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The Australian sharemarket is tipped to open stronger after a quiet post-holiday session on Wall Street, where the latest data on jobless claims did little to change the minds of investors on where interest rates are headed next. The ASX 200 futures were up 0.2 per cent to 8,217 points as of 7.50 AEDT, while the Australian dollar was down 0.3 per cent to 62.19 US cents. Overnight, US stocks struggled to gain traction after a rally that sent the S&P 500 to its best Christmas Eve performance since 1974, according to data compiled by Bespoke Investment Group. With major European markets closed, volume in the US equity gauge was well below the average of the past month. US stocks are upbeat going into the new year, but volatility could be just around the corner. Credit: Bloomberg The S&P 500 hovered near 6,043 points, while the Nasdaq edged up 0.1 per cent to 20,055 points. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was little changed. Most megacaps fell, though Apple outperformed after a bullish note from Wedbush. GameStop rallied after an X post from Keith Gill, the online persona known as Roaring Kitty. Wall Street took the latest economic data in its stride. Recurring applications for US unemployment benefits rose to the highest in more than three years, adding to signs that it is taking longer for out-of-work people to find a job. Initial claims, meanwhile, ticked down to 219,000 in the week ended December 21. “Eco data is a non-event until we move into the new year,” said Kenny Polcari at SlateStone Wealth. “Christmas is behind us, but the New Year is ahead of us. Volumes will remain muted.” To Jonathan Krinsky at BTIG, the market can continue to make upside progress into year-end, hitting a fresh all-time high for the S&P 500 above 6,100. Looking ahead to January, however, he thinks volatility will re-emerge. “If the S&P 500 does make new highs, there are going to be massive divergences in breadth and momentum, which is another red flag as we get into January,” he noted. The yield on 10-year Treasuries dropped one basis point to 4.58 per cent. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.1 per cent. Bitcoin sank as traders reduced their risk exposure after a record-breaking run. Spot gold was up 0.8 per cent to $US2,634/ounce on thin trade. The precious metal has jumped 28 per cent this year, supported by monetary easing in the US, safe-haven demand and sustained buying by the world’s central banks. Meanwhile, Brent crude price slipped 0.6 per cent to $US73.12/barrel on news that US crude exports to China had slipped by almost half this year as shifts in the nation’s economy weighed on demand, and it bought more barrels from other countries, including Russia and Iran. With assistance from Omar El Chmouri and Aya Wagatsuma. Bloomberg L.P.Bridgeline Announces Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal 2024

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes are not in their hands, but they did their part with a gritty win over San Francisco on Sunday. Coach Mike McDaniel knows that's not enough, and his team will need to do it two more times to even have a shot at making the postseason for the third straight year. “I was just proud of this effort and proud of the guys’ effort in general,” McDaniel said. “And that gives you a chance to win December football. Regardless, unless you’re playing in February, you also have to get adept at experiencing that, going through that, having some momentum and then going back and applying it to the next opponent, because no one cares about one win in December or January realistically. It’s about accumulating those.” Miami (7-8) is on the bubble for a wild-card spot along with Indianapolis (7-8) and Cincinnati (7-8). Even if the Dolphins win their remaining two games, they'll need help from other teams to get in. In one scenario, Miami would make the playoffs with two wins and two losses each by Denver (9-6) and the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6). “This team, we know when we do it well, we can do it very well,” defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. “We know that our chances are slim, but there’s a lot of fight left. And if we have a chance, we’re going to fight for it.” Miami closed out Sunday's game with a strong fourth quarter in all three phases. The offense converted on all three of its third-down attempts. Running back De'Von Achane had 93 of his 190 scrimmage yards in the quarter, including a 50-yard rushing score that put the game out of reach. Jason Sanders nailed a 48-yard field goal just before the two-minute warning. And the defense intercepted Brock Purdy on one of the Niners' last-ditch efforts. “I think that was something that we needed to see as a team together,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “You could see in all three phases that we were able to play the complementary football that we said we wanted to play. The defense giving the offense opportunities to go put points on the board. Then when there were times where we didn’t do what we wanted to do offensively, the defense held.” With both of the Dolphins' final games on the road, they'll need to play better than they have in away games for much of the season. Miami is 5-3 at home, its fifth straight home winning record, but the Dolphins are 2-5 on the road. McDaniel expressed confidence that those home efforts can travel in this final stretch. “When you’re trying to play football so that in the inevitable situation that you face every season,” McDaniel said, “an elimination game, whether it’s to get in the playoffs or it’s in the playoffs, you want to be tooled with a team that can succeed or execute in those types of situations.” What's working Miami's run game finally got going with 166 yards. It was the Dolphins' first time topping 100 yards rushing since Week 9. Achane led the charge with 120 yards. His 50-yard rushing score was Miami's longest run this season. What needs help The Dolphins moved the ball well but scored touchdowns on just one of three trips to the red zone. Stock up Sanders. He was 5 for 5 on field goals with a long of 54 yards, and 2 for 2 on extra points. Sanders has made 23 consecutive field goals and is 11 of 13 on kicks of 50-plus yards. He's one of two kickers, alongside Dallas' Brandon Aubrey, who have made a field goal in every game this season. Stock down WR Tyreek Hill. The All-Pro receiver caught just 3 of 7 targets for 29 yards and a touchdown. He had a third-down drop on the Dolphins' opening drive and dropped a potential touchdown later in the game. The NFL's receiving leader last year is averaging just 55.6 yards per game and has only two 100-plus yard receiving games this season. Injuries WR Jaylen Waddle missed the game because of a knee injury. ... CB Kendall Fuller (knee) and LB Jordyn Brookes (quad/knee) both went down late in the second half. Key numbers 76 receptions, 802 yards — Both single-season Dolphins records for a tight end, which Jonnu Smith broke with six catches for 62 yards on Sunday. Next step The Dolphins will continue their efforts to sneak into the playoffs when they play at Cleveland (3-12) on Sunday. They'll need to beat the Browns and the New York Jets (4-11) in their regular-season finale to give themselves a chance. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Alanis Thames, The Associated PressAP News Summary at 4:42 p.m. EST

