Miami might be forgiven if it seems that it is eager to get out of Charleston, S.C. After all, the Hurricanes (3-2) have dropped two straight games at the Shriner Children's Charleston Classic. They will hope to salvage at least one win when they challenge VCU on Sunday afternoon. Barely tested in three blowout wins against overmatched foes, Miami hit a wall against Drake in its tournament opener on Thursday, losing 80-69. In the consolation bracket Friday, the Hurricanes followed that up with a clunker against Oklahoma State in an 80-74 defeat. Miami came out flat against the Cowboys, falling behind 9-0 in the first four minutes and trailing 43-27 at the half. The Hurricanes did not get within single digits until Matthew Cleveland converted a three-point play with 49 seconds remaining in the second half. Cleveland finished with 11 points to go along with 20 from Nijel Pack, as Miami's starters combined to score 60 points. However, the rest of the team managed just five made field goals in getting outscored 38-14 by the Oklahoma State reserves. Miami allowed the Cowboys to shoot 47.4 percent from the floor, including 45.5 percent from 3-point range. "(Defensive intensity) is a major concern for us," Miami head coach Jim Larranaga said Tuesday. VCU (4-2) can relate to Miami's current plight. The Rams won their first four games of the season before losing both games thus far in Charleston. They dropped a 69-66 decision in overtime to Seton Hall on Thursday and a 64-61 setback to Nevada on Friday. In contrast to the Hurricanes, the Rams might be able to take some solace in knowing they're still close on the scoreboard. Guard Max Shulga has sparked the offense in defeat, scoring 20 points Thursday before cashing in 17 on Friday. "We just had too many breakdowns," Shulga said about Friday's loss. VCU is looking for its second win in six outings in the Charleston Classic, while Miami, a four-time participant, has won the tournament on two occasions. --Field Level Media REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowJohn Elway: remorse over bypassing Josh Allen in draft mitigated by watching Broncos rookie Bo Nixjili 100 。

Islamabad: A murder case was filed against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and senior party leaders in connection with the deaths of paramilitary soldiers during a protest last month. Three soldiers of paramilitary Rangers were crushed to death and another was seriously injured in a car accident allegedly driven by a PTI supporter during the protest in Islamabad. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed at the Ramna Police Station in Islamabad on a complaint by a Rangers official, who claimed that the entire incident was planned in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, where Khan has been imprisoned, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Friday. The former prime minister and his wife have been named as the primary suspects and PTI leaders, including Ali Amin Gandapur, Umar Ayub, Waqas Akram, Salman Akram Raja, Murad Saeed, Zulfi Bukhari, Rauf Hassan, Hammad Azhar, and others have been accused of conspiring to carry out the plan, the report said. The FIR alleged that the killing of the Rangers personnel occurred at the behest and under the orders of Khan, with the involvement of senior PTI leadership. It said that the plan was devised during various meetings between PTI leaders and certain prisoners at the jail, and its purpose was to target security forces. The FIR further identified several witnesses to the plot, including prisoners, labourers, and secret police employees within the jail. Additionally, the FIR stated that Bushra Bibi and other party leaders incited the public through a video message, urging them to rise against the army and government. The PTI leadership is accused of inciting rebellion and violence through their calls for public unrest. According to political experts, the new case may add to the worries of Khan who already faces nearly 200 cases. A vast majority of them have been filed after his government fell in April 2022 following a no-confidence vote.

Virginian-Pilot: As Trump enacts his agenda, weather services must be protected

NoneOur LGE business has been awarded a contract to deliver six cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems for Ultra Large Ethane Carriers in China. The new supersized ships have 50% more capacity than existing Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLEC), and at 150,000m3, are a world first of this size. The ships, being built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in China, will be fitted with cascade reliquefication plants to manage the Boil Off Gas (BOG), with the contract signalling a continued wave of demand for our globally sought technology in a buoyant market for the transportation of liquefied gas. Neale Campbell, Managing Director of Babcock’s LGE business, said: “The development of these ships is a milestone moment as the industry enters the new era of Ultra Large Ethane Carriers. “We are proud that our leading-edge technology is an intrinsic part of these game changing vessels, with an integrated reliquefaction system and fuel gas supply system providing fuel to the ship’s main engine – helping to support a net-zero future.” The integrated system comprises of LGE’s SuperCoolerTM and ecoETHNTM technologies – both part of LGE’s intellectual property portfolio. SuperCoolerTM improves plant efficiency by increasing reliquefaction capacity whilst reducing energy consumption, while ecoETHNTM integrates the reliquefaction plant with the fuel gas supply system, utilising methane-rich Boil Off Gas as fuel for main engine and auxiliary power generators. The LGE business saw a record order intake of more than £300 million in the first half of 2024, with 63 contracts from international shipyard customers driven by major LNG projects in the Middle East and growing demand in China. Ongoing technology development by LGE this year has already achieved eight patent applications, two patents granted and eleven trademarks granted across the portfolio range including for LNG, Ammonia and CO2. Sales have also been strong across our technology rich portfolio, including the ecoSMRT® for LNG reliquefaction, ecoETHN® for Ethane Cargo Handling Systems and 18 Ammonia ship Cargo Handling Systems. The success of our LGE business was also formally recognised by the award of a King’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category. Source: Babcock International Group

Ending the reoffending cycle: New Niagara transition program aims at helping freed prisoners rejoin societyNew research recently published in the journal International Social Work observing how marital status effects the aging of men and women reported a pattern of married men aging slower than those who were single, while for women, there was minimal difference present. Mabel Ho, Eleanor Pullenayegum, David Burnes, and Esme Fuller-Thomson, the researchers behind the Canada-based study, said it examines the “sex-specific impact of marital trajectories among older adults on successful aging to help social workers identify those most at risk for sub-optimal outcomes who may benefit from targeted interventions.” They explained that they used binary logistic regression analyses to investigate 7641 Canadians who were classified as ‘aging successfully’ in the baseline wave of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, which tracked the health and well-being of adults aged 45 to 85 over a period of 20 years. According to their findings, men who were continuously married, continuously widowed, or got married between the waves were more probable to age “successfully” as opposed to their single counterparts. Whereas for women, their marital trajectories reportedly played a modest role in their aging. Of the 3926 male respondents, “significant positive associations” between marital status and successful aging were observed in respondents who were continuously married (aOR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.53, 4.28), continuously widowed (aOR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.22, 5.09), or became married since baseline (aOR = 3.83, 95% CI = 1.67, 8.77) when compared to their never-married peers. As a contrast, there were no significant differences in regards to successful aging between never-married individuals and any of the other marital categories (i.e. continuously married, continuously widowed, continuously divorced or separated, became married since baseline, and other trajectories of marital status since baseline) for the 3715 female respondents. However, the authors reported one exception of the women who transitioned from married to not married between the waves having significantly lower odds of “successful aging” (aOR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.28, 0.81). According to another study recently published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, women were observed to be more content living on their own, as they were found to be less likely to want a significant other, and more sexually satisfied. The authors of the analysis suggested this is because women were more likely to report having supportive platonic relationships, and because they reported romantic relationships are less beneficial for them, as they’re more likely to take on a larger share of household and romantic duties while having their sexual pleasure undervalued. Overall however, marriage in the US is reported to have jumped from 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2020 to 6.2 by 2022, the highest rate observed since 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

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One of Baltimore’s most prominent families was thrust into the spotlight this week, when a son of the clan, Luigi Mangione , was arrested by Pennsylvania police and charged in the Dec. 4 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . Locally active in philanthropy, both via individual donations and through the Mangione Family Foundation, the Mangiones gave millions to Baltimore’s various institutions and nonprofits, including more than $1 million to the Greater Baltimore Medical Center and more to the American Citizens for Italian Matters, Baltimore Opera Company and others. Loyola University, which counts Mangione alumni among their ranks, has an aquatic center named after the family, and GBMC previously had a high-risk obstetrics unit, since closed, that bore their name. Their story is a uniquely American one: The Mangiones went from deep poverty to massive wealth in just three generations, with one cousin, Nino Mangione, now a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates. Despite an eventually deep portfolio of development properties and government contracting for 20 years, the family patriarch, Nicholas Mangione Sr. , said he still faced prejudice for his background when he attempted to buy land to build the Turf Valley Golf and Country Club, now the Turf Valley Resort, in Ellicott City. “Tongues started wagging,” Mangione told The Baltimore Sun in 1995. “People [were] wondering where an unknown Italian could get the money for a $5 million project. In those days, there were no Italians in real visible positions [in Howard County].” Mangione said the implication was that he must have backing from the mob, so he countered sharply. “People thought I needed money from the Mafia to buy this place. They asked me what family I belonged to,” he said. “I told them, ‘I belong to the Mangione family. The Mangione family of Baltimore County.’” The family is now defending its name again. On Monday, members released a statement on social media expressing dismay at Luigi Mangione’s arrest, saying they were stunned by the news. “We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved,” the family wrote . “We are devastated by this news.” The family did not respond to a request for comment via a family attorney or their foundation. How they went from the Depression-era streets of the city’s Little Italy to its philanthropic elite is straight out of a Horatio Alger novel. Nicholas Sr. was born in Baltimore’s Little Italy, and spent his first eight years in a one-room apartment with an outdoor privy, according to a 2008 Sun article. He earlier told The Sun his Italian immigrant father, Louis, could neither read nor write, and worked in the city water department until he died of pneumonia. Today, the Mangione family is a sprawling one, with a business empire to match: Nicholas Sr., made the beginning of the family’s fortunes in the post-World War II years as a bricklayer and contractor . He built up his business holdings throughout the following decades, with his wife, Mary , growing their family to include five sons, five daughters, and 37 grandchildren, including Luigi. The family’s holdings range from construction to commercial real estate to local radio station WCBM-AM and a majority stake in Lorien Health Services, which operates multiple assisted living facilities in Maryland. Aside from the Turf Valley Resort, with its 10,000-square-foot ballroom, 220-room hotel, and 85-seat amphitheater, the Mangiones also own the Hayfields Country Club in Cockeysville and a slew of companies registered in Maryland . Its family foundation had net assets of $4.4M as of its 2022 tax filing , the most recent on record. The Mangione Family Foundation’s stated focus is supporting, “Organizations for any of the following purposes: religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition (as long as it doesn’t provide athletic facilities or equipment), or the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.” Politically, the Mangiones have been active across the aisle. Luigi Mangione’s parents, Louis and Kathleen Mangione donated $35,935 to state and local politicians from 2005 through 2023, according to data from the State Board of Elections. Half went to Nino Mangione ’s campaign account for his state delegate races from 2018 through 2023. Other donations went to Howard County executives Calvin Ball and Ken Ulman, both Democrats, and Allan Kittleman, a Republican, along with additional high-profile candidates of both parties, including former Govs. Martin O’Malley and Robert L. Ehrlich, and former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. The immense number of Mangiones also was briefly confusing for Baltimoreans on Monday. Aside from Nicholas Sr. and Mary Mangione’s 10 children and 37 grandchildren, city counts at least two other Mangione families, who were briefly inundated with phone calls from the media and queries from former schoolmates and acquaintances. One of Luigi Mangione’s two sisters is a physician at the University of Texas Southwestern, according to her LinkedIn profile. Another sister is a visual artist. Neither sister responded to requests for comment. His mother, Kathleen, comes from a family that owns a funeral home, the Charles S. Zannino Funeral Home in Highlandtown, the Baltimore Fishbowl reported , and now runs a travel agency, KZM Boutique Travel, which had removed its website as of Tuesday evening. His father, Louis was groomed to help take over the family’s business empire, according to a 2003 Washington Post article . Have a news tip? Contact Riley Gutierrez McDermid at rmcdermid@baltsun.com or Frank Gluck at fgluck@baltsun.com.Former prime minister Gordon Brown has declared his opposition to legalising assisted dying, which will soon be debated by MPs. The former Labour PM said the death of his newborn daughter in 2002 did "not convince me of the case for assisted dying; it convinced me of the value and imperative of good end-of-life care". In a rare intervention ahead of the Commons debate on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on Friday, November 29, Mr Brown shared a glimpse of the time he and his wife Sarah spent with their baby, Jennifer, who died when she was only 11 days old. Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Mr Brown said: "We could only sit with her, hold her tiny hand and be there for her as life ebbed away. She died in our arms." "But those days we spent with her remain among the most precious days of my and Sarah's lives." While he acknowledged that at the heart of the assisted dying debate is a "desire to prevent suffering", the former Labour MP called for a commission on end-of-life care to be set up, instead of the law change which MPs will consider. This commission, he said, should work to create a "fully-funded, 10-year strategy for improved and comprehensive palliative care". "When only a small fraction of the population are expected to choose assisted dying, would it not be better to focus all our energies on improving all-round hospice care to reach everyone in need of end of life support?" he said. Mr Brown added: "Medical advances that can transform end-of-life care and the horror of people dying alone, as with Covid, have taught us a great deal." "This generation have it in our power to ensure no-one should have to face death alone, uncared for, or subject to avoidable pain." Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP sponsoring the assisted dying Bill through the Commons, said she was "deeply touched" by Mr Brown's decision to share his story. The Spen Valley MP said she agreed completely with his calls for better end-of-life care. But Ms Leadbeater added: "He and I agree on very many things but we don't agree on this." "Only legislation by Parliament can put right what Sir Keir Starmer calls the 'injustice that we have trapped within our current arrangement'." "The need to address the inability of the current law to provide people with safeguards against coercion and the choice of a better death, and to protect their loved ones from possible prosecution, cannot wait." "So for me it isn't a case of one or the other. My Bill already includes the need for the Government to report back to Parliament on the availability and quality of palliative care, and I strongly support further detailed examination of its provision. We need to do both." Though Ms Leadbeater made reference to the Prime Minister as she set out her difference from Mr Brown's position, Sir Keir has opted not to say whether he will support the Bill. MPs will be given a free vote on the legislation, meaning their political parties will not require them to vote for or against it, and it will be a matter for their personal consideration. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is the latest senior minister to disclose her position on assisted dying, signalling to broadcasters on Friday that she may support the Bill. "I continue to support the principle of needing change but also to ensure that we've got the proper safeguards and systems in place," she told ITV's Good Morning Britain. Asked if that meant a "yes" when the Bill comes to the Commons, she replied: "I think I last voted on this about 20 years ago and so I have supported the principle in the past and continue to believe that change is needed but we do need to have that debate on the detail and I'll continue to follow that debate next Friday."

ALBANY ‒ Sometimes finding the perfect gift for an avid hunter or angler can be difficult. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division has a few suggestions that will allow hunters on any Christmas list to enjoy the outdoor activities they love, regardless of age and experience. The gift of a youth license, a lifetime license or an annual hunting or fishing are all great examples of how to give access to the great outdoors and provide support for Georgia wildlife and state-managed lands. While a lifetime license purchase includes a free durable license card, you can put any annual license on a beautiful “collector’s hard card” (a credit card-sized durable license card) giving you the perfect stocking stuffer or wrap-able gift. The Youth Sportsman’s License for $15 makes a great gift for resident youths under age 16 and offers a gift valued at $70. This license provides both hunting and fishing privileges, and is good through age 17, giving them a full year sportsman’s license once they reach age 16 (when they are required to have a license). With a lifetime license, the Georgia resident hunter or angler on your gift list will never need to purchase another state hunting or fishing license ... ever. From hunting trophy whitetails to casting for lunker largemouth, their cherished recreation in Georgia is covered. Depending upon their recreational activity, they may need additional no-cost licenses or a harvest record. Visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/LifetimeLicense for applications and more details on the privileges available with a lifetime license. Can’t purchase a lifetime license? How about giving an annual or two-year license to that hunter or angler? Even if they already have a current license, if you purchase a same-type license, it will “stack” onto their existing one. The Wildlife Resources Division uses hunting and fishing license sales to fulfill its wildlife mission. The sale of paid licenses is a key measure through which states receive federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration funding, meaning more license sales potentially means more conservation funding. Uses of this funding in Georgia vary from operating public fishing areas to managing the state’s 1 million-strong deer herd. There is now lots of great “Go Outdoors Georgia” merchandise available for your recreational enthusiast as well. From tumblers, to hats, to backpacks and coolers – add some items to your cart with your license purchase. Be sure to order early to get items in time for the holidays. More information on licenses is available at GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes , and purchase a youth, annual or two-year license at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com as well as a catalog of available merchandise.

