jilipark casino login app First Nations chiefs in Manitoba call on Ottawa to address Jordan's Principle backlogWASHINGTON, D.C. — Elon Musk, bouncing between meetings on Capitol Hill with his young son on his shoulders, and Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with large groups of lawmakers on Thursday about a significant effort to slash government spending once President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. “It’s a new thing and this is a new day in Washington, a new day in America,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said of the incoming Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, before entering a meeting with Musk, Ramaswamy and top Republican congressional leaders. Johnson said the “brainstorming session” was “the beginning of a journey” and wouldn’t produce detailed plans this week. Musk declined to answer reporters’ questions as he smiled and walked quickly ahead of the speaker with his 4-year-old son. But the pair of wealthy business leaders who Trump named to run the new unofficial agency have offered some public hints about where they might target their efforts — particularly in firing or pressuring government workers to quit, reversing regulations and eliminating areas of funding. What does DOGE mean for Maryland? Their plans could have an outsized impact in Maryland . With about 160,000 civilian federal jobs, the state is home to the headquarters of the Social Security Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Census Bureau and more. It also relies heavily on federal funding that pads about a third of the state budget — which is already strapped for cash in the coming years — and provides aid to local organizations. A DOGE social media account on X, which Musk owns, has specifically singled out funding at the National Institutes of Health. Headquartered in Bethesda, the national medical research agency makes major investments in health research across the state, with Maryland as one of its major beneficiaries. A post from DOGE last week claimed NIH spent $1.8 billion “studying racism” in 2024 through grants with names like “examining anti-racist healing in nature.” A Baltimore Sun review of the data referenced in the post indicates the $1.8 billion were actually funds from the 1992 through 2025 fiscal years. Maryland institutions have received the fifth-most amount of those funds, primarily because of research conducted at Johns Hopkins University, which was also the fifth-largest individual recipient of funds in the country. The Johns Hopkins grants, at least for the category referenced by DOGE, have focused on researching health disparities, including in areas like cancer, suicide, pediatrics and reproductive health. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat and member of the Appropriations Committee that would have more authority to determine government spending than the unofficial DOGE, said he would defend the kind of funding that’s been identified so far. “Everyone agrees government should work more efficiently. But by targeting science, MAGA Republicans are ultimately going after efforts to develop life-saving cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s and threatening public health,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “Our nation’s research should remain grounded in science, not driven by politics, which is why I will always fight to protect the integrity of our public health agencies as well as the people who drive them forward.” A Johns Hopkins spokesperson did not return a request for comment Thursday. U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, a Democrat whose Baltimore-based district includes the campus, also did not immediately return a request for comment. Who’s joining the DOGE caucus? Maryland’s mostly Democratic federal delegation has not joined or publicly supported DOGE as a few other congressional Democrats have. U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, has been named the chair of a new DOGE subcommittee on the House Oversight Committee when the next session begins in January. U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, of Florida, became the first Democrat to join the caucus. In a hearing Thursday about the assassination attempts against Trump this year, Moskowitz said he joined because he wants to reform the Department of Homeland Security, including removing from its control the U.S. Secret Service that came under fire after Trump was shot in July. Those kinds of changes will be easier said than done, he noted. “Everyone wants to protect their sacred cow,” Moskowitz said during the hearing. ‘A lot of change’ coming to Washington, speaker says While Johnson claimed there was “an enormous amount of waste, fraud and abuse in the government,” efforts to identify and eliminate federal spending is far from new, and spending has ultimately increased under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Musk has said he plans to reduce the $6.8 trillion budget by $2 trillion, a figure that would require drastic cuts. And though entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security are major cost-drivers, Greene told reporters after one of the meetings Thursday that “no one wants to hurt Americans in that category.” The closed-door meetings included both small and large groups of House members and senators. Republicans will control both chambers once the next session of Congress begins Jan. 3 and before Trump takes office Jan. 20. “You’re going to see a lot of change around here in Washington and the way things are run,” Johnson said. ©2024 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Italy will not send troops to Ukraine: Foreign minister

House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics reportThe collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and European Union (EU) continues to gain ground, with the EU committing approximately €9 billion for space activities between 2021 and 2027. This substantial investment supports next-generation space systems and programs designed to protect citizens through advanced Earth observation capabilities. At the forefront of these initiatives is the Copernicus system, which provides free, near real-time satellite and ground-based data for users worldwide. The system’s cornerstone is the Sentinel satellite constellation. Each Sentinel satellite is designed for specific Earth observation tasks, from monitoring climate change and deforestation to tracking urbanization and responding to natural disasters. For example, Sentinel-1 monitors land masses, sea ice, and maritime activity while supporting emergency responses. Sentinel-2 assists with land management and humanitarian efforts through high-resolution imagery. Sentinel-3 delivers precise measurements of surface temperatures and ocean and land colors, while Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 focus on air quality and atmospheric monitoring. Finally, Sentinel-6 tracks global sea level changes, offering crucial insights for climate change studies. Launched in 2014, Sentinel-1A was the first of its kind, followed by Sentinel-1B in 2016. Together, these satellites have provided immense value, releasing over 95,000 data products monthly. Users worldwide now download more than 2.3 petabytes of data for free, emphasizing the program’s global importance. How the mission works Latest in the series, the Sentinel-1C satellite took off from the European Spaceport in French Guiana on December 5. The satellite reached orbit aboard the Vega-C, a 35-meter European rocket with a launch mass of 210 tons. The vehicle, capable of lifting 2,300 kg to orbit, completed its mission in eight minutes. According to Simonetta Cheli , ESA’s director of earth observation programs, transitioning to the Vega-C rocket was a challenge, as earlier satellites relied on the now-unavailable Soyuz launcher. Equipped with a C-band synthetic aperture radar, Sentinel-1C will deliver high-resolution imagery, ensuring continuity of data as earlier satellites age. “The novelty of the mission is the fact that it has onboard an AIS instrument, which is an automated identification system. This will be a complementary new tool to the satellite and to the radar system to identify marine ships, help and support improving transport, and that was part of the challenge,” stated Cheli in an interview with Interesting Engineering . Two identical satellites comprise the Sentinel-1 mission, operating from opposite sides of the same orbit to establish comprehensive Earth coverage. After losing Sentinel-1B to technical problems in 2022, rendering it incapable of gathering data, the mission is now operating at its full potential as the new Sentinel-1C works in tandem with Sentinel-1A to form the two-satellite constellation. Sentinel-1D satellite is scheduled to replace Sentinel-1A in the coming year. First images from Sentinel-1C Within a week after entering the orbit, Sentinel-1C took its first radar images. As per a media statement released by ESA , the photos show Svalbard in Norway, the Netherlands, and Brussels in Belgium. The first image, taken just over 56 hours after liftoff, shows Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. The second image if of the Netherlands, depicting Amsterdam and the Flevoland region. These first images contribute to numerous scientific areas, including monitoring ground deformation caused by earthquakes, volcanoes, and subsidence, as well as mapping natural resources. The mission supports humanitarian operations and global crisis response. The data is freely available through the Copernicus Data Space, providing access to information essential for environmental monitoring and protection. Converting radiation into energy Sentinel satellites provide high-resolution Earth observation data that can aid in solving challenges we face on the planet. For example, it is possible to get data on pollutants, which can guide the development of nanomaterials for pollution remediation and their effectiveness. Nanomaterials are made up of minute particles that can absorb radiation energy and convert it into light. Nanostructures, on the other hand, are specific arrangements of nanomaterials that can improve their functionality. Testing these materials directly in space opens up several possibilities. This would entail deploying Sentinel data for the development of nanomaterials, which would in turn augment nanotechnology . Additionally, satellite data can help map natural resources, especially mineral resources. According to Professor Liberato Manna from the Italian Institute of Technology, the identification of mineral deposits could be important for the development of new technologies, since critical materials are always needed. Professor Manna is part of a project with the Italian Space Agency which is analyzing materials that can be used as scintillator detectors. A scintillator is a material that absorbs high-energy radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays, and converts it into light. They are used for example in medical equipment for X-ray imaging, Tomography, and PET. In Manna’s opinion, the same principle could be applied to convert high-energy radiation into electricity, providing satellites with an additional power source. It is akin to your phone having a special coating that converts the sun’s heat into energy, thereby doing away with the need for a charger. Similarly, scintillator nanocrystals can detect high-energy radiation such as gamma rays, and convert them into light or even electricity. So, for example, harmful cosmic radiation that could otherwise damage satellites is absorbed, while part of the radiation could be converted into electricity to power the instruments on the satellite. “In essence, one can make the whole cover of the satellite a gigantic scintillator detector which acts as a radiation shield and a source of electricity at the same time,” observed Manna. Of course, this concept needs further testing. Future space missions will serve as valuable testing grounds, as nanomaterials could enable the creation of highly versatile scintillator detectors. Manna highlighted the importance of understanding the growth of nanomaterials in microgravity, as these environments can result in growth regimes that are highly out of equilibrium, promoting the creation of unique nanostructures. All this indicates that the data we get free of charge from satellites can not only help us combat global problems but can also determine technological development. From ocean to urbanization Furthermore, two recent studies have underscored the importance of satellites in environmental and sociological investigations. Using data from the ESA’s Sentinel-2 satellite, researchers were , for the first time, able to distinguish floating macroplastics mixed with algae and sea foam in coastal waters. Scientists used satellite data to improve the detection of plastic waste in Brazil’s coastal waters. Images beamed from the orbit were studied to classify materials like macroplastics, seaweed, and sea foam in the waters. The model achieved 87.25% accuracy in distinguishing macroplastics from other materials. Meanwhile, another study by researchers from Switzerland, examined high-resolution population maps acquired by Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 to develop a population mapping method called ‘Popcorn’. Through this, researchers were able to produce population maps for places in Rwanda which had less than 400 regional census counts. The study claimed the “proposed model has been shown to work well in a range of geographic regions, and greatly simplifies fine-grained population mapping.” The significance of Sentinel satellites cannot be overstated. While they have already proven vital in numerous fields of science, Cheli opines that research in the future should go in the direction of filling existing gaps.

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NEW YORK , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BGC Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGC) ("BGC") Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Howard W. Lutnick provided the following statement: "I am deeply honored to have been nominated by President Donald J. Trump to serve as the 41st U.S. Secretary of Commerce. I look forward to this new chapter in my life, working for President Trump to promote economic growth, drive innovation, and strengthen our nation's financial security. Upon U.S. Senate confirmation, I will step down from my positions at Cantor, BGC, and Newmark. I intend to divest my interests in these companies to comply with U.S. government ethics rules and do not expect any arrangement which involves selling shares on the open market. I have full confidence in my exceptional management team at BGC. I have met with the Board of Directors and informed them that I expect to recommend that John Abularrage , Jean-Pierre Aubin , and Sean Windeatt be named Co-CEOs of BGC effective upon my confirmation. I am certain they will continue to drive our success, upholding the best interests of our clients, investors, and employees." BGC expects no changes to its existing corporate structure and expects to disclose further details at a later date. About BGC Group, Inc. BGC Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGC) is a leading global marketplace, data, and financial technology services company for a broad range of products, including fixed income, foreign exchange, energy, commodities, shipping, equities, and now includes the FMX Futures Exchange. BGC's clients are many of the world's largest banks, broker-dealers, investment banks, trading firms, hedge funds, governments, corporations, and investment firms. BGC and leading global investment banks and market making firms have partnered to create FMX, part of the BGC Group of companies, which includes a U.S. interest rate futures exchange, spot foreign exchange platform and the world's fastest growing U.S. cash treasuries platform. For more information about BGC, please visit www.bgcg.com . Discussion of Forward-Looking Statements about BGC Statements in this document regarding BGC that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These include statements about the Company's business, results, financial position, liquidity and outlook, which may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that the actual impact may differ, possibly materially, from what is currently expected. Except as required by law, BGC undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see BGC's Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information set forth in these filings and any updates to such risk factors and Special Note on Forward-Looking Information contained in subsequent reports on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q or Form 8-K. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bgcs-howard-w-lutnick-nominated-for-us-secretary-of-commerce-302313558.html SOURCE BGC Group, Inc.

BOSTON (AP) — UConn coach Jim Mora pulled a move that would make Bill Belichick proud while preparing the Huskies to play the notoriously churlish former New England Patriot's next team in his old backyard. Mora and his players were more than 45 minutes late for what was scheduled as a 30-minute media availability a day before Saturday's Fenway Bowl against North Carolina. Mora then gave a non-apology straight out of Belichick’s playbook. “We practice at a certain time the day before a game,” Mora said. “And we stuck to the script.” A six-time Super Bowl winner in New England with Tom Brady, Belichick was fired after going 4-13 in 2023, leaving him just 14 wins short of matching Don Shula’s all-time record for NFL victories. Unable to land a pro job at the age of 72, Belichick signed on with North Carolina — his first college gig — when they fired 73-year-old Mack Brown. Belichick hasn’t taken over on the Tar Heels' sideline yet; interim coach Freddie Kitchens — another ex-Cleveland Browns coach — will lead them in the Fenway Bowl. But the future Hall of Famer's potential return to a football field in Boston has been the biggest story ahead of Saturday’s game. Belichick did not attend media day, and Fenway Bowl executive director Brett Miller tried to preempt questions about him by asking reporters “to keep questions focusing on the players and coaches out here today.” “I don’t need to beat around the bush any more than that,” he said in comments that would have been cryptic if it weren’t so obvious to everyone who he meant. “I know there’s probably a lot of questions that you guys have about next year, particularly one side. Please do your best to keep it to these guys, because they’ve earned the right to be here.” The request wasn’t completely successful, with Kitchens taking a question about Belichick specifically and saying he talks to his new boss every day. Earlier this month, Kitchens said: “He asks questions; I answer the questions.” “I’m going to try to soak in all I can from him, and be a better coach because of it,” Kitchens said after Belichick was hired. “I love Carolina, I want what’s best for Carolina, and I know that right now at this moment in time, coach Belichick is what’s best for Carolina. “At the end of the day, he’s a ballcoach,” he said, “and I enjoy working for ballcoaches.” Mora also brushed off a question about whether the next Carolina coach would have any impact on Saturday's game. “It's irrelevant to us," said Mora, who was 0-1 against Belichick in four seasons as an NFL head coach. "We can't control the emotions of our opponents. And as far as I know, coach Belichick will not be taking the football field on Saturday, so it's not relevant to this football team in our preparation. North Carolina (6-6) will be playing in a bowl for the sixth straight year – the second-longest streak in program history. The Tar Heels climbed from back-to-back nine-loss seasons in the final years of Larry Fedora to reach into The Associated Top 25 in each of the previous four seasons under Brown, who also coached them from 1988-97 in one of the most successful eras of Carolina football history. After starting out 3-0 this year, the Tar Heels lost four straight — including a 70-50 loss to Sun Belt Conference team James Madison. They won three more to gain bowl eligibility before a loss to Boston College that sealed Brown's fate, and a season-ending loss to rival NC State. UConn is playing in its second bowl game in three seasons under Jim Mora, bouncing back from last year’s 3-9 record to post its first eight-win season since Randy Edsall took the Huskies to the Fiesta Bowl in 2010. An independent, UConn won all of its games against the non-Power 4 conferences and lost to Syracuse, Wake Forest and Duke of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Maryland of the Big Ten. Miller said the bowl, which has struggled to find traction in a city more focused on the success of its professional sports teams, sold more tickets this year than in its first two. The Belichick angle is certainly part of that, but the game has also had some good success picking teams, hosting Louisville in 2022 -- the year before the Cardinals climbed into The Associated Press Top 10 – and then SMU last year, one season before the Mustangs made the College Football Playoff. “Could one of these teams be next,” Miller said. “We’ll see.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballMills’ absence means another hill to climb for ND’s top unitIon Superhighways: The Nanotech Breakthrough Powering Tomorrow’s Tech

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! Over-the-ear headphones continue to be popular — and none more so than Beats by Dre. The sleek design and heavy bass sound have earned devoted fans — over 9,000 on Walmart to be exact. The high-tech design allows for 40 hours of playtime before requiring a charge. They’re multi-functional — allowing you to listen to music, take calls and even ask Siri to do your bidding. Better yet, one of the most popular pairs is now on sale for under $100 at Walmart . Shop either the standard black shade or the prettiest rose gold hue. At this price, grab a few for all your holiday presents and cross off that list! The Beats Solo3 has an adjustable fit and comfort-cushioned ear cups. Running out the door but your Beats are dead? A quick-charge gives enough power for three hours of play. Whether you wear them to the gym, on your daily commute or at home, Beats are top sellers for a reason. If you’re like me, and earbuds always fall out of your ears, try the over-the-ear style instead. With over 9,ooo glowing reviews, these are flying off the virtual shelves. One five-star reviewer boasts, “I like how it doesn’t hug my ear. I feel like they’re much more comfortable to sleep in than the studio (talking from experience). I love that the bag has a pink logo on it. I love it overall!” Another shopper writes, “Nice product, I use it daily. Good quality sound. I do a lot of Skype, and I also use it a lot for videos and Zoom. I would recommend this product.” Other feedback says the Beats are easy to pair with all Bluetooth devices. The headphones also come with a carrying case, and can even be folded to fit in backpacks and tote bags. Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Regularly priced at $150, grab a few pairs for just $99. More than 500 were sold in the past 24 hours, and hundreds more shoppers have them in their carts. We don’t expect them to stay in stock at this price for long!Travel Market size is set to grow by USD 5.50 trillion from 2024-2028, growing popularity of experiential travel boost the market- Technavio

