If You Invested $1000 In This Stock 5 Years Ago, You Would Have This Much TodayLorenz scores 20, Wofford downs Kentucky Christian 100-55jiliasia 50 。

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked an effort by Democrats to pass a bipartisan bill that would give journalists greater protections under federal law – a move that comes in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump opposing the measure. Trump called on Republicans to “kill this bill” in a Truth Social post last month. Known as the PRESS Act, the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act would prevent the government from forcing journalists to reveal their sources and limit the seizure of their data without their knowledge. The bill passed the GOP-controlled House earlier this year. After Trump’s reelection, press advocacy groups redoubled their efforts to get the legislation signed into law before the end of President Joe Biden’s term. But the bill’s failure to pass on Tuesday comes as time is fast-running out before the Democratic president leaves office. The bill is unlikely to win 60 votes, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has prioritized confirming judges during the lame-duck session. Government funding and a must-pass defense policy bill will also take up valuable floor time before lawmakers leave town for the winter holiday break. On Tuesday evening, Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon went to the Senate floor and asked for unanimous consent to pass the bill. But GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas objected, blocking the attempt. Any single senator has the power to halt a bill put forward by a unanimous consent request. The Freedom of the Press Foundation said on X that Democrats knew the move would fail and called on the chamber to cut the holiday break short if necessary to try to pass the bill. “Speeches aren’t enough. The senate has had all year to pass this bipartisan bill,” the group said. Schumer spoke in support of the bill on the floor and urged passage, calling the provisions “common sense” and “more important now than ever before when we’ve heard so many in the incoming administration talk about going after the press one way or another.” Cotton argued in remarks on the floor that the bill is a threat to US national security and said its passage would turn the Senate “into the active accomplice of deep-state leakers, traitors and criminals, along with the America-hating and fame-hungry journalists who help them out.” Earlier on Tuesday, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press used the release of a Justice Department’s inspector general report into leak investigations during Trump’s first term to argue for passage of the act. “This investigation highlights the need for a reasonable, common-sense law to protect reporters and their sources,” the group’s executive director, Bruce D. Brown, said. “It’s time for Congress to pass the PRESS Act, which has overwhelming bipartisan support, to prevent government interference with the free flow of information to the public.”Social Micro-Savings Groups: Collective Efforts to Achieve Financial Dreams

Several watchdogs and agencies are sharpening their gaze on FinTechs, specifically bank-FinTech relationships and the risks tied to those partnerships. In July, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System , the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a request for information on those partnerships and a statement that discussed the risks. “The statement details the potential risks and provides examples of effective risk management practices for these arrangements,” the agencies said in a press release at the time. “In addition, the statement reminds banks of relevant existing legal requirements, guidance and related resources, and provides insights that the agencies have gained through their supervision.” The FDIC’s Role Although three agencies were involved in the July action, it may be the FDIC that winds up fundamentally altering the nature of the bank-FinTech interactions, certainly when it comes to how those pacts are forged and how they operate day to day. The Synapse bankruptcy helped set that closer examination in motion. The FDIC does not regulate FinTechs directly, but it oversees banks, so it has a hand in directing how traditional financial institutions work with digital innovators. It also has the ability to monitor FinTechs and has begun more closely tracking FinTechs that partner with banks, aiming to spot potential problems before they affect banks and track FinTechs as they switch banking partners. Beyond monitoring, actions on the part of the FDIC, including proposed rules, give insight into key regulatory themes. As the expanded list of actions that would be required of the banks indicates, banks will more closely vet those partnerships. 1. Record Keeping An extension of a commentary period that would implement new rules on ledgers and data standardization sheds light on the complexity of the relationships. The commentary period will now last until the middle of January, where it had been set to end last week. The proposal requires FDIC-insured banks holding certain custodial accounts to ensure accurate records are kept determining the individual owner of the funds and to reconcile the account for each individual owner daily. Since the FDIC only insures deposits of insured depository institutions, the agency’s deposit insurance coverage “does not provide consumers and businesses with general protection against the default, insolvency or bankruptcy of any nonbank entities,” the FDIC said. 2. Compliance The FDIC would require banks to complete an annual validation of third parties through an independent party. As detailed in the proposal, FDIC-insured banks would be required to certify those results, including “any material changes to their information technology systems relevant to compliance with the rule” and “the account holders that maintain custodial deposit accounts with transactional features, the total balance of those custodial deposit accounts, and the total number of beneficial owners.” 3. Insurance “In recent years, the FDIC has observed an increasing number of instances where financial service providers ... have engaged in false advertising or made misrepresentations about FDIC insurance coverage on the internet,” the FDIC said in the proposed rules . Companies in relationships with FDIC-insured banks have “made false statements on the companies’ websites stating or suggesting that the companies are FDIC-insured and/or that their uninsured financial products are insured by the FDIC,” the FDIC said. “In other instances, companies have misused the FDIC logo or failed to identify [a bank] with which they have a relationship. These types of misrepresentations and omissions would be false and misleading and have potential to harm consumers.” Beyond the advertising aspect of FDIC insurance, there may be a debate (re)opened surrounding deposit insurance itself. The FDIC only insures deposits of the banks themselves, and insurance (up to $250,000 per account) is paid out only in the event of a bank failure. The current structure does not provide customers with protection “against the default, insolvency or bankruptcy of any nonbank entities with which [banks] might do business, even if a nonbank entity has a relationship with, or deposits funds” with those insured depository institutions, the FDIC said.A WALMART shopper has boycotted the retail giant for years, calling out the chain on social media for its inefficient checkout operations. The customer begged the store to hire more cashiers after past issues with frozen products had them frustrated. The first self-checkout machine was installed at a Kroger grocery store in 1986. Since then, major retailers have adopted the technology and slowly come to rely on it over traditional cashiers. The kiosks were invented to lighten the load of employees and speed up the checkout process, although many shoppers have taken issue with them. From long lines to scanning issues to a greater workload for the customer, many consumers have come to hate self-checkout. Read More on Walmart One Walmart shopper expressed their disdain for the machines in an X post last month. "Honestly I stopped shopping at Walmart long before Covid even. Because it's ALL self-checkout registers," they fumed. The customer complained that the self-checkout process was long and arduous, resulting in ruined groceries . "After getting groceries, scanning and bagging, loading and unloading. EVERYTHING FROZEN IS NO LONGER FROZEN!" complained the shopper. "BRING CASHIERS BACK! AND I WILL GO BACK." Most read in Money Another Walmart customer threatened to boycott the store for the same reason. "Your self-checkout sucks," blasted the customer, complaining about a 30-minute wait to check out. "All my frozen food was about thawed. I'll probably bring it back and go elsewhere from now on," they wrote. DELIVERY DISS Not only is Walmart under fire for its in-store operations but also for its services outside the store, such as delivery. One shopper vowed to never use the chain's delivery services again after they repeatedly found items missing from their orders. The Walmart+ shopper was hoping to take advantage of their membership perk but was disappointed to find over 20 items from their delivery order missing. "Just got my delivery from Walmart+ and I ordered 28 items. Guess how many I got in my delivery??? Six!" blasted the customer. Walmart+ is the retail giant's subscription service, which costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month. It offers a variety of benefits, including: Free delivery Free shipping Free pharmacy delivery In-home returns pickup Early access to deals Free online pet care Fuel discounts Auto care "The driver dropped off two bags of six items. They forgot 22 freaking items!!!! No more Walmart delivery." Another shopper in the comment section shared they no longer shopped at Walmart due to a drop in the retailer's customer service, blaming self-checkout. "Sadly, going to the stores who close their registers and only have self-service has completely ruined their stores," they wrote. "They don’t put paper in the self-serve registers too. I gave up on Walmart. Hope you have better luck via shipping." The original user agreed about the decline in Walmart's service, calling its delivery ordering "so bad." "I paid almost $100 for the year. Insane," they wrote. "This has happened three times now." Walmart is not the only grocery giant being called out for its poor service. Read More on The US Sun A Kroger shopper begged the chain to "do better," slamming a manager’s "reply" after a "5-minute checkout turns into 20-minute saga." Plus, Target apologized after a "rude" worker "refused to help" with a missing order.Man on trial in Ole Miss student’s death lied to investigators, police chief says

Estonia Holds Emergency Meeting After Undersea Power Cable Disruption

COP29 ends with deal on climate finance after bitter fight

Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe names next Missouri Highway Patrol superintendentNEW YORK , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the following companies for potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders relating to: Altair Engineering Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTR)'s sale to Siemens for $113.00 per share in cash. If you are an Altair shareholder, click here to learn more about your legal rights and options . Mid Penn Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: MPB)'s merger with William Penn Bancorporation. If you are a Mid Penn shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options . Avid Bioservices, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDMO)'s sale to funds managed by GHO Capital Partners LLP and Ampersand Capital Partners for $12.50 per share in cash. If you are an Avid shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options . AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV)'s merger with BlueHalo LLC. Per the terms of the proposed transaction, AeroVironment will issue approximately 18.5 million shares of AeroVironment common stock to BlueHalo. Upon closing of the proposed transaction, AeroVironment shareholders will own approximately 60.5% of the combined company. If you are an AeroVironment shareholder, click here to learn more about your legal rights and options . Halper Sadeh LLC may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders. We would handle the action on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses. Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com . Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Halper Sadeh LLC Daniel Sadeh, Esq. Zachary Halper, Esq. (212) 763-0060 sadeh@halpersadeh.com zhalper@halpersadeh.com https://www.halpersadeh.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shareholder-investigation-halper-sadeh-llc-investigates-altr-mpb-cdmo-avav-on-behalf-of-shareholders-302326334.html SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLPInsights into MIND Technology Q3 Earnings

Hip-hop megastar Jay-Z has emphatically denied accusations in a lawsuit that he and fellow entertainer Sean “Diddy” Combs raped a 13-year-old girl more than two decades ago. The complaint was amended Sunday in U.S. District Court in New York to add Jay-Z as a defendant after originally being filed against Combs in October. It alleges they “took turns assaulting the minor” at a party after the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. In a statement issued Sunday by Roc Nation, Jay-Z’s entertainment company, he assailed Tony Buzbee, the attorney for the anonymous accuser. “These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!” the statement said. “Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?” The statement called the lawsuit’s claims “idiotic” and something that would be laughable “if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids.” “You have made a terrible error in judgment in thinking that all ‘celebrities are the same,’” the statement said. “I’m not from your world. I’m a young man who made it out of the project of Brooklyn. We don’t play these types of games. We have very strict codes and honor. We protect children. ...” Federal prosecutors charged Combs in September with crimes including sex trafficking and racketeering. He has pleaded not guilty. Buzbee, a Texas-based attorney, has filed several lawsuits against Combs since his arrest. The attorney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. An anonymous celebrity sued Buzbee in Los Angeles County Superior Court in November, accusing the attorney of threatening to “unleash entirely fabricated and malicious allegations of sexual assault” if the celebrity didn’t participate in a “confidential mediation.” The lawsuit said Buzbee alleged the celebrity raped “multiple minors, both male and female, who had been drugged at parties hosted by Combs.” On Sunday, Buzbee pushed back against Jay-Z on social media: “Mr. Carter previously denied being the one who sued me and my firm. He filed his frivolous case under a pseudonym. ... Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff. His conduct has had the opposite impact” She is emboldened. I’m very proud of her resolve.”

Should the Dolphins Have Played It Safe with Tua’s Fifth-Year Option?Chinese President Xi Jinping warned Tuesday that there would be "no winners" in a trade war with the United States and vowed the country would hit its growth goals for the year. Donald Trump -- who returns to the White House next month -- unleashed a grueling trade war with China during his first term in office, lambasting alleged intellectual property theft and other "unfair" practices. He has pledged to impose even higher tariffs on China after taking office on January 20, as Beijing is grappling with a shaky post-pandemic economic recovery. "Tariff wars, trade wars, and technology wars go against historical trends and economic rules, and there will be no winners," Xi said of China-U.S. relations while meeting several heads of multilateral financial institutions in Beijing, according to state broadcaster CCTV. "China is willing to maintain dialogue with the U.S. government, expand cooperation, manage differences and promote the development of China-U.S. relations in a stable, healthy and sustainable direction," said Xi. Beijing is targeting annual growth this year of around five percent, despite sluggish domestic consumption, high unemployment and a prolonged crisis in the vast property sector. Xi also said during Tuesday's meeting that China had "full confidence" in achieving its 2024 growth goal, state media reported. His remarks came as official data showed the country's exports rose last month at a slower rate than expected while imports shrunk further, underscoring the challenges China is still facing. The latest reading reinforced the need for more support a day after top officials pledged to bolster stuttering growth. Overseas shipments this year have represented a rare bright spot in the Chinese economy, with domestic spending mired in a slump and persistent woes in the property sector spooking investors. Exports jumped 6.7 percent on-year to $312.3 billion last month, China's General Administration of Customs said. But the figure was much slower than the 8.7 percent anticipated by economists in a Bloomberg survey and well down from the 12.7 percent leap in October, which was the strongest in more than two years. The data showed exports grew 5.4 percent on-year in January-November. "China's exports were perhaps the biggest upside surprise for the economy in 2024," wrote Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING. This is "one of the main reasons China is set to achieve its 'around five percent' growth target" for this year, he added. Analysts have suggested the recent surge in shipments is because foreign buyers fearing another trade standoff were racing to beat any possible tariffs on Chinese goods by Trump. "We could see some frontloading of exports in the coming few months but momentum is likely to soften after this is done, unless the outcome of tariff negotiations is surprisingly positive," wrote Song. The 3.9 percent drop in imports last month extended a slide in the previous month -- and was much worse than the 0.9 percent rise forecast -- as domestic demand continues to be dampened by lackluster consumer spending. The readings come as investors closely watch signals from Chinese leaders, who are convening this week in Beijing for a series of key meetings on economic planning for the coming year. The Politburo, China's top decision-making body, on Monday urged "vigorous" support for consumption and a loosening of monetary policy in 2025. But observers are still waiting for the announcement of specific policies, particularly any measures to significantly bolster consumption. Zhang Zhiwei, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said in a note that another key meeting on economic policy -- expected to take place in the coming days -- could "shed more light, particularly on the fiscal policy front".It's great to see that a game as old as pinball—which first appeared at least in some form way back in the 1700s—can still learn a few new tricks. In this case it's via Pinbleton Park , an open world adventure developed by Turtlesoup Games, where you don't need a pinball table to play pinball: you can use the world itself. I'm not sure I'd appreciate walking outside my house and seeing my entire neighborhood had been transformed into a massive pinball game with bumpers, flippers, and a giant ball bouncing off buildings and rooftops. But the people (well, the animal people) of Pinbleton Park seem just fine with it. Check out the trailer revealed today at the Wholesome Snack showcase: I don't quite get the story from the quick description on the Steam store page, but apparently an evil corporation wants to destroy the forest and you can only stop them by finding "lost spirits" and using them to play pinball all over the place. Odd, but let's face it: that makes more sense to me than whatever the heck is going on in Death Stranding. How all this pinball helps the town isn't quite clear, but in one scene you can see a messy pinball game taking place inside a house, where the ball, as it bounces off the walls and bookshelves, splashes colorful paint everywhere. This makes a small bear very happy, and that's really all I need to know. I'm all for pleasing bears by making a mess with some paint. Pinbleton Park bounces our way in 2025. Here it is on Steam if you want to flip it onto your wishlist. The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.PITTSBURGH (AP) — Preseason's over. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * PITTSBURGH (AP) — Preseason's over. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? PITTSBURGH (AP) — Preseason’s over. Now the real work begins for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the past three months have been promising and productive for the first-place Steelers (10-3), it has come largely at the expense of teams who will likely watch the playoffs on TV. Six of Pittsburgh’s victories have come against teams who currently have losing records. The other four wins — Denver, the Chargers, Washington and Baltimore — are solid resume-builders with a small caveat: none of them lead their respective divisions. To be clear, Pittsburgh’s play is part of the reason those four clubs find themselves looking up to others in the standings. That will change on Sunday when the Steelers travel across the state to face NFC juggernaut Philadelphia, the start of an 11-day sprint in which Pittsburgh also faces a rematch with the Ravens and spends Christmas Day at Acrisure Stadium against Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. “It’s just going to show us how good we can be,” safety DeShon Elliott said. It’s a testament to the weekly tunnel vision Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin creates that wide receiver Calvin Austin III needed to be reminded about the daunting stretch that awaits after Sunday’s relatively drama-free 27-14 win over Cleveland. “Who do we play again?” Austin said. When reminded it was three teams that fully expect to be in New Orleans on the second Sunday in February, Austin laughed. “That’s a tough little stretch, but at the end of the day it’s a five-star matchup as Coach T says because we’re in it,” he said. “We know that when we’re out there, it’s going to always be a big-time performance.” One Austin and his teammates believe they’re ready for after a workmanlike victory over the Browns in which the Steelers were only too intent to let Cleveland self-destruct behind a flurry of penalties, missed field goals and turnovers. More will likely be required in the coming weeks, which is fine by the Steelers. They have put themselves in a position to do things the franchise hasn’t done in a while. And for all the good things they’ve done since early September, they’re only too aware their season will be defined by what comes next. Sure, they’d love a little more time between games to rest up. The scheduling gods didn’t give them that option. So be it. “I feel like the league kind of hates us already, man,” Elliott said. “It’s all right. We’re going to go out here, play those games, work our butts off, go out and be 3-0.” What’s working Letting everybody eat. Russell Wilson seems to be almost pathological in his determination to get every eligible skill position player involved. A week ago against the Bengals, he connected with 10 different players. In the rematch with the Browns, it was eight, including Mike Williams and Scotty Miller, veterans who have largely been afterthoughts of late. Tomlin greeted Miller after an acrobatic 20-yard third down grab on the sideline in the third quarter with “this isn’t a lightning strike,” a popular Tomlin-ism that means simply Miller did all the work necessary to succeed, so it shouldn’t be a surprise when it comes. Asked if he felt compelled to mention this to Tomlin the next time Miller is a candidate to be inactive on game days — as he has often been in recent weeks — Miller smiled. “If you could tell him that, that’d be great,” he said with a laugh. What needs help George Pickens’ maturity. While Pickens believes opponents haven’t found a way to get under his skin, the evidence suggests otherwise. How else to explain why nearly three years into his career, Pickens still frequently finds an envelope in his locker from the league telling him he’s been fined for everything from unsportsmanlike conduct to unnecessary roughness? Pickens’ teammates respect his talent and understand his importance — look at how disjointed the offense looked on Sunday for proof — but will he “cut out the stupid stuff” before the playoffs arrive? That will be entirely up to Pickens. Nothing seems to have gotten through so far. Maybe watching the team win without him while nursing a hamstring injury — as Pickens did on Sunday — will do the trick. Stock up The Steelers may have found their heir apparent to the seemingly ageless Cam Heyward in second-year defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. While Benton will likely never come close to matching Heyward’s impact as a pass rusher, he can do just about everything else and his first career interception on Sunday — a leaping pick of an ill-advised screen pass by Jameis Winston — showcased his spiking football IQ. Stock down Everyone who put money down during the offseason on the Steelers missing the playoffs. It looked like a good investment over the summer with two new quarterbacks, a new offensive coordinator, no second big-play wide receiver to complement Pickens and playing in what was viewed as the best division in the league. Not so much anymore. Pittsburgh has a 99% chance of reaching the postseason for the fourth time in five years. Injuries Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi — selected as the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee last week — left in the second quarter with a groin injury. Defensive tackle Montravius Adams (knee) is trending toward playing for the first time since October and could be available in Philadelphia. Key number Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Plus-28 — the Steelers’ turnover margin since the start of the 2023 season, tops in the NFL. Next steps Try to do something they haven’t done in nearly 60 years: beat the Eagles on the road. Pittsburgh’s most recent victory in Philadelphia was on Oct. 24, 1965. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement Advertisement

Billionaire Elon Musk had accused MacKenzie Scott of being one of the "super rich-ex-wives" who would contribute to "reasons that Western Civilization died" following which Scott doubled her donations to philanthropic causes. Now, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who recently admitted to using Ozempic-like weight loss drugs, has taken a fresh dig at her over her charitable donations. Musk shared an X post by John LeFevre on Monday that criticizes Scott's donations to nonprofits that focus on liberal issues like immigration rights, LGBTQ+ rights, racial equity, and social justice causes. WNBA star tells Elon Musk to 'go back to Africa' after Donald Trump failure Musk warned he's 'making enemies and will get hurt' if he doesn't quit politics LeFevre sounds alarm over the same post, saying: "She's just getting started." Musk agrees with LeFevre's criticism as he reshared the post with a single-word comment: "Concerning." Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos has donated over $19 billion to more than 2,450 non-profit organizations through her organization Yield Giving since 2019. Courtesy of Amazon's rising share values, Scott's net worth is above $30 billion and she shows no signs of slowing down on donations. Musk, a close ally to President-elect Donald Trump , is the world's richest man and has made more than $270 million to help Trump win. This is not the first time he has attacked Scott for supporting progressive issues. In a now-deleted X post from March, Musk wrote: "'Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse' should be listed among 'Reasons that Western Civilization died.'" Two weeks after his post, Scott announced she was doubling the size of her donations to $640 million across 361 nonprofits. DON'T MISS: Russia attacks Ukrainian energy system with drone missiles on Christmas Day [NEW] More than 30 feared to be dead in Azerbaijan plane crash en route to Russia [CHILLING] Drone warning issued as mystery sightings surge - new tech used to fight back [EXCLUSIVE] Concerning https://t.co/C11Lnm8XeH — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 23, 2024 On Dec. 18, Scott announced that Yield Giving had given "about $2,004,400,000 in gifts to the 199 organizations." "Roughly 75% of them are non-profits that support the economic security and opportunity of people who are struggling by improving access to affordable housing, jobs that provide stability for themselves and their families, child development and post-secondary education, healthcare, and financial counseling, business coaching, and low-interest rate loans focused on increasing economic potential and building wealth. The others support well-being through other means, such as work on human rights and natural resources conservation," she wrote. Scott also explained the gift-making process where instead of withdrawing funds from a bank account or stock portfolio that "increases the wealth and influence of leaders who already have it," she withdraws them from "a portfolio of investments in mission-aligned ventures, with leaders from the populations they are serving, or from generally undercapitalized groups like women and people of color." "In this way, the money can help address these issues twice, first by advancing economic mobility and unlocking the innovation and social benefit that comes from incorporating diverse needs and perspectives in the world being constructed around us, and next in the hands of experienced non-profit teams creating value through their transformative models of care and change," Scott explained.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the ongoing testing of the country's latest military innovation, the Oreshnik hypersonic missile, promising that a stock is ready for combat scenarios. This statement followed Ukraine's report of working on developing air defense systems to counter the burgeoning threat. The launch of this new intermediate-range weapon into Ukraine marks a significant escalation, described by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a breach, aided by Western allies, in creating systems to mitigate new risks. This move is seen as a response to Ukraine's deployment of U.S. and British missiles against Russian targets. Experts highlighted the Oreshnik's innovative design, which allows it to carry multiple warheads to strike various targets simultaneously, echoing capabilities of longer-range missiles. As tensions rise with Western countries, the missile's firing acts as a stern warning from Moscow, urging restraint against further involvement in the Ukraine conflict. (With inputs from agencies.)

Trump taps SF legal firebrand to lead civil rights enforcement

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Simon Ekpa’ll Be Extradited To Nigeria To Face Charges – Defence Hqtrs

Shares of Xerox Holdings Corp. .css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);}.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-8459s-OverridedLink.css-8459s-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);} .css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{display:inline;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:200ms,200ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}@media screen and (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink{transition-property:color,fill;transition-duration:0ms;transition-timing-function:cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1),cubic-bezier(0, 0, .5, 1);}}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink020);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveLink030);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:active:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink030);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled){color:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:visited:hover:not(:disabled) svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveVisited010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-color:var(--outlineColorDefault);outline-style:var(--outlineStyleDefault);outline-width:var(--outlineWidthDefault);outline-offset:var(--outlineOffsetDefault);}@media not all and (min-resolution: 0.001dpcm){@supports (-webkit-appearance: none) and (stroke-color: transparent){.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:focus-visible:not(:disabled){outline-style:var(--safariOutlineStyleDefault);}}}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink010, interactiveLink010);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);border-bottom:1px solid;border-bottom-color:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);}.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink.css-1y1y9ag-OverridedLink:any-link:hover svg{fill:var(--color-interactiveLink020, interactiveLink020);} XRX inched 0.34% higher to $8.91 Tuesday, on what proved to be an all-around grim trading session for the stock market, with the S&P 500 Index SPX falling 0.30% to 6,034.91 and Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA falling 0.35% to 44,247.83. This was the stock's second consecutive day of gains.

Tweet Facebook Mail Some on social media have been saying Ariana Grande got paid more for Wicked than her co-star Cynthia Erivo, but the movie's studio is setting the record straight. There have been rumours that Grande was paid as much as US$15 million ($23 million) for her role as Glinda, and Erivo received US$1 million ($1.54 million) for playing Elphaba. But the studio is denying that. READ MORE: ABC chairman unleashes on Joe Rogan  Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande attend the "Wicked" New York premiere. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) "Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder," a spokesperson for Universal said in a statement shared with several outlets. "The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked ." CNN has reached out to Universal for comment. Both women are being hailed for their performances in the Jon Chu-directed musical. Audiences have been flocking to theatres to enjoy what is the first part in a planned two-film franchise. Wicked reportedly raked in an estimated US$162 million ($249.3 million) at the box office during opening weekend. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K Dobbins is unlikely to play against the Atlanta Falcons this week because of a knee injury. Dobbins was hurt in the first half of the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. He had six carries for 40 yards and three catches for 19 yards before leaving the game. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh declined to get into specifics of the injury Wednesday, other than confirming Dobbins is “working through something with his knee,” he said. Dobbins had been putting together a strong first season for the Chargers (7-4) after his past three years in Baltimore had been injury-riddled. He has 766 yards rushing and eight touchdowns through 11 games for Los Angeles, which had positioned Dobbins as a strong candidate for AP Comeback Player of the Year. Dobbins tore his Achilles tendon in the 2023 season opener for Baltimore. He also tore his ACL in 2021, and the effects of that injury lingered into the following season. Dobbins played in just 24 of a possible 67 regular-season games for the Ravens, who drafted him in the second round in 2020. “We feel horrible for him,” quarterback Justin Herbert said. “He’s such a tough, tough teammate, and the way he’s fought through so many injuries, we have no doubt he’s going to be back better than ever. And so it’s up to us. It’s our responsibility to hold it down while he’s gone.” The absence of Dobbins leaves Gus Edwards, Hassan Haskins and rookie Kimani Vidal as the Chargers’ current options at running back. Edwards missed four games because of a high ankle sprain and has 206 yards and one touchdown in seven appearances. Haskins has mostly been a special teams contributor, while Vidal has been inactive for seven games, including each of the past three. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLqujila 。

In Suarez's view, Emery's approach to man-management was a key factor in Arsenal's decline during his tenure. Suarez recounted instances where players felt undervalued and marginalized by Emery, leading to a lack of unity and team spirit within the squad. This toxic environment ultimately eroded the players' confidence and contributed to their underwhelming performances.One of Lippi's key points is that while it is important to learn from the successes of European football, China should not simply replicate European football culture. Each country has its own unique footballing heritage, and China should leverage its own strengths and traditions to develop a style of play that suits its players and resonates with Chinese fans.Vicarious Surgical Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

As the lights dimmed and the audience slowly filed out of the club, the memory of Lady Tiana lingered in their minds, a chilling reminder of the darkness that could lurk beneath even the most innocent facades. The comedian’s performance had not only entertained but also enlightened, prompting a deeper reflection on the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals, especially women.

