jilihot app download free

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Workers pushing for an end to smoking in Atlantic City casinos say the main employee union has been won over by tobacco companies seeking allies in the fight against smoking restrictions. An official of a union involved in the anti-smoking push on Monday called for the head of the Atlantic City casino workers' union, Donna DeCaprio, to resign for failing to protect her members from the dangers of secondhand smoke. DeCaprio is president of Local 54 of the Unite Here union, which opposes a smoking ban on the grounds that so much business would be lost by smokers taking their money elsewhere that it could cause one or more casinos to shut down, costing thousands of workers their jobs. “She should be ashamed of herself,” said Ray Jensen, assistant director of United Auto Workers Region 9, which represents dealers at three Atlantic City casinos and is part of a lawsuit seeking to have the courts force an end to smoking in the gambling halls. “She should hand in her union card.” DeCaprio said her union supports the health and safety of its members, adding improvements to the workplace environment need to be made. “A balance needs to be reached that will both protect worker health and preserve good jobs,” she said. “We are protecting our members against multiple casino closures and job losses. The UAW is eager to sacrifice the entire casino industry and put 25,000 good jobs with benefits at risk.” DeCaprio said between 50% and 72% of all in-person casino revenue in Atlantic City comes from smoking sections, which occupy only 25% of the casino floor. She said her union “and the vast majority of the labor movement” support a proposal that would improve ventilation in casinos and prevent any employee from being assigned to work in a smoking section against their will. Whether to ban smoking is one of the most controversial issues not only in Atlantic City casinos but in other states where workers have expressed concern about secondhand smoke. They are waging similar campaigns in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Kansas and Virginia. Workers have been pushing for four years to end an exemption in New Jersey’s clean air law that allows smoking inside the nine casinos. They say they or their co-workers are becoming ill with cancer, heart disease and other conditions related to exposure to second-hand smoke. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has said he will sign a bill to end casino smoking if it reaches his desk. The casinos, joined by Local 54, oppose that effort, saying it will cost Atlantic City thousands of jobs and lead to decreased tax revenue for state programs for senior citizens and the disabled. On Monday, the workers group that calls itself CEASE (Casino Employees Against Smoking’s Effects) filed an appeal of a court ruling in August that allowed smoking to continue in the nine casinos. The Casino Association of New Jersey declined to comment Monday. Attorney Nancy Erika Smith said as far back as 1993, tobacco companies targeted labor unions in the hospitality industry as potential allies to work against smoking bans in the restaurant and hospitality industries. That effort included the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, a precursor of the Unite Here union. “HERE and the related AFL-CIO affiliates are critical allies which should be cultivated as supporters of the effort to prevent smoking bans,” a public relations firm wrote in a memo to Philip Morris Companies that was made public during several states' litigation against tobacco companies. The memo said having HERE “as an ally in this effort would be a very powerful voice.” As far back as 2001, HERE was part of a 12-member coalition including labor unions advocating for improved indoor ventilation instead of government-imposed smoking bans, according to another document cited in Monday's appeal. The anti-smoking campaigners cite a 2022 report by Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming, a consulting firm, showing that casinos that went smoke-free "appear to be performing better than their counterparts that continue to allow smoking.” ___ Follow Wayne Parry on X at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC Wayne Parry, The Associated PressProtecting children from inappropriate apps (Letters to The Republican)Cryptocurrencies are enormously volatile, but that volatility can create opportunities for profit if you’re looking to trade these digital assets. Cryptos such as Bitcoin and have risen a lot since their debut — but they’ve also experienced tremendous boom-bust cycles along the way. Experienced traders have been speculating on cryptocurrencies for years, but how can you get started if you’re new to the crypto market? Here’s how to start investing in cryptocurrency and the significant risks you need to watch out for. 5 steps for investing in cryptocurrency First things first, if you’re looking to invest in crypto, you need to have all your finances in order. That means having an emergency fund in place, a manageable level of debt and ideally a . Your crypto