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Texas Instruments announces award agreement for CHIPS and Science Act fundingA cereal switch-up is stirring up sweet — well, mostly salty — discussion. Post Consumer Brands confirmed to TODAY.com that it’s discontinuing its beloved Oreo O’s cereal and replacing it with something new: Oreo Puffs. It features chocolaty cereal puffs and mini marshmallows with the aim of creating a similar experience to dunking an Oreo cookie into a glass of milk. According to Post, Oreo Puffs are made with real Oreo cookie wafers — which are the cookies that sandwich the creme.. The new cereal will be available at retailers nationwide including Walmart and Target for an MSRP of $4.99. According to Post, Oreo Puffs are made with real Oreo cookie wafers — which are the cookies that sandwich the creme.. The new cereal will be available at retailers nationwide including Walmart and Target for an MSRP of $4.99. “With its introduction, OREO PUFFSTM cereal will replace OREO O’s® cereal on store shelves,” Post tells TODAY.com in an email. Oreo O’s was introduced to U.S. markets in 1997, stayed on shelves until 2007, and then was brought back in 2017 during a big wave of nostalgic marketing. And just like that ... it’s returned to the vault of cereals past. We’ll check back in about 10 years to see if it’s revived from its sugary slumber again. News of the swap has hit the crumb-filled corners of social media, with popular snack-spotting Instagram account Markie Devo posting about the new product and its predecessor. As usual, his comments section had thoughts. “They should’ve kept the rings but added marshmallows,” wrote one commenter. “Sooo coco puffs,” another said , referencing the General Mills-brand analog to the new cereal. “ya know some things just need to be left alone !!” wrote another, and one more added , “I’m tired of every cereal turning into puffs 😢.” Others were excited about the breakfast-basednews. “These sound amazing,” wrote one user, and another added , “Oh wow my kids would be all over this one!” “OREO Puffs Cereal is out now and will be REPLACING OREO O’s Cereal!” one more user wrote on a separate post about the cereal, adding they think the new cereal is an upgrade. “It’s disappointing whenever a beloved item becomes discontinued, but this is actually very exciting news for us because we believe marshmallows BELONG in OREO Cereal!” This story first appeared on TODAY.com . More from TODAY : Fortnite players will receive refunds for unwanted purchases. How to claim yours Savannah Guthrie reveals her family’s 2024 holiday card — with a surprise announcement Dad shares bittersweet video of when his 13-year-old confronted him about Santa: 'Oh my heart'

Elephant Robotics to Exhibit at CES 2025: Featuring Cutting-Edge Innovative Robotics Solutions and AI Bionic Robots DebutBREAKING: NBA mirrors NFL warning as FBI involved after Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes incidents

WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." A look at some of the issues covered: Trump has threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens - although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." ___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report. The video in the player above is from a previous report.SHENZHEN, China , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As technology continues to evolve, consumer electronics have become essential to everyday life. Elephant Robotics, a high-tech company specializing in robotics design and production, is thrilled to announce its participation in the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025. This premier technology trade show will be held in Las Vegas , USA , from January 7-10 , where you can find Elephant Robotics at Booth 8963 in the LVCC North Hall. With a mission to "Enjoy Robots World", the company offers a diverse range of robotic products, including educational collaborative robots, professional robots, the Mercury humanoid robot, and bionic companion robotic pets. Committed to pushing the boundaries of robotics technology, Elephant Robotics aims to provide everyone with opportunities to experience the convenience and benefits of robots in daily life. At CES 2025, the company will showcase innovative robotic solutions and host 3 engaging interactive activities. Elephant Robotics is dedicated to reducing the barriers to robot applications by offering a diverse range of personal desktop robots, including 4 DOF collaborative robotic arms, 6 DOF cobots, 7 DOF robot arms, and mobile robots. These intelligent robot assistants are characterized by their versatility, high openness, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, making them perfect for creative projects, daily tasks, and production applications. Equipped with a variety of end effectors—including cameras, suction pumps, grippers, and dexterous hands—these robots can perform a wide range of tasks. This versatility enhances the practicality of robotic arms, reducing the workload and increasing efficiency, allowing people to spend more time on creative and recreational activities. Ultimately, these robotics innovations enhance convenience and joy in everyday life. Whether functioning as personal assistants, production tools, or artistic platforms, they are becoming essential components of modern living. Alongside personal entertainment and convenience, the broad commercial applications of robotics technology are a significant aspect of future intelligent living. At CES 2025, Elephant Robotics will present 2 commercial collaborative robots with powerful performance and sleek, integrated design aesthetics. The myCobot Pro 630, a high-performance commercial collaborative robot, boasts a sleek integrated design and advanced capabilities. Equipped with a holographic device, it provides an immersive and dynamic experience for commercial displays and exhibitions, enabling multi-angle movement and captivating 3D visual effects. This robot offers a fresh approach to business marketing and displays with impressive flexibility and a wide range of applications. Additionally, the Mercury X1, a universal wheeled humanoid robot, features a mobile chassis with high-performance LiDAR and 19 DOF dual-arm robotic arms, delivering exceptional agility and intelligence. Mercury X1 can work seamlessly alongside humans to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and expand commercial opportunities in sectors such as service, hospitality, education, scientific and academic research, entertainment and smart home applications. Since its official launch in late 2023, Mercury X1 has received significant market attention, already delivering notable success in sectors like electronics, chips, and the 3C industry. Since its official launch in late 2023, the Mercury X1 has garnered significant market attention, achieving mass delivery just 7 months post-launch. This versatile wheeled humanoid robot is easily integrated into light industrial manufacturing, particularly in sectors such as electronics, and chips. There are some already successful applications include stripping adhesive sleeves from mobile phone components and assembling flexible connectors. By replacing manual labor, the Mercury X1 improves work efficiency and reduces costs. Robots can also be soft and cuddly, bionic companion robot pets are set to become the most heartwarming intelligent companions in daily life. Elephant Robotics will unveil its new series of bionic robotic pets—metaCat AI, metaDog AI, and metaPanda AI—at CES 2025. These AI bionic robotic pets, available in cat, dog, and panda shapes, closely mimic the appearance, texture, sound, and experience of real animals, fulfilling people's need for companionship and emotional comfort. Equipped with AI models, they understand human language and emotions, providing a life-like interaction experience. Designed to provide companionship and emotional support, these pets are equipped with lifelike features such as realistic fur, interactive movements, and engaging behaviors. These AI bionic companions understand human emotions and can respond to voice commands, offering a truly immersive and responsive interaction. Equipped with AI models, they understand human language and emotions, providing a "life-like" smart interaction experience. Particularly beneficial for children, seniors, and individuals with autism or Alzheimer's disease, these AI bionic companion robotic pets help reduce feelings of loneliness, alleviate anxiety, and promote mental well-being. In addition, their AI capabilities allow them to engage in dynamic, lifelike conversations, and even respond to emotional cues, fostering deeper connections with users. In family environments, these pets can serve as both educational and comforting companions, while in healthcare settings, they offer potential in emotional support and mental care. They represent a new frontier in human-robot interaction, where robotics not only enhance productivity but also improve emotional quality of life. Elephant Robotics is not only showcasing its cutting-edge robotic products at CES 2025, but is also offering visitors the opportunity to participate in 3 exciting interactive activities. Innovative Robotics Workshop: In this hands-on workshop, visitors will experience the power of graphical programming tools like myBlockly to control the 6 DOF collaborative robot arm, myCobot 280. By arranging code "blocks" in a fun and intuitive way, participants can easily bring their creative ideas to life. The workshop simplifies programming, allowing participants to enhance their practical skills and hands-on experience through direct interaction with various robotic products. This engaging environment encourages more people to explore the applications of robotic arms in everyday life. Share & Win: Visitors can participate by sharing posts on social media platforms (Facebook, X, LinkedIn) with the hashtag #ElephantRobotics to win a free, limited-edition panda doll keychain. It's an easy and fun way to engage with the brand while standing a chance to win a unique souvenir! Explore to Win – NVIDA and Partner Passport Program: As an official NVIDIA partner, Elephant Robotics is honored to be invited to participate in the Explore to Win event, part of the NVIDIA and Partner Passport Program at CES 2025. Visitors who scan the QR code at Elephant Robotics' booth (LVCC, North Hall – booth #8963) will be able to collect points and have a chance to win exciting prizes. CES 2025 is an unparalleled platform for showcasing cutting-edge technology and fostering idea exchange. Participation in CES 2025 allows Elephant Robotics to showcase its latest robotic innovations and emphasize its mission to integrate AI and robotics into everyday life. It also offers opportunities to explore collaborations with international organizations and companies, fostering loyalty and trust among its customers. Visitors are encouraged to visit the company's booth at LVCC North Hall – booth 8963 to experience their innovative robotics technologies firsthand and discover how these innovations can transform everyday's life. For more information, please visit: CES2025 - Elephant Robotics ; or connect with them on social media: X: https://twitter.com/CobotMy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mycobotcreator Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/elephantrobotics/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/elephantrobotics View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elephant-robotics-to-exhibit-at-ces-2025-featuring-cutting-edge-innovative-robotics-solutions-and-ai-bionic-robots-debut-302336834.html SOURCE Elephant RoboticsAmong the 500,000 objects in the collection of the Powerhouse museum, its new trust president nominates a shopping arcade sign as his favourite. Business leader, and former Labor roads minister, David Borger, has the job of delivering the largest cultural infrastructure project in Australia since the Sydney Opera House. Powerhouse president, David Borger, says there is a lot riding on the opening of the Parramatta museum. Credit: James Brickwood All of that will be during an election campaign year, smack bang in the middle of one of the most marginal seats in NSW. “I’d be derelict in my duty if I didn’t feel pressure because there’s a lot riding on the opening of this museum,” Borger says. The electric neon sign to which he shares an emotional attachment once belonged to a mall he’d take his mum. Representative of the 1980s commercial retail development in Parramatta CBD – much of it flattened in a local building boom – it will be hung in one of the museum’s opening exhibitions showcasing the psychology of the shopping mall. “Mum had a mental illness,” Borger says. “She would be in Cumberland Hospital every three years, and we would come for a cup of tea in the Parramall cafe. “Now that sign from that little old shopping centre is going to be a part of something bigger. It’s remnant of a place that’s probably changed more than Dubai.” Born and bred nearby to Parramatta, Borger has been a longtime critic of the lop-sided distribution of cultural investment to city museums and galleries. He was, therefore, an obvious choice to step into the shoes of former Coalition arts minister Peter Collins to lead the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences trust from January 1. The trust has oversight of a $300 million revamp of the shuttered Ultimo campus, as well as the museum’s new $915 million Parramatta headquarters, the region’s first state-run cultural institution due to open in 2026. On the Parramatta riverside, more than 70 per cent of its 1300 pieces of exterior structure of the building are in place. Inside the concierge room of the Powerhouse where visitors will be welcomed. Credit: James Brickwood Installation of doors in the largest of the presentation spaces is underway where visitors will marvel at large objects showcasing the history of air travel and space exploration and First Nations stargazing. Visitors will spill out to a northern terrace. The museum will serve a region home to one-eighth of NSW’s population, one in five of whom are under 15 years, and half born outside Australia. For many, it will be the first time they step into a museum. “We’ve got to be a bit unpretentious here,” Borger says. “We don’t want to be too stuffy and conservative; we have to be welcoming. We have to deliver a great experience when someone walks in the door for the first time, something that knocks their socks off.” Suzette Meade, who led protests against the demolition of the historic villa, Willow Grove, which made way for the Powerhouse, questions spending on authors, chefs and photographers appointed as museum associates alongside professional curators and conservators. She is looking for the trust, led by Borger, to focus on delivering what was promised to the families of western Sydney – a museum of science and technology to rival the Smithsonian, as well as celebrating Parramatta’s rich cultural heritage. Borger is promising dedicated family exhibitions, with the interests of families and children embedded in all its offerings. He is “unapologetic” about finding new ways to present the collection. Nor should the public mind, he says, if weddings share presentation floor space. All but one of the seven Parramatta display spaces will be available for commercial hire. “The hope is that there’s some great experiences here and some revenue generating opportunities that can go to help with the operational costs. “We need to make sure that people come back for multiple visits, that they feel a connection to the museum because quite frankly a lot of people haven’t felt close to their museums for a long time. They’ve lived so far away from them, it’s been hard to get to them.” Borger’s first challenge is meeting the government’s $75 million goal for private donations for building costs. Some $53 million has been raised for capital works over three years, $27 million short of its target. The museum is without a campaign director. Borger says there was a pipeline of prospective donors to the museum with “real weight” and was confident of “closing the gap”. Should he fall short, the bill will be picked up by taxpayers. To rumours of overruns in fitout and program, Borger concedes budgets can move. “I’m confident we will deliver an amazing series of exhibitions within the money that has been given to us,” he said, adding: “I think some people frankly don’t believe western Sydney could host a tier-one cultural institution. There’s some who still don’t. We’re going to prove them wrong.” Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday .

WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump said he can't guarantee that his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won't raise prices for American consumers and he suggested once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" that aired Sunday, also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning "things do change." A look at some of the issues covered: Trump has threatened broad trade penalties, but said he didn't believe economists' predictions that added costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of a pledge that U.S. an households won't be paying more as they shop. "I can't guarantee anything. I can't guarantee tomorrow," Trump said, seeming to open the door to accepting the reality of how import levies typically work as goods reach the retail market. That's a different approach from Trump's typical speeches throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation. In the interview, Trump defended tariffs generally, saying that tariffs are "going to make us rich." He has pledged that, on his first day in office in January, he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. He also has threatened tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production. "All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field," Trump said. He offered conflicting statements on how he would approach the justice system after winning election despite being convicted of 34 felonies in a New York state court and being indicted in other cases for his handling of national security secrets and efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. "Honestly, they should go to jail," Trump said of members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power. The president-elect underscored his contention that he can use the justice system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case on Trump's role in the siege on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office. As for the idea of revenge driving potential prosecutions, Trump said: "I have the absolute right. I'm the chief law enforcement officer, you do know that. I'm the president. But I'm not interested in that." At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who had investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. "Cheney was behind it ... so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee," Trump said. Asked specifically whether he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, "No," and suggested he did not expect the FBI to quickly undertake investigations into his political enemies. But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter up to Pam Bondi, his pick as attorney general. "I want her to do what she wants to do," he said. Such threats, regardless of Trump's inconsistencies, have been taken seriously enough by many top Democrats that Biden is considering issuing blanket, preemptive pardons to protect key members of his outgoing administration. Trump did seemingly back off his campaign rhetoric calling for Biden to be investigated, saying, "I'm not looking to go back into the past." Trump repeatedly mentioned his promises to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally through a mass deportation program. "I think you have to do it," he said. He suggested he would try to use executive action to end "birthright" citizenship under which people born in the U.S. are considered citizens - although such protections are spelled out in the Constitution. Asked specifically about the future for people who were brought into the country illegally as children and have been shielded from deportation in recent years, Trump said, "I want to work something out," indicating he might seek a solution with Congress. But Trump also said he does not "want to be breaking up families" of mixed legal status, "so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back." ___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writers Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report. The video in the player above is from a previous report.Making the grade: Canada unveils world junior roster featuring plenty of youth

US confirms billions in chips funds to Samsung, Texas InstrumentsEnhancing LED Lighting: What is a reflective LED light?NoneChapman, UCLA economists see clouds ahead in Trump’s policies

As Black Friday looms on the horizon, Amazon has already rolled out an impressive collection of pre-Black Friday deals on Apple products. These early-bird discounts are giving shoppers a chance to score incredible savings before the annual shopping frenzy begins. Whether you’re eyeing the latest iPhone, upgrading your MacBook, or looking to buy an Apple Watch or AirPods, now is the time to get in on these deals. But why should you jump on these offers right now, and what exactly does Amazon have in store for Apple fans? In this article, we’ll explore the who, what, when, where, and why of Amazon’s pre-Black Friday Apple deals. We’ll break down the products available, how significant the discounts are, and why you should consider making a purchase sooner rather than later. If you’re a tech enthusiast or someone looking to gift a loved one an Apple device, you won’t want to miss out on these offers. What Are Pre-Black Friday Apple Deals on Amazon? Amazon’s pre-Black Friday deals are a special category of discounts that offer shoppers an opportunity to buy items at reduced prices ahead of the traditional Black Friday rush. While Black Friday sales officially kick off the day after Thanksgiving, Amazon has a long history of offering early deals on a wide range of products, including top-of-the-line Apple devices. The beauty of pre-Black Friday sales is that you get the best of both worlds – early access to deals without the stress of shopping on the actual day. Amazon’s deals aren’t just limited to Apple’s flagship products, like the iPhone and MacBook; they often include accessories, such as AirPods, Apple Watches, and even Apple’s smart home devices. What’s more, the discounts are available for a limited time, making it all the more crucial to act fast. Why Shop Early for Apple Products? You might wonder, why should you shop for Apple products early when Black Friday is still a few weeks away? The answer lies in the competition and the limited availability of some of the most popular Apple products. Apple items, especially newer models like the iPhone 15, MacBook Pro M2, and Apple Watch Ultra, are highly coveted. If you wait until Black Friday itself, there’s a chance that stock may run low, or the items you want might be sold out. By purchasing early, you get to skip the chaos of long lines, website crashes , and missing out on the latest technology. Not only are you securing your purchase ahead of the rush, but you’re also saving money on already discounted items. This makes it easier to cross items off your shopping list with no hassle. Top Apple Products on Sale at Amazon Right Now Here’s a quick rundown of the most popular Apple products currently on sale: How Big Are the Discounts? Amazon has always been a competitive player when it comes to offering discounts , but what makes their pre-Black Friday Apple deals stand out is the consistency and variety of offers. As mentioned, you can expect discounts of anywhere from 10% to 20%, depending on the product. In some cases, the savings could be higher, especially on older models like the iPhone 14 series or the Apple Watch SE. What Should You Keep in Mind When Shopping? While it’s tempting to grab these deals quickly, there are a few things to keep in mind: When Should You Shop? The best time to grab these pre-Black Friday Apple deals is now. Although Black Friday officially starts the day after Thanksgiving, shopping early gives you a better chance of securing the product you want before it goes out of stock. Keep an eye on Amazon’s lightning deals as well, which may offer additional discounts for a limited time. With Amazon’s incredible pre-Black Friday Apple deals, now is the perfect time to get your hands on some of the most sought-after Apple products. From the iPhone 15 to MacBooks, Apple Watches, and AirPods, there’s no shortage of options available. Take advantage of the early discounts before the rush, and ensure you’re not left empty-handed when Black Friday officially arrives. Remember, stock is limited, and these deals won’t last forever.