Stock market today: Wall Street slips as the 'Magnificent 7' weighs down the market(TNS) — The Federal Communications Commission received more than 2,700 applications for its pilot program to help schools and libraries fund cybersecurity projects, representing a total of $3.7 billion in requests, according to the agency. But the pilot program, which was approved by the FCC in June, will provide a total of $200 million to eligible schools and libraries to help them purchase advanced firewalls, antivirus protection technology, and other cybersecurity equipment. That will likely leave many applicants without any of the FCC cybersecurity support or with less than what they requested. The application window was open from Sept. 17 through Nov. 1. In that time, the FCC received applications from schools and libraries in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, including those in rural and urban communities, according to the agency's news release. "The overwhelming response to our pilot program makes clear that the cybersecurity threats impacting school systems are widespread," said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. "The Pilot Program provides an excellent opportunity to both learn from these varied experiences, and also test out solutions in different environments." Cybersecurity has been the top concern for district technology leaders for more than five years, according to the nonprofit Consortium for School Networking, or CoSN. Cyber attacks can cost districts millions of dollars and days or weeks of missed learning time. The cybersecurity risk score for the education and nonprofit sectors has jumped from "moderate" to "high" between 2022 and 2024, according to Moody's Ratings, a global credit rating provider. The highest score is the "very high" level. The education sector — which includes K-12 schools and colleges and universities — has reported one of the highest rates of ransomware attacks during that time period, and the costs of cyber incidents have more than tripled in the past year, according to the Moody's report. The education sector is also among the least prepared when it comes to protecting against cyber incidents, the report said. The Moody's report shows that cybersecurity "is not something we can just ignore and hope for the best," said Keith Krueger, the CEO of CoSN. It's "a shot across the bow that every superintendent, school board, and finance officer has to care about cybersecurity." The high cyber risk could also mean higher cybersecurity insurance rates for school districts, Krueger said. "We don't need to wait any longer to see that there's an urgent demand [for cybersecurity funding]," he said. The Steuben County school district in Indiana is among the applicants for the FCC's pilot program, said Chantell Manahan, the district's technology director. The district's last cyber incident was about nine years ago, Manahan said. The attacker encrypted some files, but the district was able to easily restore all the data without having to pay ransom because it had good backups. But she said it could happen again and it could be worse especially with cyberattacks getting more sophisticated. The Steuben County district has used state and local funding, as well as partnerships with universities, to provide cybersecurity training for staff and buy cybersecurity equipment, Manahan said. The district has also used ESSER funds to pay for other cybersecurity needs. If the district receives funding from the FCC 's pilot program, Manahan said she would use it to fund endpoint detection and response technology, which continuously monitors computers and services to detect suspicious activity. She said she did a trial run with a company last school year and was "really impressed" by what it was able to alert the district to. "I don't think it's going to take three years to prove the impact" of the cybersecurity grants, Manahan said. "Those districts who are fortunate enough to be part of the pilot are definitely going to be in a better position than those of us who are not." The cybersecurity grant program follows years of advocacy for additional federal resources for cybersecurity by the CoSN, the Council of the Great City Schools, the State Educational Technology Directors Association, National School Boards Association, and other education groups. Closing the digital divide has been one of Rosenworcel's top priorities. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency, had voted against the pilot program because he didn't think it was within FCC's authority, though he agrees it's important for schools to have resources they need to secure their networks. Krueger from CoSN said he hopes the high demand for this pilot program will lead the FCC to modernize the E-rate program to include cybersecurity. The E-rate program, which was created in the mid-1990s to improve school and library Internet connectivity, is also administered by the FCC and is paid for primarily through the Universal Service Fund, which is financed through fees on telecommunications services. CoSN and other education groups have been advocating for modernizing the program so that it could also be used to fund cybersecurity upgrades. "It's great to have broadband, it's great to have Wi-Fi, but if it's not safe and secure, the whole thing is not usable," he said. The future of the E-rate program is at risk, however. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case about the constitutionality of the funding mechanism for the Universal Service Fund, which distributes some $4 billion annually under the E-rate program for connecting schools and libraries to the Internet.