investments can become one more part of your portfolio, one that helps raise your total returns, hopefully. Pay attention to these five other things as you’re starting to invest in cryptocurrencies. As you would for any investment, understand exactly what you’re investing in. If you’re buying stocks, it’s important to read the annual report and other to analyze the companies thoroughly. Plan to , since there are literally thousands of them, they all function differently and new ones are being created every day. You need to understand the investment case for each trade. Related Articles In the case of many , they’re backed by nothing at all, neither hard assets nor cash flow of an underlying entity. That’s the case for , for example, where investors rely exclusively on someone paying more for the asset than they paid for it. In other words, unlike stock, where a company can grow its profits and drive returns for you that way, many crypto assets must rely on the market becoming more optimistic and bullish for you to profit. Some of the include Bitcoin, Ethereum, , and . So before investing, understand the potential upside and downside. If your financial investment is not backed by an asset or cash flow, it could end up being worth nothing. A mistake that many new investors make is looking at the past and extrapolating that to the future. Yes, Bitcoin used to be worth pennies, but . The key question, however, is “Will that growth continue into the future, even if it’s not at quite that meteoric rate?” Investors look to the future, not to what an asset has done in the past. What will drive future returns? Traders buying a cryptocurrency today need tomorrow’s gains, not yesterday’s. The prices of cryptocurrencies are about as volatile as an asset can get. They could drop quickly in seconds on nothing more than a rumor that ends up proving baseless. That can be great for sophisticated investors who can execute trades rapidly or who have a solid grasp on the market’s fundamentals, how the market is trending and where it could go. For new investors without these skills — or the high-powered algorithms that direct these trades — it’s a minefield. Volatility is a game for high-powered Wall Street traders, each of whom is trying to outgun other deep-pocketed investors. A new investor can easily get crushed by the volatility. That’s because volatility shakes out traders, especially beginners, who get scared. Meanwhile, other traders may step in and buy on the cheap. In short, volatility can help sophisticated traders “buy low and sell high” while inexperienced investors “buy high and sell low.” If you’re trading any asset on a short-term basis, you need to , and that can be especially true with volatile assets such as cryptocurrency. So as a newer trader, you’ll need to understand how best to manage risk and develop a process that helps you mitigate losses. And that process can vary from individual to individual: Newer traders should consider setting aside a certain amount of trading money and then using only a portion of it, at least at first. If a position moves against them, they’ll still have money in reserve to trade with later. The ultimate point is that you can’t trade if you don’t have any money. So keeping some cash in reserve means you’ll always have a bankroll to fund your trading. It’s important to manage risk, but that will come at an emotional cost. Selling a losing position hurts, but doing so can help you avoid worse losses later. Finally, it’s important to avoid putting money that you need into speculative assets. If you can’t afford to lose it — all of it — you can’t afford to put it into risky assets such as cryptocurrency, or other speculative assets, for that matter. Whether it’s a or an important upcoming purchase, money that you need in the next few years should be kept in safe accounts so that it’s there when you need it. And if you’re looking for an absolutely sure return, your best option is to pay off high-interest debt. You’re guaranteed to earn (or save) whatever interest rate you’re paying on the debt. You can’t lose there. Finally, don’t overlook the security of any exchange or broker you’re using. You may own the assets legally, but someone still has to secure them, and their security needs to be tight. If they don’t think their cryptocurrency is properly secured, some traders choose to invest in a to hold their coins offline so they’re inaccessible to hackers or others. Remember that investing in cryptocurrency can be part of a broader investment strategy, but shouldn’t be your only one. Other ways to invest in cryptocurrency While investing directly in cryptocurrency is popular, traders have other ways to get into the crypto game, some more directly than others. These include: Each of these methods varies in its riskiness and exposure to cryptocurrency, so you’ll want to understand exactly what you’re buying and whether it fits your needs. Cryptocurrency investing FAQs In theory it takes only a few dollars to invest in cryptocurrency. Most crypto exchanges, for example, have a minimum trade that might be $5 or $10. Other might have a minimum that’s even