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Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Caledonia Mining Co. Plc ( NYSEAMERICAN:CMCL – Free Report ) by 34.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 69,848 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 17,740 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Caledonia Mining were worth $1,045,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Caledonia Mining by 144.7% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,239 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,324 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Caledonia Mining by 56.8% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 7,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 2,882 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Caledonia Mining by 22.5% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 20,627 shares of the company’s stock valued at $200,000 after purchasing an additional 3,795 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Caledonia Mining by 11.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 48,073 shares of the company’s stock worth $467,000 after buying an additional 5,087 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Caledonia Mining by 10.0% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 102,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,000,000 after acquiring an additional 9,318 shares in the last quarter. 31.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Caledonia Mining Trading Down 3.0 % NYSEAMERICAN:CMCL opened at $10.72 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Caledonia Mining Co. Plc has a 12-month low of $8.91 and a 12-month high of $16.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $137.47 million, a P/E ratio of 22.27 and a beta of 0.72. Caledonia Mining Dividend Announcement Caledonia Mining Company Profile ( Free Report ) Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc primarily operates a gold mine. It also engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties for precious metals. The company holds a 64% interest in the Blanket Mine, a gold mine located in Zimbabwe. It also owns 100% interests in the Maligreen project, a brownfield gold exploration project located in the Gweru mining district in the Zimbabwe Midlands; the Bilboes, a gold deposit located to the north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; and the Motapa, a gold exploration property located in Southern Zimbabwe. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CMCL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Caledonia Mining Co. Plc ( NYSEAMERICAN:CMCL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Caledonia Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Caledonia Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Author Q&A: The 7-year-old making your money decisionsRanchi, Nov 23 (PTI) Following are the results of the significant candidates in the Jharkhand assembly elections: Winners * Hemant Soren -- The Jharkhand CM increased his margin in the Barhait seat as compared to the last assembly elections. He defeated BJP candidate Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes this time. In 2019, he had won the constituency by 25,740 votes. He had to resign as the CM in January before being arrested by the ED in a money laundering case. He was released on bail by the high court in June, and in July, he returned as the chief minister of the state, replacing Champai Soren. * Kalpana Soren -- The chief minister's wife won the Gandey seat by a margin of 17,142 votes, defeating BJP's Muniya Devi. She first won the seat in a bypoll on June 4 after it fell vacant following the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad. She is credited with revitalising the JMM when her husband was in jail. * Champai Soren -- The former CM, who took over the reign of the state after Hemant Soren's arrest, won the Seraikela seat on a BJP ticket by 20,447 votes. It is the only seat reserved for Scheduled Tribes that the BJP won in this assembly election. He had to quit the CM's post after Hemant Soren was released from jail on bail in June, and eventually, he joined the BJP, expressing discontent with the JMM. * Nisat Alam -- The wife of former Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, won the Pakur seat by the highest margin of 86,029 votes. Several central leaders had targeted Alamgir Alam, taken into custody by the ED on May 15, during their public rallies, urging people to "throw out corrupt forces like him". * Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) -- A new force in the political arena of the state, it bagged one seat but made its presence felt in several constituencies. Its founder Jairam Mahato, a Kurmi leader, won the Dumri seat by 10,945 votes. Its campaign focussed on local languages and culture, and unemployment among the youth. Losers * Sudesh Mahto -- The AJSU Party supremo lost the Silli seat to JMM's Amit Kumar by a margin of 23,867 votes. His party contested 10 seats and managed to win only one, that too by a wafer-thin margin of 231 votes. AJSU Party's Nirmal Mahto bagged the Mandu seat, defeating Jai Prakash Bhai Patel of the Congress. * Amar Bauri -- The leader of the opposition came at the third spot in the Chandankiyari seat in Bokaro district. JMM's Umakant Rajak won the constituency by a margin of 33,733 votes, defeating Arjun Rajwar of the JLKM. In the 2019 assembly polls, Bauri defeated Rajak, who contested the seat on an AJSU Party ticket. Rajak switched to JMM ahead of this election after the Chandankiyari seat went to the BJP as per the seat-sharing arrangement within the NDA. * Banna Gupta -- The Congress leader who was the health minister in the outgoing government lost to veteran politician Saryu Roy in the Jamshedpur West seat by 7,863 votes. Roy fought this election on a JD(U) ticket. * Biranchi Narayan -- The BJP chief whip in the last assembly lost to Congress candidate Shwettaa Singh in the Bokaro seat by a margin of 7,207 votes. He was a two-term MLA and campaigned in this election on the plank of development. * Mithilesh Thakur -- The senior JMM leader who held several portfolios in the outgoing government, including Drinking Water & Sanitation and Art & Culture, lost to BJP's Satyendra Nath Tiwari by 16,753 votes in the Garhwa seat. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

Plum High School student Eli Pollak has a financial strategy. “The earlier you start, like at our age, investing, the more money you will make,” said Pollak, who attended the Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania Stock Market Challenge presented by Citizens on Thursday, Dec. 12 at Stage AE on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. It was an event held to empower students with real-world financial literacy skills. Stage AE was set up like a stock market with a board showing the stock prices similar to the New York Stock Exchange, the biggest stock market on earth, where matches are made between buyers and sellers trading shares of public companies. In this live trading simulation, students formed teams to compete in maximizing their investments, strategizing in response to the ups and downs of a simulated market. There was buying, selling, trading and some tense moments. A bell was rung just like is done to open the daily stock market on Wall Street. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were on the line. Fortunately, this wasn’t real money. The morning included an interactive competition, bringing the trading floor to life. This was the first time for such an event in Pittsburgh. “This is what Junior Achievement does across the country,” said Patrice Matamoros, president of the Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania. “We help with real-life skills. What we do here is an extension of what they are learning in the classroom.” That includes managing money through stocks, which was the lesson of the day. There were 108 teams and 385 students from Allegheny, Beaver, Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties and Brooke and Hancock counties in West Virginia. Each team began with $500,000. They came prepared with a portfolio of fake company stocks. They were presented with various scenarios. Their portfolio might include companies such as Donut House, a global donut and coffee chain, and Nichols Sporting Goods, an American manufacturer of sports equipment. Al DiFranco, president and CEO at Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland, would announce information such as the price of coffee beans on the rise. If the students owned Donut House stock, they might want to make a decision what to do with the stock. And they didn’t have a lot of time because, for this competition, one minute was equal to one day. “This JA Stock Market Challenge is about the stock market, but also about financial literacy and wellness and investing wisely,” DiFranco said. “When you work on Wall Street, you have to constantly be paying attention because the stock market can change in a minute.” Gretchen Weber, a marketing, business, accounting, law and finance teacher at Plum, said it was a great opportunity for students to learn about stocks and how to handle money. She brought five teams and 16 students. Sophomore Caydence Morgan said there was so much happening all at once. “This is so important to learn about investing in our future,” Morgan said. Classmate Sophia Tedesco said the morning was pretty stressful and everything was happening so quickly. Learning good money management is important, Tedesco said. Morgan and Plum junior Gianna Sciulli won an award for sharing their experience on social media. Winners of the stock market challenge were Peters Township High School students Laci and Lexi Vance, both first-year students, and their older brother Wyatt Vance, a junior. The prizes were $500 for the first-place team, $300 for the second, and $25 gift cards for each player on the third-place team. Peters Township finished with $662,000 total. Wyatt has been studying the stock market since he was 9 years old. He has read a lot of books about stocks and said, in real life, in the blink of an eye you can go from the top to the floor so you have to always be aware of what is going on in the world. Pollak agreed. “The stock market really gets your adrenaline pumping,” Pollak said. “You have to pay attention to what’s happening around you every second.”

On Saturday, the unranked Florida Gators upset the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels 24-17 in Gainesville. After the win, Florida poked fun at the Rebels. OIe Miss was a 13.5-point favorite heading into the game, per ESPN BET . True freshman quarterback DJ Lagway was under center for the Gators and finished the game with 180 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. On the other side, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart had 323 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The game came down to one last drive for Ole Miss with 1:03 remaining, and Dart threw his second interception of the day to Florida cornerback Bryce Thornton. Thornton intercepted Dart earlier in the fourth quarter after the Ole Miss quarterback threw a pass into triple coverage. Bryce Thornton two straight INTS and the Gators upset OLE MISS pic.twitter.com/H378aIAhxZ In recent seasons, Ole Miss has celebrated by setting up a basketball goal on the sidelines at games. When players score a touchdown, they go to the basketball goal and dunk the football in the hoop. Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Florida players trolled Ole Miss by putting the Gators' logo on the backboard and taking turns dunking on it in a video posted by On3 on X. Florida put the Gators logo on Ole Miss’ sideline basketball hoop and took turns dunking on it after upsetting the Rebels 24-17😭 (via @talia_baia ) pic.twitter.com/51RjJgzCGB The win moved Florida to 6-5 on the season and guaranteed the second bowl game for the Gators under head coach Billy Napier. Florida closes out the regular season with a game against the Florida State Seminoles on Nov. 30. Related: A Top 10 College Football Program Suffered A Humiliating Loss As a 13.5-Point Favorite

jili jili WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump offered a public show of support Friday for Pete Hegseth, his choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat roles. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump's Pentagon. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well," Trump posted on his social media site. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" The nomination battle is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hard-line push for a more masculine military and an end to the "woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, responds to reporters during a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Pete Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, said Friday those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies, which he called problematic. “The nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth. Hegseth embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in government who are not aligned with Trump. Trump's allies forcefully rallied around Hegseth — the Heritage Foundation's political arm promised to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination — as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. Vice President-elect JD Vance offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, the embattled choice to lead the Defense Department. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vance told reporters during a tour of western North Carolina. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. He said he spoke with GOP senators and believes Hegseth will be confirmed. The effort became a test of Trump's clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump's first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, "Like you, we will never back down." Hegseth faces resistance from senators as reports emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. He promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops came under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women "straight up" should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth received from Sen. Joni Ernst, a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after meeting with Hegseth this week. On Friday, Ernst posted on X that she would meet with him again next week. “At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she wrote. On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team were pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, left, joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, attends a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as "vicious lies" against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team is looking at potential replacements, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Dec. 14 Army-Navy football game with Trump, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor's plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. DeSantis is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump's orbit. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump offered a public show of support Friday for Pete Hegseth, his choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat roles. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump's Pentagon. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well," Trump posted on his social media site. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" The nomination battle is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hard-line push for a more masculine military and an end to the "woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, responds to reporters during a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, said Friday those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies, which he called problematic. “The nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth. Hegseth embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in government who are not aligned with Trump. Trump's allies forcefully rallied around Hegseth — the Heritage Foundation's political arm promised to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination — as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. Vice President-elect JD Vance offers a public show of support for Pete Hegseth, the embattled choice to lead the Defense Department. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vance told reporters during a tour of western North Carolina. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. He said he spoke with GOP senators and believes Hegseth will be confirmed. The effort became a test of Trump's clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump's first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, "Like you, we will never back down." Hegseth faces resistance from senators as reports emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. He promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops came under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women "straight up" should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth received from Sen. Joni Ernst, a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after meeting with Hegseth this week. On Friday, Ernst posted on X that she would meet with him again next week. “At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she wrote. On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team were pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, left, joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, attends a meeting with Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as "vicious lies" against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team is looking at potential replacements, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Dec. 14 Army-Navy football game with Trump, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor's plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. DeSantis is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump's orbit. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. Doug Collins is a former Republican congressman from Georgia who gained recognition for defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, which centered on U.S. assistance for Ukraine. Trump was impeached for urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden in 2019 during the Democratic presidential nomination, but he was acquitted by the Senate. Collins has also served in the armed forces himself and is currently a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. "We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement about nominating Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. A Republican congressman from Michigan who served from 1993 to 2011, Hoekstra was ambassador to the Netherlands during Trump's first term. “In my Second Term, Pete will help me once again put AMERICA FIRST,” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice. “He did an outstanding job as United States Ambassador to the Netherlands during our first four years, and I am confident that he will continue to represent our Country well in this new role.” Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

Departing Danville fire chief made the most of five-year term

Christmas 2024 is right upon us, which means it is time to get into shopping mode if you haven’t already and still wish to see your gifts arrive in time for the big day. Reading enthusiasts can take solace from the current Kindle Paperwhite deal, which has brought the price down for the latest generation e-reader to $135. That’s a nice $25 less than its usual price of $160, which makes for a discount of 16 percent. As pointed out, it is just $5 shy of the lowest we have seen for the Paperwhite during Black Friday. The best thing about the deal is that the device is going to ship by Christmas time though this applies to only Prime members as of now. Non-Prime members have no other option but to wait for a few more days for Paperwhite to arrive if they plan to order now. As for the device, it’s bigger and more capable than it has ever been before. With a 7-inch e-paper display, the Paperwhite is easily the new Oasis. It boasts a higher contrast ratio and a brighter display than its predecessor. Texts and images are as crisp as they can be. Batter life, already a strong point with Kindle devices, is now rated to last 12 weeks on the new Paperwhite. Plus, the new Paperwhite is waterproof, making it perfectly safe to continue reading during a bath or when you are by the poolside or at the beach. The 16 GB of onboard storage should comfortably hold thousands of e-books or a few hundred audiobooks. The model on offer will show ads on the lock screen and does not come with a Kindle Unlimited membership. With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.

BARGAIN hunting could help boost the stock market this week, analysts said, but the trimmed rate cut projections by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) could potentially dampen investor sentiment. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange last week hit an over five-month low on Dec. 19, closing at 6,395.60, but rebounded a day after, ending the week at 6,406.38, down by 3.2 percent week-on-week. This was the lowest close of the stock index since it closed at 6,358.38 on July 2. Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said that the stock market has been on a decline for over two months, largely due to US President-elect Donald Trump's statements on protectionist policies, which could lead to higher US inflation, fewer Fed cuts, slower global trade, and clipped gross domestic product growth. Philstocks Financial Inc. research manager Japhet Tantiangco described last week's trading as "turning more bearish" as it extended its decline. "The bourse's MACD (moving average convergence/divergence) line has crossed below the signal line, indicating downward momentum," he said. "Its 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages are about to form a death cross with the appearance of such indicating a possible downtrend in the medium to long run," Tantiangco added. He further said that the market is still unable to break above its 10-day exponential moving average, but the 6,400 support line still holds. With the continuous decline, Tantiangco said that "from a fundamental standpoint, the local market has been driven to more attractive levels, giving opportunity to bargain hunters." "However, the trimmed rate cut projections of both the Federal Reserve and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may weigh on the market," he noted, adding that concerns about the 2025 national budget may also affect market sentiment. Tantiangco said that the further depreciation of the peso is still expected to pose downside risks to the market. The peso hit a record low of P59 against the dollar last Dec. 19. For its part, online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said that hawkish comments from the US and Philippine central banks spooked local equities and led to the stock index falling below 6,500. "The Fed and the BSP played out their predicted moves this December round of policy meetings: both 25-bps (basis points) sized cuts to cap the year," it said. "The catch is in the outlook for next year, both scaling back on aggressive rate cutting; by the end of this week, consensus is at less than 100-bps cuts for the entirety of 2025," it added. The online brokerage firm said this is another case of central banks' commentary moving the markets instead of the actual rate change, which is a phenomenon likely to continue well into next year as policy magnitude shifts to be more dependent on evolving data. "On a sliding scale with hawkish and dovish policy on either end, a lot of 2025 is shaping up to be played at the gray area in the middle," it explained. 2TradeAsia added that central banks remain directionally leaning toward a neutral rate, acknowledging the role of pro-growth policy amid weaker global economic growth. It advises investors to "expect quiet sessions in the final trading week of the year." "Take the time to reassess portfolio strategies/make tactical pivots to average down/lock in yields amid the recent bout of pessimism," it said. "2025 forces and themes are looking to demand more active management styles as the hunt for alpha becomes less straightforward and more challenging," it added. Unicapital Group research head Wendy Estacio-Cruz, meanwhile, said, "The index bounced on Friday (Dec. 20) amid bargain hunting as investors digested the rate cuts from both the US Fed and the BSP." "We expect a range of 6,300 to 6,700 next week, with a possible Santa rally," she concluded. Analysts said that investors are expected to watch out for more positive catalysts for the week and that the immediate support this week would be at 6,400, with resistance at 6,500-6,800.Nikita Kucherov was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct on a dangerous hit he delivered, and he just found out his suspension fate. For years, the NHL has been considered one of the most physical sports leagues in the world, but sometimes that intensity goes from hard-nosed to downright dangerous. That was the case on Monday night with an illegal hit. During the highly over-promoted Battle of Florida, Tampa Bay Lighting's Nikita Kucherov had himself a knee-on-knee hit to Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers . The dangerous play sent Nikita Kucherov to the box for a five-minute major penalty and was tagged with a game misconduct . Matthew Tkachuk , despite being in clear pain immediately following the play, would eventually return to the game much to the delight of the Panthers fans. The roaring standing ovation upon his return was a sure-fire indicator that fears of a long-term injury to the star forward were thankfully not founded. The NHL's Department of Player Safety has weighed in on the play and assessed Kucherov with no extra discipline. While Kucherov isn't necessarily considered one of the dirtier players in the league, he's definitely had his moments. Fortunately for Tkachuk, it seems like he has dodged a bullet, and he might be ready to go on December 27th when NHL action resumes. With the chances of Kucherov committing such an infraction this season again extremely low, the Department of Player Safety figured nothing more would come. This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday the government "would not accept any pressure" from the new US administration led by President-elect Donald Trump to negotiate with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or release its party founder Imran Khan. When questioned about potential pressure from the Trump administration in view of its loyalist Richard Grenell's tweet demanding Imran's release, Sanaullah replied: "We would not work under pressure of Donald Trump [...] if any intervention is made then we would consider it as interference in our sovereignty." Grenell, who has been picked by Trump as "envoy for special missions" earlier this month, had called for release of former premier Imran — who remains incarcerated at the Adiala jail since August last year — via writing "Release Imran Khan" on X last month. The premier's aide, who is also one of the members of the government's negotiation committee, further said that they did not commence dialogue with the major opposition party due to Trump. He stressed that negotiations should be held bilaterally between the treasury and the opposition. He also said that Pakistan had witnessed ups and downs in its bilateral ties with the US, however, Islamabad would not accept anything against its national interests. To another question, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader replied that the federal government would not create obstacles if the Imran Khan-founded party seeks "conclusive and time-bound" talks. He, however, said that it won't be possible if both sides agreed on all demands during the talks, adding that the government was not in haste to summon meetings immediately. He was pointing towards the recent statement of the embattled PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan in which he sought government's “timeframe” in connection with progress on their demands after the latter met Imran at Adiala Jail today. “Dialogues should be held within [a specified] timeframe,” Gohar said, quoting the incarcerated PTI founder, urging the incumbent government to make progress. The PTI founder expressed his satisfaction over initiating the negotiation process, he added. Responding to a question, the PTI chairman said that matters related to the civil disobedience movement were not discussed in the meeting. The development came a day after the ruling coalition and the PTI came to table to defuse political tensions in the cash-strapped country. Negotiating committees, formed by the government and the PTI, conducted their much-hyped meeting in a conducive environment and resolved to continue dialogue process a day ago. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who presided over the meeting, had said that the next session will be held on January 2 and PTI’s team would present a charter of their demands in the huddle.