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

“I’m in it and I love it,” Chelsie Schweers said. “I’m getting better, and I feel myself getting more confident, and just trying to enjoy the journey.” Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular Underground fire still burning at Williamsburg Premium Outlets; officials advise caution Underground fire still burning at Williamsburg Premium Outlets; officials advise caution 7 people in custody after barricade situation in Norfolk 7 people in custody after barricade situation in Norfolk Underground fire causes partial parking lot collapse at Williamsburg Premium Outlets Underground fire causes partial parking lot collapse at Williamsburg Premium Outlets One nation, under watch: Flock Safety cameras help the police solve crime. But how much should privacy matter? One nation, under watch: Flock Safety cameras help the police solve crime. But how much should privacy matter? 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But how much should privacy matter? Lizzo shows off dramatic weight loss in new photos Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths here in Florida. Here’s why After bankruptcy court, Spirit sees future as a higher value airline ‘for years to come’The increase is an addition to the $64 million awarded to X-Bow in 2023 to expand production capacity of the solid rocket motor industrial base. LULING, Texas , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- X-Bow Systems Inc. (X-Bow), a leading non-traditional producer of advanced solid rocket motors (SRMs) and defense technologies, today announced the expansion of its contract to provide large solid rocket motors (SRM) to the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. This increase reinforces X-Bow as a new supplier of SRMs and strengthens the Defense Department supply chain in a critical period for the United States . Following the increase, X-Bow hosted Ms. Adele Ratcliff , Director of the DoD's Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office, at our expanding Texas campus on December 3, 2024 . Ms. Ratcliff leads the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, crucial for fortifying the U.S. defense industry and fostering emerging sectors like advanced manufacturing to ensure rapid response to national security needs. Ms. Ratcliff stated, "It is a national imperative that DoD seek new and rapid alternative sources of solid rocket motor production that provide the Department's decisions makers options that not only meet DoD's operational needs but bring capabilities and capacity to bear that grow the defense industrial base (DIB). X-Bow is a critical partner in the DIB ecosystem that aims to provide technical overmatch in the Hypersonics domain." "This contract expansion underscores the critical role X-Bow is playing in modernizing the U.S. defense industrial base," said Max Vozoff , CTO, X-Bow Systems. "Our innovative manufacturing techniques and focus on advanced materials will enable us to deliver high-performance solid rocket motors more efficiently and cost-effectively, strengthening our national security posture." Ms. Ratcliff witnessed X-Bow's new methods for manufacturing SRMs and energetics that will lead to a significant increase in SRM production capacity and decrease in cost for production of SRMs. X-Bow is nearing completion of its Texas campus which, when finished will be the second-largest solid rocket motor production facility in the United States . This facility will significantly enhance our nation's defense readiness. Ms. Ratcliff's visit highlighted the vital role X-Bow plays in strengthening the U.S. Defense Industrial Base through our advanced manufacturing approach to solid rocket motor technology. About X-Bow Systems X-Bow Systems is disrupting the aerospace industry with innovative and cost-effective advanced manufactured energetics for the solid rocket motor and launch vehicle market. X-Bow is also designing and building a suite of modular solid rocket motors and small launch vehicles for both orbital and suborbital launch services. X-Bow is led by CEO Jason Hundley , Chairman Mark Kaufman , CTO Max Vozoff , CRO Maureen Gannon, General Counsel John Leary , COO Mike Bender and a growing team of seasoned industry veterans and new space entrepreneurs. X-Bow is a dual-use technology company with investment from Crosslink Capital, Razor's Edge Ventures, Balerion Space Ventures, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin Ventures. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico , X-Bow has additional presence in California , Alabama , Colorado , Texas , Utah , Maryland and Washington, DC . For more information visit www.xbowsystems.com . About DoD's Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office: The Innovation Capability and Modernization (ICAM) Office manages and executes the DoD's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program Element, which aims to improve the readiness and competitiveness of the U.S. industrial base by investing in, and establishing high priority domestic capabilities for new supply chains needed for national security and mitigating exposure to global supply chain risks. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/x-bow-to-receive-additional-funding-for-expansion-of-dod-contract-for-hypersonic-solid-rocket-motor-development-302337560.html SOURCE X-Bow Systems

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US confirms billions in chips funds to Samsung, Texas Instruments

'Buy now, pay later' is more popular than ever. It can cost more than you think2024: NASA Armstrong Prepares for Future Innovative Research Efforts

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball 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 . BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Riley Allenspach and Trey Fort scored 15 apiece in Samford’s 72-47 victory over Austin Peay on Sunday. Allenspach shot 6 of 12 from the field and 3 for 4 from the line for the Bulldogs (9-2). Fort went 5 of 9 from the field (5 for 8 from 3-point range). The Governors (4-5) were led by Darius Dawson with 18 points. Akili Evans added 10 points and three steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Cyanobacteria research unlocks potential for renewable plastics from carbon dioxideNone

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Analyst Expectations For Nasdaq's FutureLAS VEGAS — Players Era Festival organizers have done what so many other have tried — bet their fortunes in this city that a big payoff is coming. Such bet are usually bad ones, which is why so many massive casino-resorts have been built on Las Vegas Boulevard. But it doesn't mean the organizers are wrong. They're counting on the minimum of $1 million in guaranteed name, image and likeness money that will go to each of the eight teams competing in the neutral-site tournament that begins Tuesday will create a precedent for other such events. EverWonder Studios CEO Ian Orefice, who co-founded Players with former AND1 CEO Seth Berger, compared this event to last year's inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament that played its semifinals and final in Las Vegas by saying it "did really well to reinvigorate the fan base at the beginning of the year." "We're excited that we're able to really change the paradigm in college basketball on the economics," Orefice said. "But for us, it's about the long term. How do we use the momentum that is launching with the 2024 Players Era Festival and be the catalyst not to change one event, but to change college basketball for the future." Orefice and Berger didn't disclose financial details, but said the event will come close to breaking even this year and that revenue is in eight figures. Orefice said the bulk of the revenue will come from relationships with MGM, TNT Sports and Publicis Sport & Entertainment as well as sponsors that will be announced later. Both organizers said they are so bullish on the tournament's prospects that they already are planning ahead. Money made from this year's event, Orefice said, goes right back into the company. "We're really in this for the long haul," Orefice said. "So we're not looking at it on a one-year basis." Rick Giles is president of the Gazelle Group, which also operates several similar events, including the College Basketball Invitational. He was skeptical the financial numbers would work. Giles said in addition to more than $8 million going to the players, there were other expenses such as the guarantees to the teams. He said he didn't know if the tournament would make up the difference with ticket sales, broadcast rights and sponsorship money. The top bowl of the MGM Grand Garden Arena will be curtained off. "The math is highly challenging," Giles said. "Attendance and ticket revenues are not going to come anywhere close to covering that. They haven't announced any sponsors that I'm aware of. So it all sort of rests with their media deal with Turner and how much capital they want to commit to it to get these players paid." David Carter, a University of Southern California adjunct professor who also runs the Sports Business Group consultancy, said even if the Players isn't a financial success this year, the question is whether there will be enough interest to move forward. "If there is bandwidth for another tournament and if the TV or the streaming ratings are going to be there and people are going to want to attend and companies are going to want to sponsor, then, yeah, it's probably going to work," Carter said. "But it may take them time to gain that traction." Both founders said they initially were met with skepticism about putting together such an event, especially from teams they were interested in inviting. Houston was the first school to commit, first offering an oral pledge early in the year and then signing a contract in April. That created momentum for others to join, and including the No. 6 Cougars, half the field is ranked. "We have the relationships to operate a great event," Berger said. "We had to get coaches over those hurdles, and once they knew that we were real, schools got on board really quickly." The founders worked with the NCAA to make sure the tournament abided by that organization's rules, so players must appear at ancillary events in order to receive NIL money. Strict pay for play is not allowed, though there are incentives for performance. The champion, for example, will receive $1.5 million in NIL money. Now the pressure is on to pull off the event and not create the kind of headlines that can dog it for years to come. "I think everybody in the marketplace is watching what's going to happen (this) week and, more importantly, what happens afterwards," Giles said. "Do the players get paid on a timely basis? And if they do, that means that Turner or somebody has paid way more than the market dictates? And the question will be: Can that continue?" CREIGHTON: P oint guard Steven Ashworth likely won’t play in the No. 21 Bluejays’ game against San Diego State in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. Ashworth sprained his right ankle late in a loss to Nebraska on Friday and coach Greg McDermott said afterward he didn’t know how long he would be out.Max George ‘staying positive’ amid hospital stay due to heart issues

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The need for online privacy is growing, which is why most people are turning towards VPNs to secure their internet activity. These tools offer significant benefits, but they aren’t a complete shield. Here is what a VPN actually protects and what remains exposed. A VPN is a tool that helps you stay private and secure when browsing the internet. It works by hiding your data and routing it through a secure server in a different location, which makes it difficult for others to monitor your online activity. For example, let’s say you connect to a public Wi-Fi network at a cafe. If you are using a VPN, it will encrypt your data, hide your details, and make sure no one can see what you are doing online. Without one, anyone could potentially intercept your data and steal your details over such a network. One of the common VPN-related misconceptions is that it makes you completely anonymous. This is not entirely true, though it does a good job of protecting and hiding specific types of data. Here’s a closer look at the types of data a VPN helps keep under wraps. Your ISP (internet service provider) can see more than you might think when you’re browsing online without a VPN. This includes: When you use a VPN, it encrypts all of this data before it leaves your device. This means that your ISP will be able to see that you are connected to a VPN server, but nothing beyond that. Your IP address shows where you’re connecting from and links your online activity to your location. This information might seem trivial, but it can reveal quite a lot, which websites, advertisers, and even hackers can use to target you. A VPN masks this data, and replaces your IP with one from its own server. This way, websites and trackers cannot link your activity back to your real identity or location. One of the reasons you see ads for local businesses or have websites adjust their content for your area is because your IP address reveals your location. Since a VPN hides your IP address, it also hides where you are connecting from. For example, if you are choosing a server in the USA while sitting in Japan, it will look like you are connected to the internet from the USA instead of your actual location. Beyond hiding your identity, it can also help you access region-specific content and avoid certain location-based ads. Your bandwidth usage is the amount of data you send and receive while online. This includes everything from streaming, downloading, and even simply browsing. Your ISP monitors this data, and often uses it to check how much bandwidth you’re consuming and for what purpose. For instance, if you’re streaming videos or downloading large files, they might slow down your connection (also known as throttling). Since a VPN encrypts this data, your ISP won’t be able to determine if you are streaming, browsing, or doing anything else. Your ISP can see that you are using a VPN, but some of the most reputable VPNs have features to make this less obvious. They offer obfuscation tools that make VPN traffic look like normal traffic. This can be helpful if you’re on a network that restricts VPN usage or if you want to ensure even greater privacy. Now that we know what exactly VPNs hide, let’s take a look at what they don’t (and can’t). Firstly, VPNs don’t mask the information that you share online voluntarily. This can include logging into your socials or entering your private information (location, phone number) somewhere else. Similarly, they don’t hide cookies, which are small files that websites use to track your activity and remember your preferences. Cookies are usually stored on your device, so even with a VPN, websites can still recognize you if those cookies aren’t cleared. Another thing to keep in mind is that a VPN doesn’t make your device invisible. Apps or services that require GPS access, like maps or ride-sharing platforms, can still determine your physical location. And let’s not forget; not all VPN providers are trustworthy. Some might have access to certain data of yours, such as the servers you connect to or the times you’re online. This information could potentially be shared or exposed. To stay safe, consider a VPN that has a no-log policy. This makes sure that your data remains as private as possible. In conclusion, while a VPN is a great tool for protecting your privacy, it is not a complete solution. Even when you are using one, pair it with good practices like clearing cookies regularly and being cautious about the personal information you share. There are quite a few practices you should follow when choosing a VPN for a better online experience. You have the option to pick between several paid and free VPN options out there. Alternatively, you can use VPN together with a proxy . Image credit: Pixaby Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox Zainab is an Actuarial Sciences graduate from Pakistan with a passion for technology. When she's not busy writing insightful pieces on Windows and the latest tech trends, you'll find her with her nose buried in a productivity book, always on the lookout for ways to optimize her workflow and stay ahead of the curve.NEW YORK — I’ll get you, my pretty! And your little pygmy hippo, too! Forgive us the shameless attempt to link the fantasy hit “Wicked” to the delightful Moo Deng . But, hear us out — there’s something the two have in common as the year draws to a close. Escapism. Whether we found it on the yellow brick road, or in videos from a Thailand zoo, or perhaps in unlikely Olympic heroes , we gravitated toward fantasy and feel-good pop culture moments this year. There were new trends, as always. “Brat summer” became a thing, as did “demure, mindful.” And for some inexplicable reason, we became obsessed with celebrity lookalike contests. There were breakups — Bennifer is, again, a thing of the past — and reunions: Oasis, please try to stay together for the tour. Yet some things stayed, remarkably, the same: Taylor Swift and Beyoncé kept on breaking records and making history. So, after a year where much changed but some things held steady, here’s our annual, very selective trip down pop culture memory lane: Lily Gladstone poses in the press room Jan. 7 with the award for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama for "Killers of the Flower Moon" at the 81st Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. It starts as a cheery tweet from a beloved “Sesame Street” figure: “ ELMO is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” The answers hint at something deeper and more worrisome. “Not great, Elmo. Not great,” says one milder reply. Doing much better is the viral phenomenon called “BARBENHEIMER,” which makes its awards season debut at the GOLDEN GLOBES . But perhaps the most poignant moment comes from neither film: LILY GLADSTONE , first Indigenous winner of best actress in a drama for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” begins her remarks in the language of her tribe, Blackfeet Nation. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) kisses Taylor Swift on Feb. 11 after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game in Las Vegas. Valentine’s Day — a perfect time to settle into a sweet love saga via TikTok. Only that’s not quite what we get with “Who TF Did I Marry?,” REESA TEESA ’s depressing, fascinating, 50-part account of her disastrous marriage with a man who lied about absolutely everything. Meanwhile, if you're looking for a single week that encapsulates peak SWIFT cultural dominance , try this: she begins with the Grammys in Los Angeles (becoming the first artist to win album of the year four times AND announcing a new album), then heads to Tokyo for four tour dates, then jets back just in time for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas — where she shares a passionate smooch with boyfriend TRAVIS KELCE on the field of victory. Ryan Gosling performs the song "I'm Just Ken" from the movie "Barbie" on March 10 during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “What was I made for?” BILLIE EILISH sings at the OSCARS, channeling BARBIE . And what was KEN made for? Not entirely clear — but it's clear RYAN GOSLING was made to play him. His singalong version of “I’m Just Ken” is one of the most entertaining Oscar musical moments in years. Still, Christopher Nolan's “OPPENHEIMER” prevails, a rare case of the top prize going to a blockbuster studio film. Will it happen again in 2025? CYNTHIA ERIVO and ARIANA GRANDE sure hope so; as presenters, they make a sly reference to their upcoming juggernaut, “WICKED.” Speaking of marketing, people are obsessed with that bizarre “DUNE” popcorn bucket. Beyonce And BEYONCÉ carves her space in country music with “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” which will make her the first Black woman to top the Billboard country chart. Taylor Swift performs June 21 at Wembley Stadium in London as part of her Eras Tour. Tennis, anyone? The game’s been around for centuries, but it’s having a cultural moment right now, helped mightily by “CHALLENGERS,” the sweaty romance triangle starring ZENDAYA, MIKE FAIST and JOSH O'CONNOR (40-love? More like 40-sex.) Elsewhere, a new era dawns: At midnight, SWIFT drops “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT," then drops another 15 songs two hours later. The fascinating and disturbing “BABY REINDEER,” the story of a struggling comedian’s extended encounter with a stalker, debuts on Netflix. Ben Affleck, left, and Jennifer Lopez arrive Feb. 13 at the premiere of "This Is Me ... Now: A Love Story" at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. It’s MET GALA time — or as it's known in 2024, another early marketing moment for “WICKED.” ERIVO and GRANDE make fashion waves on the carpet and then musical ones at dinner, with a soulful performance of “When You Believe.” If the “Wicked” tour is in full force, another one stops in its tracks: JENNIFER LOPEZ cancels her summer tour amid reports of both poor ticket sales and trouble in her marriage to BEN AFFLECK . It’s been an eventful year for J.Lo, who's released an album and movie called “THIS IS ME ... NOW" — both reflections on her renewed love with Affleck. Welcome to BRAT SUMMER ! CHARLI XCX releases her hit “Brat” album , with its lime green cover, and launches a thousand memes. Collins Dictionary defines “brat,” its word of the year, as “characterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.” At the celeb-heavy SWIFT shows in London, we see PRINCE WILLIAM shaking it off, which is either charming or cringe, you decide. Even better: KELCE dons a top hat and tux and performs for one night. At another stadium across the pond, METS infielder JOSE IGLESIAS delights the crowd with his cheery number “OMG.” Stephen Nedoroscik is introduced June 29 at the United States Gymnastics Olympic Trials in Minneapolis. Bonjour, it’s OLYMPICS time! In Paris! An audacious opening ceremony along the Seine is punctuated by a fabulous CELINE DION , perched on the EIFFEL TOWER , singing her heart out — in the rain, too. Controversy swirls over a scene critics feel mocks Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (organizers say it does not). Olympic stars are born — including French swimming superstar LEON MARCHAND , rugby player ILONA MAHER , and bespectacled “Pommel Horse Guy” gymnast STEPHEN NEDOROSCIK , who nets two bronze medals and comparisons to Clark Kent. Baby pigmy hippo Moo Deng plays with a zookeeper Sept. 19 in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand. Also capturing hearts: yep, MOO DENG , born this month. Her name means “bouncy pork.” Australia's Rachael Gunn, known as B-Girl Raygun, competes Aug. 9 during the Round Robin Battle at the breaking competition at La Concorde Urban Park at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. This is them ... now: BENNIFER is no more. After two decades, two engagements and two weddings, J.Lo files for divorce. One union dissolves, another returns: OASIS announces a reunion tour. Everyone seems to want to get in on TikToker JOOLS LEBRON 's “ DEMURE, MINDFUL ” act — even the WHITE HOUSE press team. Back at the Olympics, in the new sport of breaking, we meet Australia’s RAYGUN , arguably neither demure nor mindful with her “kangaroo” move. Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani brings his dog Decoy to the mound Aug. 28 before Decoy delivered the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Dodgers and the Baltimore Orioles in Los Angeles. Cute animal alert: SHOHEI OHTANI ’s perky pooch DECOY does a great “first pitch” in his Major League Baseball debut. Chappell Roan performs "Good Luck, Babe" on Sept. 11 during the MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. One of the year’s biggest breakout artists, CHAPPELL ROAN , withdraws from a music festival after speaking out about frightening fan interactions. And more on the price of fame: In an excruciating moment, “Bachelorette” JENN TRAN , the franchise’s first Asian American lead, is forced to sit through a painful viewing of her proposal to her chosen suitor, after tearfully explaining how he’d later dumped her over the phone. Tran is keeping busy though — she’s announced as part of the new “Dancing with the Stars” lineup. Also on the list: rugby player Maher, and Pommel Horse Guy! Also, ANNA SOROKIN , dancing with an ankle monitor. Online fandom, meanwhile, is shaken when X is temporarily suspended in Brazil and celebrity stan accounts post tearful farewells, revealing to many across the globe that their favorite accounts are run by Brazilians. Miles Mitchell, 21, wins of the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest Oct. 27 near Washington Square Park in New York. “Dune” Chalamets! “Wonka” Chalamets! Thousands gather in Manhattan for a TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET lookalike contest, and things really get interesting when Chalamet himself shows up. He doesn’t enter the contest, though, and with his mustache, he may not even have won. The trend continues with contests for JEREMY ALLEN WHITE, ZAYN MALIK and — in a very Washington version — Kennedy scion JACK SCHLOSSBERG , who's been gathering a following with some interesting social media posts. New York Liberty Kennedy Burke dances with the mascot, Ellie the Elephant, during an Oct. 24 ceremony after a parade in honor of the Liberty's WNBA basketball championship at City Hall in New York. Turning to basketball, who’s that dancing with USHER ? Why it’s ELLIE THE ELEPHANT , the now-viral NEW YORK LIBERTY mascot. Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, right, appears Nov. 2 with Maya Rudolph on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in New York. MAYA RUDOLPH does a pretty good KAMALA HARRIS laugh on “Saturday Night Live,” but you know who does it better? HARRIS herself. The Democratic candidate makes a surprise cameo three days before the U.S. presidential election, following in the footsteps of HILLARY CLINTON , SARAH PALIN and others. Elsewhere in television, Bravo announces that “VANDERPUMP RULES,” the Emmy-nominated reality show that has lived through countless scandals, is entirely recasting its 12th season — apart from namesake LISA VANDERPUMP . As for MOO DENG , she doesn't have her own TV series yet, but our favorite pygmy hippo is generating plenty of merch . And THAT brings us back to ... Ariana Grande, left, and Cynthia Erivo pose for photographers Nov. 11 prior to the premiere of "Wicked" at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City. “WICKED” ! Director JON M. CHU ’s emerald-hued fantasy remains very very popular, to quote one of its buzzy show tunes, dancing through life and defying gravity at the multiplex. Moviegoers also come for “GLADIATOR II” and, in a veritable tidal wave, Disney's “MOANA 2,” which beckons us back to the seas of Oceania. Once again, 2024 seems to be telling us: Give people some whimsy, a place to escape, maybe some catchy tunes — and no one knows how far they’ll go. The stories and images that defined 2024. Searching for something? From queries about U.S. politics to cricket in India, Wikipedia has become a source of information for millions of people across the globe. From the Paris Olympics to the Super Bowl. From Simone Biles to Shohei Ohtani. And, of course, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. These are the sp... AP photographers assembled a visual catalog of our civilization as life in 2024 hurtled directly at us at every speed and in every imaginable ... In 2024, photographers captured glimpses of humanity, ranging from a deeply divisive presidential election, to hurricanes and fires that ravag... Associated Press photographers captured voters with raw emotions of joy, excitement, contemplation or sorrow. See entertainment's biggest moments in 2024, through the lens of Associated Press photographers. It beat five other finalists: demure, slop, dynamic pricing, romantasy and lore. News anchors, politicians and other public figures in the U.S. struggled with these words the most this year. Is it any surprise Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "polarization"? Here are the other words that rounded out the top 10 for 2024. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put a time limit on anesthesiaThe Congress on Tuesday released its second list of 26 candidates for the upcoming Delhi assembly polls, bringing the total number of contestants for the 70-member legislature to 47. The list was released on social media platform X. The party has pitted Farhad Suri against AAP leader Manish Sisodia from Jangpura. Former AAP MLAs Asim Khan and Devender Sehrawat, who joined the Congress on Monday, were also given tickets. Khan will contest the election from Matia Mahal, while Shrawat will contest from Bijwasan. Among the other candidates are Rajesh Lilothia from Seemapuri (SC), Satish Luthra from Shakur Basti, Rajesh Chauhan from Deoli (SC), Haji Mohammad Ishraq Khan from Babarpur, Sumit Sharma from Laxmi Nagar and Pradeep Kumar Upmanyu from Delhi Cantt. Also read | Pushpa 2 inspired BJP vs AAP poster war erupts ahead of Delhi elections Check the full list of constituencies and candidates here Rithala -Sushant Mishra Mangol Puri (SC) -Hanuman Chauhan Shakur Basti - Satish Luthra Tri Nagar - Satender Sharma Matia Mahal - Asim Ahmed Khan Moti Nagar - Rajender Namdhari Madipur (SC) - J.P. Panwar Rajouri Garden - Dharmpal Chandela Uttam Nagar - Mukesh Sharma Matiala - Raghuvinder Shokeen Bijwasan - Devender Sahrawat Delhi Cantt - Pradeep Kumar Upmanyu Rajinder Nagar - Vineet Yadav Jangpura - Farhad Suri Malviya Nagar - Jitender Kumar Kochar Mehrauli - Smt. Pushpa Singh Deoli (SC) - Rajesh Chauhan Sangam Vihar - Harsh Chaudhary Trilokpuri (SC) - Amardeep Kondli (SC) - Akshay Kumar Laxmi Nagar - Sumit Sharma Krishna Nagar - Gurcharan Singh Raju Seemapuri (SC) - Rajesh Lilothia Babarpur - Haji Mohd Ishraq Khan Gokalpur (SC) - Pramod Kumar Jayant Karawal Nagar - Dr. P.K. Mishra Also read | Delhi election: Congress names 21 candidates | Check full list The list was approved by the party's Central Election Committee (CEC). Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul Gandhi participated in the committee meeting via video conferencing. The party's Delhi in-charge, Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin, and Delhi unit chief Devender Yadav were physically present at the AICC headquarters along with other members of the CEC. Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav had said that the party would contest all 70 seats alone and there would be no alliance . “We will contest all 70 seats. Our leader is elected after we win. The same procedure will be adopted in Delhi. There is no alliance,” said the Delhi Congress chief.