lower. However, it’s important to understand that some trading platforms will take a huge chunk of your investment as a fee if you’re trading small amounts of cryptocurrency. So it’s important to look for a broker or exchange that minimizes your fees. In fact, many so-called “free” brokers embed fees — called spread mark-ups — in the price you pay for your cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is based on . Blockchain is a kind of database that records and timestamps every entry into it. The best way to think of a blockchain is like a running receipt of transactions. When a blockchain database powers cryptocurrency, it records and verifies transactions in the currency, verifying the currency’s movements and who owns it. Many crypto blockchain databases are run with decentralized computer networks. That is, many redundant computers operate the database, checking and rechecking the transactions to ensure that they’re accurate. If there’s a discrepancy, the networked computers have to resolve it. Some cryptocurrencies reward those who verify the transactions on the blockchain database in a process called mining. For example, miners involved with Bitcoin solve very complex mathematical problems as part of the verification process. If they’re successful, miners receive a predetermined award of Bitcoins. To , miners need powerful processing units that consume huge amounts of energy. Many miners operate gigantic rooms full of such mining rigs in order to extract these rewards. As of October 2024, running the Bitcoin system burned as much energy per year as the country of Poland. If you’re looking to invest in Bitcoin, you have a variety of ways to do so, and you can work with a number of companies, including: If you’re looking to buy Bitcoin, pay particular attention to the fees that you’re paying. Here are other key things to watch out for as . What are altcoins? An altcoin is an alternative to Bitcoin. Many years ago, traders would use the term pejoratively. Since Bitcoin was the largest and most popular cryptocurrency, everything else was defined in relation to it. So, whatever was not Bitcoin was lumped into a catch-all category called . While Bitcoin is still the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization by far, it’s no longer the only game in town. Other altcoins such as Ethereum and Solana have grown in popularity, making the term altcoin somewhat outmoded. Now with a reported 15,000 or more cryptocurrencies in existence, it makes less sense than ever to define the industry as “Bitcoin and then everything else.” Bottom line Cryptocurrency is a highly speculative area of the market, and many smart investors have decided to put their money elsewhere. For beginners who want to get started trading crypto, however, the best advice is to start small and only use money that you can afford to lose. ©2024 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The webcast, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen's business given by management at certain investor and medical conferences, can be found on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com , under Investors. Information regarding presentation times, webcast availability and webcast links are noted on Amgen's Investor Relations Events Calendar. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for at least 90 days after the event. About Amgen Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases. In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions . Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average ® , and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index ® , which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is also part of the Nasdaq-100 index. In 2023, Amgen was named one of "America's Greatest Workplaces" by Newsweek, one of "America's Climate Leaders" by USA Today and one of the "World's Best Companies" by TIME. For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Threads . Amgen Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeiGene, Ltd. or Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.), the performance of Otezla ® (apremilast) (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), our acquisitions of Teneobio, Inc., ChemoCentryx, Inc., or Horizon Therapeutics plc (including the prospective performance and outlook of Horizon's business, performance and opportunities, any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of such acquisition, and any projected impacts from the Horizon acquisition on our acquisition-related expenses going forward), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems on our business, outcomes, progress, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. We or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico , and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to realize any of the strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities arising from the Horizon acquisition, and such benefits, synergies or opportunities may take longer to realize than expected. We may not be able to successfully integrate Horizon, and such integration may take longer, be more difficult or cost more than expected. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach of our information technology systems could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business and operations may be negatively affected by the failure, or perceived failure, of achieving our environmental, social and governance objectives. The effects of global climate change and related natural disasters could negatively affect our business and operations. Global economic conditions may magnify certain risks that affect our business. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Elissa Snook , 609-251-1407 (media) Justin Claeys , 805-313-9775 (investors) View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-to-present-at-citis-2024-global-healthcare-conference-302319891.html SOURCE AmgenLUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lando Norris ignored team orders and handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the sprint race in Qatar on Saturday, while Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen was stripped of the pole position. His penalty elevated George Russell to first on the grid. With McLaren eyeing its first F1 constructors' title in 26 years and Russell close behind for Mercedes, Norris was told by the team over the radio to “finish in this order,” ahead of Piastri. He chose to gift his teammate the win anyway, easing off to the right on the exit of the final corner and then swooping back across in front of Russell, who finished third. “The team told me not to do it, but I thought I could get away with it and we did,” Norris said. "Honestly, I don’t mind. I’m not here to win sprint races. I’m here to win races and the championship, but that’s not gone to plan." Norris was paying Piastri back for doing the same in the sprint race in Brazil when Norris was still fighting Verstappen for the drivers’ title. “I made my mind up in Brazil when it happened,” Norris said. “I needed to do something to give it back.” Piastri said he hadn't expected Norris to take the risk. “I was aware it could happen. I was a bit surprised that with George half a second (away) it did,” Piastri said. “It just shows off our teamwork and the lack of egos within the team.” It continues a season where McLaren’s race tactics have often been a talking point, such as when Norris and Piastri swapped for the lead in Hungary after a lengthy and often awkward radio exchange with the team. On Saturday, Norris started on pole position and kept the lead at the start as Piastri squeezed past Russell for second. As Russell repeatedly attacked Piastri, Norris dropped back instead of building a lead. That put Piastri within one second of Norris, allowing the Australian to use the DRS overtaking aid for extra speed. Russell said he found the McLaren teamwork “pretty infuriating” while stuck behind Piastri and also objected to what he saw as late moves from Piastri to defend the position. “Hopefully we can have a proper race (on Sunday) rather than this team orders stuff,” Russell said. The F1 champion thought he'd secured his first pole position since the Austrian GP in June, but a lengthy stewards' inquiry gave him a one-place penalty for driving “unnecessarily slowly” in an incident with Russell, who moved up to first on the grid. The Mercedes driver complained over the radio that it was “super dangerous” that he'd had to avoid Verstappen, who was ahead of him on the racing line as both drivers prepared for their final runs of qualifying. The stewards agreed Verstappen was going too slowly as he tried to cool his tires but didn't apply the usual three-place penalty because neither driver was trying to set a fast time. Verstappen hadn't been much of a factor in the sprint but he returned to form in qualifying, beating Russell by just .055 of a second on his last run. “Crazy. I mean, honestly, I didn’t expect that,” Verstappen said. “We did change a bit on the car but I never thought it would make such a swing in performance.” Norris was .252 off the pace and lines up third, with Piastri fourth, followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren increased its lead over Ferrari in the constructors’ championship to 30 points, and has both of its drivers ahead of the Ferraris on the grid. Teams can earn a maximum 88 more points from the grand prix in Qatar and next week’s Abu Dhabi GP. Red Bull dropped to 67 points behind McLaren in the standings as Verstappen — crowned the drivers' champion for the fourth time last week in Las Vegas — finished eighth and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez was last after a pit stop to change his car's nose. AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

NCAA holds end-of-year consumer awareness programme in Port HarcourtNone