In the world of football, transfer rumors and player performances often dominate the headlines. Recently, former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand expressed his hopes for the club to get rid of underperforming players, while reports suggest that Real Madrid is confident that Manchester United will sell Diogo Dalot for a transfer fee of £45 million.The European Union's competition authorities have expressed grave concerns about the potential anti-competitive effects of such practices, warning that they could harm consumers, advertisers, and publishers alike. Margrethe Vestager, the Executive Vice President of the European Commission for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, stated, "We cannot allow tech giants like Google and Meta to abuse their dominant positions in the digital advertising market to the detriment of fair competition and innovation."AJ Marotte’s 21 points leads Oregon State past Boston College as Beavers end 4-game losing streak

Internationally, Macron has been confronted with several diplomatic challenges that have further strained his leadership. The recent spat with Turkey over issues in Syria and the Mediterranean highlighted the complex web of alliances and conflicts that France is entangled in. Macron's efforts to position himself as a global leader and advocate for European unity have often been met with skepticism and resistance from other world leaders.Tafara Gapare throws down 19 points and a highlight dunk, and Maryland beats Bucknell 91-67As Liu Chuanxing continues to work on playing with more strength and determination, the entire team is beginning to see the positive impact of his efforts. With a renewed focus on defense and rebounding, the Shanxi team is becoming a tougher and more competitive unit that is ready to face any challenge head-on.

Let the journey begin.

Miley Cyrus Makes Rare Comment on Ex Liam HemsworthNoneAs the editor-in-chief of a leading gaming publication, I have had the privilege of experiencing the impact of the "Assetto Corsa" series firsthand. From the precision handling of the cars to the stunning graphics and immersive sound design, each installment in the series has pushed the boundaries of what a racing simulator can achieve. With its dedicated community of loyal fans and continuous updates and expansions, "Assetto Corsa" has solidified its place as a must-have title for anyone with a passion for high-speed thrills.Trump Has ‘Lost Faith’ in N.R.A., Says Gun Group Official

As the world tries to make sense of this senseless act, one thing remains clear: the need for understanding, empathy, and proactive measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. By addressing the root causes of violence, promoting mental health awareness, and fostering a culture of inclusivity and support, we can strive to create a safer and more harmonious world for all. The road ahead may be challenging, but by standing together and seeking solutions, we can work towards a future free from fear and violence.Title: Guangzhou Launches Roadshow Events to Cultivate More Cross-border E-commerce Independent Brands

As we approach another New Year's Eve, we can once again look forward to spending the evening with He Jiong and Wang Han, as they guide us through the festivities with their signature charm and charisma. Their presence is a reminder of the enduring power of tradition, the joy of shared experiences, and the beauty of human connection.Shock for fruit vendor who sold $9 million banana for 25 cents

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Adcetera's creative partnership with Roborock sends the S8 MaxV Ultra into space , /PRNewswire/ -- Adcetera, a -based digital marketing agency, announces the launch of a historic in partnership with , one of the world's leading robot vacuum brands. The campaign, centered around the theme "Beyond Limits," culminated in the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra being launched 120,000 feet above the Earth, making it the first robot vacuum in space. When Roborock began searching for an agency to develop a video campaign around their hashtag, #BeyondLimits, Adcetera's creatives stepped in to develop a narrative that could bring those two words to life. The resulting social media campaign features three scientists frustrated by outdated cleaning tools. Their solution? Invent the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra. After putting the vacuum through a series of "Beyond Limits" tests, the scientists take it one step further and launch it into space. The collaboration included partnering with Sent into Space, a UK-based company specializing in sending objects into the upper stratosphere. On , the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra successfully launched from , reaching 120,000 feet above Earth and enduring extreme temperatures, thus proving the product's endurance and innovation. The project involved building a unique laboratory set, sourcing talent and hundreds of props, a post-production that included multiple special effects, and coordinating an international space launch — all executed with precision to ensure the project stayed on schedule, within budget, and within scope. , Marketing Specialist at Roborock, praised the collaboration: "It was a pleasure collaborating with Adcetera on these projects. I believe they not only demonstrate Roborock's exceptional product quality and groundbreaking achievements, but also serve as a strong testament to Adcetera's professional expertise." To date, the video series has collectively garnered tens of millions of views across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. "We're proud of how our team turned a larger-than-life idea — an idea that felt almost impossible — into reality," said Adcetera's Chief Creative Officer . "We're pushing creative boundaries just like Roborock pushes the limits of technology." Adcetera is a full-service, integrated digital marketing agency with an obsession to deliver innovative solutions that drive growth for brands. Headquartered in , with offices in and , they are a distinctively diverse team of innovators, creators, and leaders from around the world, deeply proud of the award-winning work and the ongoing value provided to brands, businesses, and communities for over 40+ years. Adcetera is a privately held, WBENC-certified, HUB-certified, woman-owned business. For more information visit . Follow on . Adcetera – Strategic. Creative. People. Roborock is a leading smart cleaning brand renowned for its intelligent cleaning solutions. With a steadfast dedication to becoming a global leading smart appliance player, Roborock enriches lives with its innovative line of robotic, cordless, wet/dry vacuum cleaners, and washer-dryers. Rooted in a user-centric approach, our R&D-driven solutions cater to diverse cleaning needs in over 15 million homes across 170+ countries. Headquartered in and with strategic subsidiaries in key markets, including , , , , , and , Roborock is dedicated to elevating its market presence worldwide. For more information, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE ADCETERAzildjian z cymbals 。

Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, who was aggressive in his oversight of cryptocurrencies and other financial markets, will step down from his post on Jan. 20. Gensler pushed changes that he said protected investors, but the industry and many Republicans bristled at what they saw as overreach. President-elect Donald Trump had promised during his campaign that he would remove Gensler. But Gensler on Thursday announced that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated. Bitcoin has jumped 40% since Trump’s victory. It hit new highs Thursday and was nearing $100,000. Bitcoin moved notably higher still after Gensler's resignation was announced. Gensler's stance on the rise of cryptocurrencies was captured during a speech he gave during the first year of his chairmanship in 2021 where he described the market as “the Wild West.” “This asset class is rife with fraud, scams, and abuse in certain applications,” he said in a speech at the Aspen Security Forum. “There’s a great deal of hype and spin about how crypto assets work. In many cases, investors aren’t able to get rigorous, balanced, and complete information.” Under Gensler, the SEC brought actions against players in the crypto industry for fraud , wash trading and other violations, including as recently as last month when the commission brought fraud charges against three companies purporting to be market makers, along with nine individuals for trying to manipulate various crypto markets. Yet access to cryptocurrencies became more widespread under Gensler. In January, the SEC approved exchange-traded funds that track the spot price of bitcoin. With such ETFs, investors could get easier access to bitcoin without the huge overlays required to buy it directly. Gensler, however, acknowledged the SEC had denied earlier, similar applications for such ETFs, including Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, among the first to eventually be approved by the SEC. “Circumstances, however, have changed,” Gensler said, pointing to a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that said the SEC failed to adequately explain its reasoning in rejecting Grayscale’s proposal. Even there, Gensler made sure not to endorse the merits of bitcoin. He pointed to how ETFs that hold precious metals are tracking prices of things that have “consumer and industrial users, while in contrast bitcoin is primarily a speculative, volatile asset that’s also used for illicit activity including ransomware, money laundering, sanction evasion, and terrorist financing.” Gensler was tested early in his tenure with the rise of the meme stock phenomenon that shocked the financial system in early 2021. Earlier this year, the SEC under Gensler pushed Wall Street to speed up how long it takes for trades of stocks to settle, one of the areas where the commission’s staff recommended changes following the reckoning created by GameStop , one of the first meme stocks. In the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, hordes of smaller-pocketed and novice investors suddenly piled into the stock of the struggling video-game retailer. During the height of the frenzy, several brokerages barred customers from buying GameStop after the clearinghouse that settles their trades demanded more cash to cover the increased risk created by its highly volatile price. In May 2024, new rules meant broker-dealers have to fully settle their trades within one business day of the trade date, down from the previous two. Critics of the SEC under Gensler have called many of the agency's proposals overly burdensome. The investment industry, for example, is pushing against a proposal to force some advisers and companies disclose more about their environmental, social and governance practices, otherwise known as ESG. Critics say the proposal is overly complex and increases the risk of investor confusion, while imposing unnecessary burdens and costs on funds. On Thursday, Gensler stood by the SEC's track record under his direction. “The staff and the Commission are deeply mission-driven, focused on protecting investors, facilitating capital formation, and ensuring that the markets work for investors and issuers alike," Gensler said in prepared remarks. “The staff comprises true public servants." Gensler previously served as Chair of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, leading the Obama Administration’s reform of the $400 trillion swaps market. He also was senior advisor to U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes in writing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002) and was undersecretary of the Treasury for Domestic Finance and assistant secretary of the Treasury from 1997-2001.

FBI Director Christopher Wray announced he will resign in advance of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration — meaning he will depart from the bureau about three years before his term ends. Wray’s decision, which was revealed on Dec. 11, came shortly after Trump nominated Kash Patel — a strong supporter of his — to lead the FBI. “In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” Wray, who was nominated by Trump in 2017, told his colleagues, according to The Associated Press. Trump celebrated the move, writing in a post on Truth Social that Wray’s resignation “is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.” Amid these developments, here is what to know about FBI directors and their tenureships. During the early years of the FBI, the attorney general was charged with choosing the bureau’s director, who was not constrained by term limits . However, in 1968, Congress passed a law establishing that the president would appoint the director, who would require Senate confirmation. “By that point the FBI was considered important enough to warrant an executive appointment,” Douglas Charles, a history professor at Pennsylvania State University Greater Allegheny, who researches the FBI, told McClatchy News. “Before then, attorneys general hired and fired them.” In 1976, Congress passed a law permitting the FBI director to serve one 10-year term. The law “stemmed directly from the fact that J. Edgar Hoover was entrenched as director for 48 years,” Charles said. Hoover led the intelligence agency from 1924 to 1972 , during which time he amassed significant powers, he said. As a result, the law sought to prohibit anyone else from following in his footsteps. Hoover wasn’t the only impetus for the term limit, though. “This law came, as well, in the wake of Watergate where President Nixon tried to have his own man, his own lackey, L. Patrick Gray, become FBI director,” Charles said. So, the law “sought to isolate the FBI from White House political influence.” There have been 12 directors — including acting directors — since the 10-year term limit was established, and nearly all of them left office before their term ended, according to FBI records. For example, Clarence Kelley , who was nominated by Nixon, led the agency for about five years between 1973 and 1978. Similarly, Louis Freeh , who was nominated by President Bill Clinton, helmed the agency for about eight years between 1993 and 2001. The only director to stay on for a full term was Robert Mueller , who was in office for 12 years. President George W. Bush nominated Mueller to head the FBI in 2001, and in 2011, before his term ended, President Barack Obama asked Congress to pass legislation extending his term for two more years — which it did. “The United States faces ongoing threats from terrorists intent on attacking us both at home and abroad, and it is crucial that the FBI have sustained, strong leadership to confront that threat,” Attorney General Eric Holder said at the time. “There is no better person for that job than Bob Mueller.” → How does Senate confirmation process work? What to know as Trump makes Cabinet picks → Trump to return to White House after 4 years. Only one past president has done that → How did LGBT Americans vote in election? Exit poll finds significant shift from 2020 “Only two FBI directors were outright fired,” Charles said. The first was William Sessions, whom Clinton dismissed in 1993 after learning the director had been accused of misusing FBI resources. Specifically, he had been accused of using a government airplane for personal reasons, installing a fence around his house using government funds and failing to pay taxes on an FBI limousine, according to ABC News. Twenty-four years later, in 2017, Trump fired FBI Director James Comey amid a bureau investigation into whether Trump’s campaign had colluded with the Russian government. At the time, Trump said Comey’s ouster was required to bring back “public trust and confidence” in the FBI, according to The Associated Press. “There have been other FBI directors who resigned in the past after improprieties or scandals surfaced,” Charles said. “I call these Washington, D.C., ‘firings’ where they were quietly asked to resign or just stepped aside.” One of these was L. Patrick Gray, who became acting director following the death of Hoover in 1972. He resigned in 1973 after it was disclosed that he had destroyed incriminating White House documents related to the Watergate scandal , according to The Guardian. Gray’s successor, Kelley, also left office early following a scandal. Following the election in 1976, it was revealed that FBI carpenters did construction on his home, costing a total of $355, Charles said. “In the wake of Hoover and Watergate this was seen as a scandal,” he said. “By our standards today it is small potatoes.” President Jimmy Carter, who was inaugurated in 1977, ended up making a deal with Kelley, in which he would step down after one year, Charles said.

Probe shows exported rice not contaminated in PakistanGerman police facing claims of missed opportunities to collar Magdeburg-attack suspectWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison and placed on home confinement during the coronavirus pandemic and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes. It's the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The commutations announced Thursday are for people who have served out home confinement sentences for at least one year after they were released. Prisons were uniquely bad for spreading the virus and some inmates were released in part to stop the spread. At one point, 1 in 5 prisoners had COVID-19, according to a tally kept by The Associated Press. Biden said he would be taking more steps in the weeks ahead and would continue to review clemency petitions. The second largest single-day act of clemency was by Barack Obama, with 330, shortly before leaving office in 2017. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement . “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.” The clemency follows a broad pardon for his son Hunter , who was prosecuted for gun and tax crimes. Biden is under pressure from advocacy groups to pardon broad swaths of people, including those on federal death row, before the Trump administration takes over in January. He’s also weighing whether to issue preemptive pardons to those who investigated Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and are facing possible retribution when he takes office. Clemency is the term for the power the president has to pardon, in which a person is relieved of guilt and punishment, or to commute a sentence, which reduces or eliminates the punishment but doesn’t exonerate the wrongdoing. It’s customary for a president to grant mercy at the end of his term, using the power of the office to wipe away records or end prison terms. Those pardoned Thursday had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses and turned their lives around, White House lawyers said. They include a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters; a church deacon who has worked as an addiction counselor and youth counselor; a doctoral student in molecular biosciences; and a decorated military veteran. The president had previously issued 122 commutations and 21 other pardons. He's also broadly pardoned those convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, and pardoned former U.S. service members convicted of violating a now-repealed military ban on consensual gay sex. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and 34 other lawmakers are urging the president to pardon environmental and human rights lawyer Steven Donziger, who was imprisoned or under house arrest for three years because of a contempt of court charge related to his work representing Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron. Others are advocating for Biden to commute the sentences of federal death row prisoners. His attorney general, Merrick Garland, paused federal executions. Biden had said on the campaign trail in 2020 that he wanted to end the death penalty but he never did, and now, with Trump coming back into office, it’s likely executions will resume. During his first term, Trump presided over an unprecedented number of federal executions, carried out during the height of the pandemic. More clemency grants are coming before Biden leaves office on Jan. 20, but it's not clear whether he'll take action to guard against possible prosecution by Trump, an untested use of the power. The president has been taking the idea seriously and has been thinking about it for as much as six months — before the presidential election — but has been concerned about the precedent it would set, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions. But those who received the pardons would have to accept them. New California Sen. Adam Schiff, who was a part of the House committee that investigated the violent Jan. 6 insurrection, said such a pardon from Biden would be “unnecessary,” and that the president shouldn’t be spending his waning days in office worrying about this. For Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., another target of Trump's threats, said in a statement this week that his suggestion that she and others be jailed for the investigations "is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.” Before pardoning his son, Biden had repeatedly pledged not to do so. He said in a statement explaining his reversal that the prosecution had been poisoned by politics. The decision prompted criminal justice advocates and lawmakers to put additional public pressure on the administration to use that same power for everyday Americans. It wasn’t a very popular move ; only about 2 in 10 Americans approved of his decision, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research .

House passes bill limiting energy efficiency mandates on home laundry machines

Special teams bungles dominate NFL, with Commanders and Cowboys leading the waySHOCKING pictures show the moment fairground goers scrambled to free revellers stuck on a "collapsed" ride in Birmingham with one person rushed to hospital. Cops and emergency services rushed to the scene and have sealed off an area around the Star Flyer ride in Centenary Square. Advertisement 10 Brave bystanders help those on the ride get to safety Credit: The Sun 10 The chaos occurred in a Birmingham Christmas fairground Credit: The Sun 10 Numerous people received medical treatment at the scene Credit: The Sun 10 One person was rushed to hospital in the incident Credit: The Sun Images circulating on social media appeared to show someone on a stretcher. Other photos shared online appear to show the mangled seats on one of the rides tangled with each other. Cops confirmed they had a number of officers at the scene after an "issue with one of the rides". Dozens of people were pictured at the park along with several police cars, ambulances and fire engines. Advertisement West Midlands Fire Service said the ride "dropped to ground level whilst in operation" One person was rushed to hospital while a small number of people were being treated at the scene by paramedics, a spokesperson said. Currently, the extent of their injuries is not known but most of those treated have been discharged. Cops also confirmed that no serious injuries have been reported. Advertisement Most read in The Sun STAYING POSITIVE Max George to undergo major heart surgery after terrifying health scare ALL CHANGE Another Rangers executive quits club just a week after key role at club's AGM NEWBORN JOY Huge Scots DJ becomes dad as he reveals baby boy in emotional social media post Breaking URGENT HUNT Fears grow for two boys, 12 and 13, last seen 24 hours ago sparking huge search A police cordon is currently in place between the ice rink, the library and the Rep theatre, with people asked to avoid the area. A spokesperson for West Mids Fire Service said: "At approximately 1930 on Thursday 12th December we responded to an incident at Victoria Square outside the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham. "One fire engine from Ladywood fire station attended, and arrived in just over four minutes. "This incident involved a fairground ride that had failed and crashed. The ride dropped to ground level whilst in operation. Advertisement "We assisted Ambulance colleagues with treatment of a number of casualties, whose injuries are not life-threatening. "One casualty has been conveyed to hospital, with several others discharged on scene. We are not working on the rescue of any further casualties. "This incident has now been left with West Midlands Police." One witness at the scene told the BBC he saw "girls who appeared to be injured" walking away from the area, with "one girl who seemed to have her face cut". Advertisement A West Midlands Police spokesperson told The Sun: "We currently have officers in Centenary Square, Birmingham following reports of an issue with one of the rides. "A small number of people are being treated at the scene by paramedics, but no serious injuries have been reported. "Centenary Square remains cordoned off this evening while we support our emergency service colleagues. Read more on the Scottish Sun WARMING UP Scots set for 21C swing as temperature rise to bring an end to sub zero freeze HOT BUY Shoppers race to Primark for fleecy £14 hoodie will keep you cosy on frosty days "Please avoid the area." Advertisement 10 A fairground ride reportedly collapsed in Birmingham tonight Credit: Birmingham Live 10 Numerous police and ambulances were at the scene Credit: Alamy 10 Police have reportedly sealed off an area around one of the Star Flyer ride in Centenary Square Credit: BPM 10 Centenary Square has been cordoned off by cops Credit: Alamy Advertisement 10 A number of people are said to have been injured Credit: BPM 10 Cops and emergency services were out in numbers Credit: BBC Have you seen anything or do you know more about this incident? Email exclusive@the-sun.co.uk or ethan.singh@news.co.uk

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice for Al Nassr as they continued to thrive in the AFC Champions League Elite, with the Saudi champions defeating Al Gharafa 3-1 in Qatar on Monday. The 39-year-old's contributions moved Al Nassr nearer to the last eight, needing just two points from their final three group games. Only Al Shorta on two points, with four games to play, can deny Ronaldo's side a place in the next round, after Persepolis drew 1-1 at Al Rayyan. Al Nassr captain Ronaldo had looked destined to endure a hugely frustrating game following a series of missed opportunities in the first half at Al Bayt Stadium. However, the Portugal star finally opened the scoring little more than 50 seconds into the second half, when he headed home Sultan Al Ghannam's cross from close range. Al Nassr then doubled their advantage through Angelo Gabriel, a summer signing from Chelsea, on 58 minutes, before the Brazilian turned provider six minutes later to tee up Ronaldo for his second. The goal took the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward to four goals in this season's rebranded competition before he was replaced on 74 minutes. Al Gharafa did pull one back through Joselu, a former team-mate of Ronaldo at Madrid. Yet their hopes of an unlikely late rally disappeared when Seydou Sano was sent off six minutes from the end of normal time for a second bookable offence. The win ensures Al Nassr remain unbeaten through five matches in the Western side of the draw, and move second in the 12-team table. (AFP)Even in death, John McCain has his daughter’s vote for president. In a podcast interview released Thursday, Meghan McCain revealed she cast a vote for her dead dad as a write-in for president on her 2024 ballot. The Republican political commentator and daughter of the late Arizona senator — who died in 2018 after a battle with brain cancer — waxed poetic about politics on the latest episode of “Next Question with Katie Couric.” “I wrote in my dad,” she told Couric. “People are mad at me. People are so mad at me, Katie. I mean, mad that I didn’t vote either way.” McCain went on to explain the reasoning behind her decision, saying she could “never” vote for Donald Trump but couldn’t support Kamala Harris either. “I don’t want anything on my conscience with any of it,” she said. “I can never vote for Trump. I can’t do it. I could never explain it to my children.” When probed further on why she didn’t vote for Harris , McCain told Couric she “really wanted” the VP to “give me a reason to vote for her and I just felt like it never happened.” But perhaps even more than Harris, McCain said her inability to vote for the Democratic ticket was largely due to Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. “Look, I’m a pro-life, pretty hardcore conservative woman and Governor Walz was way too extreme for me,” McCain said. “He actually scared me a lot more than she did. He’s very radical on abortion and his record during the 2020 George Floyd protests in Minneapolis...I felt like he was cosplaying as a Republican to try to get my vote.” John McCain, who served as a U.S. representative and senator from Arizona for over 30 years, also ran an unsuccessful bid for president in 2008. He reduced his role in the Senate after being diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2017 , ultimately dying from the disease a year later. His death still deeply affects his oldest daughter . “My dad dying gutted me,” Meghan McCain said. “I always feel like there’s life before my dad died and after my dad died. I didn’t become a different person, but it just hardens you and ages you when you lose anyone to brain cancer. You just become a different version of yourself.” But the 40-year-old mother of two said she’s relieved her father is not here to bear witness to the polarizing political climate. “There’s a part of me that’s happy he’s not alive to see all this, because it would have broken his heart so badly to see the divisions in the country the way they are.”halik john asis 。

The Saints are making contingency plans to play without QB Derek Carr as they try to stay alive