House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics reportMost Americans, from both parties, say the government needs to increase the supply of affordable housing. For President-elect Donald Trump, that should offer a good opportunity to summon his instincts for development — and self-promotion — to get America building again. Call it the “Trump building boom.” The problem is clear: For more than a decade, housing construction has failed to keep up with U.S. population growth and household formation. This has helped drive a nearly 50% increase in the median sales price of houses and a similar jump in rents, outstripping an 18% gain in real median household income. The income required to afford a new single-family home is now almost twice what it was five years ago, and nearly half of renting households spend more than 30% of their income on rent. By some measures, homelessness is at a record level. Normally, rising prices should spur construction, and that is starting to happen. But why not faster? For one thing, in many of the cities with the most severe housing shortages, local zoning restrictions, land-use regulations, rent controls, affordable-housing mandates and permitting requirements — among other burdens — limit development. Sustained attention to complex problems does not come naturally to Trump. But as a second-generation real estate developer, he has had plenty of personal experience with the bureaucratic obstacles and political opposition that housing plans often encounter. This might offer him an advantage in helping the U.S. build the estimated 2.5 million homes the country needs. Success would depend on three things. First, the administration should encourage a wave of rezoning and deregulation at state and local levels, which is the source of most of the friction. In his first term, Trump established a council to study the problem. This time around, he should act on its recommendations, including by helping local governments dial back costly requirements such as parking minimums and minimum lot sizes and speed up permitting. Perhaps the “freedom cities” Trump says he wants to build on federal land (details TBD) might be exemplars in this regard. More prosaically, the administration should change federal policies that needlessly raise the cost of construction. This could include reducing certain tariffs — such as those on Canadian lumber, which were sharply increased during the Biden administration — as well as expediting environmental reviews and reducing red tape. To help address the 288,000 job openings in construction, up from an average of 190,000 since 2000, Trump could create incentives for community colleges and vocational schools to provide relevant training and offer more visas for qualified immigrants. Finally, Trump has promised to reduce interest rates , which would certainly help make housing more affordable . A commitment to respect the Federal Reserve’s independence would cost him little but help a lot. So might a pledge to cut spending and to moderate the many tax cuts he has talked about. Trump’s record suggests that any such compromise is a long shot. Then again, if there’s one consistency in Trump’s career, it’s that he defies expectations. Providing an ample supply of housing — and making life more affordable — should be a goal of every policymaker. Trump will arrive in office with an opportunity to achieve that goal. “Build, baby, build,” you might say. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston sets off firestorm with vows to resist Trump’s mass deportation plans

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Reniya Kelly had 18 points and six assists, Maria Gakdeng added 16 points and nine rebounds, and No. 16 North Carolina beat 14th-ranked Kentucky 72-53 on Thursday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge. North Carolina opened the game on a 14-4 run, capped by Alyssa Ustby’s fifth 3-pointer of the season. The Tar Heels led 36-25 at halftime after holding the Wildcats to 36% shooting. North Carolina only made one field goal in the opening five minutes of the third quarter as Kentucky got as close as seven points. But The Tar Heels made five field goals in the final five minutes to take a 50-39 lead into the fourth. Kentucky’s opening four baskets of the fourth were from 3-point range to get within 60-51 with 5:52 left on Dazia Lawrence’s basket off a nice assist from Georgia Amoore on an inbounds play. North Carlina sealed it by scoring the next six points — all from the free-throw line. Ustby scored 13 points with eight rebounds for North Carolina (8-1). The Tar Heels outscored Kentucky 42-10 in the paint. Lawrence scored 17 points and Amelia Hassett had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Kentucky (7-1). Amoore added 10 points and eight assists and Clara Strack, averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game, was held to four points on 2-of-10 shooting. North Carolina stays at home to play Coppin State on Sunday. Kentucky returns home to face Queens University on Monday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP women’s college basketball: andThe Christian's Approach To Morality And The 2024 Election - Drew Alan Hall 12-27-2024 09:44 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: ABNewswire The first battle in our country's morality war must start with us. That can be hard because if you are like me, you have screwed up royally in the past. Drew Alan Hall describes his father as his best friend, though they sometimes disagree on specific subjects. One such subject is politics. While neither Hall nor his father considers themselves far right or far left, they occupy different sides of the aisle regarding presidential candidates. Recent elections have sparked heated conversations between them, often centered not on tax strategy or foreign policy but on morality - specifically, the morality of individuals and their politics. Election years tend to bring moral issues to the forefront of public discourse, addressing topics ranging from gender identification to abortion and beyond. These issues emerge in debates between candidates and conversations among individuals, often spilling over into social media. During one such discussion with his father, Hall observed that many people look to political figures and parties as society's moral compass. The distinction between the morality of policies and the morality of candidates often becomes blurred. Hall believes followers of Jesus should take time to pray and reflect on how they approach their beliefs about morality and political choices before casting their votes. The desire for leaders to embody strength and integrity is not unique to America. The Bible illustrates this struggle when God's people asked for a king. Saul, who looked the part, was flawed internally, while David, a man after God's heart, made significant moral missteps. These two leaders, despite their outward differences, both faced moments of moral failure. Hall notes that while society often demands its leaders exemplify morality and integrity, individuals may not hold themselves to the same standards. The first step in addressing the nation's morality issues must begin with individuals. Acknowledging personal mistakes can be challenging, and past failures may lead some to feel unworthy of being used by God. Hall suggests that such thinking can cause people to expect their leaders to achieve what they themselves cannot. Conversations about morality and leaders' actions often overlook personal accountability. To see a shift in national morality aligned with God, Hall emphasizes that individuals must first address their own lives. This personal transformation does not necessarily require running for office but does demand active participation in the mission of making disciples and sharing the good news of Jesus. Hall draws parallels to the life of Peter, who, after denying Jesus, initially returned to his old life as a fisherman. However, an encounter with the risen Messiah helped Peter move past his guilt and step into God's work, ultimately playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the church. Hall highlights that while Peter did not pursue political office, his personal transformation led to world-changing impact. As the election approaches, Hall encourages individuals to seek a transformative conversation with Jesus. Such a conversation can lead to the realization of God's plan for their lives, replacing guilt and shame with grace and forgiveness. Hall believes this shift - aligning actions with beliefs - can gradually influence the nation's morality. For Christians navigating the election season, Hall offers three steps. First, engage in an honest conversation with Jesus to assess whether personal actions align with beliefs. Second, pray for guidance to discern the candidate to support and determine how to do so in a way that honors Christ. Third, remember that a follower of Jesus finds identity in His life, death, and resurrection - not in any political candidate or party. Regardless of who wins the presidency, Jesus remains King. About "How To Keep it Real" by Drew Alan Hall Has regret over past denial of God kept you from the purpose he has for your life? The good news is God does not want you to stay sidelined by past mistakes. By comparing the story of Peter's denial to my own, this book shows how one tough conversation with Jesus could be the thing that moves you forward to radically living for him. In this book, readers will be introduced to three things. * Possible reasons for denial of God through our words and actions * What a life following Jesus looks like * How to step into God's purpose for your life through an encounter with Jesus Get a Free Copy of this Book on Amazon From December 23 to December 27th. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DR2QCB86 Kharis Website: https://kharispublishing.com/kp/product/how-to-keep-it-real/ About Kharis Publishing At Kharis Publishing, we believe every writer deserves a chance to share their story with the world. If you've faced rejection after rejection, you're not alone-many great authors have been in your shoes. Video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/dwOjhlcwmt0 Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/dwOjhlcwmt0 Media Contact Company Name: Kharis Media LLC Contact Person: Rufus Philip Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=the-christians-approach-to-morality-and-the-2024-election-drew-alan-hall ] Phone: (630) 423-6309 City: Aurora, Chicago State: IL Country: United States Website: https://kharispublishing.com/kp/product/how-to-keep-it-real/ This release was published on openPR.

OTTAWA — First Nations leaders in Manitoba are calling on the federal government to address a backlog in requests for Indigenous children to receive swift access to health care and other services. They say the delay in approval of requests under Jordan's Principle has resulted in communities paying out of pocket for health, social or educational services that are supported under the principle, putting other important programming at risk. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said the backlog has added financial strain to communities, forcing them to provide essential services with limited resources. "Many First Nations are trying to meet the needs of their families. They are not receiving funding to provide these services. They are currently running deficits," acting Grand Chief Betsy Kennedy told reporters in Ottawa on Thursday during the Assembly of First Nations annual winter meeting. "First Nations need (Indigenous Services Canada) to fully resource and prioritize full and equitable funding and reimbursement for costs before year's end." Kennedy added First Nations often have to refer their members to other organizations that are also not getting fully funded to complete requests for assistance. The principle is named after Jordan River Anderson of Norway House Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. Born in 1999 with multiple disabilities, Anderson died at the age of five without ever leaving the hospital because federal and provincial governments couldn't decide who should pay for his at-home care. The principle stipulates that when a First Nations child needs health, social or educational services, they are to receive them from the government first approached, with questions about final jurisdiction worked out afterward. Some projects in the 11 First Nations the Keewatin Tribal Council in northern Manitoba represents are at a standstill because money has had to be allocated to cover the costs of service requests, said Grand Chief Walter Wastesicoot. "There's a deep, deep hole there right now," he said. The Keewatin Tribal Council previously had to pay $7 million out of pocket for Jordan's Principle requests before the federal government reimbursed them, said Wastesicoot. He said the Keewatin communities are currently owed millions, but could not provide an exact amount. Kennedy said a regional Indigenous Services Canada representative told the assembly that there may not be further funding for First Nations until the fiscal year ends. Indigenous Services Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The department says on the government's website that Ottawa has provided more than 8.2 million products, services and supports under the principle from 2016 to the end of October of this year. The office of Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu previously told The Canadian Press that the department remains focused on ensuring First Nations children can access the services they need, and that since 2016, the federal government has allocated nearly $8.1 billion to meet the needs of First Nations children. The Manitoba chiefs' complaints come as the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has ordered Canada to address a backlog of requests. The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society raised concerns earlier this year that Ottawa was taking too long to process requests for financing through Jordan's Principle, leaving children without access to services. Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the Caring Society, said the ever-growing backlog is of Canada's own making. "Canada chose to create these backlogs," she said while supporting chiefs on Thursday. "They're not saying they're overwhelmed and backlogged with thousands of cases under a Canadian pension plan or under an unemployment insurance. The government does this stuff. It is choosing not to do it and it's making excuses for itself." Urgent Jordan’s Principle requests are supposed to be processed within 24 hours. But they are taking up to one month to be reviewed, says Independent First Nations, an advocacy body representing a dozen First Nations in Ontario and Quebec. Blackstock filed an affidavit earlier this year that said nearly half of requests made by individuals from those First Nations in 2023-24 are still in review, along with 10 per cent of the files submitted in 2022-23. The tribunal ordered Canada to return to it with a detailed plan, timelines and targets to address the backlog before Dec. 10. -- By Brittany Hobson in Winnipeg. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. The Canadian Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Reniya Kelly had 18 points and six assists, Maria Gakdeng added 16 points and nine rebounds, and No. 16 North Carolina beat 14th-ranked Kentucky 72-53 on Thursday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge. North Carolina opened the game on a 14-4 run, capped by Alyssa Ustby’s fifth 3-pointer of the season. The Tar Heels led 36-25 at halftime after holding the Wildcats to 36% shooting. North Carolina only made one field goal in the opening five minutes of the third quarter as Kentucky got as close as seven points. But The Tar Heels made five field goals in the final five minutes to take a 50-39 lead into the fourth. Kentucky’s opening four baskets of the fourth were from 3-point range to get within 60-51 with 5:52 left on Dazia Lawrence’s basket off a nice assist from Georgia Amoore on an inbounds play. North Carlina sealed it by scoring the next six points — all from the free-throw line. Ustby scored 13 points with eight rebounds for North Carolina (8-1). The Tar Heels outscored Kentucky 42-10 in the paint. Lawrence scored 17 points and Amelia Hassett had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Kentucky (7-1). Amoore added 10 points and eight assists and Clara Strack, averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game, was held to four points on 2-of-10 shooting. North Carolina stays at home to play Coppin State on Sunday. Kentucky returns home to face Queens University on Monday. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketballNEW YORK, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SL Green Realty Corp. (NYSE:SLG), New York’s largest owner of office properties, today announced that it closed on the sale of an 11.0% interest in One Vanderbilt Avenue to Mori Building Co., Ltd, Japan’s leading urban landscape developer. The investment was completed at a gross valuation of $4.7 billion for the iconic property. After completion of the transaction, SLG maintains a 60.0% stake in One Vanderbilt Avenue. “One Vanderbilt is a globally-renowned and architecturally celebrated modern development, which has continued to demonstrate that well-located, highly amenitized and sustainable buildings will attract premier tenants and prestigious investors,” said Marc Holliday, Chairman and CEO of SL Green Realty Corp . “We are honored to welcome Mori Building Co., Ltd. into the ownership venture of One Vanderbilt Avenue.” “We are excited about joining the ownership venture of One Vanderbilt Avenue, a modern landmark in Manhattan, and the relationship with SL Green who have long contributed to making NYC an attractive city,” said Shingo Tsuji, President and CEO of Mori Building Co., Ltd. Standing 1,401 feet tall and defining the Midtown skyline, award-winning and internationally recognized One Vanderbilt is the new headquarters for many of the world’s leading finance, technology, law and real estate firms. The 1.7 million-square-foot skyscraper is 100 percent leased and offers an unparalleled combination of amenities, innovative office design, state-of-the-art technology, the highest level of sustainability and healthy workplace environment together with direct connection to Grand Central Terminal. One Vanderbilt is home to the world-renowned immersive observation experience, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, and two Michelin-starred restaurants from Daniel Boulud. About SL Green Realty Corp. SL Green Realty Corp., Manhattan's largest office landlord, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust, or REIT, that is focused primarily on acquiring, managing and maximizing the value of Manhattan commercial properties. As of September 30, 2024, SL Green held interests in 55 buildings totaling 31.8 million square feet. This included ownership interests in 28.1 million square feet of Manhattan buildings and 2.8 million square feet securing debt and preferred equity investments. About Mori Building Co., Ltd. Mori Building is an innovative urban developer based in Tokyo. The company is focused in increasing the magnetic power of cities by creating and nurturing safe, sustainable urban centers, based on its unique Vertical Garden City concept of high-rise, multifunctional developments for business, learning, leisure, and residence in midst of lush greenery. The concept is manifested in the company’s many leading-edge projects including Roppongi Hills, Toranomon Hills, and Azabudai Hills in Tokyo, Shanghai World Financial Center and Jakarta MORI Tower. Mori Building is also engaged in real estate leasing, project management, and consultation. Please visit www.mori.co.jp/en PRESS CONTACT slgreen@berlinrosen.com SLG-A&D

Broncos hope to continue playoff push when they meet the banged-up Raiders

Cal staves off Sacramento State for third straight winAustralian Venture Builder Hampton Capital Wins Coveted UNSW Innovation Funding

Don Lindich | Tribune News Service Home entertainment holiday specials: These offers are readily available, not a “limited quantity doorbuster.” I do not know how long the various promotions run, but the industry buzz is we will see repeats between now and Christmas so if you miss the deal first time around, keep checking. There is a good chance you will see it offered again. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, $32.99: Normally $59.99, this streaming device is practically an entire entertainment system. In addition to streaming apps, it has an AI art mode that generates unique art by voice command. It also supports Xbox Live, so you can play Xbox games without buying an expensive console. Just add an Xbox controller, subscribe to the service and enjoy. amazon.com Apple 10.2-inch iPad, $199: The ninth-generation iPad is older but still works well. It is reduced from the $329 MSRP. apple.com Cambridge Audio AXN10/MXN10 Network Players, $399: A network player connects directly to the internet to play music and internet radio from streaming sources. They are a must-have for anyone with a component audio system, and these two players from Cambridge are best-in-class with their exquisite construction, fine sound quality and easy-to-use, comprehensive StreamMagic app. Reduced from the introductory price of $599. cambridgeaudio.com Related Articles Technology | Australian Senate debates social media ban for under-16s Technology | How to get started with Bluesky Technology | Apple readies more conversational Siri in bid to catch up in AI Technology | Supreme Court allows multibillion-dollar class action to proceed against Meta Technology | Apple Pay, other tech firms come under CFPB regulatory oversight Klipsch RP-600M II bookshelf speakers, $499/pair: You will not find a better speaker under $500. You will probably not find a better speaker for the $649 list price, either. The RP-600M II has received great praise from Stereophile magazine, a high-end audiophile publication that routinely tests audio products selling for $100,000 or more. After hearing the RP-600M II, I can understand why. They don’t require much power and the sound is transparent, rich, forward, lively, engaging and dynamic without coming across as over-boosted or unnatural. They dig solidly into the bass registers without a subwoofer and vividly bring any kind of music to life. Available online and in stores. klipsch.com Nebula Cosmos 4K SE projector, $999: A few weeks ago I praised this new 4K Google TV smart projector with a dual Laser-LED light source. It can throw a beautiful 4K image that rivals what you see in a good movie theater, is easy to use and the $1,299 price is a breakthrough. At $999 a lot more people should get a projector and experience how life-changing it can be for movies, sports, television and gaming. seenebula.com Samsung Q80D QLED televisions, $749-$1,749: The Q80D sale makes it possible to get a truly stunning high-end TV for little more than the cost of something ordinary. The 85-inch for $1,749 is a particular standout, a savings of $1,550. samsung.com ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLCjilipark is legit 。

