal. Gibson held a meeting shortly after arriving on campus in Huntington to introduce himself to the team. He followed that up with phone calls, text messages and more meetings Friday and Saturday. “Any time coaches leave to take other jobs, it is emotional,” Gibson said at a news conference Thursday. “And kids that are 18-to-22 years old are going to make emotional decisions instead of just breathing for a day or two.” It’s the first bowl for Louisiana Tech (5-7) since 2020. The Bulldogs have won two of their last three games, but they haven’t played since a 33-0 victory over Kennesaw State on Nov. 30. “We are excited to accept the opportunity to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against a fantastic and storied program as Army,” Louisiana Tech athletic director Ryan Ivey said in a release. “I believe our football program is moving toward positive structure and the opportunity to play in this bowl adds to that momentum. We are looking forward to being in Shreveport for this matchup.” ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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One of the main reasons for this emerging trend is the cost-saving benefits it offers. Purchasing a new high-quality down jacket can easily set you back a thousand dollars or more, depending on the brand and features. However, by reusing and revamping an old jacket, young people can achieve a similar level of warmth and style at a fraction of the cost. This is particularly appealing to those who are on a budget or simply prefer to spend their money on other things.

You may have spent a lot of the past week taking advantage of the best Black Friday deals , and as a result missed some of the major tech stories that the TechRadar team has been reporting on – but this round-up is here to fix that. Even with all of the holiday sales madness going on, it's been another hectic week in the world of technology. We've had the biggest tease of Spotify Wrapped 2024 yet, we've seen more leaks of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra , and we've had Apple 's best apps of 2024 . There's lots more to dig into besides those stories too, so sit back and let us be your guide to all of the important happenings in tech over the last seven days. Once you're done, you can also check out the best new movies and shows to stream this weekend. 7. B&O revealed its stunning new wireless earbuds We love a quality pair of wireless earbuds here at TechRadar, and the new Beoplay Eleven from Bang & Olufsen certainly fit the bill: inspired by jewelry, apparently, these earbuds and their accompanying case really look the part, even before you get to the audio quality. While we haven't heard them for ourselves yet, you get active noise cancelling here, plus eight hours of battery life and IP57 waterproofing. They're yours for $499 / £429 / €499 / AU$910, and they're on sale from December 17 – click through below for all the details. Read more: Bang & Olufsen unveils beautiful ANC wireless earbuds that are the prettiest I've seen for years 6. Windows Recall launched – and ran into teething issues Windows Recall continues to have a rough start: the upcoming AI-powered feature is designed to log your computing activities to make it easier to retrace your steps and find old information again, but some users suspect it may be a little too intrusive. Having previously been pulled because of privacy worries, the feature has now been put back into testing – only to run into a series of frustrating bugs. The advice from Microsoft , if you can believe it, is to turn your computer off and then turn it back on again. Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. Read more: Windows 11 Recall is misbehaving in testing, and the fix for the biggest issue is an age-old favorite – turn it off, then back on again 5. Arcane makers promised to learn from Netflix’s ‘rushed’ second season Fans weren't too happy with the way the second season of Arcane ended on Netflix, but show co-creator Christian Linke has told TechRadar he "understands and respects" the complaints in an exclusive interview – and that lessons are going to be learned. In other words, don't expect the same mistakes to be made with the various Arcane sequel projects now in development. Linke also gave us plenty of insight into the production process of a show like this, which ranks as one of the best shows on Netflix recently. Read more: Arcane co-creator vows 'we will learn from it' after fan frustrations of the Netflix show's 'rushed' final season 4. OpenAI Sora was leaked by protestors You may remember the OpenAI Sora video generator being teased by the ChatGPT maker earlier this year. The tool was announced amid a wave of hype back in February, but only selected creators were invited to test out the software. As we approach the end of the year, it's still not open to the public. That changed briefly this week, when a group of disgruntled Sora testers made the tool available to everyone – before the leak was shut down by OpenAI . Those behind the leak are reportedly upset with their work being used for free, and OpenAI's positive PR spin. Expect to see a lot more tussles like this in 2025 . Read more: OpenAI's Sora video generator (briefly) leaked in protest by early users 3. Apple revealed its favorite apps of 2024 When it comes to choosing the best iPhone apps of 2024, Apple knows what it's talking about – so we'd encourage you to check out its newly-announced top picks (below). You might find one or two (or more) apps in the list are worth a place on your own home screen. We've got apps and games for the iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch here as well as selections for the iPhone, and the categories cover everything from video editing and AI-enhanced music production, to planning vacations and tracking your daily jog. It's an excellent list. Read more: These are the 9 best iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps of 2024, according to Apple 2. Spotify Wrapped 2024 is now ‘right around the corner’ Brace yourself for Spotify Wrapped 2024, because Spotify itself says this year's recap now "right around the corner" – so you (and everyone else) should be seeing the annual look back on your music streaming year inside the Spotify apps across the next few days. We don't yet know what's going to be included in Spotify Wrapped 2024 , but it's no doubt going to include the usual overview of the artists, albums, and tracks you've listened to most over the past 12 months. Keep updating and refreshing your Spotify app over the next week to make sure Wrapped lands safely . Read more: Your Spotify Wrapped 2024 is imminent, official teaser reveals – here's when to expect it 1. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra leaked in a big way If you don't want any spoilers for the expected January launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, look away now: the latest set of leaks around the phone have given us a very good look at the Ultra model, including the more rounded corners and upgraded cameras. Add in more leaked photos and a specs reveal from a regulatory certification process, and we're probably going to know everything there is to know about this phone before it gets unveiled. It's likely that One UI 7, based on Android 15, will launch in full in January too. Read more: Leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra video claims to show 'absolutely stunning' new design OLED monitors and TVs could get cheaper soon thanks to TCL's inkjet breakthrough Apple's foldable iPhone is now more than just a concept, according to new rumors Happy 2nd birthday, ChatGPT! Here are 5 ways you've already changed the world

Conversely, an opposing faction within the village vehemently refuted these claims, painting a starkly different picture of the events that transpired. According to their version of events, the arrival of the lost graduate had sparked heated debates and disagreements among the villagers, with some expressing skepticism and reluctance to assist her. They alleged that certain individuals had harbored suspicions about the woman's true intentions, raising concerns about potential deceit or ulterior motives behind her distressing plight.As the days passed, the man began to experience symptoms of acute toxicity, including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and confusion. Ignorant of the potential dangers of his supplement regimen and fearful of seeking medical help, he chose to soldier on, believing that his symptoms were temporary side effects that would subside with time. Tragically, his condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to a sudden and irreversible collapse that claimed his life.

Despite the disappointment of not securing a win, Reed remained optimistic about Fulham's prospects in the upcoming games. He praised the team's resilience and spirit, highlighting their ability to compete against top-tier opposition. "We showed today that we can match up against the best teams in the league," Reed said. "We just need to stay focused and keep working hard. I have full confidence in our squad and believe that we can achieve our goals."