One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the statement said. “The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used “physician work time values,” which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it’s unclear how CMS derives those values. In mid-November, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to “reverse the proposal immediately,” saying in a news release that the policy would have taken effect in February in New York, Connecticut and Missouri. It’s not clear how many states in total would have been affected, as notices also were posted in Virginia and Colorado . RELATED COVERAGE Connecticut Sun hire Belgium national team coach Rachid Meziane Legislators propose 15% to 25% tax rate for new states adopting internet gambling Morgan Tuck named Connecticut Sun general manager. Darius Taylor takes on new role People across the country registered their concerns and complaints on social media, and encouraged people in affected states to call their legislators. Some people noted that the policy could prevent patients from getting overcharged. Gal said the policy change would have been unprecedented, ignored the “nuanced, unpredictable human element” of surgery and was a clear “money grab.” “It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care,” he said. “If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses.” Prior to Anthem’s announcement Thursday, Connecticut comptroller Sean Scanlon said the “concerning” policy wouldn’t affect the state after conversations with the insurance company. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had also successfully intervened. The insurance giant’s policy change came one day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare , another major insurance company, was shot and killed in New York City. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, pushing to get aid out before Biden leaves office WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the United States is expected to announce it will send another $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. It's part of a push by the Biden administration to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. Officials say the large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds. The officials say they expect the announcement will be made on Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. Israeli troops burn northern Gaza hospital after forcibly removing staff and patients, officials say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says Israeli troops have stormed one of the last hospitals operating in the territory's north on Friday and forced many of the staff and patients outside. Then they had to remove their clothes in winter weather. It was the latest assault on Kamal Adwan Hospital. Parts of it were set on fire. Staff say it has been hit multiple times in the past three months by Israeli troops waging an offensive against Hamas fighters in surrounding neighborhoods. Israel's military says Hamas uses the hospital as a base. It did not provide evidence, and hospital officials have denied it. Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire U.S. and Azerbaijani officials have said weapons fire may have brought down an Azerbaijani airliner that crashed on Wednesday, killing 38 people. The statements from Rashad Nabiyev and White House national security spokesman John Kirby on Friday raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that the Azerbaijan Airlines flight was destined for but have not addressed statements from aviation experts who blamed the crash on Russian air defenses responding to a Ukrainian attack. The plane was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Chechnya on Wednesday when it crashed, killing 38 people and leaving all 29 survivors injured. Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case ATLANTA (AP) — A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It's part of a inquiry into whether Willis has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad before Willis responds. A Republican-led committee was formed earlier this year and sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify during its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. Willis argued that the committee didn’t have the power to subpoena her. US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people Federal officials say the United States saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness, a dramatic rise driven mostly by a lack of affordable housing as well as devastating natural disasters and a surge of migrants in several parts of the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said that federally required tallies taken across the country in January found that more than 770,000 people were counted as homeless. That increase comes on top of a 12% increase in 2023, which HUD blamed on soaring rents and the end of pandemic assistance. Among the most concerning trends was a nearly 40% rise in family homelessness. In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has a nearly total abortion ban and a porous safety net for mothers and young children. GOP state leaders in Tennessee and other states that banned abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 argue that they are bolstering services for families. Recent research and an analysis by The Associated Press has found that from the time a Tennessee woman gets pregnant, she faces greater obstacles to a healthy pregnancy, a healthy child and a financially stable family life than the average American mom. What Snoop wants: Arizona Bowl gives NIL opportunities to players for Colorado State, Miami (Ohio) TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — When Snoop Dogg agreed to become the sponsor of the Arizona Bowl, he had a demand: It must have a NIL component. Other bowls have provided NIL chances for single players the past few years, but the Arizona Bowl is believed to be the first to offer NIL compensation to every player on both Colorado State and Miami (Ohio). The players participated in youth clinics before Saturday's game and will be compensated for their time. Alex Ovechkin is on track to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is chasing the NHL career goals record of 894 held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin entered the season 42 goals short of breaking a record that long seemed unapproachable. He is set to play again Saturday at the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing more than a month with a broken left fibula. Ovechkin was on pace to get to 895 sometime in February before getting injured. At 868, he his 27 goals away from passing Gretzky.Buying a house in 2025: your how-to guideTop 10 movies of 2024: In a time of scoundrels, ‘Brutalist,’ ‘Challengers’ and the movie about the exotic dancer

The Winnipeg Jets, who have the National Hockey League’s best record, visit the Pittsburgh Pengiuns on Friday night. The game from PPG Paints Arena will start at 7 p.m. ET and you can watch it on the NHL Network or live stream it on ESPN+ , fubo TV (add-on, FREE trial), Sling TV (add-on, discount) or DirecTV Stream (add-on, FREE trial and discount). Winnipeg has 7-2-0 record on the road and lead NHL play with 80 goals, averaging 4.2. The Jets, even with losses in two of their last three games, are 16-3-0. They have woken up alone atop the NHL standings every day for the last four weeks. They will lead the league after 20 games for the first time. A win Friday in Pittsburgh would tie the Jets for the fifth-most points after 20 games in NHL history with 34; only four teams have had more, most recently the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks (37). They’re 15-0-0 when allowing three goals or less and score on 35.7% of their power plays, the best in the league so far. They’re winning by 1.79 goals per game, another league-best. They entered Wednesday second in goals per game and fifth in goals-against average. And they have incredible balance — the Jets have 11 players with at least 10 points, the most in the NHL. The rest of the league, on average, has six players with at least 10 points. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor lead with 24 points each (both top the team with 12 goals apiece) and Nikolaj Ehlers is next with 22. Finally, last year’s Vezina Trophy winner is even better this year. Connor Hellebuyck was the league’s best goalie a year ago after finishing 37-19-4 with a 2.39 GAA and .921 save percentage; this year, he’s 13-2-0 with a 2.20 GAA and .923 save percentage. “You’re pretty amazed, a little bit,” Jets coach Scott Arniel told The Associated Press . “At the same time, these players, they do have to recognize that it’s an amazing feat what they’ve done so far. But we’d like to just keep this going a little bit longer.” As for the Penguins (7-10-4, in the Metropolitan Division), they have lost four out of their last five games, including 3-2 at home on Tuesday night to Tampa Bay. The Penguins, who allowed a two-goal lead to slip away in the third period for the second straight game, have 12 losses in their last 16 overall. Pittsburgh has a 4-4-2 record in home games, and overall a minus-25 scoring differential, with 56 total goals scored and 81 allowed. Sidney Crosby leads in points (20) and is tied with Rickard Rakell in goals (7 apiece). Evgeni Malkin has posted 19 points. Alex Nedeljkovic is the best of the three goaltenders, with a 3.17 goals-against average. His record is 3-3-3. ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit pennlive.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Football fans across the country held their breathe this Saturday during the Colorado-Kansas game. That's because future NFL quarterback Shedeur Sanders took one of the worst hits we've seen all season. Sanders was scrambling around the pocket looking for an open man downfield. He found an open receiver, but it came at a price. Kansas defensive end Dean Miller literally launched his body into the knees of the talented Colorado quarterback . It was such a brutal collision that Sanders flipped onto his head. After staying on the ground for a few moments, Sanders got up and walked over to Colorado's sideline. He had a brief talk with his father, Colorado coach Deion Sanders, before returning to the field. What made this situation so absurd is that Kansas wasn't flagged for unnecessary roughness. Fans watching this game couldn't believe it. "Insane that that’s not roughing bro what are we doing," one fan said. Another fan asked, "How is that not targeting or some kind of flag?" "Should’ve been roughing. Don’t bother replying to try and debate it," a third fan replied. "I might be Shedeur's biggest hater but holy crap that was dirty," a social media user commented. Kansas with a big hit on Shedeur Sanders 😬 pic.twitter.com/5jXVaGb1Rh Sanders returned to the field and delivered a touchdown pass to Drelon Miller on the same drive, so he got the last laugh. So far, Sanders has played a near-perfect half of football. He has completed all but one of his 13 pass attempts for 157 yards with two touchdowns. Ed Zurga/Getty Images Even though Sanders is playing extremely well, Kansas leads 20-14 over Colorado. The second half of the Colorado-Kansas game will be televised on FOX. Related: There's Growing Speculation That A Favorite Has Emerged For Shedeur Sanders