Bronchoscope Market 2024-2033: Competitor Assessment, New Trends, Share Analysis And Global Key Players 11-23-2024 01:27 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: The Business Research Company Bronchoscope Market Growth The Business Research Company recently released a comprehensive report on the Global Bronchoscope Market Size and Trends Analysis with Forecast 2024-2033. This latest market research report offers a wealth of valuable insights and data, including global market size, regional shares, and competitor market share. Additionally, it covers current trends, future opportunities, and essential data for success in the industry. According to The Business Research Company's, The bronchoscope market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $2.74 billion in 2023 to $3.02 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing awareness and acceptance, medical training and education, clinical applications and endobronchial interventions, demand for minimally invasive techniques, aging population dynamics. The bronchoscope market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $4.51 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to rising respiratory disorders, growing aging population, demand for minimally invasive procedures, advancements in robotics, focus on early diagnosis. Major trends in the forecast period include miniaturization and portability, focus on patient safety and comfort, augmented reality (ar) and navigation systems, telemedicine and remote guidance, disposable bronchoscopes. Get The Complete Scope Of The Report @ https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/bronchoscope-global-market-report Market Drivers and Trends: The rise in the prevalence of respiratory tract disorders is expected to propel the growth of the bronchoscope market going forward. Respiratory tract disorders are medical conditions that affect the respiratory system. It includes asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer. Bronchoscopy is a diagnostic and therapeutic tool that can be used to evaluate and treat a variety of respiratory tract disorders; thus the rise in the prevalence of respiratory tract disorders leads to an increase in the bronchoscope market. For instance, in 2021, according to the report published by the National Center for Health Statistics, a US-based government agency that provides statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the public health of the American people, the cause of deaths per 100,000 population in the US was 42.9 due to chronic lower respiratory diseases (including asthma) deaths as compared to 36.4 in 2020 which translates to 17.8% increase. Thus, the rise in the prevalence of respiratory tract disorders is expected to boost the bronchoscope market. Major companies operating in the bronchoscope market are developing new products such as single use bronchoscopes to gain a competitive edge in the market. Single-use bronchoscopes are medical devices designed for a one-time, disposable application in bronchoscopy procedures. For instance, in April 2021, Olympus Corporation, a Japan-based optics and reprography products company, launched the H-SteriScope Single-Use Bronchoscopes in the U.S. This new line consists of five premium endoscopes designed for advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The H-SteriScope bronchoscopes offer flexibility and choice to physicians conducting procedures such as tissue biopsy and foreign body retrieval. These single-use bronchoscopes are part of Olympus's commitment to complement its product portfolio with disposable endoscopes to address specific procedure requirements, urgent procedure preparation, and improved workflow. The new line includes models with varying outer diameters and working channels, along with features comparable to traditional bronchoscopes, such as rotary function and tip angulation. The H-SteriScopes aim to enhance workflow, productivity, and patient care by offering convenient, portable, and premium disposable bronchoscopes. Key Benefits for Stakeholders: • Comprehensive Market Insights: Stakeholders gain access to detailed market statistics, trends, and analyses that help them understand the current and future landscape of their industry. • Informed Decision-Making: The reports provide crucial data that support strategic decisions, reducing risks and enhancing business planning. • Competitive Advantage: With in-depth competitor analysis and market share information, stakeholders can identify opportunities to outperform their competition. • Tailored Solutions: The Business Research Company offers customized reports that address specific needs, ensuring stakeholders receive relevant and actionable insights. • Global Perspective: The reports cover various regions and markets, providing a broad view that helps stakeholders expand and operate successfully on a global scale. Ready to Dive into Something Exciting? Get Your Free Exclusive Sample of Our Research Report @ https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=10592&type=smp Major Key Players of the Market: Ambu A/S; Boston Scientific Corporation; Cogentix Medical Inc.; Cook Medical LLC; Fujifilm Holdings Corporation; Hoya Corporation; Karl Storz Endoscopy SE & Co. KG; Olympus Corporation; PENTAX Medical; Richard Wolf GmbH; Teleflex Incorporated; EFER Endoscopy Srl; Lymol Medical Corporation; Schindler Endoskopie Technology GmbH; Schölly Fiberoptic GmbH; Uptake Medical B.V.; Broncus Medical Inc.; Novatech SA; Shanghai AoHua Photoelectricity Endoscope Co. Ltd.; Rochling Group; Stryker Corporation; Smith & Nephew Inc.; NeoScope Inc.; Bryan Corporation; CONMED Corporation; Laborie Medical Technologies Corp.; Envision Endoscopy Inc.; SonoScape Medical Corp.; Verathon Inc.; Medtronic plc Bronchoscope Market 2024 Key Insights: • The bronchoscope market size will grow to $4.51 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5%. • Surge In Respiratory Tract Disorders To Drive Market Growth • Product Innovations Transforming The Bronchoscope Market • North America was the largest region in the bronchoscope market in 2023 We Offer Customized Report, Click @ https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/Customise?id=10592&type=smp Contact Us: The Business Research Company Europe: +44 207 1930 708 Asia: +91 88972 63534 Americas: +1 315 623 0293 Email: info@tbrc.info Follow Us On: LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/the-business-research-company Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbrc_info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBusinessResearchCompany YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC24_fI0rV8cR5DxlCpgmyFQ Blog: https://blog.tbrc.info/ Healthcare Blog: https://healthcareresearchreports.com/ Global Market Model: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/global-market-model Learn More About The Business Research Company The Business Research Company ( www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com ) is a leading market intelligence firm renowned for its expertise in company, market, and consumer research. With a global presence, TBRC's consultants specialize in diverse industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, chemicals, and technology, providing unparalleled insights and strategic guidance to clients worldwide. This release was published on openPR.JBL BAR, Polk Audio Dolby Atmos soundbars with wireless subwoofer cheapest on Black Friday

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has agreed to record a podcast with American scholar and interviewer Lex Fridman. Source : Zelenskyy and Fridman on social network X Details : On Saturday, Fridman wrote that he would like to record a 3-hour podcast with Zelenskyy and was ready to come to Kyiv for this purpose. "Agreed. See you in Ukraine," Zelenskyy tweeted in response. For reference : Lex Fridman (Alexey Alexandrovich Fridman) is an American scholar and interviewer of Ukrainian-Jewish descent, born in Tajikistan and raised in Moscow. Fridman started his podcast in 2018. It was originally called The Artificial Intelligence Podcast but was changed to The Lex Fridman Podcast in 2020. Episodes of the podcast have featured, among others, US President-elect Donald Trump, businessman Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Fridman visited Ukraine during the full-scale war in the summer of 2022. Support UP or become our patron !

A designated disability minister will be appointed to each Government department to “champion disability inclusion and accessibility”, the Government has announced. Work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms said the move aims to drive “real improvements” for disabled people, whom the ministers will be encouraged to engage with on a regular basis. He told the Commons: “I am very pleased to be able to announce today the appointment of new lead ministers for disability in each Government department, they will represent the interests of disabled people, champion disability inclusion and accessibility within their departments. “I’m going to chair regular meetings with them and will encourage them to engage directly with disabled people and their representative organisations, as they take forward their departmental priorities. “And I look forward to this new group of lead ministers for disability together driving real improvements across Government for disabled people.” This came during an adjournment debate on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling raised concerns about “floating bus stops”, which have a cycle lane between the stop and the pavement. Intervening, the MP for Torbay, who is registered blind, said: “The Government needs to ban floating bus stops.” Sir Stephen said: “I do think this issue about floating bus stops is an important issue which we need to work across Government to reflect on.” Labour MP Debbie Abrahams, who led the debate, had earlier criticised the lack of accessibility for disabled people on trains. The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP said: “Our train network does not have level access, and we heard Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson from the other place make this plea back in the summer, absolutely outrageous what she was put through. “But I was absolutely shocked to find, when I had a presentation of the TransPennine route upgrade, that the rolling stock yet to be commissioned is not going to provide that level access. “It’s absolute nonsense, it’s not even in the design of that procurement, so we must do better than this.”

Village People frontman says ‘YMCA’ isn’t a ‘gay anthem’ and supports Trump using it at ralliesConsider Sienna Senior Living for a Stable Monthly IncomeFounder of failed crypto lending platform Celsius Network pleads guilty to fraud charges NEW YORK (AP) — The founder and former CEO of the failed cryptocurrency lending platform Celsius Network has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges, admitting that he misled customers about the business. Alexander Mashinsky entered the plea Tuesday in Manhattan federal court to commodities and securities fraud. He admitted illegally manipulating the price of Celsius’ proprietary crypto token while secretly selling his own tokens at inflated prices. A plea agreement Mashinsky reached with prosecutors calls for him to be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for April 8. Celsius filed for bankruptcy in 2022. A judge has once again rejected Musk's multi-billion-dollar Tesla pay package. Now what? DETROIT (AP) — For a second time, a Delaware judge has nullified a pay package that Tesla had awarded its CEO, Elon Musk, that once was valued at $56 billion. On Monday, Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick turned aside a request from Musk’s lawyers to reverse a ruling she announced in January that had thrown out the compensation plan. The judge ruled then that Musk effectively controlled Tesla’s board and had engineered the outsize pay package during sham negotiations. Lawyers for a Tesla shareholder who sued to block the pay package contended that shareholders who had voted for the 10-year plan in 2018 had been given misleading and incomplete information. US job openings rose last month, though hiring slowed, in mixed picture for labor market WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3 1/2 year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. Openings rose 5% to 7.7 million from 7.4 million in September. The increase suggests that job gains could pick up in the coming months. Still, the latest figure is down significantly from 8.7 million job postings a year ago. Last month, job openings rose sharply in professional and business services, a category that includes engineers, managers, and accountants, as well as in the restaurant and hotel and information technology industries. Trump vows to block Japanese steelmaker from buying US Steel, pledges tax incentives and tariffs HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is underscoring his intention to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp., and he’s pledging to use tax incentives and tariffs to strengthen the iconic American steelmaker. Trump said during the campaign that he would “instantaneously” block the deal, and he reiterated that sentiment in a Monday night statement. President Joe Biden also opposes Nippon Steel’s purchase of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. A secretive U.S. committee is reviewing the transaction for national security concerns, and federal law gives the president the power to block the transaction. Nippon Steel is pledging to invest in U.S. Steel’s factories and strengthen the American steel industry. Stock market today: Wall Street inches higher to set more records NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records after a quiet day of trading. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, on Tuesday to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. The South Korean won sank against the dollar after its president declared martial law and then later said he’ll lift it. China bans exports to US of gallium, germanium, antimony in response to chip sanctions BANGKOK (AP) — China has announced a ban on exports to the United States of gallium, germanium and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The Chinese Commerce Ministry announced the move after the Washington expanded its list of Chinese companies subject to export controls on computer chip-making equipment, software and high-bandwidth memory chips. Such chips are needed for advanced applications. Beijing earlier had required exporters to apply for licenses to send strategically important materials such as gallium, germanium and antimony to the U.S. The 140 companies newly included in the U.S. so-called “entity list” subject to export controls are nearly all based in China. Small business owners brace for Trump's proposed tariffs Small businesses are bracing for stiff tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump has proposed as one of his first actions when he takes office. Trump has proposed importers pay a 25% tax on products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. This means small businesses may end up paying more for goods and services. Small business owners say they’re waiting to see what final form the tariffs take, but are bracing for higher costs that they may in turn need to pass on to consumers. A top Fed official leans toward December rate cut but says it depends on economic data WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official says he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut when the Fed meets in two weeks but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s Board of Governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. But he noted that there’s a risk that inflation “may be getting stuck above” the Fed’s 2% target, which would support an argument for keeping the Fed’s rate unchanged this month. US closes investigation into E. coli outbreak linked to onions in McDonald's Quarter Pounders The federal government has closed its investigation into an E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers after determining there is no longer a safety risk. The outbreak began in late October and sickened at least 104 people in 14 states, including 34 who were hospitalized, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One person in Colorado died and four people developed a potentially life-threatening kidney disease complication. The FDA linked the outbreak to yellow onions distributed by California-based Taylor Farms and served raw on Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming and other states. McDonald’s briefly pulled Quarter Pounders from one-fifth of its U.S. restaurants. Melinda French Gates plans to match $1M in GivingTuesday gifts to groups that support women NEW YORK (AP) — Melinda French Gates is offering to match up to $1 million in gifts to two nonprofit organizations to help spur donations on GivingTuesday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, GivingTuesday has become a major annual fundraising day for nonprofits. Through her organization Pivotal Ventures, French Gates will match up to $500,000 in donations to the Vote Mama Foundation and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said, “It’s a great time to remind people that we’re better off when we give something back and we all have something to give back."

TORONTO, Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immutable Holdings Inc. (CBOE: HOLD; OTC: IHLDF) (“ Immutable Holdings ” or the “ Corporation ”), a publicly-traded blockchain holding company, will hold its upcoming annual general meeting of shareholders on Friday, December 20, 2024 (the “ Meeting ”). Due to the ongoing national strike commenced by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers on November 15, 2024 (the “ Strike ”), Canada Post's operations have shut down and the physical delivery of the materials for the Meeting (the “ Materials ”) may be delayed. In order to facilitate the delivery of the Corporation’s management information circular and related materials for the Meeting in the event that the Strike or similar or related events prevent, delay or otherwise interrupt delivery of the Materials, emails providing a proxy with the voting control number and instructions for voting will be sent by the Corporation’s transfer agent, Odyssey Trust Company, to registered shareholders . Shareholders who do not receive an email from Odyssey Trust Company with their proxy should contact Odyssey Trust Company at 1-888-290-1175 (toll free within North America) or 1-587-885-0960 or email shareholders@odysseytrust.com to request their proxy, voting control number and any other Meeting-related information. Proxies, completed and signed, should be forwarded by no later than 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Beneficial holders , who hold their shares through a broker, and have not received their information from Broadridge Investor Solutions, should contact their broker representative to request a voting information form, voting control number, instructions for voting and any other Meeting-related information. The Materials, as well the Corporation’s financial statements and related management discussion & analysis, are also available under the Corporation’s profile on SEDAR+ ( www.sedarplus.ca ) and on Immutable’s website at: https://www.immutableholdings.com/investors . Notice-and-Access Immutable has adopted the notice-and-access method for delivery of the Materials to its shareholders. Therefore, shareholders can access the Materials at the following website: https://odysseytrust.com/client/immutable-holdings-inc/ . If you wish to receive a paper copy of the Materials or have questions about notice-and-access , please call Odyssey Trust Company at 1-888-290-1175 (toll free within North America) or 1-587-885-0960. In order to receive a paper copy in time to vote before the Meeting, your request should be received by Wednesday, December 11, 2024. About Immutable Holdings Inc. Immutable Holdings is a collection of businesses within the digital assets ecosystem on a mission to build businesses and products that increase the awareness, access, and adoption of digital assets. Founded by Jordan Fried, a founding team member of multibillion dollar Hedera Hashgraph network, Immutable Holdings already boasts tens of millions under management and a portfolio of businesses and brands built on the blockchain ecosystem, including NFT.com, Coffee and Crypto, Immutable Asset Management, and 1-800-Bitcoin. For further information regarding Immutable Holdings, visit https://immutableholdings.com/ and see the Corporation’s disclosure documents on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . For media inquiries and further information, contact: Jordan Fried, Founder & CEO Email: info@immutableholdings.com Melyssa Charlton, CFO Email: info@immutableholdings.com Billy Baxter, Head of Corporate Development & Operations Email: info@immutableholdings.com CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release contains certain statements which constitute forward-looking statements or information under applicable Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding the duration and potential impact of the Strike, are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Corporation’s control, which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those stated, anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, changes to applicable laws or the regulatory sphere in which the Corporation operates, general economic and capital markets conditions, stock market volatility and the other risks disclosed in the Corporation’s annual information form dated March 28, 2024 and other disclosure documents available on the Corporation’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca . The foregoing is not an exhaustive list of factors that may affect the Corporation’s forward-looking statements. Other risks and uncertainties not presently known to the Corporation and/or not specifically referenced herein could also cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed in its forward-looking statements. Although the Corporation believes that the forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, they are based on factors and assumptions, based on currently available information, concerning future events, which may prove to be inaccurate. As such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, as no assurance can be provided as to future plans, operations, results, levels of activity or achievements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable law, the Corporation does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or to revise any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks said that “there are not going to be a lot of the Trump appointees like Jim Mattis, who want to be liked, who want to do a responsible job for the government.” Brooks said, “These are anti-institutionalists. That’s the theme of the whole — the group of people. And so many have scandals because they are outside the pale of polite society. So, there are not going to be a lot of the Trump appointees like Jim Mattis, who want to be liked, who want to do a responsible job for the government. When you pick somebody who has a sex scandal or a financial scandal, they are totally on your side, because they have no other route to a career in their lives. So, they are going to be total Trump loyalists. And their mission is to disrupt the institutions.” He continued, “Now, some of the — I happen to think a lot of our institutions need some disrupting. We’ve got a lot of, like, why can’t we make — why can’t we build subways in this country? Why can’t we build fighter planes in this country? A lot of these institutions have gone creaky. And so, they need reform, but they don’t need a blowtorch. And, especially in the attorney general’s office, what we’re talking about is not reforming the Justice Department. That’s not cleaning out the bureaucracy. That’s taking a blowtorch to the neutral institutions of justice.” Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning after four seasons with the school. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the move, which will see Malzahn to leave to take the offensive coordinator job at Florida State. Malzahn previously worked with FSU coach Mike Norvell during their time at Tulsa under then-coach Todd Graham from 2007-08. The Knights ended a disappointing 4-8 season in which they lost eight of their last nine games, the longest losing streak since 2015. Malzahn, 59, was in the fourth year of a contract through 2028. His buyout, it is reported, would have been $13.75 million. He finished 27-25 at UCF but lost 16 of his last 22 games and was a dismal 4-14 in two seasons in the Big 12. After back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2021-22, the Knights went 6-7 in 2023 and 4-8 in 2024. This season started with high expectations as Malzahn made sweeping changes to the program. He retooled the strength and conditioning department and hired Ted Roof and Tim Harris Jr. as defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. He also added nearly 50 new players to the roster, leaning heavily on the transfer market. UCF started by winning its first three games against New Hampshire, Sam Houston and a thrilling comeback at TCU, but offensive struggles saw the Knights tumble through a TBD-game losing streak to finish the season. Terry Mohajir hired Malzahn on Feb. 15, 2021, six days after he was hired to replace Danny White. The move came eight weeks after Malzahn had been fired at Auburn after eight seasons of coaching the Tigers. The two briefly worked together at Arkansas State in 2012 before Malzahn left for the Auburn job. “When he [Mohajir] offered the job, I was like, ‘I’m in.’ There wasn’t thinking about or talking about ...,” Malzahn said during his introductory press conference. “This will be one of the best programs in college football in a short time. This is a job that I plan on being here and building it.” UCF opened the 2021 season with non-conference wins over Boise State and Bethune-Cookman before traveling to Louisville on Sept. 17, where quarterback Dillon Gabriel suffered a fractured collarbone in the final minute of a 42-35 loss. Backup Mikey Keene would finish out the season as Gabriel announced his intention to transfer. The Knights would finish the season on the plus side by accepting a bid to join the Big 12 Conference in September and then by defeating Florida 29-17 in the Gasparilla Bowl. Malzahn struck transfer portal gold in the offseason when he signed former Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee. Plumlee, a two-sport star with the Rebels, helped guide UCF to the American Athletic Conference Championship in its final season. However, Plumlee’s injury forced the Knights to go with Keene and freshman Thomas Castellanos. The team finished with losses to Tulane in the conference championship and Duke in the Military Bowl. Plumlee would return in 2023 as UCF transitioned to the Big 12 but would go down with a knee injury in the final minute of the Knights’ 18-16 win at Boise State on Sept. 9. He would miss the next four games as backup Timmy McClain took over the team. Even on his return, Plumlee couldn’t help UCF, on a five-game losing streak to open conference play. The Knights got their first Big 12 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 4 and upset No. 15 Oklahoma State the following week, but the team still needed a win over Houston in the regular-season finale to secure a bowl bid for the eighth straight season. From the moment Malzahn stepped on campus, he prioritized recruiting, particularly in Central Florida. “We’re going to recruit like our hair’s on fire,” Malzahn said at the time. “We’re going to go after the best players in America and we’re not backing down to anybody.” From 2007 to 2020, UCF signed 10 four-star high school and junior college prospects. Eight four-star prospects were in the three recruiting classes signed under Malzahn. The 2024 recruiting class earned a composite ranking of 39 from 247Sports, the highest-ranked class in school history. The 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 41 and has commitments from three four-star prospects. Malzahn has always leaned on the transfer market, signing 60 players over the past three seasons. Some have paid huge dividends, such as Javon Baker, Lee Hunter, Kobe Hudson, Tylan Grable, Bula Schmidt, Amari Kight, Marcellus Marshall, Trent Whittemore, Gage King, Ethan Barr, Deshawn Pace and Plumlee. Others haven’t been as successful, such as quarterback KJ Jefferson, who started the first five games of this season before being benched for poor performance. Jefferson’s struggles forced the Knights to play musical chairs at quarterback, with true freshman EJ Colson, redshirt sophomore Jacurri Brown and redshirt freshman Dylan Rizk all seeing action at one point or another this season. This season’s struggles led to several players utilizing the NCAA’s redshirt rule after four games, including starting slot receiver Xavier Townsend and kicker Colton Boomer, who have also entered the transfer portal. Defensive end Kaven Call posted a letter to Malzahn on Twitter in which he accused the UCF coaching staff of recently kicking him off the team when he requested to be redshirted. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Browns get 497-yard performance from QB Jameis Winston and lose anyway in season long gone sour