Vince Fong: We don’t need Newsom to lecture us. We need him to listen to us.Jeju Air shares slump to record low after deadly plane crash

A “Coalition to Save Culpeper” is mobilizing to scrutinize and hopefully curtail data center growth in the town and county. The new nonprofit formed to “protect the rural, historic character of Culpeper for the citizens of today and generations to come,” according to saveculpeper.com . Spokeswoman Charlotte Cole, a town resident and 50-year PR expert, said the group’s focus is the data center greenlighted for location next to Culpeper National Cemetery on East Chandler Street. She said in a recent phone call “my heart bleeds” at the prospect. “My husband is in section 11 at the national cemetery and that bank of obnoxious polluting behemoths will be overlooking him and me, eventually, and I am not at all happy about that,” Cole said. “I don’t want to be there—there will be no peace when people come to visit.” People are also reading... It’s not just them either, she added. “Everyone else who is there will have to listen to that obnoxious noise and there are eight more (data centers) next door,” Cole said of various projects approved by local officials in the past few years in the Culpeper Technology Zone, or CTZ, in the McDevitt Drive area. Various rezonings have been approved in the area and millions of dollars in real estate transactions have occurred. “It’s an abomination for the town and all of it seemingly done under the cloak of darkness,” Cole said. A member of the Culpeper Economic Development Advisory Commission from 2017-19, Cole said there was never any talk during those years of a data center in that area. The approved project, Copper Ridge, sits on a site formerly rezoned by town council in the early 2000s for a so-named 55-and-older housing development, on a hill which once sat historic Eastern View. The Coalition to Save Culpeper wants to know how the use was changed to industrial, Cole said. At a planning commission meeting in August 2023, Stephen Plescow, president of St. Mawes real estate developers in Culpeper, sought the rezoning. He said the Copper Ridge data center project would have a substation located as close as 450-feet away from the cemetery boundary. Plescow said at the time it was their top priority to buffer and appropriately screen their hallowed neighbor. The planning commission split on their approval of the project , recommending to town council to not rezone the land for the data center, finding it was out of character with the neighborhood and out of compliance with the comprehensive plan. Town council ultimately approved the project and a substation on the property this past summer. Residents living near the cemetery objected to the rezoning due to the amount of noise purported to be emitted by data centers. Councilwoman Jamie Clancey in July questioned this concern due to the fact that the area had previously been zoned for residential development. Cole said the data centers also threaten the town’s water supply. “My dad was president of Hayes, Seay, Mattern and Mattern. His area of responsibility was northern Virginia to Charlottesville, we lived in Roanoke, and we grew up with it—conserve water, take care of water,” she said. “These concerned citizens decided we needed to somehow coalesce, been doing that for the last several months now, it’s time for more folks in our sweet town and county to understand what’s at stake here.” Cole lives on Blue Ridge Avenue west of Main Street. She believes she will hear the noise from the data centers next to the cemetery on the east side of Main. She said their group has been working with partner Sarah Parmelee from Piedmont Environmental Council to champion the effort. Cole said she has worked with public officials for 50 years, and that Culpeper town officials have shocked her with their lack of interest in public engagement on the issue. Coalition to Save Culpeper has no elected hierarchy, Cole said, and its membership is comprised of everyone from young families to folks that have been in historic homes for quite a long time. “We believe there is still the remote possibility we can change, through public opinion, the decision to build six data centers overlooking the National Cemetery,” she said. “It’s citizens concerned—no one knows this is going on except a few and we need to help illuminate these decisions, at least allow the public to come in and have their say.” From a PR perspective, it’s going to take a whole lot of pitchforks and torches and shaming of the developers to bring it to a halt, Cole added. “That’s what we’re trying to get to the bottom of—how these deals were done to make this black magic happen so quickly,” she said. “We want people to understand this is of concern from an environmental perspective, future of Culpeper and quality of life perspective. You can’t have 14 data centers humming over your town and casting that shrill noise for as far as three to five miles and sucking up your water without an impact on your commercial core. I don’t care how much money somebody wants to give me, that quality of life will suck.” According to PEC, Copper Ridge will be located within 1,000 feet of Mountain Brook Estates neighborhood and several homes on East Chandler Street. “Depending on the type of cooling equipment used, homes near data centers can be subject to a constant buzz or humming noise from rooftop cooling equipment and substations,” PEC states. “Data Center Alley is coming to Culpeper,” says saveculpeper.com . “Lured by the siren song of tax revenue, Culpeper’s elected officials have approved over 12 million square feet of new data center campuses, an area roughly the equivalent of 64 Walmart Supercenters. These massive facilities will be built next to our homes, our historic district, and even our National Cemetery, the final resting place of over 7,500 American Service Members, permanently industrializing our rural community.” Group publicity stated while they cannot undo many projects already approved, they can work for greater government transparency as well as a moratorium on any more data centers. Coalition to Save Culpeper wants use-specific zoning for data centers, noise protections and a say in how the local power grid is used. For information, contact saveculpeper@gmail.com and on Facebook. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!By Costas Pitas (Reuters) - In the end, the big break turned out to be a pair of images at a New York hostel. New York police scoured hundreds of hours of video searching for clues to the identity of the person who shot UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson in a brazen killing outside a Manhattan hotel last week, but released only two images to the public that showed the suspect's face. In every other photograph captured from video - of the suspect pedaling away on a bike, standing at a coffee shop counter, riding in a taxi - the man's face was obscured by a mask and hood. But the two crucial images, released the day after the shooting, were captured when the suspect lowered his balaclava at the request of a hostel desk clerk in a flirtatious moment to see his face, according to media reports. They are taken from above, and while he is still wearing a hood, his face can be clearly seen in the pair of pictures. In one he is smiling, in the other he appears straight-faced. On Monday, the suspect, identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, was captured in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was spotted eating at McDonald's by an employee of the fast-food restaurant who thought he resembled the gunman from images. "This picture was obtained by the NYPD during one of their extensive video canvasses," New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a press conference. "Hundreds of tips began to pour into our hotline. Each tip was investigated thoroughly, and we began to release additional photographs as they came into our possession," he said. ADVANCED SURVEILLANCE New York has one of the most advanced surveillance systems of any major U.S. city, largely built after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, according to Felipe Rodriguez, a former NYPD detective sergeant and now an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. The number of cameras in New York is in the thousands, and all camera feeds can be monitored in real time, as well as reviewed for previous footage, aided by facial-recognition software. Mangione appears to have been well aware of the extensive camera network, and seemingly took steps to shield his identity before, during and after the attack. The first images released by police came from footage of the shooting last Wednesday, with the suspect shown wearing a dark-colored hoodie and a backpack. Other footage showed him running from the scene and then riding a bike into Central Park. Over the weekend, police released a picture on the suspect inside a taxi. In all of them, he was masked. Meanwhile, police searched for the backpack - eventually finding it in Central Park - tested evidence for DNA, pored through tips from the public and, eventually, said they no longer believed he was in New York City. "For just over five days, our NYPD investigators combed through thousands of hours of video, followed up on hundreds of tips and processed every bit of forensic evidence, DNA, fingerprints, IP addresses and so much more to tighten the net," New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at Monday's press conference. But the case turned on a fast-food worker more than 200 miles outside the city recognizing the face of a customer. "In this case, (where) it really came down to technology was the use of drones in Central Park and it really comes down to the video canvass that we did," Kenny said. "We used every source of video that we could collect, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours from hundreds of sources, and that helped bring this to where we are right now." (Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Paul Thomasch and Rod Nickel)