1. A copy of Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors filled with a ton of hilarious 1-star reviews of national parks that, somehow, might make them want to get out there and explore 'em all. Promising review: "Without a doubt, this is my favorite coffee table book and surprisingly also super educational. Perfect combination of sassy and informative while poking fun at 1-star reviews of some amazing national parks. I love, love all the added educational snippets along with the review illustrations. And Amber’s writing style is so personal and relatable that I feel like we could be friends. Such a fun book, so worth the buy!" — Anna Get it from Amazon for $16.59 . 2. A "Through The Seasons" Reverse Coloring Book , which is a newer edition of the fan favorite Reverse Coloring Book — perfect for anyone who is tired of coloring *inside* the lines and needs more of a challenge — in this scenario they'll be the one to draw the lines around the colors on the page! Basically, instead of adding the color to these, you draw lines to create images within the colors. Fun! Pair it with these fabulous black fine point pens for $9.99 on Amazon to complete the gift. Promising review : "Kendra Norton’s beautiful art books, Reverse Coloring books, have changed my world! My whole life, I thought I was not creative and, therefore, had zero artistic ability. Now this has become my favorite form of artistic expression. I turn on music and/or an audiobook and allow myself to go for an adventure outside of my mind, beyond my mind, if you will. T his has become my favorite way to process through difficult emotions and experiences I’m working through ." — K. DeWitt Get it from Amazon for $8.29 . 3. A bag of Reindeer Farts cotton candy because how could anyone not crack a smile from something as silly as this??? It's also made from a small business that donates 10% of all profits to charities that bring toys to kids in need — now *that* is worthy smiling about. Little Stinker is a small business. Promising review: " This was absolutely the best stocking stuffer of all this past year! Everyone, young and old, loved it! The laughs were many and the cotton candy inside was so good! Awesome product! I will buy again." — Peggy N Get it from Amazon for $8.95 . 4. A shaker of Thin Mint seasoning for your bestie who perks up at the mere mention of Girl Scout cookie season — now they'll be able to indulge in their favorite flavor whenever the mood strikes. BuzzFeed editor Emma Lord loves this stuff: "I stared at this for months online before caving and buying it, and when I tell you!! It jazzes up my morning coffee in a way that makes my little '90s baby heart sing. I've also loved it on Greek yogurt, oatmeal, and mug cakes. Plus, when I am feeling lonely for a real Thin Mint, and we're not in Girl Scout cookie season, I'll shake this on an Oreo Thin to stave off the despair." Get it from Amazon for $4.98 (and try their s'mores seasoning blend, too!). 5. Disney: Cooking With Magic: A Century of Recipes , a cookbook inspired by 100 years of Disney movies. The recipes will take them on a magical journey from 1928 ( Steamboat Willie !) all the way to 2023 ( Wish !) and everything in between. BRB, need to go get all the ingredients for Tiana's "Big Daddy Beignets." Promising review: "A perfect gift for the Disney fan in your life! Very high quality pages showing recipes from Disney movies through the ages all the way up to 2023's Wish !" — J. R. Coutu Get it from Amazon for $25.99. 6. A mini Bob Ross paint-by-numbers kit for your BFF who insists on watching "The Joy of Painting" every night to soothe themselves to sleep. It comes with three pre-printed canvases, seven paint pots, a mini brush, and a mini easel (how cuuuuuute) to display their work of art when they're done. The kit's three paint-by-number canvases include two landscapes and one portrait of Bob. They'll also get an instruction sheet and a mini book all about Bob! Promising review: "I have to admit I was skeptical because of the price and size. However, I got these for my husband for his birthday (he loves Bob Ross) and What a find!! We had so much fun mixing colors and painting. Would definitely recommend. The fact that they are small makes them even more special. I wish there were more to paint!" — slb m Get it from Amazon for $7.99 . 7. An Instax Mini 7 camera bundle (including film) so you can snap pics of you and your loved ones exchanging gifts this holiday season then put 'em all together in an album as a keepsake. So fun! The bundles comes with a camera, 40 sheets of film, a carrying case, and a cute photo album. Promising review: "Good bundle and fun product. Pictures are classic look and won't be sharp (but hopefully that's not why you bought this). My partner and I use this to log a lot of our hikes and everyday cameos." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $129.95+ (available in five colors). 8. A dimmable sad duck night-light guaranteed to bring a smile to their face each time they glance down at it. He'll not-so-happily become their companion. (We all need one, honestly.) Promising review : "I ordered this lamp because of its appearance. I didn't NEED a depressed duck lamp ... but it has totally filled a void in my life I didn't know existed. Everyone who sees it pokes it. The lamp is actually very functional. It's got a really nice set of brightness options and the glow is yellowish, which is much nicer than white in a dim/dark room. One thing that isn't mentioned in the description is that its legs are utterly floppy. It's terrific." — Literated Get it from Amazon for $15.99 . 9. A tabletop USB-powered Super Mario Bros. Super Star tree for anyone looking to bring some holiday cheer to their gaming station. It'll also give you an excuse to make punny jokes like "It's ah-meeee, a Christmas tree!" or maybe that's just me... Promising review: "This little Super Mario Christmas tree is absolutely adorable. It’s perfect for any desk or shelf. It comes with lights already attached. You can always add mini ornaments if you wanted to. It’s perfectly cute without. It comes with a USB cord already attached. I definitely recommend this for any Super Mario fan." — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $33.88 . 10. A Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas cross stitch kit so they can *~live like Jack and Sally if they want~* or at the very least add them into their home decor. This beginner's kit comes with thread, printed fabric, needle, step-by-step instructions, and a 3-inch plastic hoop, Get it from Amazon for $6.99 . 11. Crayola Globbles , a fun lil' toy they can use to burn off some steam in between meetings or when they just need a quick mental break. Don't worry, they won't leave residue on their walls. Promising review : " I waited over two months to write my review! My daughter is four and plays with these DAILY! YES, they do attract dirt and hair. HOWEVER, they are so easy to rinse off it's not a big deal! We took these to a family gathering and ended up giving two away because they were SO loved! The two we gave away went to a 12-year-old and my 19-year-old brother. They discovered throwing them at the ceiling fan and watching them shoot across the room, which was pretty entertaining! None of these have busted or ripped, and they are definitely NOT gentle with them! I will definitely be buying more! " — Kindle Customer Get a pack of six from Amazon for $11.65 . 12. A set of custom stickers you'll be able to make of whoever you want — your pet, your own face, Harry Styles, the list goes on and on. And all you have to do is click 'Customize Now' and then upload a well-lit image! I bought these as a funny stocking stuffer for my husband a few years ago and it was a big hit. My Sticker Face is a small business. Promising review: "I think this might be one of the best things I've ever bought on Amazon. I bought one sheet for my mom for Christmas, and they just came. She hasn't seen them, but I know they'll crack her up. They look fantastic. I'll definitely buy more!!" — Claudia Basile Get it from Amazon for $15.99 . 13. Or a personalized straw topper that'll hilariously help them mark which cookie cutter tumbler is theirs — I'm begging you, please get one made of something extra silly like a cut out of *your* face or Nicolas Cage's. Promising review: "I was very surprised by the quality of the straw cover. I sent in a picture of my dog with the order, and it was cropped perfectly without compromising the quality of the image. Sooo cute!" — Kim Veliky Get it from Amazon for $4.99 . 14. A " Liquipen " for anyone who grew up with a lava lamp but knows setting one up at their desk probably isn't *ideal*. Watching the little blobs float up and down will ease their mind and give them a chance to regroup before diving back into a project. Promising review: "I broke up the three-pack and gave one pen as a gift for a class gift exchange and put the other two in stockings for Christmas. Good quality and approved by both the 8-year-old and 49-year-old husband who is a kid at heart! Definitely recommend." — Kindle Customer Get a set of three from Amazon for $17.99 . 15. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza — a card game they can play with their squad (turn it into a drinking game?!) on cold nights or even at the beach when the weather is warm. You deal all the cards out to your two to four players, and everyone keeps their mini-deck face down. Everyone takes a turn putting a card down in the middle of the table, saying one of the words "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza," in that order. If the picture on your card matches the word that's said, everyone slaps their hand on the card in a pile as quickly as possible. The last person on the pile has to take the stack and add 'em to their cards, and whoever runs out of cards first wins! Additionally, this game comes from a small business! Get it from Amazon for $9.95 or check out the festive version Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman (we love a theme!). 16. A toothpaste cap for anyone who typically wakes up singing "Somebooooody once told me the world was gonna roll me" a la one of the greatest soundtracks of all time... Shrek . CasualChicken is a small business based in Irvine, California that sells an array of unique 3D printed items. Promising review: "My order came well packaged and on time. Gifted it to my friend and she thinks it is hilarious." — Grace Get it from CasualChicken on Etsy for $11.99 . 17. A Michael Scott reversible dishwasher magnet that'll make loading/unloading just a bit more fun — I dare them not to giggle to themselves while thinking about what unfathomable things "Prison Mike" might shout about their dishes. Promising review : "My whole family is a fan of The Office , so when I was searching for a magnet we could use on our dishwasher, this was the hands-down winner. Does it go with my farmhouse decor? Nope, not at all. But it does get the attention of two teenage boys. Had I gone with something a bit more my decor style, I can guarantee you it would not be as useful. I mean, we all would much rather see Prison Mike staring back at us than suit and tie Michael Scott, right? And there is only one way for that to happen...clean out the dishwasher!" — R. Funk Get it from Amazon for $8.99 . 18. A set of quirky cat-themed hair clips , so fun they'll want to start planning all of their outfits around them. Everyone's going to want to know where they got these playful accessories. Promising review: "Super cute, holds all my curly hair well, good size!" — Elizabeth Blank Get a set of four from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in four styles). 19. A teensy version of Atari that'll transport them right back to the '80s — a perfect gift whether they actually lived through that iconic gaming era or simply wish they did. Promising review: "I've put probably 10 hours in playing with this little system . It's an excellent little Atari clone, the screen is crystal clear, the games play exactly as expected , the sound is great the controller is a joy. This is an absolute must for anyone who loves retro games." — Doug Welyczko Get it from Amazon for $25.95 . 20. A bookmark book tracker that'll motivate them to actually settle down and read the novel their book club decided on for this month. After they finish a book they can add the title into the spine on the bookmark and color it in — adorable. This shop also offers other versions of the bookmark themed around zodiac signs, very gift-worthy! Britishbookart is a small business based in the UK that sells paintings of literary characters, like Belle from Beauty and the Beast (my personal fave) and Arya from Game of Thrones , as well as reading trackers and bookmarks. Get it from britishbookart on Etsy for $3.92 and check out the zodiac versions here. 21. Murdle, Volume 1 , a compilation of murder mystery–themed logic puzzles that are reminiscent of the ever-popular Wordle game. This version will encourage your pal to use powers of deduction and a variety of clues to solve the mysteries throughout the book. Sherlock Holmes, who? There are 100 puzzles total, and four different levels of difficulty to tackle —each puzzle features a logic grid to help you solve it! Promising review: "The puzzles are a lot of fun but the characters, story lines, and other details take the Murdle experience to another level. I have no idea how the author came up with all of this creativeness! You can Murdle solo or with friends. I look forward to future volumes but this one will keep me busy for awhile!" — Liz Gately Get it from Amazon for $12.99 . If you want to keep the fun going you can *also* snag Murdle: Volume 2 and Murdle: Volume 3 for more puzzling. 22. A hilarious and random "screaming goat" button they can slap every few hours to keep their coworkers on their toes. Who wouldn't love THAT? Novelty888 is a small business that specializes in delightfully and oddly specific talking buttons. Promising review: "Got this for my wife to keep on her desk. She said it’s been a big hit in the office! If she or her coworkers are having a tough time, this lightens the mood with just the press of a button." — Daniel Get it from Amazon for $17.99 . 23. A Calico Critters keychain that'll leave your bestie cackling and forever thinking about those unhinged staged dramas you send each other back and forth on TikTok (IYKYK). If you're not already in on this very niche TikTok trend, please indulge yourself . Promising review: "The absolute cutest thing to hang on your keys or bags. I bought each one available because I couldn’t decide. They are just that cute. Highly recommend!" — Autumn12 Get it from Urban Outfitters for $14 (available in four styles). 24. A Taylor Swift lyric–inspired coloring book which will have their brain screaming "Drop everything now!" a la "Sparks Fly." It has 45 intricate pages to color that are loosely designed to follow the Eras tour in order. (Genius!) Don't forget to snag a fresh colored pencil set on Amazon for $11.99! Promising review : "I never thought I would enjoy adult coloring as much as I do with this book. It provides many opportunities to be creative, mix colors, be whimsical, and enjoy the lyrics." — Sherry Get it from Amazon for $9.99 . 25. And an updated version of the Taylor Swift Little Golden Book fans will take one look and say I'm "enchanted to meet you." The new *~style~* comes with 22 (ooOoOh ooOoOh) bonus pages including stickers and fill-in-the-blank activities. You might find see a lil' Travis cameo within. 😉 I have this book (as pictured above) and by that I mean the second I saw it available for pre-order I added it to my cart faster than you could say "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together." As the parent of a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old, I have many Little Golden Books in my home. However, this one is just STUNNING. I'm a big fan of Taylor (obviously) but was really enamored by how beautiful the pages in the first version was — so, naturally, I had to get the updated version! It's a short book, looks cute on my daughter's shelf, and is a hit for bedtime story time with my son who has, ahem, been mildly encouraged to *also* love Taylor Swift. What more could you want??? Get it from Amazon for $8.78 . Note: If they're a diehard Taylor fan here are some other book options they might enjoy: The Story of Taylor Swift: An Inspiring Biography for Young Readers You Are Fearless: A Book for the Littlest Taylor Swift Fans Let's Meet Taylor: Story of the Superstar Taylor Swift Taylor Swift Style: Fashion Through the Eras 26. Bullseye microfleece pajama pants , because there are few things as beautiful as stepping into warm, cozy PJs adorned with the icon of your favorite Target mascot. My best friend and I bought these for each other for Christmas, including the matching top . Shopping at Target is basically the only hobby I've got these days. 😅 Promising review: "The Bullseye print on the pants is so cute! They are soft and warm and a must have for the Target lover!" — boymom2 Get them from Target for $7 (available in unisex sizes XS–2XL) 27. French Truck Coffee K-Cups they can easily pop into their Keurig machine to take their tastebuds on a trip to New Orleans — I can't think of a better way to start the day. This blend is made in small batches and packed with that chicory flavor anyone who has sipped a cup o' Joe in NOLA will recognize. French Truck Coffee is a small business based out of New Orleans that sells small-batch, fresh-roasted coffee. If K-cups aren't your thing you can also check out their whole bean options and their cold brew pods . Get a pack of 12 from French Coffee Truck for $17. 28. A carbonated bubble clay mask that starts to bubble once it's applied — get one for both of you to prepare for a fun night of selfies (all the while banishing blackheads). Promising review: "Wow! I purchased this on a whim after seeing one of my favorite YouTubers try it out. I didn't expect a lot from it. I tried it out and was shocked!!! The mask was simple (and fun) to use. I wasn't sure I felt a lot happening while it was on, but it was pretty cool how the bubbles started to grow off of my face. Upon inspection after using this mask I was completely amazed. My face felt cleaner than it has in a very long time AND my pores looked amazing! I don't remember a time when I felt like my pores looked great before using this mask. I would highly recommend this mask to anyone. It's also so much cheaper than the GlamGlow ones I have been using (and didn't see near these results from)." — Phil Textor Get it from Amazon for $8.65 . 29. An embroidered hat for the Bella to your Jacob — a gift that'll surely elicit some giggles from you both. Where'd U Get That Hat is a small business based in Washington, DC that sells embroidered hats. Promising review: "Every hat I've gotten from this seller has been awesome, 10/10." — Sabrina Jagielski Get it from Where'd U Get That Hat on Etsy for $25 (available in 17 hat colors and 11 thread colors). 30. A Mitzvah Moose (yes, you heard that right) with antlers that'll double as a Hanukkah menorah — if this doesn't turn your pal's frown upside down I'm not sure what will! This precious plush also comes with a cute picture book. You may have seen this adorable Moose on Shark Tank alongside the other Mensch on a Bench (a small business) products! Promising review: "I bought one for my grandson and before I clicked to buy my finger slipped 😉 and I ordered one for myself. I'm very happy with both of them." — Belle Get it from Amazon for $24.99 . 31. A Dracula garlic mincer that'll make even the most serious of chefs let out an audible laugh. Promising review: "I purchased this as a gift for my friend who is a fantastic cook — she uses fresh ingredients almost exclusively — but pressing fresh garlic is a task usually delegated. No longer — Gracula is there for her. She uses him nearly every time she needs garlic (which is basically daily) and, months later, still makes a point of saying how much she enjoys the gift. I'm pretty sure she likes it better than other gifts I've gotten her which were more expensive/thought out , and I'm fairly certain it's what took me from 'good friend' to 'best friend,' but it be that way sometimes. Anyway, definitely recommended for people who cook with garlic and have a sense of humor." — L Get it from Amazon for $9.94 . 32. A realistic Dr. Pepper can(dle ) for when they want to indulge in the scent of their favorite vice but it's a touch too early in the morning to crack open the real thing. Promising review: "I love this candle as it smells exactly like Dr. Pepper. This candle is the same exact size as the real soda can too! This is going to be the perfect Christmas gift for my friend." — Chrysanthemum Get it from Amazon for $26.99. 33. A reviewer-beloved ~croc~ veggie chopper they can use to dice onions in a flash — save the uncontrollable crying for the next Hallmark holiday movie. It can also spiralize, slice, and chop! Promising review: "I bought this as a gift for my husband, who loves cooking AND crocodiles! He loves it! Best of all, it works great too. We’ve used it so many times, and the blades are still sharp. It’s easy to use and clean. Love it!" — Niki Mitchell Get it from Amazon for $34.99 . 34. A light hearted "In This Economy?" candle featuring a lovely floral and amber woody fragrance and cheeky label that says: spent the rest of my non-existent savings on this." It'll surely give anyone a laugh while helping them decompress with it's soothing smell. Evil Queen is my all-time favorite small business, and my go-to shop for candles. They're woman-owned and sell all kinds of candles with fun labels that'll make you want to try 'em even if the scent isn't your typical go-to. Naturally, as a shopping editor, I *needed* this candle. The label makes me giggle and looks great on my desk while the scent is relaxing and helps me focus on my work. The sparkles on top are an added bonus, hehe. Get it from Evil Queen for $24 . 35. A hilarious 100-piece cat puzzle depicting them as graceful lil' ballerinas — I dare anyone not to dissolve into laughter just looking at the box. Promising review: "Whimsical picture, bright colors and easily lockable and uniquely shaped pieces. Very happy with this puzzle experience!" — Karen Bleizeffer Get it from Amazon for $19.99 . 36. And/or cat tarot cards that'll have your friend saying "are you kitten me?" when they open it and offer to give you a reading right on the spot. Promising review: "These cards are great! As someone who owns more than a couple of tarot decks, the card stock on these is superb for the price. This deck is friendly and has a very aesthetically pleasing color palate — even some of the darker cards of the deck are rather light hearted. The images themselves are fantastic, cute, colorful without overdoing it, and harmonious and for the most part true to the tarot and not too gimmicky. My only gripe is that the images don't always lend themselves to intuitive interpretation, however this deck comes with a guidebook so it's not that big of a turnoff. The guidebook itself is great and includes interpretations for upright and reversed cards. I haven't used it for a reading yet because i just got it today, but I am more than pleased with this purchase. If you like tarot and you also happen to like cats get this deck!" — A. Asher Get them from Amazon for $17.90 . 37. And a microwaveable hugging sloths filled with soothing lavender — who better to spend a cold wintry night with?! The pair breaks apart so they can share the love with their roommate when they're having a rough day. 🥹 My sister bought my son a Golden Retriever Warmies plush before he was born and it's recently become a staple in his collection of "crib friends." It smells incredible and is so soothing for bedtime. I love that they're weighted but not *too* heavy that I'd be worried to let him snuggle with it overnight. Promising review: "I have a sloth obsession so I'm adding these to my collection! Perfect size and absolutely adorable! Not sure I'll use them for warming, but I have other Warmies for that purpose!!" — Heather W. Get it from Warmies for $29.99 or Amazon for $26.95 . Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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Gregg Wallace asked sign language translator to sign 'big boobs' and 'sexy bum' in front of a live audience, outraged fan claims By MATTHEW COX Published: 22:55 GMT, 3 December 2024 | Updated: 23:18 GMT, 3 December 2024 e-mail 4 View comments A sign language translator was asked by Gregg Wallace to sign ‘big boobs’ and ‘sexy bum’ in front of a live audience, it was reported last night. A MasterChef fan who attended the BBC Good Food show at Birmingham ’s NEC Arena in 2012 recalled how the TV star told the female British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter to sign everything he said before proceeding with his remarks. The fan said she was ‘appalled and aghast’ at the ‘sexist’ behaviour. ‘It was like he could control her,’ she told The Guardian. ‘I just found that deeply disrespectful to [her] and deeply disrespectful to her profession.’ The MasterChef fan vented her anger on social media after the event, to which Wallace reportedly replied asking if she was joking. Her mother, also among the audience of roughly 400 people, said she complained to the BBC but no action was taken. The complainant’s daughter suggested the recent reports show he had been allowed to continue behaving in a manner distressing to others. ‘I do think the world has changed quite a lot since 2012 [and] perhaps things that he could get away with then he can’t really get away with now,’ she said. A MasterChef fan has claimed that Gregg Wallace asked sign language translator to sign 'big boobs' and 'sexy bum' in front of a live audience MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace is facing fresh allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour Gregg Wallace is pictured at his house in Kent shortly after stepping down from MasterChef last week ‘But I didn’t think it was in any way acceptable at the time and I was judging it by my expectations of how people behave in 2012 not by my expectations now.’ The broadcaster said it takes complaints very seriously but would not comment on events which may form part of the ongoing investigation by Banijay UK, which owns MasterChef. Banijay’s investigation follows a number of public allegations against the presenter accusing him of inappropriate comments and behaviour. Wallace’s representatives were contacted for comment. Share or comment on this article: Gregg Wallace asked sign language translator to sign 'big boobs' and 'sexy bum' in front of a live audience, outraged fan claims e-mail Add commentPride, bragging rights and more than $115M at stake when final college playoff rankings come outj juliano 。

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry celebrated a political win Thursday as he signed into law sweeping tax measures passed by lawmakers that include reducing the individual income tax to 3%, cutting corporate taxes and raising the state sales tax. He also approved an array of proposed constitutional changes to go before voters in March. “Y’all have instituted generational change,” Landry said of a bipartisan group of lawmakers standing beside him at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. “They opened the door for a new era here in Louisiana, an era where every working citizen in this state gets to keep more of their hard-earned money.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Artificial intelligence. Abortion. Guns. Marijuana. Minimum wages. Name a hot topic, and chances are good there's a new law about it taking effect in 2025 in one state or another. Many of the laws launching in January are a result of legislation passed this year. Others stem from ballot measures approved by voters. Some face legal challenges. Here's a look at some of the most notable state laws taking effect: FILE - Director of Photography Jac Cheairs and his son, actor Wyatt Cheairs, 11, take part in a rally by striking writers and actors outside Netflix studio in Los Angeles on Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) California, home to Hollywood and some of the largest technology companies, is seeking to rein in the artificial intelligence industry and put some parameters around social media stars. New laws seek to prevent the use of digital replicas of Hollywood actors and performers without permission and allow the estates of dead performers to sue over unauthorized AI use. Parents who profit from social media posts featuring their children will be required to set aside some earnings for their young influencers. A new law also allows children to sue their parents for failing to do so. FILE - In advance of Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri's Congressional testimony, to illustrate the harms children face on social media, parent activists brought an "Instagrinch" to the Capitol building in Washington, Dec. 7, 2021. (Eric Kayne/AP Images for ParentsTogether, File) New social media restrictions in several states face court challenges. A Florida law bans children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for ages 14 and 15. But enforcement is being delayed because of a lawsuit filed by two associations for online companies, with a hearing scheduled for late February. A new Tennessee law also requires parental consent for minors to open accounts on social media. NetChoice, an industry group for online businesses, is challenging the law. Another new state law requires porn websites to verify that visitors are at least 18 years old. But the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry, has filed a challenge. Several new California measures aimed at combating political deepfakes are also being challenged, including one requiring large social media platforms to remove deceptive content related to elections and another allowing any individual to sue for damages over the use of AI to create fabricated images or videos in political ads. FILE - Parents, students, and staff of Chino Valley Unified School District hold up signs in favor of protecting LGBTQ+ policies at Don Antonio Lugo High School, in Chino, Calif., June 15, 2023. (Anjali Sharif-Paul/The Orange County Register via AP, File) In a first nationally, California will start enforcing a law prohibiting school districts from adopting policies that require staff to notify parents if their children change their gender identification. The law was a priority for Democratic lawmakers who wanted to halt such policies passed by several districts. FILE - Christian F. Nunes, president of National Organization for Women speaks as abortion rights activists and Women's March leaders protest as part of a national day of strike actions outside the Supreme Court, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) Many states have passed laws limiting or protecting abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a nationwide right to the procedure in 2022. One of the latest is the Democratic-led state of Delaware. A law there will require the state employee health plan and Medicaid plans for lower-income residents to cover abortions with no deductible, copayments or other cost-sharing requirements. FILE - Gov. Tim Walz speaks before a crowd gathered for a rally on the steps of the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday evening, Aug. 7, 2019. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, center left, and his wife Gwen Walz, center right, stand by him. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP, File) A new Minnesota law prohibits guns with "binary triggers" that allow for more rapid fire, causing a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released. In Delaware, a law adds colleges and universities to a list of school zones where guns are prohibited, with exceptions for those working in their official capacity such as law officers and commissioned security guards. Kentucky is becoming the latest state to let people use marijuana for medical purposes. To apply for a state medical cannabis card, people must get written certification from a medical provider of a qualifying condition, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, epilepsy, chronic nausea or post-traumatic stress disorder. Nearly four-fifths of U.S. states have now legalized medical marijuana. Minimum wage workers in more than 20 states are due to receive raises in January. The highest minimum wages will be in Washington, California and Connecticut, all of which will top $16 an hour after modest increases. The largest increases are scheduled in Delaware, where the minimum wage will rise by $1.75 to $15 an hour, and in Nebraska, where a ballot measure approved by voters in 2022 will add $1.50 to the current minimum of $12 an hour. Twenty other states still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. FILE - A man talks on his cell phone while driving in Los Angeles, Monday June 30, 2008. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File) In Oregon, using drugs on public transit will be considered a misdemeanor crime of interfering with public transportation. While the measure worked its way through the legislature, multiple transportation officials said drug use on buses and trains, and at transit stops and stations, was making passengers and drivers feel less safe. In Missouri, law enforcement officers have spent the past 16 months issuing warnings to motorists that handheld cellphone use is illegal. Starting with the new year, penalties will kick in: a $150 fine for the first violation, progressing to $500 for third and subsequent offenses and up to 15 years imprisonment if a driver using a cellphone cause an injury or death. But police must notice a primary violation, such as speeding or weaving across lanes, to cite motorists for violating the cellphone law. Montana is the only state that hasn't banned texting while driving, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. FILE - Surrounded by members of the legislature and signs touting saving families money, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announces her 'Axe the Food Tax' campaign at Dillons grocery store in Topeka, Kan., Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 by holding an axe. (Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal via AP, File) Tenants in Arizona will no longer have to pay tax on their monthly rent, thanks to the repeal of a law that had allowed cities and towns to impose such taxes. While a victory for renters, the new law is a financial loss for governments. An analysis by Arizona's nonpartisan Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that $230 million would be lost in municipal tax revenue during the first full fiscal year of implementation. Meanwhile Alabama will offer tax credits to businesses that help employees with child care costs. Kansas is eliminating its 2% sales tax on groceries. It also is cutting individual income taxes by dropping the top tax rate, increasing a credit for child care expenses and exempting all Social Security income from taxes, among other things. Taxpayers are expected to save about $320 million a year going forward. FILE - Election board inspector Pat Cook readies "I Voted" stickers for voters during early voting in Oklahoma City, Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) An Oklahoma law expands voting privileges to people who have been convicted of felonies but had their sentences discharged or commuted, including commutations for crimes that have been reclassified from felonies to misdemeanors. Former state Sen. George Young, an Oklahoma City Democrat, carried the bill in the Senate. "I think it's very important that people who have gone through trials and tribulations in their life, that we have a system that brings them back and allows them to participate as contributing citizens," Young said. Associated Press writers Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Randall Chase in Dover, Delaware; Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky; Claire Rush in Portland, Oregon; Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Gabriel Sandoval in Phoenix; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Joe Biden walks to the Oval Office after attending the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) A delegate looks at her phone during the Republican National Convention Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jocardo Ralston, 47, from Pennsylvania, looks up to a television to watch the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at Tillie's Lounge on Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Supporters of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump look on as a bus carrying Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris passes by following a campaign event, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, in Rochester, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Attendees look on at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak on the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives at the Republican National Convention Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at PPG Paints Arena, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and former first lady Michelle Obama arrive to speak during a campaign rally, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Mich. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) A supporter greets Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump after a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A political advertisement for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris is displayed on the Sphere, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris walks toward reporters to speak before boarding Air Force Two, as she departs Las Vegas from Harry Reid International Airport, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, en route to Arizona. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) A voter works on her ballot at a polling place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Former President Donald Trump waits for the start of proceedings in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in New York. Before testimony resumes Tuesday, the judge will hold a hearing on prosecutors' request to sanction and fine Trump over social media posts they say violate a gag order prohibiting him from attacking key witnesses. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump dances after speaking at a campaign event Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris looks at a monitor of the event from backstage, just before taking the stage for her final campaign rally, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is prayed over with Pastor Paula White during the National Faith Summit at Worship With Wonders Church, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Powder Springs, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Forgiato Blow wears a necklace with a likeness of former President Donald Trump before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Elon Musk jumps on the stage as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Voters stand in line outside a polling place at Madison Church, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hugs President Biden during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Lee's Family Forum, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump is reflected in the bullet proof glass as he finishes speaking at a campaign rally in Lititz, Pa., Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, bottom center, greets supporters after speaking during a campaign rally Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Mich. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) A young girl holds a "Black Voters for Harris-Walz" sign outside of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris' election night watch party at Howard University, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, left, shares a laugh with second gentleman Doug Emhoff, after reuniting in Pittsburgh, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, aboard Air Force Two, just before taking off from Pittsburgh for her final campaign rally in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool) With tears streaming down her face, a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris applauds as Harris delivers a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Bikers show their support for President-elect Donald Trump while riding on I-84, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Lords Valley, Pa. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump stands on stage with steelworkers as he speaks during a campaign rally at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Latrobe, Pa. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Supporters cheer as Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in Erie, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris appears on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," with Maya Rudolph, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) A delegate wearing a small American flag on his ear watches as Republican presidential candidate and former president, Donald Trump, speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hugs a child after speaking during a campaign event at Washington Crossing Historic Park, in Washington Crossing, Pa., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) President Joe Biden pauses before he addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump departs after speaking at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A voter watches the stage before former first lady Michelle Obama speaks at campaign rally in support of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in College Park, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands before the start of an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