Madrid: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Saturday superstar striker Kylian Mbappe 's struggles this season are due to his team's overall lack of consistency. The French forward missed a penalty as Spanish and European champions Real Madrid lost on Wednesday in the Champions League against Liverpool , their third defeat in five matches in the competition. Mbappe, who joined in the summer at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract, was criticised for his performance and has netted just two goals in his last nine games for Madrid. "Mbappe's problem is the problem that we all have. The idea is to try to give our best version, not just of him but myself, other players," Ancelotti told a news conference ahead of Sunday's La Liga clash against Getafe . "It's not a problem about one player, the problem that we have is one of a team that has not been capable of being consistent. It's not a problem about one player. Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Data Science MySQL for Beginners: Learn Data Science and Analytics Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Finance Startup Fundraising: Essential Tactics for Securing Capital By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Office Productivity Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By - Study At Home, Quality Education Anytime, Anywhere View Program Marketing Future of Marketing & Branding Masterclass By - Dr. David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, Author | Speaker | Thought Leader | Branding Consultant View Program Finance A2Z Of Finance: Finance Beginner Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI-Powered Python Mastery with Tabnine: Boost Your Coding Skills By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Web Development Advanced Java Mastery: Object-Oriented Programming Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Financial Literacy for Non-Finance Executives By - CA Raja, Chartered Accountant | Financial Management Educator | Former AVP - Credit, SBI View Program Office Productivity Advanced Excel Course - Financial Calculations & Excel Made Easy By - Anirudh Saraf, Founder- Saraf A & Associates, Chartered Accountant View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Boosting Startup Revenue with 6 AI-Powered Sales Automation Techniques By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Marketing Digital marketing - Wordpress Website Development By - Shraddha Somani, Digital Marketing Trainer, Consultant, Strategiest and Subject Matter expert View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance Tally Prime & GST Accounting: Complete Guide By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Data Science SQL Server Bootcamp 2024: Transform from Beginner to Pro By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program "We have to try and improve that, do everything we can... among other things (Mbappe) is new here and adapting, among other things he's scored eight goals and has participated in attack, giving assists. "Yes he can play better, but we can all do better and we will try to." Mbappe was not included in the last two France squad lists and has also had off-field issues to deal with during his first months at the Santiago Bernabeu. "He is absolutely not sunken, he knows he has to improve like we all do... he's being scrutinised after the Liverpool game because he missed a penalty, like many of my players have," continued Ancelotti. The coach said the Liverpool defeat was partly due to losing players through injury, including Vinicius Junior , Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao among others, but that Brazilian winger Rodrygo was fit to face Getafe. Madrid, second, trail La Liga leaders Barcelona by four points, albeit having played one fewer match. "I am like Mbappe, I am trying to give my best version," said Ancelotti. "Results say that I have not been capable of doing that. I'm not happy... but I'm convinced we will fix it, like we always fix it. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Council chiefs have been warned they may be breaking the law by sending thousands of people on housing waiting lists in London to the North and the Midlands. Authorities have been accused of “exiling” poor families to areas where home costs are cheaper. Up to one in 10 residents in Ferryhill, Co Durham, are believed to be refugees from the capital, with “whole streets” in other towns in the region being filled with Londoners desperate for a home. Chris Bailey, campaign manager for charity Action on Empty Homes, said: “It is as if the towns of Co Durham and Teesside are being turned into the equivalent of London’s modern day leper colonies.” He added families were “sent into exile up there, through no fault of their own”. Councils in the capital moved 15,280 households to other areas in just one year, Freedom of Information requests by Nottingham University found. Many were moved to neighbouring boroughs but others were sent hundreds of miles away. Areas receiving homeless families each year also include Walsall, Sheffield and Liverpool. Section 208 of the Housing Act requires councils that move households to inform the local authority the family is being sent to, but MPs in the North have accused boroughs in the capital of failing to do this. Grahame Morris, MP for Easington, in Co Durham, is to lead a Commons debate highlighting the issue. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has also written to every council chief executive in England to remind them they are required by law to notify the receiving local authority of any out-of-area placement. Research has been led by Dr Steve Iafrati, assistant professor in social policy at Nottingham, who said families are expected to start a new life away from friends and family, with children forced to change school. Any that refuse can be classed as “voluntarily homeless” and lose the right to help. Meanwhile, the areas receiving London’s homeless face extra demand for school and healthcare services. Dr Iafrati said: “People who are moved have got children or they are pregnant, they may have a mental or physical disability. “I have spoken to households who then could not get a school for their child in the area they were moved to. “I have spoken to people who have lost their job. “The biggest group moved are women with children and that adds to demand for school places.”

BERWYN, Pa. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Envestnet, Inc. (the " Company "), yesterday announced that, pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 11, 2024 , by and among the Company, BCPE Pequod Buyer, Inc. (" Parent "), a Delaware corporation, and BCPE Pequod Merger Sub, Inc. (" Merger Sub "), a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the "Merger Agreement"), Merger Sub merged with and into the Company (the " Merger "), with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation. At the effective time of the Merger, each share of common stock, par value $0.005 per share, of the Company (the " Common Shares ") (other than any Common Shares (i) owned by Parent (or any of its affiliates), Merger Sub or the Company or any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Parent (or any of its affiliates), Merger Sub or the Company, (ii) that are Rollover Shares (as defined in the Merger Agreement), (iii) held in treasury of the Company, and (iv) as to which appraisal rights have been properly exercised in accordance with Delaware law) was automatically cancelled, extinguished and converted into the right to receive $63.15 in cash per one Common Share. As a result, a Share Exchange Event and a Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurred under each of the Indenture, dated as of August 20, 2020 , among the Company, the guarantor party thereto and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the " Trustee "), which governs the Company's 0.75% Convertible Notes due 2025 (the " 2025 Notes ") (such indenture, the " 2025 Indenture ") and the Indenture, dated of November 17, 2022 , among the Company, the guarantor party thereto and the Trustee, which governs the Company's 2.625% Convertible Notes due 2027 (the " 2027 Notes ", and together with the 2025 Notes, collectively and individually, the " Notes ") (such indenture, the " 2027 Indenture ", and together with the 2025 Indenture, collectively, the " Indentures ", and each, an " Indenture ", as applicable), triggering the adjustments to the conversion rights as described below. The effective date of the Share Exchange Event and Make-Whole Fundamental Change was November 25, 2024 (the " Effective Date "). Capitalized terms used and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the applicable Indenture. The Company announced that, pursuant to the terms of the respective Indenture, in connection with the consummation of the Merger which constitutes a Share Exchange Event under each Indenture, the Company and the Trustee entered into supplemental indentures to each Indenture providing that, following the effective date of the Merger, the right to convert each $1,000 principal amount of Notes into shares of common stock of the Company at the then applicable conversion rate shall be changed into a right to convert such principal amount of Notes solely into a number of units of Reference Property in an aggregate amount equal to the applicable conversion rate in effect on the conversion date (as may be increased by any Additional Shares), multiplied by $63.15 , the price paid per share of Common Stock in the Merger. Because the Merger constituted a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Notes are convertible, at the option of the Holder, at any time from the Effective Date until 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on the business day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Purchase Date to be determined by the Company and separately announced to the Holders in accordance with the terms of the Indentures as a result of the Merger (the " Conversion Period "). Also because the Merger constituted a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the conversion rate for the 2027 Notes will be temporarily increased during the Conversion Period. Such conversion rate per $1,000 principal amount of the 2027 Notes increased by 3.2973 units of Reference Property from 13.6304 units of Reference Property to 16.9277 units of Reference Property. The Company's conversion obligation with respect to Notes that are converted prior to the end of the Conversion Period will be fixed at an amount in cash equal to $591.602 per $1,000 principal amount of the 2025 Notes validly surrendered for conversion, and $1,068.984 per $1,000 principal amount of the 2027 Notes validly surrendered for conversion. The right of the Holders to convert their Notes is separate from the right, at the Holder's option, to submit their Notes for purchase upon a Fundamental Change. If a Holder submits a Fundamental Change Purchase Notice, such Holder may not surrender such Notes for conversion unless the Holder validly withdraws such Fundamental Change Purchase Notice prior to the Fundamental Change Expiration Time. Holders should review the applicable Indenture carefully and should consult with their own financial and tax advisors. None of the Company, Merger Sub, Parent or any of their respective affiliates, or any of its or their respective boards of directors, employees, advisors or representatives or U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, in its capacity as trustee, paying agent or conversion agent with respect to the Notes, is making any representation or recommendation to any Holder as to whether or not to surrender or convert that Holder's Notes. The Trustee, Paying Agent and Conversion Agent is: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Corporate Actions 111 Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107-1402 Telephone: (800) 934-6802 Email: cts.specfinance@usbank.com Any questions or requests for assistance in connection with the conversion of the Notes may be directed to U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, in accordance with the contact information listed above, or the Company. About Envestnet Envestnet is helping to lead the growth of wealth managers and transforming the way financial advice is delivered through its ecosystem of connected technology, advanced insights, and comprehensive solutions – backed by industry-leading service and support. Serving the wealth management industry for 25 years with more than $6.5 trillion in platform assets—more than 111,000 advisors, 17 of the 20 largest U.S. banks, 48 of the 50 largest wealth management and brokerage firms, more than 500 of the largest RIAs -- thousands of companies, depend on Envestnet technology and services to help drive business growth and productivity, and better outcomes for their clients. Data as of 9/30/24. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/envestnet-inc-announces-make-whole-fundamental-change-and-supplemental-indentures-under-its-0-75-convertible-notes-due-2025-and-2-625-convertible-notes-due-2027--302317032.html SOURCE Envestnet, Inc.

The Los Angeles Clippers have solidified their home court advantage with seven straight wins at home. Can the Intuit Dome prove to be a tough place for opponents to play? LA is very sports-oriented when it comes to the diversity of fans and how much they love their teams. It’s also a place where tradition is taken seriously from generation to generation by fans. Clippers Win Seven Straight in First Full Month at Intuit Dome In the month of October and to start November, LA had not really established their home court dominance, especially in the very beginning. They lost their first four home games against the Phoenix Suns twice, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Clippers lost the first three by an average margin of 3.3 points, showing signs of not being able to close out games. After struggling on the road in Oklahoma City and Houston, and still without star Kawhi Leonard , there wasn’t much to lean on coming back home, but that all changed. Needing wins to cement themselves as a playoff contender in the Western Conference, the team finally got back on track at home. The Clippers have beaten some mediocre teams, but also some better teams such as the Golden State Warriors at home in November. How Did the Clippers Get Here? Down by 26 points after one quarter, the Clippers rallied to win their first game at the Intuit Dome against the San Antonio Spurs. The next game resulted in a win against the underachieving Philadelphia 76ers. That was followed by a nail-biting win against the Toronto Raptors. The Clippers then lost three in a row on the road, before getting a win in Utah against the Jazz. Finally getting back home to Inglewood, LA rattled four straight key victories. The Clippers secured wins against the Utah Jazz, Golden Warriors, Orlando Magic and an NBA Cup game against the Sacramento Kings. It seems like head coach Tyronn Lue has figured out a way to win games that they are expected to win and make a statement against the best teams in the league. The Intuit Dome Creates a New Legacy for the Clippers The Intuit Dome was built for the hope that Clippers fans show up and show out at every home game. Finally having their own arena and being out of the shadow of the Lakers in downtown LA, the Clippers have something to call their own. It’s a bit ironic that the Intuit Dome is neighbors directly with The Forum where the Lakers called home and cemented their legacy. The LA Clippers have released rules for "The Wall" — the Intuit Dome's new section of 51 uninterrupted rows of fans. • Cannot cheer for opposing team • Cannot wear opponent gear • Tickets can only be resold in Clippers marketplace A season on "The Wall" ranges from $5K-$25K. pic.twitter.com/7hQEfDizdo — Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 16, 2024 However, in a new generation in Clippers basketball, owner Steve Ballmer created a new identity for the Clippers. Many people know about the previous ownership with the Clippers and how disastrous it was tomthe team’s legacy. Now, the Intuit Dome is a chance to create a new legacy with a clean slate to work with. As for one of the Intuit Dome’s premier sights, “The Wall” has been doing its job in the arena’s infancy. Whether it is by waving rubber chickens called “Chuckens” or getting creative with chants, Clippers fans have been doing their part. The fans seem to show up the most in the fourth quarter. Free Chicken! Chick-Fil-A has been partnered with the Clippers for years with a special promotion for fans in attendance. In the fourth quarter, if an opposing player misses two consecutive free throws , free chicken sandwiches for all! The following day, people can redeem their free chicken sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A by either downloading their app or using the rewards system. Some players have fallen victim to this promotion, specifically Devin Booker on opening night. The fans in “The Wall” did their job to disrupt the 87% career free throw shooter. Clips Fly Out East For Thanksgiving Next on the schedule, the Clips have a four game road trip ahead of them. The first three of these outings are on the east coast. It looks to be somewhat of a favorable road trip for LA. Games one and three on the road are opponents that have a combined record of 5-24. They are the very underwhelming Philadelphia 76ers (game takes place Sunday) and Washington Wizards. In between those matchups includes a trip to TD Garden and a date with the defending champions, the Boston Celtics. Finally, the trip wraps up on Black Friday in Minnesota for the Clippers’ third NBA Cup game against the Timberwolves. This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.The San Francisco 49ers claimed running back Israel Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets on Tuesday, one day after placing running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason on injured reserve. The Jets released Abanikanda on Monday after adding Kene Nwangwu to the active roster. Nwagwu had been a practice-squad elevation for the Jets last Sunday against Seattle and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the game. Abanikanda, 22, was a fifth-round draft pick by the Jets in 2023. After running 22 times for 70 yards and catching seven passes for 43 yards in six appearances as a rookie, Abanikanda did not play a regular-season game for New York in 2024, buried on the depth chart behind Breece Hall and others. When the Niners placed McCaffrey and Mason on IR, rookie Isaac Guerendo was left as the only healthy running back on their active roster. In Sunday night's loss at the Buffalo Bills, McCaffrey left the field in pain in the second quarter and was diagnosed with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. Mason also suffered a high ankle sprain in the game. McCaffrey was playing in just his fourth game of the season after missing the first eight because of Achilles tendinitis in both legs. He was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season, when he led the league with 2,023 yards from scrimmage: a league-leading 1,459 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns plus 67 catches for 564 yards and seven scores. Mason is the leading rusher for San Francisco (5-7) this season with 789 yards and three touchdowns on 153 carries. It was his third season in the league. --Field Level MediaKey Natural Antioxidants Market Trend 2024-2033: Strategic Partnerships for Geographical Expansion

Teenagers are facing wide-ranging new restrictions over the use of beauty filters on TikTok amid concern at rising anxiety and falling self-esteem. Under-18s will, in the coming weeks, be blocked from artificially making their eyes bigger, plumping their lips and smoothing or changing their skin tone. The restrictions will apply to filters – such as “Bold Glamour” – that change children’s features in a way that makeup cannot. Comic filters that add bunny ears or dog noses will be unaffected. The billion-user social media company announced the changes during a safety forum at its European headquarters in Dublin. The effectiveness of the restrictions will depend on people using the platform under their real age, which is not always the case. There has been widespread concern that the beauty filters – some provided by TikTok, others created by users – have resulted in a pressure on teenagers, particularly girls, to adopt a polished physical appearance with negative emotional repercussions. Some young people have described how after using filters they found their real face ugly. TikTok also announced it was tightening its systems to block users under 13 from the platform, which could mean that thousands of British children are turfed off the platform. Before the end of the year, it will launch a trial of new automated systems that use machine learning to detect people cheating its age restrictions. The moves come with tougher regulation of underage social media use in the UK looming in the new year, under the Online Safety Act. The platform already removes 20m accounts every quarter worldwide for being underage. Chloe Setter, TikTok’s lead on child safety public policy, said: “We’re hoping that this will give us the ability to detect and remove more and more quickly.” People wrongly blocked will be able to appeal. “It can obviously be annoying for some young people,” said Setter, but she added that the platform will take a “safety-first approach”. Ofcom said in a report last December that from June 2022 to March 2023 about 1% of TikTok’s total UK monthly active user base were removed for being underage. The regulator has previously warned the effectiveness of TikTok’s age restriction enforcement is “yet to be established”. It is due to start strictly enforcing over-13 age limits for social media users next summer, requiring “highly effective” age checks. The new “guardrails” around beauty filters and age verification are part of a wave of adjustments to online safety being announced by social media platforms before tougher regulations are enforced in the coming months, with potential heavy fines for breaches of online safety rules. Last week Roblox, the gaming platform with 90 million daily users, announced it would restrict its youngest users from accessing the more violent, crude and scary content on the platform after warnings about child grooming, exploitation and the sharing of indecent images. Instagram, which is run by Meta, launched “teen accounts” for under-18s to allow parents greater control over children’s activities, including the ability to block children from viewing the app at night. Andy Burrows, the chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, which was set up to focus on suicide prevention, said: “It will not escape anyone’s attention that these shifts are being announced largely to comply with EU and UK regulation. This makes the case for more ambitious regulation, not less.” He called for TikTok to be fully transparent about how its age assurance measures will work and their effectiveness at reducing the number of under-13s on the platform. Burrows added: “TikTok should act quickly to fix the systemic weaknesses in its design that allows a torrent of harmful content to be algorithmically recommended to young people aged 13 or over.” The NSPCC described the age protection move as “encouraging” but “just the tip of the iceberg”. “Other social media sites must step up and find effective ways to assess the ages of their users,” said Richard Collard, the charity’s associate head of policy for child safety online. “Ofcom and the government also have an important role to play in compelling tech bosses to deliver age-appropriate experiences for all their users.”