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President Bola Tinubu has called on the National Assembly to prioritise funding for Nigeria’s space programme to ensure the nation plays a leading role in the fourth industrial revolution. The President gave the charge on Monday at the celebration of the event, Nigeria’s 25 years in Space and Technology, organised by the National Space Research and Development Agency, at the Banquet hall of the State House, Abuja. President Tinubu who was represented by Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, called for strengthening of the Act establishing the National Space Research and Development Agency to help the Nigerian space ecosystem become vibrant in its engagements, locally and internationally. He further called for efforts to ensure the integration and mainstreaming of the private sector into the heart of Nigeria’s space program to enable the country to maximise opportunities in the coming years for national development. According to him: “Great effort should be made to ensure that the private sector is meanstraim into the heart of our space program for us to do more in the coming years for our national development. “I am glad that we have a good number of the legislators here to celebrate this milestone together. I therefore called upon our legislature to prioritise the funding for our space programme to ensure we play a leading role in this fourth industrial revolution. There is also a need to strengthen the Act that established NASRDA to help the Nigerian space ecosystem to be more vibrant in its engagements, locally and internationally. “Similarly, the sector will require improved budgetary support to be able to accomplish its programmes, whose outcomes can bring massive socio-economic dividends to Nigeria and her citizens. This will also solidify Nigeria’s standing as a leading space-faring country in Africa and further boost her image to competitively attract foreign direct investment because of our locational advantage for cheaper launching services. The President assured NASDRA and all stakeholders of his support in meeting future challenges and exploring better dividends of science and technology for Nigeria’s greatness. He expressed hope in the nation’s space ecosystem, assuring that the years ahead will see Nigeria maintain her leading position in Africa as well as engage more with other space-faring nations. His words: “The years ahead are likely to be very challenging because of the ever-changing developments in science and technology, but it is a journey that I am determined to robustly support. The sector promised to bring better and greater dividends to our country than had been experienced. It is my wish that the years ahead will see the Nigerian Space Ecosystem flourishing and doing much better, maintaining its leading position in Africa, and engaging more with the other space-faring nations to contribute to our national socioeconomic development and the safety of our nation and the world at large”. President Tinubu lauded NASRDA’s efforts in engaging the benefits of space to further facilitate national development and noted the development and launch of major space programs such as the development of indigenous human capacities in space science and technology as well as the production and launch of space satellites to outer orbits. The President said: “I am aware that in the quest by NASRDA to bring the benefits of space for national development, it has developed and launched major space programmes. Some of those programmes include the development of Indigenous human capacities in space science and technology; the production and launch of space satellites to outer orbits to provide various socioeconomic and environmental services; collaboration with the Nigerian Military to develop capacity in the use of space for tactical services; and increased involvement of the private-public, and institutional participation in space activities. “Some of these efforts have yielded a lot of good dividends such as the creation of the Nigerian Communications Limited (NigComsat Ltd.), a leading institution in satellite communications in Africa. Similarly, through the strategic partnership with the Nigerian Military, the Defence Space Administration (DSA) was created to widen the use of space by the Nigerian Military, as it is done in the advanced countries of the world. “Today, the Synergy between NASRDA, NigComsat Ltd., and DSA has led to tripodal support upon which an advanced and more robust national space programme will be built shortly. “All these giant strides made by this important sector of our dear country are notable and noble with the launch of seven satellites and effort in top gear to launch an additional four satellites within the lifespan of this administration”. Also speaking, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, said the projected $ 1.8 trillion global space economy will influence industries such as supply chain logistics, agriculture, defence and digital communications in the country. Nnaji added that the targeted sectors are expected to generate over 60% of new economic value from space-enabled technologies for Nigeria. In his goodwill message, Managing Director/CEO of the Nigerian_Communications_Satellite NIGCOMSAT, Mrs. Nkechi Egerton-Idehen said the anniversary of Nigeria’s 25years in Space and technology, is proof of Nigeria’s vision, resilience and unyielding commitment to harnessing the vast potential of space science and technology for national development. Egerton-Idehen said Nigeria’s successful journey in the space industry has been a success story of the collaborative symphony of innovation, determination and excellence. She applauded the synergy between NIGCOMSAT, the National Space Research and Development Agency and other partners adding that the stakeholders have unlocked new horizons in communication, security, agriculture and disaster management. According to her: “Together, we have unlocked new horizons in communication, security, agriculture and disaster management, bringing real value to our people and positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s space ecosystem. From the launch of our first satellite, NigeriaSat-1, to the groundbreaking work of NASRDA, the critical innovations of the Defence Space Administration, and the reliable connectivity provided by NIGCOMSAT, “Our journey has been a collaborative symphony of innovation, determination and excellence. Together, we have unlocked new horizons in communication, security, agriculture and disaster management, bringing real value to our people and positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s space ecosystem”. Deji Elumoye Follow us on:For “Hysteria!” actresses Anna Camp and Julie Bowen, horror is harder than comedy. “Horror is really hard actually because there is a fine line you have to walk; you have to make it feel grounded and you’re put in these extreme circumstances: You’re being possessed or pulled through the air, there’s nothing you can do to relate to that,” explained Camp of “Pitch Perfect” fame. “With comedy, you can have a relatable situation and go, ‘I’ve been in situations like that.’ There’s nothing you can compare (horror) to, so you have to use your imagination. I find it harder. Your imagination goes home with you at the end of the day. You’re still thinking crazy thoughts.” Bowen, best known for playing Claire Dunphy on “Modern Family,” agreed. “Comedy’s pretty binary because it’s like either you can make people laugh or you don’t. I can’t watch horror. I’m terrified, terrified! I am the easiest scare in the world, so as far as doing (horror), I want to make it as real as possible. It was hard because I had to be really, really crazy. There were times when I’d get back to my hotel room at 3 a.m., I didn’t want to be alone in my head,” said Bowen, laughing. Camp, Bowen, Royal Oak native Bruce Campbell (“Evil Dead”), showrunner David A. Goodman (“Futurama”), and Ypsilanti native/creator Matthew Scott Kane (“American Horror Story”) were promoting “Hysteria!” at the New York Comic Con in October. The horror series is streaming on Peacock. Set in the fictional Michigan town of Happy Hollow, the first episode of “Hysteria” begins with a popular quarterback’s disappearance and a pentagram is discovered on a garage door. As a result, rumors of the occult and satanic influence run rampant through the town. A trio of outcasts in a heavy metal band called Dethkrunch exploit this by rebranding themselves as a satanic metal band, which leads to them becoming the targets of the town’s witch hunt. “Something on my mind a lot in 2019 was we’re living in this post-factual age with social media. It seemed like decades and decades ago, you could trust the news. Now everything is in question. When lies end up getting disseminated as truth, that starts to warp people’s version of reality. Suddenly, they’re living in a world other people are not. That was going on in the world I was living in and I very quickly connected it to the 1980s satanic panic. It’s not really that different because people were saying Ozzy Osbourne, Jason Voorhees (of ‘Friday the 13th’), and the Smurfs were going to turn your kids into satanists and kill you in your sleep. That didn’t happen. It wasn’t true, but so many people got worked up into such a fervor over it, bad things happened. ... It was smoke without fire,” Kane said. “Disinformation is not new,” Campbell said. “Disinformation will tear a town apart.” Campbell portrays Happy Hollow Police Chief Ben Dandridge. “This guy’s a reasonable cop; he’s a rational person who doesn’t treat the teenagers like they’re idiots. It’s all very refreshing,” he said. “I want to play that guy again. I want cops to be that guy. I’m playing the cop (that) cops need to be. That’s my whole motivation for playing this guy: How would you like cops to be, especially the guy in charge, the chief of police? They’re lucky to have Chief Dandridge.” “It was truly an exciting moment when Bruce signed on,” Goodman said. By the end of the first episode, a supernatural phenomenon happens to Linda Campbell, played by Bowen. “Linda seems like one thing, then you realize she’s bananas. She’s either bananas or she’s possessed. Either way, it’s a complicated thing to play,” Bowen said. “With Julie, you can have your cake and eat it too,” Kane said. “She’s this fun, quirky mom. ... As the episode goes on, she’s pulled deeper into this thing and crazy stuff starts happening. That final act of the first episode was my favorite moment with her because this announced that this is not Claire Dunphy. We’re not doing that again; we’re pushing her as a performer. “Julie was so excited about doing stunts. She told us on many occasions she’s very sturdy and can take it. The same goes for Bruce and for Anna. We didn’t ask anyone to give us a flavor of the thing they did before. We cast people we loved so much (in their famous projects) that we wanted to give them the opportunity to do the exact opposite.” Added Bowen: “I got this script and was like, ‘Oh great. She’s a mom. How fun.’ I love moms. I’m a mom, but I felt this was not worth flying out of town to Georgia and being away from my kids. Then I got to the end of the pilot and was like, ‘She’s crazy!’ Is she possessed? There’s a lot more questions. It’s fun to just stretch again and do things I haven’t done in a while, which I found really exciting.” Kane said he felt lucky Bowen signed on at the beginning. “She was the first adult actor to sign on. That gave us such credibility to have a two-time Emmy-winning actor leading this show. Suddenly, it goes from this script from a relatively unknown writer into the new Julie Bowen show,” he said. It was the quality of the writing that attracted Camp, Bowen and Campbell to “Hysteria!” “I loved the script; it was incredibly well-written. It was immersed in the time period. It was such a good coming-of-age story, too — the feeling of being in high school again, being in the 1980s,” Camp said. “I talked to Matt who said my character (Tracy) was incredibly pivotal to the series and we’ll learn about why she is the way she is. So I was like, ‘I’d love to do this!’” For Campbell, the writing is everything. “A lot of times, I’ll get a script that could make the words interchangeable with every other character because the writing is very bland and just doesn’t have the detail you need. This was different. Every character was pretty distinct and pretty well-drawn,” he said. “It’s quality. It’s not a (expletive) show. It’s a real show that’s playing around with interesting themes. A lot of it is still relevant to this day.” “Hysteria!” has other Michigan connections, including University of Michigan alumnus Jonathan Goldstein (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”) and Dondero High School alumnus Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“Kong: Skull Island”), who both serve as executive producers. Kane explained why he set “Hysteria!” in Michigan. “You write what you know. I grew up in Ypsilanti, so that had a lot to do with it. More importantly, when you’re in a small town in the Midwest — somewhere like Michigan — these things don’t ever happen and word spreads fast and paranoia spreads quickly and (everything’s) blown out of proportion and takes up a lot of people’s minds,” he said. “Whether or not something is real doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if there are people willing to believe it does and willing it into the world. What does it matter if it’s objectively real or living rent-free in someone’s head?”