Bruising year

INDIANAPOLIS — It was just a 10-yard completion, easy to overlook in the wake of a record-setting rushing day and easy to dismiss as one of just 11 pass attempts throughout the Indianapolis Colts’ 38-30 victory Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. But Anthony Richardson’s third-and-8 pass to wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter was pivotal to holding off the visitors’ late rally. If the Colts were forced to punt in that situation, a defense that had allowed touchdowns on three consecutive drives — of 70, 55 and 71 yards — would be back on the field with tremendous pressure to prevent the game going to overtime. Richardson was cold and out of rhythm. He’d been sacked on his most recent pass attempt — on third-and-9 with 6:51 remaining — and he hadn’t gotten a pass off since throwing an incompletion intended for wide receiver Josh Downs at the 11:20 mark. With the dual-threat quarterback and running back Jonathan Taylor combining for 270 of Indianapolis’ single-game franchise-record 335 rushing yards, Richardson had not completed a pass since the 8:33 mark of the third quarter, and he was just 1-for-2 in the second half. Still, he was calm and composed on the crucial third down — hitting Pittman on a simple out pattern to move the chains and keep the clock moving. When the Colts finally did punt the ball back to Tennessee, there were only three seconds remaining for the Titans to work with, It was a forgettable play in the grand scheme of the game, but it was also the most recent evidence of the 22-year-old quarterback’s ability to raise his level of play in the clutch. He’s 3-2 as a starter since taking the role back from veteran Joe Flacco, and the other two victories featured game-winning touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. “I think that’s a special trait — obviously as a young player — that he doesn’t flinch in those times, to lead those comebacks,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “Obviously, the (New York) Jets, the New England (Patriots) game, I mean, those are big-time drives to go win games. “You want that out of young players, especially (when) you see the veteran guys do it around the league all the time, but to do it as a young player speaks volumes of the person that he is.” Despite Richardson’s up-and-down season, Indianapolis has maintained steadfast belief in his potential. Even when he was benched for Flacco, the organization repeatedly stated it was not giving up on the quarterback as its future leader. There’s still plenty of work to be done. Richardon has completed just 47.7% of his passes, and he’s thrown 12 interceptions in 11 starts. His rushing ability again was evident Sunday, and he’s set franchise single-season records for a quarterback with 499 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. And he has proven his big-play ability with a league-leading 14.4 yards per completion. The Colts still believe improved consistency will come with increased reps, and they hold out hope the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft can still become the long-term answer at the game’s most important position. For now, Richardson’s late-game heroics offer the most compelling argument in his favor. “I think it’s just me just playing all the way until the clock hits zero,” Richardson said of his mindset. “I never think about fourth quarter moments or anything like that. I just try to play until the game’s over. And it just happens sometimes that most of it happens in the fourth quarter. So I just try to play through the whistle and just play through the whole game.” After rushing for 218 yards and three touchdowns against the Titans – both the second-highest single-game totals of his career – Taylor has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. It was a major bounce-back performance after Taylor’s unforced fumble just short of the goal line cost the Colts dearly in a pivotal loss against the Denver Broncos a week prior. “It’s always exciting to see that dude just do what he does,” Richardson said. “It’s fascinating, honestly, just to see him hit a gap and just take it to the house. It’s just amazing, especially thinking about what happened in the Denver game. It honestly like wiped my mind. I wasn’t even thinking about it until people were talking about him coming back and having the game he did. “It’s like ‘OK, that’s the type of player he is, the type of person he is.’ He always wants to do better for the team and for himself. And just to see him do that and get what he did on Sunday is just a blessing.” The Colts officially signed right guard Mark Glowinski to the 53-man roster Tuesday after he’d been called up for game day in each of the past three weeks. Guard Antonio Mafi was re-signed to the practice squad after being released from the 53-man roster Monday.White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign

jili23 (The Center Square) – Legislators in Washington, D.C., have taken a number of steps over the past few days to push for insurance and pharmaceutical reforms to be passed before the end of the year. On Wednesday, a bicameral group of Republican and Democrat lawmakers held a press conference discussing the need for pharmacy benefit manager reform to protect small pharmacies across the country and “save lives.” “Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or an independent, we all want the same thing. We want accessible, affordable, quality health care,” said Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga. “We’re not here today to just discuss one bill or to discuss just one patient’s story. We're here because there's broad, bipartisan pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, reform that is needed to save lives.” Pharmacy benefit managers are the middlemen responsible for managing the drug prices covered by health insurance plans. According to the Harvard Political Review , the problem with pharmacy benefit managers is that they “have vertically integrated with pharmacy chains and health insurers through massive conglomerates.” That then allows them to abuse their power to cut out small pharmacies and increase prices. Carter also signed a letter that was released last week calling on the Department of Justice to dig into the role pharmacy benefit managers played in the opioid epidemic. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Deborah Ross, D-N.C., and Cliff Benz, R-Ore., all joined him in signing that letter. More from this section “The opioid crisis has devastated communities in North Carolina and across the country, and PBMs may have fueled it by prioritizing profits over people,” Ross said on social media . “That’s why I joined a letter calling on the DOJ to investigate their role and hold these bad actors accountable.” The letter looked at recent reports on the largest pharmacy benefit managers, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx which state that they “colluded and conspired to steer patients towards OxyContin in exchange for $400 million.” OxyContin is a trade name for the narcotic oxycodone hydrochloride, a painkiller available by prescription only. This and the general “lack of transparency” is just one of the many complaints that legislators aired on Wednesday. “My colleagues who are joining me today, Democrats and Republicans ... all recognize that PBMs are decreasing the accessibility, the affordability, and therefore the quality of health care in America,” Carter said. “We have an opportunity, right now, to advance bipartisan legislation that increases reporting requirements, which would heighten transparency and shine a light on the opaque practices of these PBMs.” Carter was also joined by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who is leading the effort to get legislation passed in the U.S. Senate. “This year, we're losing about one pharmacy a day in America,” Lankford said. “We want leadership to be able to take this up and to bring it up in the end-of-year package ... Stop holding up legislation that is bipartisan, bicameral, and solving a problem that Americans need solved.”NDP will not support Liberal GST holiday bill unless rebate expanded: Singh

Immediately after Michigan defeated Ohio State this Saturday in Columbus, a massive brawl broke out at midfield. Apparently, the police needed to take drastic measures to break it up. Ohio State players were furious that Michigan wanted to plant a flag at midfield. While we understand why, it's hard to get mad after blowing a game where your team was favored by three touchdowns. That being said, punches were thrown as soon as the Wolverines tried to claim Ohio Stadium as their own. In an effort to defuse the tension, the cops used pepper spray on the field. Some Michigan players were spotted with tears in their eyes. Not only were players hit with pepper spray, some reporters were also struck in the crossfire. "Just got secondhand pepper sprayed," Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated wrote on X . Forde also shared a video of the wild scene at Ohio Stadium. pic.twitter.com/OotacVEVPI Ohio State coach Ryan Day was asked about this afternoon's brawl. His response was pretty underwhelming. "I don’t know all the details of it, but those guys were looking to put a flag on our field and our guys weren’t going to let that happen," Day told reporters . "Certainly we’re embarrassed about the loss, but we have some prideful guys." Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, on the other hand, said Ohio State has to learn how to lose with grace. Icon Sportswire/Getty Images "For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game," Mullings said . "It's just bad for the sport, it's bad for college football. At the end of the day though, some people gotta learn how to lose man. You can't be fighting and stuff just because you lost a game. We had 60 minutes and four quarters to do all that fighting. So now you want to fight? That's just wrong. It's bad for the game - classless, in my opinion. People got to be better." The Big Ten has not yet announced if players will be disciplined for their actions. At the very least, Michigan and Ohio State have to come forward and accept some responsibility for this mess. Related: Ryan Day Had Awful Response When Asked About Ohio State's Brawl With MichiganCoinbase chief people officer Lawrence Brock sells $8m in stock

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in shares of Hayward Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:HAYW – Free Report ) by 6.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 111,499 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 6,264 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned approximately 0.05% of Hayward worth $1,710,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Hayward by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 65,048 shares of the company’s stock worth $996,000 after buying an additional 4,158 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in Hayward by 241.0% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 608,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,312,000 after acquiring an additional 429,851 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Hayward by 32.8% in the second quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 52,972 shares of the company’s stock valued at $652,000 after acquiring an additional 13,091 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of Hayward by 4.4% during the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 54,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $670,000 after purchasing an additional 2,289 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of Hayward by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 99,981 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,230,000 after purchasing an additional 2,746 shares during the last quarter. Analyst Ratings Changes HAYW has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Hayward from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Hayward from $15.50 to $16.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Hayward from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Hayward from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Hayward presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $16.80. Insider Buying and Selling at Hayward In other Hayward news, CEO Kevin Holleran sold 100,000 shares of Hayward stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.96, for a total value of $1,596,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 522,799 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,343,872.04. The trade was a 16.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, CFO Eifion Jones sold 75,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.11, for a total value of $1,208,250.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 258,903 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,170,927.33. This represents a 22.46 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 217,857 shares of company stock valued at $3,416,677 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.25% of the company’s stock. Hayward Price Performance Hayward stock opened at $16.15 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.19. Hayward Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $11.55 and a one year high of $16.87. The business has a fifty day moving average of $15.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $14.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.69 and a current ratio of 2.62. Hayward ( NYSE:HAYW – Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $0.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.10 by $0.01. Hayward had a return on equity of 9.93% and a net margin of 9.47%. The firm had revenue of $227.57 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $222.88 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.08 EPS. Hayward’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Hayward Holdings, Inc. will post 0.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hayward Profile ( Free Report ) Hayward Holdings, Inc designs, manufactures, and markets a portfolio of pool equipment and associated automation systems in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers pool equipment, including pumps, filters, robotics, suction and pressure cleaners, gas heaters and heat pumps, water features and landscape lighting, water sanitizers, salt chlorine generators, safety equipment, and in-floor automated cleaning systems, as well as LED illumination solutions. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Hayward How to Calculate Stock Profit The Latest 13F Filings Are In: See Where Big Money Is Flowing 3 Must-Buy Warren Buffett Stocks for Volatile Times 3 Penny Stocks Ready to Break Out in 2025 3 Natural Gas Stocks That Offer Great Dividend Yields FMC, Mosaic, Nutrien: Top Agricultural Stocks With Big Potential Receive News & Ratings for Hayward Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hayward and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Chris Cenac Jr., the top center in the Class of 2025 according to the ESPN100, has committed to play for the Houston Cougars. The five-star recruit announced his decision Tuesday via the Bleacher Report's B/R App. Cenac previously said he wouldn't make his decision until the spring, but his stock soared over the summer after his impressive play on the Puma Pro 16 circuit with Dallas-based YGC, vaulting him into the national top-10 rankings. The 6-foot-10 New Orleans native was reportedly choosing between LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Tennessee and others before making the decision to join Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson's team. "I just like the coaching staff a lot, I like their plan to develop me and I like coming into a winning program," Cenac told 247Sports. "I'm looking forward to producing and just helping them win more. But the main thing was development and them being able to get me better so I can be ready for that next level." Cenac's rating of .9978 by 247Sports Composite makes him the Cougars' highest-rated commit in the modern era, according to multiple outlets. "They see me as a four who can kind of play all over the court and do everything," Cenac told 247Sports. "I can get rebounds, push the ball, shoot and play all over the floor." With Cenac joining other Houston commits like five-star shooting guard Isaiah Harwell, four-star point guard Kingston Flemings and three-star wing Bryce Jackson, Houston's Class of 2025 is ranked No. 2 in the nation by 247Sports and ESPN. --Field Level MediaLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have claimed cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington. The Rams (6-6) announced the move Monday. They waived undrafted rookie defensive back Charles Woods to make room on the roster. Forbes was the 16th overall draft pick in 2023, but the Commanders released him Saturday in yet another latest flop for their first-round selections under former coach Ron Rivera. Forbes started 10 games as a rookie, but the Mississippi State product got benched during the season — and his playing time dwindled to almost nothing under new coach Dan Quinn this season. Forbes was considered undersized to be an elite NFL defensive back before Washington used a first-round pick on him, and his play did little to discourage that perception. But the Rams are taking a flier on Forbes to help their mediocre pass defense. Darious Williams, a member of the Rams' Super Bowl championship team who returned to Los Angeles this season as a free agent, has been their best cover corner, but he struggled in Sunday's victory over New Orleans. Third-year pro Cobie Durant has started all 12 games this season with one interception. Los Angeles already traded Tre'Davious White, its other major offseason signing at cornerback, after the former Pro Bowler failed to perform. The Rams shipped White to Baltimore for a seventh-round pick swap last month. Woods has played in nine games for the Rams, appearing mostly on special teams. Los Angeles hosts Buffalo on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes tore through a tent camp for displaced Palestinians in southern Gaza on Wednesday, sparking fires and killing at least 21 people, according to the head of a nearby hospital, in the latest assault on a sprawling tent city that Israel designated a humanitarian safe zone but has repeatedly targeted. The Israeli military said it struck senior Hamas militants “involved in terrorist activities” in the area, without providing additional details, and said it took precautions to minimize harm to civilians. The strike on the Muwasi tent camp was one of several deadly assaults across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. An Israeli attack in central Gaza killed at least 10 more people, including four children, according to Palestinian medics. Israel’s devastating war in Gaza , launched after Hamas’ October 2023 attack, shows no signs of ending after nearly 14 months. Hamas is still holding dozens of Israeli hostages, and most of Gaza’s population has been displaced and is reliant on international food aid to survive. Israel is also pressing a major offensive in the isolated north, where experts say Palestinians might be experiencing famine . The Biden administration has pledged to make a new push for a Gaza ceasefire now that there's a truce in Lebanon between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, ending more than a year of cross-border fighting. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump demanded this week the release of hostages held by Hamas before he is sworn into office in January. Wednesday's strike in Muwasi — a desolate area with few public services that holds hundreds of thousands of displaced people — wounded at least 28 people, according to Atif al-Hout, the director of Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. An Associated Press journalist at the hospital counted at least 15 bodies, but said reaching a precise number was difficult because many of the dead were dismembered, some without heads or badly burned. In the morgue, an infant's blackened hand and face peeked out from beneath a heavy blanket used to transport bodies to the hospital. “It was like doomsday,” said a wounded woman, Iman Jumaa, who held back tears as she described how the strike killed her father, her brothers and her brothers' children. Videos and photos of the strike shared widely on social media showed flames and a column of black smoke rising into the night sky, as well as twisted metal tent frames and shredded fabric. Palestinian men searched through the still-burning wreckage, shouting, “Over here guys!” Further away, civilians stood at a distance, observing the destruction. The military said the strikes had set off secondary blasts, indicating explosives present in the area had detonated. It was not possible to independently confirm the Israeli claims, and the strikes could also have ignited fuel, cooking gas canisters or other materials in the camp. Shortly after the strike, Al-Awda Hospital said two people had been killed and 38 wounded in an attack on a residential block in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The military had no immediate comment on the strike, but said earlier strikes in central Gaza had hit “terrorist targets." Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths, saying the militants often operate in residential areas and are known to position tunnels, rocket launchers and other infrastructure near homes, schools and mosques. Previous Israeli strikes on tent camps in Gaza have drawn widespread international outrage, such as when a wounded student’s last moments were caught on video as he burned to death in a tent outside a hospital. In northern Gaza, dozens of Palestinian families said Israel's expanding offensive had forcibly displaced them from schools-turned-shelters. Associated Press footage showed people on the road Wednesday leaving Beit Lahia, many crowded onto donkey carts with their belongings in their arms. Others walked on foot. “This morning a quadcopter (drone) detonated four bombs at the school. There were people injured, human remains — we left with nothing,” said Sadeia al-Rahel. The 57-year-old said her family has been eating grass, leaves, and animal feed for two months due to the lack of food aid in the north. The amount of aid entering Gaza plunged in October, and hunger is widespread across the territory, even in central Gaza where aid groups have more access. Humanitarian organizations say Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order make it difficult to deliver assistance. Israel has said it is working to increase the flow of aid. Israel’s offensive has killed over 44,500 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and around 250 people were abducted. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. On Wednesday, Israel said its forces recovered the body of a hostage who was captured alive during the Oct. 7 attack. Israel believes Itay Svirsky was killed by his captors. The families of hostages held in Gaza have grown increasingly concerned that their loved ones are at risk so long as the war continues. Israel’s military released on Wednesday the findings of a probe into the circumstances behind the deaths of six hostages whose bodies were recovered in August, determining they were probably shot by their captors after a nearby Israeli strike in February. Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/mideast-warsRams claim CB Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from Washington