Commanders place kicker Austin Seibert on injured reserveAlabama flips RB Jace Clarizio from Michigan StateFreeman has 26 in Bethune-Cookman's 79-67 victory over North Dakota

TALLAHASSEE — Matt Gaetz’ knack for courting controversy has finally caught up with him. The right-wing firebrand, political prankster, steadfast Trump defender and party animal stepped down as the president-elect’s choice for Attorney General once it was made clear to him he didn’t have the needed support in the U.S. Senate. Senators on both sides of the aisle had reacted to the former Florida congressman’s nomination with shock, with one calling him “a not serious candidate” and others demanding more details about the sex scandals swirling around him for the past few years. After being asked Thursday to comment on a report that a 17-year-old girl had sex with him twice at a former lawmaker’s house party in Seminole County in 2017, Gaetz bowed out so he would not “unfairly become a distraction” for President-elect Donald Trump. Even without the allegations of sexual misconduct, Gaetz was an unusual choice for attorney general, experts said. He had the least amount of legal experience of any nominee since the end of World War II. “His background doesn’t look anything like other attorney generals going back to Eisenhower. It makes no sense,” said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond and expert on federal courts and the judicial selection process. Most presidents have picked attorney generals with vast professional and legal experience because they run an agency of 40 separate divisions, including the Office of Solicitor General, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Tobias said. “I don’t think he even appreciates how the DOJ works,” Tobias said. Gaetz’s reputation for trolling enemies on social media and insulting fellow members of Congress on conservative talk shows left him with few allies in Washington, D.C. In one of his most high-profile actions, Gaetz wore a gas mask on the House floor while Congress voted on a multi-billion dollar bill to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The big picture for Gaetz is that all his questionable behavior, actions and statements have caught up with him finally,” said Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida. “For a long time it seemed like they would not because he had the president elect’s ear.” And now, his political future depends on Trump’s continued support. Trump didn’t waste any time replacing Gaetz with fellow Floridian Pam Bondi, a former state attorney general who is a more likable yet equally dedicated Trump loyalist without the same amount of baggage as Gaetz. But Trump took to his own Truth Social platform to praise Gaetz, saying he had “much respect” for his decision to step down. “Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Trump said. U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a fellow Republican from Florida and Trump supporter, posted on X that Gaetz was the victim of a media smear, and feared facing the same kind of brutal grilling as Justice Brett Kavanaugh endured six years ago. Gaetz ended speculation Friday that he would return to his Florida District 1 Congressional seat when the new session begins in January by saying that eight years was enough and it was time to move on to new things. “Usually at some point the president or nominee realizes it is not going to happen,” Jewett said. “Instead of forcing the issue and airing dirty laundry out in public they withdraw. That appears to be what happened.” Typically, presidents nominate attorney generals who have extensive experience, often as judges or prosecutors, as they will be overseeing the world’s largest law office, with more than 115,000 employees. Gaetz graduated from the College of William and Mary law school in 2007 and started working at the Fort Walton Beach law firm of Larry Keefe, who was Trump’s appointee as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida during his first term and is Florida’s public safety czar for Gov. Ron DeSantis. As a junior lawyer, Gaetz handled mostly run-of-the-mill cases. The Okaloosa County court records show him handling about two cases a year in his home county. His first two cases were traffic infractions, and he also worked on debt and contract disputes, negligence and workers compensation claims. One case involved a homeowners association in its dispute against Walton County over the location of a beach volleyball net, records show. After less than a year as a lawyer, Gaetz was pulled over for speeding in his father’s BMW and arrested for drunk driving. He refused to take a breathalyzer test and the charges against him were dropped. He’s been casual about maintaining his practice, Florida Bar records show. He had his license suspended for failing to pay his fees in 2021 but it was reinstated when he paid up. He also was cited for not keeping up with his continuing legal education requirements in 2023. And he was cited two years in a row for not being up to date on his trust account reports. In 2010, Gaetz ran as a Tea Party Republican and was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. His financial disclosure form said he earned $29,000 from his legal practice that year. He spent his time defending Florida’s controversial “stand-your-ground” law and railing against the Affordable Care Act and Medicare. But he was instrumental in getting Florida’s medical marijuana law passed. He quickly got a reputation for lashing out against his political enemies in Florida and that expanded when he went to D.C. He was investigated by the Florida Bar for an incendiary tweet accusing Michael Cohen, a former Trump attorney and head of the Trump Organization, of infidelity. The House Ethics Committee admonished Gaetz for his comments. He also received a letter from the Florida Bar advising him that a comment he made about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, was inappropriate. He took down the post and apologized. When Gaetz criticized former Florida Rep. Chris Latvala, a fellow Republican, for meeting with the Rev. Al Sharpton in 2020, Latvala accused Gaetz of starting a sex game where lawmakers earned points for sleeping with aides, interns, lobbyists and married lawmakers. The game had been reported by the Miami Herald in 2017 but it wasn’t until 2020 that Latvala connected the game to Gaetz – who denied the accusation. As a freshman congressman in 2017, he raised eyebrows when he cast the lone vote against an anti-human trafficking bill. And his decision to wear the gas mask on the floor earned him condemnation from many quarters. Even more bizarre, in 2020 an unmarried Gaetz at the time shocked fellow members of Congress with the revelation that he had an “adopted” son, a Cuban immigrant whose mother had died of cancer and was the brother of Gaetz’ girlfriend at the time. “His temperament or personality just doesn’t fit the role. He’s never been a serious guy,” Jewett said. “His thing is firing up the base, getting media attention and likes on social media. That is not typically what you want in an Attorney General. That doubled with the ethical and legal clouds are a terrible fit.” ©2024 Orlando Sentinel. Visit orlandosentinel.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

BERWYN, Pa. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Envestnet, Inc. (the " Company "), yesterday announced that, pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 11, 2024 , by and among the Company, BCPE Pequod Buyer, Inc. (" Parent "), a Delaware corporation, and BCPE Pequod Merger Sub, Inc. (" Merger Sub "), a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the "Merger Agreement"), Merger Sub merged with and into the Company (the " Merger "), with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation. At the effective time of the Merger, each share of common stock, par value $0.005 per share, of the Company (the " Common Shares ") (other than any Common Shares (i) owned by Parent (or any of its affiliates), Merger Sub or the Company or any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries of Parent (or any of its affiliates), Merger Sub or the Company, (ii) that are Rollover Shares (as defined in the Merger Agreement), (iii) held in treasury of the Company, and (iv) as to which appraisal rights have been properly exercised in accordance with Delaware law) was automatically cancelled, extinguished and converted into the right to receive $63.15 in cash per one Common Share. As a result, a Share Exchange Event and a Make-Whole Fundamental Change occurred under each of the Indenture, dated as of August 20, 2020 , among the Company, the guarantor party thereto and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the " Trustee "), which governs the Company's 0.75% Convertible Notes due 2025 (the " 2025 Notes ") (such indenture, the " 2025 Indenture ") and the Indenture, dated of November 17, 2022 , among the Company, the guarantor party thereto and the Trustee, which governs the Company's 2.625% Convertible Notes due 2027 (the " 2027 Notes ", and together with the 2025 Notes, collectively and individually, the " Notes ") (such indenture, the " 2027 Indenture ", and together with the 2025 Indenture, collectively, the " Indentures ", and each, an " Indenture ", as applicable), triggering the adjustments to the conversion rights as described below. The effective date of the Share Exchange Event and Make-Whole Fundamental Change was November 25, 2024 (the " Effective Date "). Capitalized terms used and not defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the applicable Indenture. The Company announced that, pursuant to the terms of the respective Indenture, in connection with the consummation of the Merger which constitutes a Share Exchange Event under each Indenture, the Company and the Trustee entered into supplemental indentures to each Indenture providing that, following the effective date of the Merger, the right to convert each $1,000 principal amount of Notes into shares of common stock of the Company at the then applicable conversion rate shall be changed into a right to convert such principal amount of Notes solely into a number of units of Reference Property in an aggregate amount equal to the applicable conversion rate in effect on the conversion date (as may be increased by any Additional Shares), multiplied by $63.15 , the price paid per share of Common Stock in the Merger. Because the Merger constituted a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the Notes are convertible, at the option of the Holder, at any time from the Effective Date until 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on the business day immediately preceding the Fundamental Change Purchase Date to be determined by the Company and separately announced to the Holders in accordance with the terms of the Indentures as a result of the Merger (the " Conversion Period "). Also because the Merger constituted a Make-Whole Fundamental Change, the conversion rate for the 2027 Notes will be temporarily increased during the Conversion Period. Such conversion rate per $1,000 principal amount of the 2027 Notes increased by 3.2973 units of Reference Property from 13.6304 units of Reference Property to 16.9277 units of Reference Property. The Company's conversion obligation with respect to Notes that are converted prior to the end of the Conversion Period will be fixed at an amount in cash equal to $591.602 per $1,000 principal amount of the 2025 Notes validly surrendered for conversion, and $1,068.984 per $1,000 principal amount of the 2027 Notes validly surrendered for conversion. The right of the Holders to convert their Notes is separate from the right, at the Holder's option, to submit their Notes for purchase upon a Fundamental Change. If a Holder submits a Fundamental Change Purchase Notice, such Holder may not surrender such Notes for conversion unless the Holder validly withdraws such Fundamental Change Purchase Notice prior to the Fundamental Change Expiration Time. Holders should review the applicable Indenture carefully and should consult with their own financial and tax advisors. None of the Company, Merger Sub, Parent or any of their respective affiliates, or any of its or their respective boards of directors, employees, advisors or representatives or U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, in its capacity as trustee, paying agent or conversion agent with respect to the Notes, is making any representation or recommendation to any Holder as to whether or not to surrender or convert that Holder's Notes. The Trustee, Paying Agent and Conversion Agent is: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Corporate Actions 111 Fillmore Avenue St. Paul, MN 55107-1402 Telephone: (800) 934-6802 Email: cts.specfinance@usbank.com Any questions or requests for assistance in connection with the conversion of the Notes may be directed to U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, in accordance with the contact information listed above, or the Company. About Envestnet Envestnet is helping to lead the growth of wealth managers and transforming the way financial advice is delivered through its ecosystem of connected technology, advanced insights, and comprehensive solutions – backed by industry-leading service and support. Serving the wealth management industry for 25 years with more than $6.5 trillion in platform assets—more than 111,000 advisors, 17 of the 20 largest U.S. banks, 48 of the 50 largest wealth management and brokerage firms, more than 500 of the largest RIAs -- thousands of companies, depend on Envestnet technology and services to help drive business growth and productivity, and better outcomes for their clients. Data as of 9/30/24. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/envestnet-inc-announces-make-whole-fundamental-change-and-supplemental-indentures-under-its-0-75-convertible-notes-due-2025-and-2-625-convertible-notes-due-2027--302317032.html SOURCE Envestnet, Inc.

PV Sindhu cruises past Unnati Hooda to reach Syed Modi final, Lakshya Sen too makes title clash

jpark waterpark cebu entrance fee A man accused of stealing military weaponry will face court over the alleged theft of a missile launcher and firearm parts. or signup to continue reading Police searched the home of the 55-year-old from South Plympton, a suburb southwest of CBD, on December 28 after receiving a tip that stolen weapons were stashed in his house. A decommissioned missile launcher and an empty dual carrier for missiles were allegedly found at the Jervois Street home. A "large amount of firearms" including rifle barrels, magazines, firing pins and trigger assemblies were also seized, investigators said. A number of and a military backpack were found with the weapons, police said. The seized items were allegedly stolen from another house in South Plympton. The 55-year-old man has been charged with serious criminal trespass and theft along with a number of other offences. He was refused bail to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on December 30. Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement

Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.New coach Chris Holtmann has been tasked with rebuilding DePaul to the point where it can return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. Northern Illinois coach Rashon Burno knows what it takes to steer DePaul to the NCAAs because he was the starting point guard on the 2000 team that made the tournament -- the Blue Demons' only other NCAA appearance since 1992. Perhaps they can compare notes Saturday afternoon when Burno leads the Huskies (2-3) back to his alma mater as DePaul (5-0) hosts its sixth straight home game in Chicago. Last season, Burno's NIU squad helped accelerate DePaul's need for a new coach -- as the Huskies waltzed into Wintrust Arena and owned Tony Stubblefield's Blue Demons by an 89-79 score on Nov. 25. The Huskies built a 24-point second-half lead before coasting to the finish line. Can history repeat for NIU? There's just one problem with using last year's game as a potential barometer for Saturday's rematch: Almost no players on this year's teams were part of last year's squads. At DePaul, only assistant coach Paris Parham remains as Holtmann had the green light to bring in an all-new roster. UIC graduate transfer Isaiah Rivera (16.0 ppg, .485 3-point rate) and Coastal Carolina transfer Jacob Meyer (15.4 ppg, .406 on 3s) lead a balanced attack that focuses on getting half its shots from beyond the arc. At NIU, Burno retained only two players who competed against DePaul last year -- Ethan Butler and Oluwasegun Durosinmi -- and they combined for three points in 26 minutes in that game. The Huskies' main players used the transfer portal to join such programs as Kansas, Wisconsin, Penn State, Colorado State, James Madison, Georgia State and Niagara. With every starting job open, Butler has jumped into the lineup and produced 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. Transfers Quentin Jones (Cal Poly) and James Dent (Western Illinois) pace the Huskies with 14.4 and 14.0 points per game. NIU is on a two-game losing streak, most recently a 75-48 home defeat at the hands of Elon on Wednesday. Holtmann hopes to have Arkansas transfer Layden Blocker for Saturday's game. Blocker missed Tuesday's 78-69 win over Eastern Illinois with a quad injury. With the combo guard unavailable, point guard Conor Enright handed out a career-high 11 assists in a season-high 38 minutes. "We need (Blocker)," Holtmann said. "I don't want to play Conor 38 minutes." --Field Level MediaWASHINGTON — The House shut down Democrats' efforts Thursday to release the long-awaited ethics report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, pushing the fate of any resolution to the yearslong investigation of sexual misconduct allegations into further uncertainty. Matt Gaetz talks before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate Nov. 14 in Palm Beach, Fla. The nearly party-line votes came after Democrats had been pressing for the findings to be published even though the Florida Republican left Congress and withdrew as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., was the sole Republican to support the effort. Most Republicans have argued that any congressional probe into Gaetz ended when he resigned from the House. Speaker Mike Johnson also requested that the committee not publish its report, saying it would be a terrible precedent to set. While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Shortly before the votes took place, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., who introduced one of the bills to force the release, said that if Republicans reject the release, they will have “succeeded in sweeping credible allegations of sexual misconduct under the rug.” Gaetz has repeatedly denied the claims. Earlier Thursday, the Ethics panel met to discuss the Gaetz report but made no decision, saying in a short statement that the matter is still being discussed. It's unclear now whether the document will ever see the light of day as lawmakers have only a few weeks left before a new session of Congress begins. It's the culmination of weeks of pressure on the Ethics committee's five Republicans and five Democrats who mostly work in secret as they investigate allegations of misconduct against lawmakers. The status of the Gaetz investigation became an open question last month when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump's announcement that he wanted his ally in the Cabinet. It is standard practice for the committee to end investigations when members of Congress depart, but the circumstances surrounding Gaetz were unusual, given his potential role in the new administration. Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., the committee chairman, said Wednesday that there is no longer the same urgency to release the report given that Gaetz has left Congress and stepped aside as Trump's choice to head the Justice Department. “I’ve been steadfast about that. He’s no longer a member. He is no longer going to be confirmed by the Senate because he withdrew his nomination to be the attorney general,” Guest said. The Gaetz report has also caused tensions between lawmakers on the bipartisan committee. Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the top Democrat on the panel, publicly admonished Guest last month for mischaracterizing a previous meeting to the press. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and said last year that the Justice Department’s separate investigation against him into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls ended without federal charges. His onetime political ally Joel Greenberg, a fellow Republican who served as the tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, admitted as part of a plea deal with prosecutors in 2021 that he paid women and an underage girl to have sex with him and other men. The men were not identified in court documents when he pleaded guilty. Greenberg was sentenced in late 2022 to 11 years in prison. 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. 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.

Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market Set for Exceptional Growth from 2024 to 2032 12-29-2024 07:00 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: Prudent Markets Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market The Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market 2024-2023 report provides a comprehensive analysis of Types (Sensors, Modules), Application (AR Device, VR Device), Analysis of Industry Trends, Growth, and Opportunities, R&D landscape, Data security and privacy concerns Risk Analysis, Pipeline Products, Assumptions, Research Timelines, Secondary Research and Primary Research, Key Insights from Industry Experts, Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2024-2032. 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The report structure also focuses on the competitive landscape of the Global Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market, this report introduces in detail the market share, market performance, product situation, operation situation, etc. of the main players, which helps the readers in the industry to identify the main competitors and deeply understand the competition pattern of the market. Segmentation of Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market- By Type Sensors, Modules By Application AR Device, VR Device Geographic Segmentation -North America (USA, Canada, Mexico) -Europe (Germany, UK, France, Russia, Italy, Rest of Europe) -Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, India, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) -South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Rest of South America) -The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Rest of MEA) Prudent Markets provides attractive discounts that fit your needs. Customization of the reports as per your requirement is also offered. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you a report that suits your needs. Speak To Our Analyst For A Discussion On The Above Findings, And Ask For A Discount On The Report @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/discount-request/9170003/ Key Benefits of the Report: This study presents the analytical depiction of the Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Industry along with the current trends and future estimations to determine the imminent investment pockets. The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities along with detailed analysis of the Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market share. The current market is quantitatively analyzed from to highlight the Global Gardening Pots Market growth scenario. Porter's five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers & suppliers in the market. The report provides a detailed Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market analysis based on competitive intensity and how the competition will take shape in coming years. Key poles of the TOC: Chapter 1 Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market Business Overview Chapter 2 Major Breakdown by Type Chapter 3 Major Application Wise Breakdown (Revenue & Volume) Chapter 4 Manufacture Market Breakdown Chapter 5 Sales & Estimates Market Study Chapter 6 Key Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison Breakdown Chapter 8 Manufacturers, Deals and Closings Market Evaluation & Aggressiveness Chapter 9 Key Companies Breakdown by Overall Market Size & Revenue by Type Chapter 11 Business / Industry Chain (Value & Supply Chain Analysis) Chapter 12 Conclusions & Appendix The report covers the competitive analysis of the market. As the demand is driven by a buyer's paying capacity and the rate of item development, the report shows the important regions that will direct growth. This section exclusively shares insight into the budget reports of big-league members of the market helping key players and new entrants understand the potential of investments in the Global Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market. It can be better employed by both traditional and new players in the industry for complete know-how of the market. For In-Depth Competitive Analysis - Purchase this Report now at a Complete Table of Contents (Single User License) @ https://www.prudentmarkets.com/checkout/?id=9170003&license_type=su Free Customization on the basis of client requirements on Immediate purchase: 1- Free country-level breakdown of any 5 countries of your interest. 2- Competitive breakdown of segment revenue by market players. Customization of the Report: This report can be customized to meet the client's requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@prudentmarkets.com), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +91 83560 50278 || USA/Canada(Toll Free): 1800-601-6071 to share your research requirements. In conclusion, the Eye Tracking Sensors and Modules for AR and VR Market report is a genuine source for accessing the research data which is projected to exponentially grow your business. The report provides information such as economic scenarios, benefits, limits, trends, market growth rates, and figures. SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis is also incorporated in the report. Contact Us: Allan Carter Andheri, Maharashtra, 400102 USA/Canada(Toll Free): 1800-601-6071 Direct Line: +91 83560 50278 Mail: sales@prudentmarkets.com Web: www.prudentmarkets.com About Us: We are leaders in market analytics, business research, and consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, financial & government institutions. Since we understand the criticality of data and insights, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. To be at our client's disposal whenever they need help on market research and consulting services. We also aim to be their business partners when it comes to making critical business decisions around new market entry, M&A, competitive Intelligence and strategy. This release was published on openPR.By BEN FINLEY The Christmas tradition has become nearly global in scope: Children from around the world track Santa Claus as he sweeps across the earth, delivering presents and defying time. Related Articles National News | Heavy travel day off to a rough start after American Airlines briefly grounds all flights National News | Prosecutors withdraw appeal of dismissed case against Alec Baldwin in fatal movie set shooting National News | Judge rules Arkansas law allowing criminal charges against librarians is unconstitutional National News | Bill Clinton is hospitalized with a fever but in good spirits, spokesperson says National News | President-elect Trump wants to again rename North America’s tallest peak Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online in nine languages , from English to Japanese. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats , such as last year’s Chinese spy balloon . But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” “There are screams and giggles and laughter,” said Bob Sommers, 63, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer. Sommers often says on the call that everyone must be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to say, “Do you hear what he said? We got to go to bed early.” NORAD’s annual tracking of Santa has endured since the Cold War , predating ugly sweater parties and Mariah Carey classics . The tradition continues regardless of government shutdowns, such as the one in 2018 , and this year . Here’s how it began and why the phones keep ringing. It started with a child’s accidental phone call in 1955. The Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears advertisement that encouraged children to call Santa, listing a phone number. A boy called. But he reached the Continental Air Defense Command, now NORAD, a joint U.S. and Canadian effort to spot potential enemy attacks. Tensions were growing with the Soviet Union, along with anxieties about nuclear war. Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup picked up an emergency-only “red phone” and was greeted by a tiny voice that began to recite a Christmas wish list. “He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told The Associated Press in 1999. Realizing an explanation would be lost on the youngster, Shoup summoned a deep, jolly voice and replied, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he learned from the boy’s mother that Sears mistakenly printed the top-secret number. He hung up, but the phone soon rang again with a young girl reciting her Christmas list. Fifty calls a day followed, he said. In the pre-digital age, the agency used a 60-by-80 foot (18-by-24 meter) plexiglass map of North America to track unidentified objects. A staff member jokingly drew Santa and his sleigh over the North Pole. The tradition was born. “Note to the kiddies,” began an AP story from Colorado Springs on Dec. 23, 1955. “Santa Claus Friday was assured safe passage into the United States by the Continental Air Defense Command.” In a likely reference to the Soviets, the article noted that Santa was guarded against possible attack from “those who do not believe in Christmas.” Some grinchy journalists have nitpicked Shoup’s story, questioning whether a misprint or a misdial prompted the boy’s call. In 2014, tech news site Gizmodo cited an International News Service story from Dec. 1, 1955, about a child’s call to Shoup. Published in the Pasadena Independent, the article said the child reversed two digits in the Sears number. “When a childish voice asked COC commander Col. Harry Shoup, if there was a Santa Claus at the North Pole, he answered much more roughly than he should — considering the season: ‘There may be a guy called Santa Claus at the North Pole, but he’s not the one I worry about coming from that direction,’” Shoup said in the brief piece. In 2015, The Atlantic magazine doubted the flood of calls to the secret line, while noting that Shoup had a flair for public relations. Phone calls aside, Shoup was indeed media savvy. In 1986, he told the Scripps Howard News Service that he recognized an opportunity when a staff member drew Santa on the glass map in 1955. A lieutenant colonel promised to have it erased. But Shoup said, “You leave it right there,” and summoned public affairs. Shoup wanted to boost morale for the troops and public alike. “Why, it made the military look good — like we’re not all a bunch of snobs who don’t care about Santa Claus,” he said. Shoup died in 2009. His children told the StoryCorps podcast in 2014 that it was a misprinted Sears ad that prompted the phone calls. “And later in life he got letters from all over the world,” said Terri Van Keuren, a daughter. “People saying ‘Thank you, Colonel, for having, you know, this sense of humor.’” NORAD’s tradition is one of the few modern additions to the centuries-old Santa story that have endured, according to Gerry Bowler, a Canadian historian who spoke to the AP in 2010. Ad campaigns or movies try to “kidnap” Santa for commercial purposes, said Bowler, who wrote “Santa Claus: A Biography.” NORAD, by contrast, takes an essential element of Santa’s story and views it through a technological lens. In a recent interview with the AP, Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham explained that NORAD radars in Alaska and Canada —- known as the northern warning system — are the first to detect Santa. He leaves the North Pole and typically heads for the international dateline in the Pacific Ocean. From there he moves west, following the night. “That’s when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” Cunningham said. “A probably little-known fact is that Rudolph’s nose that glows red emanates a lot of heat. And so those satellites track (Santa) through that heat source.” NORAD has an app and website, www.noradsanta.org , that will track Santa on Christmas Eve from 4 a.m. to midnight, mountain standard time. People can call 1-877-HI-NORAD to ask live operators about Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to midnight, mountain time.

Will Trump take Christopher Rufo’s conservative Florida vision nationwide?Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.

Commentary: What 11.11 Singles' Day sales no longer say about China’s economyNone

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President, Alliance Advisors IR Age 38 Building a business that has a strong reputation on Wall Street, all driven from my home in British Columbia. That makes me proud. The toughest business decision I faced was venturing out on my own to start my business. It meant leaving stability behind, taking significant risks and navigating a challenging market. This decision tested me more than I could have anticipated. I want my team to win together, grow together and have a rewarding, fulfilling career with us. It’s about setting the example, pushing boundaries and building an environment where everyone thrives and succeeds. The biggest lesson I’ve learned in business is that there’s no way to truly understand how resourceful you can be until you become an entrepreneur. It tests every skill and pushes you beyond your limits, revealing super powers you never knew you had. The best piece of advice I ever received was: “Iron sharpens iron. You need to be iron.” It’s a reminder to stay resilient, seek out challenges and surround myself with people who push me to grow and be stronger. Success, for me, is about creating an authentic legacy—building a strong team and disrupting an industry. It’s about leaving a meaningful impact that drives lasting change, empowers others and inspires transformation. Outside of work, I seek adventures. Whether it’s exploring new places with my family, trying new experiences or stepping outside of my comfort zone, I’m driven by curiosity and a passion for discovering the world around me. Everything. I’m on a mission to build the best IR firm in the world, and we’re just getting started. To my family: Thank you for your patience with the travel, the work calls in the car and the “one more email” moments. You are my everything. How you do anything is how you do everything We do a lot as a family to feed families in our community Listening to music is a great way to wind-down Osoyoos is my serenity Family night Keg dinners are a ritual we cherish by Anthony Pompliano—it’s my current favourite read and book to gift to others My work ethic. For me, it’s about going above and beyond—not just meeting expectations but exceeding them Samir Manji—my mentor, champion and former Forty under 40 Award recipient I was a concert review writer in high school, combining my love for music and writingJimmy Carter, the United States’ longest-lived president, was never afraid to speak his mind. Forthright and fearless, the Nobel Prize winner took potshots at former British prime minister Tony Blair and ex-US president George W Bush, among others. His death came after repeated bouts of illness in which images of the increasingly frail former president failed to erase memories of his fierce spirit. Democrat James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr swept to power in 1977 with his Trust Me campaign helping to beat Republican president Gerald Ford. Serving as the 39th US president from 1977 to 1981, he sought to make government “competent and compassionate” but was ousted by the unstoppable Hollywood appeal of a certain Ronald Reagan. A skilled sportsman, Mr Carter left his home of Plains, Georgia, to join the US Navy, returning later to run his family’s peanut business. A stint in the Georgia senate lit the touchpaper on his political career and he rose to the top of the Democratic movement. But he will also be remembered for a bizarre encounter with a deeply disgruntled opponent. The president was enjoying a relaxing fishing trip near his home town in 1979 when his craft was attacked by a furious swamp rabbit which reportedly swam up to the boat hissing wildly. The press had a field day, with one paper bearing the headline President Attacked By Rabbit. Away from encounters with belligerent bunnies, Mr Carter’s willingness to address politically uncomfortable topics did not diminish with age. He recently said that he would be willing to travel to North Korea for peace talks on behalf of US President Donald Trump. He also famously mounted a ferocious and personal attack on Tony Blair over the Iraq war, weeks before the prime minister left office in June 2007. Mr Carter, who had already denounced George W Bush’s presidency as “the worst in history”, used an interview on BBC radio to condemn Mr Blair for his tight relations with Mr Bush, particularly concerning the Iraq War. Asked how he would characterise Mr Blair’s relationship with Mr Bush, Mr Carter replied: “Abominable. Loyal, blind, apparently subservient. “I think that the almost undeviating support by Great Britain for the ill-advised policies of President Bush in Iraq have been a major tragedy for the world.” Mr Carter was also voluble over the Rhodesia crisis, which was about to end during his presidency. His support for Robert Mugabe at the time generated widespread criticism. He was said to have ignored the warnings of many prominent Zimbabweans, black and white, about what sort of leader Mugabe would be. This was seen by Mr Carter’s critics as “deserving a prominent place among the outrages of the Carter years”. Mr Carter has since said he and his administration had spent more effort and worry on Rhodesia than on the Middle East. He admitted he had supported two revolutionaries in Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo, and with hindsight said later that Mugabe had been “a good leader gone bad”, having at first been “a very enlightened president”. One US commentator wrote: “History will not look kindly on those in the West who insisted on bringing the avowed Marxist Mugabe into the government. “In particular, the Jimmy Carter foreign policy... bears some responsibility for the fate of a small African country with scant connection to American national interests.” In recent years Mr Carter developed a reputation as an international peace negotiator. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his commitment to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, his work with human rights and democracy initiatives, and his promotion of economic and social programmes. Mr Carter was dispatched to North Korea in August 2008 to secure the release of US citizen Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who had been sentenced to eight years of hard labour after being found guilty of illegally entering North Korea. He successfully secured the release of Mr Gomes. In 2010 he returned to the White House to greet President Barack Obama and discuss international affairs amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula. Proving politics runs in the family, in 2013 his grandson Jason, a state senator, announced his bid to become governor in Georgia, where his famous grandfather governed before becoming president. He eventually lost to incumbent Republican Nathan Deal. Fears that Mr Carter’s health was deteriorating were sparked in 2015 when he cut short an election observation visit in Guyana because he was “not feeling well”. It would have been Mr Carter’s 39th trip to personally observe an international election. Three months later, on August 12, he revealed he had cancer which had been diagnosed after he underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver. Mr Obama was among the well-wishers hoping for Mr Carter’s full recovery after it was confirmed the cancer had spread widely. Melanoma had been found in his brain and liver, and Mr Carter underwent immunotherapy and radiation therapy, before announcing in March the following year that he no longer needed any treatment. In 2017, Mr Carter was taken to hospital as a precaution, after he became dehydrated at a home-building project in Canada. He was admitted to hospital on multiple occasions in 2019 having had a series of falls, suffering a brain bleed and a broken pelvis, as well as a stint to be treated for a urinary tract infection. Mr Carter spent much of the coronavirus pandemic largely at his home in Georgia, and did not attend Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration in 2021, but extended his “best wishes”. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Mr Carter during his term as US president, died in November 2023. She had been living with dementia and suffering many months of declining health. “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished,” Mr Carter said in a statement following her death. “She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.”

Oregonians are likely very familiar with the complicated story of the Astoria house that was featured in “The Goonies,” the 1985 movie whose fans love to travel to the Oregon coast to look at, and take pictures of, the hilltop house. The push-and-pull between how passionate fans feel about locations they associate with movies and TV shows they love, and how folks who live in those homes feel about hordes of visitors camping on their doorstep, are issues explored in a new documentary, “The House From ...” The film, whose executive producers include actor Ryan Reynolds (who also happens to be co-owner of Aviation American Gin, whose distillery is in Portland), includes visits not only to “The Goonies” house, but also to the home of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) in “Twilight,” (2008), which is located in St. Helens , and a house featured in the Oregon-filmed movie, “Short Circuit” (1986), also in Astoria. Jason Lee (”My Name Ia Earl”) narrates the feature-length documentary, which looks at such popular spots as “Sex and the City” main character Carrie Bradshaw’s New York City home; the Winnetka, Illinois house from “Home Alone”; the Tanner residence in San Francisco, California, from “Full House”; “The Christmas Story” house, museum and gift shop, in Cleveland, Ohio; the house featured in “Friday,” in West Athens, California; the “Golden Girls” house, located in Brentwood, California; and many more. While in most cases, it’s only the exteriors of the homes that were used in movies and TV, that hasn’t stopped some diehards from showing up, sometimes in the thousands. And while some homeowners and neighbors say they’ve been touched by the emotional connection fans make with the shows and movies associated with these real-life residences, not every homeowner is so upbeat. In one eye-popping sequence, for example, a woman who’s an owner of the Albuquerque home where the “Breaking Bad” character of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) lived, the woman yells R-rated retorts to visitors who insist on gawking at the house, with some even attempting to replicate a moment from the show where Walter angrily tosses a pizza on the roof of the garage. Those complication feelings about what’s a tourist attraction and what is someone’s home come through dramatically in a lengthy segment devoted to the so-called “Goonies” house. In an interview with a man who says he was a friend of former owner Sandi Preston, we hear about some of the frustrations Preston reportedly experienced as thousands of “Goonies” fans kept showing up to see the house. Some were polite, the friend says, and others were less considerate. The documentary includes moments of fans being peeved that homeowners object to their residences being treated like tourist attractions, as some of the fans insist that they have a right to show up, and if owners don’t like it, they should move. The controversy over the “Goonies” house — which saw fans ignoring posted signs that they shouldn’t barge into the Astoria residential neighborhood — culminated in Preston putting the house up for sale, and a self-described “Goonies” fan buying it in 2023. The buyer, a Kansas-based entrepreneur named Behman Zakeri, purchased the home for $1,650,777, as The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Zakeri appears in the documentary, encouraging “Goonies” fans to visit (even as a neighboring home posted a banner reading, “Goonies Not Welcome”). Some owners of famed residences have made the choice to make the most of fan interest by playing up the movie connections, and turning the properties into vacation rentals, as in the case of the people who own the St. Helens house where “Twilight” heroine Bella Swan lived, and the Astoria home featured in “Short Circuit.” While some homeowners and neighbors may be annoyed by fan visits, “The House From...” makes the point that for many people, going to places they associate with favorite movies and TV shows isn’t simply tourism, but a pilgrimage, a way to connect to something that has been deeply meaningful in their lives. “The House From ...,” directed by Tommy Avallone, is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video ; it is also streaming on Fubo (which offers a free trial), and the Maximum Effort Channel. ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Global Software Quality Assurance and Testing Service Market Size, Share and Forecast By Key Players-Altoros, Avenga, BairesDev, BlastAsia, ByteAntPalace Theatre boarded up over the holidays due to recent damage

White House Defends President’s Pardon of Hunter Biden

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (AP) — Thomas Batties II had 16 points in Harvard's 67-61 victory against Iona on Sunday. Batties also contributed eight rebounds and six blocks for the Crimson (4-8). Austin Hunt scored 16 points, shooting 5 for 9 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. Tey Barbour had 14 points and shot 4 for 6 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

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SHOPPERS could see an unexpected item in supermarkets this Christmas for the first time ever - and we've got the perfect festive recipe to celebrate it. Tesco, Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencers earlier confirmed they will stock home-grown strawberries on their shelves this winter season. Strawberries are usually imported over winter due to economic and environmental reasons. But fruit suppliers have innovated new technology which will finally allow strawberries to be grown in the UK all year round. The Summer Berry Company, a supplier in West Sussex, will be growing the fruit 12 months a year and supplying supermarkets. This means that shoppers will be able to get their hands on the British strawberries this Christmas as an exciting new addition to their festive celebrations and desserts. Typically the British strawberry season runs from May to October, and are a familiar sight in summer commonly associated with the Wimbledon tennis tournament. And bosses at The Summer Berry Company have come up with a mouth-watering dessert that will be a showstopper for Christmas Dinner. They promise it will be "a beautiful centre piece to a party table and makes a lovely grazing platter". The pretty strawberry wreath takes just 20 minutes to prepare - and even better, there's no cooking involved. All you need is 600g of strawberries and 80g of dark, milk and white chocolate. First up, melt the different chocolates in separate bowls by placing in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring and returning for repeat 30 seconds slots until smooth and glossy. Next, line a baking tray with parchment or a reusable silicon sheet and arrange a selection of decorations - chopped nuts, desiccated coconut and candied orange peel - in separate bowls or plates. Dip whole strawberries into melted chocolate then sprinkle over a decoration and set aside on the baking tray to set. The Summer Berry Company team say: "You can vary your combinations of chocolate and decorations however you fancy." The strawberries usually set at room temperature within 10 minutes but you can also store them in a cool place until ready to serve. Finally, arrange a rough ring of greenery on a large platter or board in a circular shape, pile on the strawberries, adding in extra bits of green herb to decorate. Then simply add a big bow somewhere on the wreath to finish the effect.