New Delhi: Many adults and youngsters spend nearly a third of their time awake hooked to smartphones—an addiction phonemakers are trying to tackle by incorporating features that allow users to meaningfully take time off from their screens. Smartphone brands such as Vivo, Oppo and HMD have recognized the need for digital detox as a business opportunity, building strategies to cater to a growing preference for switching off—such as Zen Mode by OnePlus. Vivo, in fact, published a study earlier this month on the impact of smartphones on parent-child relationships. It found parents spend 5.5 hours and children about 4.5 hours on their phones each day, with social media and entertainment consuming a majority of this time. Vivo found that about 64% of the children who participated in its study felt they were addicted to their phones. About “73% of parents and 69% of children identify excessive smartphone usage as a major source of conflict," Vivo said in its report. A majority of the children surveyed—94%—said their parents’ smartphones should only include essential features such as calling, messaging and camera—excluding gaming and social media. Additionally, 66% of the children expressed willingness to leave social media if their friends did too, while one in three wished certain social media apps had never been invented. Also, 57% of the parents surveyed said that the first and last thing they saw soon after waking up and before going to bed was their smartphone. About 84% of the parents and 76% of the children that were part of the study said they aspired to build deeper connections and create meaningful moments by turning off their smartphones—in other words, a digital detox. Analysts tracking the sector say the need for digital detox has emerged from the excessive use of data on smartphones. This is largely owing to low-cost data plans being made available in the country, distinctly different from developed markets where data plans are high-cost and data usage is accordingly low. “The average time spent on smartphones has increased from 2-3 hours in 2015-16 to 4-5 hours today with a far younger user profile keen on building and boosting their digital presence," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research. “The phenomenon is on the rise in the West, which is leading to the rise in use of featurephones with limited app functionality, which we’re yet to see in India. Perhaps we will see this becoming more mainstream in 2026," Pathak added. Detox mode or featurephone? Meanwhile, smartphone brands are introducing optional detox features on their devices. Some featurephone makers even go so far as to claim that the answer to digital detoxing is a 2G handset. “We have introduced Detox Mode on our HMD Skyline smartphones—a user-friendly feature designed to help individuals take intentional breaks from their devices," said Ravi Kunwar, chief executive and vice president, India and Asia-Pacific, at HMD, a Finnish company that sells smartphones under both HMD and Nokia brands. “Detox Mode allows users to temporarily hide their most distracting apps with just three simple clicks, enabling them to focus on work, spend quality time with loved ones, or recharge without constant digital interruptions." Kunwar added that Nokia and HMD featurephones were also evolving to include features such as UPI payments and improved usability. This, he said, would provide users with essential tools and reduce dependency on smartphones, making digital detox more accessible and convenient. “Technology should benefit mankind," added Peter Dohyung Lee, head of product strategy at OPPO, on the company’s plans to cater to the growing need for digital or smartphone detox. “We know it’s a long journey with constant fine-tuning." Vivo, on the other hand, has partnered with Catherine Price, the founder of Screen/Life Balance and the author of . Price has created a list of suggestions and advice for users to inculcate healthier smartphone habits. “All our devices come equipped with robust digital wellbeing tools, where users have the option to set time limits on apps, switch to do-not-disturb, designate focus modes, and set screen-time reminders," a spokesperson for Vivo said in response to ’s queries.Whales with a lot of money to spend have taken a noticeably bullish stance on Barrick Gold . Looking at options history for Barrick Gold GOLD we detected 13 trades. If we consider the specifics of each trade, it is accurate to state that 38% of the investors opened trades with bullish expectations and 30% with bearish. From the overall spotted trades, 9 are puts, for a total amount of $416,469 and 4, calls, for a total amount of $361,745. Expected Price Movements Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $10.0 to $22.0 for Barrick Gold over the recent three months. Volume & Open Interest Development Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Barrick Gold's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Barrick Gold's whale activity within a strike price range from $10.0 to $22.0 in the last 30 days. Barrick Gold 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot Largest Options Trades Observed: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume GOLD CALL TRADE NEUTRAL 01/15/27 $6.55 $5.55 $6.13 $13.00 $254.3K 975 0 GOLD PUT SWEEP NEUTRAL 01/17/25 $4.55 $4.45 $4.5 $22.00 $72.0K 2.7K 160 GOLD PUT SWEEP BULLISH 04/17/25 $3.9 $3.8 $3.8 $21.00 $69.9K 866 184 GOLD PUT TRADE BEARISH 06/20/25 $4.7 $4.65 $4.7 $22.00 $66.7K 1.9K 142 GOLD PUT SWEEP NEUTRAL 06/20/25 $3.2 $3.05 $3.08 $20.00 $44.4K 15.4K 143 About Barrick Gold Based in Toronto, Barrick Gold is one of the world's largest gold miners. In 2023, the firm produced nearly 4.1 million attributable ounces of gold and about 420 million pounds of copper. At year-end 2023, Barrick had about two decades of gold reserves along with significant copper reserves. After buying Randgold in 2019 and combining its Nevada mines in a joint venture with competitor Newmont later that year, it operates mines in 19 countries in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company also has growing copper exposure. Its potential Reko Diq project in Pakistan, if developed, could double copper production by the end of the decade. Having examined the options trading patterns of Barrick Gold, our attention now turns directly to the company. This shift allows us to delve into its present market position and performance Where Is Barrick Gold Standing Right Now? Currently trading with a volume of 12,746,649, the GOLD's price is down by -3.56%, now at $17.57. RSI readings suggest the stock is currently may be oversold. Anticipated earnings release is in 79 days. What Analysts Are Saying About Barrick Gold A total of 3 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $23.666666666666668. Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access .* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Raymond James continues to hold a Outperform rating for Barrick Gold, targeting a price of $25. * An analyst from Scotiabank persists with their Sector Outperform rating on Barrick Gold, maintaining a target price of $24. * Reflecting concerns, an analyst from UBS lowers its rating to Neutral with a new price target of $22. Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest Barrick Gold options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro . © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Any Texas or Texas A&M player has heard the lore of the rivalry between the two schools, a grudge match that dates to 1894. But for more than a decade — two generations of college football players — that's all it has been: Ghostly memories of great games and great plays made by heroes of the distant past. That changes this week when one of college football's great rivalries is reborn. Third-ranked Texas (10-1, 6-1) and No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3, 5-2) meet Saturday night for the first time since 2011, with a berth in the Southeastern Conference championship game on the line . “Guys that have been in my position and bleed burnt orange, they have not gotten to play this game,” said Texas fourth-year junior safety Michael Taaffe, who grew up in Austin. “Remember them when you step on Kyle Field.” For Aggies fans, who have carried the misery of Texas' 27-25 win in 2011, getting the Longhorns back in front of a frenzied crowd in College Station is a chance for some serious payback. “I was born and raised an Aggie, so I’ve been dreaming about playing in this game my whole life,” Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III said. Zuhn played high school football in Colorado, but his parents and grandparents attended A&M. At SEC media days back in August, Zuhn said his family would turn Texas gear upside down in stores. He keeps a picture of a longhorn in his room, hanging upside down, of course. “It should be the most amazing atmosphere that I’ve ever experienced,” Zuhn said. "I can’t wait for that, and I feel bad for Texas having to play in that." Texas players said they are ready. “That place is going to be rocking,” Texas senior cornerback Jahdae Barron said. “It's good to go on the road and play in hostile environments.” The Longhorns have overcome big and loud road crowds before. They won at Alabama in 2023. They won at Michigan and Arkansas, another old rival, this year. The Longhorns have won 10 in a row on an opponent’s home field. “When the hate is on us, we love it. We enjoy it,” Taaffe said. But some former Texas players say the current group has faced nothing like what awaits them in College Station. Playing at Texas A&M is more than just noise and a lot of “Horns down” hand signals. The “Aggie War Hymn” fight song calls for Aggies to “Saw varsity’s horns off." Beating Texas is their passion, said former Longhorns All-American offensive lineman Dan Neil, who won at Texas A&M in in 1995. He calls that win one of the best of his career. “I was done showering and getting ready to leave, and their fans were still standing outside the locker room screaming and throwing things,” he said. “The (Texas) players have no idea what they are walking into. They have no clue. No one on that team has walked into that stadium in burnt orange.” The rivalry broke up when Texas A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012. The Aggies have twice finished tied for second but have otherwise found little success there. Texas is in its first year in the SEC and has smashed its way to the top. Texas is the only SEC team with one loss this late in the season, which would make beating Texas that much sweeter for A&M. “The hype is definitely saying it's a rivalry. History says it's a rivalry, but for us, it's the football game we have this week,” Texas senior center Jake Majors said. “It's important for us to not let the environment, the game, get the best of us. ... I get to go out there and play not only for me and my team, but for the guys who came before me, so that's a true honor to have.” Even though the game hasn't been played since 2011, there has always been an element of the rivalry simmering under the surface, Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said. Elko is in his first year as the Aggies' coach, but he was the Texas A&M defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher from 2018-2021. “Even though it hasn’t been played, it just doesn’t feel like it’s ever really left the fabric. I really don’t think it’s as removed from the psyche as maybe it feels,” Elko said. “I think our kids are very much aware of what this is all about.” Rieken reported from College Station, Texas. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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Home | News | Opinion Designing Innovative India Opinion: Designing innovative India Design Law Treaty could catalyse India’s transformation into a global design and manufacturing powerhouse By Telangana Today Published Date - 25 November 2024, 11:59 PM By Dr GR Raghavender On November 22, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted a historic Design Law Treaty (DLT) in the Diplomatic Conference at Riyadh. The treaty, which aims to harmonise and simplify design registration processes across jurisdictions, is set to create new opportunities for designers worldwide. The regulations adopted, along with the final Act regulations, will provide more detailed guidance on how the DLT will be applied in practice. For India, the DLT is timely, aligning with the country’s ambitions under the Make in India initiative, its ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision, and aspiration to become a global manufacturing hub. If India joins this treaty, it will make it simpler, quicker and less expensive for designers worldwide to protect their designs both domestically and internationally. It will also empower designers and promote global design collaboration. The DLT was adopted after 20 years of negotiations, marking a pivotal moment in intellectual property law. It is similar to the Patent Law Treaty (PLT), 2000, and the Singapore Trademark Law Treaty (STLT), 2006. The DLT is primarily a procedural treaty with focus on harmonising the procedures for obtaining and enforcing intellectual property rights. This will promote cooperation among national and regional IP offices. The treaty does not directly dictate the substantive rights granted under intellectual property law but significantly impacts the ease and efficiency of obtaining and enforcing those rights. Simplifying Design Protection The DLT focuses on eliminating red tape in design registration and making design protection more accessible and cost-effective. Key provisions include: • Standardise Application Requirements: Establishes a maximum list of indications or elements that designers must submit with an application. This closed list will create a predictable framework for design protection procedures, ensuring designers know exactly what is required. • Flexible Design Representation: Allows applicants to choose how they represent their design in an application, whether through drawings, photographs, or, if accepted by the IP office, video. • Multiple Designs in One Application: Permits applicants to include several designs in a single application, under certain conditions. • Filing Date Requirements: Sets out minimal requirements for granting a filing date. This is crucial because delaying the filing date can result in a definitive loss of rights in the field of design. • Grace Period: Provides a 12-month grace period following the first disclosure of the design during which such disclosure will not affect its validity for registration. • Unpublished Designs: Allows applicants to keep their designs unpublished for at least six months after securing a filing date. • Relief Measures: Offers flexibility to applicants to prevent loss of rights if they miss a deadline. Without such measures, missing a time limit generally results in an irreparable loss of rights. • Simplified Renewal Process: Simplifies the procedure for requesting the renewal of a design registration. • E-filing Systems: Promotes the introduction of e-filing systems for designs and the electronic exchange of priority documents. • Technical Assistance: Ensures the availability of technical assistance to developing and least developed countries for the implementation of the treaty. • Deferred Publication: Gives options for up to six months. Additionally, the DLT explicitly connects design protection with the protection of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions. This includes a provision allowing contracting parties to require applicants to file information on traditional cultural elements. The treaty will enter into force three months after 15 member states join it. India’s Readiness India’s Design Act, 2000, provides the legal framework for protecting novel or original ornamental and aesthetic aspects of designs. While the Act already emphasises innovation and registration efficiency, the DLT adds global relevance by ensuring harmonisation in design registration procedures with international standards. Grace Periods and Deferred Publication, which are key features of the DLT, have to align seamlessly with the Act’s focus on protecting designs. This will enable Indian applicants to benefit from simplified multi-design applications, saving both time and resources. If India joins this treaty, it would make it simpler, quicker and less expensive for designers to protect their designs both domestically and internationally The concept of partial design, as introduced in the DLT regulations, is not explicitly available in the Indian Design Act. However, the flexibility in interpretation and the evolving practices of the Indian Patent Office may allow for the protection of partially original designs in certain circumstances. There is a need to introduce amendments to the Indian Design Act to integrate DLT provisions, along with the requirements of the Hague System that streamlines the process of protecting their designs internationally. This will further enhance India’s ability to protect and commercialise its design innovations globally. Startups and MSMEs India joining the DLT may be a game changer for Indian startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). These sectors, which drive much of the country’s design-led innovation, often face challenges in navigating complex IP regimes. Simplified filing procedures and single-application options reduce costs, making IP protection more accessible and cost-effective for small businesses. With streamlined international protections, Indian startups will have global competitiveness in industries like fashion, consumer electronics and healthcare devices, and can confidently expand to global markets. This dovetails with India’s 3rd largest Startup India ecosystem in the world which encourages innovation-driven entrepreneurship. Besides, as India positions itself as a global manufacturing hub, the DLT emerges as a crucial tool to protect indigenous designs and foster a robust innovation ecosystem. India ranks 10th in industrial design filings as per the WIPO’s Global Innovation Index (GII), 2024. Design applications in manufacturing have experienced a significant surge, with a 36.4% increase in 2023, indicating India’s growing focus on creativity, design and innovation across various sectors. Design filings in India are primarily focused on key sectors like textiles and accessories, tools and machines, and health and cosmetics, showcasing India’s strength in both traditional and emerging industries. The ongoing transformation of India’s manufacturing sector is reflected in the surge in design applications, highlighting the country’s focus on product aesthetics, functionality and user experience. India’s industrial design applications are growing, surpassing global IP filing trends. Despite China and the United States dominating in patent and trademark space, India’s competitiveness in product design aligns with global trends. While the DLT brings immense promise, its success in India hinges on effective implementation. IP awareness campaigns are needed to educate designers, businesses and stakeholders about the treaty’s benefits. Digitisation and modernisation of India’s IP offices will ensure the smooth adoption of DLT principles. With the right awareness and policy measures, the DLT could catalyse India’s transformation into a global design and manufacturing powerhouse. This treaty represents more than just IP reform — it is a step toward achieving a more innovative, competitive and prosperous India. (The author is an Intellectual Property Law & Technology expert and retired Joint Secretary, Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice; Former Registrar of Copyrights, Copyright Office, Government of India, and India’s Chief Negotiator for the Marrakesh Treaty) Follow Us : Tags Design Law Treaty design registration DLT global design protection Related News BGT 2024-25: India tops WTC standings with dominant 295-run win in Perth Skipper Rohit Sharma hits the nets, to play two-day game in Canberra India on verge of crushing victory over Australia, hosts struggle at 104-5 Mohammed Shami joins Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 10 Cr in IPL 2025 auction dealDT Campus: Startups invited to apply for TANSEED 7.0