Khris Middleton completed full five-on-five scrimmages with the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday and the team is hopeful he's going to make his season debut at some point after Thanksgiving, sources told ESPN. Monday marked the first time Middleton participated in five-on-five play during his rehab process as he works toward feeling physically ready for his season debut from double ankle surgeries in the offseason. He has been medically cleared to play for some time now, according to sources. Editor's Picks NBA first-month takeaways: Legendary stats, injury drama and a bizarre East race 4h Tim Bontemps Middleton has increased his on-court activity and has consistently completed 3-on-3 play over the past several weeks. Middleton, 33, is a three-time All-Star, a 2021 NBA champion and an Olympic gold medalist. Injuries have limited him to 88 regular-season games since the start of the 2022-23 season, but he has still been a productive player when he plays and the Bucks believe he can be a difference-maker after their 5-9 start. He averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds on 49% shooting last season.COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 26, 2024-- Venu Holding Corporation (NYSE American: VENU) (“VENU” or the “Company”), a premier hospitality and live music company dedicated to crafting luxury, experience-driven entertainment destinations, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 1,200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock at public offering price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $12 million prior to deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses. In addition, VENU has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 180,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, if any. The shares of common stock are expected to begin trading on the NYSE American under ticker symbol “VENU” on November 27, 2024. The offering is expected to close on November 29, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund the expansion of its business operations, further development of Company services, business promotion activities, and for working capital and general corporate purposes, including general market expansion and due diligence efforts to explore the opening of new restaurant, entertainment, and music venues. ThinkEquity is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities referred to in this press release, nor will there be any sale of any such securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or solicitation would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-281271) relating to the shares was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and became effective on November 12, 2024. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from ThinkEquity, 17 State Street, 41st Floor, New York, New York 10004. The final prospectus will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov . About Venu Holding Corporation Venu Holding Corporation (“VENU”) (NYSE American: VENU) founded by Colorado Springs entrepreneur J.W. Roth, is a premier hospitality and live music venue developer dedicated to crafting luxury, experience-driven entertainment destinations. VENU’s campuses in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Gainesville, Georgia, each feature Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern, The Hall at Bourbon Brothers, and unique to Colorado Springs, Notes Eatery and the 8,000-seat Ford Amphitheater. Expanding with new Sunset Amphitheaters in Oklahoma and Texas, VENU’s upcoming large-scale venues will host between 12,500 and 20,000 guests, continuing VENU’s vision of redefining the live entertainment experience. VENU has been recognized nationally by The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Denver Post, Billboard, VenuesNow, and Variety for its innovative and disruptive approach to live entertainment. For more information, visit venu.live. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the SEC, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126642783/en/ For media inquiries contact Chloe Hoeft atchoeft@venu.liveor 719-895-5470 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA COLORADO INDUSTRY KEYWORD: OTHER TRAVEL RESTAURANT/BAR DESTINATIONS TRAVEL MUSIC EVENTS/CONCERTS RETAIL ENTERTAINMENT SOURCE: Venu Holding Corporation Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/26/2024 06:10 PM/DISC: 11/26/2024 06:10 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241126642783/en

Rudy Giuliani in a courtroom outburst accuses judge in assets case of being unfair, drawing a rebuke

Rams claim CB Emmanuel Forbes off waivers from WashingtonAn ugly scene in the aftermath of Saturday's rivalry game between Michigan and Ohio State resulted in players from both sides being pepper sprayed by police. After the Wolverines' 13-10 upset of the Buckeyes, UM players attempted to plant their flag at midfield of The Horseshoe — leading to a brawl between the two schools. Officers at the stadium quickly got involved to try to break up the skirmish and some appeared to take things too far: Video surfaces appearing to show police pepper spray players after Ohio State/Michigan game. Liquid appears to spray around the 36-second mark. Ohio State player is then immediately in pain. pic.twitter.com/kpu1OuKSOJ Fans couldn't believe the viral video. "OSU has gotta be the worst in the world," a user said. "Y'all get worked and don't show up then your PD pepper spray the victors as they celebrate. Shameless but not surprising." "That's crazy man... big payout coming," another replied. "We are out here pepper spraying 20 year olds in Columbus? Over a flag plant? They do realized Texas planted one in Ann Arbor earlier this year right?" a fan asked. "Sad [expletive] losers #GoBlue." "ENTIRE STATE OF OHIO IS GARBAGE FOR THIS....WTF Man. Loser [expletive] cops. ZERO NEED FOR THIS." "Ohio State also needs to be disciplined for this," another person commented. "Unacceptable." "Why is this necessary?" "Well at least it was Ohio State too. Thought it was only Michigan players. Would have looked even worse," another person commented. Jason Mowry/Getty Images Michigan running back Kalel Mullings appeared to sum it up best in his postgame interview with FOX's Jenny Taft: "You hate to see stuff like that after the game. That's just bad for the sport, bad for college football... They gotta learn how to lose man. We had 60 minutes — we had four quarters to do all that fighting. And now people want to talk and fight. That's wrong." Related: Michigan Players Were Pepper Sprayed During Ohio State Brawl

By RANDALL CHASE, Associated Press DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge has reaffirmed her ruling that Tesla must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick on Monday denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. Related Articles National News | Woman driving drunk who killed bride still in her wedding dress sentenced to 25 years in prison National News | Florida woman sentenced to life for zipping boyfriend into suitcase, suffocating him National News | A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data National News | Supreme Court justices question block on flavored vapes, but don’t appear convinced FDA was unfair National News | What medical care for transgender minors is at stake in Supreme Court case? McCormick also rejected an equally unprecedented and massive fee request by plaintiff attorneys , who argued that they were entitled to legal fees in the form of Tesla stock valued at more than $5 billion. The judge said the attorneys were entitled to a fee award of $345 million. The rulings came in a lawsuit filed by a Tesla stockholder who challenged Musk’s 2018 compensation package. McCormick concluded in January that Musk engineered the landmark pay package in sham negotiations with directors who were not independent. The compensation package initially carried a potential maximum value of about $56 billion, but that sum has fluctuated over the years based on Tesla’s stock price. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Most Popular 1 dead, 2 seriously injured in Newport News triple shooting, police say 1 dead, 2 seriously injured in Newport News triple shooting, police say Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to German restaurant Deutsche Ecke opens in Newport News German restaurant Deutsche Ecke opens in Newport News Former Hampton High football coach Mike Smith highlights latest Virginia Hall of Fame inductees Former Hampton High football coach Mike Smith highlights latest Virginia Hall of Fame inductees Al Roker speaks out after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade chair mishap Al Roker speaks out after Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade chair mishap Underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets extinguished Underground fire at Williamsburg Premium Outlets extinguished Dad kills wife, shoots 21-year-old daughter on the phone with 911, police say Dad kills wife, shoots 21-year-old daughter on the phone with 911, police say Teel: Chaos abounds in college football, but not when it comes to Virginia Tech vs. UVA Teel: Chaos abounds in college football, but not when it comes to Virginia Tech vs. UVA New Kent wants public input on future of Makemie Woods New Kent wants public input on future of Makemie Woods Editorial: New executive director set to lead Fort Monroe into the future Editorial: New executive director set to lead Fort Monroe into the future Trending Nationally A young Coloradan learning to live with long COVID turns to TikTok to educate about chronic illness US Senate inquiry into Chicago’s housing of migrants at airports likely to heat up after Republican election wins Homes vs. beaches: Court makes key decision in battle over California seawall construction amid ocean rise Fruit trees and ‘generational learning’ turn this California city into a parrot paradise as temperatures drop Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine’s legal troubles expand with two South Florida lawsuits

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Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Reduces Stock Position in Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (NYSE:SHO)President-elect Donald Trump's repeated support for TikTok has sparked speculation about potential solutions to prevent the app's impending ban in the United States, though the path forward remains unclear. "We got to keep this sucker around for a little while," Trump told supporters on Sunday, just days after meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in Florida. Trump, who credits the wildly popular platform with delivering him a large young user base, opposes banning TikTok partly because he believes it would primarily benefit Meta, the Mark Zuckerberg-led company behind Instagram and Facebook. The situation is complex, according to University of Richmond School of Law professor Carl Tobias, given the various potential solutions and Trump's unpredictable nature. Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation, signed by President Joe Biden in April, that would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless Beijing-based ByteDance sells its stake by January 19. US officials and lawmakers grew wary of the potential for the Chinese government to influence ByteDance or access the data of TikTok's American users. Even with Trump's decisive election victory and incoming Republican-led Congress, acquiescing to the president-elect's desire and preventing the ban faces significant hurdles. The law enjoyed rare bipartisan support in a divided Washington, making its outright repeal through a vote in Congress politically unlikely even with Trump's influence over Republicans. The Supreme Court may offer the clearest path forward. TikTok has appealed to the nation's highest court, arguing the law violates First Amendment rights to free speech. The court, which is dominated by Trump-aligned conservatives, will hear the case on January 10, just nine days before the ban takes effect. This follows a lower appeals court's unanimous decision to uphold the law in December. Another possibility, according to Tobias, is that a Trump-led Department of Justice could determine ByteDance has addressed the law's national security concerns. However, such a move would likely be seen as caving to China by Congress and others. The final option is ByteDance selling to a non-Chinese buyer, though the company has consistently refused this possibility. With 170 million monthly active users, acquiring TikTok's US operations would require substantial resources. As president, Trump could extend the ban deadline by 90 days to facilitate a transaction. Few potential buyers have emerged, with major tech companies likely deterred by antitrust concerns. Former Trump Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin, who runs a private equity fund backed by Japan's SoftBank Group and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala sovereign wealth fund, has expressed interest. During a recent event with Trump, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son pledged to invest $100 billion in the US economy, though specific investments weren't detailed. Other contenders include US real estate billionaire Frank McCourt, who aims to make social media safer through his Project Liberty organization. Elon Musk, given his proximity to Trump and ownership of X, could also have a role to play, as he has expressed plans to transform the text-focused platform into something more like TikTok. A senior Republican lawmaker recently suggested Trump might orchestrate a "deal of the century" satisfying both US concerns and ByteDance's interests. The chairman of the US House committee on China, John Moolenaar, told Fox News Digital that once ByteDance accepts it must comply with US law, the situation could progress rapidly. Any agreement would need Beijing's approval, with US-China relations expected to remain tense during Trump's upcoming term. This isn't the first attempt to resolve TikTok's US status. In 2020, Trump also threatened a ban unless ByteDance sold its US operations. While Oracle and Walmart reached a preliminary agreement with ByteDance for ownership stakes, legal challenges and the transition to the Biden administration prevented the deal's completion. arp/mlm

'Something has to happen here' | Road rage death spurs Texas father to push for legislation to curb the problemNone

Delaware judge rejects request to restore Musk’s $56-billion Tesla pay

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NASSAU – Justin Thomas was long off the tee and made a few long putts on the back nine to overtake Scottie Scheffler with a 6-under 66 and build a one-shot lead Saturday over golf's best player going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge. Thomas is trying out a 46-inch driver — a little more than an inch longer than normal — that he previously used for practice at home to gain speed and length. He blasted a 361-yard drive to 8 feet on the par-4 seventh hole and led the field in driving distance. Recommended Videos But it was a few long putts that put him ahead of Scheffler, who had a 69. Thomas was on the verge of falling two shots behind when he made an 18-foot par putt on the par-3 12th hole. On the reachable par-4 14th, he was in a nasty spot in a sandy area and could only splash it out to nearly 50 feet. He made that one for a most unlikely birdie, while behind him Scheffler muffed a chip on the 13th hole and made his lone bogey of a windy day. Scheffler never caught up to him, missing birdie chances on the reachable 14th and the par-5 15th. Thomas hit his approach to 3 feet for birdie on the 16th after a 343-yard drive. Scheffler made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th to close within one. Scheffler missed birdie chances on the last two holes from the 10-foot and 15-foot range, while Thomas missed an 8-foot birdie attempt at the last. “I had a stretch at 13, 14, 15 where I felt like I lost a shot or two there, but outside of that I did a lot of really good things today,” Scheffler said. Thomas hasn't won since the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, and a victory at Albany Golf Club wouldn't count as an official win. But the two-time major champion has made steady progress toward getting his game back in order. “I'm driving it great. I've had a lot of confidence with it,” Thomas said of his longer driver. “I feel like I've been able to put myself in some pretty good spots going into the green. I’m still not taking advantage of some of them as much as I would like, but that’s golf and we're always going to say that.” Thomas was at 17-under 199 and will be in the final group Sunday with Scheffler, who is trying to end his spectacular season with a ninth title. Tom Kim put himself in the mix, which he might not have imagined Thursday when he was 3 over through six holes of the holiday tournament. Kim got back in the game with a 65 on Friday, and then followed with 12 birdies for a 62. He had a shot at the course record — Rickie Fowler shot 61 in the final round when he won at Albany in 2017 — until Kim found a bunker and took two shots to reach the green in making a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Even so, he was only two shots behind. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (68) was four back. “Feel like I’ve been seeing signs of improvement, which is what you want and that’s all I can do,” Thomas said. “I can’t control everybody else or what’s going on, I’ve just got to keep playing as good as I possibly can and hope that it’s enough come Sunday.” ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

PALO ALTO, Calif. , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AKOOL, Inc., the global leader in generative AI video, is excited to announce its strategic partnership with Immerso AI, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eros Digital, the largest producer and distributor of Bollywood content worldwide. This partnership aims to transform the digital immersion and video markets through cutting-edge AI technologies, merging Immerso AI's extensive digital IP content libraries with AKOOL's generative AI expertise. With a vast library of over 12,000 digital titles, Eros Digital brings invaluable content assets to the collaboration. Together, the alliance will leverage this repository to deliver groundbreaking AI-driven experiences for the video and digital business and consumer markets. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, AKOOL specializes in generative AI for visual applications, renowned for its Faceswap and Avatar technologies that lead innovation in the field. The partnership will focus on developing unique AI applications, including personalized movie recommendations, AI-generated visual effects tailored for Bollywood films, and automated editing tools for content creators. Additionally, AKOOL will fine-tune AI models to meet the specific needs of the Bollywood market, enhancing content delivery and audience engagement. Jiajun Lu , CEO of AKOOL, shared, "Partnering with Immerso AI and Eros Digital is a significant milestone. Their vast media assets and market presence perfectly complement our advanced AI technology. Together, we'll create innovative solutions to revolutionize content creation and consumption. By leveraging Eros Digital's extensive video library, we can develop AI-tuned models that redefine Bollywood's digital landscape." Under the agreement, Immerso AI will lead regional business development and handle operations, while AKOOL will focus on technical development and proprietary AI innovations. Both companies will share rights to jointly developed intellectual property, fostering a collaborative approach to commercialization. For more information about AKOOL and its innovative AI solutions, visit www.akool.com . About AKOOL, Inc.: AKOOL is a leading AI technology company based in Palo Alto, CA , specializing in generative AI for visual applications. The company develops state-of-the-art AI solutions to drive innovation in video and digital immersion markets. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/akool-announces-strategic-bollywood-partnership-to-revolutionize-ai-in-digital-immersion-and-video-markets-302315726.html SOURCE AKOOL

Watch | 'Vision is key, you can donate eyes but not vision', says Gadkari at IBLA 2024