The 2024 season hasn’t finished. There are still conference championship games to play, an expanded College Football Playoff to look forward to and bowl season in the near future. However, the first important date for the 2025 season is here. “Signing day is the fourth, portal opens on the ninth,” coach Jedd Fisch said on Nov. 25. "I'm sure there's going to be a ton of discussions, and at that point in time we can really visit what it's going to look like in the future, what's the 2025 calendar year going to look like and what's this team going to look like moving forward." Fisch and the Huskies will have their first chance to sign high school recruits for the 2025 season when the three-day early signing period begins on Wednesday. Washington currently holds commitments from 28 high school football players from across the country, and 247Sports composite ratings ranks UW’s 2025 recruiting class No. 19 nationally. UW has 16 offensive recruits, 11 defensive prospects and one specialist committed. California is home to 11 of them, five are from Washington, three from Oregon, two from Arizona, while Alabama, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota and Texas each have one representative. The Division I Council previously voted to eliminate the 25-player limit on football recruiting classes on Oct. 4, 2023. The limit was initially suspended for two years starting in 2021 because of questions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, this signing period is almost three weeks earlier than its past iterations. The Collegiate Commissioners Association, which oversees and administers the National Letter of Intent program, announced the change back in March. The early signing period was initially introduced in 2017. Moving the early signing period forward helped reduce the stress of an overcrowded December recruiting calendar. During the past few seasons, the early signing period and the transfer portal overlapped. This year, however, the early signing period will end on Friday, while the portal won’t officially open until Dec. 9. New dates aren’t the only changes to the early signing period. In October, the NCAA Division I Council announced the elimination of the NLI program, which was first established in 1964. Instead, high school recruits will sign aid agreements on Wednesday, which serve a similar purpose. The agreements bind players to their chosen school unless they officially enter the transfer portal, while also prohibiting recruitment communications with other programs. They also may contain contracts for revenue sharing, which the House v. NCAA settlement allows starting next season. Big Ten honors announced Fifth-year linebacker Carson Bruener and junior running back Jonah Coleman earned third-team All-Big Ten honors when the conference announced its end-of-season awards on Tuesday. Bruener was a consensus selection by the coaches and the media. The Woodinville native and UW captain has 93 tackles, two tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, three interceptions, and five pass breakups during his final season in purple and gold. Bruener was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention in 2023. Coleman, who was chosen by the media, has 1,011 yards on 184 carries and 10 touchdowns in his debut season with Washington. He’s averaging 5.5 yards per attempt and 84.3 rushing yards per game. Coleman, who was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention at Arizona in 2023, also has 22 catches for 170 yards. The Big Ten coaches chose Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson instead of Coleman for the third-team running back spot, choosing the Washington running back as an honorable mention instead. Additionally, sophomore wide receiver Denzel Boston was a consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention. The coaches also selected senior tight end Keleki Latu, sixth-year linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala, senior defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez and senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon as All-Big Ten honorable mentions. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was named the conference’s offensive player of the year, while Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter was the defensive player of the year. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith earned freshman of the year honors while Indiana’s Curt Cignetti was named coach of the year by both the coaches and the media. Heims enters the portal Washington endured its second transfer portal defection on Tuesday, as junior edge rusher Maurice Heims announced he will depart the team after four years on Montlake. “Thank you for making the last four years here some of the best of my life,” Heims wrote in a post on his social media accounts. Heims, a 6-foot-5, 263-pound pass rusher from Hamburg, Germany, played in 30 games at Washington after arriving before the 2021 season. He registered nine tackles, two tackles for a loss and one sack. Heims was mostly a special-teams player this season. He has one season of eligibility remaining. “As a kid from Hamburg, Germany that was completely new to this beautiful sport and this city, you have made every moment amazing,” Heims wrote. “Whether win or loss, y’all have always had our back and you are what makes this place truly special.”Champions Bayer Leverkusen will hope to reignite their title defence on Saturday when they welcome strugglers St Pauli to BayArena in their 13th Bundesliga game of the season. Xabi Alonso 's side are third with 23 points and defeated Union Berlin 2-1 on November 30, whereas the visitors are fourth last in 15th place with 11 points but they did emerge as 3-1 victors against Holstein Kiel last Friday. © Imago The Black and Reds' contest against Union Berlin was closely fought, with both teams producing eight shots and two big chances, but the champions ultimately showcased the persistence that won them the title last season when they found a winner in the 71st minute. Leverkusen managed to claw back two points on leaders Bayern Munich, who drew 1-1 with Borussia Dortmund on November 30, but are still seven points behind Vincent Kompany 's Bavarians. Alonso's side progressed to the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal after beating Bayern 1-0 on Tuesday, a match in which they benefitted from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's 17th-minute red card. The hosts have netted 28 times and conceded on 19 occasions in the Bundesliga, and these are the league's third best attacking and joint ninth best defensive returns. Leverkusen's record in recent weeks has been strong, with the club winning their last four by a cumulative score of 13-3, and they have in fact only lost one of their past 17 outings, drawing six times in that period. Die Werkself's home form is excellent considering they are unbeaten in their last eight – emerging victorious in six of those fixtures – and have won 28, drawn six and been defeated in just one of their past 35 games at BayArena. © Imago Meanwhile, St Pauli created four big chances in contrast to Holstein Kiel's four, while also hitting the woodwork, but perhaps the victors were fortunate that goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj saved Jann-Fiete Arp 's penalty at the end of the first half when they were only winning 1-0. The match was also the first time Kiezkicker had scored a Bundesliga goal in their own stadium in 13 years, and boss Alexander Blessin expressed his relief in the aftermath of the match, saying: "The momentum was fully on our side when the ball bounced off the inside of the post [for the opening goal] and went in. We've earned ourselves that luck in recent weeks." Blessin's side are just one point above 16th-placed Heidenheim, who occupy the division's relegation playoff spot, though they are six points from the automatic relegation zone. St Pauli have won two and lost two of their past four Bundesliga matches, and having scored five goals in that time, they doubled their tally from the prior eight league games. The visitors have been defeated in four of their six most recent top-flight outings, winning two of their last four on the road. © Imago Leverkusen have somewhat of an injury crisis in the forward line considering Amine Adli , Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface are not scheduled to return until varying times in 2025, while striker Patrik Schick will not appear until late December. Alonso may have no other option but to start winger Nathan Tella up front alongside Florian Wirtz . Aleix Garcia may be selected in a midfield three next to Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich , while wing-back Jeremie Frimpong will have to be relied upon to provide an attacking threat down the right flank. As for St Pauli, they have an extensive injury list that includes goalkeepers Sascha Burchert and Soren Ahlers , so expect Nikola Vasilj to appear between the posts. Midfielders Scott Banks , Connor Metcalfe and Robert Wagner will be unavailable, and this could mean that Blessin selects Jackson Irvine and Carlo Boukhalfa in a double pivot. Oladapo Afolayan , Johannes Eggestein and Morgan Guilavogui may start in attack given forwards Elias Saad and Simon Zoller are ruled out. Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup: Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Garcia, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Tella St Pauli possible starting lineup: Vasilj; Wahl, Smith, Nemeth; Saliakas, Irvine, Boukhalfa, Treu; Afolayan, Eggestein, Guilavogui Considering their injuries in the forward line, Leverkusen could struggle to create many chances in the final third, and St Pauli are unlikely to lose by multiple goals. However, the hosts' record at home is phenomenal and they are in good form, so it would be surprising if they did not emerge victorious on Saturday. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .

Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:UVE – Free Report ) by 69.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 68,969 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after buying an additional 28,278 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.24% of Universal Insurance worth $1,528,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Insurance in the 3rd quarter valued at about $6,322,000. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in Universal Insurance by 283.0% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 374,487 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $7,040,000 after purchasing an additional 276,700 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Universal Insurance by 44.5% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 469,803 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $8,814,000 after purchasing an additional 144,647 shares during the last quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC raised its holdings in Universal Insurance by 64.6% during the third quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 201,639 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $4,468,000 after purchasing an additional 79,138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Universal Insurance by 22.4% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 347,395 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $7,698,000 after buying an additional 63,582 shares during the last quarter. 66.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Universal Insurance from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 10th. Universal Insurance Trading Down 1.9 % NYSE:UVE opened at $20.62 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $583.26 million, a PE ratio of 8.38 and a beta of 0.92. Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $15.78 and a 52-week high of $23.39. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $21.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $20.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Universal Insurance ( NYSE:UVE – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The insurance provider reported ($0.73) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.03) by $0.30. The business had revenue of $387.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $341.98 million. Universal Insurance had a net margin of 4.82% and a return on equity of 15.43%. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.16) earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. will post 1.66 EPS for the current year. Universal Insurance Cuts Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th were paid a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 6th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.52%. Universal Insurance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.02%. Insider Activity In related news, Chairman Sean P. Downes sold 15,064 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.46, for a total value of $338,337.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 1,047,198 shares in the company, valued at $23,520,067.08. This trade represents a 1.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Also, Director Jon Springer sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.63, for a total value of $515,750.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 383,228 shares in the company, valued at $7,905,993.64. This represents a 6.12 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 60,064 shares of company stock valued at $1,258,287. Company insiders own 17.50% of the company’s stock. Universal Insurance Profile ( Free Report ) Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated insurance holding company in the United States. It develops, markets, and underwrites insurance products for personal residential insurance, such as homeowners, renters/tenants, condo unit owners, and dwelling/fire; and offers allied lines, coverage for other structures, and personal property, liability, and personal articles coverages. Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than Universal Insurance 5 Top Rated Dividend Stocks to Consider Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December How to Calculate Inflation Rate Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 The 3 Best Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy Now These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UVE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:UVE – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Universal Insurance Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Universal Insurance and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Maharashtra Election Results 2024 Live Updates: Will Mahayuti Retain Power Or MVA Make A Comeback?ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanovic has a sweeping lead in Sunday’s election and could win the five-year presidency in the first round, according to an exit poll released immediately after the voting. The poll by the Ipsos polling agency and released by the state HRT television showed Milanovic winning over 50% of the votes, while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the conservative HDZ ruling party trailed far behind with 19%. Milanovic thanked voters in a post on social networks. The first official results are yet to be published. Pre-election polls predicted that the two would face off in the second round on Jan. 12, as none of all 8 presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote. Left-leaning Milanovic is an outspoken critic of Western military support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. He is often compared to Donald Trump for his combative style of communication with political opponents. The most popular politician in Croatia, 58-year-old Milanović has served as prime minister in the past. Populist in style, he has been a fierce critic of current Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and continuous sparring between the two has lately marked Croatia’s political scene. Plenković, the prime minister, has sought to portray the vote as one about Croatia’s future in the EU and NATO. He has labeled Milanović “pro-Russian” and a threat to Croatia’s international standing. “The difference between him and Milanović is quite simple: Milanović is leading us East, Primorac is leading us West,” he said. Though the presidency is largely ceremonial in Croatia, an elected president holds political authority and acts as the supreme military commander. Milanović has criticized the NATO and European Union support for Ukraine and has often insisted that Croatia should not take sides. He has said Croatia should stay away from global disputes, though it is a member of both NATO and the EU. Milanović has also blocked Croatia’s participation in a NATO-led training mission for Ukraine, declaring that “no Croatian soldier will take part in somebody else’s war.” His main rival in the election, Primorac, has stated that “Croatia’s place is in the West, not the East.” His presidency bid, however, has been marred by a high-level corruption case that landed Croatia’s health minister in jail last month and featured prominently in pre-election debates. During the election campaign, Primorac has sought to portray himself as a unifier and Milanović as divisive. “Today is an extremely important day,” Primorac said after casting his ballot. "Croatia is going forward into the future. Croatia needs unity, Croatia needs its global positioning, and above all Croatia needs peaceful life.” Trailing a distant third in the pre-election polls is Marija Selak Raspudić, a conservative independent candidate. She has focused her election campaign on the economic troubles of ordinary citizens, corruption and issues such as population decline in the country of some 3.8 million. Sunday’s presidential election is Croatia’s third vote this year, following a parliamentary election in April and the European Parliament balloting in June.

N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Chadians voted Sunday amid a low turnout in parliamentary and regional elections that will end a three-year transitional period from military rule but which the main opposition is boycotting after accusing authorities of not overseeing a credible electoral process. The parliamentary election is the first in more than a decade in Chad and comes months after the junta leader, Mahamat Idriss Deby, won a disputed presidential vote that was meant to return democracy. Deby took power in 2021 following the death of his father and longtime president Idriss Deby Itno, who spent three decades in power. Voting ended late Monday although official results won't be known for about two weeks. The election will “pave the way for the era of decentralization so long awaited and desired by the Chadian people," Deby said. The oil-exporting country of 18 million people, among Africa’s poorest, had not had a free and fair transfer of power since it became independent from France in 1960. The elections this year are the first in junta-led countries in Africa’s Sahel region to hold a promised but delayed return to democracy. At least 8 million voters are registered to elect 188 legislators in the Central African nation’s new National Assembly. Representatives at the provincial and municipal levels will also be elected. There was a low voter turnout in the capital N’Djamena, where only a handful of voters were seen in some polling stations. “We hope that the people we voted for do a good job for a better Chad, a Chad with a future," said Mahamat Issa Hissein, who voted in the capital. More than 10 opposition parties are boycotting the vote, including the main Transformers party, whose candidate, Succes Masra, came second in the presidential election. The party has criticized the parliamentary election, as well as the presidential vote that many observers were banned from, as a “charade” and a ploy for Deby to remain in power to continue a “dynasty." Masra briefly served as prime minister earlier this year after returning from exile before he resigned to run for president. On Saturday, he alleged that results of the vote would be tampered with and told voters, “It is better to stay at home.” Sunday's election comes at a critical period for Chad, which is battling several security challenges from Boko Haram militant attacks in the Lake Chad region to the break in decadeslong military ties with France, its key ally. Mahamat Oumar Adam, a Chadian political scientist, said the main issue at stake in the election is not losing the country's democracy to a prolonged transition. That transition began in 2021, and featured a national dialogue in 2022, a constitutional referendum in 2023 and this year’s presidential election. “This is the last stage of the process of exiting the transition (but) the shortcoming is related to the lack of opposition in this election,” Adam said. —- Asadu reported from Abuja, Nigeria.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Tafara Gapare scored 19 points, freshman Derik Queen had 15 points and eight rebounds and Maryland beat Bucknell 91-67 on Wednesday night. Maryland opened the game on a 15-2 run, extended it to 25-7 with 10:38 left and led 51-28 at the break. The Terrapins led by at least 16 points the entire second half, which included runs of 12-0 and 9-0. Gapare scored the 10 straight points during the second-half run. Gapare threw down a highlight dunk while being fouled with 2:08 remaining to give Maryland an 89-62 lead. He was called for a technical foul after stepping over Patrick O’Brien, who was attempting to take a charge. Jayden Williams made the two free throws for Bucknell and Gapare missed his free-throw attempt that would have tied his career high of 20 points. Maryland (6-1) has won 20 consecutive home games against unranked nonconference foes with its last loss coming on Dec. 1, 2021, against Virginia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Julian Reese added 14 points and Selton Miguel scored 13 for Maryland. Gapare, a Georgia Tech transfer, reached double-figure scoring as a Terp for the first time. The Terrapins shot 50% from the field with three 3-pointers apiece by Gapare and Miguel. Ruot Bijiek led Bucknell (4-4) with 20 points and Josh Bascoe added 10. The Bison turned it over 20 times leading to 22 Maryland points. Maryland stays at home to play Alcorn State on Sunday. Bucknell returns home to play Siena on Saturday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Rams WR Demarcus Robinson not suspended, will play Sunday after arrest on DUI suspicion

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have traded guard D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton. The Lakers also sent forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks to Brooklyn on Sunday. Russell averaged a career-low 12.4 points for the Lakers this season in a diminished role under new coach JJ Redick, who had vowed to unlock the point guard's formidable offensive game. Instead, Russell was removed from the starting lineup early in the season, and he struggled to make a consistent impact as a reserve, with his shooting percentages declining significantly. The 6-foot-7 Finney-Smith isn't a top scorer, but he is a steady 3-and-D wing who fills an obvious need for the Lakers. Los Angeles has had inconsistent wing play and has lacked an effective defender at the key position during the long-term injury absence of Jarred Vanderbilt , who hasn't played since Feb. 1. Finney-Smith averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds this season for the Nets, who acquired him from Dallas in the February 2023 in the trade of Kyrie Irving. Finney-Smith has been limited to five games this month by a sprained ankle and a bruised calf, but the 31-year-old played 27 minutes against San Antonio on Friday. Redick and Finney-Smith were teammates with the Mavericks during the 2020-21 season, and Redick has expressed admiration for Finney-Smith's hard-nosed game. Milton is joining his sixth NBA team in less than two years, including his third trade in 11 months. He is averaging 7.4 points and 2.4 assists per game this season as a Nets reserve. Russell is being traded by the Lakers to the Nets for the second time in his career. He also made the move in 2017 after spending his first two NBA seasons with Los Angeles, which drafted him in 2015. Russell earned the only All-Star selection of his career during his two seasons in Brooklyn. Russell has been traded five times in the past 7 1/2 years. The 10-year pro excelled for the Lakers during their run to the 2023 Western Conference finals after returning to the team in February of that season, although he got benched during that final playoff series against Denver. Russell remained a fairly consistent scorer last year while setting a new franchise record for 3-pointers made in a season, but his career-long problems with offensive inconsistency and defensive ability kept him out of Redick's plans this year. With Russell's departure, Gabe Vincent is the only true point guard left in the Lakers' rotation, although LeBron James often fills the role of initiating their offense. The Lakers (18-13) have won five of six heading into their visit from Cleveland on New Year's Eve. The trade continues a roster restructuring by the Nets, who traded former Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder to Golden State two weeks ago. Schröder was Brooklyn's third-leading scorer, while Finney-Smith was its fourth-leading scorer. The Nets have been one of the NBA's lowest-scoring teams this season, so Russell should have plenty of chances to make an offensive impact. Brooklyn has lost three of four heading into its road game against Orlando on Sunday. Russell's $18.7 million contract expires this summer, while Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season. Lewis was the Lakers' second-round pick in 2023, but he played in just 41 games over the past two seasons while shuttling to the G League. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBAAdvertisement A Delaware judge again struck down Elon Musk's $55 billion pay package. Legal experts walked BI through what the appeal process could look like for Tesla. Tesla may also reintroduce the package in Texas, a strategy that could end up costing shareholders more. Elon Musk's battle over his Tesla pay is entering a new phase. A Delaware judge ruled on Monday that Tesla's shareholder vote wasn't enough to pass Elon Musk's $55 billion compensation package. Related Video Tesla called the decision "wrong" and said it would appeal. "This ruling, if not overturned, means that judges and plaintiffs' lawyers run Delaware companies rather than their rightful owners — the shareholders," Tesla wrote in a post on X. So what happens next? Advertisement If Tesla files an appeal, Delaware's Supreme Court will review the decision of Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick , who maintained her earlier ruling that struck down the pay package on the grounds that Musk could have influenced Tesla's board members, to whom he had close ties. Mathieu Shapiro, Obermayer's managing partner and a member of its litigation department, told Business Insider that appeals processes often take a year or longer. Shapiro, who focuses on business and commercial litigation, said the case will ultimately have to balance Delaware's freedom for companies to self-govern with concerns about excessive payouts and Musk's status as one of the most successful businessmen. Advertisement While appeals are generally difficult to win, Shapiro said Musk's case is "novel" and contains unpredictable elements. One issue that may come up is whether Musk influenced the negotiations over his Tesla pay package, as the trial judge suggested in her initial ruling, he said. "Little law addresses executive compensation, let alone what seems to be the largest-ever compensation deal at a US public company," Shapiro said. Given that Musk's pay package was set to be the largest ever for a CEO, there aren't many cases to turn to for direct precedent. Advertisement Anat Alon-Beck, a business law professor at Case Western Reserve University, told BI that one case that stands out is the 2015 Delaware Chancery Court decision ruling against Mark Zuckerberg's attempt to ratify board actions related to Facebook's 2010 acquisition of Instagram. Alon-Beck, who used to work as a merger and acquisition attorney for tech companies and also specializes in Delaware deal law, said Zuckerberg didn't follow the proper procedural requirements mandated by state law. The case demonstrates that even controlling shareholders need to comply with the legal procedures for ratifying board decisions, he added. "When you know Delaware law, you know that stuff like that is just not going to fly," Alon-Beck said. Advertisement Columbia law professor Dorothy Lund used to clerk for a Delaware Supreme Court justice and US Court of Appeals judge. She told BI that Delaware is also "in a weird spot" because Tesla reincorporated from Delaware to Texas in June, and Musk has repeatedly spoken out about Delaware courts (he called the ruling "absolute corruption" on Monday). While these decisions aren't supposed to be influenced by concerns around public perception, Lund said Musk's behavior hasn't been the most strategic. "Delaware now has to worry about looking like, well, if we reverse, do we just look like we got cowed by Elon Musk?" Lund said. Advertisement Reintroducing the pay package in Texas Prior to the shareholder vote, Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm said in June that the board had considered introducing a new pay plan if the shareholder vote didn't pass — an option she said would cost shareholders. Related stories If Tesla created a new plan with the same stock grants, it would cost tens of billions in stock-based compensation today. That's because the compensation tied to the original package was worth an estimated $2.3 billion in stock, and it's already been paid out. Alon-Beck told BI that a new compensation package in Texas would make the most sense. Advertisement "I would do a new vote in Texas, under Texas law, and I would authorize a new compensation package," Alon-Beck said, adding that the old package wouldn't be able to be authorized because of a conflict of laws. Shapiro said he thinks it would be "very difficult" to draft the same package in Texas, noting that the original plan goes back to 2018 and was based on specific targets as well as Tesla's stock price in 2018. Shapiro said Musk's decision to appeal or reintroduce the package in Texas depends on multiple factors — and underlying motivations. Advertisement While it may be all about the money, the case may also signify more about public companies in the US and the way in which shareholders and courts can interfere with management's plans. "Or is it about his public persona and his reputation and how those things are understood in future business dealings," Shapiro said. "If he were my client, I would have a discussion about all of those things before deciding what path forward was best for him."

On their third and final game of the Maui Invitational, the Cyclones had the cushion to hang loose for the final few minutes. Iowa State blew Colorado out 99-71 after splitting its first two games by narrow margins. Iowa State’s defense flummoxed the Buffaloes, who turned the ball over 18 times. The Cyclones converted those mistakes into points, dominating fastbreak points 22-4. Here are three takeaways from th e game: On Iowa State’s first possession out of halftime, the Cyclones dialed up a screen to get Milan Momcilovic open in the corner. The sweet-shooting sophomore from Pewaukee, Wisconsin swished the shot to reach 21 points, a new career-high. He ties his mark from last season's game against Virginia Tech. Momcilovoc scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half. He finished the game nine-of-13 from the field and six-of-9 from 3-point range. His shooting helped put the Cyclones up 45-34 at halftime. He scored back-to-back buckets in the first half to put ISU up 30-22, and the Cyclones led for the game's final 31:15. The top line of any opponent’s keys to beating Iowa State will read something like this: Hold onto the basketball. Live-ball turnovers killed Colorado on Wednesday and led to 37 Iowa State points (compared to 20 for Colorado). Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey, left, goes up for a basket against Colorado guard Javon Ruffin (11) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. LINDSEY WASSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS Iowa State turned Colorado over 18 times. Point guard Tamin Lipsey made four steals while guard Nate Heise and forwards Brandt Chatfield and Dishon Jackson each went for two. Even though the Cyclones played their third game in less than 72 hours, they looked to push the ball down the floor each time they forced a turnover and created fastbreak looks. Iowa State forward Brandton Chatfield reacts after a basket by a teammate against Colorado during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Maui Invitational Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Iowa State won 99-71. LINDSEY WASSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS Don’t get discouraged by Iowa State’s fifth-place finish in the Maui Invitational. That’s a success. Iowa State head coach T. J. Otzelberger claps on the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa State at the Maui Invitational Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Lahaina, Hawaii. LINDSEY WASSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS Iowa State lost its opening game against Auburn and got sent to the loser’s bracket. Want to know who else got sent to the loser’s bracket? No. 2 UConn, the team defending back-to-back NCAA Championships. There’s a strong likelihood all eight teams in the field: UConn, Memphis, Colorado, Michigan State, Auburn, North Carolina, Dayton and Iowa State make the NCAA Tournament. So for Iowa State, this week was about seeing where it is at nationally after an easy first three games. The Cyclones looked fantastic in stretches against No. 4 Auburn and a Dayton team ranked No. 35 in the Kenpom rankings. Iowa State’s schedule continues to build in difficulty with a matchup at home against No. 10 Marquette on Dec. 4 (7 p.m. ESPN+).Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Enliven Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:ELVN – Free Report ) by 9.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 750,208 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 67,813 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 1.59% of Enliven Therapeutics worth $19,164,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ELVN. Quest Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Enliven Therapeutics by 87.3% during the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 1,592 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 742 shares during the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in Enliven Therapeutics by 64.4% during the 3rd quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 9,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 3,559 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Enliven Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter worth $256,000. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in Enliven Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at $271,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in shares of Enliven Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at about $322,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.08% of the company’s stock. Enliven Therapeutics Price Performance Shares of ELVN stock opened at $22.37 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $25.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.77 and a beta of 1.02. Enliven Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12 month low of $10.90 and a 12 month high of $30.03. Analysts Set New Price Targets Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Enliven Therapeutics Insider Transactions at Enliven Therapeutics In other Enliven Therapeutics news, CFO Benjamin Hohl sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.33, for a total transaction of $50,660.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, insider Joseph P. Lyssikatos sold 7,522 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.51, for a total transaction of $206,930.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,069,887 shares in the company, valued at $29,432,591.37. This represents a 0.70 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 124,945 shares of company stock valued at $3,478,624. Insiders own 29.20% of the company’s stock. Enliven Therapeutics Company Profile ( Free Report ) Enliven Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery and development of small molecule inhibitors to help patients with cancer. The company’s lead product candidates comprise ELVN-001, which is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in adults with chronic myeloid leukemia; and ELVN-002, a Phase 1 clinical trial in adults with solid tumors with HER2 alterations. Read More Five stocks we like better than Enliven Therapeutics Profitably Trade Stocks at 52-Week Highs Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December Asset Allocation: The Key to a Successful Portfolio. Are You Paying Attention to Yours? Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 Best Stocks Under $5.00 These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Receive News & Ratings for Enliven Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Enliven Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Castle Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSTL) Position Boosted by Geode Capital Management LLC

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Tafara Gapare scored 19 points, freshman Derik Queen had 15 points and eight rebounds and Maryland beat Bucknell 91-67 on Wednesday night. Maryland opened the game on a 15-2 run, extended it to 25-7 with 10:38 left and led 51-28 at the break. The Terrapins led by at least 16 points the entire second half, which included runs of 12-0 and 9-0. Gapare scored the 10 straight points during the second-half run. Gapare threw down a highlight dunk while being fouled with 2:08 remaining to give Maryland an 89-62 lead. He was called for a technical foul after stepping over Patrick O’Brien, who was attempting to take a charge. Jayden Williams made the two free throws for Bucknell and Gapare missed his free-throw attempt that would have tied his career high of 20 points. Maryland (6-1) has won 20 consecutive home games against unranked nonconference foes with its last loss coming on Dec. 1, 2021, against Virginia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Julian Reese added 14 points and Selton Miguel scored 13 for Maryland. Gapare, a Georgia Tech transfer, reached double-figure scoring as a Terp for the first time. The Terrapins shot 50% from the field with three 3-pointers apiece by Gapare and Miguel. Ruot Bijiek led Bucknell (4-4) with 20 points and Josh Bascoe added 10. The Bison turned it over 20 times leading to 22 Maryland points. Maryland stays at home to play Alcorn State on Sunday. Bucknell returns home to play Siena on Saturday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Kylian Mbappe saw a penalty saved as Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to inflict a third Champions League defeat in five matches on the holders. Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scored the goals in the second half as the Reds maintained their perfect record to return to the top of the table. Mohamed Salah also fired wide from the spot, but it mattered little as Liverpool secured a 17th win in Arne Slot’s first 19 games in charge. Slot has already achieved what Jurgen Klopp could not as Liverpool boss by slaying the Spanish giants. Liverpool had a score to settle with Madrid, who were unbeaten in eight previous meetings between the sides, including Champions League finals against Klopp’s men in 2018 and 2022. Defeat sends Carlo Ancelotti’s side tumbling down to 24th in the table. Only the top 24 progress to the knockout stage with the top eight advancing directly to the last 16. Liverpool are well on course to do just that and the confidence coursing through a side also eight points clear at the top of the Premier League was in evidence throughout in front of a highly-charged Anfield crowd. Madrid were hamstrung by a lengthy injury list and made the trip to England without Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba. Young centre-back Raul Asencio has been pressed into action by those absences and he made a vital goal-line clearance on four minutes. Darwin Nunez was sent in behind the Madrid defence by Salah and after his shot produced a fine save from Thibaut Courtois, Asencio reacted smartly to prevent the rebound bouncing off him and into his own net. Courtois was Liverpool’s scourge with a man-of-the-match performance in the final two years ago as Madrid prevailed 1-0 in Paris. The Belgian was at his best again as he blocked another big Nunez chance from point-blank range as the Liverpool pressure built without reward before the break. Courtois was in sparkling form again at the start of the second period to parry Conor Bradley’s downward header. But Liverpool were not to be denied as Bradley was this time the provider for Mac Allister, who manufactured the space for a shot into the far corner on 52 minutes. The visitors were relying on Mbappe for a moment of magic in the absence of Vinicius, but the Frenchman was well-marshalled by his international team-mate Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk. His chance to silence his critics arrived on the hour mark when Andy Robertson was harshly adjudged to have tripped Lucas Vazquez inside the area. Caoimhin Kelleher has excelled in the absence of the injured Alisson Becker and leapt to his left to save Mbappe’s spot-kick. Salah sparked a furore ahead of the game by declaring his disappointment with Liverpool’s failure to offer him a contract renewal. The Egyptian has been in sparkling form this season and his pace and trickery fooled Ferland Mendy into a mistimed challenge. Salah, though, gave Madrid a lifeline by firing his penalty off the outside of the post. Liverpool had to wait just six more minutes for the cushion of a second goal as substitute Gakpo rose highest from a corner to power a header past Courtois.None