The Union government has declared a seven-day mourning in honour of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, officials said. They said the Cabinet will meet at 11 am on Friday to pay tributes to him. Singh's last rites will be conducted with full state honours, the officials added. Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's economic reforms, died in Delhi on Thursday night at the age of 92. He was the prime minister during 2004-14. Paying tributes to his predecessor Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders whose wisdom and humility were always visible. In a post on X, Modi said, "His interventions in Parliament were also insightful. As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people's lives." As the two-term Prime Minister of the UPA, he stayed at the top post from 2004 and 2014. He served as a member of the Rajya Sabha till April this year. In his political career, Singh has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 1991, where he was Leader of the Opposition between 1998 and 2004. Singh shot to prominence as the country's Finance Minister in the government headed by PV Narasimha Rao during 1991-96, having brought in sweeping reforms that transformed the economy. In 1991, as India faced a severe economic crisis, but over the next few years, despite strong opposition, he carried out several structural reforms that liberalised India's economy. Manmohan Singh was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 22 after the 2004 general elections and took the oath of office for a second term on May 22, 2009. He represented Assam for five terms in the Upper House and shifted to Rajasthan in 2019.By Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts, KFF Health News (TNS) Tescha Hawley learned that hospital bills from her son’s birth had been sent to debt collectors only when she checked her credit score while attending a home-buying class. The new mom’s plans to buy a house stalled. Hawley said she didn’t owe those thousands of dollars in debts. The federal government did. Hawley, a citizen of the Gros Ventre Tribe, lives on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. The Indian Health Service is a federal agency that provides free health care to Native Americans, but its services are limited by a chronic shortage of funding and staff. Hawley’s local Indian Health Service hospital wasn’t equipped to deliver babies. But she said staff there agreed that the agency would pay for her care at a privately owned hospital more than an hour away. That arrangement came through the Purchased/Referred Care program, which pays for services Native Americans can’t get through an agency-funded clinic or hospital. Federal law stresses that patients approved for the program aren’t responsible for any of the costs. But tribal leaders, health officials, and a new federal report say patients are routinely billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the Indian Health Service, financial middlemen, hospitals, and clinics. The financial consequences for patients can last years. Those sent to collections can face damaged credit scores, which can prevent them from securing loans or require them to pay higher interest rates. The December report , by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, found these long-standing problems contribute to people in Native American-majority communities being nearly twice as likely to have medical debt in collections compared with the national average. And their amount of medical debt is significantly higher. The report found the program is often late to pay bills. In some cases, hospitals or collection agencies hound tribal citizens for more money after bills are paid. Hawley’s son was born in 2003. She had to wait another year to buy a home, as she struggled to pay off the debt. It took seven years for it to drop from her credit report. “I don’t think a person ever recovers from debt,” Hawley said. Hawley, a cancer survivor, still must navigate the referral program. In 2024 alone, she received two notices from clinics about overdue bills. Frank White Clay, chairman of the Crow Tribe in Montana, testified about the impact of wrongful billing during a U.S. House committee hearing in April. He shared stories of veterans rejected for home loans, elders whose Social Security benefits were reduced, and students denied college loans and federal aid. “Some of the most vulnerable people are being harassed daily by debt collectors,” White Clay said. No one is immune from the risk. A high-ranking Indian Health Service official learned during her job’s background check that her credit report contained referred-care debt, the federal report found. Native Americans face disproportionately high rates of poverty and disease , which researchers link to limited access to health care and the ongoing impact of racist federal policies . White Clay is among many who say problems with the referred-care program are an example of the U.S. government violating treaties that promised to provide for the health and welfare of tribes in return for their land. The chairman’s testimony came during a hearing on the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act, which would require the Indian Health Service to create a reimbursement process for patients who were wrongfully billed. Committee members approved the bill in November and sent it for consideration by the full House. A second federal bill, the Protecting Native Americans’ Credit Act , would prevent debt like Hawley’s from affecting patients’ credit scores. The bipartisan bill hadn’t had a hearing by mid-December. The exact number of people wrongfully billed isn’t clear, but the Indian Health Service has acknowledged it has work to do. The agency is developing a dashboard to help workers track referrals and to speed up bill processing, spokesperson Brendan White said. It’s also trying to hire more referred-care staff, to address vacancy rates of more than 30%. Officials say problems with the program also stem from outside health providers that don’t follow the rules. Melanie Egorin, an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said at the hearing that the proposed legislation doesn’t include consequences for “bad actors” — health facilities that repeatedly bill patients when they shouldn’t. “The lack of enforcement is definitely a challenge,” she said. But tribal leaders warned that penalties could backfire. Related Articles Health | How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic Health | How to kick back, relax and embrace a less-than-perfect holiday Health | New childhood leukemia protocol is ‘tremendous win’ Health | For some FSA dollars, it’s use it or lose it at year’s end Health | Norovirus is rampant. Blame oysters, cruise ships and holiday travel White Clay told lawmakers that some clinics already refuse to see patients if the Indian Health Service hasn’t paid for their previous appointments. He’s worried the threat of penalties would lead to more refusals. If that happens, White Clay said, Crow tribal members who already travel hours to access specialty treatment would have to go even farther. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report found clinics are already refusing to see any referred-care patients due to the program’s payment problems. The bureau and the Indian Health Service also recently published a letter urging health care providers and debt collectors not to hold patients accountable for program-approved care. White, the Indian Health Service spokesperson, said the agency recently updated the referred-care forms sent to outside hospitals and clinics to include billing instructions and to stress that patients aren’t liable for any out-of-pocket costs. And he said the staff can help patients get reimbursed if they have already paid for services that were supposed to be covered. Joe Bryant, an Indian Health Service official who oversees efforts to improve the referral program, said patients can ask credit bureaus to remove debt from their reports if the agency should have covered their bills. Leaders with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington state helped shape the proposed legislation after their citizens were repeatedly harmed by wrongful billing. Tribal Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson said problems began in 2017, when a regional Indian Health Service office took over the referred-care program from local staff. It “created a domino effect of negative outcomes,” Erickson wrote in a letter to Congress. He said some tribal members whose finances were damaged stopped using the Indian Health Service. Others avoided health care altogether. Responsibility for the Colville Reservation program transferred back to local staff in 2022. Staffers found the billing process hadn’t been completed for thousands of cases, worth an estimated $24 million in medical care, Erickson told lawmakers . Workers are making progress on the backlog and they have explained the rules to outside hospitals and clinics, Erickson said. But he said there are still cases of wrongful billing, such as a tribal member who was sent to collections after receiving a $17,000 bill for chemotherapy that the agency was supposed to pay for. Erickson said the tribe is in the process of taking over its health care facilities instead of having the Indian Health Service run them. He and others who work in Native American health said tribally managed units — which are still funded by the federal agency — tend to have fewer problems with their referred-care programs. For example, they have more oversight over staff and flexibility to create their own payment tracking systems. But some Native Americans oppose tribal management because they feel it releases the federal government from its obligations. Beyond wrongful billing, access to the referred-care program is limited because of underfunding from Congress. The $1 billion budget this year is $9 billion short of the need, according to a committee report by tribal health and government leaders. Donald Warne, a physician and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, called the proposed legislation a “band-aid.” He said the ultimate solution is for Congress to fully fund the Indian Health Service, which would reduce the need for the referred-care program. Back in Montana, Hawley said she braces for a fight each time she gets a bill that the referral program was supposed to cover. “I’ve learned not to trust the process,” Hawley said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Colts Notebook: Nelson's impact remains elite