Ravens QB Jackson leads first NFL Pro Bowl fan voting resultsBlack Friday is big business, and last year shoppers spent $222.1 billion during the entire holiday shopping season, according to Queue-it. Sales on Black Friday reached $16.4 billion (online and in stores), and this was a 9% increase from the year before. While it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most sought-after products of the holiday season, Queue-it said this accounts for the majority of holiday sales, jumping to $50.8 billion in 2023. Apparel, furniture, groceries and toys are the other hot sellers of Black Friday. Together, these five categories accounted for 65% of sales during the holidays last year and is only expected to grow in 2024. While many items that sell out over Black Friday are driven by a good deal, we also know that a hot product is just that — a gift that most people want to open on Christmas Day. So, here are our picks for the top 10 hot-ticket items that could sell out over Black Friday. 1. Big TVs The holidays are ripe for TV deals, and we expect shoppers to buy a ton of them in 2024, especially at Walmart. Consumers are trending toward bigger TVs and the super low-price deals over Black Friday force many models to sell out. This is especially true of popular models from Samsung, Hisense, LG and more favorites. 2. Apple Watches Apple's smartwatches are a top pick among Apple fans. We’ve seen prices on the Apple Watch continue to trend downward, which was only spurred by the release of the new Apple Watch 10 in September. This pushed down prices on earlier models, with the best deals coming on the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch 9. For Black Friday, we think the prices will drop even lower and sell out due to high demand. 3. Beats headphones Wireless headphones are one of the most popular products of 2024, and Beats are one of the top brands. We’re already seeing big markdowns on Beats Wireless Headphones, and we expect these price drops to continue into Black Friday. The Beats Solo3 is likely to be on sale for even cheaper than we’ve already seen, and we think they will sell out for Black Friday, with the possibility of other popular Beats headphones joining them. 4. Apple AirPods If you haven’t picked up a pair of Apple AirPods yet, this could be your year to do it. With Apple launching a fourth generation of AirPods earlier this year, the price on prevvious models are creeping lower. We think over Black Friday they’ll be at their cheapest price ever, with the AirPods (3rd Gen) likely to sell out. 5. JBL bluetooth speakers Bluetooth speakers are a must-have for many this year, and with the big sound that comes from JBL’s speakers, it’s easy to see why they might sell out for Black Friday. These popular speakers come in a variety of portable sizes and waterproof designs. We expect big deals on JBL’s top-rated Clip 5 and Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker models. 6. Apple iPad One of Apple’s most sought-after products of the year was the iPad, and we saw the 9th Gen and 10th Gen models drop to their lowest prices ever. We think this year will bring some iPad bliss with even better discounts, but these deals will disappear just as fast as they arrive. We think that mega discounts on the iPad (9th Gen) and iPad (10th Gen) could cause sell outs, especially on Amazon. 7. Dyson Airwrap The Dyson Airwrap just might be the top product of Black Friday, as this is one of the rare times there’s a discount on the beloved hair styling tool. At $600, the Airwrap carries a hefty price tag, so any discount presented is a welcome surprise. But as we’ve seen in the past, any Black Friday deal on the Dyson Airwrap causes a crush of interest that’s followed by a sell out. 8. UGG Tasman slippers If you’ve tried to scoop up the UGG Tasman Slippers in previous years, you already know they never stay in stock for long. As the “it” slipper of the holiday season, UGG’s Tasman sells out multiple times over the holidays, even without a discount offered. We think that this year will be similar, with popular sizes and colors of the Tasman Slipper snatched up fast over Black Friday. 9. Bissell Little Green The Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner is a popular home product that just can’t seem to stay in stock. With prices falling under $90, this mighty machine can be a blessing for pet owners and parents, as its compact size makes it easy to store and use when needed. We’ve seen the Little Green Machine sell out before, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t do it again over Black Friday. 10. Furby Galaxy Edition We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a top toy that we think will be hard to find and gift this year. Our pick is the Furby Galaxy Edition. This glow-in-the-dark Furby is based on the original Furby from the late ’90s with even more features, interactive modes and more fun. Making a comeback in 2023, we saw the revival of this popular toy sell out last year, and we expect the new Furby Galaxy Edition to do the same.NEW YORK — Stoli Group USA, the owner of the namesake vodka , has filed for bankruptcy as it struggled to contend with slowing demand for spirits, a major cyberattack that has snarled its operations and several years of fighting Russia in court. The company in its bankruptcy filing said it is “experiencing financial difficulties” and lists between $50 million and $100 million in liabilities. Stoli vodka and Kentucky Owl bourbon will continue to be available on store shelves while the company navigates the Chapter 11 process, which only pertains to its U.S. business. Until 2022, Stoli was sold as Stolichnaya in the United States, which loosely translates to “capital city” in Russian. The company shortened its title following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and boycotts against Russian-branded vodkas . Stoli Group’s founder, Russian-born billionaire Yuri Shefler, was exiled from that nation in 2000 because of his opposition to President Vladimir Putin. People are also reading... 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I lost all my food: FEMA goes door-to-door in Hickory with Hurricane Helene aid From the earth, for the earth: Why plant-based eating is here to stay Intel announced on December 2 that CEO Pat Gelsinger has resigned after a difficult stint at the company. The once-dominant chipmaker’s stock cratered as it missed the AI boom and was surpassed by most of its rivals. The liquor has long been marketed as a Russian vodka, but its production facilities have been in Latvia for several decades. Stoli Group is a unit of Luxembourg-based SPI Group, which owns other spirit and wine brands. “The Stoli Group has been targeted by the Russian Federation since it was formed nearly 25 years ago,” said Stoli Group CEO Chris Caldwell in a statement. “Earlier this year the company and our owner were both named by the Russian state as ‘extremist groups working against Russia’s interests.’” Its ongoing legal battle with the Russia government has forced Stoli to “spend dozens of millions of dollars on this long-term court battle across the globe with the Russian authorities,” according to its court filing. Caldwell also said that Stoli’s global operations has been a “victim of a malicious cyber attack” that has forced the company to operate “entirely manually while the systems are rebuilt.” A slowdown in demand for alcohol has crushed several company’s bottom lines following the pandemic when people were stuck at home and stocked up. Stoli’s filings said that it has seen a “decline and softening of demand for alcohol and spirits products post-Covid and especially beginning in 2023 and continuing into 2024.” Stoli Group USA, maker of Stoli vodka, has filed for bankruptcy due to slowing demand for spirits, a major cyberattack, and ongoing legal battles with Russia. The-CNN-WireTM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Topline President-elect Donald Trump selected Brooke Rollins, one of his former policy advisors, as his nomination to lead the Department of Agriculture, the latest of Trump’s picks after tapping Project 2025 Russell Vought as head of the Office of Management and Budget and hedge fund mogul Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary. Key Facts Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here . Agriculture Secretary: Brooke Rollins Trump announced Brooke Rollins as his pick for agriculture secretary. Rollins served as a policy advisor during Trump’s first administration and is the president of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank founded by former Trump administration officials that has advocated against foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. She was reportedly considered for White House chief of staff before Susie Wiles was named to the role. Treasury Secretary: Scott Bessent Hedge fund executive Scott Bessent is Trump’s pick for treasury secretary. Bessent—who spoke recently with Forbes—had long been seen as a top choice for the role, especially as it was reported Trump was leaning toward someone with Wall Street experience. Bessent is the founder of Key Square Management, a hedge fund that had less than $600 million in assets under management at the end of last year, and worked for Democratic megadonor George Soros for years before that. Bessent donated about $3 million to Trump and other Republican causes this election season and previously said Trump was “very sophisticated on economic policy.” Bessent is known for being pro-tariff—tariffs are at the center of Trump’s economic policies—and called the import taxes a “negotiating tool with our trading partners” in a Fox News column last week. If confirmed, Bessent would make history as the first Senate-confirmed LGBTQ+ Republican Cabinet member. Director Of The Office Of Budget And Management Trump nominated Russell Vought as director of the Office of Budget and Management, potentially marking his second time in the role. Vought was the office’s director from 2020 to 2021 after serving as deputy director and acting director. Vought authored a chapter in the controversial Project 2025 policy agenda on the Executive Office of the President of the United States and will be in charge of overseeing the White House budget and implementation of Trump’s policies throughout the executive branch. He also reportedly said in secret camera footage published by the Centre for Climate Reporting that Trump “blessed” Project 2025 despite distancing himself from it on the campaign trail. Vought is expected to push for policy restructuring that provides more power to the president. Attorney General: Pam Bondi Trump announced former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his pick to lead the Justice Department—elevating an ally shortly after former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal. Bondi served as Florida’s top lawyer from 2011 to 2019, and later joined Trump’s defense team in his first Senate impeachment trial in 2020. She also served on a Trump-era commission on opioids and drug addiction. Attorney general is one of the most high-profile and highly anticipated appointments, as Trump has fiercely criticized the Justice Department for prosecuting him and is expected to drastically change its makeup—and possibly push for retribution against his opponents. In a Truth Social post , Trump said Bondi will “refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.” Secretary Of Defense: Pete Hegseth Trump selected Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense, praising his status as a combat veteran and role as a co-host on Fox & Friends Weekend. Revelations subsequently emerged that Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Monterey, California, hotel in 2017. The Monterey Police Department confirmed in a statement that it investigated the incident, but did not bring charges. Hegseth has denied the allegations through his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, who told multiple outlets last week he paid his accuser a settlement to avoid a lawsuit over the matter. Health And Human Services Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Health and Human Services Department, making good on his promise to give Kennedy broad leeway over public health. Kennedy, who ran for the Democratic nomination then as an independent candidate before dropping out and endorsing Trump, espouses debunked views on public health—including skepticism about the efficacy of childhood vaccines and the Covid-19 vaccine. He has also advocated for removing fluoride from public water, an idea Trump said he as open to. As HHS secretary, Kennedy would oversee 13 public health-related agencies, and has expressed plans to upend many of them, telling an audience at a conference in November he would halt infectious disease studies at the National Institutes of Health if given a role in the Trump administration. “I’m going to say to NIH scientists, God bless you all . . . thank you for your public service,” NBC reported. The surprise selection drew criticism from many Democrats, and some Republicans expressed wariness about the pick. Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence spoke against Kennedy as the pick to lead HHS in a statement and urged Senate Republicans to reject the nomination, citing Kennedy’s support of abortion rights. Secretary Of State: Marco Rubio Trump nominated Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla., as secretary of state. Rubio and Trump feuded when they both ran for president in 2016, but the two smoothed over their relationship during Trump’s most recent White House run. Rubio frequently campaigned for Trump and was said to be in the running to be his vice presidential pick. Some of Rubio’s foreign policy stances break with Trump, including his co-sponsorship of legislation last year that would prohibit a president from exiting NATO without congressional approval. Rubio would be the first Latino to hold the position, which is subject to Senate confirmation. Forbes estimated Rubio’s net worth at over $1 million—significantly less than some other members of Trump’s inner circle, but a jump since 2015, when he was worth just $100,000. Director Of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard Trump announced Tulsi Gabbard will serve as his Director of National Intelligence, a role that puts her at the head of the U.S. intelligence community. Gabbard is a former Democratic representative from Hawaii and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, perhaps best-known for clashing with Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2019. She left the party in 2022 and became an independent, before endorsing Trump in August and announcing she had joined the Republican Party. A critic of U.S. military interventions, Gabbard has drawn intense scrutiny for her foreign policy views, including for meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017 . Education Secretary: Linda Mcmahon Trump tapped former WWE CEO Linda McMahon as secretary of the Department of Education in an announcement Tuesday. McMahon is Trump’s transition co-chair alongside Lutnick and served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019. The nomination came after Lutnick was picked as commerce secretary over McMahon, who was “privately frustrated” she was not offered the position before Lutnick was tapped for it, Semafor reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter. McMahon is also the America First Policy Institute’s board chair, helping lead the think tank that has raised millions in support of Trump, according to CNN . Commerce Secretary: Howard Lutnick Howard Lutnick is Trump’s pick for commerce secretary, Trump confirmed Tuesday—picking him for the commerce role instead of treasury secretary. Trump, in a statement, called Lutnick “the embodiment of resilience in the face of unspeakable tragedy,” referencing his charitable contributions to 9/11 families after 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees, including Lutnick’s brother, died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, while Lutnick was CEO. Lutnick, who rebuilt the company after 9/11, has spent his entire career at Cantor Fitzgerald and became president and CEO of the financial services firm at the age of 29. His special purposes acquisition company, Cantor Fitzgerald Acquisition Corp., took the Rumble video platform popular among right-wing influencers public in 2022. As commerce secretary, Lutnick will play a role in implementing Trump’s plans for steeper tariffs and he has expressed broad support for the proposal. Lutnick was previously under consideration for treasury secretary—typically a more prominent Cabinet job—and earned support from Musk and Kennedy, but Trump ultimately turned his attention to other candidates after he reportedly became annoyed with Lutnick’s aggressive campaign for the treasury role. Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem for the role of secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Noem is a long-time Trump loyalist who was believed be a contender for Vice President. The appointee will be essential in carrying out Trump’s aggressive immigration plans, in addition to the agency’s duties surrounding cybersecurity, antiterrorism and emergency response. Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services Administrator: Mehmet Oz Trump announced Tuesday that Mehmet Oz , the celebrity doctor who lost his 2022 Senate bid to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., will fill the role. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump announced last week as his pick for Health and Human Services secretary. Oz’s rise to fame is largely tied to his frequent appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show in the early 2000s and his own subsequent daytime talk show. He’s accused of espousing questionable medical claims, including promoting the debunked theory that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine could treat Covid-19, and pushing so-called miracle weight loss products unsupported by scientific research. Trump endorsed Oz in his 2022 Senate campaign. Chief Of Staff: Susie Wiles Trump named his campaign co-manager Susie Wiles chief of staff two days after his election win, marking his first major administrative pick. Wiles will be the first woman to hold the position. Department Of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk And Vivek Ramaswamy Trump announced Elon Musk , the world’s wealthiest person, will run a new Department of Government Efficiency (or “DOGE”) alongside investor and former Republican primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy . Trump said in a statement the department—which has not yet been created—will offer “advice and guidance from outside of Government” and focus on “making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency,” including through spending and regulatory cuts. Musk, a vocal Trump backer who donated over $100 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, has pitched the department in the past, seemingly naming it after the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin. Homeland Security Adviser And Deputy Chief Of Staff For Policy: Stephen Miller Trump announced Stephen Miller as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, plus the additional role of homeland security adviser. Miller was a senior adviser to Trump during his first administration and one of the architects of some of his most controversial immigration policies, including his family separation program. Border Czar: Tom Homan Trump appointed his former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan to newly created role, he announced , as Trump plans a mass deportation of undocumented migrants during his second term. Cdc Director: Dave Weldon, Fda Commissioner: Marty Makary, Surgeon General: Janette Nesheiwat Trump announced former Rep. Dave Weldon , R-Fla.—who served in Congress from 1995 to 2009—as CDC director, and tapped Marty Makary , who became known for opposing vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, as FDA commissioner. He also named former Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat as his pick for surgeon general. Secretary Of Labor: Lori Chavez-Deremer Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer , R-Ore., was nominated as Trump’s secretary of labor. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 to represent Oregon’s 5th Congressional District and recently lost her reelection bid. Senior Director For Counterterrorism: Sebastian Gorka Sebastian Gorka was appointed as the deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism. He previously served as strategist to the president in the first Trump administration and is the host of his own radio show, “America First with Sebastian Gorka.” Hud Secretary: Scott Turner Trump named former NFL player Scott Turner as his pick for secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner served in the first Trump administration as the executive director of Trump’s White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. National Security Adviser: Mike Waltz Trump appointed Rep. Mike Waltz , R-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser. In recent months, Waltz—a former Army Green Beret—has frequently criticized China, urged NATO members to pay more for defense and said he expects Trump to push Ukraine and Russia toward a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine. Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum (and Head Of New National Energy Council) Trump nominated North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as secretary of the interior. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll be responsible for managing vast swaths of federally owned land, administering national parks and handling oil and gas drilling on federal property—which Trump has vowed to ramp up . Trump also tapped Burgum as chairman of the new National Energy Council, which will cut down on regulations and “oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE,” according to Trump . The position will also provide Burgum a seat on the National Security Council. First elected North Dakota governor in 2016, Burgum briefly ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries, but dropped out and endorsed Trump. A tech executive and investor by trade, Burgum previously ran Great Plains Software, remaining at the company after it was acquired by Microsoft. Last year, Forbes estimated his net worth at at least $100 million. Energy Secretary: Chris Wright Chris Wright , chief executive of the oilfield services group Liberty Energy, was named Trump’s nominee for secretary of energy. Wright has argued against climate change’s role in causing extreme weather events, saying in a video posted to LinkedIn last year “there is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.” He later disputed he was “[fighting] climate science,” despite saying the claims he made were “correct.” Transportation Secretary: Sean Duffy Trump nominated former Rep. Sean Duffy , R-Wisc., as secretary of transportation, lauding his time in Congress and his role as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Following his resignation from Congress in 2019, Duffy registered as a lobbyist and continued spending campaign funds on Trump’s D.C. hotel. The campaign spent more than $22,000 at Trump’s D.C. hotel between 2017 and 2020, $17,000 of which was spent in a single day in July 2019. Duffy is a co-host of Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line” and has contributed to Fox News since 2020. He is married to “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. Veterans Affairs Secretary: Doug Collins Trump picked former Rep. Doug Collins , R-Ga., as his secretary for veterans affairs. Collins served as a congressman from 2013 to 2021, and was known as a vocal backer of Trump in the chamber during his first administration. He is also a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. Collins vowed to “streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they've earned.” The former congressman was deployed to Iraq in 2008 as a member of the Air Force’s 94th Airlift Wing. Cia Director: John Ratlciffe Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will serve as CIA director. A former Texas congressman, Ratcliffe served as the director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021 and acted as Trump’s primary intelligence adviser during his last presidency. During his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe declassified unverified Russian intelligence information that claimed Hillary Clinton approved a plan to link Trump to Russia and the Democratic National Committee cyberattacks in 2016. Democrats criticized Ratcliffe’s decision to publicly release the information, alleging he was politicizing unverified information to aid Trump. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Lee Zeldin Trump tapped former Rep. Lee Zeldin , R-N.Y., to lead the EPA, citing his “very strong legal background” and calling him “a true fighter for America First policies” in a statement. Zeldin—a Trump ally who ran for New York governor two years ago—“will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American business while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards,” the statement said. Fcc Chair: Brendan Carr Trump named Brendan Carr to chair the Federal Communications Commission. Carr has served as one of the FCC’s five commissioners since 2017, when Trump first appointed him to the agency. He’s known as a critic of big tech companies, writing a chapter of the controversial Project 2025 agenda—which Trump has broadly disavowed—that argued the FCC should narrow the immunity enjoyed by tech platforms and require companies to be transparent about their content moderation decisions. He’s also used his platform at the FCC to back Musk. He’ll take over the FCC as Trump pushes the agency to revoke the licenses of broadcast TV stations whose coverage he claims is unfair—though that could be very difficult in practice . Un Ambassador: Elise Stefanik Trump nominated GOP Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik , R-N.Y., for the United Nations ambassador role. Stefanik is known as a staunch Trump ally. Special Envoy To The Middle East: Steven C. Witkoff Trump tapped Steven Witkoff , a GOP donor and real estate investor, for special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff is chairman of the University of Miami Business School Real Estate Advisory Board and the CEO of Witkoff, a real estate firm he founded in 1997. He is also a longtime friend of Trump’s and one of the president-elect’s golf partners . Witkoff was with Trump during the apparent second assassination attempt on his life, telling NBC that Secret Service agents dived on Trump and got him off his Florida golf course in under 20 seconds. U.s. Nato Ambassador: Matthew Whitaker Trump announced on Wednesday Matthew Whitaker will serve as the official U.S. representative to NATO. Whitaker was the former U.S. acting attorney general appointed after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned and before former Attorney General William Barr was sworn in during Trump’s first term. Whitaker oversaw the DOJ during former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and was heavily scrutinized by Democrats over whether he sought to interfere in the probe on Trump’s behalf, allegations he denied. Whitaker frequently appears on Fox News as an advocate for Trump, defending his decision to tap Gaetz as attorney general last week and broadly criticizing the Justice Department over its various investigations into Trump’s conduct. Ambassador To Israel: Mike Huckabee Trump announced former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as his envoy to Israel last week, touting his military service as he served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years. Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israel and has criticized the Biden administration’s calls for a cease-fire with Hamas. Huckabee has advocated for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967, and has backed Israeli settlers in the territory. A former Southern Baptist pastor, Huckabee regularly leads evangelicals on visits to Israel. White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt Karoline Leavitt , the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, will serve as White House Press Secretary once the president-elect assumes his office. Leavitt, 27, was an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first presidency. She also won the Republican primary in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District in 2022, becoming the second Gen Z candidate to win a House primary . White House Communications Director: Steven Cheung Trump picked his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung , to serve as his communications director at the White House. Cheung was the director of communications for the president-elect’s 2024 presidential campaign and served as director of strategic response during Trump’s last term, after working in communications for the Ultimate Fighting Championship previously. Other White House Jobs Other Justice Department Jobs Key Background Trump decamped to Mar-a-Lago after his win, holding meetings with his inner circle, administration hopefuls and transition team to craft his second term agenda and build out his staff. Trump is shaping his second-term agenda with the help of several right-wing groups, his closest allies and billionaire backers. Musk, who has been spotted on numerous occasions alongside Trump since his election, is among those who appear to be influencing Trump’s policy and personnel decisions. Lutnick is also overseeing a team making recommendations for personnel picks and vetting potential candidates, and Miller is expected to play a key role in making the final decisions. The right-wing think tank America First Policy Institute is reportedly the primary driver of Trump’s transition plans and has been crafting possible executive actions for Trump once he takes office. The organization is chaired by McMahon and led by former Trump Domestic Policy Counsel Director Brook Rollins. Further Reading What We Know About Trump’s Potential Cabinet—With RFK Jr. And Elon Musk Among The Candidates (Forbes) Who Will Help Shape Trump’s Policy Agenda? Here Are The Key Groups And Players (Forbes) Stephen Miller Will Reportedly Lead Trump’s Policy Agenda—Here’s Who Else Could Help Him (Forbes)Ustby, Donarski lead No. 16 North Carolina women over Villanova 53-36 in Battle 4 Atlantis semifinalLea Miller-Tooley hopped off a call to welcome the Baylor women’s basketball team to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, where 80-degree temperatures made it easy for the Bears to settle in on Paradise Island a week before Thanksgiving. About 5,000 miles west of the Caribbean nation, similar climes awaited Maui Invitational men's teams in Hawaii. They’ve often been greeted with leis, the traditional Hawaiian welcome of friendship. College basketball teams and fans look forward to this time of the year. The holiday week tournaments feature buzzworthy matchups and all-day TV coverage, sure, but there is a familiarity about them as they help ward off the November chill. For four decades, these sandy-beach getaways filled with basketball have become a beloved mainstay of the sport itself. “When you see (ESPN’s) ‘Feast Week’ of college basketball on TV, when you see the Battle 4 Atlantis on TV, you know college basketball is back,” said Miller-Tooley, the founder and organizer of the Battle 4 Atlantis men's and women's tournaments. “Because it’s a saturated time of the year with the NFL, college football and the NBA. But when you see these gorgeous events in these beautiful places, you realize, ‘Wow, hoops are back, let’s get excited.’” The Great Alaska Shootout was the trend-setting multiple-team event (MTE) nearly five decades ago. The brainchild of late Alaska-Anchorage coach Bob Rachal sought to raise his program’s profile by bringing in national-power programs, which could take advantage of NCAA rules allowing them to exceed the maximum allotment of regular-season games if they played the three-game tournament outside the contiguous 48 states. The first edition, named the Sea Wolf Classic, saw N.C. State beat Louisville 72-66 for the title on Nov. 26, 1978. The Maui Invitational followed in November 1984, borne from the buzz of NAIA program Chaminade’s shocking upset of top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 star Ralph Sampson in Hawaii two years earlier. Events kept coming, with warm-weather locales getting in on the action. The Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The Cayman Islands Classic. The Jamaica Classic. The Myrtle Beach Invitational joining the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. Numerous tournaments in Florida. Some events have faded away like the Puerto Rico Tipoff and the Great Alaska Shootout, the latter in 2017 amid event competition and schools opting for warm-weather locales. Notre Dame takes on Chaminade during the first half of a 2017 game in Lahaina, Hawaii. Miller-Tooley’s push to build an MTE for Atlantis began as a December 2010 doubleheader with Georgia Tech beating Richmond and Virginia Tech beating Mississippi State in a prove-it moment for a tournament’s viability. It also required changing NCAA legislation to permit MTEs in the Bahamas. Approval came in March 2011; the first eight-team Atlantis men’s tournament followed in November. That tournament quickly earned marquee status with big-name fields, with Atlantis champions Villanova (2017) and Virginia (2018) later winning that season’s NCAA title. Games run in a ballroom-turned-arena at the resort, where players also check out massive swimming pools, water slides and inner-tube rapids surrounded by palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s just the value of getting your passport stamped, that will never get old,” Miller-Tooley said. “Watching some of these kids, this may be their first and last time – and staff and families – that they ever travel outside the United States. ... You can see through these kids’ eyes that it’s really an unbelievable experience.” ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock knows that firsthand. His Louisville team finished second at Atlantis in 2012 and won that year’s later-vacated NCAA title, with Hancock as the Final Four's most outstanding player. “I remember (then-coach Rick Pitino) saying something to the effect of: ‘Some of you guys might never get this opportunity again. We’re staying in this unbelievable place, you’re doing it with people you love,’” Hancock said. “It was a business trip for us there at Thanksgiving, but he definitely had a tone of ‘We’ve got to enjoy this as well.’” Maui offers similar vibes, though 2024 could be a little different as Lahaina recovers from deadly 2023 wildfires that forced the event's relocation last year. North Carolina assistant coach Sean May played for the Tar Heels’ Maui winner in 2004 and was part of UNC’s staff for the 2016 champion, with both teams later winning the NCAA title. May said “you just feel the peacefulness” of the area — even while focusing on games — and savors memories of the team taking a boat out on the Pacific Ocean after title runs under now-retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams. “Teams like us, Dukes, UConns – you want to go to places that are very well-run,” May said. “Maui, Lea Miller with her group at the Battle 4 Atlantis, that’s what drives teams to come back because you know you’re going to get standard A-quality of not only the preparation but the tournament with the way it’s run. Everything is top-notch. And I think that brings guys back year after year.” That’s why Colorado coach Tad Boyle is so excited for the Buffaloes’ first Maui appearance since 2009. “We’ve been trying to get in the tournament since I got here,” said Boyle, now in his 15th season. And of course, that warm-weather setting sure doesn’t hurt. “If you talk about the Marquettes of the world, St. John’s, Providence – they don’t want that cold weather,” said NBA and college TV analyst Terrence Oglesby, who played for Clemson in the 2007 San Juan Invitational in Puerto Rico. “They’re going to have to deal with that all January and February. You might as well get a taste of what the sun feels like.” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo argues a call during the first half of a Nov. 16 game against Bowling Green in East Lansing, Michigan. Mi zzo is making his fourth trip to Maui. The men’s Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, got things rolling last week with No. 11 Tennessee routing No. 13 Baylor for the title. The week ahead could boast matchups befitting the Final Four, with teams having two weeks of action since any opening-night hiccups. “It’s a special kickoff to the college basketball season,” Oglesby said. “It’s just without the rust.” On the women’s side, Atlantis began its fourth eight-team women’s tournament Saturday with No. 16 North Carolina and No. 18 Baylor, while the nearby Baha Mar resort follows with two four-team women’s brackets that include No. 2 UConn, No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Mississippi and No. 20 N.C. State. Then come the men’s headliners. The Maui Invitational turns 40 as it opens Monday back in Lahaina. It features second-ranked and two-time reigning national champion UConn, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 10 North Carolina. The Battle 4 Atlantis opens its 13th men’s tournament Wednesday, topped by No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 16 Indiana and No. 17 Arizona. Michigan State Hall of Famer Tom Izzo is making his fourth trip to Maui, where he debuted as Jud Heathcote’s successor at the 1995 tournament. Izzo's Spartans have twice competed at Atlantis, last in 2021. “They’re important because they give you something in November or December that is exciting,” Izzo said. Any drawbacks? “It’s a 10-hour flight,” he said of Hawaii. Mike Tyson, left, slaps Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal serves during a training session at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, in Malaga, southern Spain, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark reacts after missing a shot on the 18th hole in the final round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) fails to pull in a pass against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson) Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, top right, scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) India's Tilak Varma jumps in the air as he celebrates after scoring a century during the third T20 International cricket match between South Africa and India, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski warms up before facing the Seattle Kraken in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Kansas State players run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) A fan rapped in an Uruguay flag arrives to the stands for a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) People practice folding a giant United States flag before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Marquinhos attempts to stop the sprinklers that were turned on during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Monumental stadium in Maturin, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Georgia's Georges Mikautadze celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League, group B1 soccer match between Georgia and Ukraine at the AdjaraBet Arena in Batumi, Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Tamuna Kulumbegashvili) Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque, right, attempts to score while Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) and Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) keep the puck out of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Fans argue in stands during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Thursday Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova hits a return against Danielle Collins, of the United States, during a tennis match at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Malaga, southern Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) falls after driving to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against New Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) England's Anthony Gordon celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Katie Taylor, left, lands a right to Amanda Serrano during their undisputed super lightweight title bout, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DJ Turner, right, tackles Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington, left, on a punt return during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) A fan takes a picture of the moon prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Uruguay and Colombia in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich) Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario misses the third goal during the Nations League soccer match between Italy and France, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) UConn's Paige Bueckers (5) battles North Carolina's Laila Hull, right, for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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lucky winner 99bet EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings waived cornerback Akayleb Evans on Saturday in another setback for their beleaguered 2022 draft class. Evans started 15 games last season, but he had been relegated to a special teams role this year after the Vikings added veteran cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin. Evans was a fourth-round pick out of Missouri, one of three defensive backs among Minnesota's first five selections in 2022. Lewis Cine (first round) was waived and Andrew Booth (second round) was traded earlier this year. One of their second-round picks, guard Ed Ingram, lost his starting spot last week. Evans was let go to clear a roster spot for tight end Nick Muse, who was activated from injured reserve to play on Sunday at Chicago. The Vikings ruled tight end Josh Oliver out of the game with a sprained ankle. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