Former Pentagon official and military witness come forward with shocking UFO revelations as 'drone' wave leaves Americans on edge311 jilipark com 。

ZETA INVESTOR ALERT: Bronstein, Gewirtz and Grossman, LLC Announces an Investigation into Zeta Global Holdings Corp. and Encourages Investors to Contact the FirmLOS ANGELES — The programs came calling, last winter, and Kyron Hudson deflected them all to his father. Between USC wide receiver Hudson and Oregon defensive tackle Keyon Ware-Hudson, father Chance reflected, he had about 12 teams reach out about the possibility of his sons entering the transfer portal. A few, Chance told the Southern California News Group back in the fall, were interested in package deals. And father Chance listened, because the money was hard to turn down. But Hudson, even through three years of inconsistent snaps and infrequent opportunity, didn’t want to leave USC. “His answer? From him?” Chance said in the fall, asked if Hudson thought about transferring. “Absolutely not. There was zero.” A breakout season and a reel of highlight catches later, though, and receiver Hudson has officially entered the portal following his redshirt junior season at USC, announcing his departure in a lengthy statement on X (formerly Twitter) . “I step forward,” Hudson wrote, “with gratitude for my time at USC and anticipation for what lies ahead.” In a room full of talented sophomores jockeying for snaps, the former Mater Dei High standout emerged as the most consistent veteran presence at receiver for USC in 2024, hauling in a career-best 38 catches for 462 yards in 12 games. His handful of one-handed grabs became a signature, a career-best 83-yard game against LSU and a couple of improbable catches helping USC earn an impressive Week 1 win . Even as game-to-game opportunities in Coach Lincoln Riley’s passing attack wavered, Hudson was a constant on the outside, racking up the most snaps of any Trojans receiver in 2024. Amid a late-season flu that swept through USC’s locker room down the stretch, Hudson had to receive an IV for fluids during the week of the Nebraska game, according to a source familiar with the situation. That Saturday, he still caught three passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. “I mean, he’s one of those guys – you just kind of, you can’t have enough of ’em in your program, that they just stay the course, they just keep getting better,” Riley said, earlier in the season, of Hudson. “There’s not, maybe always these massive jumps. But they’re always there. He always practices, he never misses anything, he never misses a rep.” That consistency, in turn, will be missed dearly in USC’s receivers room in 2024, with veteran leaders Hudson and Kyle Ford (out of eligibility) now moving on.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's decision to break his word and pardon his son Hunter has spurred a broader discussion about what else he should be doing with the broad clemency powers of the presidency before he leaves office in January, including whether he should be pardoning Donald Trump. Biden on Tuesday ducked questions about his son, ignoring calls for him to explain his reversal as he was making his first presidential trip to Angola . He dismissed shouted questions about the matter with a laugh during a meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço at the presidential palace, telling the Angolan delegation: “Welcome to America.” Biden was not scheduled to take questions from the press during his trip to Africa, and he has largely avoided interactions with reporters since President-elect Trump’s victory last month. Biden’s decision to offer his son a blanket pardon for actions over the past 11 years has sparked a political uproar in Washington, after the president repeatedly had said he would not use his extraordinary powers for the benefit of his family. Biden claimed that the Justice Department had presided over a “miscarriage of justice” in prosecuting his son, using some of the same language that Trump uses to describe his own legal predicaments. Biden's reversal drew criticism from many Democrats , who are working to calibrate their approach to Trump as he prepares to take over the Oval Office in seven weeks. There is concern the pardon — and Biden's claims that his son was prosecuted for political reasons — will erode their ability to push back on the incoming president’s legal moves. And it has threatened to cloud Biden's legacy as he prepares to leave office on Jan. 20. Hunter Biden is the closest presidential relative ever to be granted clemency, but other leaders have pardoned family members and close friends. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for drug charges after Roger Clinton had served his sentence. By the time Trump left office after his first term, he had issued 144 pardons, which included Charles Kushner , the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner. He also pardoned fervent supporters Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn and other people convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. In the months after the 2020 election, Trump and his allies were trying to overturn his loss, a failed effort that culminated in the violent riot by his supporters at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. There were discussions at the time over whether Trump would preemptively pardon some of those involved in the effort — and maybe even himself — before he left office. But that never happened. Now, Democrats are having similar discussions about preemptive pardons on their side because of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail. He's made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. He talks about "enemies from within." He's circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He's also taken aim at Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris, promoting a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals to punish her because she was guilty of treason. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said last week on Boston Public Radio that Biden might consider broad pardons to protect people against whatever wrath Trump may seek, but also as a way to move the country past this acrimonious and divided time. “I think that without question, Trump is going to try to act in a dictatorial way, in a fascistic way, in a revengeful first year at least of his administration toward individuals who he believes harmed him,” Markey said. Presidents enjoy expansive pardon powers when it comes to federal crimes . That includes granting clemency to people who have not yet been charged, as President Gerald Ford did in 1974 when he pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. The decision at the time caused an uproar but has been seen in the ensuing decades as a move that helped restore order. Markey cited Ford's pardon as a way for the country “just to close that chapter and move on to a new era.” Biden could do the same, Markey said, to help the country move on “to an agenda that deals with the ordinary families.” Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrat-turned-independent from West Virginia, took it a step further and suggested Biden should even pardon Trump for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, federal charges that are now evaporating with Trump's upcoming return to the White House. “Why don't you go ahead and pardon Donald Trump for all his charges?" he said in an interview with CNN. “It would have gone down a lot more balanced. I'm just saying, wipe them out.” At the same time, Democratic lawmakers and criminal justice reformers are pushing Biden to grant pardons to broad groups of Americans. Democrats Ayanna Pressley, Jim Clyburn and Mary Gay Scanlon wrote to Biden on Nov. 20, asking him to use his clemency powers to "address longstanding injustices in our legal system, and set our nation on the path toward ending mass incarceration.” The letter, also signed by 61 others, suggested Biden could use his powers to send a powerful message of criminal justice reform and "rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges.” “We encourage you to use your clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers,” they wrote. So far, Biden has pardoned 25 people. Most presidents tend to grant a flurry of clemency requests at the end of their terms, and it's likely Biden will do the same. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has said Biden is “thinking through that process very thoroughly.” Weissert reported from Luanda, Angola.2025 Toyota Corolla Cross gets new Soul Red Crystal paint

(BPT) - The new year is a good time to reset. From a fresh start on lifestyle choices, hobbies or pursuits, to the less exciting — but no less important — aspects of life, like memberships, contracts and even health insurance. Health insurance deductibles reset in the new year, so it's a good idea to keep that in mind as you plan for healthcare expenses. Any changes made to your health insurance plan during open enrollment go into effect as well. "Even if you spent hours researching your health plan before making a selection, there's always a possibility for the occasional surprise once coverage kicks in, which is why it's important to assess your healthcare coverage and address any gaps before January 1," said Doug Armstrong, Vice President of Health Products and Services at AARP Services, Inc. "AARP members can take advantage of benefits available to them to help find the coverage and savings information they seek." 1. Examine your vision coverage Eye health is important to quality of life, both in terms of moving around safely and appreciating your surroundings. Regular eye exams with an ophthalmologist or optometrist can help make sure your vision is sharp while also monitoring for any issues. However, many health insurance plans don't include vision coverage. If you do see a gap in your coverage, AARP members have access to information on vision insurance options that offer individual and family plans, featuring a large doctor network, savings on frames, lens enhancements, progressives and more. 2. Plan for prescriptions While several health plans offer coverage for prescription drugs, discounts can vary, especially when it comes to different types of medication. AARP ® Prescription Discounts Provided by Optum RX ® can help with savings. This program offers a free prescription discount card that can be used at over 66,000 pharmacies nationwide for savings on FDA-approved medications. Additional benefits for AARP members include home delivery, deeper discounts on medications, coverage for dependents and more. 3. Confirm your primary care With a new health insurance plan, you might find that your primary care physician is no longer in-network or that they no longer accept your insurance. Perhaps you have relocated and are in the market for a new doctor. Whatever the case, there's no time like the present to search for a new primary care physician who meets your needs. If you're on Medicare, Oak Street Health can be a great resource. The only primary care provider to carry the AARP name, Oak Street Health provides primary care for adults on Medicare and focuses on prevention with personalized care to help keep you healthy — physically, mentally and socially. Benefits include same-day/next-day appointments where available, convenient locations, a dedicated care team and a 24/7 patient support line. AARP membership is not required to visit an Oak Street Health location. 4. Protect your smile Optimal dental care includes daily brushing and flossing and a visit to the dentist every six months. During your visit, the dentist can monitor for and treat any issues, such as cavities or gum disease. However, not all plans include dental insurance, which means you might end up paying out of pocket for your cleaning and other procedures. To avoid that, take a look at your coverage. If needed, explore information on dental insurance options that offer individual or family coverage for the most common dental procedures. Dental insurance generally pays for regular check-ups, so many people who purchase protection will benefit from it immediately. 5. Clarify your hearing coverage Hearing loss is a common age-related ailment. According to the National Institute on Aging , one-third of older adults have hearing loss, and the chance of developing hearing loss increases with age. Hearing aids can be an enormous help, improving socialization, boosting confidence and even helping to increase balance. However, many insurance plans do not include coverage for hearing aids. AARP ® Hearing SolutionsTM provided by UnitedHealthcare ® Hearing provides savings on hearing aids and hearing care . Members can save an average of $2,000 per pair on prescription hearing aids and 15% on accessories — no insurance needed. Plus receive a hearing exam and consultation at no cost and personalized support through a large nationwide network of hearing providers. 6. Consider physical therapy Often, the only times that people consider whether their health insurance covers physical therapy is if they already participate in it or after the doctor has prescribed it. As we age, though, physical therapy can be a useful tool in improving balance or recovering from an injury or procedure to help you remain active. Fortunately, the question of coverage or finding an in-network location doesn't have to derail you. AARP ® Physical Therapy At HomeTM by Luna accepts most insurances and Medicare and is available to members and non-members alike. Plus, Luna's experts come to you, so you can receive quality care from the comfort of your home. If you're creating an end-of-year to-do list, consider adding an assessment of your healthcare coverage. After all, the best time to realize you have a gap in coverage is before you need it. To learn more about AARP member benefits, visit aarp.org/benefits . AARP and its affiliates are not insurers, agents, brokers or producers. AARP member benefits are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affiliates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Some provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details.What's New Prominent Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) fundraiser Lindy Li has announced her departure from the Democratic Party , citing a toxic internal culture and backlash over her critiques of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden . In a series of media appearances, Li has claimed that allies of Donald Trump have been more "humane" to her than her former party. Newsweek has reached out to Lindy Li, Donald Trump's spokesperson, and the DNC for comment. Why It Matters Li likened her exit to "leaving a cult," sparking debate about dissent within the party. Her departure follows a series of events in which she questioned Vice President Kamala Harris's political ambitions and President Joe Biden's fitness for office. She also voiced support for Donald Trump's defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth. These statements triggered significant backlash, including accusations of disloyalty and social media campaigns to discredit her. Li reported losing 40,000 followers on social media within days. What To Know In an appearance on Fox News , Li described her departure as akin to escaping a restrictive and punitive environment. "It's like leaving a cult," she said, explaining that she was ostracized for questioning Harris's political ambitions and Biden's leadership abilities. "This past week has been harrowing for me," Li said during an interview with Piers Morgan on Wednesday. "On Saturday, I went on Fox & Friends and said, 'Democrats have a stench of loser hanging over them.' As soon as I said that, there were boycott campaigns against me—unblock, unfollow campaigns." Her criticism intensified after she expressed support for Pete Hegseth and again described the Democratic Party as having a "stench of loser." The remarks prompted swift retaliation, including accusations of disloyalty and coordinated efforts to undermine her online presence. "I lost tens of thousands of followers because I dared to tell the truth," Li said. "In a cult, you can't tell the truth or ask questions, but I'm done with that." Li's decision, seen by some as emblematic of growing discontent within the party, has provoked sharp backlash from current members. It has also sparked broader conversations about the Democrats ' future as the 2024 election approaches. Despite the criticism, Li expressed optimism about the incoming Trump administration. She noted tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos donating to Trump's inauguration and suggested that a new era of "prosperity" might be on the horizon. What People Are Saying Keith Edwards, Democratic strategist, on Bluesky: "Grifter @lindyli has announced she's leaving the Democratic Party. How long until she's wearing a MAGA hat?" Tim Ryan, former Ohio congressman, in The New York Times : "The Dems got pinned as the status quo party on inflation, instability, insecurity, and every other issue facing working people. Trump was the change candidate in a year when 65 percent of people thought we were on the wrong track." What Happens Next Li has hinted at aligning with conservative organizations, stating her desire to work with groups that exhibit "common decency." She also confirmed during an interview with Fox Business that she will attend Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2025.CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Jim Larrañaga insists he still loves the University of Miami, still loves the game of basketball, still loves mentoring players, still loves coaching. He doesn't love what college basketball has become. And with that, he's leaving. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

Kendrick Lamar surprises with new album 'GNX' LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present with a new album. The Grammy winner released his sixth studio album “GNX” on Friday. The 12-track project is the rapper’s first release since 2022’s “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Lamar’s new album comes just months after his rap battle with Drake. The rap megastar will headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans. The 37-year-old has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize. NBA memo to players urges increased vigilance regarding home security following break-ins MIAMI (AP) — The NBA is urging its players to take additional precautions to secure their homes following reports of recent high-profile burglaries of dwellings owned by Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo sent to team officials, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, the NBA revealed that the FBI has connected some burglaries to “transnational South American Theft Groups” that are “reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices.” Ancient meets modern as a new subway in Greece showcases archaeological treasures THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, is opening a new subway system, blending ancient archaeological treasures with modern transit technology like driverless trains and platform screen doors. The project, which began in 2003, uncovered over 300,000 artifacts, including a Roman-era thoroughfare and Byzantine relics, many of which are now displayed in its 13 stations. Despite delays caused by preserving these findings, the inaugural line has been completed, with a second line set to open next year. Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules LONDON (AP) — A civil jury in Ireland has awarded more than $250,000 to a woman who says she was raped by mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. The jury on Friday awarded Nikita Hand in her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. The lawsuit says the assault left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that Hand fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex. McGregor says he will appeal the verdict. At least 19 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 19 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 167,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration. Actor Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend drops assault and defamation lawsuit against once-rising star NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend has dropped her assault and defamation lawsuit against the once-rising Hollywood star after reaching a settlement. Lawyers for Majors and Grace Jabbari agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice Thursday. Jabbari is a British dancer who had accused Majors of subjecting her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Majors didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday. Jabbari’s lawyer said the suit was “favorably settled” and her client is moving on with “her head held high.” Majors was convicted of misdemeanor assault and harassment last December and sentenced to a yearlong counseling program. Hyundai, Kia recall over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix problem that can cause loss of power DETROIT (AP) — Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024. The affiliated Korean automakers say in government documents that a transistor in a charging control unit can be damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery. Dealers will inspect and replace the control unit and a fuse if needed. They also will update software. Christmas TV movies are in their Taylor Swift era, with two Swift-inspired films airing this year Two of the new holiday movies coming to TV this season have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding. “Christmas in the Spotlight” debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world’s biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger, playing a pro football player, who meet and fall in love, not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. On Nov. 30, Hallmark will air “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.” Instead of a nod to Swift, it’s an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark’s headquarters is also in Kansas City. Top football recruit Bryce Underwood changes commitment to Michigan instead of LSU, AP source says ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Top football recruit Bryce Underwood has flipped to Michigan after pledging to play at LSU. That's according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share the recruit’s plans to join the Wolverines. Underwood pinned a post on his Instagram account, showing a post in which On3.com reported that he has committed to Michigan. The 6-foot-3 quarterback played at Belleville High School about 15 miles east of Michigan's campus, and told LSU nearly a year ago he intended to enroll there. Emperor penguin released at sea 20 days after waddling onto Australian beach MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The only emperor penguin known to have swum from Antarctica to Australia has been released at sea 20 days after he waddled ashore on a popular tourist beach. The adult male was found on Nov. 1 on sand dunes in temperate southwest Australia about 2,200 miles north of the Antarctic coast. He was released Wednesday from a boat that traveled several hours from Western Australia state's most southerly city of Albany. His caregiver Carol Biddulph wasn't sure at first if the penguin would live. She said a mirror was important to his rehabilitation because they provide a sense of company. Biddulph said: “They’re social birds and he stands next to the mirror most of the time.”

Watergate lawyer encourages Biden to pardon everyone on Trump's 'enemies list'Nonejilipark homepage 。