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Attorneys for Fox Corp. asked a Delaware judge Friday to dismiss a shareholder lawsuit seeking to hold current and former company officials personally liable for the financial fallout stemming from Fox News reports regarding alleged vote rigging in the 2020 election. Five New York City public employee pension funds, along with Oregon’s public employee retirement fund, allege that former chairman Rupert Murdoch and other Fox Corp. leaders deliberately turned a blind eye to liability risks posed by reporting false claims of vote rigging by election technology companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic USA. Smartmatic is for defamation in New York, alleging damages of $2.7 billion. It recently in the District of Columbia against One America News Network, another conservative outlet, over reports of vote fraud. Dominion also filed several defamation lawsuits against blaming its election equipment for Donald Trump’s loss in 2020. Last year, a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion in Delaware for $787 million. The shareholder plaintiffs also allege that Fox corporate leaders ignored “red flags” about liability arising from a 2017 report suggesting that Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee staffer, may have been killed because he had leaked Democratic party emails to Wikileaks during the 2016 presidential campaign. Rich, 27, was shot in 2016 in Washington, D.C., in what authorities have said was an attempted robbery. Fox News retracted the Seth Rich story a week after its initial broadcast, but Rich’s parents sued the network for falsely portraying their son as a criminal and traitor. Fox News in 2020 for “millions of dollars,” shortly before program hosts Lou Dobbs and Sean Hannity were to be deposed, according to the shareholder lawsuit. Joel Friedlander, an attorney for the institutional shareholders, argued that Fox officials waited until the company’s reporting about Rich became a national scandal before addressing the issue. Similarly, according to the shareholders, corporate officials, including Rupert Murdoch and his son, CEO Lachlan Murdoch, allowed Fox News to continue broadcasting false narratives about the 2020 election, despite internal communications suggesting that they knew there was no evidence to support the conspiracy theories. “The Murdochs could have minimized future monetary exposure, but they chose not to,” Friedlander said. Instead, he argued, they engaged in “bad-faith decision making” with other defendants in a profit-driven effort to retain viewers and remain in Trump’s good graces. “Decisions were made at the highest level to promote pro-Trump conspiracy theories without editorial control,” Friedlander said. Defense attorneys argue that the case should be dismissed because the plaintiffs filed their lawsuit without first demanding that the Fox Corp. board take action, as required under Delaware law. They say the plaintiffs also failed to demonstrate that a pre-suit demand on the Fox board would have been futile because at least half of the directors face a substantial likelihood of liability or are not independent of someone who does. Beyond the “demand futility” issue, defense attorneys also argue that allegations that Fox officials breached their fiduciary duties fail to meet the pleading standards under Delaware and therefore should be dismissed. Defense attorney William Savitt argued, for example, that neither the Rich settlement, which he described as “immaterial,” nor the allegedly defamatory statements about Dominion and Smartmatic constitute red flags putting directors on notice about the risk of defamation liability. Nor do they demonstrate that directors acted in bad faith or that Fox “utterly failed” to implement and monitor a system to report and mitigate legal risks, including defamation liability risk, according to the defendants. Savitt noted that the Rich article was promptly retracted, and that the settlement included no admission of liability. The Dominion and Smartmatic statements, meanwhile, gave rise themselves to the currently liability issues and therefore can not serve as red flags about future liability risks, according to the defendants. “A ‘red flag’ must be what the term commonly implies — warning of a risk of a liability-causing event that allows the directors to take action to avert the event, not notice that a liability-causing event has already occurred,” defense attorneys wrote in their motion to dismiss. Defense attorneys also say there are no factual allegations to support claims that Fox officials condoned illegal conduct in pursuit of corporate profits, or that they deliberately ignored their oversight responsibilities. They note that a “bad outcome” is not sufficient to demonstrate “bad faith.” Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster is expected to rule within 90 days. Randall Chase, The Associated Press