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 4, 2024-- Crescent Energy Company (NYSE: CRGY) (“we” or “our”) announced today that its indirect subsidiary Crescent Energy Finance LLC (the “Issuer”) has priced its previously announced private placement pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to eligible purchasers of $400 million aggregate principal amount of 7.625% Senior Notes due 2032 (the “Additional Notes” and, together with the Existing Notes (as defined below), the “Notes”). The size of this offering was increased from the previously announced $300 million to $400 million. The Notes mature on April 1, 2032 and pay interest at the rate of 7.625% per year, payable on April 1 and October 1 of each year, with interest payments on the Additional Notes commencing on April 1, 2025. The Additional Notes were priced at 100.250% of par, plus accrued and unpaid interest from October 1, 2024. The Issuer intends to use the net proceeds from this offering, together with the net proceeds of the previously announced underwritten public offering of our Class A Common Stock (the “Equity Offering”), to fund the cash portion of the consideration for the previously announced acquisition of Ridgemar (Eagle Ford) LLC (the “Ridgemar Acquisition”). Pending the use of proceeds described in the previous sentence, the proceeds from each of this offering and the Equity Offering will be used to temporarily reduce the borrowings outstanding under our revolving credit facility and any remaining for general corporate purposes. If the Ridgemar Acquisition is not completed, the proceeds of this offering will be used to reduce the borrowings outstanding under our revolving credit facility or for general corporate purposes. This offering is not contingent on the completion of the Ridgemar Acquisition or the Equity Offering, and neither the Ridgemar Acquisition nor the Equity Offering is conditioned on the completion of this offering. This offering is expected to close on December 11, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions. The Additional Notes are being offered as additional notes under the indenture dated as of March 26, 2024, as supplemented (the “Indenture”), pursuant to which the Issuer has previously issued $700 million aggregate principal amount of 7.625% Senior Notes due 2032 (the “Existing Notes”). The Additional Notes will have substantially identical terms, other than the issue date, the first interest payment date and the initial offering price, as the Existing Notes, and the Additional Notes and the Existing Notes will be treated as a single series of securities under the Indenture and will vote together as a single class. The Notes and the related guarantees have not been registered under the Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and, unless so registered, the Notes and the guarantees may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The Issuer plans to offer and sell the Additional Notes only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to persons outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Crescent Energy Company is a U.S. energy company with a portfolio of assets concentrated in Texas and the Rockies. This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are based on current expectations. The words and phrases “should”, “could”, “may”, “will”, “believe”, “think”, “plan”, “intend”, “expect”, “potential”, “possible”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “view”, “efforts”, “target”, “goal” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements and express our expectations about future events. This communication includes statements regarding this private placement and the Equity Offering and the use of proceeds therefrom, respectively, and the Ridgemar Acquisition and the transactions related thereto that may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions; however, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to be correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations, anticipated results or other forward-looking information expressed in this communication, including weather, political, economic and market conditions, including a decline in the price and market demand for natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil, uncertainties inherent in estimating natural gas and oil reserves and in projecting future rates of production, our hedging strategy and results, federal and state regulations and laws, recent elections and associated political volatility, the severity and duration of public health crises, actions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and non-OPEC oil-producing countries, the impact of the armed conflict in Ukraine, continued hostilities in the Middle East, including the Israel-Hamas conflict and heightened tensions in Iran, Lebanon and Yemen, the impact of disruptions in the capital markets, the timing and success of business development efforts, including acquisition and disposition opportunities, our ability to integrate operations or realize any anticipated operational or corporate synergies and other benefits from the Ridgemar Acquisition and the acquisition of SilverBow Resources, Inc., our reliance on our external manager, sustained cost inflation, elevated interest rates and central bank policy changes associated therewith and other uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this communication that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Consequently, actual future results could differ materially from our expectations due to a number of factors, including, but not limited to, those items identified as such in the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K and the risk factors described thereunder, filed by Crescent Energy Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Many of such risks, uncertainties and assumptions are beyond our ability to control or predict. Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We do not give any assurance (1) that we will achieve our expectations or (2) concerning any result or the timing thereof. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning this offering and the Equity Offering and the use of proceeds therefrom, respectively, and the Ridgemar Acquisition and the transaction related thereto, Crescent Energy Company and the Issuer or other matters and attributable thereto or to any person acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. We assume no duty to update or revise these forward-looking statements based on new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on : KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OIL/GAS ENERGY SOURCE: Crescent Energy Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/04/2024 05:15 PM/DISC: 12/04/2024 05:17 PM