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama A&M University football player Medrick Burnett Jr. is still on life support following an injury during a game against Alabama State in October, according to Alabama A&M University Sports Information Director Brian Howard. This updates an earlier announcement from the university that Burnett had died a month after the injury. Howard said the university got news last night from Burnett's father, who is on the West Coast where the family is from, that his son had died. Burnett's mother, who is with him, said that he is still alive. The announcement from the university Wednesday that originally stated he had died has since been removed from their website . The redshirt freshman from Lakewood, California, joined Alabama A&M's team over the summer after starting his college career at Grambling State. He appeared in seven games for Alabama A&M this season, recording three tackles during a game at Austin Peay.CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Athabasca Oil Corporation (TSX: ATH) (“Athabasca” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce its 2025 budget with capital projects that will balance cash flow growth while continuing to deliver a durable return of capital framework that will direct 100% of Free Cash Flow to share buybacks in 2025. Corporate Consolidated Strategy and Outlook Value Creation Strategy. Athabasca provides a differentiated liquids-weighted growth platform through its low-decline, long-life Thermal Oil assets. Athabasca’s subsidiary company, Duvernay Energy Corporation (“DEC”), is designed to enhance value for Athabasca’s shareholders by providing a clear path for self-funded production and cash flow growth in the Kaybob Duvernay resource play. Athabasca (Thermal Oil) and DEC have independent strategies and capital allocation frameworks. The primary strategic objective is to generate top-tier cash flow per share growth over the long term. 2025 Consolidated Budget. Athabasca is planning capital expenditures of ~$335 million with average production of 37,500 – 39,500 boe/d (98% Liquids) and an exit rate of ~41,000 boe/d. Growth in production comes from the expansion plans at Leismer and development of the Duvernay assets. Cash Flow Per Share Growth . The Company forecasts consolidated Adjusted Funds Flow between $525 – $550 million 1 . Every +US$1/bbl move in West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) and Western Canadian Select (“WCS”) heavy oil impacts annual Adjusted Funds Flow by ~$10 million and ~$17 million, respectively. Athabasca forecasts generating ~$1.8 billion of Free Cash Flow 1 from its Thermal Oil assets over five years (2025-29), representing ~65% of its current equity market capitalization. Investing in attractive capital projects and prioritizing share buybacks results in ~20% compounded annual cash flow per share 2 growth through this forecast period. Financial Resiliency. Athabasca maintains a strong and differentiated balance sheet with a $135 million consolidated Net Cash position, including ~$335 million of cash. DEC has no debt and operates within its annual Adjusted Funds Flow and its balance sheet. Athabasca (Thermal Oil) also has $2.4 billion in tax pools, including $1.9 billion of immediately deductible non-capital loses and exploration pools, sheltering cash taxes until beyond 2030. Athabasca (Thermal Oil) – 2025 Budget Highlights Capital Program . The Thermal Oil budget is ~$250 million with activity focused primarily on advancing progressive growth to 40,000 bbl/d at Leismer by the end of 2027. The program at Leismer will include the tie-in of six redrills and four new sustaining well pairs on Pad 10 early in 2025, additional development at Pad 10 and 11, and continued facility expansion work. At Hangingstone two new extended reach sustaining well pairs (~1,400 meter average laterals) will be on stream in Q1 2025 and are expected to maintain annual production. The Budget includes routine maintenance at both assets. Production Growth . Annual Thermal Oil production guidance is 33,500 – 35,500 bbl/d. Leismer is expected to achieve 40,000 bbl/d by the end of 2027 at an attractive capital efficiency of ~$25,000/bbl/d. Hangingstone production will be maintained by utilizing existing plant capacity, resulting in capital efficiencies of ~$15,000/bbl/d. The Company has ~1.2 billion barrels of Proved plus Probable reserves and ~1 billion of Contingent Resource. These Thermal Oil assets underpin decades of reserve life with estimated sustaining capital investment of ~C$8/bbl (five-year annual average) to hold production flat. Robust Free Cash Flow. During the five-year time frame (2025-29), Athabasca (Thermal Oil) forecasts generating $1.8 billion in Free Cash Flow 1 , representing ~65% of its current equity market capitalization. Competitive and Resilient Break-evens. Thermal Oil is competitively positioned with sustaining capital to hold production flat funded within cash flow below US$50/bbl WTI 1 and growth initiatives fully funded within cash flow below US$60/bbl WTI 1 . The Company’s operating break-even is estimated at ~US$40/bbl WTI 1 . Exposure to Strong Heavy Oil Pricing. With the start-up of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in May, spare pipeline capacity is driving tighter and less volatile WCS heavy differentials. Regional liquids pricing benchmarks have also been supported by a depreciating Canadian currency relative to the United States. Every +US$1/bbl move in West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) and WCS heavy oil impacts annual Adjusted Funds Flow by ~$10 million and ~$17 million, respectively. Pre-payout Thermal Oil Differentiation. Strong margins and Free Cash Flow are supported by a Thermal Oil pre-payout Crown royalty structure, with royalty rates between 5 – 9% anticipated to last to the end of 2027 at Leismer and beyond 2030 at Hangingstone. Duvernay Energy Corporation – 2025 Budget Highlights Capital Program. The DEC budget is ~$85 million with activity including the completion of a 100% working interest (“WI”) three-well pad that was drilled in 2024 and the drilling and completion of a 30% WI multi-well pad. Activity will also include spudding two additional multi-well pads in H2 2025 (one operated 100% WI pad and one 30% WI pad) with completions to follow in 2026. DEC is also constructing strategic water and egress expansions on its operated assets. High Netback Production. Annual production guidance is ~4,000 boe/d (77% Liquids) with growth to ~5,500 boe/d by the end of 2025. The Kaybob Duvernay’s high liquid weighting supports strong margins with current type wells forecasted to payout in ~13 months 1 and further cost improvements are expected as the Company executes larger multi-well pad design. Growth Plans. Development will be self-funded within DEC through utilization of 100% of its annual Adjusted Funds Flow and its balance sheet. The Company has self-funded growth potential to in excess of ~20,000 boe/d (75% Liquids) by the late 2020s 1 . Return of Capital 100% of Free Cash Flow Directed to Share Buybacks. In 2025, the Company plans to maintain its commitment to return 100% of Thermal Oil Free Cash Flow to shareholders through share buybacks. In 2024, the Company has completed ~$280 million in share buybacks to the end of November. Share buybacks were initiated in April 2023 and have totaled ~$440 million to date. Focus on Per Share Metrics: A steadfast commitment to cash flow growth and return of capital has driven a 108 million share reduction (~17%) in the Company’s fully diluted share count since March 31, 2023. The Company has realized ~100% cash flow per share growth since 2022 and the corporate strategy is to continue to generate top tier cash flow per share growth over the long term. Footnote: Refer to the “Reader Advisory” section within this news release for additional information on Non‐GAAP Financial Measures (e .g. Adjusted Funds Flow, Free Cash Flow, Sustaining Capital, Net Cash ) and production disclosure. 1 Pricing Assumptions: 2025: US$70 WTI, US$12.50 WCS heavy differential, C$2 AECO, and 0.725 C$/US$ FX. 2026+: US$70 WTI, US$12.50 WCS heavy differential, C$3 AECO, and 0.725 C$/US$ FX. 2 The Company’s illustrative multi-year outlook assumes a 10% annual share buyback program at an implied share price of 4.5x Enterprise Value/Debt Adjusted Cash Flow in 2026 and beyond. About Athabasca Oil Corporation Athabasca Oil Corporation is a Canadian energy company with a focused strategy on the development of thermal and light oil assets. Situated in Alberta’s Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, the Company has amassed a significant land base of extensive, high quality resources. Athabasca’s light oil assets are held in a private subsidiary (Duvernay Energy Corporation) in which Athabasca owns a 70% equity interest. Athabasca’s common shares trade on the TSX under the symbol “ATH”. For more information, visit www.atha.com . Reader Advisory: This News Release contains forward-looking information that involves various risks, uncertainties and other factors. All information other than statements of historical fact is forward-looking information. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “plan”, “project”, “continue”, “maintain”, “may”, “estimate”, “expect”, “will”, “target”, “forecast”, “could”, “intend”, “potential”, “guidance”, “outlook” and similar expressions suggesting future outcome are intended to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is not historical fact, but rather is based on the Company’s current plans, objectives, goals, strategies, estimates, assumptions and projections about the Company’s industry, business and future operating and financial results. This information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information included in this News Release should not be unduly relied upon. This information speaks only as of the date of this News Release. In particular, this News Release contains forward-looking information pertaining to, but not limited to, the following: our strategic plans; the allocation of future capital; timing and quantum for shareholder returns including share buybacks; the terms of our NCIB program; our drilling plans and capital efficiencies; production growth to expected production rates and estimated sustaining capital amounts; timing of Leismer’s and Hangingstone’s pre-payout royalty status; applicability of tax pools and the timing of tax payments; Adjusted Funds Flow and Free Cash Flow over various periods; type well economic metrics; number of drilling locations; forecasted daily production and the composition of production; our outlook in respect of the Company’s business environment, including in respect of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and heavy oil pricing; and other matters. In addition, information and statements in this News Release relating to "Reserves" and “Resources” are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves and resources described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated, and that the reserves and resources described can be profitably produced in the future. With respect to forward-looking information contained in this News Release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: commodity prices; the regulatory framework governing royalties, taxes and environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which the Company conducts and will conduct business and the effects that such regulatory framework will have on the Company, including on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations; the Company’s financial and operational flexibility; the Company’s financial sustainability; Athabasca's cash flow break-even commodity price; the Company’s ability to obtain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the applicability of technologies for the recovery and production of the Company’s reserves and resources; future capital expenditures to be made by the Company; future sources of funding for the Company’s capital programs; the Company’s future debt levels; future production levels; the Company’s ability to obtain financing and/or enter into joint venture arrangements, on acceptable terms; operating costs; compliance of counterparties with the terms of contractual arrangements; impact of increasing competition globally; collection risk of outstanding accounts receivable from third parties; geological and engineering estimates in respect of the Company’s reserves and resources; recoverability of reserves and resources; the geography of the areas in which the Company is conducting exploration and development activities and the quality of its assets. Certain other assumptions related to the Company’s Reserves and Resources are contained in the report of McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd. (“McDaniel”) evaluating Athabasca’s Proved Reserves, Probable Reserves and Contingent Resources as at December 31, 2023 (which is respectively referred to herein as the "McDaniel Report”). Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the risk factors set forth in the Company’s Annual Information Form (“AIF”) dated February 29, 2024 available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca, including, but not limited to: weakness in the oil and gas industry; exploration, development and production risks; prices, markets and marketing; market conditions; climate change and carbon pricing risk; statutes and regulations regarding the environment including deceptive marketing provisions; regulatory environment and changes in applicable law; gathering and processing facilities, pipeline systems and rail; reputation and public perception of the oil and gas sector; environment, social and governance goals; political uncertainty; state of capital markets; ability to finance capital requirements; access to capital and insurance; abandonment and reclamation costs; changing demand for oil and natural gas products; anticipated benefits of acquisitions and dispositions; royalty regimes; foreign exchange rates and interest rates; reserves; hedging; operational dependence; operating costs; project risks; supply chain disruption; financial assurances; diluent supply; third party credit risk; indigenous claims; reliance on key personnel and operators; income tax; cybersecurity; advanced technologies; hydraulic fracturing; liability management; seasonality and weather conditions; unexpected events; internal controls; limitations and insurance; litigation; natural gas overlying bitumen resources; competition; chain of title and expiration of licenses and leases; breaches of confidentiality; new industry related activities or new geographical areas; water use restrictions and/or limited access to water; relationship with Duvernay Energy Corporation; management estimates and assumptions; third-party claims; conflicts of interest; inflation and cost management; credit ratings; growth management; impact of pandemics; ability of investors resident in the United States to enforce civil remedies in Canada; and risks related to our debt and securities. All subsequent forward-looking information, whether written or oral, attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Also included in this News Release are estimates of Athabasca's 2024 outlook which are based on the various assumptions as to production levels, commodity prices, currency exchange rates and other assumptions disclosed in this News Release. To the extent any such estimate constitutes a financial outlook, it was approved by management and the Board of Directors of Athabasca and is included to provide readers with an understanding of the Company’s outlook. Management does not have firm commitments for all of the costs, expenditures, prices or other financial assumptions used to prepare the financial outlook or assurance that such operating results will be achieved and, accordingly, the complete financial effects of all of those costs, expenditures, prices and operating results are not objectively determinable. The actual results of operations of the Company and the resulting financial results may vary from the amounts set forth herein, and such variations may be material. The outlook and forward-looking information contained in this New Release was made as of the date of this News release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligations to update or revise such outlook and/or forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required pursuant to applicable law. Oil and Gas Information “BOEs" may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil equivalent (6 Mcf: 1 bbl) is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. As the value ratio between natural gas and crude oil based on the current prices of natural gas and crude oil is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value. Initial Production Rates Test Results and Initial Production Rates: The well test results and initial production rates provided herein should be considered to be preliminary, except as otherwise indicated. Test results and initial production rates disclosed herein may not necessarily be indicative of long-term performance or of ultimate recovery. Reserves Information The McDaniel Report was prepared using the assumptions and methodology guidelines outlined in the COGE Handbook and in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities, effective December 31, 2023. There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of bitumen, light crude oil and medium crude oil, tight oil, conventional natural gas, shale gas and natural gas liquids reserves and the future cash flows attributed to such reserves. The reserve and associated cash flow information set forth above are estimates only. In general, estimates of economically recoverable reserves and the future net cash flows therefrom are based upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, such as historical production from the properties, production rates, ultimate reserve recovery, timing and amount of capital expenditures, marketability of oil and natural gas, royalty rates, the assumed effects of regulation by governmental agencies and future operating costs, all of which may vary materially. For those reasons, estimates of the economically recoverable reserves attributable to any particular group of properties, classification of such reserves based on risk of recovery and estimates of future net revenues associated with reserves prepared by different engineers, or by the same engineers at different times, may vary. The Company's actual production, revenues, taxes and development and operating expenditures with respect to its reserves will vary from estimates thereof and such variations could be material. Reserves figures described herein have been rounded to the nearest MMbbl or MMboe. For additional information regarding the consolidated reserves and information concerning the resources of the Company as evaluated by McDaniel in the McDaniel Report, please refer to the Company’s AIF. Reserve Values (i.e. Net Asset Value) is calculated using the estimated net present value of all future net revenue from our reserves, before income taxes discounted at 10%, as estimated by McDaniel effective December 31, 2023 and based on average pricing of McDaniel, Sproule and GLJ as of January 1, 2024. The 500 gross Duvernay drilling locations referenced include: 37 proved undeveloped locations and 76 probable undeveloped locations for a total of 113 booked locations with the balance being unbooked locations. Proved undeveloped locations and probable undeveloped locations are booked and derived from the Company's most recent independent reserves evaluation as prepared by McDaniel as of December 31, 2023 and account for drilling locations that have associated proved and/or probable reserves, as applicable. Unbooked locations are internal management estimates. Unbooked locations do not have attributed reserves or resources (including contingent or prospective). Unbooked locations have been identified by management as an estimation of Athabasca’s multi-year drilling activities expected to occur over the next two decades based on evaluation of applicable geologic, seismic, engineering, production and reserves information. There is no certainty that the Company will drill all unbooked drilling locations and if drilled there is no certainty that such locations will result in additional oil and gas reserves, resources or production. The drilling locations on which the Company will actually drill wells, including the number and timing thereof is ultimately dependent upon the availability of funding, commodity prices, provincial fiscal and royalty policies, costs, actual drilling results, additional reservoir information that is obtained and other factors. Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures, and Production Disclosure The "Corporate Consolidated Adjusted Funds Flow", "Athabasca (Thermal Oil) Adjusted Funds Flow", "Duvernay Energy Adjusted Funds Flow", “Corporate Consolidated Free Cash Flow”, "Athabasca (Thermal Oil) Free Cash Flow" and "Duvernay Energy Free Cash Flow" financial measures contained in this News Release do not have standardized meanings which are prescribed by IFRS and they are considered to be non-GAAP financial measures or ratios. These measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers and should not be considered in isolation with measures that are prepared in accordance with IFRS. Sustaining Capital and Net Cash are supplementary financial measures. The Leismer and Hangingstone operating results are supplementary financial measures that when aggregated, combine to the Athabasca (Thermal Oil) segment results. Adjusted Funds Flow and Free Cash Flow Adjusted Funds Flow and Free Cash Flow are non-GAAP financial measures and are not intended to represent cash flow from operating activities, net earnings or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with IFRS. The Adjusted Funds Flow and Free Cash Flow measures allow management and others to evaluate the Company’s ability to fund its capital programs and meet its ongoing financial obligations using cash flow internally generated from ongoing operating related activities. Sustaining Capital Sustaining Capital is managements' assumption of the required capital to maintain the Company’s production base. Net Cash Net Cash is defined as the face value of term debt, plus accounts payable and accrued liabilities, plus current portion of provisions and other liabilities plus income tax payable less current assets, excluding risk management contracts. Production volumes details This News Release also makes reference to Athabasca's forecasted average daily Thermal Oil production of 33,500 ‐ 35,500 bbl/d for 2025. Athabasca expects that 100% of that production will be comprised of bitumen. Duvernay Energy’s forecasted total average daily production of ~4,000 boe/d for 2025 is expected to be comprised of approximately 68% tight oil, 23% shale gas and 9% NGLs. Liquids is defined as bitumen, tight oil, light crude oil, medium crude oil and natural gas liquids. Break Even is an operating metric that calculates the US$WTI oil price required to fund operating costs (Operating Break-even), sustaining capital (Sustaining Break-even), or growth capital (Total Capital) within Adjusted Funds Flow. Enterprise Value to Debt Adjusted Cash Flow is a valuation metric calculated by dividing Enterprise Value (Market Capitalization plus Net Debt) divided by Cash Flow before interest costs.

jili medusa Century-old series resumes as South Carolina hosts PresbyterianPIAA football: Southern Lehigh, Northwestern Lehigh playoff games moved to Saturday due to snowElden Ring Neightreign was one of the biggest reveals from The Game Awards on Thursday night. There were many questions about what the heck this game is, but fans of the original action roleplaying game can see for themselves in just two months. The network test for Neightreign will take place in February, according to the game's website . Those interested in trying the game early can sign up for the test and get an idea of what this standalone, multiplayer-focused take on Elden Ring is. Here's how you can partake in the upcoming Elden Ring Nightreign Network Test. A network test is like a demo for a game, but intended for people to play online with each other. It acts as a stress test for the game's servers and gives the developer some last-minute feedback before the game goes live. There was also a network test for Elden Ring before it launched back in 2022. Sign-ups for the network test will start on Jan. 10, according to the Nightreign website . The network test is planned for sometime in February. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. Elden Ring Nightreign is a spinoff of Elden Ring that has a focus on co-op survival action. Three players team up to explore a portion of Limgrave from the game, but places and enemies are randomly generated, according to IGN . Players move a bit faster and have to level up quickly as they have to survive three days that last just 15 minutes. Every night, they'll have to move to safer areas or else die, similar to battle royale games. Each night, a boss will appear and players will need to defeat it to continue on. While this is a multiplayer-focused standalone game, developer FromSoftware says Nightreign is not a live service game where you'll need to play online only and be forced into microtransactions. Players will be able to play offline and by themselves if they wish.

When electric power was a novel idea and just beginning to be adopted in urban centers, the industry had a Wild West feel to it as multiple companies strung wires, opened power plants, and sold electricity on an unregulated market. S who were entrusted with providing reliable power and sufficient reserve for peak periods in return for being guaranteed a profit on rates proposed by the utilities but approved or set by newly established state public utility commissions (PUCs). These commissions were charged with ensuring public utilities served the general public universally within their territory, providing reliable service at reasonable rates. . Politicians began to supplant engineers to decide, based on self-interested calculations, what types of power should be favored and disfavored, and what types of appliances and modes of transportation Americans could use. Under the banner of combatting global warming, utilities were at first encouraged and then coerced into adopting plans and policies aimed at achieving net zero emissions of carbon dioxide. . Initially, as states began to push renewable energy mandates, utilities fought back, arguing that prematurely closing reliable power plants, primarily coal-fueled, would increase energy costs, compromise grid reliability, and leave them with millions of dollars in stranded assets. Politicians addressed those concerns with subsidies and tax credits for renewable power. In addition, they passed on the costs of the expanded grid to ratepayers and taxpayers. Effectively, elected officials and the PUCs, with a wink and a nod, indemnified utilities for power supply failures, allowing utilities to claim that aging grid infrastructure and climate change were to blame for failures rather than the increased percentage of intermittent power added to the grid at their direction. which has resulted in the construction of ever more and bigger wind, solar, and battery facilities. The costlier, the more profitable – regardless of their compromised ability to provide reliable power or the cost impact on residential, commercial, and industrial ratepayers. A from The Heartland Institute demonstrates the significant financial incentives from government and financiers for utilities to turn away from affordable energy sources like natural gas and coal, and even nuclear, and instead aggressively pursue wind and solar in particular. All of this is done in the name of pursuing net zero emissions, which every single major utility company in the country boasts about on their corporate reports and websites. Reliability and affordability come secondary to the decarbonization agenda. Dominion Energy is a good example, as they are one of the most aggressive movers on climate-focused policy. During one interview with a energy podcast, he said: “ . We’re trying to address a climate crisis, and we are going to need to move quickly to do that.” In the same interview, he expressed enthusiasm about federal policy that would achieve a government-directed transition. And why wouldn’t he? Dominion, like most utilities, is granted government tax credits and guarantees on returns for investing in large, expensive projects like offshore wind, the most expensive source of electric power. The bigger the project, the bigger the profit with guaranteed returns. Net zero policies are not the environmental panacea that climate change activists proclaim. Industrial-scale wind and solar use substantially more land than conventional energy resources, disrupting ecosystems and destroying wildlife habitats in the process. And despite recent technological advances, wind and solar are still not dispatchable resources, meaning they cannot provide consistent power at all times needed. Refuting claims made by environmentalists and utilities that wind and solar are the cheapest sources of electric power, costs have risen steeply as the use of wind and solar has increased. Customers of Duke Energy in for example, are paying 78% higher rates in the wake of coal-fired plant closings. Politicians and utilities are pushing for even more electrification for appliances and vehicles despite the fact that Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have repeatedly warned in recent years that adding more demand for electric power while replacing reliable power sources with intermittent renewables is destabilizing the power system. – and the government officials who are supposed to keep them in check are only encouraging them. It doesn’t need to be this way. The U.S. grid was not always this way. Only in recent years, with the obsessive pursuit of net zero, have rolling black and brownouts become so common. Today, utility companies are sending lobbyists to conservative policymakers in order to convince them that the utilities have our best interests in mind. Their track record tells another story. Meanwhile, Americans have less reliable electricity at higher costs. By Zerohedge.com