Summit Midstream's Stagnation Is TemporaryLegion Go S spotted after Lenovo teases new AMD Ryzen gaming handhelds before CES 2025 eventPatrik Laine 's recent statements continue to make headlines, both in Montreal and Columbus. Before the game against his former team, Laine made remarks that were not well-received , particularly by Zach Werenski , a leader of the Blue Jackets. During the game, Laine left after the first period, intensifying the discussions afterward. Mathias Brunet, a columnist for BPM Sports, stated that the Finnish player should have avoided making such comments, especially before facing his former club. - Brunet on Laine calling out his former team right before facing them A major statement from Mathias Brunet regarding Patrik Laine According to Brunet, these remarks served to motivate the opponent, a point also highlighted by Anthony Marcotte and Renaud Lavoie. The timing of his comments was deemed inappropriate. Unlike Don Waddell , who recently criticized a former organization, Laine was a key player for the Blue Jackets during their tough times. This makes his criticisms feel more personal, explaining the reaction of his former teammates. Given this tense context, Laine's health status becomes the next question. Is it a serious injury or merely a precaution by the Canadiens to protect him? Answers may take time, as the Canadiens don't play again for several days. If he can learn from this lesson, Laine will need to measure his words carefully to avoid generating unnecessary controversies. Do you personally believe Laine missed a good opportunity to stay quiet? For now, here's what we know about his upper-body injury: This article first appeared on Habs Fanatics and was syndicated with permission.