Ludhiana: The MC rehabilitated 31 poor families from Sant Pura and Kabir Basti near Dhuri Line in BSUP flats in the Dhandari Kalan area on Saturday. These families had approached MLA Ashok Prashar , raising concerns about their livelihood. TNN We also published the following articles recently State approves 1.9cr for rehabilitation of landslide-affected families in Chamoli The Uttarakhand government has allocated 1.9 crore to relocate 43 families displaced by landslides in Jyotirmath. Forty families from Pagnau and three from Urgam village will receive aid. The District Magistrate is expediting fund distribution and infrastructure development at the relocation sites. Pagnau village suffered extensive damage during monsoon season, forcing residents into temporary shelters. Central scheme on rehabilitating beggars to be launched in 3 cities Odisha's Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Jajpur are set to implement the central government's SMILE scheme for beggar rehabilitation. While Bhubaneswar has agreed to participate, Puri and Jajpur are urged to expedite their consent. The scheme aims to provide comprehensive support and livelihood opportunities for marginalized individuals. JDA cancels flats allocated to illegal Bangladeshi families Jaipur authorities canceled two flats allocated to Bangladeshi families residing illegally with forged documents. Eleven individuals were deported last month after police discovered the fraudulent scheme. The group, including children and women, were held in Alwar Detention Center before being returned to Bangladesh. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Risk of North Korea's miscalculation rises after South's martial law declarationDALLAS, Texas, Nov. 25, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — UTR Sports, a global leader in tennis and pickleball player ratings and event management, today announced an expansion of its partnership with Stack Sports to incorporate TeamInn travel services. TeamInn, Stack Sports’ dedicated travel service platform, will now provide travel accommodations for UTR Sports tournaments and events, simplifying travel planning for players, coaches, officials, and fans. TeamInn by Stack Sports will offer streamlined, competitive travel booking solutions, enhancing the overall event experience and making it easier for the UTR Sports community to access high-quality accommodations at preferred rates. This expansion aligns with UTR Sports’ commitment to improving convenience for its global network, offering valuable support to those traveling to UTR Sports tennis and pickleball events. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Stack Sports to integrate TeamInn travel services, we are making travel easier and more affordable for our participants, officials, and families,” said Mark Leschly, Chairman and CEO of UTR Sports. “Our mission is to connect the tennis and pickleball communities around the world, and TeamInn is an important addition to that vision. Together with Stack Sports, we’re excited to enhance the event experience by offering seamless travel options tailored to our needs.” The addition of TeamInn to the UTR Sports ecosystem brings further operational efficiency and convenience, reinforcing UTR Sports’ role as a comprehensive service provider in the tennis and pickleball spaces. TeamInn offers a full suite of travel services, from hotel booking to exclusive group rates, ensuring that travel logistics are one less hurdle for participants and organizers. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Stack Sports to integrate Teaminn travel services and make travel easier and more affordable for our participants, officials, and families,” said Mark Leschly, Chairman and CEO of UTR Sports. “Our mission is to connect the tennis and pickleball communities around the world, and TeamInn is an important addition to that vision. Together with Stack Sports, we’re excited to enhance the event experience by offering seamless travel options tailored to our needs.” The TeamInn travel platform will be integrated across UTR Sports’ numerous events, including the UTR Pro Tennis Tour and various youth and amateur competitions, offering a unified solution for booking accommodations worldwide. This partnership underscores UTR Sports’ and Stack Sports’ dedication to enhancing player experiences and advancing sports engagement through comprehensive, innovative solutions. About UTR Sports: The mission of UTR Sports is to connect and grow the sports of tennis and pickleball with accurate global ratings, innovative events, and a global community centered around level-based play. The UTR Sports Platform is anchored by our patented ratings technology. UTR Sports provides the technology tools and solutions relevant and valuable to players, coaches, and organizers. UTR Sports is creating opportunities and pathways, including the UTR Pro Tennis Tour, for players from all over the world, in all stages of life, to find better matches and unlock a more fun, affordable, and flexible experience. About Stack Sports: With nearly 50 million users in 35 countries, Stack Sports is a global technology leader in SaaS platform offerings for the sports industry. The company provides world-class software and services to support national governing bodies, youth sports associations, leagues, clubs, parents, coaches, and athletes. Some of the largest and most prominent sports organizations including the U.S. Soccer Federation, Little League Baseball and Softball, and Pop Warner Little Scholars rely on Stack Sports technology to run and manage their organizations. Stack Sports is headquartered in Dallas and is leading the industry one team at a time focusing on four key pillars — Grassroots Engagement, Participation Growth, Recruiting Pathways, and Elite Player Development. To learn more about how Stack Sports is transforming the sports experience, please visit https://stacksports.com/ . NEWS SOURCE: Stack Sports Keywords: Sports and Activities, TeamInn Travel Services, UTR Sports, tennis and pickleball player ratings and event management, DALLAS, Texas This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Stack Sports) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire . Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P122494 APDF15TBLLI To view the original version, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/utr-sports-partners-with-stack-sports-to-launch-teaminn-travel-services-for-tennis-and-pickleball/ © 2024 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.

Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas tree WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Couple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothes MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon.Jadion Anthony Richards and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her. They're also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut. They're due back in court next month. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road.

Ludhiana: The municipal corporation (MC) has intensified its efforts to improve the management of this city’s solid waste, launching a ₹53-crore initiative to process 700 metric tonnes of fresh waste generated daily. This is the latest in a series of large-scale projects aimed at tackling the burgeoning urban garbage problem. Municipal commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal claimed that the city produced about 1,100 MT of garbage each day, and earlier initiatives, including a partnership with a Chennai-based company to convert 400 MT of waste into green charcoal, addressed only part of the issue. However, this new project focuses on the remaining 700 MT of daily waste, ensuring comprehensive treatment and disposal. The three-year contract for this project has been awarded to Greentech Environ Management . The civic body will provide the company with a 6-acre site at the Jamalpur dump, where the contractor will establish a processing plant within two months. This initiative builds on earlier efforts to manage Ludhiana’s long-standing waste issues. The city has launched projects worth ₹77 crore already to remediate about 21.62 lakh MT of legacy waste at the Jamalpur and Jainpur landfills. Bioremediation at these sites is expected to free up 41 acres of municipal land, which will be repurposed for future waste management. Dachlawal claimed that: “Clearing the heaps of trash is essential, but tackling fresh waste is critical equally to prevent the re-accumulation of garbage.” With this new project, Ludhiana has now invested about ₹130 crore in solid-waste management initiatives. These efforts mark a turning point for the city, aiming to alleviate its long-standing garbage crisis and ensure sustainable waste disposal systems. Appeal to residents MC commissioner Dachalwal has stressed that the success of these projects hinges on public cooperation. He said: “We are taking all necessary steps to improve waste management, but we need residents to segregate dry and wet waste at the source and avoid dumping garbage in open spaces or vacant plots.” As the city grapples with growing urban footprint, the MC’s commitment to cleaner streets and better waste management signals a transformative shift. The latest ₹53-crore project reflects the city’s determination to address both fresh and legacy waste, paving the way for a more sustainable future. Ludhiana’s waste management reforms stand as a testament to the city’s resolve to tackle environmental challenges head-on, transforming waste from a burden into an opportunity for sustainable development. We also published the following articles recently RMC plans eight facilities to improve waste management Ranchi's Municipal Corporation is investing Rs 28 crore to revolutionize its waste management system. Eight new sorting facilities and a refuse-derived fuel center will be established to improve waste segregation and processing. This initiative aims to enhance the efficiency of the city's biogas plant by providing cleaner organic waste, ultimately producing compressed biogas as a sustainable energy source. Youth should shift to green energy and waste management biz: Sawant Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant encouraged Goan youth to pursue entrepreneurial ventures in renewable energy and waste management. He highlighted lucrative opportunities in these sectors, urging a shift from seeking government jobs. Sawant pointed out that non-Goan contractors profit significantly from the state's waste management expenditure, prompting youth to capitalize on this sector. Revolutionary Water Waste Recycling Initiative at Bhopal Ijtema A groundbreaking water recycling initiative is underway at Bhopal's Eitkhedi Ijtema site, potentially the first of its kind in India for an event of this scale. The project aims to recycle 100% of the 10 million liters of wastewater generated daily by over a million attendees. This recycled water is used to control dust, recharge groundwater, and support local agriculture. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Community contra dance set for Dec. 14 at Rail River Folk School

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‘It’s classless’: Michigan football star talks postgame scuffle in upset victory over Ohio StateNewsom wants CA consumers to pay to replace $7,500 federal EV credit, Tesla excludedWASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith moved to abandon two criminal cases against Donald Trump on Monday, acknowledging that Trump’s return to the White House will preclude attempts to federally prosecute him for retaining classified documents or trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The decision was inevitable, since longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Yet it was still a momentous finale to an unprecedented chapter in political and law enforcement history, as federal officials attempted to hold accountable a former president while he was simultaneously running for another term. Trump emerges indisputably victorious, having successfully delayed the investigations through legal maneuvers and then winning reelection despite indictments that described his actions as a threat to the country's constitutional foundations. “I persevered, against all odds, and WON," Trump exulted in a post on Truth Social, his social media website. He also said that “these cases, like all of the other cases I have been forced to go through, are empty and lawless, and should never have been brought.” The judge in the election case granted prosecutors' dismissal request. A decision in the documents case was still pending on Monday evening. The outcome makes it clear that, when it comes to a president and criminal accusations, nothing supersedes the voters' own verdict. In court filings, Smith's team emphasized that the move to end their prosecutions was not a reflection of the merit of the cases but a recognition of the legal shield that surrounds any commander in chief. “That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind,” prosecutors said in one of their filings. They wrote that Trump’s return to the White House “sets at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: on the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law.” In this situation, “the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated,” they concluded. Smith’s team said it was leaving intact charges against two co-defendants in the classified documents case — Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira — because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” Steven Cheung, Trump's incoming White House communications director, said Americans “want an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and we look forward to uniting our country.” Trump has long described the investigations as politically motivated, and he has vowed to fire Smith as soon as he takes office in January. Now he will start his second term free from criminal scrutiny by the government that he will lead. The election case brought last year was once seen as one of the most serious legal threats facing Trump as he tried to reclaim the White House. He was indicted for plotting to overturn his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, an effort that climaxed with his supporters' violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But the case quickly stalled amid legal fighting over Trump’s sweeping claims of immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in the White House. The U.S. Supreme Court in July ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to determine which allegations in the indictment, if any, could proceed to trial. The case was just beginning to pick up steam again in the trial court in the weeks leading up to this year’s election. Smith’s team in October filed a lengthy brief laying out new evidence it planned to use against him at trial, accusing him of “resorting to crimes” in an increasingly desperate effort to overturn the will of voters after he lost to Biden. In dismissing the case, Chutkan acknowledged prosecutors' request to do so “without prejudice,” raising the possibility that they could try to bring charges against Trump when his term is over. She wrote that is “consistent with the Government’s understanding that the immunity afforded to a sitting President is temporary, expiring when they leave office.” But such a move may be barred by the statute of limitations, and Trump may also try to pardon himself while in office. The separate case involving classified documents had been widely seen as legally clear cut, especially because the conduct in question occurred after Trump left the White House and lost the powers of the presidency. The indictment included dozens of felony counts accusing him of illegally hoarding classified records from his presidency at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and obstructing federal efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. The case quickly became snarled by delays, with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon slow to issue rulings — which favored Trump’s strategy of pushing off deadlines in all his criminal cases — while also entertaining defense motions and arguments that experts said other judges would have dispensed with without hearings. In May, she indefinitely canceled the trial date amid a series of unresolved legal issues before dismissing the case outright two months later. Smith’s team appealed the decision, but now has given up that effort. Trump faced two other state prosecutions while running for president. One of them, a New York case involving hush money payments, resulted in a conviction on felony charges of falsifying business records. It was the first time a former president had been found guilty of a crime. The sentencing in that case is on hold as Trump's lawyers try to have the conviction dismissed before he takes office, arguing that letting the verdict stand will interfere with his presidential transition and duties. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office is fighting the dismissal but has indicated that it would be open to delaying sentencing until Trump leaves office. Bragg, a Democrat, has said the solution needs to balance the obligations of the presidency with “the sanctity of the jury verdict." Trump was also indicted in Georgia along with 18 others accused of participating in a sprawling scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election there. Any trial appears unlikely there while Trump holds office. The prosecution already was on hold after an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Four defendants have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty. Associated Press writers Colleen Long, Michael Sisak and Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this story.

Marana woman arrested in fatal Interstate-10 crash in TucsonGus Malzahn resigns as UCF head coach to be Florida State offensive coordinator | ReportF1 announces 11th team to join grid as field expanded to 22 driversWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

DALLAS (AP) — The championship vision that led Nathan Eovaldi to sign with Texas as a free agent two years ago is the same one that brought him back to the Rangers. A World Series title in his first season was followed by a losing record this year. “I believe in the guys in the group that we have. We were able to do it in ‘23. I don’t feel a lot has changed,” Eovaldi said Friday, a day after finalizing a $75 million, three-year contract . “We had a down year last year, but I've said it before, you learn a lot from losing seasons.” Eovaldi had declined a $20 million player option to become a free agent again and reaching an agreement during the winter meetings in Dallas. Texas also acquired slugging corner infielder Jake Burger in a swap with Miami. Burger had fallen asleep before getting a call late Tuesday night that he had been traded to Texas, where his family was already planning to move after the October birth of a daughter with Down syndrome. “The other city that is really good other than Nashville in terms of children's hospital and resources for her Downs is in Dallas," Burger said. “Not just from the baseball spectrum, from the life aspect as well ... I feel like it was meant to be, and we couldn’t be more more excited about that.” In the Nashville area, Burger lives close to Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, whom he plans to visit with soon. His former Marlins manager, Skip Schumaker , was hired last month by the Rangers as as a senior adviser for baseball operations, and Luis Urueta, Miami’s bench coach the past two seasons, recently joined Bochy’s on-field coaching staff for 2025. Burger and Rangers pitcher Dane Dunning were once roommates in the Chicago White Sox organization. Burger hit .250 with 29 home runs and 76 RBIs in 137 games for the Marlins last season, when he started 59 games at third base and 50 starts at first. He was with the White Sox in Texas when he got traded to Miami on Aug. 1, 2023, and four days later hit his first homer with the Marlins at Globe Life Field. When the Rangers made the title run in 2023, Eovaldi was 5-0 with a 2.95 ERA in six postseason starts. He was the winning pitcher in their World Series-clinching Game 5 at Arizona. He was also part of Boston’s 2018 title. Eovaldi was 12-8 this year with a 3.80 ERA in 29 starts, the last seven scoreless innings in the regular-season finale. He is 24-13 with a 3.72 ERA in 54 starts for Texas the past two seasons. The new deal for the Texas native, who who turns 35 in February, includes a $12 million signing bonus, half payable on Nov. 15, 2026, and the rest on Jan. 15, 2028, and salaries of $18 million next season, $25 million in 2026 and $20 million in 2027. He gets a full no-trade provision. After being welcomed back by Chris Young, the Rangers president of baseball operations, the pitcher said he never felt like he really left. The Rangers stayed in contact throughout the process after he declined his option Nov. 4. “Kind of listening to the market and everything, I’m extremely happy to be back. I’m glad we were we were able to make it all work out,” Eovaldi said. “We had a lot of teams reach out right away and we were in contact with most them across the league. Ultimately we were able to make it back here.” AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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The New York Giants are the worst team in the NFL , losers of 10 straight and on track to claim the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That doesn't mean their players are packing it in for the final two games of the 2024 season, with several arguing this week their true character will be on display at the finish line. "It's really just an individual battle [for] everybody and showing who they are, their character, to come out here and try to play as hard as they can knowing that our season isn't what we expected it to be," pass rusher Brian Burns said, via ESPN . "It would be the easy way to hang it up, quit and just let the season go out how it is. It's going to be a lot tougher for [us] to still fight in these games." The Giants (2-13) will play host to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday before closing their season against the rival Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18. Both games are also opportunities for players to improve their own stock going into the 2025 offseason, offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said. "[At] the end of the day, every single team is watching," he said, via ESPN. "Some guys may not be here next year, but by the way they're playing now, it may open up doors later in their careers because of how they played. ... [Keep] playing as hard as you can." Fellow lineman Evan Neal echoed the sentiment this week. "At this point in time it should be the 'why,'" he said. "Everybody has their own individual 'why' and why they play this game in the first place. And it's tough to have a losing season like this. But you have to still go out there and play. You've got to figure out a reason to play every week."