The Sixth High-Level Strategic Dialogue between Qatar and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), was held at the headquarters of the UN, in New York. HE Permanent Representative of Qatar to the UN, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani, and HE Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, ambassador Faisal bin Abdullah al-Hanzab, participated in the dialogue as representatives of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee of Qatar. Representing the UN at the dialogue were Under-Secretary-General of UNOCT, Vladimir Voronkov, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), Natalia Gherman, and Co-ordinator of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, Colin Smith. The dialogue discussed co-operation between Qatar and UNOCT, along with the achievements made during the previous dialogue that was held in June 2023. Addressing the dialogue, HE Sheikha Alya hailed the productive collaboration between Qatar and UNOCT, noting the importance of the dialogue in sharing perspectives on priorities and strategic initiatives, in addition to reviewing the activities UNOCT conducts with the support from Qatar. She highlighted the unwavering co-ordination between Qatar and other counter-terrorism relevant UN agencies. For his part, HE al-Hanzab affirmed that Qatar is committed to diligently continuing its ironclad partnership with UNOCT, welcoming the UNOCT's achievements through the programmes, projects and activities UNOCT is implementing with funding from Qatar, as the main donor to the UN Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism. The UNOCT Under-Secretary-General expressed the UN's appreciation to the political and financial support Qatar is providing to UNOCT, which has contributed to implementing numerous effective capacity-building programmes, convening high-level conferences and supporting coordination at the level of UN system in counter-terrorism field. Related Story QCAA holds training programme for 3rd batch of Egyptian air traffic controllers QNL explores strategies to support language development among childrenFor the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter , with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal . His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft . Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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By MARC LEVY HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania conceded his reelection bid to Republican David McCormick on Thursday, as a statewide recount showed no signs of closing the gap and his campaign suffered repeated blows in court in its effort to get potentially favorable ballots counted. Casey’s concession comes more than two weeks after Election Day, as a grindingly slow ballot-counting process became a spectacle of hours-long election board meetings, social media outrage, lawsuits and accusations that some county officials were openly flouting the law. Republicans had been claiming that Democrats were trying to steal McCormick’s seat by counting “illegal votes.” Casey’s campaign had accused of Republicans of trying to block enough votes to prevent him from pulling ahead and winning. In a statement, Casey said he had just called McCormick to congratulate him. “As the first count of ballots is completed, Pennsylvanians can move forward with the knowledge that their voices were heard, whether their vote was the first to be counted or the last,” Casey said. The Associated Press called the race for McCormick on Nov. 7, concluding that not enough ballots remained to be counted in areas Casey was winning for him to take the lead. As of Thursday, McCormick led by about 16,000 votes out of almost 7 million ballots counted. That was well within the 0.5% margin threshold to trigger an automatic statewide recount under Pennsylvania law. But no election official expected a recount to change more than a couple hundred votes or so, and Pennsylvania’s highest court dealt him a blow when it refused entreaties to allow counties to count mail-in ballots that lacked a correct handwritten date on the return envelope. Republicans will have a 53-47 majority next year in the U.S. Senate. Follow Marc Levy at twitter.com/timelywriterBrandon Nunez tosses 2 TD passes to help New Mexico State beat Middle Tennessee 36-21

Photo: The Canadian Press A lone killer whale breaks the water in a Comox, B.C., harbour on Tuesday July 31, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jen Osborne A family of killer whales has made a rare trip into waters off downtown Vancouver for what an expert says was likely a "grocery shopping" hunt for harbour seals. Video shared on social media by False Creek Ferries shows the whales cruising past highrise towers at the entrance to False Creek on Sunday. Andrew Trites, director of the University of British Columbia's marine mammal research unit, has identified the whales as a family group of transient orcas consisting of a mother and her three offspring. He says it's the first time the 26-year-old mother, known as T35A, has shown up in downtown Vancouver with her children aged six, 11 and 14. Trites says the well documented family has previously been seen by marine researchers from Alaska to the Strait of Juan de Fuca south of Vancouver Island. He attributes the pod's surprising downtown appearance to seals also changing their habits as they hide from orcas, forcing killer whales to hunt in backwater areas like False Creek. Trites says the video shows the whales moving quietly like "ghosts" to avoid alerting their prey. Killer whales have previously been spotted in False Creek, including in 2019, and in 2010 a grey whale swam all the way to the end of the inlet, near Science World.Channel 4's 24 Hours in Police Custody looks at 'disturbing' cyber stalking case against couple

RTE star Sinead Kennedy has opened up on her Christmas plans and revealed the reason she doesn't share her kids on social media. The Today Show star and her husband Conor Kirwan share two kids together, daughter Indie and baby Theo. In a recent interview with RSVP Live , Sinead revealed her family's plans for the festive season. The Cork native said: " We are going to go home to Brussels before Christmas to get a few days at the Christmas markets. My in-laws will be there so it will be a lovely family time. " For actual Christmas Day and week, we will be in Ireland between Cork and Dublin. We used to split our time, so we would spend the morning together and then head to our families, but it is different when you have kids. " The 40-year-old also spoke about her sister's recent wedding and told how it has added to the chaos. She said: "My sister Aisling also got married a few weeks ago which has added to the chaos. I was the only bridesmaid, so there was fierce excitement. We had the most incredible time and she was sensational. "I think this Christmas, it will be nice to chill together as a family and chat about the wedding as she is only back from her honeymoon so we all need to decompress and re-live it." The popular presenter also revealed the reason herself and Conor have decided to keep their kids off social media. The mum-of-two explained: " Conor is so chilled and while we talk about everything, this was not something we discussed prior to having kids , it is just the way it is. Before I was pregnant, I finished a documentary about online child sexual abuse, so I had my mind long made up before I had the kids. "It just wasn’t for me, it was very obvious that I was never going to share them anywhere. I think their image and privacy is theirs. I want to safeguard that, and that’s my job. If they want to be all over social media when they’re of age, that’s completely within their right, and that’s their call. But as their parents, this is the decision we have made for them. I don’t even share them in WhatsApp groups – once it is out there, it is out of your control." For the Christmas week in work, Sinead and her co-host Daithi O Se got all dolled up to go out on air. The RTE stars were presenting special episodes for the festive season all week. On Monday's show, Daithi looked dapper wearing a black t-shirt, grey jeans and a brown suede blazer. While Sinead stunned in a sparkly silver sweater and a pair of metallic jeans. The Cork native took to Instagram after the programme to share her outfit details with fans. Sinead and Daithi posed for smiling selfie on set in the RTE studio with the incredible festive decorations behind them. The mum-of-two captioned her post: "Christmas week in work. The countdown is officially on!!" Sinead's friends and fans all loved her snap as they raced to the comment section with compliments. Michael said: "Sinead you are such fun on the Today show you honestly make it all worthwhile." Mary commented: "You're a little pocket rocket @imsineadkennedy and dah-hay as the other one calls Daithi."VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis will visit the French Mediterranean island of Corsica in December, days after skipping the reopening of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral which was ravaged by a fire in 2019, the Vatican said on Saturday. Francis, 87, declined an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Notre Dame reopening ceremony in Paris on December 7. He will however head to Corsica's capital Ajaccio for a conference on the Catholic faith in the Mediterranean one week later on December 15, the Vatican said. Some French bishops were "annoyed" by the Pope's decision to stay away from the Notre Dame gala, according to one bishop speaking on condition of anonymity. But the head of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF) Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort said: "The star of the Notre Dame reopening ceremony is Notre Dame itself." The Pope had not wanted his presence to be a distraction from the essential point of the occasion, he added. "It's not a snub aimed at France," said another bishop. Francis's one-day trip to Corsica will be the first papal visit to the island, where 90 percent of its 350,000 population is Catholic, according to the local Church, and religious traditions remain deeply rooted. He will give two speeches, preside over a mass and meet Macron during his nine hours on the island, the Vatican said. "It is a historic event, we will give ourselves the extraordinary means to put on an exceptional welcome for the Holy Father," said Bishop of Ajaccio Francois-Xavier Bustillo said in a video posted on social media. Francis, who will celebrate his 88th birthday on December 17, has been to France twice since becoming head of the worldwide Catholic Church in 2013. He visited Strasbourg in 2014, where he addressed the European Parliament, and last year went to Marseille for a meeting of Mediterranean area bishops, where he met Macron. He has yet to make a state visit to France, one of Europe's main majority-Catholic countries. He is also yet to make state visits to Spain, the United Kingdom or Germany. The Argentine pontiff prefers visiting smaller or less established Catholic communities, from Malta to Mongolia. The Corsica visit was championed by the popular media-friendly Bustillo, who was made a cardinal by Pope Francis in September 2023. "It will not be a state visit, but a pastoral visit. It will be a beautiful moment, a moment of hope and joy," he told AFP. In addition, the head of the Catholic Church is scheduled to be at the Vatican on December 7-8 for a service at which he will create 21 new cardinals. Rescheduling appointments over coming months would appear to be tricky, given the multitude of events due to take place in Rome in 2025, a Catholic jubilee year. Bustillo is one of the active cardinals Francis has appointed in the Mediterranean region, with the pope keen they "work together to meet the specific challenges of the area", a bishop told AFP on condition of anonymity. Those issues include migration, global warming and interreligious dialogue. Corsica will be the 47th overseas visit for Francis and his third this year, after a long tour of the Asia Pacific in early September and a trip to Belgium and Luxembourg the same month.After Amendment 3′s failure, small hemp retailers may profit from continued recreational pot banCVR Energy Announces Pricing of Proposed Senior Secured Term Loan B Facility, 2025 Capital Expenditure Outlook, New Employment Agreement with Dave Lamp

European stocks bounced around Monday while US equities shook off early weakness to push higher as investors waited to see if a so-called Santa Claus rally sweeps over the market. Global stock markets had a tumultuous time last week, spiraling lower after the US Federal Reserve signaled fewer interest rate cuts than had been expected for 2025. But it ended on a positive note as traders welcomed below-forecast US inflation data that raised hopes about the health of the world's biggest economy. That helped Asian markets move higher on Monday, but the positive trend faltered in Europe and stumbled initially in the United States. "Another up leg in US yields not only put pressure on stock indices but also drove the greenback higher," said IG analyst Axel Rudolph. But after a sluggish start, US stocks rose progressively in a quiet session with analysts pointing to low pre-holiday trading volumes. "Stocks didn't really have any direction in the morning, then we got this tech rally that just sort of drifted higher all day," said Steve Sosnick of Interactive Brokers. Analysts view elevated Treasury bond yields as a threat to year-end gains in an historically strong period of the calendar. Known as a Santa Claus rally, there are various explanations for the phenomenon including seasonal optimism and end-of-year tax considerations. But there remains some trepidation among investors as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, pledging to cut taxes, slash regulations and impose tariffs on imports, which some economists warn could reignite inflation. "The initial response to the US election was positive as investors focused on the obvious tailwinds to profitability: lower corporate tax rates and less regulation," said Ronald Temple, chief market strategist at Lazard. "However, I expect much more dispersion within the equity market when the reality of a much-less-friendly trade environment sets in." In Europe, the FTSE 100 moved higher as the pound slid following data that showed that the UK economy stagnated in the third quarter, revised down from initial estimates of 0.1 percent growth. Official data out of Spain on Monday showed that the Spanish economy grew 0.8 percent in the third quarter as domestic consumption and exports increased, comfortably outstripping the European Union average. In company news, shares in crisis-hit German auto giant Volkswagen lost more than three percent on the back of news Friday that it plans to axe 35,000 jobs by 2030 in a drastic cost-cutting plan. Shares in Japanese auto giant Honda rose over three percent after it announced Monday an agreement to launch merger talks with struggling compatriot Nissan that could create the world's third largest automaker. More from this section New York - Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 42,906.95 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.7 percent at 5,974.89 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: UP 1.0 percent at 19,764.89 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 8,102.72 (close) Paris - CAC 40: FLAT at 7,272.32 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.2 percent at 19,848.77 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.2 percent at 39,161.34 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.8 percent at 19,883.13 (close) Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.5 percent at 3,351.26 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0408 from $1.0430 on Friday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2531 from $1.2570 Dollar/yen: UP at 157.14 yen from 156.31 yen Euro/pound: UP at 83.03 pence from 82.97 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.3 percent at $69.24 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $72.63 per barrel burs-jmb/jgcWright runs for 118 yards and 2 TDs, No. 13 Illinois State gets 1st win over North Dakota, 35-13

MENLO PARK, Calif. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BillionToOne, a next-generation molecular diagnostics company with a mission to create powerful and accurate tests that are accessible to all, today announced that they will be presenting at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, CA , on January 14, 2025 . BillionToOne marks a transformative year of achievements as it looks toward 2025. The company closed an oversubscribed, upsized Series D funding round led by Premji Invest in June, and was recently recognized as the Biotech Breakthrough Awards' Diagnostics Company of the Year. More than 500,000 patients have received BillionToOne tests to date, and the company has grown from $0M to $150M+ in annual recurring revenue over the past five years. This will be BillionToOne's second year in attendance at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, and the company will present on the topic of "Redefining Molecular Diagnostics with Single-Molecule Precision." Presentation details are as follows: Location: Mission Bay (32nd Floor) at The Westin Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Time: 2:30-2:55 pm PT A webcast and presentation materials will be available on BillionToOne's website: https://billiontoone.com/event/jpm-2025-43rd-annual-healthcare-conference/ About BillionToOne Headquartered in Menlo Park, California , BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company on a mission to make molecular diagnostics more accurate, efficient, and accessible for everyone. The company's patented Quantitative Counting TechnologyTM (QCTTM) molecular counting platform is the only multiplex technology that can accurately count DNA molecules at the single-molecule level. For more information, please visit www.billiontoone.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/billiontoone-to-present-at-the-43rd-annual-jp-morgan-healthcare-conference-302338634.html SOURCE BillionToOne Best trending stories from the week. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. You may occasionally receive promotions exclusive discounted subscription offers from the Roswell Daily Record. Feel free to cancel any time via the unsubscribe link in the newsletter you received. You can also control your newsletter options via your user dashboard by signing in.Democrat Bob Casey concedes to Republican David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate contestCanberra's fragmented public health system has let patients down, the boss says, as the organisation embarks on a massive restructure. Black Friday Sale Subscribe Now! Login or signup to continue reading All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue Dave Peffer said the service is shifting away from a management structure focused on divisions and towards a structure putting patients at the centre of the system. "A bad system will beat a good person every single time and I think we've seen that in the territory in our healthcare system for many years and that's what we're attempting to change," he said. Mr Peffer said the health service often received comments about how staff and patients were being let down by the system. "What I've seen in a lot of complaints is comments about how wonderful the nurses are, the allied health team members, the doctors but people feel like the system let them down," he said. "I think for a lot of our workforce, they feel exactly the same. They're working hard and it's the system, this nebulous concept, that lets them down." There are several divisions within Canberra Health Services, including the division of medicine and the division of surgery. Mr Peffer said divisions were often siloed and this fragmented the system. He said over recent months there had been changes and restructures to how the health services work. Canberra Health Services' Rebekah Ogilvie and Shannon Reakes work in the operations centre at Canberra Hospital. Picture by Keegan Carroll "Shifting towards a management structure and model like this does move away from a fragmented system based on divisions and clinician types and it moves much more to a view of the patient and all of the things that need to neatly come together to provide a great healthcare journey from the point they enter our care to the point that we get them home safely," he said. "We take this concept of magnifying the patient's voice in their care as opposed to divisional structures and how an organisation might look on a page." Mr Peffer said he was hopeful the system changes would help improve the hospital's work culture, which has been a huge issue for years . Canberra Hospital has struggled with long emergency department wait times but Mr Peffer said there had been a noticeable improvement as a result of changes being pursued. He said data would be released shortly showing the ACT as one of the better performers in the nation after years of languishing at the bottom . Canberra Health Services chief executive Dave Peffer. Picture by Elesa Kurtz "The territory has really struggled with its ED wait times. That's well known, it's been the situation for many years," Mr Peffer said. Canberra Hospital's new operations centre is at the core of the changes being pursued by the organisation. The centre oversees the health service and manages patient flow at the hospital. Mr Peffer said the centre was backed by Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith. The centre has screens across its walls showing a patient's journey from when they enter the hospital to when they are discharged. People in the centre are able to see potential bed blocks and are able to intervene to prevent these. Canberra Health Services chief operating officer Grant Howard said it's about putting the responsibility onto the system and not clinicians who are busy treating patients. "We're the system managers, if you're looking for someone to be responsible for the system it's us, it's not the surgeon or physician. They've got a contribution to make but someone's got to be responsible for the system," Dr Howard said. Dr Howard said the operations centre brought together the different parts of the system to work for the patient's best interests. "The concept of a system is it's a number of departments that all have to work together to achieve something and if all those departments work independently and not in a coordinated way then you're not going to get what you're trying to get for the patient," he said. "There's all the preparation that goes into what looks like good and what the patient experiences as good is different depending on which of the service modes you're in." The centre was set up by health consultancy firm Keezz . The firm previously worked with Dr Howard in Queensland and New Zealand. Keezz unsuccessfully sued the New Zealand hospital where Dr Howard worked over the value of its work. Canberra Health Services said all proper processes were followed. Dr Howard was not involved in the procurement processes and a similar lawsuit could not occur under the terms of the Canberra Health Services contract. Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy Lucy Bladen Reporter Canberra Times Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au More from ACT Politics 'A bad system will beat a good person': massive restructure for ACT health system 15m ago No comment s 'Troubling': Audit finds transparency problems with how levy is spent No comment s This judge said nothing wrong about rape trials. So why is everyone so outraged? No comment s Geocon's full plans for Phillip pool revealed - 286 units are just the start No comment s Does the ACT have a recession-proof economy? 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Apple’s UK engineering teams have ‘doubled in size in five years’MCNEESE 76, ILLINOIS STATE 68Americans Need $5.3 Million Net Worth to Be Considered Financially Successful: Survey

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Tax reforms will eliminate traces of colonial rule in Nigeria’s economy — Tinubu