Wake Forest keeps trying new things early in the season, even if not all of the adjustments are by design. The Demon Deacons will try to stick to the script when Detroit Mercy visits for Saturday's game in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Demon Deacons (5-1) will be at home for the final time prior to three consecutive road games. Detroit Mercy (3-2) already has two more victories than all of last season. After a couple of narrow wins and a loss at Xavier, Wake Forest had a smoother time earlier this week in defeating visiting Western Carolina 82-69 on Tuesday night. Yet these are games when teams have to figure where contributions are going to come from in certain situations. The experimenting took a turn for Wake Forest in the Western Carolina game. Center Efton Reid III had limited minutes because of migraines, so there was a shift in responsibilities. Normal backcourt players Cameron Hildreth and Juke Harris logged time at the power forward slot. "That's just part of it," coach Steve Forbes said. "They did a good job adjusting. We ran a lot of stuff and there are several guys learning different positions. ... I give credit to those guys for doing the best job that they could do on the fly and adjusting to the play calls that we ran and the stuff that we changed." Wake Forest could excel if both Parker Friedrichsen and Davin Cosby can be consistent 3-point threats. Friedrichsen slumped with shooting in the first few games of the season and was replaced in the starting lineup by Cosby. In Tuesday's game, Friedrichsen drained four 3-pointers, while Cosby hit two. "It was really good to see Parker and Davin both make shots together," Forbes said. Not everything was solved for the Demon Deacons. Western Carolina collected 12 offensive rebounds, and that took some of the shine off Wake Forest's defensive efforts. "We can't be a good defensive team, or a really good defensive team, unless we rebound the ball," Forbes said. "It's demoralizing to your defense to get stops and then not get the ball." In Detroit Mercy's 70-59 win at Ball State on Wednesday, Orlando Lovejoy tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. "We got the ball to the shooters and playmakers," first-year Titans coach Mark Montgomery said. "You could tell by the guys' body language that we were going to get a road win. It had been a long time coming." On Saturday, the Titans will look for their second road victory since February 2023. The outcome at Ball State seemed significant to Montgomery. "We had to get over the hump," he said. "Our guys grinded it out." --Field Level Media

AP Trending SummaryBrief at 3:59 p.m. EST

Biden will decide on US Steel acquisition after influential panel fails to reach consensus WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful government panel has failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States on Monday sent its long-awaited report to President Joe Biden, a longtime opponent of the deal. Some federal agencies represented on the panel were skeptical that allowing a Japanese company to buy an American-owned steelmaker would create national security risks. That's according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter. Both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump opposed the merger and vowed to block it. Nippon Steel says it is confident the deal will go ahead. Nissan and Honda to attempt a merger that would create the world's No. 3 automaker TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have announced plans to work toward a merger that would catapult them to a top position in an industry in the midst of tectonic shifts as it transitions away from its reliance on fossil fuels. The two companies said they signed an agreement on integrating their businesses on Monday. Smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors agreed to join the talks. News of a possible merger surfaced earlier this month. Japanese automakers face a strong challenge from their Chinese rivals and Tesla as they make inroads into markets at home and abroad. What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Survey: Small businesses are feeling more optimistic about the economy after the election A survey shows small business owners are feeling more optimistic about the economy following the election. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index rose by eight points in November to 101.7, its highest reading since June 2021. The Uncertainty Index declined 12 points in November to 98, following October’s pre-election record high of 110. NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said small business owners became more certain about future business conditions following the presidential election, breaking a nearly three-year streak of record high uncertainty. The survey also showed that more owners are also hoping 2025 will be a good time to grow. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled. Nordstrom to be acquired by Nordstrom family and a Mexican retail group in $6.25 billion deal Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group in a $6.25 billion deal. Nordstrom shareholders will receive $24.25 in cash for each share of Nordstrom common stock, representing a 42% premium on the company’s stock as of March 18. Nordstrom’s board of directors unanimously approved the the proposed transaction, while Erik and Pete Nordstrom — part of the Nordstrom family taking over the company — recused themselves from voting. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom Family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. Stock market today: Wall Street rallies ahead of Christmas Stocks closed higher on Wall Street ahead of the Christmas holiday, led by gains in Big Tech stocks. The S&P 500 added 1.1% Tuesday. Trading closed early ahead of the holiday. Tech companies including Apple, Amazon and chip company Broadcom helped pull the market higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.3%. American Airlines shook off an early loss and ended mostly higher after the airline briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical issue. Treasury yields held steady in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was little changed at 4.59% An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally. In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration. What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. American consumers feeling less confident in December, Conference Board says American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group says. The Conference Board said Monday that its consumer confidence index fell back in December to 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans’ assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market tumbled more than a dozen points to 81.1. The Conference Board says a reading under 80 can signal a potential recession in the near future. Stock market today: Wall Street rises at the start of a holiday-shortened week Stocks closed higher on Wall Street at the start of a holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 rose 0.7% Monday. Several big technology companies helped support the gains, including chip companies Nvidia and Broadcom. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1%. Honda's U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly rose after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.

CHICAGO (AP) — Mark Scheifele snapped a third-period tie and Kyle Connor had two assists, helping the Winnipeg Jets beat Chicago 4-2 on Saturday in the first game for interim Blackhawks coach Anders Sorensen. Mason Appleton had a goal and an assist as the Jets picked up their second straight win after a four-game losing streak. Nino Niederreiter and Gabriel Vilardi also scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 12 saves. Sorensen was promoted from the team's top minor league affiliate when Luke Richardson was fired on Thursday. Alex Vlasic scored for the second straight game for Chicago, which has dropped five in a row. Alec Martinez added his first goal of the season. The Blackhawks had a 2-1 lead before Niederreiter converted a backhander 13:10 into the second, beating Arvid Soderblom. It was Niederreiter's 10th of the season. Soderblom entered 11 minutes into the game when Petr Mrazek appeared to aggravate a right groin pull. Appleton had an empty-net goal with 1:41 to play. Jets: Winnipeg outplayed Chicago in the final 30 minutes, not only in shots but in puck possession. Blackhawks: Chicago played with more pace but it still struggled to get the puck to the net. They had only 14 shots on goal. Scheifele beat Jason Dickinson on the face-off that led to Winnipeg’s go-ahead goal. He slid the puck to Connor, then raced to the net for the rebound at 10:18. Blackhawks coaches, interim or full-time, are 6-7-1 in their first game behind the bench since the beginning of the 1995-96 season. Richardson lost his debut at the beginning of the 2022-23 season. The Jets begin a four-game homestand against Columbus on Sunday. The Blackhawks are in New York on Monday night to play the Rangers. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhlTOKYO, Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM) (“MEDIROM”) announces that M3, Inc. (TOKYO PRIME: 2413), or an affiliate within the M3 group, is participating in the Series A equity financing round of MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc., a subsidiary of MEDIROM. NFES Technologies Inc. is the lead investor of the Series A financing round at a pre-money valuation of JPY9 billion. Additional information is available here: https://medirom.co.jp/en/ir/20240824/6148%09 Forward-Looking Statements Regarding MEDIROM Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about MEDIROM’s possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “design,” “target,” “aim,” “hope,” “expect,” “could,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “goal,” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to MEDIROM’s future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause MEDIROM’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond MEDIROM’s control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects MEDIROM’s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MEDIROM’s operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect MEDIROM’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, and stock price is included in MEDIROM’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the “Risk Factors” and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” sections of MEDIROM’s most recently filed periodic report on Form 20-F and subsequent filings, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . MEDIROM assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. ABOUT M3, Inc. M3 is a one of a kind venture company that operates a multitude of global services centred around its physician platform such as m3.com . M3 is the first company incorporated after the year 2000 to be included in the Nikkei 225 Index. Its 330,000+ Japanese and 6,500,000+ global physician member panel serves as a central platform in advancing innovation and reform across healthcare worldwide. Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (Securities code 2413) 1-11-44 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 JAPAN Web https://corporate.m3.com/en ABOUT MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. A subsidiary of MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM), focuses on the health-tech sector. The company’s core activities include the "Specific Health Guidance Program" offered through the "Lav" health application and development and sales of the 24/7 recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet smart tracker. By leveraging the features of the recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet, MOTHER Labs offers customizable health management solutions across diverse sectors, including caregiving, logistics, manufacturing, etc. MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. NASDAQ Symbol: MRM Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Web https://medirom.co.jp/en Contact: ir@medirom.co.jp MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan MOTHER Bracelet is the world's first* 24/7 recharge-free smart tracker. It uses innovative technology from a Silicon Valley tech company that allows for power generation based on temperature differences between body and surrounding air. The recharge-free feature eliminates the risk of data loss when a device is taken off for recharge. MOTHER Bracelet records five basic metrics: heart rate, calories burned, body surface temperature, step count, and sleep. Official Website: https://mother-bracelet.com

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