Daily Post Nigeria Tinubu urges politicians to emulate late Wayas Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News Tinubu urges politicians to emulate late Wayas Published on November 30, 2024 By Asare Asare President Bola Tinubu had called on Nigerians, particularly the political elite, to emulate the virtues of the former Senate President, late Dr Joseph Wayas, who was buried in his home town of Bassang in Obanliku LGA of Cross River State on Saturday. Wayas died in London on November 30, 2022 at the age of 80. He was Senate President from 1979 to 1983. The President said that the late Wayas lived for the unity of the country and described him as a peaceful man whose public service records remain indelible. The president was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume Also speaking at the funeral, which had an array of dignitaries and politicians in attendance, was the Cross River State governor, Bassey Otu. He said that the state will uphold and remember the legacy of Wayas. He said Wayas had emphasised love and unity of the country while alive, recalling how influential he was. “It is not merely about the duration of one’s life but the profound influence one has on their era. “On behalf of Cross River State, we pay tribute to you for placing us on the national stage. We shall forever cherish your accomplishments and strive to follow in your footsteps,” he concluded. During the night of tributes held at the U.J. Esuene Stadium on Friday, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio had urged the bereaved family to eschew bitterness and acrimony and emphasise peace, love and unity in order to sustain the legacies which the deceased left. “Now that the government of Cross River has taken the bull by the horns to bring his remains to touch this land, this should be the beginning of unity, peace and true love in that family so that, truly, we can all honour the legacies Wayas left behind,” he said. Related Topics: Tinubu Wayas Don't Miss Nigeria needs listening leaders who don’t act like they know it all – Peter Obi You may like Why we passed Tinubu’s tax reform bills for second reading – Deputy Senate President Tinubu on mission to transform Nigeria like he did in Lagos – French President Macron WTO: Nigeria’ll support you – Tinubu tells Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on reappointment ‘North will not be party to Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills’ – Borno Gov, Zulum Arewa youths back Senate on passage of Tinubu’s Tax Reforms Bills for second reading Tinubu Tax Reform bills will bring backwardness to North, benefit only Lagos – Zulum Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdOpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship'

This is CNBC's live blog covering European markets. European stocks are heading for a lower open Tuesday as investors assess the global implications of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump 's plans to hike tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada. 24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are The regional Stoxx 600 index ended in the green for a third straight session on Monday, while global momentum in equities lifted Wall Street's Dow Jones Industrial Average to a new record . Trump on Monday evening said one of his first acts in office would be to impose an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods entering the U.S., and threatened a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada, ending a regional free trade agreement. Economists have previously flagged the potential inflationary impact of Trump's fiscal plan, which could see the Federal Reserve cut interest rates at a slower pace. That in turn could boost the U.S. dollar against currencies such as the euro and sterling. "Immediate market reaction looks negative," analysts at Maybank said in a note Tuesday. "However, these tariffs do differ quite a bit from what Trump had mentioned during his campaign of 60% for China and a 10% broad tariff for the rest of the world. Whilst the market maybe cautious of the risk that Trump maybe incrementally introducing the tariffs, we do note the possibility that the final imposition may not be quite the same as what was proposed by him." Money Report Tim Cook and other U.S. executives attend China expo, meet officials as Trump tariff threat looms Meet the start-up working to save newborn babies and democratize pregnancy care Europe is quiet on the data and earnings front Tuesday. Investors will continue to analyze the latest merger and acquisition news from the banking sector, after UniCredit offered to buy its fellow Italian lender Banco BPM for roughly 10 billion euros ($10.5 billion). In the United States, the Fed will release minutes from its November meeting which delivered a quarter percentage point rate cut. U.S. stock futures were flat in the early hours, while Asia-Pacific markets were mixed. Europe stocks set to open lower European stocks were last seen opening lower Tuesday, according to IG data. Germany's DAX was on course to open 111 points lower at 19,301, France's CAC 40 lower by 53 points at 7,206, and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 lower by 33 points at 8,262. — Jenni Reid CNBC Pro: Barclays says these global stocks are ripe for share buybacks — and analysts give one 45% upside European equity markets might look "gloomy" right now, but Barclays noted that one investment strategy has delivered "solid outperformance" over recent months. "Buyback strategies remain a bright spot for Europe, with strong volumes and returns. Amid a gloomy equity market, our buyback announcement basket (BCEUBUYB) has outperformed by 4.6% since Oct," the investment bank's strategists wrote in a Nov. 21 research note. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner Gold plunges 3% as Trump Treasury pick and potential Israel-Hezbollah truce fuel risk-on mood Gold prices lost about 3% after President-elect Donald Trump picked Scott Bessent as his Treasury secretary , with reports of Israel and Hezbollah nearing a ceasefire deal also eroding the safe-haven metal's appeal. Spot prices of the yellow metal dropped 3.44% to $2,616.80 per ounce, according to data from Factset. Gold futures on the New York Mercantile exchange were trading at $2,628.5. "The ~$100 wipeout in Gold today is as severe in size & pace as the post U.S. election selloff on Nov 6th," MKS Pamp's head of metals strategy, Nicky Shiels said. Read the full story here . — Lee Ying Shan Trump vows an additional 10% tariff on China, 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico President-elect Donald Trump plans to raise tariffs by an additional 10% on all Chinese goods coming into the U.S., according to a post Monday on his social media platform Truth Social . The post immediately followed one in which Trump said his first of "many" executive orders on Jan. 20 would impose tariffs of 25% on all products from Mexico and Canada. Trump is set to be inaugurated as the next U.S. president on Jan. 20. Read the full story here. —Evelyn Cheng Dow and S&P hit all-time highs The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both hit all-time highs during Monday morning's session, as investors rejoiced an improved outlook for equities under Treasury pick Scott Bessent. The Dow gained more than 1% in early deals while the S&P traded more than 0.4% higher. Investors predict that Bessent might help mitigate some of Trump's most extreme protectionist policies, in particular trade tariffs. — Karen Gilchrist CNBC Pro: Hedge fund bets on a key oil and gas supply chain stock, expecting 300% upside Shares of a critical player in the shallow water oil and gas drilling industry, have received renewed backing from a hedge fund, with potential projected returns of 300% to 400%. The investment case is strengthened by several fundamental market dynamics, including a lack of supply with future demand expected to rise, according to the hedge fund manager. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao Also on CNBC Stock futures flat after Dow closes at another record: Live updates Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Zoom, Kohl's, Semtech and more A December rate cut suddenly looks shaky as the market weighs Trump implicationsMr Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability as no single party holds a majority at the National Assembly. Mr Macron’s office said in a statement that Mr Bayrou “has been charged with forming a new government”. During the handover ceremony, Mr Bayrou said that “no one knows the difficulty of the situation better” than he does. “I’ve taken reckless risks all along my political life to raise the issue of debt and deficits in the most important elections,” he said. France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. “I know that the risks of difficulties are much greater than the chances of success,” Mr Bayrou said, adding that he hopes to lead the country towards a “needed reconciliation”. “I think this is the only possible path to success,” he said. The new prime minister is expected to hold talks with political leaders from various parties in the coming days in order to choose new ministers. Former prime minister Michel Barnier resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government. Mr Macron in an address to the nation vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027. Mr Macron’s centrist alliance does not have a majority in parliament and Mr Bayrou’s Cabinet will need to rely on moderate lawmakers from the left and the right to be able to stay in power. Some conservatives are expected to be part of the new government. Mr Macron’s strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding “make or break” power over the government. Ms Le Pen helped oust Mr Barnier by joining her National Rally party’s forces to the left to pass the no-confidence motion last week. Mr Bayrou’s appointment is also in line with Mr Macron’s efforts to build a non-aggression pact with the Socialists so that they commit not to vote against the government in any future confidence motion. Mr Bayrou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, known as MoDem, which he founded in 2007. In 2017, he supported Mr Macron’s first presidential bid and became a weighty partner in the French president’s centrist alliance. At the time, he was appointed justice minister, but he quickly resigned from the government amid an investigation into the MoDem’s alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds. Mr Bayrou this year was cleared in the case by a Paris court, which found eight other party officials guilty and sentenced the party to pay a fine. Mr Bayrou became well known to the French public when he was education minister from 1993 to 1997 in a conservative government. He was three times a candidate for president: in 2002, 2007 and 2012.

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Percentages: FG .540, FT .720. 3-Point Goals: 11-23, .478 (Lilly 5-9, Erold 3-6, Lesburt 2-4, Cooley 1-3, Wrisby-Jefferson 0-1). Team Rebounds: 1. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 5 (Cooley 2, DeGraaf, Erold, Lilly). Turnovers: 10 (Jenkins 2, Lewis 2, Wrisby-Jefferson 2, Cooley, Erold, Lesburt, Lilly). Steals: 3 (Lesburt, Lilly, Wrisby-Jefferson). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .509, FT .833. 3-Point Goals: 8-19, .421 (Palesse 3-3, Benard 2-2, van der Plas 1-1, Kopa 1-4, Godfrey 1-5, Sangha 0-1, Thompson 0-1, McMillan 0-2). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Kopa). Turnovers: 10 (Benard 3, McMillan 2, Sangha 2, Godfrey, Palesse, van der Plas). Steals: 5 (Benard 2, Kopa, McMillan, van der Plas). Technical Fouls: None. A_953 (2,176).The , a proxy for , has delivered solid gains. It has soared nearly 41% year to date and delivered a staggering 149% return over the past five years, reflecting the sector’s growth potential and ability to create wealth. The growing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), increasing e-commerce penetration, and ongoing digital transformation are key catalysts. These trends reshape industries and create significant growth opportunities for Canadian tech firms. For investors looking to capitalize on this momentum, here are my top two Canadian tech stocks to buy now. The companies have and promising growth potential that could help you achieve above-average returns. ( ) is a top tech stock that is benefitting from ongoing digital transformation. The omnichannel commerce platform provider has been consistently delivering solid financials. Shopify’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) growth exceeded 20% in the past five consecutive quarters. Revenue surged by 26% in the third quarter (Q3) of 2024, operating income more than doubled from last year, and the company’s free cash flow margin expanded to an impressive 19%. These numbers highlight Shopify’s ability to balance growth and profitability, strengthening its competitive positioning in the e-commerce sector. Shopify’s innovative products are playing a crucial role in its growth. Its payment solutions have gained significant traction, with penetration reaching 62% in Q3. Shop Pay, its flagship payment service, facilitated $17 billion in GMV, a remarkable 42% year-over-year increase, demonstrating the strength and appeal of Shopify’s integrated ecosystem. Beyond payments, Shopify continues to enhance its platform by expanding sales and marketing channels. For instance, its integration with YouTube Shopping’s affiliate program and an extended partnership with showcase Shopify’s commitment to diversifying its offerings and reaching new merchant and customer segments. Looking ahead, Shopify’s comprehensive solutions, including Shopify Payments and Shopify Capital, are poised to drive further growth in its merchant base, GMV, and gross payment volume (GPV). Its point-of-sale (POS) system is gaining momentum, benefiting from increased adoption in offline retail and B2B channels. International expansion of payment solutions and broader product offerings also present significant growth opportunities. Shopify is also leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its platform and optimize operations. Further, its shift to an asset-light business model positions Shopify for sustainable earnings growth and will support its share price. ( ) is a top TSX tech stock to capitalize on the fast-growing AI market. The company offers supply chain and hardware platform solutions and electronic manufacturing services. Moreover, it is benefitting from higher investment in AI infrastructure. Its stock is up over 233% year to date and gained about 1,177% in the last five years, reflecting stellar demand for its Hardware Platform Solutions (HPS). The momentum in Celestica’s HPS segment shows no signs of slowing, as surging investments in data centres—encompassing servers, networking equipment, and storage—are expected to sustain the need for Celestica’s offerings. Celestica’s Connectivity & Cloud Solutions segment, which focuses on products such as next-generation storage, servers, and communications hardware, is likely to witness solid growth. Demand for networking switches, particularly the advanced 400G and 800G models, is boosting the company’s financial performance. Moreover, the server business is poised to gain from the growing demand for high-performance computing platforms. Meanwhile, AI data centre buildouts will likely fuel demand for its storage solutions. Moreover, Celestica will also likely benefit from higher commercial air travel and increased defence spending. In summary, Celestica is likely to benefit from AI-driven tailwinds and strength in its Aerospace and Defence division.Mikel Arteta urges Arsenal to become 'ruthless' and end Champions League away day hoodoo

Darnold delivers for Vikings with career-high 347 yards and 5 TDs to beat Falcons, Cousins 42-21Woman dices with death taking videos near London busesPLEASANTON, Calif. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 10x Genomics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TXG), a leader in single cell and spatial biology, announced today it had secured a permanent injunction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against the GeoMx products sold by Bruker Corporation (Nasdaq: BRKR), which acquired the product line from NanoString Technologies. To minimize the risk of disruption to ongoing research, 10x Genomics requested a carve-out for GeoMx users who installed an instrument prior to the trial in November 2023 . The injunction, which the Court said it will enter in January 2025 , is expected to prohibit Bruker from making, using, selling or offering to sell in the United States its GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler and associated instruments, reagents and services for RNA and protein detection. At the request of 10x Genomics, the injunction will not block ongoing research by researchers who installed a GeoMx instrument prior to November 18, 2023 . Such customers can continue to purchase GeoMx reagents for use with existing GeoMx instruments for purposes of continuing their ongoing research. The Court found that making such an exception for ongoing research strikes a "workable balance between protecting the patentee's rights and protecting the public from the injunction's adverse effects." In addition, the Court affirmed the $31 million damages awarded by the November 2023 jury verdict, as well as supplemental damages and interest that will be added to the total damages when final judgment is entered. "Today's decision helps to safeguard our decade-long investment in innovation and ensures we can continue to develop groundbreaking technologies that help our customers revolutionize science," said Eric Whitaker , Chief Legal Officer at 10x Genomics. "10x exists to fuel scientific progress – not stifle it – and that is why we've done our utmost to ensure this injunction was structured to protect both our intellectual property and existing GeoMx customers' ongoing research." The Court recognized the harm NanoString's infringing conduct caused 10x when it wrote in its ruling, "Having been careful not to license its technology, 10x suffers when it proclaims itself as an innovator in spatial genomics but a competitor is using the same innovative, patented technology." Today's Court decision follows a November 2023 jury verdict that found that NanoString's GeoMx products willfully infringed seven patents exclusively licensed to 10x Genomics by Prognosys. During the trial, the jury heard testimony from the sole inventor of the patents, Illumina co-founder Mark Chee , and NanoString CEO Brad Gray and NanoString CSO Joe Beechem. After hearing all of the evidence, the jury determined that all seven patents had been infringed by NanoString, that each patent was valid, that NanoString willfully infringed those patents and that monetary damages were owed to 10x for the infringement of all seven patents. In affirming the jury's finding that NanoString willfully infringed, the Court relied on the evidence showing that NanoString knew or was willfully blind that its acts would cause infringement of 10x's rights. The asserted patents in Case No. 21-cv-653-MFK include (a) U.S. Patent No. 10,472,669; (b) U.S. Patent No. 10,961,566; (c) U.S. Patent No. 10,983,113; (d) U.S. Patent No. 10,996,219; (e) U.S. Patent No. 11,001,878; (f) U.S. Patent No. 11,008,607 and (g) U.S. Patent No. 11,293,917. About 10x Genomics 10x Genomics is a life science technology company building products to accelerate the mastery of biology and advance human health. Our integrated solutions include instruments, consumables and software for single cell and spatial biology, which help academic and translational researchers and biopharmaceutical companies understand biological systems at a resolution and scale that matches the complexity of biology. Our products are behind breakthroughs in oncology, immunology, neuroscience and more, fueling powerful discoveries that are transforming the world's understanding of health and disease. To learn more, visit 10xgenomics.com or connect with us on LinkedIn or X (Twitter) . Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. All statements included in this press release, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "could," "intend," "target," "project," "contemplate," "believe," "see," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "would," "likely," "seek" or "continue" or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding litigation and remedies as well as possible outcomes of litigation. These forward-looking statements do not reflect that our success will depend on our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our intellectual property rights, intellectual property litigation could be expensive, time-consuming, unsuccessful and could interfere with our ability to develop, manufacture and commercialize our products or technologies, litigation outcomes are unpredictable or there may be changes in our litigation strategy. These statements are based on management's current expectations, forecasts, beliefs, assumptions and information currently available to management. Actual outcomes and results could differ materially from these statements due to a number of factors and such statements should not be relied upon as representing 10x Genomics, Inc.'s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. 10x Genomics, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements provided to reflect any change in 10x Genomics' expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. The material risks and uncertainties that could affect 10x Genomics, Inc.'s financial and operating results and cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release include those discussed under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the company's most recently-filed 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and elsewhere in the documents 10x Genomics, Inc. files with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Disclosure Information 10x Genomics uses filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, our website ( www.10xgenomics.com ), press releases, public conference calls, public webcasts and our social media accounts as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Contacts Investors: investors@10xgenomics.com Media: media@10xgenomics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-district-court-awards-10x-genomics-permanent-injunction-in-patent-infringement-lawsuit-against-bruker-corporations-geomx-products-302338627.html SOURCE 10x Genomics, Inc.