President-elect Donald Trump has revealed that his administration will attempt to “eliminate” Daylight Saving Time in the US. Taking to Truth Social, the Republican claimed daylight savings time was “inconvenient” and that he hoped to “eliminate” it. “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate daylight saving time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t!” Mr Trump wrote. “Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.” Max Corstorphan Daylight saving time - putting the clocks forward one hour during the summer half of the year to make the most of the longer evenings - has been in place in nearly all of the United States since the 1960s, but has been a topic of debate in recent years. Some lawmakers want to stay on standard time year-round, more are on record calling for remaining on daylight saving time all year, while others want to keep the status quo. President Joe Biden never took a public position on the issue. Max Corstorphan In March 2022, the US Senate voted unanimously to make daylight saving time permanent but the effort stalled in the House after lawmakers said they could not reach consensus. A bipartisan group of senators in March made a new push to make daylight saving time permanent. Supporters of remaining on daylight saving time argue it would lead to brighter afternoons and evenings and more economic activity during the winter months. Critics say it would force children to walk to school in darkness since the measure would delay sunrise by an hour. Proponents of eliminating daylight saving time say the twice-annual changing of clocks causes sleep disturbance and health issues. Congress has not held any new hearings on the issue for more than two years and the Senate would need to take up the issue again. Year-round daylight saving time was used during World War Two and adopted again in 1973 in a bid to reduce energy use because of an oil embargo, but was unpopular and was repealed a year later. In America, daylight saving time commences in March, on the second Sunday, and ends of the first Sunday in November. - With ReutersBy Lisa Rubin With Christmas under a month away, many Americans are equal parts stressed about the holidays and exhausted by politics, including the legal travails of the former and future president, Donald Trump . That's particularly true now that Trump's legal proceedings are quietly winding down or are being frozen in place: Special counsel Jack Smith has quietly obtained the dismissal of both cases under his purview; meanwhile, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' 2020 election interference case has been on hold for months as Trump and multiple co-defendants challenge her very ability to lead that prosecution. And of course, after agreeing to pause all remaining post-trial proceedings until after the election, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is now fighting to preserve the New York hush money case, which Trump moved to dismiss in a motion made public Tuesday. It's tempting to tune out. But this latest Trump brief demands attention, perhaps less because of how it could affect the future course of the litigation and more because of what it signals about the Trump administration in waiting. That's especially true given that it was signed by only two lawyers — Todd Blanche and Emil Bove — whom Trump has picked for top Justice Department spots in his new administration. Here are three things worth noting about the new brief: The brief contains multiple plain statements of purported fact that run the gamut from misleading to baseless. For example, there is no proof that the Biden Justice Department “sent” Matthew Colangelo , who served as the chief aide to Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, to the Manhattan DA's office, much less that the DOJ and Bragg's team were in cahoots to “unfairly target President Trump in this empty and lawless case.” Likewise, in arguing that the DA’s office tolerated former Trump fixer Michael Cohen’s repeated lies while punishing former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg with a second prison term for “alleged perjury,” the Trump team blames the DA for choosing the “morally bankrupt choice.” But it ignores that Weisselberg ple a d ed guilty to two perjury counts concerning his testimony in the Trump civil fraud case, which is currently on appeal. Trump's brief stretches constitutional concerns with prosecuting a sitting president to a time period before his term: the transition. Specifically, Trump emphasizes that anything but a full dismissal of the Manhattan case would disrupt his transition efforts and thus, disrupt the very functioning of the federal government. But even if that argument were legally justifiable — and that in and of itself is debatable — it's belied by what we can see of the Trump transition in real time. Specifically, according to NBC News , Trump's representatives ignored multiple entreaties from both the White House and congressional leaders to formally enter into the transition process, which begins well before the presidential election. And while the Trump transition team belatedly signed an agreement with the White House on Nov. 26, as of publication, it still has declined to do so with the General Services Administration (GSA), foregoing "additional resources to assist with the transition, including funding and office space," and instead operating as a 'self-sufficient organization.'" By refusing to partner with the GSA, the Trump transition also has forfeited cybersecurity support , which "could also make the Trump transition a softer target for foreign hackers — who already successfully penetrated the campaign earlier this year." (This is hardly an ephemeral concern: Kash Patel, Trump's announced choice for FBI director, recently was a target of an Iranian cyberattack .) Especially given Trump’s open delay and/or failure to abide by the processes set forth in the Presidential Transition Act, it’s not clear why an indictment tied to a jury verdict months ago “threaten[s] the functioning of the federal government.” Trump's intended nominees to lead the primary federal law enforcement agencies, namely, Pam Bondi at the DOJ and Kash Patel at the FBI, have publicly warned that critics of Trump and/or those who have prosecuted him will be p ursued . In light of those pledges, then, the brief's accusations of misconduct and/or bias by certain individuals, whether named prosecutors, a member of the district attorney's family, or even the CEO of a political consulting firm in which the judge's daughter is a partner, takes on an ominous tone. To be sure, not everyone in a Trump-led DOJ shares Bondi's or Patel's thirst for revenge and/or urge to purge the purported "deep state." Trump world encompasses more reasonable, experienced minds who surely recognize no federal statute criminalizes even the most charged of the brief's allegations, such as its assertion that by the time Trump was tried last spring, "the prosecutors were willing to say or do anything to obtain a conviction." But assuming they push back against any planned persecution of those involved in the Trump criminal cases, can they prevail? And will they survive? I'm not convinced. So yes, the holidays are here. And you're tired of Trump evading justice and people like me playing Cassandra . I get it. But given the longer-term stakes of some of the positions staked out in this most inevitable of briefs, don't look away. Lisa Rubin is an MSNBC legal correspondent and a former litigator. Previously, she was the off-air legal analyst for “The Rachel Maddow Show” and “Alex Wagner Tonight.”