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks took a bumpy path to sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Sunday's 26-21 win over the Jets featured several special teams miscues, including a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by New York. On the flip side, the Seahawks got their second pick-6 in as many weeks and just enough production by Geno Smith and the offense. The Seahawks' uneven performance was characteristic of a season in which they started 3-0, then lost five of six before winning another three in a row to take command of their underachieving division. Seattle (7-5) leads Arizona by one game, with a matchup against the Cardinals looming next weekend. Zach Charbonnet gave Seattle its first lead of the day on an 8-yard touchdown run with 5:37 to go, and the Seahawks' defense capped another strong outing with a game-sealing stop on fourth down. After a sack by Leonard Williams gave the Jets a fourth-and-15 at the 34-yard line, Aaron Rodgers threw a desperation pass to Garrett Wilson that fell incomplete, giving Seattle the ball with 33 seconds left. What’s working Williams is on a tear. After losing out on NFC defensive player of the week honors last week to teammate Coby Bryant despite 2 1/2 sacks and four quarterback hits, “Big Cat” had an even better game. Williams finished with two sacks, three tackles for loss, a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown that was the longest pick-6 in NFL history by a defensive lineman, and a blocked extra point. The touchdown was the first of Williams’ career. He became the first player since 1982 with multiple sacks, an interception return for a touchdown and a blocked kick in a game. Maybe this week the league will agree he was the NFC's best defender. What needs help The special teams could not have been much worse in the first half. The Seahawks fumbled three kickoffs, losing two, and allowed Kene Nwangwu's 99-yard kickoff return for a TD. Dee Williams fumbled on a kickoff in the first quarter to give New York the ball at the 27-yard line, and four plays later, Rodgers hit Isaiah Davis for a touchdown to give the Jets a 14-0 lead. Laviska Shenault Jr. muffed two kicks and fumbled at the Seattle 38-yard line in the second quarter. Seattle also had an extra point blocked. Stock up Smith led his third game-winning drive of the season and his 11th since he became Seattle’s starting quarterback in 2022. Facing the team that drafted him in 2013, Smith went 20 of 31 for 206 yards and a touchdown. For the first time in five weeks, he was not intercepted. The Seahawks trailed by 14 points on two occasions, but Smith brought Seattle back while avoiding the untimely picks that dogged him recently. He threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Barner in the second quarter, and led the Seahawks on a go-ahead nine-play, 71-yard touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. Stock down Coach Mike Macdonald and his staff have to address the problem with their kick returners, Shenault and Dee Williams. Two lost fumbles and several muffs could have easily cost Seattle the game. Injuries WR DK Metcalf left the game briefly with a knee issue but returned. ... P Michael Dickson was unavailable in the fourth quarter because of back spasms. Key number 38 — The Seahawks decided to go for it on fourth-and-6 at their own 33-yard line with 9:34 left in the game. A primary reason was that Dickson was unavailable to punt because of back spasms. The Jets were flagged for having 12 men on the field after sending a punt returner out, which gave Seattle fourth-and-1 at the 38. The Seahawks got a first down after Jets cornerback Quantez Stiggers was flagged for pass interference on Metcalf, and eight players later, Charbonnet scored to put Seattle ahead. Without going for it on fourth down from their own 38, the Seahawks likely would’ve lost. Up next The Seahawks will seek a season sweep of the Cardinals. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Shane Lantz, The Associated PressNurix Therapeutics chief legal officer sells $125,155 in stockmpo99bet 。

Seahawks have taken a bumpy path to first place in the NFC WestSadiq Khan has been asked to lobby the Government to create a “Road Safety Investigation Branch” to closely examine deaths and injuries caused by vehicle collisions. In a unanimous, cross-party vote at City Hall earlier this month, the mayor was urged by the London Assembly to raise the idea with ministers, amid concerns over the number of people still being killed each year on the capital’s road network . According to Transport for London (TfL), there were 95 people killed and 3,615 people seriously injured on London’s road network in 2023. This was down from 102 deaths and 3,859 serious injuries in 2022. The mayor’s ambition, set out in his “Vision Zero action plan” is to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from the capital’s roads by 2041. But Green assembly member Caroline Russell has pointed out that there is a disparity when it comes to investigating road deaths, compared with those on the railway network. For the latter, accidents are independently investigated by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, which produces a comprehensive report detailing what went wrong and what action should be taken to prevent repeat episodes. No such body exists for accidents caused by road vehicles, leading Ms Russell to put forward a motion on November 7 calling on the mayor to lobby for an equivalent ‘Road Safety Investigation Branch’. The idea was backed by all parties on the Assembly. Asked last week about it, the mayor told the Standard he had not seen the motion, saying: “I’m sure that will come to me in due course. I’ll look at it.” Pressed on why he was not aware, given that it was agreed almost two weeks previously, he said: “The bad news is I receive more than one letter to my office a day, but I’ll wait and see the motion when I see it.” The motion also asked Mr Khan to “urgently prioritise bringing forward” an updated version of his Vision Zero strategy. He said: “We’ve got a Vision Zero policy. Last year we had the lowest numbers of deaths and serious injuries [on London’s roads] since records began, since [i.e. with the exception of] the pandemic. I’m incredibly proud of our record. “By the way, many of the Assembly are against our policies of 20mph on our streets, many MPs are [too]... Many assembly members are against school streets. Many assembly members and MPs are against walking and cycling. “I’m really proud that in this most recent Budget from the Government, I secured almost double the money for capital spending for TfL compared to last year. That will help us [to] improve streets in London. Londoners know that when I’m the mayor, I work with councils and others to keep our streets safe. “I’m not going to apologise for not seeing a motion. If you’re criticising me for not seeing a motion, that’s up to you.” A spokeswoman for Mr Khan later contacted the Standard with the following additional comment: “Every death or serious injury on our streets is devastating, bringing heartache and tragedy to all those involved and the mayor remains committed to his Vision Zero goal. “Significant progress has already been made to make our streets safer including the Bus Safety Standard, expansion of the Cycleways network, 20mph speed limits, and the victim support pilot. “Last year was the lowest year on record for people being killed on our roads excluding 2020 and 2021, which were heavily affected by pandemic-related lockdowns and changes in travel patterns. “However, while significant progress is being made, the mayor recognises further action is needed to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from London’s streets. We are updating our Vision Zero action plan and will publish the new plan early next year.” She said that the mayor’s office will look in detail at the motion, before deciding whether to lobby for a Road Safety Investigation Branch. In 2022, the last Conservative Government proposed creating a Branch of the same name, specifically to investigate road collisions, but confirmed in January this year that it had dropped the plan. In the days immediately following the general election in July, a Freedom of Information request was submitted to the Department for Transport, asking whether Labour would take the idea forwards. The response stated that the new Government is “currently in the process of reviewing all potential road safety interventions following the election”. It added: “Once we have worked with the ministerial team to take stock of these, we will look to prioritise policies that fix things quickly and have the biggest impact on the safety of our roads.” The mayor’s Vision Zero strategy also commits to zero deaths caused by buses in London by 2030, but Private Eye magazine recently reported that 10 such deaths have occured in 2024 so far, up from six in the whole of 2023.

Reveel Named Winner of 2024 Top Software & Tech AwardThe Miami Hurricanes, who once appeared to be a near-lock for the College Football Playoff, are not playing for a national title. Instead, they will play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando. That bowl berth against Iowa State is a let-down for fans with dreams of a sixth national title in their minds, as well as players hoping to compete for a championship. However, Miami’s trip to Orlando and the lead-up to it are still crucial periods for the Hurricanes for multiple reasons. First, it’s a chance for the program to achieve something it has not done in more than two decades: win 11 games. Although the 11th win won’t get them closer to a championship, it is a good sign of the program’s progress over Mario Cristobal’s tenure. It would also end UM’s five-game losing streak in bowls. “We’re not satisfied,” Cristobal said. “We want to win every single game. We won 10. We were close on the other two, but close isn’t good enough. We want progress. We’re hungry and driven to get better, and so that’s what our focus is on: to improving as a football program, to getting better, to moving into the postseason with an opportunity against a great football team like this and putting our best on the field.” People are also reading... There are signs the Hurricanes will show up at close to full strength for the bowl game. Running back Damien Martinez announced he was going to play, and star quarterback Cam Ward said in a video call posted on social media that he intends to play, as well. “We’re trying to win our first bowl game in 20 years,” Ward said in the video, mistaking the length of UM’s long bowl losing streak. “We’re going hard.” Playing in the bowl game also provides the opportunity for the Hurricanes to get in several practices between now and the game. That means Miami can develop its young players and prepare them for next season during both the practices and the bowl game itself. “It’s extremely valuable,” Cristobal said. “You really don’t have many opportunities throughout the course of the year — time is limited more and more each season with your student-athletes. I want to state this and be very clear: it’s very important, it’s ultra-important for the University of Miami to continue to develop and grow and progress by stressing the importance of offseason opportunities ... You learn a lot about your team and learn a lot about your people and your program when you head to the postseason.” Of course, there are potential negatives. Players can get hurt; Mark Fletcher Jr. suffered a foot injury in the Pinstripe Bowl last year that cost him all of spring practice. A poor performance can also potentially set the tone for next season, like how Florida State, fresh off a playoff snub last year, suffered a devastating loss against Georgia in the Orange Bowl and went on to a dismal 2-10 season this year. “This is the ending of ’24 and the beginning of ’25,” Cristobal said. “This is the last opportunity to be on the field and carry some momentum into the offseason. So it is, in essence, it is the most important game because it’s the next game. “There’s a lot of excitement in the form of opportunity for our guys. Our guys love to play football. The chance to play one more time with this special group — this is a special group of guys now. They’ve worked hard to really change the trajectory of the University of Miami, and they want to continue to elevate the status and the culture at the University of Miami. So certainly a ton to play for.” ____ Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Jimmy Carter, the 39th president and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has died at 100

Saquon Barkley becomes ninth running back to rush for 2,000 yards in a seasonEmboldened by the view from the top of the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are out to eliminate nightmare holiday gatherings when the Chicago Bears come to town Thursday for a lunchtime division duel. The Lions (10-1) are streaking one direction, the Bears (4-7) the other in the first matchup of the season between teams on opposite ends of the division. Riding a nine-game winning streak, their longest since a 10-game streak during their first season in Detroit in 1934, the Lions are burdened by losses in their traditional Thanksgiving Day game the past seven seasons. Three of the defeats are courtesy of Chicago. The Bears and Lions get together for the 20th time on Thanksgiving -- the Bears have 11 wins -- this week in the first of two meetings between the teams in a 25-day span. Detroit goes to Soldier Field on Dec. 22. "I think there's two things," Campbell said of the Thanksgiving losing streak. "Number one -- Get a W. And it's a division win that's why this huge. Number two is because the players are going to get a couple of days off. So, they have family, friends in, it'd be nice to feel good about it when you're with everybody because it's just not real fun. It's not real fun to be around." Detroit (10-1) owns the best record in the NFC but the Lions aren't even assured of a division title. Minnesota sits one game behind them and Green Bay is two games back. The Bears (4-7) sit in last place and would likely need to run the table to have any chance of making the playoffs. The Lions have been dominant in all phases and haven't allowed a touchdown in the past 10 consecutive quarters. Detroit's offense ranks first in points per game (32.7) and second in total yardage (394.3) The Lions defense has not given up a touchdown in the last 10 quarters. Rookie placekicker Jake Bates has made all 16 of his field goal attempts, including four from 50-plus yards over the past three games. Chicago shows up in a foul mood. The Bears are saddled with a five-game losing streak and Chicago's defense has been destroyed for nearly 2,000 total yards in the last four games. The Bears failed to reach the 20-point mark four times in five outings since they last won a game. In their latest defeat, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense perked up but they lost to Minnesota in overtime, 30-27. "We have to play complementary football for us to be able to win these games," coach Matt Eberflus said. "The games we have won, we have done that. The games we have been close we've missed the mark a little bit. Over the course of the year, it's been one side or the other, this side or that side. In this league you have to be good on all sides to win. That's what we are searching for." Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. The wide receiver trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Romeo Odunze combined for 21 receptions and two touchdowns while tight end Cole Kmet caught seven passes. "What I've been impressed with is just how he has grown," Campbell said. "He has grown every game but these last two I really feel like he's taken off and what they're doing with him has been really good for him and he just looks very composed. He doesn't get frazzled, plays pretty fast, and he's an accurate passer, big arm, and he's got some guys that can get open for him." Detroit's banged-up secondary could be susceptible against the Bears' veteran receivers in their bid to pull off an upset on Thursday. The Lions put two defensive backs on injured reserve in the past week and top cornerback Carlton Davis isn't expected to play due to knee and thumb injuries. Detroit offensive tackle Taylor Decker (knee) and top returner Kalif Raymond (foot) are also expected to miss the game, though Campbell expressed optimism that running back David Montgomery (shoulder), formerly of the Bears, would play. Bears safety Elijah Hicks was listed as a DNP for Tuesday's walkthrough. --Field Level MediaLAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Chris Kutz, a Boise State athletics spokesman, said in an email the university would not “comment on potential matchups at this time.” Doug Hoffman, an Aggies athletics spokesman, said in an email Utah State is reviewing the court’s order. “Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on,” Hoffman wrote. San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

UPDATE 3-China, Japan foreign ministers agree visit, security dialogue

Former President Jimmy Carter dies at 100

Vanquishing Bears, Thanksgiving losing streak tops Lions' holiday listPublic at risk from SNP's early prison release, top police officer warns as hundreds more inmates set to go free Click here to visit the Scotland home page for the latest news and sport By GRAHAM GRANT FOR THE SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL Published: 23:23 GMT, 26 November 2024 | Updated: 23:23 GMT, 26 November 2024 e-mail View comments The early release of hundreds of criminals from Scottish jails is ‘misguided’ and will put the public ‘at risk’, a senior police officer warned last night. Rob Hay, president of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS), launched an unprecedented broadside against the SNP government’s bid to tackle prison overcrowding by stepping up the early release of inmates, including violent thugs. He said it was ‘another challenge dumped on the doorstep of the already critically overstretched police service’ which would spark an increase in crime . The attack on the SNP by one of the country’s highest-ranking officers came as emergency legislation was approved by MSPs, allowing up to 390 short-term prisoners to be freed from February. Hundreds were let out early in the summer in a bid to ease pressure on jails – but one in eight of them were sent back to prison after reoffending. Chief Superintendent Rob Hay made an unprecedented intervention over the early release of prisoners Justice Secretary Angela Constance in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday ahead of the debate and vote Scottish Tory MSP Liam Kerr described a previous release as 'reckless' Last night Mr Hay said of the SNP’s latest move: ‘This will lead to further offending behaviour and the revolving door of crime continues. ‘We know from the last round of releases that many of those who are freed will end up back in prison. ‘The public are being put at risk. Every crime committed and every victim who suffered at the hands of those criminals represent an avoidable consequence of this misguided Scottish Government policy. ‘To release prisoners early, knowing further offending is likely to occur, piles pressure on a police service already stretched to breaking.’ Mr Hay, who will meet Justice Secretary Angela Constance tomorrow to outline the ASPS’s concerns, added: ‘It is just another challenge dumped on the doorstep of the already critically overstretched police. ‘It is disingenuous to suggest overcrowding is a new problem – this has been known about for years and it is the result of woefully poor planning. ‘There has been a lot of discussion about the efficacy of prison but for a lot of communities jail provides much-needed respite from repeat offenders. In terms of protecting the public from career criminals, prisons are 100 per cent effective.’ His comments came as the Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill was passed last night in Holyrood after Green MSPs backed the SNP. Labour, the Tories and the Liberal Democrats voted against the legislation. Under the plans, between 260 and 390 prisoners would be released by February in three tranches over six weeks. The Bill permanently changes the automatic release point for sentences of four years or less from 50 per cent to 40 per cent of their term – although those convicted of sexual or domestic violence would be excluded. Tory MSP Jamie Greene tabled an amendment to revert to the current release point if the prison population dropped to a stable level, but his move fell. Labour’s Pauline McNeill said she also had ‘concerns’ about there being ‘no prospect’ of going back to early release at 50 per cent of a short-term sentence. MSPs want to release prisoners early from their sentence to ease overcrowding in jails Ms Constance insisted the new law would give ministers the power to change release points through regulations – and that could be used to make sentences longer. Mr Greene replied: ‘If you believe that you’ll believe anything.’ Jail bosses will no longer get a veto over which prisoners are let out – as they did in the summer. The cost to the public purse of releasing the criminals in the New Year is estimated at up to £2million. Phil Fairlie, assistant general secretary of the Prison Officers’ Association, described the Bill a ‘step in the right direction in helping to reduce prisoner numbers’. Kate Wallace of Victim Support Scotland said the lack of a governor’s veto would ‘endanger victims and the wider public’. Scottish Tory justice spokesman Liam Kerr said the SNP’s ‘reckless plan’ was ‘a weak surrender to criminals’. The Scottish Government said: ‘In the long term, the changes could result in asustained reduction of around 5 per cent to the sentenced prison population.’ SNP Labour Share or comment on this article: Public at risk from SNP's early prison release, top police officer warns as hundreds more inmates set to go free e-mail Add comment

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 25 (ANI): In a bid to assess the state of healthcare in Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today conducted surprise inspections at some of Srinagar's premier medical institutions. His visit aimed to get a firsthand look at the facilities and services provided to patients and their attendants, ensuring that healthcare infrastructure meets the growing demands of the region. Also Read | Bharat Ratna for Nitish Kumar: Union Minister Giriraj Singh Demands India's Highest Civilian Award for Bihar CM and Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. The Chief Minister's first stop was at the Bone & Joint Hospital, Barzulla, one of Kashmir's leading orthopedic healthcare centers. Accompanied by Minister of Health Sakeena Itoo, senior doctors, and hospital staff, Abdullah toured the hospital's various wards, interacting with patients and their families. His focus was on understanding the challenges they face and assessing the hospital's ability to cater to the increasing number of patients, particularly during the winter months. Also Read | IndiGo Flight 6E 6021 Flyer Develops Health Emergency Mid-Air, Timely Intervention by Doctor Saves His Life. One key area of concern addressed during the visit was the hospital's additional block, which is currently under construction. Funded by the World Bank as part of the Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP), this state-of-the-art block will add 160 new beds, increasing the hospital's total capacity from 150 to 310 beds. The project is designed with earthquake-resilient technology, ensuring that it meets the highest standards of safety and efficiency. However, Abdullah expressed concern about the delay in its completion, particularly after a fire incident in 2022 that reduced the hospital's original capacity from 200 to 150 beds. He directed the executing agencies to expedite the process and set a firm deadline for the operationalization of the block by January 2025. Abdullah also visited the 500-bedded Children's Hospital in Bemina, where he continued his inspection. Here, he spoke with patients, attendants, and hospital staff to understand their issues. One of the primary concerns raised by attendants, especially those from far-flung areas, was the lack of a Sarai (inn) where they could stay during their visits. The Chief Minister immediately directed authorities to construct a Sarai to accommodate attendants and alleviate their difficulties. Additionally, hospital staff pointed out challenges related to space constraints for expanding super-specialty services. Abdullah assured them that these issues would be addressed on priority. He also promised to resolve the shortage of medical staff, including doctors and paramedics, not only at this hospital but across healthcare facilities in Jammu and Kashmir. Throughout the inspections, the Chief Minister emphasized the government's commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure. He also underscored the need for timely availability of medicines and other essential facilities to ensure that patients receive the best possible care. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

Putin signs law letting Ukraine fighters write off bad debtsCOLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Kaleb Johnson rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 35 carries, and Kamari Moulton scored on a 68-yard run in the fourth quarter to help Iowa outlast Maryland 29-13 on Saturday. Johnson scored from 2 yards out in the second quarter for his 21st rushing touchdown of the season, and the Hawkeyes (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten) rebounded from their loss to UCLA in their previous game. Maryland (4-7, 1-7) needed to win its final two regular-season games to reach six wins and bowl eligibility, but the Terrapins were dominated in the first half and eventually fell behind 16-0. Drew Stevens made five field goals for Iowa, including kicks from 54 yards in the second quarter, then 50 and 49 in the third. Iowa, which does not exactly push the tempo, ran 46 offensive plays in the first half. The Hawkeyes had the ball for over six minutes on each of their first three possessions, which resulted in a fumble, a field goal and then Johnson's TD. Maryland replaced quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. with backup MJ Morris after two fruitless possessions, but the Terps still trailed 13-0 at halftime. Edwards went back in and led Maryland all the way to the Iowa 3 in the third quarter, but he was injured in a collision with defensive back Xavier Nwankpa. Morris came in and capped that drive with an 8-yard scoring pass to Tai Felton that made it 16-6, but a 2-point conversion was unsuccessful. A 12-yard touchdown strike from Morris to Felton made it 19-13 with 11:05 to play, but Iowa answered with Moulton's big run less than two minutes later. Iowa: Quarterback Jackson Stratton, a walk-on transfer from Colorado State, wasn't asked to do much as the Hawkeyes were able to lean on the running game. And credit Iowa's defense for an excellent first half that helped build a big enough lead. Maryland: No matter how obvious Iowa's plan was, the Terps couldn't do much to stop it. Iowa finished with 268 yards rushing on 58 attempts. Iowa: Hosts Nebraska on Friday. Maryland: At Penn State on Saturday. 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-footballLeaked recordings reveal secretive church pushing physical punishment of children