Biden delivers on threat to veto bill to expand U.S. judiciaryJim Thompson farm celebrates Isan culture

climaco Assessing FG’s Strategies To Improve Crude Oil ProductionJimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100 ATLANTA (AP) — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old and had spent roughly 22 months in hospice care. The Georgia peanut farmer served one turbulent term in the White House before building a reputation as a global humanitarian and champion of democracy. He defeated President Gerald Ford in 1976 promising to restore trust in government but lost to Ronald Reagan four years later amid soaring inflation, gas station lines and the Iran hostage crisis. He and his wife Rosalynn then formed The Carter Center, and he earned a Nobel Peace Prize while making himself the most internationally engaged of former presidents. The Carter Center said he died peacefully Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family. Jimmy Carter: Many evolutions for a centenarian ‘citizen of the world’ PLAINS, Ga. (AP) — The 39th and longest-lived U.S. president, James Earl Carter Jr., died Sunday at the age of 100. His life ended where it began, in Plains, Georgia. He left and returned to the tiny town many times as he climbed to the nation’s highest office and lost it after four tumultuous years. Carter spent the next 40 years setting new standards for what a former president can do. Carter wrote nearly a decade ago that he found all the phases of his life challenging but also successful and enjoyable. The Democrat's principled but pragmatic approach defied American political labels, especially the idea that one-term presidents are failures. What we know about the deadly passenger jet crash in South Korea SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean officials are investigating the crash landing of a passenger jet that's one of the deadliest disasters in that nation's aviation history. Transport Ministry officials said the airport control tower issued a bird strike warning to the plane shortly before it intended to land and gave its pilot permission to land in a different area on Sunday. The Boeing 737-800 skidded off the runway, crashed into a barrier and burst into flames. All but two of the 181 people on board died. The Jeju Air passenger plane was flying from Bangkok to the town of Muan, about 180 miles south of Seoul, when the crash happened. South Korean authorities seek warrant to detain impeached President Yoon in martial law probe SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean law enforcement officials have requested a court warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as they investigate whether his short-lived martial law decree this month amounted to rebellion. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities into the power grab that lasted only a few hours, confirmed it requested the warrant on Monday. Investigators plan to question Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion. Tornadoes in Texas and Mississippi kill 2 and injure 6 as severe weather system moves east HOUSTON (AP) — A strong storm system is threatening to whip up tornadoes in parts of the U.S. Southeast, a day after severe weather claimed at least two lives as twisters touched down in Texas and Mississippi. Strong storms moving eastward Sunday are expected to continue producing gusty, damaging winds, hail and tornadoes through Sunday. That is according to National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira. So far, the line of severe weather has led to about 40 tornado reports from southeastern Texas to Alabama, Pereira said, but those reports remain unconfirmed until surveys of damage are completed. A fourth infant dies of the winter cold in Gaza as families share blankets in seaside tents DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A fourth infant has died of hypothermia in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced by nearly 15 months of war are huddled in tents along the rainy, windswept coast as winter arrives. The baby's father says the 20-day-old child was found with his head as “cold as ice” Sunday morning in their tent. The baby’s twin brother was moved to the intensive care unit of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Their father says the twins were born one month premature and spent just a day in hospital, which like other Gaza health centers has been overwhelmed and only partially functions. Syria's de facto leader says it could take up to 4 years to hold elections BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s de facto leader has said it could take up to four years to hold elections in Syria, and that he plans on dissolving his Islamist group that led the country’s insurgency at an anticipated national dialogue summit for the country. Ahmad al-Sharaa, who leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group leading the new authority in Syria, made the remarks in an interview Sunday. That's according to the Saudi television network Al-Arabiyya. It comes almost a month after a lightning insurgency led by HTS overthrew President Bashar Assad’s decades-long rule, ending the country’s uprising-turned civil war that started back in 2011. Azerbaijan's president says crashed jetliner was shot down by Russia unintentionally Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev says the Azerbaijani airliner that crashed last week was shot down by Russia, albeit unintentionally. Aliyev told Azerbaijani state television on Sunday that the aircraft was hit by fire from the ground over Russia and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare. He accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the issue for several days. The crash on Wednesday killed 38 of 67 people on board. Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Aliyev on Saturday for what he called a “tragic incident” but stopped short of acknowledging Moscow’s responsibility. Croatia's incumbent president gains most votes for re-election, but not enough to avoid a runoff ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatia’s incumbent President Zoran Milanovic has swept most votes in the first round of a presidential election, but will have to face a runoff against a ruling party candidate to secure another five-year term. With 99% percent of the vote counted Sunday, Milanovic won 49% while his main challenger Dragan Primorac, a candidate of the ruling HDZ party, trailed far behind with 19%. Pre-election polls had predicted that the two would face off in the second round on Jan. 12, as none of the eight presidential election contenders were projected to get more than 50% of the vote.Rare Lincoln Wheat Penny Valued In Millions Still In Circulation? What We Know

My dear 2024, By Dakuku Peterside Letter writing may be a lost art in this digital age, yet there are moments when the weight of reflection demands the intimacy of a letter. So, dear 2024, consider this a heartfelt note from a Nigerian seeking to encapsulate the whirlwind of emotions, events, and transformations that have unfolded over the past twelve months. As I pen down these words, I do so with the awareness that you are not an ordinary year. Your arrival brought hope, but as the days rolled, that hope was replaced with hardship, struggle, perseverance and lessons. In this letter, as tricky as it may be, I will attempt to recount the key events that shaped you – the milestones that defined not only my life but the collective experience of a nation grappling with economic hardship, political uncertainty, and social upheaval. Nigeria stands at a crossroads, and you will be remembered as a year that tested our spirit and resolve. This is not just a recollection of facts but a narrative of survival in a land where, at times, the future seemed uncertain. You were, indeed harsh, but we, the Nigerian people, have shown remarkable resilience and perseverance. Despite the economic hardships you brought, with inflation, unemployment, and rising living costs affecting all, we have stood strong. Your visitation of economic hardships worsened by 34-40% inflation rate and supply chain disruptions, an embarrassing unemployment rate of 40%, and rising living costs affected both the high and the low. Almost all households felt your pinch. Nigeria’s food inflation rate rose to close to 40% by mid-year, pushing millions into poverty. National Bureau of Statistics reports indicated that over 71 million Nigerians faced food insecurity by the third quarter. The exchange rate rose by over 60%. Yet, amid these challenges, the Nigerian people showed remarkable resilience and perseverance. To put it into context, essential commodities such as rice, maize, and garri doubled in price within months. The petrol price fluctuated between ₦700 to ₦1200 per litre, severely impacting transportation and logistics. Even sachet water, popularly called ‘pure water’, became a luxury for many, reflecting the depth of economic strain. You made our economic thinkers and planners look clueless. Thank God we, the people, showed understanding with them. You brought needless political contentions –the Rivers crisis, contentious elections in Edo and Ondo states, the Kano Emir drama, the Old-New-Old national anthem, and “Endbadgovernance”demonstrations. An attempt to reform our tax system highlighted our stubborn ethnic fault lines. You were not short of drama, both relevant and irrelevant. The reinstatement of the old national anthem left citizens divided, as critics viewed it as distracting from pressing governance issues. However, amid these contentions, the Nigerian people stood united, showing remarkable solidarity. Despite the divisive nature of some of these events, we have remained a united front. Poverty and hunger became our companions, resulting in three deadly stampedes during palliative distributions in Oyo, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), leaving no fewer than 60 people dead. Unemployment among the youth reached over 45%, with many university graduates resorting to menial jobs or leaving the country in search of greener pastures, contributing to the ongoing ‘Japa’ wave. At the global scene, you delivered historic elections and global unrest. People in more than 60 countries—representing almost 50 per cent of the world’s population—went to the polls during the year. Voters in Mexico and the United Kingdom picked new leaders, while a former U.S. president was invited by voters back to the White House. In Nigeria, voter turnout in local elections dipped to a record low of 28%, reflecting growing disillusionment with governance. This disinterest was amplified by widespread insecurity, with over 1,500 reported cases of abduction and banditry disrupting daily life. Villages in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Borno faced relentless attacks, forcing thousands into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. “Lakurawa” gained a strong foothold in parts of North-West states. Some strange things happened that we did not foresee. Greece extended adoption rights to same-sex couples, and Thailand legalised same-sex marriage, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. You gave LGBTQ+ rights activists something to celebrate. This felt strange in this part of the world, where same-sex relations remain criminalised, and social acceptance lags far behind. In Nigeria, lawmakers intensified efforts to uphold conservative values, with proposed bills aimed at further restricting LGBTQ+ rights. The disparity in cultural values highlighted the widening gap between regions of the world, reflecting the complex layers of societal evolution. You saw the world in turmoil, and the Russian vs Ukraine war continued unabated. This war brought about lots of military posturing, leading some to fear nuclear conflict between Russia and NATO. The conflict between Israel, Hamas, and Iran ramped up to greater heights. The Middle East is in commotion, with the war extending to Lebanon and Israel vowing not to stop until it wipes Hamas and Hezbollah out. Iran has shown its willingness to confront Israel, framing itself as the watchdog of the Middle East against Israel’s aggression. You also witnessed the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, raising fears of extremist groups seizing power. Reports from the UN suggested that over 300,000 Syrian refugees fled to neighbouring countries by year-end, adding to the growing refugee crisis. But amid it all, you allowed some of my compatriots to think and look at things differently, to learn that hard work does not kill and bad governance is for a season. Despite the odds, small businesses grew by 7% in sectors like agriculture and technology, offering a glimmer of hope. Despite the increase in tariffs and persistent collapse of the national grid, there has been a marginal improvement in power output in homes and factories. The healthcare sector witnessed significant transformation in the past few months of 2024 because of incisive, superlative reforms and programmes. So far, 53,000 health workers have been re-trained—an impressive number—to deliver integrated, high-quality services. The Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Initiative, which offers free caesarean sections to all eligible Nigerian women meeting the criteria, and the Nigeria Climate Change and Health Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) Assessment Report were launched. These initiatives represent a step forward in our healthcare system, offering hope for the future. Your successor, 2025, is shaping up to be quite the mixed bag — it’s like the year is expecting a baby, but no one knows if it’ll be a bundle of joy or a handful of trouble. Nigeria is trying really hard to stop putting all its eggs in the oil basket. There’s a lot of noise about agriculture, tech, and manufacturing stepping up. With this African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) getting more action, we might see Nigeria flexing as West Africa’s trade big brother. But let’s be honest — oil and gas aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The Dangote Refinery finally kicking into gear might help us cut down on those expensive imported petroleum products. If it plays out right, that could mean fewer trade deficits and more jobs, which we desperately need. But you know how it is with oil — prices are like Lagos traffic, unpredictable and everywhere. Plus, the world’s moving towards greener energy, so we’ve got to figure out how to keep the money flowing long-term. Now, on the money front, I won’t sugarcoat it. Inflation and the exchange rate will probably keep dancing around, and not in a fun way. The Central Bank will try to keep things under control, but they’ll need serious foreign investment and more non-oil exports to make it work. The tech space is looking exciting, though. With all these young, sharp minds and everyone glued to their phones, Lagos and Abuja are becoming mini–Silicon Valley — fintech, e-commerce, aggrotech, you name it. Politically, Nigerians are still out here demanding real change. Anti-corruption will stay a hot topic — we’re all tired of the same old stories. There’s also this growing pressure for electoral reforms and better public services. Civil society is getting louder, and I’m here for it. But security? Whew. That’s going to be a big one. Between insurgency in the Northeast, banditry up North, and secessionist noise in the Southeast, the government has its hands full. It will take more than military action — they must dig into why these issues keep popping up. On top of that, some states are pushing harder for more control over their resources and policies. The whole decentralisation and restructuring debate might heat up. Meanwhile, you can bet politicians are already gearing up for 2027. Alliances will shift — it’s like watching chess, but with higher stakes. Look, Nigeria has its share of problems—inequality, environmental issues, governance struggles. But the potential? It’s huge. We’ve got the people and the energy, and if we can channel it right, the sky’s the limit. Here’s hoping 2025 is more of a blessing than a headache. As I look ahead to 2025, I do so with cautious optimism. While the road ahead remains uncertain, I am reminded that even in the darkest of times, resilience shines through. So, to everything we have passed through, thank you, 2024, for setting us free. 2025, if you’re reading, please be more liberal to us as a nation and as a people. May our leaders listen more and apply more wisdom. May 2025 usher in real hope, stability, and progress for Nigeria and the world. Wishing Nigerians a happy, peaceful, and prosperous new year. DAP .Shoppers slam supermarkets after Easter Eggs go on sale in stores across the UK - just days after Christmas

Niantic turns Pokémon Go data into AI navigation system to rival Google MapsAn activist has taken measures into her own hands after Transport for London (TfL) bosses banned adverts in support of farmers on the London Underground as they deemed them “too political”. TfL and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have been criticised for perceived double standards after adverts in support of assisted dying were allowed to be put up across the network in the lead up to a vote on the matter in the House of Commons. The National Farmers Union (NFU) had been due to spend £40,000 on posters around Westminster station with a "Stop The Family Farm Tax" campaign to hopefully keep the issue in the minds of MPs when they return to Parliament on January 6. But Transport for London (TfL) , who report to Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan, have banned the ads. The unnamed activist accused Khan of “trying to silence the farmers” as she took to placing homemade posters in stations and on trains herself. In a video she said: “We disagree with you Sadiq, we think this is a really important subject and we believe that the people have the right to know.” The government has come under pressure since announcing in the October budget that farmers exemption from paying inheritance tax on their estate would be stopped for properties valued at more than £3 million. In November, thousands of farmers took to Westminster to call for the government to reverse the decision which the NFU claims will lead to family farms being sold off to large corporations due to their inability to pay the tax. The activist added: “Apparently, the inheritance tax which our farmers are facing is ‘too political’ but it affects everybody, absolutely everyone. No farmers, no food. “According to Mr Khan, these are far too political but not as political as the assisted dying bill which were allowed to be used throughout the underground.” A female activist is sticking news articles and campaign slogans that are pro-farmers on the London tube in protest against Sadiq Khan’s biased ban. https://t.co/xab4Mz89eo pic.twitter.com/rVe0Og9Lz4 Victoria Atkins , Tory rural affairs spokesman, told the Mail "Labour know they're in the wrong" and that they were "trying to silence those who are pointing this out to their MPs". She said: 'It may be news to the Labour mayor, but Londoners and commuters eat food. They will be hit by higher food prices and weakened food security once Labour's Family Farm Tax and National Insurance hikes take their toll on British farms." TfL said the adverts for assisted dying put up by campaign group Dignity in Dying were compliant with its advertising policy but that it had not allowed the NFU adverts because they "contains imagery and illustrations which are politically controversial" and "promotes a party political cause or electioneering". A spokesman for the NFU said: "We were surprised and disappointed that TfL refused to allow us to advertise this campaign on behalf of Britain's farmers, especially given all the campaigns from other groups they have allowed. "It makes no sense, even within their own rules."