Empire of the Ants review

SINGAPORE: The goal sounds simple – hit 20 shuttlecocks in a row, five times. But the catch is he has to start from zero if he misses one or it hits the net. That may seem like an easy feat to most badminton players, but for 23-year-old Xavier Lim, it is a major challenge that he dreads during his thrice-a-week practice sessions. When CNA sat in to watch one recent session, Mr Lim hit five consecutive shuttlecocks successfully on his first attempt before the sixth one hit the 1.55m-high net. “Restart!” his coach shouted with laughter from the other side as he picked up the fallen birdies. The shuttlecocks flew again, sending the 135cm-tall athlete to all parts of his side of the court. He had to start from zero once more before finally making it to 20 on his third attempt. He then had to repeat the feat another four times. Mr Lim is Singapore’s only professional badminton player with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. But his condition doesn't mean that he is given special concessions in his beloved sport. “Everything in the game is the same – the height of the net, size of the court, the shoes I wear and the rackets we use. I wish it (the court) was smaller, but it’s all the same,” Mr Lim told CNA. Despite competing professionally for six years, he still feels amazed how the kid who constantly missed the shuttlecock when playing with his father at the car park now finds himself playing on courts across the region. “My dad always tells me to remember who taught me (badminton) and to let everyone know,” he said. “I have a video of me hitting (the shuttlecock) three times in a row and I dropped the racket and ran around celebrating.” Mr Lim’s free-spirited attitude and zest for life can be seen both on the court and during breaks, when he playfully tried to kick his own head – a party trick that he used to effortlessly flaunt but gets harder as he grows older. The athlete, who works full-time as a pre-registration pharmacist, was determined very early on to prove that his height would not limit him from being the best version of himself. Even when he was growing up, he never allowed himself to feel like an outcast, and counted himself lucky to always be included. He owed this sense of belonging to the sport that has helped him “overcome the mental and physical boundaries” over the years. “I’ll admit that I was initially limited by my own presumptions of my condition. So I assumed I couldn’t run, jump very high, and do many other things.” But his misconceptions changed when he started pushing himself to meet targets and surprised himself with how much he could do, the distances he could run, and even how high he could jump. “At the end of the day, it’s nice to get medals but the biggest lesson I gained was understanding the boundaries were mostly in my mind. Yes, it was hard at some points, but it showed me that I can push the boundaries by pushing myself.” FROM PAINS TO PROGRESS Being an athlete with a disability also meant that Mr Lim was more prone to injuries, and a severe one in 2023 meant he had to prioritise his recovery and refrain from participating in competitions this year. After competing in the 2023 ASEAN Para Games in May, he landed a spot in the Western Australia Para Badminton International in October last year. Although he found the latter competition “much less nerve-racking” and had been injury-free for some time, no amount of practice could have prepared him for what happened next. “I didn’t play well during the games, and even had to undergo surgery after tearing my MCL (medial collateral ligament) and meniscus,” Mr Lim said. Both are types of knee injury. The two months of recovery was no easy feat for the athlete, who spent two months out of training and the last on crutches. "I had to do a lot of reconditioning of my legs, like having to relearn how to walk, regain strength in my leg muscles to do day-to-day activities and also recondition my legs and stamina to play badminton again." The injury was made more difficult as Mr Lim had been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis in 2020, which meant he suffered from burning pains from his back through to his legs, sometimes accompanied by numbness. It was a condition that is often seen in the elderly after years of wear and tear, but sport players with dwarfism tend to develop it at an earlier stage in their lives, he explained. Mr Lim ended up going for spinal surgery in May 2021, and it took him an entire year to fully recover. "It definitely affected the intensity at which I trained and I had to miss some training sessions or take on a lighter load because my back was too sore. I even questioned if I wanted to carry on playing badminton.” But his coach of almost two years was hell-bent on making sure he pulled through. “He’s a driven boy and as much as I love to push him to go beyond his limits, he pushes himself very hard too. Sometimes so hard till he turns pale,” said Mr Andy Wu, a Singapore para badminton coach. Mr Wu, who sees the athlete as “more of a brother”, claimed to be harder on him than his able-bodied students. “I know that he faces a lot of adversity as a para-athlete, but I’ve been touched by his passion and resilience, especially how he would come and train thrice a week after work,” he said, praising the way Mr Lim's game has matured. “He used to say he would give up badminton whenever he felt defeated. But through the years, he has recognised what he can and can’t control on the court. He has improved on what he can control, and let go of what he can’t.” Mr Wu called for more support to be given to para-athletes looking to achieve more, a sentiment that Mr Lim echoed strongly as he has his heart set on taking part in the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. “It’s a goal for any athlete to be at the Olympics or the Paralympics. It’s the pinnacle of sporting events, and I would definitely want to be there.” A BIG CIRCLE OF SUPPORT As Mr Lim makes his mark as Singapore’s first professional badminton player with dwarfism, others born with short stature have echoed his positive outlook and determination to live a regular life. It never bothered Mr Benovan Sim that his twin brother stands at 194cm, while he was often left waiting around when his friends took rollercoaster rides at Universal Studios Singapore. “There’s a height limit of 120cm for rollercoaster rides, so I’m usually sitting at one corner waiting for them or helping them queue for the next ride.” Mr Sim – who stands at around 110cm – has absent tibia fibula. To put it simply, he was born without shin bones and knee caps, which means his thighs are directly connected to his feet. “I have difficulties walking for long periods, and would often get back and leg aches after just 20 minutes of walking,” Mr Sim told CNA, pointing to his feet which are bent at an angle. Although one might assume that such a condition could result in bullying, especially during the schooling years, the 22-year-old spoke highly of his peers and said he never once felt excluded. “Having friends in secondary school was really a blessing for me and I still keep contact with many of them. They helped and supported me throughout the years, in more ways than one.” Mr Sim found that his love for sports acted as the perfect bridge between him and his peers, especially for those who were wary of how to approach him initially. “I would usually be at the fitness corner or basketball court after school, and other students would invite me to join them. They would always be willing to teach me, so I never felt discriminated (against) because of my short stature.” While Mr Sim counted himself lucky, his parents felt the exact opposite when he was born. “When I was born, the doctors told my mother that I wouldn’t be able to walk. But she was determined to prove them wrong and pushed me to learn,” he said, adding that he used to wear special shoes to keep his feet from bending when he walked. “My parents helped me defy the odds,” he said as he counted with his fingers the different sports that he has been able to take part in, such as swimming and taekwondo. LIVING AN ORDINARY LIFE Mr Sim has grown used to the stares and whispers that he often faces in public, and said that parents sometimes don’t teach their children the polite way to ask about his disability, but would hurriedly pull them away instead. But such occurrences no longer bother him, as he chooses to remember the pleasant interactions he has had in public. “There was a lady who pulled me aside at the MRT station and asked if I was comfortable if she prayed over me. I’m not a Christian but I knew she did it out of goodwill, and it was nice that she did so.” Even though he will be in pain after just 20 minutes of standing, commuters on the train or bus do not always offer him a seat. “Being short means your current centre of gravity is really low, so it's very easy to balance. So even if I fall, my hand reaches the ground quickly,” he said with a laugh. Speaking to CNA at Central Provident Fund Board’s (CPFB) office in Novena, where he has worked for two years, Mr Sim said he greatly appreciated the efforts of his colleagues and managers for the good experience he has had right from the beginning. “CPF will announce to everyone that a person with disabilities will be joining the team, so there was a lot of support from my first day.” CPF has been awarded the Enabling Mark (Gold) award, which recognises organisations for their best practice and outcomes in disability-inclusive employment. “Most of my friends are people without disabilities till I got to CPF and met others with different disabilities,” the associate consultant of the organisation's data protection operations department said. Mr Sim never felt discriminated against for his height, and would often get help from his colleagues without even having to ask. “We have a modem in the data centre that is slightly out of reach and I would have to tip-toe when I use it. But my team members always offer to take on the extra task or accompany me in case I need help.” Mr Lim makes it a conscious point to show those around him that he can do whatever others can, and he encourages others of short stature to ensure they don't allow their height to stand in the way of what they can achieve. “We’re the same as normal people. We can do the same things, we just need some help sometimes.” This is the first of two articles on people in Singapore with short stature. In the next part, which will be published on Jan 1, 2025, CNA speaks to parents whose children have been diagnosed with dwarfism.Intuit and Amazon Expand Strategic PartnershipTOUCHING tributes for the late Jimmy Carter have started to flood in for the "extraordinary leader" who has died aged 100. Joe Biden and Donald Trump have led the heartfelt messages to the beloved former president whose death was confirmed by his family earlier today. Carter, the oldest president in history , and the only one to become a centenarian, has been survived by five other American commander-in-chiefs who have all left touching homages to the great man. President-elect Donald Trump remembered Carter for his leadership and urged Americans to keep the late president's loved ones in their " hearts and prayers". Trump wrote on Truth Social: "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. "For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. "Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time." He later posted a second statement which acknowledged the pair's political and philosophical differences but praised Carter's clear love for America. "He truly loved and respected our Country, and all it stands for," Trump added. "He worked hard to make America a better place, and for that I give him my highest respect. "He was a truly good man and, of course, will be greatly missed. He was also very consequential, far more than most Presidents, after he left the Oval Office." The man Trump is set to replace in the White House in just a few weeks time in Joe Biden described Carter as an "extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian". The fellow Democrat and close friend posted the loving tribute alongside his wife Jill. They said: "Over six decades, we had the honor of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend." "He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together." Joe, 82, has now taken on the title as the oldest living president following the passing of Carter. Barack Obama - the youngest living American leader - commended the late humanitarian with his wife Michelle. They said: "Maranatha Baptist Church will be a little quieter on Sundays, but President Carter will never be far away — buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels. "Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man." Former President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary also praised Carter's commitment to service. They praised him for his "long and good life" and applauded his belief in faith and selflessness. The final remaining president, George W. Bush, joined his wife Laura to call Carter “a man of deeply held convictions” who “dignified the office ". US vice president Kamala Harris made a similar statement praising Carter's "deep and abiding faith in God, America and in humanity". “He reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion," she continued. "I had the privilege of knowing President Carter for years. I will always remember his kindness, wisdom, and profound grace." Tributes to the statesman even came from overseas as the UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer lauded Carter's service. The British PM said he “redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad”. King Charles III also described the former US president as a “committed public servant” who “devoted his life to promoting peace”. Sir Tony Blair soon followed with a powerful statement. It read: "Jimmy Carter's life was a testament to public service; from his time in office, and the Camp David Accords, to his remarkable commitment to the cause of people and peace round the world over the past 40 years. "I always had the greatest respect for him, his spirit and his dedication. "He fundamentally cared and consistently toiled to help those in need." Carter , the 39th president of the United States , has died after nearly two years in hospice care. His son Chip Carter confirmed the former president died at his Georgia home on Sunday around 3:45 pm ET. Carter peacefully passed away surrounded by his family who paid an emotional tribute to the former leader. His son Chip said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. "The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” Public events will commemorate Carter in Atlanta and Washington, D.C. and a state funeral will be held, The Carter Center confirmed. The former president decided to live out the remainder of his days at his home in Plains, Georgia . Carter, the beloved Democrat and Nobel Peace Prize winner, had experienced several health issues in recent years including melanoma that spread to his liver and brain. He became the longest-living president and the first to make it 100 years old. Carter's death came over a year after the death of his wife, Rosalynn Carter , who died on November 19, 2023, at age 96. Two days before her death, Rosalynn joined her husband in hospice care at their home in Georgia. The former first lady and fierce advocate for mental health was diagnosed with dementia in early 2023. Before his death, Jimmy Carter was the first to pay tribute to his wife of 77 years, "Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. "She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me."

Pile burns planned at the start of the new year

Article content A Saskatchewan legislature member who says his transgender children were targeted after an election campaign promise about school change rooms wants an apology from Premier Scott Moe. Opposition NDP member Jared Clarke told the legislative assembly this week his two 12-year-old daughters were subjects of a complaint for using a girls’ change room at a southeast Saskatchewan school. Clarke says there was a news article about the complaint and photos of his children shared online, resulting in his family receiving hate. He says Moe, who leads the Saskatchewan Party, made an announcement a day after the article was published promising to ban “biological boys” from girls’ changing rooms as his first order of business if he won the Oct. 28 election. Moe said during the campaign he did not know the identity of the children. He has since said he is no longer making the ban a legislative priority, as school boards are being consulted on a change room policy. More to come... The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe. Share this Story : Sask. legislature member says premier targeted his transgender children Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

● The Greater Stouffville Chamber of Commerce has inducted inaugural members of the new Greater Stouffville Business Hall of Fame. ● The initiative recognizes local pioneers who have played pivotal roles in shaping Stouffville’s business community. ● 2024 honourees include Marvin, Keith, and the late Ken Betz of Betz Pools; Percy and the late Harry and Wesley Schell of Schell Lumber; Graydon Card of Card’s Appliances; Jay Reesor of Reesor’s Market; and sisters Patti Thompson, Debbi Conzelmann, Robin Kelly, and Jackie Fisher of King Cole Ducks. ● To honour the inductees, the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville will create a commemorative wall at Town Hall in 2025. ● A celebratory dinner hosted by the Chamber on Nov. 26 introduced the Hall of Fame members and highlighted their contributions to Stouffville. “The Greater Stouffville Business Hall of Fame was created to recognize the trailblazers who helped shape Stouffville’s business landscape,” Chamber President David Elie said in his opening remarks. “It serves as a testament to the enduring impact of leadership, vision, and hard work, celebrates the spirit of entrepreneurship, and drives the community forward.” The event drew more than 230 attendees, including Mayor Iain Lovatt, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, York Region Chairman Wayne Emmerson, Stouffville’s Ward Councillors, and senior Town Staff, as well as local business owners and residents. Lovatt, Scarpitti, and Emmerson joined Chamber board members to introduce the Hall of Fame inductees. “Stouffville has been incorporated for 147 years, and in that time there have been significant businesses established that have become foundational to our local identity,” Lovatt told Bullet Point News. “The inaugural inductees to the Business Hall of Fame are and will continue to be synonymous with Stouffville, and I was proud to play a small role in honouring them last evening.” Marvin and Keith Betz of Betz Pools, alongside their late father Ken, were inducted for their regional and international successes in pool construction and custom backyard design. The company was founded by Ken in 1945 after a client’s request for a custom pool during a home-building project, and they were recognized for their efforts in hiring locally whenever possible. Graydon Card was honoured for his customer-focused approach through nearly six decades as owner of Card’s Appliances, a family business established in 1968. Originally a hardware store, the business transitioned its focus to appliances in 1994 and has become a community fixture. Now 84, Card is a founding member of the Whitchurch-Stouffville Chamber of Commerce and remains active in the business, which is now run by the next generation of the Card family. Jay Reesor, a prominent figure in the Markham and Stouffville communities, was recognized for his contributions to local agriculture and business. Building on his family’s farming legacy dating back to 1804, Reesor founded Reesor’s Farm Market and Reesor’s Market & Bakery. He began his career in 1984 and has recently passed the business to younger members of the Reesor family. Percy and the late Harry and Wesley Schell were welcomed to the Hall of Fame for their contributions to Stouffville through Schell Lumber, originally founded in 1922 as the Stouffville Planing Mill. Now operated by the fourth generation, the business has been instrumental in home construction throughout the community and is well known for supporting local sports teams and events. Sisters Patti Thompson, Debbi Conzelmann, Robin Kelly, and Jackie Fisher, granddaughters of King Cole Ducks Ltd. founder James Murby, were awarded their place for growing the family business into Canada’s largest producer of duck products. Processing approximately 2.5 million ducks annually, the company has earned accolades for its sustainable agricultural practices, environmental efforts, and global reach, as well as their downstream production of compost. Nominations and selections for the Hall of Fame were made by the Greater Stouffville Chamber’s board of directors and staff through community consultation. The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville has also offered a wall in the Municipal Offices building to recognize Hall of Fame members. “I’m excited to announce that we have a permanent home for the Hall of Fame in the new year,” said Christian Buhagiar, the Chamber’s Executive Director. ““Our inaugural inductees, along with all of our future inductees, will be showcased and honoured right outside Council Chambers. So our business community can make sure it keeps an eye on Council, as well,” he joked. The dinner also marked the Chamber’s formal rebranding announcement. Formerly known as the Whitchurch-Stouffville Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Stouffville Chamber now boasts a membership of approximately 400 businesses and organizations. Its updated identity is meant to reflect its growing place within the region’s business community. “This new identity will serve as a beacon for the collaborative spirit we strive to represent,” Buhagiar said. “It captures the spirit and ambition of the Chamber and our community and aligns with our mission to unlock greatness and shine a spotlight on all the potential that lies within the greater Stouffville region.”Scottish international Adams scores long-range stunner in Serie A win for TorinoThe San Francisco 49ers added Brock Purdy to the report on Wednesday for a shoulder issue. The star quarterback has been dealing with soreness in his right (throwing) shoulder since the 49ers 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Purdy was in Wednesday's practice but did not throw a pass. On Thursday, the third-year quarterback threw passes but exited practice early to work on rehabilitating the injury. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. 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Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love played interception-free football for the first time this season during a home rout of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Packers' Thanksgiving night home clash with the Miami Dolphins offers a chance to be equally efficient. Just don't expect Love to scale back his approach in the meeting of playoff contenders. ADVERTISEMENT "I definitely am a guy who always wants those big plays, want to put that pressure on the defense and take some of those shots," Love said. Love threw for a season-low 163 yards on 13-of-23 passing to go with two touchdowns against the 49ers. Still, with Josh Jacobs (26 carries, 106 yards, three touchdowns) wreaking havoc in the running game, Love found opportunities to strike a balance. "Those are the lessons that I had to learn last year and I'll continue to learn: just when the right time (is) to take those shots," he said. "If guys get a step or we're in the right coverage versus just finding those completions. Because these check-downs and just finding those completions turn into big plays, as well, sometimes." Green Bay (8-3) is third in the rugged NFC North but holds a two-game lead in the loss column for the No. 6 seed in the conference playoff race. Winners of three straight, the Dolphins (5-6) are 1 1/2 games behind the Denver Broncos for the seventh seed in the AFC. "I think this is an awesome opportunity," Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. "Being able to play Thursday night football, prime time on Thanksgiving." Tagovailoa continues to surge since returning from injured reserve in Week 8. With four touchdown passes during a 34-15 home win against the New England Patriots on Sunday, he has 11 TDs through the air against just one interception in his five games back. ADVERTISEMENT Tagovailoa dismissed the notion that chilly temperatures in Green Bay on Thursday could be enough to cool him. The Hawaiian-born signal-caller is 0-7 when the temperature is 40 degrees or lower. "To me, it's just a mindset," he said. "That's really all there is." Added Miami defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver: "I've never lost a game and thought, 'Guys, it was too cold outside.'" Miami boasts a versatile set of playmakers for Green Bay to defend. Running back De'Von Achane also is active in the passing game, as he made two touchdown receptions against New England. Among the Dolphins' receivers, wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and tight end Jonnu Smith each have at least 41 receptions and 535 yards. The three have combined for nine TDs. Green Bay is hoping for another jolt from second-year linebacker Lukas Van Ness, whose strip-sack against the 49ers was the big play he said he needed for his confidence. It led to Jacobs' third TD. "I told myself I'm going to get off the ball, use my God-given abilities and just get in the backfield and make a play," Van Ness said. "So I think that's what I've wanted to do all year. I just need to continue that." ADVERTISEMENT The Dolphins said Wednesday that Hill, who has dealt with wrist and personal issues this week, does not have an injury designation and will play against the Packers. Cornerback Kendall Fuller (concussion) and linebackers Tyus Bowser (knee/calf) and Anthony Walker Jr. (hamstring) have been ruled out, and offensive tackle Terron Armstead (knee) is questionable. The Packers ruled out wide receiver Romeo Doubs (concussion), cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) after they did not practice all week. Tight end John FitzPatrick (back), linebacker Isaiah McDuffie (ankle) and offensive lineman Josh Myers (pectoral) were listed as questionable. Miami leads the all-time series 10-6, but Green Bay has won five of the past six matchups. The teams' most recent meeting also came on a holiday, with the visiting Packers prevailing 26-20 on Christmas Day 2022. Green Bay won each of its previous November home games against Miami, in 2002 and 2018. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .Sightings of Deer 'Zipped' into Reflective Yellow Safety Gear Baffle Mountain CommunityWednesday, December 25, 2024 As the world unfolds into the sunny embrace of summer 2025, travelers are gearing up to explore the globe’s most captivating locales. Compiled from the latest data, here are the top 10 destinations that promise unforgettable experiences, each a blend of charm, culture, and unique adventure. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Known for its futuristic skyline and bustling markets, Dubai remains a jewel in the desert. Summer in Dubai is a spectacle of luxury and innovation, where visitors can experience world-class shopping, architectural marvels, and vibrant nightlife. Dubai welcomed 10.62 million overnight visitors from January to July 2024.4 Top attractions to visit Burj Khalifa Located in Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Middle East Soaring into the sky at an impressive height of 2,715 feet (828 meters), the Burj Khalifa stands as the world’s tallest structure. It was inaugurated in January 2010 after six years of intensive construction work that engaged up to 13,000 workers around the clock, achieving the remarkable feat of erecting a floor every three days. This architectural marvel features two observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors and boasts a luxurious restaurant-bar on the 122nd floor. Burj Al Arab Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Middle East Symbolizing Dubai just as the Eiffel Tower symbolizes Paris, the Burj Al Arab is renowned for its elegant design reminiscent of a dhow’s sail. Constructed on an artificial island and completed in 1999, this landmark luxury hotel offers exclusivities such as a helipad and a fleet of Rolls Royce limousines for guest transport. Its grand entrance hall dazzles with gold-leaf adornment and an eye-catching fountain, leading to 202 lavish suites decorated with opulent amenities. Madinat Jumeirah Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Middle East Madinat Jumeirah, mirroring the ambiance of a traditional Arab village, stands as one of Dubai’s most picturesque locations. This modern development features a market (souq), serpentine waterways edged with palm trees, and residences styled with traditional wind towers. The setting becomes truly magical at night when the area is softly illuminated, and the nearby Burj Al Arab shimmers in the distance. Intricate details are scattered throughout the complex, inviting exploration that could uncover secluded terraces offering panoramic views of the expansive setting. Premier Luxury Accommodations in Dubai Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai Situated in the vibrant area of Jumeirah, close to the new Dubai Canal, Nikki Beach Resort & Spa Dubai offers guests exclusive amenities including an outdoor pool and a private beach area. Complimentary WiFi is available throughout the resort for all guests. Golden Sands Boutique Hotel-Dubai Creek Located along the bustling Dubai Creek, Golden Sands Boutique Hotel boasts a 5-star rating and features a rooftop pool and bar. Guests can enjoy breathtaking views of the city skyline, Dubai Creek, and the Arabian Sea from this elevated vantage point. One&Only Royal Mirage Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach Positioned with a view over the Palm Island bay and the expansive Arabian Gulf, the iconic One&Only Royal Mirage Resort offers guests a luxurious stay on a kilometer-long beachfront set within 65 acres of magnificent gardens. Paris, France The timeless allure of Paris beckons with its romantic streets, exquisite cuisine, and artistic heritage. Summer in Paris offers the perfect backdrop for strolling along the Seine, visiting iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, and indulging in culinary delights. Paris and the surrounding Île-de-France region attract around 50 million tourists annually, with 47.5 million visits recorded in 2023. Essential Attractions to Visit Eiffel Tower Paris, France, Europe Experiencing the Eiffel Tower can vary from a daytime visit to an enchanting evening climb surrounded by shimmering lights, or dining in one of its renowned restaurants. Despite drawing around seven million visitors annually, each experience at the tower remains a unique encounter that’s considered a must-do in Paris. Centre Pompidou Paris, France, Europe Since its opening in 1977, the Centre Pompidou has captivated visitors with not only Europe’s most extensive collection of modern and contemporary art but also its striking architectural design. Be sure not to miss the breathtaking views of Paris from its rooftop. Sainte-Chapelle Paris, France, Europe For an optimal visit to Sainte-Chapelle, choose a sunny day when the ancient, exquisite stained glass from the mid-13th century radiates brilliantly. Renowned for its vibrant stained-glass windows, sacred relics, and the occasional concert, this chapel remains a highlight for anyone visiting Paris. Premier Accommodations in Paris Hotel Marceau Champs Elysees Nestled in the vibrant core of Paris, the Hotel Marceau Champs Elysees provides a serene escape, complete with dry cleaning and laundry services. Guests can enjoy room-based WiFi and utilize tour and ticket services for a seamless visit close to the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. The Hoxton Paris Situated in the bustling heart of Paris, The Hoxton Paris features a peaceful garden and a welcoming terrace, enhancing its tranquil ambiance. Guests can benefit from complimentary WiFi in their rooms, relax in one of the two on-site bars, and experience the exceptional service that has made a memorable impact on past visitors. Hotel du Cadran Located centrally in Paris, Hotel du Cadran offers a refined getaway featuring a spa, sauna, and a bar for ultimate relaxation. Its delightful terrace and 24-hour business center cater to both leisure and business needs. Known for its multilingual staff and efficient tour services, this upscale hotel is acclaimed for its superb breakfast and convenient proximity to the Eiffel Tower. London, United Kingdom London’s rich history and dynamic culture make it a perennial favorite. The city thrives in summer, hosting numerous festivals, outdoor concerts, and markets. From the historical Tower of London to the modern London Eye, the city offers endless exploration. London has consistently emerged as the premier destination for international tourists visiting the UK, attracting 20.27 million visitors in 2023 alone. This figure is nearly ten times higher than that of Edinburgh, the UK’s second-most visited city, which welcomed 2.32 million tourists in the same period. Essential Attractions to Visit Westminster Abbey Located in The West End, London, England, Europe Westminster Abbey stands as a majestic showcase of Early English Gothic architecture. More than just a stunning place of worship, this active church plays a continuous role in the tapestry of British history. Unique in its status, it is not a cathedral but a “royal peculiar,” meaning it is directly overseen by the Crown rather than a bishop. Kensington & Hyde Park London, England, Europe Kensington exudes elegance with its meticulously maintained landscapes and refined streets featuring grand period buildings. This prestigious London neighborhood is home to three major museums—the V&A, the Natural History Museum, and the Science Museum. Visitors can also enjoy top-notch dining, shopping, and the serene expanses of nearby parklands. Science Museum Kensington & Hyde Park, London, England, Europe The Science Museum captivates visitors with its dynamic and educational displays that span from the advent of early technologies to the frontier of space exploration. Ideal for families, the museum offers a chance to engage deeply with the marvels of science and technology. Explore the museum’s most celebrated galleries and displays, complete with all the essential information needed for a memorable visit. Premier Luxury Accommodations in London The Chesterfield Mayfair Situated just off Berkeley Square in the prestigious Mayfair area, The Chesterfield Mayfair is a 4-star luxury hotel. It’s a short 800-meter stroll from Oxford Street and features complimentary WiFi, air-conditioned rooms, and a restaurant that has received numerous accolades. The Londoner Set in the heart of the city, The Londoner offers exclusive amenities including a private club for guests, six unique restaurants and bars, a rooftop lounge, and a comprehensive wellness area with a spa, gym, superfood clinic, and beauty salon. The Langham London Positioned at the pinnacle of Regent Street, The Langham London exudes sophistication with its iconic, award-winning bar, Artesian, and the elegant Roux at the Landau restaurant, making it one of the city’s most esteemed luxury hotels. Florianópolis, Brazil This hidden gem in Brazil is a paradise for beach lovers and adventurers alike. Known for its stunning beaches, lush landscapes, and lively cultural scene, Florianópolis is a vibrant island that captivates with its natural beauty and friendly locals. In 2024, Brazil welcomed 4 million international visitors. Best Places to Explore in Florianópolis Tokyo, Japan Tokyo is a thrilling blend of the ancient and the cutting-edge. Summer in Tokyo is a time of colorful festivals and fireworks, offering a deep dive into Japan’s rich traditions amid its bustling, ultra-modern cityscape. During the first 11 months of 2024, Japan reached a historic high in its tourism industry, welcoming over 33 million international visitors from January through November. Must-Visit Sites in Tokyo Imperial Palace Tokyo, Japan, Asia Situated on the grounds of the former Edo Castle, the Imperial Palace stands as a historic site where the Tokugawa shogunate once ruled. Today, the palace is largely private, serving as the residence of the emperor, with much of its 3.4-square-kilometer area restricted to the public. Visitors can explore parts of the inner grounds through free tours provided by the Imperial Household Agency. The palace is encircled by Kōkyo-gaien, a vast 115-hectare national garden that houses open green spaces, moats, and museums, with the charming East Gardens open to the public throughout the year. Ghibli Museum Tokyo, Japan, Asia Dedicated to the iconic Studio Ghibli, this museum celebrates the illustrious film studio known for its heartwarming and critically acclaimed animations such as “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbour Totoro,” and “Princess Mononoke.” The Ghibli Museum is a treasure trove for fans, presenting a deep dive into the creative universe of Ghibli films, far from the typical theme park experience but filled with equal passion and admiration. Golden Gai Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, Asia Golden Gai, a cultural staple of Shinjuku for more than fifty years, is famed for its dense cluster of miniature bars, each seating only a handful of people and reflecting the personality of its owner. These bars, packed into quaint, low-rise wooden buildings, are not just places to drink but represent the personal artistic expressions of their proprietors, making Golden Gai a vibrant and visually intriguing nightlife hub. Premier Tokyo Accommodations Hotel Sunroute Ginza Discover the heart of Tokyo with a stay at Hotel Sunroute Ginza, where you can immerse yourself in the city’s rich history while enjoying contemporary amenities like complimentary WiFi. Its prime location offers easy access to famous cultural sites. HOTEL AMANEK Shinjuku-Kabukicho Nestled in the energetic heart of Shinjuku, HOTEL AMANEK Shinjuku-Kabukicho places you within the pulsating Kabukicho area. Start your day with a fresh cup of coffee and get ready to explore the bustling surroundings. BELLUSTAR TOKYO, A Pan Pacific Hotel Treat yourself at BELLUSTAR TOKYO, where luxury meets comfort in the serene ambiance of a Pan Pacific Hotel. Savor exquisite Japanese dishes or relax in the sophisticated spa set against a backdrop of tranquil, lush scenery. Rome, Italy History comes alive in the eternal city of Rome. Summer visitors can explore ancient ruins like the Colosseum, enjoy gelato in quaint piazzas, and discover art and history in the city’s many museums and galleries. In 2023, Rome welcomed approximately 35 million visitors. Essential Attractions to Visit Vatican Museums Vatican City, Borgo & Prati, Rome, Lazio, Italy, Europe The Vatican Museums are a treasure trove of artistic and historical riches, featuring endless galleries of age-old masterpieces, including the renowned Sistine Chapel. As one of the largest and most visited museum complexes in the world, they offer an unparalleled glimpse into the scope of cultural heritage housed within their walls. St Peter’s Basilica Vatican City, Borgo & Prati, Rome, Lazio, Italy, Europe St Peter’s Basilica stands out even in a city filled with extraordinary churches. The Vatican’s flagship basilica impresses with its massive plaza, striking facade, and opulent interior, making it a pinnacle of religious art and architecture. Roman Forum Ancient Rome, Rome, Lazio, Italy, Europe The Roman Forum is a sprawling network of ancient ruins that once formed the ceremonial heart of the city. Today, while it might be challenging to visualize its former glory, the site offers a profound connection to the past, inviting visitors to walk the paths once trodden by historical figures such as Julius Caesar. Premier Luxury Accommodations in Rome Rhea Silvia Luxury Navona Positioned directly on Piazza Navona and merely 200 meters from Sant’Agostino, Rhea Silvia Luxury Navona offers upscale lodging in the heart of Rome. Guests can enjoy elegantly appointed rooms featuring air conditioning and complimentary WiFi accessible throughout the property. Terrace Pantheon Relais Located just a stone’s throw from the Pantheon, at only 200 meters distance, Terrace Pantheon Relais features a stunning rooftop terrace and chic rooms. The property is conveniently situated, with Piazza Navona just a five-minute walk away. Escape Luxury Suite – CA Domus Collection Nestled in the central locale of Rome, only a three-minute walk from Piazza Barberini, Escape Luxury Suite – CA Domus Collection offers rooms that epitomize luxury, all equipped with air conditioning to ensure a comfortable stay. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Famous for its breathtaking landscapes and carnival culture, Rio de Janeiro is an exhilarating destination. The iconic Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city, while the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema pulse with vibrant energy. Essential Attractions in Rio de Janeiro Parque Nacional da Tijuca Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America Tijuca National Park stands as a vibrant remnant of the Atlantic rainforest that once encircled Rio de Janeiro. This 39-square-kilometer sanctuary bursts with tropical greenery, featuring lush trees, flowing creeks, cascading waterfalls, and rugged mountainous landscapes. The park is equipped with an extensive, well-maintained trail system ideal for everything from leisurely family picnics to challenging hikes up to the 1,012-meter summit of Pico da Tijuca. Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America The view from the summit of Pão de Açúcar confirms Rio de Janeiro’s nickname as the “Marvelous City.” Ascending the mountain at sunset on a clear day is particularly spectacular. Visitors reach the 395-meter-high peak via two cable cars, revealing panoramic views of the city below, including the iconic Corcovado Mountain with Cristo Redentor, and the famous Copacabana Beach to the south. Copacabana Beach Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America The iconic Copacabana Beach stretches four kilometers along Rio’s coastline, buzzing with a dynamic mix of activities. The beach scene includes enthusiastic soccer players, locals and tourists sipping caipirinhas at beachfront kiosks, children from nearby favelas displaying impressive soccer talents, and vendors weaving through the crowds selling their goods to sunbathers. Top Luxury Hotels in Rio de Janeiro Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro Situated directly on the iconic Copacabana Beach, the 5-star Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, exudes elegance with its luxurious rooms featuring marble bathrooms and breathtaking ocean views. This prestigious location makes it a premier choice for those seeking opulence in Rio de Janeiro. Scorial Rio Hotel Scorial Rio Hotel boasts a rooftop terrace that includes two swimming pools and offers stunning panoramic views of Rio. Conveniently located just two blocks from Flamengo Beach and one block from Largo do Machado Subway Station, this hotel combines comfort with accessibility. Hilton Barra Rio de Janeiro In the vibrant Barra da Tijuca district, 7 km from Barra Beach, the Hilton Barra Rio de Janeiro provides a luxurious retreat. Guests can enjoy the rooftop swimming pool with its scenic views over a nearby lake, adding to the allure of this stylish accommodation. Barcelona, Spain Barcelona is a mosaic of architectural wonders and cultural richness. The whimsical creations of Antoni Gaudí dot the cityscape, and the warm Mediterranean beaches call for lazy afternoons under the sun. Barcelona City welcomed over 12.4 million visitors in 2023. Must-See Attractions in Barcelona La Sagrada Família L’Eixample, Barcelona, Spain, Europe La Sagrada Família, officially known as the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, is a masterpiece of architecture and a symbol of Barcelona. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, this awe-inspiring basilica is a must-visit landmark and an iconic representation of the Catalan capital. La Rambla La Rambla & Barri Gòtic, Barcelona, Spain, Europe La Rambla, a lively tree-lined boulevard, is brimming with architectural gems, vibrant flower stalls, and captivating human statues. Food enthusiasts will find delight at Mercat de la Boqueria, a world-renowned gourmet market offering a culinary experience like no other in Europe. Park Güell Barcelona, Spain, Europe Park Güell, one of Gaudí’s most famous works, is loved by both locals and visitors. Its colorful mosaics, the iconic Waving Balcony, and the whimsical Guard’s House provide a stunning backdrop of the Barcelona skyline and the Mediterranean. This park perfectly embodies the city’s creative spirit, cosmopolitan vibe, and Mediterranean charm. Top Hotels and Accommodations in Barcelona Grand Hyatt Barcelona Indulge in luxury at the Grand Hyatt Barcelona, conveniently located near Camp Nou and the Monastery of Pedralbes. Pamper yourself with a sports massage or rejuvenating body treatment at the Oasis SPA by Natura Bissé, savor delectable Fusion cuisine at the Impar restaurant, and relax by the indoor pool. Complimentary WiFi and attentive staff ensure a seamless and memorable stay. Hotel Colón Barcelona Just steps away from Barcelona Cathedral and La Rambla, Hotel Colón Barcelona offers a rooftop terrace, a cozy café, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Enjoy meals at the on-site restaurant, Catedral 1951, and take advantage of amenities like car rentals and a stylish bar. Guests can stay connected with free in-room WiFi while enjoying the central location. Leonardo Royal Hotel Barcelona Fira Located near Fira Barcelona and Palau Sant Jordi, Leonardo Royal Hotel Barcelona Fira provides a vibrant and comfortable retreat. Start your day with a hearty breakfast, unwind in the garden or seasonal pool, and stay connected with public WiFi. The on-site coffee shop and multilingual staff enhance your experience, while proximity to Port de Barcelona adds convenience to your stay. Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok is an enthralling city known for its ornate shrines, spirited street life, and delectable cuisine. From floating markets to majestic palaces, the city offers a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and flavors. Thailand saw a significant uptick in international tourism with around 9.37 million foreign tourists visiting in the first quarter of 2024, Essential Attractions to Visit Wat Pho Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia Wat Pho tops the list of must-visit sites in Bangkok, boasting several records: it houses the city’s largest reclining Buddha, the most extensive collection of Buddha statues in Thailand, and was the first public educational institution in the country. Grand Palace Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia Established in 1782, the Grand Palace, known officially as Phra Borom Maharatchawang, served as the royal residence and is now used for ceremonial purposes. It remains Bangkok’s most visited site and a spiritual center for devout Buddhists. Wat Arun Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, dramatically ascends from the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Named after Arun, the Indian god of dawn, this iconic temple signifies a rebirth. Legend has it that King Taksin discovered a small shrine here which he took as a divine signal to establish the new capital of Siam on this site after Ayutthaya was destroyed. Luxury 5-Star Hotels in Bangkok Grand Mercure Bangkok Atrium Renowned for its vibrant nightlife, the Grand Mercure Bangkok Atrium features an outdoor pool, a fully equipped gym, and an acclaimed Japanese restaurant, offering a blend of relaxation and fine dining. Amari Bangkok A modern and stylish hotel, Amari Bangkok is perfect for hosting banquets and weddings. Located in the bustling Pratunam district, it provides convenient access to Bangkok’s top shopping centers, dining spots, lifestyle hubs, and cultural attractions. Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok Located on Sukhumvit Road, Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok is a luxurious high-rise hotel just a 10-minute walk from Phrom Phong BTS Station. Guests can enjoy panoramic city views from the rooftop bar, making it an ideal spot for both leisure and business travelers. New York City, United States The city that never sleeps is full of summer excitement with Broadway shows, sprawling parks, and cultural festivals. New York’s diverse neighborhoods offer a global culinary tour, and the city’s skyline provides unforgettable views. A recent report from New York City Tourism + Conventions reveals that NYC remains the most-visited major city in the United States, attracting approximately 64.3 million visitors this year. This marks a significant recovery, reaching 97% of the record-breaking 67 million visitors recorded in 2019. Must-Visit Attractions in New York City Central Park Upper West Side & Central Park, New York City, New York, USA Central Park, one of the world’s most iconic urban green spaces, spans 843 acres of lush meadows, rocky outcroppings, elm-lined paths, and meticulously landscaped gardens. Highlights include the serene lake and reservoir, an outdoor theater, the John Lennon memorial at Strawberry Fields, the charming waterside Loeb Boathouse, and the whimsical Alice in Wonderland statue. American Museum of Natural History Upper West Side & Central Park, New York City, New York, USA Established in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History is a treasure trove of over 34 million artifacts, specimens, and exhibits. Visitors can marvel at towering dinosaur skeletons, lifelike dioramas of wildlife, and sparkling gems in the mineral collection. Among its iconic displays are the massive blue whale model and the awe-inspiring T. rex skeleton, making it a must-see for nature and science enthusiasts. The Frick Collection New York City, New York, USA Housed in a grand mansion built by industrialist Henry Clay Frick on the historic “Millionaires’ Row,” the Frick Collection showcases a world-class array of art. The museum features exquisite works by masters like Titian, Vermeer, El Greco, Rembrandt, and Van Dyck, along with sculptures, ceramics, antique furniture, and clocks. Music lovers can enjoy piano and violin performances on select Sunday evenings, adding another layer of cultural richness to the experience. Luxury Accommodations in New York City HI New York City Hostel Located in the heart of the Upper West Side, HI New York City Hostel combines hotel-like amenities with a welcoming, dormitory-style atmosphere. Perfect for two travelers, it offers a convenient base to explore Broadway and the surrounding area with easy access to nearby subway stations. Guests can enjoy an on-site café, clean and quiet rooms, and a safe, central location. West Side YMCA Hostel Experience the charm of the Upper West Side at the West Side YMCA Hostel, a budget-friendly option with luxurious touches. Ideal for travelers seeking comfort and value, this property features an indoor pool, a relaxing steam room, and an exclusive bar, ensuring a pleasant and rejuvenating stay. Americana Inn Strategically located in Times Square, Americana Inn offers a convenient starting point for exploring New York City’s top attractions. With complimentary Wi-Fi in all rooms, guests enjoy seamless connectivity while staying in close proximity to the city’s vibrant sights and sounds. As these destinations gear up for their peak season, each offers its own unique flavor and adventures, making summer 2025 an ideal time for travelers to discover new places or revisit old favorites. Whether it’s the beaches of Brazil or the historic streets of Europe, each location promises a journey filled with enriching experiences and lasting memories.None