St. John's 58, Stony Brook 34Developing nations slam ‘paltry’ $300bn climate deal Nearly 200 nations pushed through contentious finance pact in early hours in sports stadium in Azerbaijan BAKU: The world approved a bitterly negotiated climate deal Sunday but poorer nations most at the mercy of worsening disasters dismissed a $300 billion a year pledge from wealthy historic polluters as insultingly low. After two exhausting weeks of chaotic bargaining and sleepless nights, nearly 200 nations pushed through the contentious finance pact in the early hours in a sports stadium in Azerbaijan. But the applause had barely subsided when India delivered a full-throated rejection of the “abysmally poor” deal, kicking off a firestorm of criticism from across the developing world. “It’s a paltry sum,” thundered India’s delegate Chandni Raina. “This document is little more than an optical illusion. This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face.” Sierra Leone’s climate minister Jiwoh Abdulai said it showed a “lack of goodwill” from rich countries to stand by the world’s poorest as they confront rising seas and harsher droughts. Nigeria’s envoy Nkiruka Maduekwe put it even more bluntly: “This is an insult.” Some countries had accused Azerbaijan, an oil and gas exporter, of lacking the will to meet the moment in a year defined by costly climate disasters and on track to become the hottest on record. But at protests throughout COP29, developed nations -- major economies like the European Union, the United States and Japan -- were accused of negotiating in bad faith, making a fair deal impossible. Developing nations arrived in the Caspian Sea city of Baku hoping to secure a massive financial boost from rich countries many times above their existing pledge of $100 billion a year. Tina Stege, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, said she would return home with only a “small portion” of what she fought for, but not empty-handed. “It isn’t nearly enough, but it’s a start,” said Stege, whose atoll nation homeland faces an existential threat from creeping sea levels. Nations had struggled at COP29 to reconcile long-standing divisions over how much developed nations most accountable for historic greenhouse gas pollution should provide to poorer countries least responsible but most impacted by Earth’s rapid warming. The meeting also saw stalling on the promise to “transition away” from fossil fuels, the main driver of global heating. That pledge, a key achievement of COP28 in Dubai, was scrubbed from the final Baku deal. The Least Developed Countries bloc of 45 nations slammed the COP29 outcome as a “travesty,” adding that it failed to make progress on curbing warming, or deliver enough cash to protect the most vulnerable. “This is not just a failure; it is a betrayal,” the group said in a statement. Nations have agreed to try to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial times. Currently the world is on track for devastating warming of between 2.6C and 3.1C this century, according to the UN. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he had “hoped for a more ambitious outcome” and appealed to governments to see it as a starting point. Developed countries only put the $300 billion figure on the table on Saturday after COP29 went into extra time and diplomats worked through the night to improve an earlier spurned offer. Bleary-eyed diplomats, huddled anxiously in groups, were still polishing the final phrasing on the plenary floor in the dying hours before the deal passed. UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband hailed “a critical eleventh-hour deal at the eleventh hour for the climate”. At points, the talks appeared on the brink of collapse. Delegates stormed out of meetings, fired shots across the bow, and threatened to walk away from the negotiating table should rich nations not cough up more cash. In the end -- despite repeating that “no deal is better than a bad deal” -- developing nations did not stand in the way of an agreement. US President Joe Biden cast the agreement reached in Baku as a “historic outcome”. EU climate envoy Wopke Hoekstra said it would be remembered as “the start of a new era for climate finance”. The agreement commits developed nations to pay at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developing countries cut emissions and prepare for worsening disasters. It falls short of the $390 billion that economists commissioned by the United Nations had deemed a fair share contribution by developed nations. The US and EU pushed to have newly wealthy emerging economies like China -- the world’s largest emitter -- chip in. Wealthy nations said it was politically unrealistic to expect more in direct government funding at a time of geopolitical uncertainty and economic belt-tightening. Donald Trump, a sceptic of both climate change and foreign assistance, was elected just days before COP29 began and his victory cast a pall over the UN talks. Other countries, particularly in the EU -- the largest contributor of climate finance -- saw right-wing backlashes against the green agenda, not fertile conditions for raising big sums of public money. The final deal “encourages” developing countries to make contributions on a voluntary basis, reflecting no change for China, which already provides climate finance on its own terms. The deal also posits a larger overall target of $1.3 trillion per year to cope with rising temperatures and disasters, but most would come from private sources.