DORAL, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 23, 2024-- NeueHealth, Inc. (“NeueHealth” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NEUE), the value-driven healthcare company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which the Company will be acquired by an affiliate of New Enterprise Associates (“NEA”) at an enterprise value of approximately $1.3 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, NeueHealth will become a privately held company with the flexibility and resources to continue advancing its value-driven, consumer-centric care model. Under the terms of the merger agreement, holders of NeueHealth common stock (other than shares that will be rolled over and certain excluded shares) will receive $7.33 per share in cash, which represents a premium of approximately 70% over the closing price of NeueHealth common stock on December 23, 2024. Certain stockholders of NeueHeath, including NEA and 12 existing NeueHealth investors (which collectively hold all of the outstanding shares of NeueHealth preferred stock), have entered into rollover agreements pursuant to which such stockholders will continue their investments by exchanging their shares of NeueHealth common stock and/or preferred stock for newly issued equity interests in the privately held company, and the Company’s existing secured loan facility with Hercules Capital, Inc. will remain in place. NeueHealth’s executive leadership team will continue in their roles upon completion of the transaction and intends to roll over 100% of their equity interests for newly issued equity interests in the privately held company. “We are pleased to announce this transaction as we believe it places NeueHealth in a strong position for continued growth while maximizing value for all of NeueHealth’s public stockholders,” said Mike Mikan, President and CEO of NeueHealth. “NEA has been a longstanding strategic partner, and we look forward to continuing to work together to build on NeueHealth’s success as a leader in value-based care.” “We believe NeueHealth has built a differentiated model of care that is uniquely positioned to drive value for consumers, providers, and payors and we have confidence in the NeueHealth team and their ability to continue to lead the Company,” said Mohamad Makhzoumi, Co-CEO of NEA. “We have had a strong partnership with NeueHealth since 2016 and share the Company’s commitment to making high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for all Americans.” Transaction Details A special committee (the “Special Committee”) of the board of directors of NeueHealth (the “Board”), composed entirely of independent and disinterested directors and advised by its own independent legal and financial advisors, unanimously recommended that the Board approve the transaction and determined it was in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders that are not affiliated with NEA. Acting upon the recommendation of the Special Committee, the Board subsequently unanimously approved the transaction and determined to recommend that NeueHealth stockholders vote to approve and adopt the merger agreement. Certain NeueHealth stockholders have agreed to vote all of their shares of NeueHealth common stock and/or preferred stock to approve and adopt the merger agreement, subject to certain conditions. The merger is subject to approval by NeueHealth’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions, including receipt of certain regulatory approvals. NEA intends to finance the transaction with fully committed equity financing, and the transaction is not subject to any financing condition. Upon completion of the transaction, NeueHealth’s common stock will no longer be publicly traded or listed on any public market. The merger agreement includes a 30-day “go-shop” period that will expire at 12:01 AM New York City time on January 23, 2025, which permits the Special Committee and its financial advisors to solicit and consider alternative acquisition proposals. There can be no assurance that this process will result in a superior proposal, and NeueHealth does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the “go-shop” process unless and until it determines such disclosure is appropriate or is otherwise required. Lincoln International, LLC is acting as financial advisor, and Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. is acting as legal counsel, to the Special Committee. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is acting as legal counsel to NeueHealth. Latham and Watkins LLP is acting as legal counsel to NEA, with Sidley Austin LLP acting as insurance regulatory counsel to NEA. More information regarding the key terms will be included in a current report on Form 8-K to be filed by NeueHealth with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Important Information and Where to Find It In connection with the transaction, the Company will file with the SEC a proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Proxy Statement”), the definitive version of which will be sent or provided to Company stockholders. The Company, affiliates of the Company and affiliates of NEA intend to jointly file a transaction statement on Schedule 13E-3 (the "Schedule 13E-3") with the SEC. The Company may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the transaction. This release is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement, the Schedule 13E-3 or any other document which the Company may file with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT, THE SCHEDULE 13E-3 AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE COMPANY OR THE TRANSACTION BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement, the Schedule 13E-3 and other documents that are filed or will be filed with the SEC by the Company, when such documents become available, through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov or through the Company's website at https://investors.neuehealth.com/home/default.aspx . The transaction will be implemented solely pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 23, 2024 (the “merger agreement”), among the Company, NH Holdings 2025, Inc. and NH Holdings Acquisition 2025, Inc., which contains the full terms and conditions of the transaction. Participants in the Solicitation The Company and certain of its directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders of the Company in connection with the proposed transaction. Information regarding the Company’s directors and executive officers is available in the definitive proxy statement for the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders of the Company, which was filed by the Company with the SEC on April 1, 2024 (the “Annual Meeting Proxy Statement”), and will be available in the Proxy Statement. Please refer to the sections captioned “Executive Compensation,” “Director Compensation,” and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the Annual Meeting Proxy Statement. Holdings of the Company’s securities by certain of the Company’s employees, and any changes in the holdings of the Company’s securities by the Company’s directors or executive officers from the amounts described in the Annual Meeting Proxy Statement, have been reflected in the following Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC: Form 4, filed by George Lawrence Mikan III on May 6, 2024; Form 4, filed by Jay Matushak on May 6, 2024; Form 4, filed Tomas Orozco on May 6, 2024; Form 4, filed by Jeffery Michael Craig on May 6, 2024; Form 4, filed by Jeffrey J. Scherman on May 6, 2024; Form 4, filed by Jay Matushak on May 13, 2024; Form 4, filed by Jeffrey J. Scherman on May 13, 2024; Form 4, filed by Kedrick D. Adkins, Jr. on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Andrew M. Slavitt on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Linda Gooden on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Mohamad Makhzoumi on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Robert J. Sheehy on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Matthew G. Manders on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Stephen Kraus on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Manuel Kadre on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Jeffrey R. Immelt on May 14, 2024; Form 4, filed by Mohamad Makhzoumi on October 3, 2024; Form 4, filed by Jay Matushak on October 8, 2024; Form 4, filed by George Lawrence Mikan III on December 18, 2024. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction when they become available. Free copies of the Proxy Statement and such other materials may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph. About NeueHealth NeueHealth is a value-driven healthcare company grounded in the belief that all health consumers are entitled to high-quality, coordinated care. By uniquely aligning the interests of health consumers, providers, and payors, NeueHealth helps to make healthcare accessible and affordable to all populations across the ACA Marketplace, Medicare, and Medicaid. NeueHealth delivers high-quality clinical care to over 500,000 health consumers through owned clinics and unique partnerships with over 3,000 affiliated providers. We also enable independent providers and medical groups to thrive in performance-based arrangements through a suite of technology and services scaled centrally and deployed locally. We believe our value-driven, consumer-centric care model can transform the healthcare experience and maximize value across the healthcare system. For more information, visit: www.neuehealth.com . About NEA New Enterprise Associates (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. Founded in 1977, NEA has more than $25 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2024 and invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company’s lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of investing includes more than 280 portfolio company IPOs and more than 465 mergers and acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.nea.com . Forward-Looking Statements This release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements made in this release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. Forward-looking statements include information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business plan and strategies, and statements as to the expected timing, completion and effects of the transaction. These statements often include words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “believe,” “intend,” “project,” “forecast,” “estimates,” “projections,” “outlook,” “ensure,” and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include any statements regarding our plans, expectations and financial guidance. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. Factors that might materially affect such forward-looking statements include: the failure to complete the transaction on the anticipated terms and within the anticipated timeframe, including as a result of failure to obtain required stockholder or regulatory approvals or to satisfy other closing conditions; potential litigation relating to the transaction that could be instituted against NEA, the Company or their respective affiliates, directors, managers, officers or employees, and the effects of any outcomes related thereto; potential adverse reactions or changes to our business relationships or operating results resulting from the announcement, pendency or completion of the transaction; the risk that our stock price may decline significantly if the transaction is not consummated; certain restrictions during the pendency of the transaction that may impact our ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; costs associated with the transaction, which may be significant; the occurrence of events, changes or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, including in circumstances requiring us to pay a termination fee; our ability to continue as a going concern; our ability to comply with the terms of our credit facilities­ or any credit facility into which we enter in the future; our ability to receive the remaining proceeds from the sale of our Medicare Advantage business in California in a timely manner; our ability to obtain any short or long term debt or equity financing needed to operate our business; our ability to quickly and efficiently complete the wind down of our remaining Individual and Family Plan (“IFP”) and MA businesses, including by satisfying liabilities of those businesses when due and payable; potential disruptions to our business due to the transaction or due to corporate restructuring and any resulting headcount reduction; our ability to accurately estimate and effectively manage the costs relating to changes in our business offerings and models; a delay or inability to withdraw regulated capital from our subsidiaries; a lack of acceptance or slow adoption of our business model; our ability to retain existing consumers and expand consumer enrollment; our and our care partner’s abilities to obtain and accurately assess, code, and report risk adjustment factor scores; our ability to contract with care providers and arrange for the provision of quality care; our ability to obtain claims information timely and accurately; the impact of any pandemic or epidemic on our business and results of operations; the risks associated with our reliance on third-party providers to operate our business; the impact of modifications or changes to the U.S. health insurance markets; our ability to manage any growth of our business; our ability to operate, update or implement our technology platform and other information technology systems; our ability to retain key executives; our ability to successfully pursue acquisitions, integrate acquired businesses, and quickly and efficiently divest businesses as needed; the occurrence of severe weather events, catastrophic health events, natural or man-made disasters, and social and political conditions or civil unrest; our ability to prevent and contain data security incidents and the impact of data security incidents on our members, patients, employees and financial results; our ability to comply with requirements to maintain effective internal controls; our ability to adapt to mitigate risks associated with our ACO businesses, including any unanticipated market or regulatory developments; and the other factors set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, and Form 8-K (including all amendments to those reports) and our other filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this release to conform these statements to actual results or changes in our expectations. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241223595862/en/ CONTACT: Investor Contact: IR@neuehealth.comMedia Contact: media@neuehealth.com KEYWORD: FLORIDA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PRACTICE MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES MANAGED CARE HEALTH GENERAL HEALTH HEALTH TECHNOLOGY HEALTH INSURANCE HOSPITALS INSURANCE TELEMEDICINE/VIRTUAL MEDICINE FINANCE SOURCE: NeueHealth Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/23/2024 05:53 PM/DISC: 12/23/2024 05:53 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241223595862/en

jilimacao 01 NoneAI Kingpins Back Trump! After Meta, Amazon, Sam Altman-Led OpenAI To Donate $1 Million To Inaugural FundTests keep coming for Auburn and Duke, who collide at Cameron Indoor Stadium in a typical prove-it game in a rare environment on Wednesday night. No. 2 Auburn and No. 9 Duke square off less than one month into the season as two of the most battle-tested teams in basketball. They're matched as one of the marquee games in the crossover showcase known as the ACC-SEC Challenge. Auburn (7-0) jumped two spots in the latest Top 25 poll propelled by its Maui Invitational championship. In one of Feast Week's toughest brackets, the Tigers rallied from 18 points down to beat then-No. 4 Iowa State, handled then-No. 12 North Carolina 85-72 and rolled past Memphis 90-76 in the title game. With a week off to shed any remnants of jet lag returning from the islands, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is pointing to another potential resume-building win. "The confidence that we're going to get from (Maui) is that we know we can play with anybody," Pearl said. "I promise you this, we'll stay humble and hungry. We will not begin to think too much of ourselves." Helping lead Auburn in Maui was fifth-year power forward Johni Broome. The tournament's MVP, Broome averaged 21.7 points, 15 rebounds, 4.3 assists and three blocks in the three-game sweep. Spearheading a veteran Tigers roster, Broome couldn't care less about individual honors. "I wanted to come to a place where the foundation was already built, and that's why I came to Auburn," Broome said. "Winning player of the year doesn't matter to me. I care about winning games, and making sure I can help my team in any way." Broome's 20.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game lead the Tigers, while Chad Baker-Mazara adds 12.6 ppg and Denver Jones chips in 11.1. Auburn's next roadblock is earning its first-ever win against Duke. The Tigers are 0-3 all-time against the Blue Devils, including a six-point loss in the 2018 Maui Invitational. Duke (5-2) has already been through three games against ranked opponents. The Blue Devils had a 77-72 loss against then-No. 19 Kentucky, a 14-point win at then-No. 17 Arizona and a 75-72 defeat against No. 1 Kansas last week in Las Vegas. "Best team we've played so far," Pearl said of Duke. Bouncing back on Friday, the Blue Devils took down Seattle 70-48, holding the Redhawks to just 10 made field goals on 47 attempts (21.3 percent). Despite the suffocating defensive effort, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer knows his team has a long way to go. "I wasn't really happy with much tonight, to be honest," Scheyer said on Friday. "I thought we rushed some shots, had too many turnovers. We need to finish stronger, drive stronger, make extra passes, there were a whole bunch of things. ... We just need to get back to practice. In fairness to our guys, we've been traveling a lot and we just need practice time." Pacing the Blue Devils in scoring is five-star freshman Cooper Flagg. He's averaging 15.9 points per game to go along with 8.3 rebounds. Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel adds 13.4 points per contest. Far less seasoned raw freshman, big man Khaman Maluach has given Duke's interior defense an edge it was lacking last season. A projected lottery pick who can be overshadowed by the Flagg publicity train, Maluach (7-2, 248) is averaging 8.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and has two three-block games. In last year's inaugural ACC-SEC Challenge, Duke lost at Arkansas 80-75 and Auburn topped Virginia Tech 74-57. --Field Level Media

Trump tariffs threaten to crack open North American economiesPlayers Era Festival organizers betting big NIL is future of college tourneys

ArcBest director Philip Craig sells $428,649 in stockAP Business SummaryBrief at 2:56 p.m. EST

Is he a hero? A killer? Both? About the same time the #FreeLuigi memes featuring the mustachioed plumber from “Super Mario Brothers” mushroomed online this week, commenters shared memes showing Tony Soprano pronouncing Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering the UnitedHealthcare CEO in Manhattan, a hero. There were the posts lionizing Mangione’s physique and appearance, the ones speculating about who could play him on “Saturday Night Live,” and the ones denouncing and even threatening people at a Pennsylvania McDonald’s for spotting him and calling police. It was all too much for Pennsylvania’s governor, a rising Democrat who was nearly the vice presidential nominee this year. Josh Shapiro — who was dealing with a case somewhere else that happened to land in his lap — decried what he saw as growing support for “vigilante justice.” As with so many American events at this moment in the 21st century, the curious case of Brian Thompson and Luigi Mangione has both captivated and polarized a media-saturated nation. The saga offers a glimpse into how, in a connected world, so many different aspects of modern American life can be surreally linked — from public violence to politics, from health care to humor (or attempts at it). And it summons a question, too: How can so many people consider someone a hero when the rules that govern American society — the law — are treating him as the complete opposite? Mangione is in a Pennsylvania jail cell as he awaits extradition to New York on murder charges. Little new information is available about a possible motive, though writings found in Mangione’s possession hinted at a vague hatred of corporate greed and an expression of anger toward “parasitic” health insurance companies. That detail came after earlier clues showed some bullets recovered from the scene had the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” reflecting words used by insurance industry critics. A number of the posts combine an apparent disdain for health insurers – with no mention of the loss of life – with a vague attempt at what some called humor. “He took action against private health insurance corporations is what he did. he was a brave italian martyr. in this house, luigi mangione is a hero, end of story!” one anonymous person said in a post on X that has nearly 2 million views. On Monday, Shapiro took issue with comments like those. It was an extraordinary moment that he tumbled into simply because Mangione was apprehended in Pennsylvania. Shapiro’s comments — pointed, impassioned and, inevitably, political — yanked the conversation unfolding on so many people’s phone screens into real life. “We do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint,” the governor said. “In a civil society, we are all less safe when ideologues engage in vigilante justice.” But to hear some of his fellow citizens tell it, that’s not the case at all. Like Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, D.B. Cooper and other notorious names from the American past, Mangione is being cast as someone to admire. Regina Bateson, an assistant political science professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, has studied vigilantism, the term to which Shapiro alluded. She doesn’t see this case as a good fit for the word, she says, because the victim wasn’t linked to any specific crime or offense. As she sees it, it’s more akin to domestic terrorism. But Bateson views the threats against election workers, prosecutors and judges ticking up — plus the assassination attempts against President-elect Donald Trump this past summer — as possible signs that personal grievances or political agendas could erupt. “Americans are voicing more support for — or at least understanding of — political violence,” she said. Shapiro, apparently fed up with the embrace of the killing, praised the police and the people of Blair County, who abided by a 9/11-era dictum of seeing something and saying something. The commenters have Mangione wrong, the governor said: “Hear me on this: He is no hero. The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Even shy of supporting violence, there are many instances of people who vent over how health insurers deny claims. Consider Tim Anderson, whose wife, Mary, dealt with UnitedHealthcare coverage denials before she died from Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2022. “The business model for insurance is don’t pay,” Anderson, 67, of Centerville, Ohio, told The Associated Press. The discourse around the killing and Mangione is more than just memes. Conversations about the interconnectedness of various parts of American life are unfolding online as well, propelled by the saga. One Reddit user said he was banned for three days for supporting Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted after testifying he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot two people in 2020 during protests. “Do you think people are getting banned for supporting Luigi?” the poster wondered. The comments cover a lot of ground. They include people saying the UnitedHealthcare slaying isn’t a “right or left issue” and wondering what it would take to get knocked off the platform. “You probably just have to cross the line over into promoting violence,” one commenter wrote. “Not just laughing about how you don’t care about this guy.” Taken together, the comments make one thing clear: The case — and now Mangione himself — have captured the American imagination, at least for the moment. And when that happens in a nation of phones and memes, a lot of people are going to have opinions — from anonymous commenters on Reddit to the governor of Pennsylvania himself. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

NEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. The data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more this holiday season using buy now, pay later than they did a year ago. The company forecasts shoppers will purchase $18.5 billion worth of goods using the third-party services for the period Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, with $993 million worth of purchases on Cyber Monday alone. Buy now, pay later can be particularly appealing to consumers who have low credit scores or no credit history, such as younger shoppers, because most of the companies providing the service run only soft credit checks and don’t report the loans and payment histories to the credit bureaus, unlike credit card companies. This holiday season, buy now, pay later users can also feel more confident if a transaction goes awry. In May, the CFPB said buy now, pay later company must adhere to other regulations that govern traditional credit, such as providing ways to demand refunds and dispute transactions. To use a buy now, pay later plan, consumers typically sign up with bank account information or a debit or credit card, and agree to pay for purchases in monthly installments, typically over eight weeks or more. The loans are marketed as requiring no or low interest, or only conditional fees, such as for late payment. Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm are three of the biggest buy now, pay later companies. But consumer advocates warn that shoppers who sign up for the payment plans using a credit card can be hit with more interest and fees. That's because individuals open themselves up to interest on the credit card payment, if it's carried month to month, on top of any late fees, interest, or penalties from the buy now, pay later loan itself. Experts advise against using a credit card to pay for these plans for this reason. Consumer watchdogs also say the plans lead consumers to overextend themselves because, for example, not paying full price up front leaves, in the shopper’s mind at least, more money for smaller purchases . They also caution consumers to keep careful track of using multiple buy now, pay later services, as the automatic payments can add up, and there is no central reporting, such as with a credit card statement. “Buy now, pay later can be an innovative tool for purchases you’re going to make anyway,” said Mark Elliott, chief customer officer at financial services company LendingClub. “The challenge is that it does fuel overspending.” For merchants, that’s part of the appeal. Retailers have found that customers are more likely to have bigger cart sizes or to convert from browsing to checking out when buy now, pay later is offered. One report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York cited research that found customers spend 20% more when buy now, pay later is available. “The reality is that the increased cost-of-living and inflation have put more people in a situation where they’re already relying on revolving credit,” Elliott said. “The psychographics of ‘buy now, pay later’ may be different — people don’t think of it as debt — but it is.” If a consumer misses a payment, they can face fees, interest, or the possibility of being locked out of using the services in the future. Emily Childers, consumer financial expert for personal-finance technology company Credit Karma, said that internal data shows member credit card balances are up more than 50% for Gen Z and millennial members since March 2022, when the Fed started raising interest rates. “Young people are entering this holiday season already in the red,” she said. “And, based on what we’re seeing in the data, they’re continuing to bury their heads in the sand and spend.” The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.FBI Alerts NBA: Athlete Home Burglaries Linked to International Rings