Arizona AG sues Saudi firm over 'excessive' groundwater pumping, saying it's a public nuisanceIf architecture is frozen music, as Goethe said, the five-and-a-half-years-long, $900 million restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral — almost destroyed in a 2019 fire and reopened last weekend with an elaborate ceremony for an audience of global dignitaries on site and the whole world watching — is one of the most monumental symphonic works of our time. Some 2,000 workers from 250 companies, major construction and renovation firms to small artisanal workshops, meticulously coordinated their efforts, combining modern technology and centuries-old manual skills, to re-create and renovate with passion and precision one of the most iconic manmade structures on Earth. As the 19th century English writer John Ruskin wrote in “The Stones of Venice,” a critique of what was being lost in the Industrial Revolution with its mechanical efficiencies and standardized production practices, the medieval craftsmen who constructed the Gothic cathedrals of Europe, who shaped the blocks of stone and carved the gargoyles by hand, were practitioners of exacting yet uniquely irregular human arts that machines and assembly lines could never replicate. One of the most miraculous achievements of Notre Dame’s renovators is their deployment of skills scarcely in use anymore, on an epic scale, to retain the original materials and physical character of an 800-year-old building. At a moment when the world is exploding with horrible wars, political chaos, climate mayhem, widespread misery and existential despair, the Notre Dame project is a gift of hope and evidence of human potential for cooperation and constructive redemption. More than space rocketry, digital wizardry and artificial intelligence for all their magic, the ancient techniques and skills of individuals, teams of construction workers, stonemasons, wood butchers, carpenters, architects and engineers who put Notre Dame back together, deep-cleaned its limestone, and dismantled, cleaned and reassembled its massive 8,000-pipe organ are magic of a more profoundly fundamental order. It’s almost enough to make one forget the monstrous crimes of the Catholic Church, the sexual abuses perpetrated by its clergy, the cruelty of its repressive institutions and the barbarism of its violence in the name of spiritual salvation. That such an institution, like other ancient religions and civilizations whose achievements are tainted by slavery and human sacrifice, could erect such awe-inspiring structures to worship its deities proves the complexity of the human being and helps to explain the kinds of oppressive excess the New England Puritans were rebelling against, and why Islam and Judaism, riddled with their own oppressions, forbid idolatry. If all religions are one, as William Blake contended, and all mythologies partake of the same archetypes, as Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell taught, we are all implicated as members of our species in its atrocities as well as its accomplishments. I like to think of Notre Dame newly reborn out of its own charred ruins as a hopeful metaphor for the coming years of U.S. political and cultural history when the burn-it-down fury of a so-called populist insurgency to raze American institutions (for the benefit of corporate plutocrats raking riches out of the rubble) could be the prelude to a miraculous rebirth. Perhaps the devastation, suffering and chaos promised by the MAGA regime will in the end give way to an age of cooperative reconstruction. As hard as it may be to conceive in this dreadful moment when a gang of thugs is coming to power with the potential to bring the whole edifice of democracy crashing down around us, maybe, as the French have proved, diverse people of collective goodwill can eventually come together to reconstruct and renovate the American experiment, mobilizing a mixture of Enlightenment ideals, ancient wisdom and modern technologies to craft a more perfect union. That may sound like a utopian hallucination in light of the historical record, but it’s something I’m trying to imagine.

Here we go: The Verge now has a subscriptionAdani scandal raises concern on market, disclosure lapses

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux’s Pittsburgh franchise career record for assists on Michael Bunting’s power-play goal and the Penguins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 on Sunday night. Crosby has 1,034 assists, good for 12th in NHL history. Only three players — Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman — have more assists with a single team. The 37-year-old Crosby has played 1,310-regular-season games. Lemieux played 915. Philip Tomasino added the deciding power-play goal in the third for Pittsburgh, which has 14 goals with the man advantage in its last 13 games. Anthony Beauvillier also scored to help the Penguins win for the seventh time in their last eight home games. Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves in his first start since Dec. 17. Kris Letang missed the game because of a lower-body injury, and defenseman Nathan Clurman made his NHL debut. Anders Lee scored two third-period goals for the Islanders, who fell behind 3-0 before their rally fell short. Marcus Hogberg stopped 38 shots during his first start since April 28, 2021. Takeaways Islanders: Have lost five of their last eight games after splitting the back-to-back, home-and-home series with Pittsburgh. Penguins: Rebounded from a 6-3 road loss against the Islanders 24 hours ago. Pittsburgh has won 10 of 15 after losing eight of its previous 10 games. Key moment Crosby was behind the net when he sent a backhand feed to Bunting, who buried his seventh power-play goal behind Hogberg at 1:36 of the second period, giving the Penguins a 2-0 lead. Up next Both teams play again Tuesday. Pittsburgh visits Detroit, while the Islanders begin a home-and-home series at Toronto. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

One of my top shows of 2024 actually premiered in 2021. That’s because it took a couple of years for the Australian series “The Newsreader” to make its way Stateside. Alas, it was only legal to stream in the U.S. for a handful of weeks in September and then — pffft! — it was gone before most people had even heard of it. Well, I have great news. The show will be available once again, this time via Sundance Now (accessible through the AMC+ streaming platform), which has licensed the first season. Premiering Dec. 19, it stars Anna Torv (“Fringe”) and Sam Reid (“Interview with the Vampire”) as TV reporters in Melbourne, circa 1986. At the outset, Reid’s character exudes big loser energy, which is such an amusing contrast to his work as Lestat. The show is unexpectedly funny and terrifically Machiavellian in its portrayal of small-time office politics, and I’m thrilled audiences in the U.S. will get another shot at watching it. Overall, 2024 offered a modestly better lineup than usual, but I’m not sure it felt that way. Too often the good stuff got drowned out by Hollywood’s pointless and endless pursuit of rebooting intellectual property (no thank you, Apple’s “Presumed Innocent” ) and tendency to stretch a perfectly fine two-hour movie premise into a saggy multi-part series (“Presumed Innocent” again!). There were plenty of shows I liked that didn’t make this year’s list, including ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’ “Ghosts” (it’s heartening to see the network sitcom format still thriving in the streaming era), as well as Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside” (Ted Danson’s charisma selling an unlikely premise) and Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown” (a high-concept parody of racial stereotypes and cop show tropes, even if it couldn’t sustain the idea over 10 episodes). Maybe it just felt like we were having more fun this year, with Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” (Nicole Kidman leading a traditional manor house mystery reinterpreted with an American sensibility) and Hulu’s “Rivals” (the horniest show of 2024, delivered with a wink in the English countryside). I liked what I saw of Showtime’s espionage thriller “The Agency” (although the bulk of episodes were unavailable as of this writing). The deluge of remakes tends to make me cringe, but this year also saw a redo of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” on Netflix that was far classier than most of what’s available on the streamer. Starring Andrew Scott, I found it cool to the touch, but the imagery stayed with me. Shot in black and white, it has an indelible visual language courtesy of director of photography Robert Elswit, whether capturing a crisp white business card against the worn grain wood of a bar top, or winding stairways that alternately suggest a yawning void or a trap. As always, if you missed any of these shows when they originally premiered — the aforementioned titles or the Top 10 listed below — they are all available to stream. Top 10 streaming and TV shows of 2024, in alphabetical order: The least cynical reality show on television remains as absorbing as ever in Season 4, thanks to the probing questions and insights from the show’s resident therapist, Dr. Orna Guralnik. Everything is so charged. And yet the show has a soothing effect, predicated on the idea that human behavior (and misery) isn’t mysterious or unchangeable. There’s something so optimistic in that outlook. Whether or not you relate to the people featured on “Couples Therapy” — or even like them as individuals — doesn’t matter as much as Guralnik’s reassuring presence. Created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick, the eight-episode series defies categorization in all the right ways. Part missing-person mystery, part comedy about a school teacher coming to grips with her impending divorce, and part drama about long-buried secrets, it has tremendous style right from the start — sardonic, knowing and self-deprecating. The answers to the central mystery may not pack a satisfying punch by the end, but the road there is as entertaining and absorbing as they come. We need more shows like this. A comedy created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez (of the antic YouTube series “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo”), the show has a sensibility all its own, despite a handful of misinformed people on social media calling it a ripoff of “Abbott Elementary.” There’s room enough in the TV landscape for more than one sitcom with a school setting and “English Teacher” has a wonderfully gimlet-eyed point of view of modern high school life. I’m amused that so much of its musical score is Gen-X coded, because that neither applies to Alvarez (a millennial) nor the fictional students he teaches. So why does the show feature everything from Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” to Exposé’s “Point of No Return”? The ’80s were awash in teen stories and maybe the show is using music from that era to invoke all those tropes in order to better subvert them. It’s a compelling idea! It’s streaming on Hulu and worth checking out if you haven’t already. A one-time tennis phenom accuses her former coach of coercing her into a sexual relationship in this British thriller. The intimacy between a coach and athlete often goes unexplored, in real-life or fictional contexts and that’s what the show interrogates: When does it go over the line? It’s smart, endlessly watchable and the kind of series that would likely find a larger audience were it available on a more popular streamer. There’s real tenderness in this show. Real cruelty, too. It’s a potent combination and the show’s third and strongest season won it an Emmy for best comedy. Jean Smart’s aging comic still looking for industry validation and Hannah Einbinder’s needy Gen-Z writer are trapped in an endless cycle of building trust that inevitably gives way to betrayal. Hollywood in a nutshell! “Hacks” is doing variations on this theme every season, but doing it in interesting ways. Nobody self-sabotages their way to success like these two. I was skeptical about the show when it premiered in 2022 . Vampire stories don’t interest me. And the 1994 movie adaptation starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt wasn’t a persuasive argument to the contrary. But great television is great television and nothing at the moment is better than this show. It was ignored by Emmy voters in its initial outing but let’s hope Season 2 gets the recognition it deserves. Under showrunner Rolin Jones, the adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels is richly written, thrillingly inhabited by its cast and so effortlessly funny with a framing device — the interview of the title — that is thick with intrigue and sly comedy. I wouldn’t categorize the series as horror. It’s not scary. But it is tonally self-assured and richly made, rarely focused on the hunt for dinner but on something far more interesting: The melodrama of vampire existence, with its combination of boredom and lust and tragedy and zingers. Already renewed for Season 3, it has an incredible cast (a thrilling late-career boost for Eric Bogosian) and is well worth catching up with if you haven’t already. It’s been too long since the pleasures of banter fueled a romantic comedy in the spirit of “When Harry Met Sally.” But it’s all over the place in “Nobody Wants This,” one of the best shows on Netflix in recent memory. Renewed for a second season, it stars Kristen Bell as a humorously caustic podcaster and Adam Brody as the cute and emotionally intelligent rabbi she falls for. On the downside, the show has some terrible notions about Jewish women that play into controlling and emasculating stereotypes. You hate to see it in such an otherwise sparkling comedy, because overall Bell and Brody have an easy touch that gives the comedy real buoyancy. I suspect few people saw this three-part series on PBS Masterpiece, but it features a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter playing the real-life, longtime British soap star Noele “Nolly” Gordon, who was unceremoniously sacked in 1981. She’s the kind of larger-than-life showbiz figure who is a bit ridiculous, a bit imperious, but also so much fun. The final stretch of her career is brought to life by Carter and this homage — to both the soap she starred in and the way she carried it on her back — is from Russell T. Davies (best known for the “Doctor Who” revival). For U.S. viewers unfamiliar with the show or Gordon, Carter’s performance has the benefit of not competing with a memory as it reanimates a slice of British pop culture history from the analog era. The year is 1600 and a stubborn British seaman piloting a Dutch ship washes ashore in Japan. That’s our entry point to this gorgeously shot story of power games and political maneuvering among feudal enemies. Adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel by the married team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, it is filled with Emmy-winning performances (for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada; the series itself also won best drama) and unlike something like HBO’s far clunkier “House of the Dragon,” which tackles similar themes, this feels like the rare show created by, and for, adults. The misfits and losers of Britain’s MI5 counterintelligence agency — collectively known as the slow horses, a sneering nickname that speaks to their perceived uselessness — remain as restless as ever in this adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels. As a series, “Slow Horses” doesn’t offer tightly plotted clockwork spy stories; think too deeply about any of the details and the whole thing threatens to fall apart. But on a scene-by-scene basis, the writing is a winning combination of wry and tension-filled, and the cumulative effect is wonderfully entertaining. Spies have to deal with petty office politics like everyone else! It’s also one of the few shows that has avoided the dreaded one- or two-year delay between seasons, which has become standard on streaming. Instead, it provides the kind of reliability — of its characters but also its storytelling intent — that has become increasingly rare. Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — In a season that began with many questions and lowered expectations, it was apt watching Bills quarterback Josh Allen join coach Sean McDermott lay on the cold, wet sideline to make snow angels in celebrating Buffalo’s earliest clinching of a division title in team history. That Allen took part was no surprise. has maintained the happy-go-lucky approach he brought with him to Buffalo as a raw-talented athlete in 2018, while gradually blossoming into one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. For McDermott, it was a pleasant surprise to see the usually reserved eight-year coach finally let his hair down — figuratively, because the few jokes he does make are usually about being bald. With his latest do-it-all three-TD outing — one rushing, one receiving and, the coup de grace, being credited with receiving his own pass for a score off a lateral from Amari Cooper — , Allen continued making his strongest NFL MVP case. What’s also becoming apparent is how much McDermott deserves consideration for coach of the year honors. Without the two, the Bills (10-2) wouldn’t be in this position in becoming just the eighth NFL team — and first since Indianapolis in 2009 — to clinch a division title with at least five games remaining in their schedule. It’s reflective of how the two have grown together in what, on the outside, could be perceived as an odd couple relationship between an offensive-minded, swashbuckling quarterback and a defensive-minded coach, too often knocked for being too conservative. Perhaps, it’s Allen’s boyish nature that has brought out the risk-taker in McDermott, who has carried over the aggressive approach he takes to defense by placing trust in his quarterback. It’s become apparent in everything the Bills have accomplished so far in having at least 10 wins through 12 games for just the fifth time in team history, and first since 1991, when Buffalo was led by eventual Hall of Famers in coach Marv Levy and quarterback Jim Kelly. Buffalo has won seven straight since consecutive losses to Baltimore and Houston. And the Bills have scored 30 or more points in six straight outings, matching the team record set in 2004. that was supposed to be hampered following the offseason departures of receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis and center Mitch Morse. The Bills are more balanced in leaning on their running attack, while Allen has also curtailed his turnover-prone ways. He’s lost two fumbles and thrown just five interceptions after being picked off a career-worst 18 times last season. Meantime, McDermott has taken a different approach to fourth down situations. The Bills have converted 13 of 15 fourth down attempts after going 9 of 16 last season and 7 of 13 in 2022. The most fourth down attempts during McDermott’s tenure came in 2021, when Buffalo converted just 11 of 22. This is but an example of the bond the quarterback and coach have built in a shared objective of overcoming past playoff failures. Clinching a division title is but one step, with the Bills now focused on catching the Kansas City Chiefs (11-1), , for the AFC’s top seed. In calling it the team’s next goal, McDermott went off script from his usual game-at-a-time message by noting the importance of celebrating a division-clinching win, if only for one day. “Being 50 years old and 20-plus years in this league, I’ve learned to try and enjoy the moments,” McDermott said. “And this is a moment, right?” It certainly was. What’s working Turnover differential. Buffalo’s defense forced three fumbles, including one at its goal line, while the offense didn’t commit a giveaway. The Bills upped their league-leading turnover differential entering Monday to plus-17. What needs help Run defense. Though the conditions were snowy and slick, the Bills allowed 119 yards rushing in the first half before the 49ers were forced to start passing the ball once the score became lopsided. Buffalo particularly struggled in stopping Christian McCaffrey, who had 53 yards on seven carries . Stock up was in on five tackles while playing 37 of 48 defensive snaps in his first outing in nearly 14 months after being sidelined by a broken right leg and torn left biceps. Stock down CB Kaiir Elam, the 2022 first-round pick was a healthy inactive for a second straight outing, and still having difficulty finding a regular role. Injuries None reported. Key number 9-0 — The Bills’ home record going back to last season, marking their second-longest run in team history. Next steps Hit the road for two outings, starting with a trip to face the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. ___ AP NFL:David Hilzenrath, Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group | (TNS) KFF Health News In March, newly installed Social Security chief Martin O’Malley criticized agency “injustices” that “shock our shared sense of equity and good conscience as Americans.” He promised to overhaul the Social Security Administration’s often heavy-handed efforts to claw back money that millions of recipients — including people who are living in poverty, are elderly, or have disabilities — were allegedly overpaid, as described by a KFF Health News and Cox Media Group investigation last year. “Innocent people can be badly hurt,” O’Malley said at the time. Nearly eight months since he appeared before Congress and announced a series of policy changes, and with two months left in his term, O’Malley’s effort to fix the system has made inroads but remains a work in progress. For instance, one change, moving away from withholding 100% of people’s monthly Social Security benefits to recover alleged overpayments, has been a major improvement, say advocates for beneficiaries. “It is a tremendous change,” said Kate Lang of Justice in Aging, who called it “life-changing for many people.” The number of people from whom the Social Security Administration was withholding full monthly benefits to recoup money declined sharply — from about 46,000 in January to about 7,000 in September, the agency said. Asked to clarify whether those numbers and others provided for this article covered all programs administered by the agency, the SSA press office did not respond. Another potentially significant change — relieving beneficiaries of having to prove that an overpayment was not their fault — has not been implemented. The agency said it is working on that. Meanwhile, the agency seems to be looking to Congress to take the lead on a change some observers see as crucial: limiting how far back the government can reach to recover an alleged overpayment. Barbara Hubbell of Watkins Glen, New York, called the absence of a statute of limitations “despicable.” Hubbell said her mother was held liable for $43,000 because of an SSA error going back 19 years. “In what universe is that even legal?” Hubbell said. Paying down the overpayment balance left her mother “essentially penniless,” she added. In response to questions for this article, Social Security spokesperson Mark Hinkle said legislation is “the best and fastest way” to set a time limit. Establishing a statute of limitations was not among the policy changes O’Malley announced in his March congressional testimony. In an interview at the time, he said he expected an announcement on it “within the next couple few months.” It could probably be done by regulation, without an act of Congress, he said. Speaking generally, Hinkle said the agency has “made substantial progress on overpayments,” reducing the hardship they cause, and “continues to work diligently” to update policies. The agency is underfunded, he added, is at a near 50-year low in staffing, and could do better with more employees. The SSA did not respond to requests for an interview with O’Malley. O’Malley announced the policy changes after KFF Health News and Cox Media Group jointly published and broadcast investigative reporting on the damage overpayments and clawbacks have done to millions of beneficiaries. When O’Malley, a former Democratic governor of Maryland, presented his plans to three congressional committees in March, lawmakers greeted him with rare bipartisan praise. But the past several months have shown how hard it can be to turn around a federal bureaucracy that is massive, complex, deeply dysfunctional, and, as it says, understaffed. Now O’Malley’s time may be running out. Lang of Justice in Aging, among the advocacy groups that have been meeting with O’Malley and other Social Security officials, said she appreciates how much the commissioner has achieved in a short time. But she added that O’Malley has “not been interested in hearing about our feelings that things have fallen short.” One long-standing policy O’Malley set out to change involves the burden of proof. When the Social Security Administration alleges someone has been overpaid and demands the money back, the burden is on the beneficiary to prove they were not at fault. Cecilia Malone, 24, a beneficiary in Lithonia, Georgia, said she and her parents spent hundreds of hours trying to get errors corrected. “Why is the burden on us to ‘prove’ we weren’t overpaid?” Malone said. It can be exceedingly difficult for beneficiaries to appeal a decision. The alleged overpayments, which can reach tens of thousands of dollars or more, often span years. And people struggling just to survive may have extra difficulty producing financial records from long ago. What’s more, in letters demanding repayment, the government does not typically spell out its case against the beneficiary — making it hard to mount a defense. Testifying before House and Senate committees in March, O’Malley promised to shift the burden of proof. “That should be on the agency,” he said. The agency expects to finalize “guidance” on the subject “in the coming months,” Hinkle said. The agency points to reduced wait times and other improvements in a phone system known to leave beneficiaries on hold. “In September, we answered calls to our national 800 number in an average of 11 minutes — a tremendous improvement from 42 minutes one year ago,” Hinkle said. Still, in response to a nonrepresentative survey by KFF Health News and Cox Media Group focused on overpayments, about half of respondents who said they contacted the agency by phone since April rated that experience as “poor,” and few rated it “good” or “excellent.” The survey was sent to about 600 people who had contacted KFF Health News to share their overpayment stories since September 2023. Almost 200 people answered the survey in September and October of this year. Most of those who said they contacted the agency by mail since April rated their experience as “poor.” Jennifer Campbell, 60, a beneficiary in Nelsonville, Ohio, said in late October that she was still waiting for someone at the agency to follow up as described during a phone call in May. “VERY POOR customer service!!!!!” Campbell wrote. “Nearly impossible to get a hold of someone,” wrote Kathryn Duff of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who has been helping a disabled family member. Letters from SSA have left Duff mystified. One was postmarked July 9, 2024, but dated more than two years earlier. Another, dated Aug. 18, 2024, said her family member was overpaid $31,635.80 in benefits from the Supplemental Security Income program, which provides money to people with little or no income or other resources who are disabled, blind, or at least 65. But Duff said her relative never received SSI benefits. What’s more, for the dates in question, payments listed in the letter to back up the agency’s math didn’t come close to $31,635.80; they totaled about a quarter of that amount. Regarding the 100% clawbacks, O’Malley in March said it’s “unconscionable that someone would find themselves facing homelessness or unable to pay bills, because Social Security withheld their entire payment for recovery of an overpayment.” He said that, starting March 25, if a beneficiary doesn’t respond to a new overpayment notice, the agency would default to withholding 10%. The agency warned of “a short transition period.” That change wasn’t automated until June 25, Hinkle said. The number of people newly placed in full withholding plummeted from 6,771 in February to 51 in September, according to data the agency provided. SSA said it would notify recipients they could request reduced withholding if it was already clawing back more than 10% of their monthly checks. Nonetheless, dozens of beneficiaries or their family members told KFF Health News and Cox Media Group they hadn’t heard they could request reduced withholding. Among those who did ask, roughly half said their requests were approved. According to the SSA, there has been almost a 20% decline in the number of people facing clawbacks of more than 10% but less than 100% of their monthly checks — from 141,316 as of March 8 to 114,950 as of Oct. 25, agency spokesperson Nicole Tiggemann said. Meanwhile, the number of people from whom the agency was withholding exactly 10% soared more than fortyfold — from just over 5,000 to well over 200,000. And the number of beneficiaries having any partial benefits withheld to recover an overpayment increased from almost 600,000 to almost 785,000, according to data Tiggemann provided. Lorraine Anne Davis, 72, of Houston, said she hasn’t received her monthly Social Security payment since June due to an alleged overpayment. Her Medicare premium was being deducted from her monthly benefit, so she’s been left to pay that out-of-pocket. Davis said she’s going to need a kidney transplant and had been trying to save money for when she’d be unable to work. Related Articles National News | California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child National News | Colorado funeral home owners accused of letting 190 bodies decay plead guilty to corpse abuse National News | Another E. coli recall: falafel bites from Florida, California and 16 other states National News | US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? National News | Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power A letter from the SSA dated April 8, 2024, two weeks after the new 10% withholding policy was slated to take effect, said it had overpaid her $13,538 and demanded she pay it back within 30 days. Apparently, the SSA hadn’t accounted for a pension Davis receives from overseas; Davis said she disclosed it when she filed for benefits. In a letter to her dated June 29, the agency said that, under its new policy, it would change the withholding to only 10% if she asked. Davis said she asked by phone repeatedly, and to no avail. “Nobody seems to know what’s going on” and “no one seems to be able to help you,” Davis said. “You’re just held captive.” In October, the agency said she’d receive a payment — in March 2025. Marley Presiado, a research assistant on the Public Opinion and Survey Research team at KFF, contributed to this report. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.jiliko otso 。