It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history — one that experts say could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success: keeping kids off social media until they turn 16 . Australia's new law, approved by its Parliament last week, is an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life — formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalization and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. And like efforts of the past to protect kids from things that parents believe they're not ready for, the nation's move is both ambitious and not exactly simple, particularly in a world where young people are often shaped, defined and judged by the online company they keep. The ban won't go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That's not clear, nor will it be easy. TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have become so ingrained in young people's lives that going cold turkey will be difficult. Other questions loom. Does the ban limit kids' free expression and — especially for those in vulnerable groups — isolate them and curtail their opportunity to connect with members of their community? And how will social sites verify people's ages, anyway? Can't kids just get around such technicalities, as they so often do? This is, after all, the 21st century — an era when social media is the primary communications tool for most of those born in the past 25 years who, in a fragmented world, seek the common cultures of trends, music and memes. What happens when big swaths of that fall away? Is Australia's initiative a good, long-time-coming development that will protect the vulnerable, or could it become a well-meaning experiment with unintended consequences? The law will make platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram liable for fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts. “It’s clear that social media companies have to be held accountable, which is what Australia is trying to do,” said Jim Steyer, president and CEO of the nonprofit Common Sense Media. Leaders and parents in countries around the world are watching Australia’s policy closely as many seek to protect young kids from the internet's dangerous corners — and, not incidentally, from each other. Most nations have taken different routes, from parental consent requirements to minimum age limits. Many child safety experts, parents and even teens who have waited to get on social media consider Australia's move a positive step. They say there’s ample reason to ensure that children wait. “What’s most important for kids, just like adults, is real human connection. Less time alone on the screen means more time to connect, not less," said Julie Scelfo, the founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction, or MAMA, a grassroots group of parents aimed at combatting the harms of social media to children. “I’m confident we can support our kids in interacting in any number of ways aside from sharing the latest meme.” The harms to children from social media have been well documented in the two decades since Facebook’s launch ushered in a new era in how the world communicates. Kids who spend more time on social media, especially as tweens or young teenagers, are more likely to experience depression and anxiety, according to multiple studies — though it is not yet clear if there is a causal relationship. What's more, many are exposed to content that is not appropriate for their age, including pornography and violence, as well as social pressures about body image and makeup . They also face bullying, sexual harassment and unwanted advances from their peers as well as adult strangers. Because their brains are not fully developed, teenagers, especially younger ones the law is focused on, are also more affected by social comparisons than adults, so even happy posts from friends can send them into a negative spiral. Many major initiatives, particularly those aimed at social engineering, can produce side effects — often unintended. Could that happen here? What, if anything, do kids stand to lose by separating kids and the networks in which they participate? Paul Taske, associate director of litigation at the tech lobbying group NetChoice, says he considers the ban “one of the most extreme violations of free speech on the world stage today" even as he expressed relief that the First Amendment prevents such law in the United States "These restrictions would create a massive cultural shift,” Taske said. “Not only is the Australian government preventing young people from engaging with issues they’re passionate about, but they’re also doing so even if their parents are ok with them using digital services," he said. "Parents know their children and their needs the best, and they should be making these decisions for their families — not big government. That kind of forcible control over families inevitably will have downstream cultural impacts.” David Inserra, a fellow for Free Expression and Technology, Cato Institute, called the bill “about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike” in a recent blog post . While Australia's law doesn't require “hard verification” such as an uploaded ID, he said, it calls for effective “age assurance.” He said no verification system can ensure accuracy while also protecting privacy and not impacting adults in the process. Privacy advocates have also raised concerns about the law's effect on online anonymity, a cornerstone of online communications — and something that can protect teens on social platforms. “Whether it be religious minorities and dissidents, LGBTQ youth, those in abusive situations, whistleblowers, or countless other speakers in tricky situations, anonymous speech is a critical tool to safely challenge authority and express controversial opinions,” Inserra said. A spot check of kids at one mall in the Australian city of Brisbane on Wednesday didn't turn up a great deal of worry, though. “Social media is still important because you get to talk to people, but I think it’s still good that they’re like limiting it,” said Swan Son, a 13-year-old student at Brisbane State High School. She said she has had limited exposure to social media and wouldn’t really miss it for a couple of years. Her parents already enforce a daily one-hour limit. And as for her friends? “I see them at school every day, so I think I’ll be fine.” Conor Negric, 16, said he felt he’d dodged a bullet because of his age. Still, he considers the law reasonable. “I think 16 is fine. Some kids, I know some kids like 10 who’re on Instagram, Snapchat. I only got Instagram when I was 14." His mom, Sive Negric, who has two teenage sons, said she was happy for her boys to avoid exposure to social media too early: “That aspect of the internet, it’s a bit `meanland.'" Parents in Britain and across Europe earlier this year organized on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram to promise not to buy smartphones for children younger than 12 or 13. This approach costs almost no money and requires no government enforcement. In the United States, some parents are keeping kids off social media either informally or as part of an organized campaign such as Wait Until 8th, a group that helps parents delay kids' access to social media and phones. This fall, Norway announced plans to ban kids under 15 from using social media, while France is testing a smartphone ban for kids under 15 in a limited number of schools — a policy that could be rolled out nationwide if successful. U.S. lawmakers have held multiple congressional hearings — most recently in January — on child online safety. Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding. In July, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation designed to protect children from dangerous online content , pushing forward with what would be the first major effort by Congress in decades to hold tech companies more accountable. But the Kids Online Safety Act has since stalled in the House. While several states have passed laws requiring age verification, those are stuck in court. Utah became the first state to pass laws regulating children’s social media use in 2023. In September, a judge issued the preliminary injunction against the law, which would have required social media companies to verify the ages of users, apply privacy settings and limit some features. NetChoice has also obtained injunctions temporarily halting similar laws in several other states. And last May, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said there is insufficient evidence to show social media is safe for kids. He urged policymakers to treat social media like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use. “Why should social media products be any different? Scelfo said. “Parents cannot possibly bear the entire responsibility of keeping children safe online, because the problems are baked into the design of the products.” Associated Press Writers John Pye in Brisbane, Australia and Laurie Kellman in London contributed to this story.Tom Cruise Teams With Oscar-Winning Director for Next Film

Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay woman $250K in sexual assault case, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The Dublin jury awarded the woman more than $250,000 for her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her on Dec. 9, 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified he never forced her to do anything and that the woman had fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. The jury found for the woman on Friday. At least 15 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 160,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program. Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024. The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery. Dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed. They also will update software. Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with two Swift-inspired films airing this year Two of the new holiday movies coming to TV this season have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding. “Christmas in the Spotlight” debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world’s biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger, playing a pro football player, who meet and fall in love, not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. On Nov. 30, Hallmark will air “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Instead of a nod to Swift, it’s an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark’s headquarters is also in Kansas City. Top football recruit Bryce Underwood changes commitment to Michigan instead of LSU, AP source says ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Top football recruit Bryce Underwood has flipped to Michigan after pledging to play at LSU. That's according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the recruit’s plans to join the Wolverines. Underwood pinned a post on his Instagram account, showing a post in which On3.com reported that he has committed to Michigan. The 6-foot-3 quarterback played at Belleville High School about 15 miles east of Michigan's campus, and told LSU nearly a year ago he intended to enroll there. Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling onto Australian beach MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia has been released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach. The adult male was found on Nov. 1 on sand dunes in temperate southwest Australia about 2,200 miles north of the Antarctic coast. He was released Wednesday from a boat that traveled several hours from Western Australia state's most southerly city of Albany. His caregiver Carol Biddulph wasn't sure at first if the penguin would live. She said a mirror was important to his rehabilitation because they provide a sense of company. Biddulph said: “They’re social birds and he stands next to the mirror most of the time.” Shohei Ohtani wins third MVP award, first in NL. Aaron Judge earns second AL honor in 3 seasons NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player Award and first in the National League, and Aaron Judge earned his second American League honor on Thursday. Ohtani was a unanimous MVP for the third time, receiving all 30 first-place votes and 420 points in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was second with 263 points and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte third with 229. Judge was a unanimous pick for the first time. Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — In losing Sunday’s battle with the Buffalo Bills, perhaps the best team in football, Jerod Mayo won the war. Best I can tell, he’s staying put. For 2025, and maybe beyond. To his angry fan base and incredulous pockets of the New England Patriots’ media corps, remember Mayo’s future doesn’t hinge on winning this season. It’s not about what you want, or what I think. It’s about the Krafts, who hand-picked Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick four and a half years before he actually did, believing in him, and finding reasons to maintain that belief. In the eyes of someone who wants to believe, Sunday supplied enough reason. The Patriots led at halftime, then lost by three as 14-point underdogs. They became the first team since mid-October to hold the Bills under 30 points. Drake Maye outplayed the next MVP of the league for most of the game and took another step toward his destiny as a franchise quarterback, If that sounds like a low bar, that’s because it is. Such is life in Year 1 of a rebuild, a multi-year process ownership has committed to seeing through to the end with their organizational pillars now in place: Mayo, Maye and de facto GM Eliot Wolf. As frustrating as this 3-12 campaign has been, there are always nuggets of optimism amid the rubble of a losing season; particularly if you want to find them. The Krafts do, and so does Maye, who loves his head coach, by the way; calling questions about Mayo’s job security “BS.” “We’ve got his back,” Maye said post-game. Maye’s voice matters. Certainly more than any number of fans or media members. Ever since media-fueled speculation that Mayo could get canned at the end of his first season began rising, the caveat has always been the same: if, a Gillette Stadium-sized “if,” the Patriots bomb atomically down the stretch, ownership could pull the plug on Mayo. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport became the latest to join that chorus Sunday with this pregame report: “The Krafts want to keep Jerod Mayo,” he said. “They believe he is the leader for the organization for the future, and they knew it would be a multi-year process to get this thing right. Now if things go off the rails, if they really start to struggle and he loses the locker room the last couple games of the season, we’ve seen this thing turn. “But as of now, the Patriots believe Jerod Mayo is their leader for the future.” Well, Mayo hasn’t lost the locker room. That’s a fact. To a man, both in public and from those I’ve spoken to in private, Patriots players believe in their head coach. Mayo might be a players’ coach, yes, in the best and worst senses. But the Patriots were a few plays away Sunday from pulling off their largest upset since Super Bowl XXXVI. “I think we’re building something good,” Maye said. The Patriots also played their best half of football this season against their toughest opponent yet. Another fact. Now, to the frustrated, I am with you. To the shocked, I understand. But to the trigger-happy, lay down your arms. Mayo, by all accounts, is returning in 2025. Alex Van Pelt, however, is another story. In the same vein that the Krafts could have viewed Sunday’s performance as a reason to save Mayo — despite his pathetic punt at midfield, down 10 with just eight and a half minutes left — they could have convinced themselves their offensive coordinator is the real problem. After all, team president Jonathan Kraft was visibly exasperated over Van Pelt’s play-calling during the Pats’ loss at Arizona a week earlier. Four days later, Van Pelt told reporters he had yet to hear from his boss. Well, that time may be coming. Trailing by three in the fourth quarter Sunday, Van Pelt called a pass that resulted in an unnecessary lateral and game-winning touchdown for Buffalo. His offense later operated like it was taking a Sunday drive with the game on the line, using up 3:16 of the final 4:19 en route to its final touchdown. Van Pelt, finally, weaponized Maye’s legs in critical situations, something that arguably should have been done weeks ago. Not to mention, Van Pelt’s top running back can’t stop fumbling, and the offensive line remains a hot mess. Call him Alex Van Fall Guy. Because Van Pelt’s offense, for the first time in a while, under-performed relative to Mayo’s defense. On merit, he deserves to stay; a case that’s harder to make for defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. But it’s not about merit this season. It’s not about what you want. It’s not about what I think. It’s about the Krafts; what they see, what they want, what they believe. Even in defeat. ____ Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox!

Stock indexes closed mixed on Wall Street at the end of a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 ended little changed Friday. The benchmark index reached its latest in a string of records a week ago. It lost ground for the week following three weeks of gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged after raising its revenue forecast. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. Stocks slipped in afternoon trading Friday as Wall Street closes out a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 was up by less than 0.1% and is on track for a loss for the week after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 58 points, or 0.1% to 43,856 as of 3 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq rose 0.1% and is hovering around its record. Broadcom surged 24.9% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company's big gain helped cushion the market's broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Even so, some big tech stocks were in the red Friday. Nvidia slid 2.6%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Netflix was down 0.7%. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 14.2% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. Wall Street's rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve's last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year . The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank's 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed's policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed's preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what's behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey's new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they're looking into what's happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she's glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn't buy what the governor said, that the drones aren't a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there's the notion that people could misunderstand what they're seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they're looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin's view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That's not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.Our dial-a-quote saviours

The year that was 2024More than 900 people claimed to be sleeping rough in the city this year. During Thursday’s full council meeting, councillor Allan Casey advised members that officers had been working with housing associations on proposals to repurpose small offices as social rented homes and old tenements. Questions had been raised by Baillie Soryia Siddique over how many empty office and heritage buildings had been considered for conversion to homelessness accommodation, particularly since 929 people claimed to have slept rough in Glasgow between January 1 and November 1, 2024. Councillor Allan Casey advised that the Scottish Government had allocated £11.5 million through the affordable housing supply programme to Glasgow in 2024/25 to help bring empty social and rented properties back into use. Councillor Casey said: “Officers are working with housing associations on proposals for bringing small offices into use as social rented homes which will directly assist with the homeless pressures. “By their nature, these projects