NEW YORK , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with the AI impact on market trends - The global flexible industrial packaging market size is estimated to grow by USD 31.82 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period. Increase in demand for flexible industrial packaging from end-user industries is driving market growth, with a trend towards growing demand for biodegradable packaging alternative. However, volatility in raw material prices of flexible industrial packaging poses a challenge.Key market players include Aluflexpack AG, Amcor Plc, Anglo American plc, Berry Global Inc., Bulk Lift International LLC, Clifton Packaging Group Ltd., ePac Holdings LLC, Eskay Flexible Packaging Industries Pvt Ltd., Flexibles Industrial Packages Co., Global Pak Inc., Greif Inc., Industrial Packaging supply Inc., International Paper Co., Kiliper Corp., LC Packaging International BV, SAFEPACK Inc., Sealed Air Corp., SIG Group AG, Sonoco Products Co., and Surepak Ltd.. AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The Flexible Packaging Market is experiencing significant growth due to shifting industry preferences towards sustainable solutions. Vendors are expanding their product portfolios with eco-friendly pouches, bags, sachets, and roll stocks, incorporating properties like metal, plastic, and paper. The personal care and pharmaceutical sectors are key drivers, demanding cost-effective and strategic activities such as mergers and acquisitions. Modern FIBCs are manufactured using environmentally friendly woven PP fabric, reflecting this trend towards sustainable industrial packaging. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges The Flexible Packaging Market has experienced significant growth due to increasing industrialization and construction activities in emerging economies. This trend is driven by rising demand for construction, chemical, and food and beverage products. Flexible packaging solutions, including pouches, bags, sachets, and roll stocks, are crucial for efficient transportation and storage. In 2021, the global merchandise trade grew by 4%, boosting the demand for cost-effective packaging in sectors like personal care and pharmaceuticals. Strategic activities, such as mergers and acquisitions, continue to shape the packaging industry, with players investing in metal, plastic, and paper packaging technologies. Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This flexible industrial packaging market report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Pouches 1.2 Wraps 1.3 Rollstock 1.4 Bags 2.1 Chemical industry 2.2 Construction industry 2.3 Food and beverages industry 2.4 Pharmaceutical industry 2.5 Others 3.1 APAC 3.2 North America 3.3 Europe 3.4 South America 3.5 Middle East and Africa 1.1 Pouches- The Flexible Packaging Market experiences continuous growth, particularly in the segments of pouches, bags, sachets, and roll stocks. This market caters to various industries, including food, personal care, and pharmaceutical sectors. Pouches, available in stand-up, spouted, and eco-friendly versions, are popular due to their adaptability, convenience, and sustainability. Bags and sachets offer similar benefits, while roll stocks provide versatility. Metal, plastic, and paper materials are commonly used in this market. Strategic activities, such as mergers and acquisitions, shape the competitive landscape. In the food industry, pouches are used for snacks, coffee, and pet food, while pharmaceutical sector relies on pouches for drugs and medical devices. Cost-effective packaging solutions are a key focus in this market. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) Market Research Overview The Flexible Industrial Packaging Market encompasses a broad range of products designed for protecting and transporting various goods. These include agrochemicals, foods, pharmaceuticals, and other industrial materials. The market is driven by several factors, such as the need for lightweight, easy-to-handle packaging solutions, increasing consumer demand for convenient and sustainable packaging, and the growing trend towards automation and digitization in manufacturing processes. Moreover, the expansion of global trade and the rise of e-commerce have fueled the demand for flexible industrial packaging. The market is segmented based on materials, applications, and regions. Key materials used in this market are polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and biodegradable polymers. The major applications include food and beverages, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and industrial and specialty packaging. The market is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period, driven by the increasing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly packaging solutions, the growing adoption of advanced technologies, and the expanding industrial sector in emerging economies. However, the market faces challenges such as the high cost of raw materials and the increasing competition from alternative packaging solutions. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Type Pouches Wraps Rollstock Bags Application Chemical Industry Construction Industry Food And Beverages Industry Pharmaceutical Industry Others Geography APAC North America Europe South America Middle East And Africa 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE TechnavioRussian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a law that allows those who sign up to fight in Ukraine to write off unpaid debts worth almost $100,000, the government announced. The new legislation will be a strong motivation for some to join up, experts said, as Russia seeks new ways to recruit fighters for the nearly three-year conflict grinding through troops. The new legislation will allow those who sign a one-year contract to fight in Ukraine after December 1 to free themselves of existing bad debts. It also covers their spouses. The law concerns debts where a court order for collection was issued and enforcement proceedings began before December 1, 2024. The total amount of unpaid debt that can be covered is 10 million rubles, around $96,000 at current rates. Parliament approved the bill earlier this month. The legislation will largely concern younger Russians of fighting age, since those in their 30s and younger are most likely to have loans. Russia has extremely high interest rates for loans and many Russians have almost no cash savings, although the proportion of home owners is relatively high. "Previously (for those fighting) there was only provision for taking repayment holidays on loans," Sergei Krivenko of advocacy group Citizen Army Law told Vazhniye Istorii Telegram channel. The new legislation applies to those who are conscripted for national service and those mobilised for the so-called "special military operation", Krivenko said. Conscripts cannot be sent to the front line but can choose to sign a contract to join the professional army and be sent to fight in Ukraine. Russian authorities "are strengthening the motivation to sign a contract," political analyst Georgy Bovt wrote on Telegram. The legislation provides "another way to get rid of an unbearable burden of credit, at least for several hundred thousand people," Bovt wrote. Over 13 million Russians have three or more loans, according to a central bank report released last month covering the first two quarters. This was up 20 percent on the same period last year. The average amount owed by those with three or more loans is 1.4 million rubles ($13,400 at current rates). Many start with a bank loan and then apply for further loans from microfinance organisations. Russians serving on the front line are already paid far more than the national average. Ukraine also has legislation allowing those fighting to get preferential terms for loans and in some cases to write off debts. bur/twFACT CHECK: Did Rachel Maddow Cry On Show Due To Elon Musk X Post?

Published 01:39 IST, December 1st 2024 President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the US dollar. West Palm Beach: President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the US dollar. His threat was directed at countries in the BRIC alliance, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have applied to become members and several other countries have expressed interest in joining. While the US dollar is by far the most-used currency in global business and has survived past challenges to its preeminence, members of the alliance and other developing nations say they are fed up with America's dominance of the global financial system. Trump, in a Truth Social post, said: We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new BRICS Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty U.S. Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful U.S. Economy." At a summit of BRIC nations in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the US of weaponising the dollar and described it as a big mistake. It's not us who refuse to use the dollar, Putin said at the time. But if they don't let us work, what can we do? We are forced to search for alternatives. Russia has specifically pushed for the creation of a new payment system that would offer an alternative to the global bank messaging network, SWIFT, and allow Moscow to dodge Western sanctions and trade with partners. Trump said there is "no chance" BRIC will replace the US dollar in global trade and any country that tries to make that happen "should wave goodbye to America. Updated 01:39 IST, December 1st 2024President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he wants real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France. Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, calling Charles Kushner “a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker." Kushner is the founder of Kushner Companies, a real estate firm. Jared Kushner is a former senior Trump adviser who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka. The elder Kushner was pardoned by Trump in December 2020 after pleading guilty years earlier to tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations. Prosecutors alleged that after Charles Kushner discovered his brother-in-law was cooperating with federal authorities in an investigation, he hatched a scheme for revenge and intimidation. RELATED STORY | Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are discussing tariffs. What should consumers expect? Kushner hired a prostitute to lure his brother-in-law, then arranged to have the encounter in a New Jersey motel room recorded with a hidden camera and the recording sent to his own sister, the man’s wife, prosecutors said. Kushner eventually pleaded guilty to 18 counts including tax evasion and witness tampering. He was sentenced in 2005 to two years in prison — the most he could receive under a plea deal, but less than what Chris Christie, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey at the time and later governor and Republican presidential candidate, had sought. Christie has blamed Jared Kushner for his firing from Trump’s transition team in 2016, and has called Charles Kushner’s offenses “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.” Trump and the elder Kushner knew each other from real estate circles and their children were married in 2009.nine 99bet 。

A tender take on an incredible true story, Netflix 's Joy tells the story of the scientists who pioneered the investigation that created the world’s first baby born through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Their research in the late '60s, early '70s changed the lives of many — since then, over 12 million babies have been born as a result of IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies like it. Directed by Ben Taylor, Joy is true to life in more ways than one, as the script was not only based on history but was co-written by Jack Thorne and his wife Rachel Mason, inspired by their own fertility struggles and experiences with IVF. Joy follows the lives of embryologist Jean Purdy (Thomasin Mackenzie), surgeon Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy), and scientist Robert Edwards (James Norton) as they fight opposition from church, state, and the media towards their work. But how much has really changed since then in terms of social stigma and discrimination around fertility and pregnancy? Joy zones in on harmful social stigma around fertility Thomasin McKenzie as Jean Purdy as James Norton as Robert Edwards in "Joy." Joy provides a telling snapshot of the ways that societal attitudes hindered the progress of the IVF investigation and establishment of the Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic in Cambridge, and how these views personally impacted not only the team working on it but the women who courageously volunteered to take part — they called themselves the Ovum Club. As the leading nurse and embryologist on the project, Jean suffers in her personal life. She is excommunicated by her devoutly religious mother Gladys (Joanna Scanlan) and church community for her work, and is especially criticised for working alongside Steptoe, who was part of a minority of doctors who performed legal abortions at the time, to the outrage of many. We even see Jean grapple with the tension between abortion and her faith, with one poignant scene seeing operating theatre supervisor Muriel "Matron" Harris (Tanya Moodie) reminding her of the overarching importance of providing women with a choice — whether that means giving them a chance to conceive using science or end a pregnancy. Thomasin McKenzie as Jean Purdy. Jean and Robert receive huge amounts of harassment in the film, with Robert heckled on live TV, taunted in the street, and called "Dr Frankenstein" for his efforts, with the words painted on the outer walls of the clinic. The women involved in the experiment (brought to the screen by actors such as Derry Girls star Louisa Harland as Rachel, Bridgerton ’s Harriet Cains as Gail, and Carla Harrison-Hodge as Alice) aren’t safe from society’s judgement either, or fertility (and infertility) stigma. Newspapers hound them during their treatment, offering thousands of pounds to the scientists for their names and addresses — all in the service of invading their privacy to shame them for their choice. The film's examination of infertility is personal for its protagonist; Jean's enduring issues with endometriosis and infertility are a key arc in Joy . Endometriosis — a gynaecological condition that makes it harder to conceive — is under researched to this day, and was even more so in the 1960s and 1970s, generating shame in women who were made to feel it was their fault they couldn’t conceive. Jean expands on this in a heartbreaking scene, explaining that so many women (including herself) feel lost without this ability, whatever the cause. As well as being vilified for seeking out IVF as an alternative, Jean reflects, patriarchal society determines the worth of these women by their ability to become a mother — an attitude that prevails today, arguably, and feeds into pregnancy, fertility and infertility stigma. Where does fertility stigma come from? Sadly, fertility stigma is as deeply embedded in our history as it is in our modern culture. For instance, noble women in medieval Japan faced judgement within their marriages if they did not produce children, while 19th century France saw doctors accuse women who didn't have children as being promiscuous, of having venereal disease, and having abortions. Even as recently as the mid 20th century — around the time where Joy is set — women were accused of committing “adultery” if they conceived by using artificial insemination by donor sperm. The suffering and vilification of women due to motherhood being viewed as the ultimate marker of femininity, and the traditional methods of conception being prioritised over women’s health and wellness, can be tracked through the centuries. The law's impact on our reproductive choices A protester in Trafalgar Square, London, in 2022 following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade. We’ve seen a shift in attitudes towards fertility and pregnancy since the era Joy is set. However, we’ve also seen this manifest in different ways, solidifying into law and limiting how women make decisions around their bodies — the most prominent example being the U.S. Supreme Court's overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022 and subsequent state abortion bans. In October in the UK, following heavy campaigning, England and Wales passed a law to make mandatory safe access buffer zones at a 150-metre radius around all abortion clinics. This will provide protection for women accessing this healthcare, with activity designed to influence women or which causes harassment, alarm, or distress all banned by law. Reports of harassment continued all the way up to the ban, with British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) CEO Heidi Stewart reporting women being called "murderers and having leaflets shoved at them falsely claiming abortion causes breast cancer." Stewart describes the buffer zones as "a crucial step in ensuring that women can access essential healthcare without fear, shame, or intimidation." But Stewart is clear that there is much further to go to combat fertility and pregnancy stigma, and points to the importance of "remaining vigilant and relentless in the protection of abortion rights for women" — a sentiment shared by the U.S.-based Center for Reproductive Rights . After all, in the U.S., such stigma remains ever more volatile and threatening, particularly with November's re-election of Donald Trump, who played a key role in overturning Roe v. Wade , causing abortion to be nearly or completely banned in 17 states . “When issues of reproductive rights are allowed to fester in silence, stigma grows,” Stewart explains. "If the ongoing events in the United States have taught us anything – it’s that remaining silent on reproductive rights is no longer an option." It's crucial that such attitudes and actions are questioned to quell the spread of stigma on both sides of the Atlantic, so that the choices the team represented in Joy fought for are protected for all women. How fertility stigma impacts women's experience in the workplace We also know that this kind of discrimination doesn’t just surround a person’s attempts to become pregnant or their decision to end a pregnancy. Joeli Brearley, CEO and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed (PTS) — a charity dedicated to ending " the motherhood penalty " which encompasses the impacts motherhood has on women's careers — says that their experiences and progression in the workplace are affected too. “Women are seen as distracted and less committed to their job from the point they get pregnant,” she explains. “So we need managers to be trained in unconscious bias and to understand the business reasons for looking after pregnant employees." Brearley adds that women have been found to be scared to discuss fertility treatment with their employer for fear of discrimination. "According to our research, one in four women who are undergoing fertility treatment experience unfair treatment as a result ," Brearley says. Once women return to work after having a child, the situation doesn’t necessarily improve – according to PTS research , 77 percent of women experience discrimination when they return to work. “It's not a 'mum' problem, it's a societal problem,” she explains. The pioneering team represented in Joy faced such backlash and treatment, as did the self-described Ovum Club of women who participated in the early IVF tests. Their fertility was dismissed as a serious and impactful health issue back in the '60s, with personal, private choices around pregnancy made fodder for the public to debate. And decades later, we're not out of the woods yet. Much more needs to change for the stigma to truly be lifted, and for women to feel free. “When women can make these deeply personal decisions without fear of public judgement or confrontation," Stewart says, "we are affirming their right to choose and reinforcing that fertility and pregnancy choices should be free from stigma." Joy is now streaming on Netflix.

David J. Neal | (TNS) Miami Herald Stanley — whose cups have become almost as popular as the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup — recalled 2.6 million travel mugs because their burn count got too high. As explained in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice, “These mugs’ lid threads can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, causing the lid to detach during use, posing a burn hazard.” According to what Stanley told the CPSC, the lids on recalled travel mugs have detached 16 times in the United States and 91 times worldwide, causing two burn injuries in the United States and 38 worldwide. Of those 38, 11 “required medical attention.” Related Articles National News | American released from Syrian prison is flown out of the country, a US official says National News | Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds National News | How to protect your communications through encryption National News | Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats National News | Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge This involves the Switchback model, ID No. 20-01437 in the 12-ounce size and Nos. 20-01436 and 20-02211 in the 16-ounce size; and the Trigger Action model, ID Nos. 20-02033, 20-02779 and 20-02825 in the 12-ounce size; Nos. 20-02030, 20-02745 and 20-02957 in the 16-ounce size; and 20-02034 and 20-02746 in the 20-ounce size. Stanley wants customers to contact the company to receive a free replacement lid by either going to the website to enter your product identification number and place of purchase (if you remember) or calling (866) 792-5445, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time. ©2024 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Gaston Martirena and Adrian Martinez scored first-half goals as Argentina's Racing won its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1 in the final on Saturday. Martirena opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Martinez added a goal five minutes later to give “La Academia” its first international title since 1988 when it won the Supercopa Sudamericana. “Maravilla” Martinez scored 10 goals in 13 matches and finished as the top scorer in the competition. Roger Martinez sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th. Kaio Jorge scored in the 52nd for Cruzeiro. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer The Associated PressJefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) Shares Purchased by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Argentina's Racing wins its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1

The Federal Government and the state governors will next week take decisions on the creation of state. The Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, disclosed this to State House Correspondents in Abuja on Thursday after the National Economic Council. Diri revealed that the NEC gave Adamawa, Kebbi and Kwara states and the FCT one week (November 28) to submit their positions on the proposed creation of state police. He said by the time the NEC convened again next week a decision would be taken. “On the issue of state police today, when the decision was taken, even before it was, the three states in question, one of them (Adamawa) was represented by the Deputy Governor, had earlier made submissions that they presented their report. “So, that was why NEC could not come out immediately to say ‘A or B,’ but rather gave a timeline. And that timeline, as you can see, was very short: one week for them to go and do whatever they are doing so that decisions will be made by the next NEC meeting. And, from how they reacted, I’m sure that maybe we have some bureaucracy regarding the submission,” Diri said. On the one-week deadline given to the three defaulting states, he said, “The Council mandated these remaining states and the FCT to make their submissions within the next one week. “On the state police, Council was updated with the submission of the establishment of state police, and it was reported that 33 states have submitted their positions, while three states are yet to do so. “These three states are Adamawa, Kebbi and incidentally Kwara, which is the chairman of our forum, and the FCT are yet to submit their positions. “The Council mandated these remaining states and the FCT to make their submissions within the next one week and resolved to present a consolidated state’s position on the state police to the National Economic Council at our next meeting.” On February 15, 2024, the Federal Government, alongside the 36 states, began talks expected to culminate in the creation of state police. This formed part of agreements reached at an emergency meeting between President Bola Tinubu and state governors at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Related News Atiku tackles Tinubu as Senate okays $2.2bn loan request Nigeria’ll continue to prioritise social investment, says Tinubu Tinubu determined to end insecurity in Southeast – Defence minister It followed the pockets of insecurity recorded nationwide, hikes in food prices and economic hardship. Addressing State House Correspondents afterwards, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained that the process was still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations between stakeholders. “The Federal Government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police,” said Idris, adding that “this is still going to be further discussed.” He explained, “A lot of work must be done in that direction. But if our government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, this is a significant shift.” Two days earlier, the House of Representatives said it was considering a legislative bill titled, ‘A bill for an Act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of State Police and related matters.’ Following this agreement, the National Economic Council requested each state to submit detailed reports outlining their positions and plans for implementing state police. By March 2024, 16 states had submitted their reports, with the remaining 20 expected to do so by May. In April 2024, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum announced that the decisions of the remaining 20 governors were ready for submission to the NEC, indicating a unified commitment among the states to establish state police forces. Despite these, as of November 2024, the implementation of state police remains only in the planning stages as the FG and state authorities continue to debate on the constitutional amendments required to empower states to establish and manage their police forces. The debate for creating state police in Nigeria primarily stems from the centralised nature of the Nigerian Police Force, which many security pundits perceive as inadequate for addressing the unique security challenges across the country’s diverse regions. Proponents argue that the outfit would bring law enforcement closer to the communities they serve, enhance the effectiveness of policing, and allow for more localised control over security matters. However, opponents fear that state police could lead to the abuse of power, particularly in states with strong political control, potentially exacerbating regional tensions and undermining national unity.Stock market today: Wall Street slips at the end of a bumpy weekRise, fall and rise again? Where is the global mortgage market heading?