Pak-China friendship touching new heights, says Maryam Nawaz on arrival at BeijingThe City of Corner Brook has tabled its budget for 2025. (CBC) Spending is up in the City of Corner Brook, but residents won't see increases in property or business taxes as part of the 2025 budget. The balanced budget totals $41.9 million, up 6.9 per cent from 2023. However, the city says most of that increase is due to operational costs of the new $27-million recreation facility. Spending increased by 2.37 per cent when taking out costs related to the centre, according to the city. The city made no change to its residential tax rate of eight mills, but says the cost of doing business has risen with the rising cost of goods. Corner Brook budget lowers residential mill rate but raises fees, blaming increased costs Corner Brook nearly doubles transit capacity as city revamps bus system The only rate adjustments are in water and wastewater unit charges, up $20 for residents and $30 for commercial users. The increase is meant to help offset the rising cost of water treatment chemicals, but the city says the increase won't cover all of the costs. Council also approved $5.9 million in spending for wellness and recreation, which the city says is a record. It aims to provide more social opportunities for seniors and inclusive play spaces for children, according to a news release. Tourism funding is also up. The city is providing more funding for the Jigs and Wheels Festival, which brings thousands to Corner Brook each year. The money is intended to secure a more high-profile headlining music artist to attract both locals and out-of-province tourists. The city is also upping its transportation budget, spending an additional $120,000 to accommodate two larger buses for Corner Brook Transit. Mayor Jim Parsons told CBC News in November the buses will effectively double transit capacity. It also plans to continue investments in snow clearing and storm water management, along with continued work on roadways in the city. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here . Click here to visit our landing page .MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Joseph Pinion had 22 points and eight rebounds, Dyondre Dominguez added 19 points and Arkansas State built a double-digit first-half lead to beat No. 16 Memphis 85-72 on Sunday. Pinion was 7 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 11 from outside the arc, giving the Red Wolves their second straight win and their first over a ranked team since 1991. Taryn Todd finished with 17 points for Arkansas State (7-3). PJ Haggerty led Memphis (7-2) with 29 points, and Dain Dainja finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Arkansas State held a double-digit lead for most of the game and led 68-57 with 8 minutes left. That was enough for the Red Wolves to defeat the Tigers, snapping a seven-game losing streak to Memphis. Arkansas State: The Red Wolves certainly got the nationally ranked Tigers' attention in the first half after they shot 7 of 18 from 3-point range and built an 18-point lead. The lead got to single digits a couple of times in the second half, but Arkansas State answered the pressure. Memphis: The Tigers suffered through a miserable first half, shooting under 20% late in the half. They turned up their defensive pressure, which cut into the lead, but Memphis never made a serious threat. Memphis got within 60-53 with 11 minutes left, but Arkansas State went on a 12-6 run that included 3-pointers from Pinion, Todd and Kobe Julien to stretch the Red Wolves' lead to 75-60 with 6:29 left in the game. Arkansas State's last win over a ranked team was when it defeated then-No. 21 New Orleans 76-65 in 1991. Arkansas State hosts UT-Arlington on Thursday, and Memphis travels to Clemson on Saturday. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

EMMITSBURG, Md. (AP) — Jedy Cordilia's 21 points helped Mount St. Mary's defeat Fairfield 101-94 on Sunday. Cordilia also had seven rebounds for the Mountaineers (6-3, 1-1 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference). Dola Adebayo scored 15 points while shooting 5 of 7 from the field and 4 for 4 from the free-throw line and added nine rebounds, five assists, and four blocks. Dallas Hobbs shot 4 of 9 from the field, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the foul line to finish with 14 points. Prophet Johnson led the Stags (5-5, 1-1) in scoring, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Braden Sparks added 16 points and four assists for Fairfield. Jamie Bergens had 15 points and four assists. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Health In Tech, Inc. Announces Pricing of Initial Public OfferingIQVIA Holdings Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors

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General Mills Inc. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitorsSyrians poured into streets in celebration on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule . Russian state news agencies were reporting that President Bashar Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow and were given asylum. Russia said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and that he had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag. Others ransacked the presidential palace and residence. Abu Mohammed al-Golani , a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago leads the biggest rebel faction in Syria and is poised to chart the country’s future. He made his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, at the capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque, and called himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. He said Assad’s fall was “a victory to the Islamic nation.” The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel has issued warnings to villages in southern Syria and its forces seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Here's the Latest: The Israeli military said on Sunday it was reinforcing a barrier along its border with Syria as part of its “enhanced preparedness” in the area following the fall of the Assad regime. Israel released images of the construction, which showed bulldozers digging what appeared to be a trench. The army said in a statement that the barrier was named “New East.” Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began building what could be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria . The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work. Over the weekend, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border with Syria. Russian state news agencies reported that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in Moscow with his family and been given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but had contacted the Kremlin for comment. CAIRO — The Arab League on Sunday condemned Israel for taking advantage of Syrian President Bashar Assad's downfall by moving into more Syrian territory. Hours after Assad’s overthrow, Israel announced it had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that was established by a cease-fire agreement with Syria in 1974. In a statement, the Arab League said Israel illegally sought to occupy more territories. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement regarding Syrian territory had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating Israel taking over as a “temporary defensive position.” UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations secretary-general is marking the “fall of the dictatorial regime” in Syria and says the future of the country is “is a matter for the Syrians to determine.” A statement by Antonio Guterres also called for calm and the protection of the rights of all Syrians as well as of diplomatic and consular facilities in Syria. He said there is much work ahead to ensure an “orderly political transition to renewed institutions,” and he called on the international community to ensure that “any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity.” KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine’s top diplomat on Sunday responded to Assad’s ouster by describing him as a “dictator” who relied on Russia to prop up his rule - a reference to the military campaign Moscow has waged in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. "Assad has fallen. This has always been and will be the case with all dictators who bet on Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him,” foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. In a separate update on the social network, Sybiha said Kyiv was ready to take steps towards restoring relations with Syria, severed months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of the neighboring state. Kyiv broke off diplomatic ties after Damascus in June 2022 recognized Kremlin-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine as independent territories, in a move welcomed by Moscow and decried by the West as a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has issued a warning to residents of five villages and towns in southern Syria to stay inside their homes for their safety. “The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman said on X. The military didn’t respond to questions. Earlier, Israel said its troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that the IDF has been instructed to “seize the buffer zone and control points to ensure the protection of all Israeli communities in the Golan Heights – Jewish and Druze – so that they are not exposed to threats from the other side.” Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied. BEIRUT - The leader of the largest insurgent group in Syria visited the Syrian capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque and declared that the victory against President Bashar Assad “is a victory to the Islamic nation.” Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, made his first public appearance and remarks since fighters entered Damascus. He told hundreds of people at the historic mosque that Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” He added that Assad made Syria a base for the illegal amphetamine Captagon that brought cash to Assad’s circles. Al-Sharaa, the leader of the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, said Sunday that the victory was achieved because of “God and the blood of martyrs.” He said that he left Syria 20 years ago and since then his heart has longed for this movement. AMMAN, Jordan — The vast majority of the Jordanian people are welcoming the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the success of the Syrian revolution. “There is no doubt that I felt overwhelming joy at the fall of the Assad regime," said Badi Al-Rafaia, Engineer, union activist and member of the Islamic Action Front. "There is no doubt that we are happy with what happened in Syria, happy with the success of the revolution, happy with the Syrian people getting rid of an oppressor and criminal who treated the Syrian people and made the Syrian state a failed state.” Al-Rafaia said that Jordan is benefiting from what happened in Syria, and "we hope that Jordan will help the revolution succeed and not work against it.” Amman resident Muhab al-Majali said the fall of the Assad regime is “The end of every unjust and tyrannical rule, and more than that, it mortgaged the country and its people to the Iranians, who abandoned it in minutes... I believe that the future is beautiful and prosperous for the Syrians.” BERLIN — The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria after the fall of Bashir Assad’s government. “Our teams in Syria, including in Damascus, have been closely monitoring the fast-evolving security and humanitarian situation in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent,” the ICRC’s head of delegation in Syria, Stephan Sakalian, said in a written statement Sunday. The ICRC is “responding wherever possible, with further efforts underway, as hundreds of thousands of people need care and humanitarian assistance,” he said. Sakalian called “on all parties to urgently enable safe and unhindered access for medical and humanitarian workers to reach those in need, to protect civilians, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.” BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government said in a statement Sunday that it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria “leading to the adoption of a pluralistic constitution that preserves the human and civil rights of Syrians, and supports cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.” The statement from government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi, said that Iraq understands “the necessity of respecting the free will of all Syrians, and stresses that the security of Syria, the unity of its territories, and the preservation of its independence are of utmost importance, not only for Iraq but also for its connection to the security and stability of the region.” It cautioned against “interfering in Syria’s internal affairs, or supporting one party for the benefit of another.” Iraq, which has a close relationship with Iran - once a strong ally of former Syrian President Bashar Assad - has taken in some 2,000 Syrian army soldiers who fled the country amid the advance of armed opposition groups. CAIRO — The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the fall of the government of President Bashar Assad of Syria. “It’s a historic moment,” Rashad al-Alimi, who chairs the ruling presidential council, wrote on X platform of Assad’s downfall. “It’s time for the Iranian regime to stop meddling in Yemen, respect its sovereignty and identity.” Al-Alimi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, was referring to Iran’s support of Houthi rebels who are at war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government for a decade. DAMASCUS — Families wandered through the high-ceilinged halls of the presidential palace in Damascus on Sunday, along with some armed men. Some paused to take family portraits or selfies on the few remaining couches against the backdrop of mosaiced walls, while others walked out with chairs and other items under their arms. On the massive parking lot out front, cars drove in circles honking ecstatically. In central Damascus’ Umayyad Square, drivers passing by also honked jubilantly, while young men piled onto a tank abandoned in the square. But for some the celebration was bittersweet. “I am very happy, but this happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of the prison and know where is he is,” said Damascus resident Bassam Masr. “I have been searching for him for two hours - he has been detained for 13 years.” TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria. He spoke from an overlook near the border between Syria and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, after Syrian rebels tore through the country and dramatically ended Assad’s rule on Sunday morning. Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover as a “temporary defensive position.” Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory. Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began construction of what could possibly be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria . The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work. The United Nations maintains a peacekeeping force in the demilitarized zone called the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF, with around 1,100 peacekeepers from Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Uruguay. After the 1973 Mideast war, the U.N. Secretary Council voted to create UNDOF to patrol a roughly 400 square kilometer (155 square mile) demilitarized zone and maintain the peace there. DAMASCUS, Syria — An Associated Press journalist in Damascus reported airstrikes in the area of the Mezzeh military airport, southwest of the capital Sunday. The airport has previously been targeted in Israeli airstrikes, but it was not immediately clear who launched Sunday's strike. The Israeli military refused to comment on the airport strike. Israel often does not publicly claim responsibility for attacks in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that Israeli warplanes also targeted warehouses belonging to the Syrian army’s Fourth Division and another former military site outside of Damascus Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border between Israel and Syria. Agricultural areas along the border were declared closed military zones and some schools shifted to online classes in anticipation of unrest.Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Former Secret Service agent Richard Staropoli warned Thursday that Donald Trump could be targeted in an attack before he is inaugurated as president, and that the Secret Service may not be able to prevent it. During a FOX News interview, Staropoli suggested Trump could face a threat “of a much bigger magnitude” than the two assassination attempts earlier in the year. Staropoli said that he is “not highly confident at all,” that Trump can be kept safe, noting “The Secret Service that you see out there today is not the Secret Service of yesteryear.” “Somewhere along the line they’ve completely dropped the ball,” he continued, adding “That testimony that you saw today was purely a smokescreen to cover up the shortcomings of a politically compromised agency.” Staropoli was referring to testimony in the House by Acting Director Ronald Rowe and other Secret Service officials before the task force investigating the first assassination attempt on Trump in July. “It should never have gotten to that point,” Starapoli urged, adding “This whole talk about all these drones and these UAVs, hey, that’s all great, but you need to get back to the basics. What made the Secret Service great was its ability to put human intelligence, manpower on the streets and effectively secure the environment to make it safe for the president of the United States. I don’t see that here.” “As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’d be alone in saying that I certainly can see something happening between now and inauguration day,” Staropoli warned. He added, “it’s not going to be some 20-year-old kid on the roof of a building that’s allowed to get within 100 yards. It’s going to be something of a much bigger magnitude and I don’t think the Secret Service is anywhere equipped to handle that situation.” Watch: Ex-Secret Service agent Richard Staropoli warns Trump could face major attack before taking office: "I don’t think I’d be alone in saying that I certainly can see something happening between now and inauguration day. And it’s not going to be some 20-year-old kid on the roof of a... pic.twitter.com/ZrONGIOXHp During the House testimony, Rowe got into an extremely heated exchange with Republican Rep. Pat Fallon of Texas over Rowe’s attendance at a 9/11 memorial event. BREAKING: An exchange between acting USSS director Ronald Rowe and Rep. Pat Fallon just exploded into an angry shouting match during a hearing on the Trump ass*ss*nation attempts. pic.twitter.com/XxPiwqqLIo The full exchange, before the screaming began, is here: Holy cow!!! I feel like I'm watching a scene from a few good men! Sen. Pat Fallon addressing Secret Service in Ferry heated exchange pic.twitter.com/Ns43wIWJnZ Back in July, Fallon tore into then Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, telling her that “it is a miracle president Trump wasn’t killed,” and that she should be immediately fired and sent “back to guarding Doritos.” OH MY LORD. Congressman Pat Fallon (R-Texas) just DESTROYED Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. “You should be fired immediately. And go back to guarding Doritos!” pic.twitter.com/3oAIdBcHtV * * * Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch . Follow us on X @ModernityNews .

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The Future of Workplace Collaboration: Innovative Tools and StrategiesPresident-elect Trump's nomination of Brendan Carr as the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is bringing both hope and fear to the media industry. For media executives, the hope comes in the promise of industry consolidation. Companies such as Fox Television Stations, Nexstar Media Group, Tegna and Gray Media are eager to buy more TV stations to better compete against deep-pocketed tech firms that are aggressively pursuing viewers and ad dollars. Carr is expected to support revisiting the rule on ownership of TV stations. The trepidation comes from Carr's open criticism of broadcasters and tech firms on behalf of Trump, who is famously hostile to journalists and outlets that criticize him. Carr, a Republican nominated to the FCC during Trump's first term in 2017 and again by President Biden in 2023, wrote the chapter on the FCC in the conservative policy blueprint Project 2025. During the election, he jumped on social media when Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on the Nov. 2 episode of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" to point out that the network also owed an invitation to Trump under the FCC's equal time provision. NBC obliged, giving Trump time at the end of a NASCAR race and following "Sunday Night Football." (Carr also received a public note from NBC parent Comcast congratulating him on his nomination.) Carr got the industry's attention again on Tuesday when he told Fox News that his recommendation on the Paramount Global merger with Skydance Media would consider recent accusations from Trump's camp that CBS News edited its "60 Minutes" interview with Harris to make her sound more coherent. "That news distortion complaint over the CBS '60 Minutes' transcript is something that's likely to arise in the context of the FCC's review of that transaction," Carr said. A representative for CBS had no comment on Carr's remarks. Big media companies are bracing for the possibility that he will do Trump's bidding when the president-elect threatens retribution against media outlets that are unfriendly to him. While the FCC is an independent agency that is overseen by Congress, Trump has suggested he wants to bring it under tighter White House control. During the campaign, Trump called for the agency to pull the broadcast licenses held by ABC, NBC and CBS because he was unhappy with their coverage. Carr recently said on X that he will ensure the FCC "will enforce" laws that call on broadcasters "to operate in the public interest." One station executive, who was not authorized to comment publicly, said there is active exploration within Trump's orbit about how the new administration should respond to the president-elect's belief that the media treated him unfairly during the campaign. (Some journalists are taking Trump's threats seriously. MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski — former Trump friends who became harsh critics of his presidency and behavior — visited the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago to reestablish a relationship with him.) But Jeffrey McCall, a media studies professor at DePauw University, thinks Carr's remarks are "saber rattling" and doubts that the nominee would use the commission's control over the public airwaves as a political weapon. "I have a hard time believing that you could hold up some sort of merger because of what '60 Minutes' did in one broadcast over one interview," McCall said. McCall said Carr is "savvy enough to know that he can say, 'I'll take it into consideration.' " But he doesn't see the commissioner punishing a company over an editorial decision. Broadcast executives are encouraged that Carr is calling for greater regulation of the tech industry, which he outlines in a chapter he wrote for Project 2025. Carr wants tech companies to be more transparent about their algorithm changes and their decisions to block or demonetize users. "We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans," Carr wrote on X after Trump appointed him. The stations believe they are at a disadvantage in having to following regulations not imposed on their digital competitors. Station ownership rules also hamper broadcasters as they try to compete with tech firms that are coming after more TV viewers and advertising dollars. The current rule says companies can own broadcast TV stations that reach no more than 39% of U.S. homes. The limit was set in 2004, years before streaming video started eating away at traditional TV's audience share. Media executives see this limit as antiquated in an age in which many consumers are fleeing traditional television for streaming. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.tjili casino 。

Real Motors' Project: Ares is an electric cafe racer with a sci-fi movie vibe, that blends modern technology with vintage aesthetics. It offers a 100-mile (161-km) range and a top speed of about 95 mph (153 km/h), and it takes less than four seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h). Project: Ares is an e-moto that's comparable to a 700cc to 900cc gas bike.The present prototype weighs about 420 lb (190 kg) and is powered by an 11-kWh battery. For reference, the Fllow featured a 10-kWh battery that offered an urban range of around 150 miles (241 km). Real Motors is one of the fresh faces in the US e-moto scene, but that doesn't keep the company from bringing up functional, beautiful electric motorcycles. With a specification sheet that is tailor-made for city riding, Project: Ares is its version of a full-faired cafe racer. Take a long hard look at this bike. Doesn’t it look like it dropped from the cyberpunk universe? The sleek, white-painted body, a large front fork with a bold graphic design, a deep side fairing, those simple lines ... it’s hard to not like this bike at first glance. The front fascia is weirdly similar to that of the , another bang-for-buck electric city commuter. But it is just as functional as its form. Project Ares sports an aggressive riding position, which coupled with its clip-on handlebars, rear-sets, and a 33.5-inch (851-mm) seat height makes for a spirited riding experience. "We believe the best way to describe the freedom and power you feel when you ride your bike, is that you forget it’s there," says Real Motors. Another aspect that makes the bike ideal for riding in cities is its 60.5-inch (153.7-cm) wheelbase, which should provide some fairly agile handling even at moderate speeds. The digital display that comes integrated with GPS promises to make city commutes easier than ever. Given the fact that it's electric and all, it’s important to consider more than just battery range. The bike can charge from 10% to 80% in as little as half an hour when using a Level 2 charger. On the hardware front, it has Bridgestone Battlax SC 2 tires installed on lightweight 17-inch (432-mm) five-arm forged wheels. ByBre brakes with steel-braided lines are responsible for stopping power. Real Motors has a concept for Project: Ares that it refers to as "Electric Analogue." It's the company's attempt to make technology – like electric motors and batteries – complement the traditional motorcycle design by functioning covertly rather than overtly. According to Trent Dingman and Michael Feng of Real Motors, it's the perfect option for first-time motorcycle owners. And while it's proposed to be a functional EV you might end up using every day, Feng acknowledges that it's an "expensive toy." If you're someone who appreciates an intricate fusion of digital technology and analog experiences, you might just be the ideal customer for Real Motors. Project: Ares aims to provide a perfect bike with an inspiring and effective design for Western commuting use cases, especially the American cruising culture. The company is seeking early adopters to secure the first batch of bikes, which are scheduled for delivery late next year. The body, battery, and other components will be manufactured in China and assembled in the US. You can register your interest with the company in case you are interested. As for the cost, there’s no official word, though US$20,000 is the rumored price that customers will have to pay for the retro-futuristic electric. Best to get on Santa’s nice list ASAP. Source:What could be the implication of proposed ‘right to be forgotten’ law?

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East Africa remembers victims of deadly Indian Ocean tsunamiTEXAS, USA — The Texas Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that would have made state Attorney General Ken Paxton testify in a whistleblower lawsuit at the heart of impeachment charges brought against him in 2023 . The court on Friday said Paxton’s office does not dispute any issue in the lawsuit by four former Paxton employees and agreed to any judgment in the case. “In a major win for the State of Texas, the state Supreme Court has sided with Attorney General Paxton against former OAG employees whose effort to prolong costly, politically-motivated litigation against the agency has wasted public resources for years," a statement from Paxton's office said. An attorney for one of the plaintiffs declined immediate comment, and a second attorney did not immediately return a phone call for comment. The former employees allege they were improperly fired or forced out for bringing to the FBI allegations that Paxton was misusing his office to protect a friend and campaign donor, who in turn, they said, was helping the attorney general to conceal an extramarital affair. The Supreme Court ruling noted that the Texas governor and Legislature have expressed a desire to hear testimony from the witnesses prior to agreeing to appropriate funds to settle the lawsuit. The court said forcing Paxton, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, Chief of Staff Lesley French Henneke and senior advisor Michelle Smith to testify earlier could improperly be used for legislative purposes in deciding any appropriation. Under the preliminary deal , Paxton agreed to apologize to the former employees for calling them “rogue” employees, settle the case for $3.3 million and ask the state to pay for it, prompting the state House to reject the request and begin its own investigation, leading to the vote to impeach him. Paxton was ultimately acquitted after a Senate trial. The Supreme Court termed its ruling conditional upon the lower trial court complying with the decision, while saying it is “confident the trial court will comply” with the order.

CRTC opens consultation on whether Big 3 telecoms can sell wholesale fibre internetSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy threw one short pass in the open portion of practice for the San Francisco 49ers as he remains slowed by an injury to his throwing shoulder that has already forced him to miss a game. Purdy spent the bulk of the session of Wednesday's practice open to reporters as either a spectator or executing handoffs outside of one short pass to Jordan Mason. Purdy hurt his shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. He tried to throw at practice last Thursday but had soreness in his right shoulder and shut it down. He missed a loss to Green Bay but was able to do some light throwing on Monday. His status for this week remains in doubt as the Niners (5-6) prepare to visit Buffalo on Sunday night. Purdy isn't the only key player for San Francisco dealing with injuries. Left tackle Trent Williams and defensive end Nick Bosa remain sidelined at practice Wednesday after missing last week's game. Williams was using a scooter to get around the locker room as he deals with a left ankle injury. Bosa has been out with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Bosa said the week off helped him make progress and that he hopes to be able to take part in individual drills later in the week. Bosa wouldn't rule out being able to play on Sunday. "It’s feeling a lot better,” Bosa said. “Still need to get better before I’m ready to go. This week will be big and I’ll know a lot more in the next couple of days.” Running back Christian McCaffrey has been able to play, but isn't back to the form that helped him win AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 after missing the first eight games this season with Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey has 149 yards rushing in three games back with his 3.5 yards per carry down significantly from last season's mark of 5.4. But he is confident he will be able to get back to his usual level of play. “When you lose and maybe you don’t jump out on the stat sheet, your failures are highlighted,” he said. “I’m happy I’m out here playing football and I just know with time it will come.” Coach Kyle Shanahan said he has liked what he has seen from McCaffrey, adding that there hasn't been much room to run in recent weeks. But Shanahan said it takes time to get back to speed after McCaffrey had almost no practice time for nine months. “Guys who miss offseasons and miss training camp, usually it takes them a little bit of time at the beginning of the year to get back into how they were the year before, let alone missing half the season also on top of that,” Shanahan said. “I think Christian’s doing a hell of a job. But to just think him coming back in Week 8 with not being able to do anything for the last nine months or whatever it is, and to think he’s just going to be in MVP form is a very unrealistic expectation.” NOTES: LB Dre Greenlaw took part in his first practice since tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl. Greenlaw will likely need a couple of weeks of practice before being able to play. ... LB Fred Warner said he has been dealing with a fracture in his ankle since Week 4 and is doing his best to manage the pain as he plays through it. ... CB Deommodore Lenoir didn't practice after banging knees on Sunday. His status for this week remains in question. ... DT Jordan Elliott (concussion), OL Aaron Banks (concussion) and LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) also didn't practice. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLTrump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be different