In response to an ultimatum from the Pinellas County (Fla.) Commission last week, Tampa Bay Rays ownership said in a letter Monday that its deal to build a new $1.3 billion ballpark is still "in effect." The letter was the latest salvo in a verbal back-and-forth between the MLB franchise and the county. Rays presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman wrote to the County Commission on Nov. 19 and suggested the team would not agree to a deal for a new stadium. The Rays claimed they had spent more than $50 million toward building that new stadium, but the county had allegedly "suspended work on the entire project," making its targeted 2028 opening unfeasible. Last Monday, Pinellas County Court Commission Chairperson Kathleen Peters replied in a letter to Auld and Silverman requesting they declare by Dec. 1 whether they are in or out. "In response to your question regarding the status of the various agreements, they are in effect until a party terminates or outside dates are reached," Silverman responded Monday, with Dec. 1 now past. "The Rays have fulfilled its obligations to date and continue to wait for decisions and actions by the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County." "We would not have gone forward with the project if a future Pinellas County Commission had the ability to revoke the approval we all celebrated in July or to unilaterally delay the project's completion into 2029." Silverman also fired back at Peters for bringing up a conversation Auld had with Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott last month, prompting the county to allege that Auld was not committed to following through on the project. "The conversation primarily concerned the near-term challenges to our business given the damage to Tropicana Field as well as the dynamics related to the location of our home games in 2025," Silverman wrote Monday. "Brian Auld did not waver from our commitment to the new ballpark project." It is unclear how the county will proceed. The Pinellas County Commission already voted 6-1 last month to put off its final decision on whether to approve bonds until Dec. 17. Regardless of what happens in the Rays' long-term planning, the club will not play its 2025 home games in St. Petersburg after Tropicana Field was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton in early October. The team will instead welcome opponents to Tampa's George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. --Field Level Media

Movate Emerges as Leader in Digital Workplace Services 2024

The Miami Dolphins found out what life was like without decent backup quarterback play earlier in the season. Following Tua Tagovailoa's concussion in a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, the Dolphins would score 40 points while their star quarterback was on injured reserve for four games. Miami went 1-3 during that time. The Dolphins are attempting to make a late-season surge to make the playoffs at 4-6 entering Week 12, winners of two games in a row. Miami would do well to add a decent backup quarterback for the rest of the season, and the New York Giants might have released the answer to head coach Mike McDaniel's problem at QB2. On Friday, the Giants released Daniel Jones. The 2019 No. 6 pick is expected to clear waivers and become a free agent due to his pricey contract. Some Dolphins fans on social media thought he'd make sense for Miami to grab in free agency this season as a backup for Tagovailoa. "Dolphins should sign Daniel Jones," posted a fan. "I’ll take Daniel Jones as a backup. Dolphins currently have no backup QB and a injury prone starter," wrote another. Tagovailoa had a scary moment in the Dolphins' 23-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 11 when the former Alabama quarterback attempted to tackle linebacker Christian Rozeboom head first after throwing an interception. Tagovailoa said after the game that he wouldn't do anything differently, and that dangerous hits are a part of the game. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images With Tagovailoa not taking extra precautions (like a Guardian Cap) following the Week 2 concussion, Jones would provide Miami's offense a better chance to get the ball to weapons like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle than Tyler Huntley if something were to happen to the former No. 5 pick before the playoffs. Miami would also have an incentive to sign Jones. A team that signs Jones this season would likely receive a compensatory draft pick. "Good note by Nick Korte: If Daniel Jones signs with a team for the remainder of the season, then leaves in free agency and secures a solid backup or bridge quarterback-type contract, the team that had him would be in line to receive a compensatory pick," Ari Meirov with the 33rd Team posted on X. Good note by @nickkorte : If Daniel Jones signs with a team for the remainder of the season, then leaves in free agency and secures a solid backup or bridge quarterback-type contract, the team that had him would be in line to receive a compensatory pick. https://t.co/vRoWArGdly Jones is 1,437-of-2,241 passing for 14,582 yards, 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions in his six-year NFL career. He's thrown for 2,070 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in 2024. Related: Giants Cut Ties With Daniel Jones