LA Galaxy 2 New York Red Bulls 1: No Puig, no problem as Vanney's team win sixth MLS CupUCF coach Gus Malzahn reportedly resigning to take Florida State OC jobMiddle East latest: Syrians celebrate Assad's fall as US seeks a peaceful political transition

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Cowboys win wild one vs. Commanders to halt five-game slide

Aidan O'Connell threw two touchdown passes, Daniel Carlson kicked four field goals, Ameer Abdullah had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career and the visiting Las Vegas Raiders defeated the New Orleans Saints 25-10 on Sunday afternoon. Abdullah, playing in the 141st game of his 10-year career, finished with 115 yards on 20 carries. O'Connell completed 20 of 35 passes for 242 yards as the Raiders (4-12) won their second straight after a 10-game losing streak. Brock Bowers added seven receptions for 77 yards, giving him 1,144 receiving yards, which broke the NFL single-season record for a rookie tight end, set by Mike Ditka with 1,076 yards in 14 games in 1961. Rookie Spencer Rattler passed for 218 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and fell to 0-5 as the starter for the Saints (5-11). Las Vegas's first possession of the third quarter resulted in Carlson's 54-yard field goal, which increased its lead to 16-10 at the end of the period. Carlson's 25-yard field goal pushed the lead to 19-10 on the third play of the fourth quarter. O'Connell added an 18-yard touchdown pass to Tre Tucker to complete the scoring. The Raiders received the opening kickoff and held the ball for 17 plays before stalling. Carlson kicked a 31-yard field goal and the 3-0 lead held up through the end of the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Rattler threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to former Raiders tight end Foster Moreau and the Saints took a 7-3 lead with their first points in the first half in three games. The ensuing possession ended with Carlson kicking a 39-yard field goal that trimmed the lead to 7-6. O'Connell threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers to give Las Vegas a 13-7 lead with 57 seconds left in the second quarter. Rattler completed 5 of 7 for 54 yards in driving New Orleans to Blake Grupe's 34-yard field goal as time expired that trimmed the lead to 13-10 at halftime. --Field Level MediaNEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he'd let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen's stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday's showdown. “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn't paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — While other teams around the NFL are seeing their injury lists grow as the season winds down, the Green Bay Packers appear to be getting healthy at just the right time. Not only is quarterback Jordan Love looking like himself after dealing with early-season left knee and groin injuries, but the rest of the roster is getting better, too. “I think every team that can realize their potential needs to be as healthy as they can be. And injuries are a part of this business,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “It is what it is in terms of the next man up, but obviously, you want the guys that are your starters to be available — especially as you get closer to the end of the year.” Love certainly has been rolling of late, completing 67.1% of his passes for 904 yards with six touchdowns and one interception (118.8 passer rating) over the past four games, owing some of his hot streak to simply being healthy again. “The name of the game is trying to stay as healthy as possible, especially late into the season,” Love said. “There’s definitely injuries that stack up and guys being out. To have everybody relatively healthy and to be able to have our top guys out there would be huge for us." The Packers (9-4) head into their with the Seahawks (8-5) in Seattle with only one player having been unable to take part in Wednesday’s practice at all: safety Javon Bullard. LaFleur said Bullard is week-to-week with an ankle injury he suffered in the team’s . The Packers got full participation from Jaire Alexander, who has missed four of the team’s last five games with a knee injury suffered at Jacksonville on Oct. 27, and wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who has missed the last two games with a concussion he suffered against San Francisco on Nov. 24. Although Alexander had practiced on a limited basis in recent weeks, he has missed the last three games and pulled himself out of the team’s Nov. 17 win at Chicago because of his knee. Getting Alexander back to face Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba would give a major lift to the Packers’ pass defense, currently ranked 21st with 222.2 yards per game allowed. “When I was watching him, he looked like he was moving around well, and we’ll just see how it transpires throughout the course of the week,” LaFleur said. “Hopefully, he’ll be ready to roll.” LaFleur said Doubs and rookie safety Evan Williams, who left the Packers’ 34-31 loss to the Lions because of a concussion, are still in the concussion protocol. But Williams was able to practice on a limited basis. Meanwhile, tight end Luke Musgrave, who hasn’t played a snap since injuring his left ankle during a a Sept. 29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, has been designated for return from injured reserve. Musgrave took part in practice for the first time since undergoing surgery in early October to repair a torn ligament in the ankle. He said he only did individual drill work Wednesday, making it unlikely he would be activated this week. “Just going to ease back into it, but I feel good,” Musgrave said. “Still getting the cutting back, but overall, it feels good.” AP NFL:POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (AP) — Elijah Lewis scored 21 points as Marist beat Binghamton 69-51 on Sunday. Lewis also had six rebounds and six assists for the Red Foxes (9-2). Josh Pascarelli added 15 points while shooting 6 for 12, including 2 for 5 from beyond the arc and grabbed seven rebounds. Jason Schofield shot 5 of 13 from the field to finish with 10 points. The Bearcats (8-7) were led by Ben Callahan-Gold, who posted 10 points. Gavin Walsh added nine points, 11 rebounds and three steals for Binghamton. Tymu Chenery had nine points and five assists. The loss snapped the Bearcats' six-game winning streak. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Adagene Inc. (NASDAQ:ADAG) Short Interest Update‘KU committed to empower women socially & financially’

Lakers trade D'Angelo Russell, second-round picks to Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith, Shake MiltonROSEN, NATIONALLY REGARDED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages Kyverna Therapeutics, Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action – KYTXINDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts defense started this season struggling. It couldn't stop the run, couldn't keep teams out of the end zone, couldn't get off the field. Now the script has flipped. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's group is playing stouter, holding teams — even the high-scoring Detroit Lions — largely in check long enough to give Indy a chance to win, and it's the Colts offense that has struggled. “They are playing their tails off. You don’t want them on the field a bunch and as an offense you want to be able to play complementary football,” running back Jonathan Taylor said after Sunday's 24-6 loss. “I would say specifically on offense, it sucks when you can’t help your defense out when they are fighting their tails off all game.” Indy's defense held up its end of the bargain by limiting the Lions (10-1) to 14 first-half points and allowing just 24, matching Detroit's lowest output since Week 3. The problem: Even when the Colts (5-7) did get Detroit off the field, they couldn't sustain drives or score touchdowns. Again. Anthony Richardson provided the bulk of the ground game by rushing 10 times for 61 yards, mostly early. Taylor managed just 35 yards on 11 carries and a season-high 10 penalties constantly forced the Colts to dig out from deep deficits. Part of that was by design. “We knew Jonathan Taylor was going to be the guy we needed to shut down,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We did that. The quarterback runs. It got us on a couple but overall, we did what we needed to do, and we kept them out of that game." Part of it could be because of an injury-battered offensive line that has started three rookies each of the past two weeks and finished the previous game with the same three rookies. Whatever the fix, Indy needs a good solution. There is good news for Indy is that its schedule now gets substantially more manageable. After losing four of five, all to teams in playoff position and three to division leaders, Indy faces only one team with a winning record in its final five games. The most recent time the Colts played a team with a losing mark, Richardson rallied them past the New York Jets 28-27. But Colts coach Shane Steichen knows that's not the answer. The Colts must get this offense righted now. “We’ve got to get that figured out. We’ve got to get him going on the ground,” Steichen said when asked about Taylor, who has 92 yards on his past 35 carries. “We’ll look at the offensive line. We’ll look at everything." Pass rush. Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner's presence certainly has been felt since he returned from a sprained ankle Oct. 27. In those past five games, the Colts have had 14 sacks, including three of Jared Goff on Sunday. Penalties. The Colts have had one of the cleanest operations in the league most of this season. Sunday was an anomaly, but one that can't merely be written off. WR Michael Pittman Jr. The five-year veteran is one of the league's toughest guys, but playing through a back injury appeared to take its toll on Pittman's productivity. Since sitting out in Week 10, Pittman has 11 receptions for 142 yards including six for 96 yards, his second-highest total of the season, Sunday. Tight ends. Each week the Colts want their tight ends to make an impact. And each week, they seem to fail. It happened again Sunday when Drew Ogletree dropped a TD pass that would have given Indy a 10-7 lead. Instead, Indy settled for a field goal and a 7-6 deficit. Through 12 games, Indy's tight ends have a total of 26 catches, 299 yards and two TDs. That's just not good enough in a league where versatile, productive tight ends increasingly signal success. Pittman and WR Josh Downs both returned to the game after leaving briefly with shoulder injuries. WR Ashton Dulin did not return after hurting his foot in the second half. But the bigger questions come on the offensive line. LT Bernhard Raimann (knee) was inactive Sunday, and rookie center Tanor Bortolini entered the concussion protocol Monday. Bortolini was one of three rookie starters the past two weeks, replacing Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly who is on injured reserve. 55.88 — Indy has scored touchdowns on 55.88% of its red zone trips this season. While it puts it near the middle of the NFL, it's cost the Colts multiple wins. Richardson needs to rebound from this latest 11 of 28 performance and show he can lead the Colts to victories week after week. He'll get plenty of chances over the season's final month, starting with next week's game at the New England Patriots.

Srinagar, Dec 29: The year 2024 proved to be a landmark for Jammu and Kashmir’s education sector, defined by bold reforms, critical challenges, and remarkable milestones. From schools to universities, the year saw significant shifts in policies and priorities, reshaping the region’s academic landscape. At the school level, the government’s decision to restore the November session brought both nostalgia and logistical hurdles, with students in junior classes navigating two annual exams in a single year. Meanwhile, recruitment efforts in the School Education Department (SED), including the long-awaited advertisement for 575 lecturer posts, offered a glimmer of hope for addressing long-standing faculty shortages. In higher education, a steep decline in college admissions raised red flags, prompting fresh strategies to boost enrollment. At the same time, universities oscillated between setbacks and achievements while the University of Kashmir (KU) slipped in national rankings, University of Jammu (JU) climbed the NIRF ladder and secured a historic NAAC A++ grading. Other institutions, like Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), showcased growth in research and innovation, underscoring the evolving academic aspirations of the region. As the schools reopened in March 2024, post winter vacations, the students from all the classes appeared in their annual (2023) examination and later joined their new classes in April. On October 30 of 2024, the J&K Chief Minister along with the Education Minister announced the restoration of the November session for schools up to class 9th from the current academic session. The announcement was followed by the issuance of a formal order to restore the previous November examination session in the schools. In wake of this a uniform date sheet was notified by the Directorate of the School Education Kashmir (DSEK) and the students appeared in their annual exams (assessment) as the November session. With the restoration of the November session, the junior class students appeared in annual exams of two classes in one year. Besides a ‘major decline’ in the admissions in the Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) across J&K, the year 2024 marked the completion of the three years of the first NEP-2020 Batch and the students will enter in their 4th year in 2025. As per the NEP, the colleges have to ensure the research and internship of the students in their 4th year. However it remains to be seen if the colleges will be able to ensure the two important aspects because colleges are not well equipped in terms of faculty and equipment. At the University level, some major decisions were taken by the J&K government in which two sitting Vice Chancellors got extension of two years while the VC Jammu University was re-appointed for a tenure of three years. The incumbent VC of Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) was given an extension of two years in July 2024. He was appointed as VC of IUST in 2021 as the fourth Vice Chancellor. In another development, the term of incumbent Vice Chancellor of the SKUAST-Kashmir Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganaie was extended for two years. The order for extension came into effect from December 16 of 2024, the date of completion of his existing three year term. Also, the incumbent VC of the Jammu University Prof. Umesh Rai was re-appointed as the VC for three years with effect from April 5 of 2025. The year 2024 also saw the appointment of new VCs in two universities. Senior Professor in the Institute of Management in Keralain University of Kerala Prof K S Chandrasekar was appointed as the VC of Cluster University (CU) Jammu while Prof Jawaid Iqbal, Professor, Department of West Asian and North African Studies, Aligarh Muslim University was appointed as the new VC of BGSBU, Rajouri. Besides administrative decisions, the universities in 2024 witnessed some achievements and challenges as well. The Kashmir University slipped by 12 notches in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024 announced in August 2024. The varsity slipped to 45th rank among universities assessed across the country from 33rd in NIRF 2023, indicating a noticeable decline, though it figured among the top 50 universities. Contrary to it, Jammu University (JU) went up by at least 13 slots to figure at rank 50 from the 2023 rank of 63 in the NIRF ranking. Also, the JU was awarded A++ grade with Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.72 in the recent reaccreditation cycle by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), creating a history in Jammu and Kashmir for being awarded NAAC A++ Grade. The IUST Awantipora, achieved remarkable growth in admissions during the 2024 session with a significant increase by 30 percent as compared to the previous year (2023). The university also secured an aggregated financial support of Rs 13 crores in 2024 under the DPIIT Start-up India Fund Scheme, the DST NIDHI i-TBI initiative, and the CIED-IUST Seed Fund. IUST was given a 4-star ranking by the Indian Innovation Council. IUST published 335 research papers indexed in globally recognized databases, Scopus and Web of Science in 2024. The IUST’s research excellence is reflected in its impressive h-index, which stands at 59 on Scopus and 44 on Web of Science. In 2024, the SKUAST-Kashmir doubled its undergraduate programs, expanding from seven courses in 2018 to 13 courses in 2024. Under the Mission Skill, SKUAST-K conducted 650 Skill Development Programs in 2024 as compared to 550 programs in 2024. As 2024 concludes, the duality of progress and challenges across Jammu and Kashmir’s education sector sets the stage for a critical year ahead, where the outcomes of these pivotal reforms will begin to unfold.

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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.Shares of Formidable ETF ( NYSEARCA:FORH – Get Free Report ) traded down 0.3% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $21.05 and last traded at $21.16. 274 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 2,646 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.23. Formidable ETF Stock Performance The firm has a market cap of $24.97 million, a P/E ratio of 14.51 and a beta of 0.64. The company’s 50 day moving average is $22.37 and its 200 day moving average is $22.52. Formidable ETF Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) The Formidable ETF (FORH) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in target outcome asset allocation. The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation by actively managing a multi-strategy approach to providing alternative exposure, include tail hedge. FORH was launched on Apr 28, 2021 and is managed by Formidable. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Formidable ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Formidable ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Empowered Funds LLC Boosts Stock Holdings in NN, Inc. (NASDAQ:NNBR)

The Myanmar delegation led by Dr Wah Wah Maung, Eminent Person (EP) of Myanmar for the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision and Deputy Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, attended the 18th Meeting of High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (18th HLTF-ACV) which was held in Singapore from 19 to 23 November 2024, accompanied by officials from the Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Drafting sessions of the high-level representatives were also held on the sideline of the 18th Meeting of HLTF-ACV, and the fourth reading with 97.2 per cent completion of the draft ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC) Strategic Plan was concluded. The 18th HLTF-ACV Meeting was co-chaired by Eminent Persons (EP) of Lao PDR and Malaysia, as the permanent shepherd Member State, and attended by Eminent Persons, High-Level Representatives and officials from the ASEAN Member States, representatives from Timor-Leste as well as ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General for APSC and officials from the ASEAN Secretariat. At the Meeting, the HLTF-ACV had an interface with the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, and Singapore Institute of International Affairs. The respective stakeholders have offered comments and recommendations to the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. The Meeting exchanged views and shared their insights on the emerging challenges and way forward on the development of the Strategic Plans. During the 18th HLTF-ACV Meeting, Deputy Minister Dr Wah Wah Maung commended the progress of works in developing Strategic Plans for ASEAN Vision 2045 and emphasized the importance of advancing regional integration through strengthening efficiency and effectiveness of institutional mechanisms and improving cross-pillar and cross-sector coordination. The deputy minister also highlighted the importance of prioritization and sequencing ASEAN’s work plans. Given the unique nature of ASEAN, she suggested greater efforts for financial independence of the community to better exercise “ASEAN centrality”. She underscored that youth participation remains a priority for the implementation of ASEAN Vision 2045. She concluded by calling for constructive engagement, greater inclusivity and equal representation in ASEAN meetings. The upcoming 19th HLTF-ACV meeting scheduled in December 2024 will look into further developing the Strategic Plans for their adoption at the 46th ASEAN Summit in May 2025. — MNAWASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The announcement caps a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Hours later, Gaetz posted on social media that he looks “forward to continuing the fight to save our country,” adding, “Just maybe from a different post.” Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” He did not immediately announce a new selection. Last week, he named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. The withdrawal, just a week after the pick was announced, averts what was shaping up to be a pitched confirmation fight that would have tested how far Senate Republicans were willing to go to support Trump’s Cabinet picks. The selection of the fierce Trump ally over well-regarded veteran lawyers whose names had circulated as possible contenders stirred concern for the Justice Department's independence at a time when Trump has openly threatened to seek retribution against political adversaries. It underscored the premium Trump places on personal loyalty and reflected the president-elect's desire to have a disruptor lead a Justice Department that for years investigated and ultimately indicted him. In the Senate, deeply skeptical lawmakers sought more information about Justice Department and congressional investigations into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls, which Gaetz has denied. Meanwhile, Justice Department lawyers were taken aback by the pick of a partisan lawmaker with limited legal experience who has echoed Trump's claims of a weaponized criminal justice system. As Gaetz sought to lock down Senate support, concern over the sex trafficking allegations showed no signs of abating. In recent days, an attorney for two women said his clients told House Ethics Committee investigators that Gaetz paid them for sex on multiple occasions beginning in 2017, when Gaetz was a Florida congressman. One of the women testified she saw Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old at a party in Florida in 2017, according to the attorney, Joel Leppard. Leppard has said that his client testified she didn’t think Gaetz knew the girl was underage, stopped their relationship when he found out and did not resume it until after she turned 18. The age of consent in Florida is 18. "They’re grateful for the opportunity to move forward with their lives,” Leppard said Thursday of his clients. “They’re hoping that this brings final closure for all the parties involved.” Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department’s investigation ended last year with no charges against him. Gaetz’s political future is uncertain. He had abruptly resigned his congressional seat upon being selected as attorney general, a move seen as a way to shut down the ethics investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He did win reelection in November for the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, 2025, but he said in his resignation letter last week to House Speaker Mike Johnson that he did not intend to take the oath of office. He transmitted a similar letter to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state launched a special election process to fill the vacancy. Republicans on the House Ethics Committee declined this week to release the panel's findings, over objections from Democrats in a split vote. But the committee did agree to finish its work and is scheduled to meet again Dec. 5 to discuss the matter. As word of Gaetz's decision spread across the Capitol, Republican senators seemed divided. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who served with Gaetz in the House, called it a “positive move." Maine Sen. Susan Collins said Gaetz “put country first and I am pleased with his decision.” Others said they had hoped Gaetz could have overhauled the department. Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a close ally of Trump, said he was “disappointed. I like Matt and I think he would have changed the way DOJ is run.” Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he hoped that Trump will pick someone “equally as tenacious and equally as committed to rooting out and eliminating bias and politicization at the DOJ.” Gaetz is not the only Trump pick facing congressional scrutiny over past allegations. A detailed investigative police report made public Wednesday shows that a woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth, the former Fox News host now tapped to lead the Pentagon, after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave. “The matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters Thursday at the Capitol, where he was meeting with senators to build support for his nomination. Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent more than a year in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most active and internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said the former president died Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he will implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy, less than a month before Donald Trump takes office as U.S. president, the country's state media reported Sunday. Trump’s return to the White House raises prospects for high-profile diplomacy with North Korea. During his first term, Trump met Kim three times for talks on the North's nuclear program. Many experts however say a quick resumption of Kim-Trump summitry is unlikely as Trump would first focus on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. North Korea's support for Russia's war against Ukraine also poses a challenge to efforts to revive diplomacy, experts say. During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party that ended Friday, Kim called the U.S. “the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy.” Kim said that the U.S.-South Korea-Japan security partnership is expanding into “a nuclear military bloc for aggression." “This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said Kim's speech “clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction to be launched aggressively” by North Korea for its long-term national interests and security. KCNA didn't elaborate on the anti-U.S. strategy. But it said Kim set forth tasks to bolster military capability through defense technology advancements and stressed the need to improve the mental toughness of North Korean soldiers. The previous meetings between Trump and Kim had not only put an end to their exchanges of fiery rhetoric and threats of destruction, but they developed personal connections. Trump once famously said he and Kim “fell in love.” But their talks eventually collapsed in 2019, as they wrangled over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. North Korea has since sharply increased the pace of its weapons testing activities to build more reliable nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding their military bilateral drills and also trilateral ones involving Japan, drawing strong rebukes from the North, which views such U.S.-led exercises as invasion rehearsals. Further complicating efforts to get North Korea to rid itself of nuclear weapons is its deepening military cooperation with Russia. According to U.S., Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. There are concerns that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles. Russia and China, locked in separate disputes with the U.S., have repeatedly blocked U.S.-led pushes to levy more U.N. sanctions on North Korea despite its repeated missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Last month, Kim said that his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward his country and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats. Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press