can be complex and take additional time and funding resources to deliver, and therefore, the focus of the 24/25 funding allocation has been on acquisitions in bringing the existing property back into use. “A number of these homes will, of course, be our pre-1919 tenement blocks. As part of the wider affordable housing supply programme – a number of heritage buildings have been converted into housing. “In terms of the conversion of office accommodation, a building in St Enoch is being taken forward this year with another office conversion at the point of being submitted for planning in Anniesland also. “Conversion of such buildings provides an attractive way of reusing them and often providing unique homes; however, such developments are technically and financially challenging.” Councillor Casey also pointed out that the number of people who claimed to have slept rough in Glasgow was much higher than the figures held by the homeless charity Simon Community Scotland. He continued: “The data quoted in the rough sleeper numbers, where 929 people claimed to sleep rough between January 1, 2024, and November 2024, is taken from self-reported questions that are asked to homeless households when an application is made. “Homeless staff meet with the Simon Community on a weekly basis along with staff from our complex needs for individuals who are sleeping rough and to offer accommodation and support where possible. “The weekly data by Simon Community shows that the number of people who are rough sleeping is significantly lower than those who are self-reporting. Those numbers fluctuate between 25 and 30 people at any one time.” Get all the latest news from around the country Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the countryIt looked like a recipe for disaster. So, when his country's swimmers were being accused of doping earlier this year, one Chinese official cooked up something fast. He blamed it on contaminated noodles. In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings

Cottonwood's Braylon Morris signs with Wallace College baseballAmazon to donate $1 million to Trump's inauguration and strikes streaming deal as more Big Tech giants bend the knee Tech giants donate to Trump inauguration after being past targets of his ire Sign up for the latest with DailyMail.com's U.S. politics newsletter By SARAH EWALL-WICE, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM IN WASHINGTON, DC Published: 20:41, 13 December 2024 | Updated: 21:22, 13 December 2024 e-mail 2 View comments Some of the biggest companies and business leaders in the world are looking to start their standing with President-elect Donald Trump on the right foot as he prepares to take office in January with a series of meetings and donations. Amazon will be donating $1 million to the 78-year-old president-elect's inauguration and making another in-kind contribution by streaming the inauguration on Amazon Prime. The e-commerce giant's founder Jeff Bezos will also be meeting with Trump next week in person, the president-elect revealed on Thursday. Bezos is one of several billionaire tech company and business leaders that are shelling out big donations to the Trump inauguration ahead of the Republican taking over the White House on January 20. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also made a $1 million donation to the Trump inauguration, the company confirmed after it was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. It comes as multiple tech giants including Amazon, Meta, Google and Apple have all been the target of Trump and GOP wrath in recent years. Amazon founding Jeff Bezos is set to meet with President-elect Donald Trump next week as the e-commerce giant donates $1 million for Trump's inauguration During his first term, Trump lashed out at Amazon on multiple occasions including targeting Bezos and complained about the coverage by the Washington Post, which is owned by the billionaire personally. The Amazon founder faced some public backlash in October after it was announced The Washington Post editorial board would not make an endorsement in the 2024 presidential election after it endorsed Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton in the last two presidential elections. Bezos defended the eleventh hour decision in an op-ed and claimed it was not part of 'some intentional strategy' but a 'principled decision' and 'the right one' in an effort to end the 'perception of bias.' But critics blasted the move as cowardly and questioned the timing of the decision which came just hours after Trump met with executives from Blue Origin, a space company also founded by Bezos. He denied there was any connection. Last week, Bezos said he was 'optimistic' about Trump's second term and backed plans to cut regulations while speaking at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit in New York. Amazon and Blue Origin have a series of contracts with the federal government worth billions. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaking in September 2024. Meta donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration and the pair had dinner together last month Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, meanwhile, had dinner with Trump last month at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The Facebook founder did not endorse either Trump or Harris in the 2024 presidential election, but he praised the president-elect after the assassination attempt in July, calling his raised fist after the shooting 'badass.' Zuckerberg has long been a target of Trump's ire online. He has called him 'Zuckerschmuck' and written 'Zuckerbucks' in posts, and the president-elect even threatened to imprison the Meta CEO for life in his book. In 2021, Trump was kicked off of Facebook and other social media accounts after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. That summer, Trump sued Facebook, Google's YouTube and Twitter claiming he was the victim of censorship. His Facebook and Instagram accounts were reinstated in 2023. Elon Musk restored his account on Twitter, now X, in November 2022. After the dinner last month, a spokesperson for Meta said Zuckerberg was 'grateful' to join the president-elect for dinner and meet with members of his team. Meta did not make donations to the Biden inauguration or Trumps first inauguration in 2017. Amazon contributed a much smaller roughly quarter of a million to Biden's inauguration in 2021, but it also streamed the event on Prime Video as well that year. Politics Share or comment on this article: Amazon to donate $1 million to Trump's inauguration and strikes streaming deal as more Big Tech giants bend the knee e-mail Add commentWho would the Houston Texans play if the NFL playoffs began today? | Sporting News

Chargers rule out RB Gus Edwards (ankle) vs. PatriotsI’ve no regrets about removing fuel subsidy – Tinubu