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL) ( TollBrothers.com ), the nation's leading builder of luxury homes, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders. The dividend of $0.23 per share will be paid on January 24, 2025 to shareholders of record on the close of business on January 10, 2025. ABOUT TOLL BROTHERS Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation’s leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded 57 years ago in 1967 and became a public company in 1986. Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TOL.” The Company serves first-time, move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers, as well as urban and suburban renters. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington, as well as in the District of Columbia. The Company operates its own architectural, engineering, mortgage, title, land development, insurance, smart home technology, and landscape subsidiaries. The Company also develops master-planned and golf course communities as well as operates its own lumber distribution, house component assembly, and manufacturing operations. In 2024, Toll Brothers marked 10 years in a row being named to the Fortune World’s Most Admired CompaniesTM list and the Company’s Chairman and CEO Douglas C. Yearley, Jr. was named one of 25 Top CEOs by Barron’s magazine. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit TollBrothers.com. Toll Brothers discloses information about its business and financial performance and other matters, and provides links to its securities filings, notices of investor events, and earnings and other news releases, on the Investor Relations section of its website (investors.TollBrothers.com). From Fortune, ©2024 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. CONTACT: Gregg Ziegler (215) 478-3820 gziegler@tollbrothers.comTweet Facebook Mail Defence lawyers for US President-elect Donald Trump are using President Joe Biden's pardon of his son Hunter to argue that Trump's conviction in his Manhattan hush money case should be dismissed. "Yesterday in issuing a 10 year pardon to Hunter Biden that covers any and all crimes whether charged or uncharged, President Biden asserted that his son was 'selectively, and unfairly prosecuted' and 'treated differently,'" Trump lawyers wrote in a motion filed on Monday. Trump's lawyers – Todd Blanche and Emil Bove – whom he has picked for top Justice Department posts in his new administration – argue these comments amount to a condemnation of Biden's own Justice Department and that New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg has engaged in the same kind of "political theatre." READ MORE: South Korea's president says he will lift martial law declaration Lawyers for US President-elect Donald Trump have called on his conviction in a hush money case to be dismissed. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, POOL) (AP) Bragg's office successfully prosecuted Trump earlier this year for falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. Judge Juan Merchan indefinitely postponed Trump's sentencing in the case after Trump won reelection. Trump's lawyers also want the conviction dismissed, but the DA's office says it will oppose any effort to toss the case. This story is breaking and will be updated.Salma Hayek's shocking 1995 casting photo goes viral Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By SHARON MAI FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 23:35 EST, 29 December 2024 | Updated: 23:37 EST, 29 December 2024 e-mail 3 View comments Salma Hayek 's casting photo from 1995 has gone viral nearly three decades later. The actress, 58, was praised by fans after social media sleuths unearthed a Polaroid photo of her at the beginning of her acting career when she was just breaking into Hollywood . The headshot was accompanied by her acting resume and appeared in Latina Magazine in 2018. In reaction to the photo, social media users gushed about how she looked nearly the same as she does now despite how much time has passed. The Desperado star — who showcased her chic sense of style while taking a smoke break and shopping last month — was lauded for her seemingly ageless beauty. She wore a nude-colored, low-cut T-shrit with a gold cross pendant as she showed off her sultry smolder and her signature, voluminous dark hair. Salma Hayek 's casting photo from 1995 has gone viral nearly three decades later. The actress, 58, was praised by fans after social media sleuths unearthed a Polaroid photo of her at the beginning of her acting career when she was just breaking into Hollywood Alongside the photo, there was an attached resume, which seemed to be from 1997, showing her breakout role as Carolina in Desperado and several other appearances. It showed her roles from the 1993 indie drama Mi Vida Loca all the way up to her breakout appearance in the 1997 romantic comedy Fools Rush In. Her various theater roles and three awards were also listed. Hayek began her entertainment career in 1989 and started making minor acting appearances before her breakout role in 1995. The casting materials provided a glimpse into the trajectory of her rise to superstardom. She went on to star in one of her most iconic roles as Frida Kahlo in the titular biopic Frida in 2002. Hayek's portrayal of the famous Mexican artist earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. Since then, Hayek has gone on to become an acclaimed film producer in addition to an award-winning actress. In reaction to the photo, social media users gushed about how she looked nearly the same as she does now despite how much time has passed. The Desperado star was lauded for her seemingly ageless beauty Alongside the photo, there was an attached resume, which seemed to be from 1997, showing her breakout role as Carolina in Desperado and several other appearances including one of her most iconic ones in From Dusk Till Dawn; pictured 1996 in From Dusk Till Dawn still The casting materials provided a glimpse into the trajectory of her rise to superstardom. She went on to star in one of her most iconic roles as Frida Kahlo in the titular biopic Frida in 2002 Most recently, she starred opposite Channing Tatum in Magic Mike's Last Dance, which was released in February 2023. Read More Salma Hayek goes bargain hunting on Black Friday in Los Angeles Earlier this year, she talked about her decades-spanning resume and said her acting career improved after she turned 40. About her most iconic, breakout role, she told the Wall Street Journal in October: 'I don't think there was one that opened so many doors. 'I would think every time, "This is the one. Now, you know, people are gonna bring me the good roles." But it didn't happen like that for me,' she explained. 'Even after I was nominated for an Oscar, the type of roles that I got didn't change.' Hayek began her entertainment career in 1989 and started making minor acting appearances before her breakout role in 1995; pictured 1994 Since then, Hayek has gone on to become an acclaimed film producer in addition to an award-winning actress; pictured 1996 in Los Angeles Earlier this year, she talked about her decades-spanning resume and said her acting career improved after she turned 40; pictured November 1995 in Los Angeles About her most iconic, breakout role, she told the Wall Street Journal in October: 'I don't think there was one that opened so many doors; pictured August 1995 in Los Angeles Hayek added: 'What has opened the doors for me, it's been my tenacity, my consistency. I just wouldn't go away. 'And it's funny, just when they told me, like, "After a certain age, that's it, your career is over." That's when my career started getting better.' She continued: 'They said, "You stop working at 40 in Hollywood." 'And here we are, 58, I'm still working.' Channing Tatum Salma Hayek Share or comment on this article: Salma Hayek's shocking 1995 casting photo goes viral e-mail Add comment

When the Philadelphia 76ers signed Paul George this offseason, they signed him believing he would be the top-notch isolation scorer he’s been throughout his career. More than that, George's addition was supposed to replace what James Harden once brought to the Sixers as an iso scorer. Thus far, the results have not been promising when comparing the two. Harden may not be the same player he was at the peak of his powers with the Houston Rockets, but he's still lethal enough in that department to still be considered one of the best isolation scorers in the NBA. In fact, Harden leads all NBA players in points scored in isolation with 131 points, according to NBA.com. With Kawhi Leonard out, the Los Angeles Clippers have asked Harden to shoulder the scoring load, and he's risen to the challenge. In that same respect, compare that to George, Harden's former teammate, and the results are not pretty. Paul George’s isolation scoring has also been putrid Again, George came to the Sixers with the reputation of a wing scorer. He has that reputation because he’s earned it from his time with the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Clippers. However, he has not started the season well in isolation. George has scored 27 points in isolation in the eight games he’s played for the Sixers. It's, of course, worth noting Harden has played in 18 games, but the trends do not point to George matching Harden's impressive total with additional appearances. That is well short of what the Sixers wanted to see from George when they signed him. Seeing how much better Harden has been in that department makes it harder to stomach how underwhelming George has been as a player. The Sixers may have other scorers around him, like Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, but George was supposed to take the pressure off them and vice versa. At age 34 and with his injury history, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that George has declined a bit. However, his numbers tumbling to this extent is a major red flag that the Sixers may be unable to ignore if things don’t pick up soon. Harden thriving in this particular category may make George’s struggles even more painful to watch. MORE SIXERS NEWS: 76ers loss to Clippers goes from bad to worse with viral social media slipupTitans S Julius Wood suspended 6 games for PEDs

"why is he quiet now over Ekpa's arrest?: Reno Omokri blasts Peter ObiDonald Trump Jr. and Elon Musk joke about MSNBC host’s ‘castration’

Criminal cases against incoming president Trump being droppedRavens quarterback Lamar Jackson is eager to play again after spending the team's bye week thinking about a recent loss to the Eagles.Ludhiana: Man loses ₹21.88 lakh to cyber fraudsters

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley knew the Eagles season rushing record could be his on Sunday with the type of stellar performance that has become the standard during his first season in Philadelphia. As for the exact moment Barkley hit the milestone, he wasn't sure — until the “MVP!” chants echoed throughout the Linc after a 9-yard run in the fourth quarter . “The records are great, they put a smile on your face,” Barkley said, “but the season is far from over.” Needing 109 yards to break LeSean McCoy's record, Barkley rushed for 124 yards and pushed his season total to 1,623 in a 22-16 victory over Carolina . Barkley needed just 13 games to pass McCoy, who rushed for 1,607 yards in 2013. He also overtook Wilbert Montgomery, who had 1,512 yards in 1978. “I never wrote the goal down to break it,” Barkley said. “You're always aware of it. That's how I train. That's how I operate in the offseason. I want to be great.” Barkley also maintained his pace to break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards, set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams. “That would be extremely cool to do,” Barkley said. “If it happens, it happens, and not with the mindset of, I'm scared to go try to do it. Whatever it takes to win football games.” Barkley is averaging 124.8 yards per game. At that pace and with one more game to play than Dickerson, he would become the top single-season rusher in NFL history. He needs 483 yards yards over the final four games to top Dickerson’s 40-year-old record. He averaged 6.2 yards on 20 carries against the Panthers to help the Eagles win their ninth straight game. McCoy, who was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame this season, remains the franchise’s rushing leader with 6,792 yards. Referencing his old uniform number, McCoy congratulated Barkley on social media with “a lot of love, coming from 2-5." “Being a fan of Shady's growing up, and seeing the spectacular things he was able to do with the ball in his hand, to be able to have my name mentioned with him definitely means a lot,” Barkley said. Barkley left the New York Giants in the offseason and signed a three-year deal worth $26 million guaranteed to join the Eagles, who made him the highest-paid running back in franchise history. The 27-year-old has been worth every dollar. Barkley is among the favorites for league MVP, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the only player with better MVP odds entering Sunday. Barkley has a franchise-record nine 100-yard rushing games in a season. Although he was held out of the end zone Sunday, he began the day leading the league with four rushing touchdowns of 25-plus yards. Barkley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, topped 1,000 yards three times in his six seasons with the Giants. He finished with 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022 and rushed for 1,307 yards and 11 scores as a rookie. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who had been unwilling to spend on elite running backs, pounced on Barkley and the decision was celebrated as a success in Philly from the first game of the season. Barkley rushed for two scores and caught a TD pass in the opener against Green Bay. His three touchdowns were the most by an Eagles player in his debut since Terrell Owens in 2004. Barkley only soared in production and popularity from there, his highlight reel stamped by a reverse leap over the head of a Jacksonville defender last month. He's since vaulted over every running back ahead of him on the Eagles rushing list — and has a chance at NFL history. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL Dan Gelston, The Associated PressThe rain that had been falling over Kelowna stopped for a few hours on the evening of Nov. 20, while a group of people gathered in Stuart Park to remember those who have been killed in acts of anti-trans violence over the last year. Over the last year, there have been 350 reported deaths of transgender, gender non-binary, and gender non-conforming folks worldwide. , to remember a woman who was killed in an anti-trans attack. The annual vigil was held by the vice president of the 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy and inclusion-based organization. a resource for transgender, non binary and gender non-conforming people said in a statement that as visibility queer communities increase, so too has there been an "observable rise in misinformation about trans, Two-Spirit and non-binary (TTNB) people and gender-affirming care." The prevalence of misinformation has impacted the degree to which anti-trans backlash is experienced, particularly for trans-feminine and racialized TTNB folks, said Trans Care BC in an article on the Day of Remembrance. At the vigil, McWatters made a point of noting that the hundreds of names that were read to the group gathered in Stuart Park is likely not complete, and does not include the names of those who died by suicide due to a lack of social acceptance. "This is an opportunity to have a solemn event to acknowledge that the world is not always that kind, and that transphobia and violence against transgender people exists. It is to remember those that we lost and to move forward and to make the world a better place," said McWatters. At the vigil, several people shared stories of times they have been berated and feared for their lives in public because they were not conforming with social gender norms. One person shared that last week a vehicle yelled derogatory comments and swerved towards them while they were walking because they were wearing lipstick. Multiple people, ranging from teenagers to people in their 60s, shared stories about how they have considered self-harm after being shamed for expressing their gender identity. McWatters encourages people to reach out to Advocacy Canada, herself or support groups if they want to speak with someone. She also encourages allies to check-in and stand up for their friends. An easy way for allies to demonstrate support is to use inclusive language and respect people’s pronouns and chosen names. People looking to get involved, find community or step up as an ally are encouraged to visit or to learn more.

What’s going on at Bucklebury Common?With north east Thatcham pencilled for an extra 2,500 homes in the coming years, conservationists are thinking ahead to the impact of an extra 7,000 people using nearby Bucklebury Common. A programme of tree clearing is already under way this winter, and as Local Democracy Reporter Niki Hinman found out, the land management scheme in parts of the common is about 100 years out of date. Bucklebury Common stretches for 900 acres and is one of the largest commons in southern England. Following the distant sounds of a chainsaw, I walk with the Bucklebury Estate steward Alasdair Jones Perrott who hopes the work to clear self-seeding birch saplings will allow a greater diversity of plant and animal life to thrive. “I don’t think much has been done here for about 100 years,” he explains. “We are removing a lot of the birch shrub which has seeded and taken hold because of a lack of grazing. “It is our intention to mechanically remove these saplings, but leaving the older oaks around the edge.” The common is home to the famous Avenue of Oaks at Chapel Row, ancient woodland at Holly Wood and one of the largest areas of heathland in Berkshire. In 2000 a new avenue of oaks was planted at Chapel Row to commemorate the Millennium. In 2011 a further row of oak trees were planted at Chapel Row Green to mark the marriage of Catherine Middleton – whose family live just up the road – and Prince William, now the Prince and Princess of Wales. The common is privately owned by the Bucklebury Estate and stretches from Cold Ash (Bucklebury Alley) in the west to Bradfield Southend in the east. While the common is privately owned, it is free and open to the public. Because it is registered common land, although it is owned by the Bucklebury Estate, everyone has the right to walk anywhere on the common under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Numerous tracks criss-cross the common created by people walking, often with their dogs. In addition, there are abundant public rights of way, giving additional access to those on bikes, horses and in vehicles. It is said that Bucklebury has the densest rights of way network of any parish in England. Sam Kerr is one of the rangers up on the heath, employed by the Bucklebury Estate. She is actually a marine biologist by training, but has opted for a winter of chain saw action in the woods, stripping out the birch shrubs. “I am creating a site of wood pasture, clearing the birch trees and creating more space and light to get more flora and fauna underneath,” she explains. “We have oak trees and big Scots pines we hope to work on too, along with a few birch and beech trees too. “We hope in spring with the extra light we will get more grass and flower species. “It is exciting to see what will pop up in a few months’ time. “It is an awful lot of sawing, but it’s good fun.” She is using the material she cuts down to create living hedges to edge the footpaths. This has a dual function, to encourage wildlife, but also to encourage walkers to keep to the paths and give the new swards a chance. Local ornithologists are helping the estate team by building up a picture or survey on what bird species are returning to the site. Nightjars and woodlarks are among them. There are hopes for more. An important feature of Bucklebury Common is its heathland. Alasdair tells me that before the Second World War, there was continuous heathland between Upper Bucklebury and Chapel Row. During the Second World War the common was requisitioned as a transport depot and as a result invasive vegetation took over during the post war period. The Bucklebury Heathland Group, in co-operation with the Pang Valley Conservation Group, has restored a significant area of heathland over the years. “Heathland in southern England is an extremely important habitat,” explains Alasdair. “Over the last 150 years about 80 per cent of this has been lost to agriculture or forestation.” Just a short walk from the main road, the woodlands open up on to a wide, wet, heather-covered heath. It is interspersed with different mosses and lichen, with bilberry near the woodland edge. It’s a boggy walk, with peaty coloured puddles and heather growing on gravel soil. “Heather grows well on minimal mineral soil,” explains Alasdair, as we sink to our ankles in prehistoric looking swamp. “That’s why it thrives, because it is on poor soil which is free draining because of the gravel. “As part of the scheme of work being carried out over this winter is to extend this magnificent rare landscape by almost doubling what we can see now. “We feel that because this has developed so well over the last 15 years there is no reason why we can’t achieve this. “And the reason that we are doing this is due to the Government’s 25-year environmental plan – and it supports the plans for the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.” In 2018 the 25-Year Environment Plan (25YEP) set out government goals for improving the environment, within a generation, and leaving it in a better state than it found it. Labour has committed to the scheme’s continuance. Its goals are simple – cleaner air and water; plants and animals which are thriving; and a cleaner, greener country for us all. “By using our land more sustainably and creating new habitats for wildlife, including by planting more trees, we can arrest the decline in native species and improve our biodiversity,” says the plan. “Connecting more people with the environment will promote greater well-being. “And by making the most of emerging technologies, we can build a cleaner, greener country and reap the economic rewards of the clean growth revolution.” Willie Hartley Russell is the Lord of the Manor, and the estate, including the common, has been in the family since 1540 and the dissolution of the monasteries. It was acquired by his family from Henry VIII. “It’s been a long road of restoration of the house and the estate over the last 30 years since I’ve lived here,” he says. “Key in that is future proofing Bucklebury Common. “We have the possibility of 2,500 extra houses in north east Thatcham and we have to start considering how those people might interact with the common. “So we are thinking of car parking, cycleways, pathways and so on. “Also how to protect those sensitive areas such as ancient woodland or heathland so we can live side by side but at the same time protecting the area while encouraging people to come and use the common in an appropriate way.” Among the plans, main car parks will be enhanced with new information signs to educate people in a ‘soft’ way. Some access to the common causes damage, such as inappropriate use of four wheel drive vehicles, both on and off the byways, or disturbance to rare ground-nesting birds by uncontrolled dogs. Working in partnership with West Berkshire Council, inappropriate access will be reduced as much as possible. The council has been working with Bucklebury Estate on ensuring that there is constructive response to 4x4 damage of the byways. Typically, this is by placing Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) over the winter months on selected byways, that are easily damaged by 4x4s, as a preventative measure. The council will also raise emergency TROs if actual damage is occurring and reported. The council raised an emergency TRO on the byways on the west end of the common at Ramsbury Corner after antisocial use of 4x4s on the common this summer. The council places bollards and barriers, with notices, at the entrances of the byways from the local roads. “Unfortunately, we have had some antisocial 4x4 drivers ram and push over bollards in the area, causing significant additional cost to the council for repairs,” explains Bucklebury councillor Chris Read, who is also a commons rights holder. “Residents should raise with the police if 4x4s are seen on the common itself or causing damage as this clearly breaks local bylaws. “The majority of 4x4 users use the local byways sensibly and adhere to the TROs and avoid damage to the byways, but unfortunately the common does get a few antisocial users of 4x4s who both the council and the police respond to vigorously.” Other plans include a cycle route between Upper Bucklebury and Chapel Row that will be created, providing a safe alternative to the dangerous road. A number of circular routes will be promoted, highlighting some short walks around the common. “It is a duty to look after the common, and one I relish. I love the common,” says Willie. “I work full time in the City Of London so I walk my dogs up there a lot in my free time. It is a big part of my life. “What upsets me is 4x4 abuse. Some are fine but others not. “Littering is an issue too. We have two litter picks a year with the parish council and we fill a skip up each time.” West Berkshire Council is responsible for way marking of public rights of way, maintaining the Commoners’ Rights register, collecting rubbish and assisting with vegetation clearance. It also maintains car parks and public access. In 2014, it transferred the recreational and access aspects of their management role to the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), while retaining the management of rights of way, the Commoners’ Rights Register and the regulation of byelaws pertaining to the common. There are approximately 130 houses in Bucklebury that have Commoners’ Rights. The majority of commoners’ rights are in respect of ‘hedgebote’ or ‘firebote’ – the right of picking up fallen dead wood from the common for the mending of fences and for fires. Approximately 20 households have ‘grazing rights’ but these are generally not exercised as the common is no longer fenced or gated, although the estate wants to bring a small cattle herd back to the common. They won’t be traditionally fenced, but ‘geo-fenced’ with cattle wearing collars which will ‘train’ them to stay in certain areas. “We are engaging with our local community to get a collaborative engagement with all parties including the parish council, Natural England, The Forestry Commission, BBOWT, West Berkshire Council, Rights of Way,” explains Willie. “Over the last 100 years the management of the common has changed dramatically. “Back then it was important for fuel and food and that has changed into more of a recreational area so it needs more work and thought to manage.” The estate puts a lot of its own money into management of the common, but also taps into government schemes as well. The project on the common is funded by the Government’s Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its arm’s-length bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency. “I can only echo Willie’s and Alasdair’s words,” adds Chris. “Even though myself and residents of [Upper and Lower] Bucklebury, Midgham, Chapel Row, Woolhampton and Stanford Dingley are opposed to the likely outcomes of the new town of north east Thatcham, we are also behind Bucklebury Estate in enhancing the infrastructure and ecological resilience of the common for the likely increase in visitor numbers and usage. “The common has not been actively managed for a number of years until recently and what the estate is doing and has planned will raise awareness with the public this is a delicate environment and must be looked after, not only for our current use and enjoyment but for future generations as well. “I can only encourage people to take the opportunity to come along to the estate’s future public engagements to hear from the experts and understand future plans.”

Dr Manmohan Singh and Osamu Suzuki, both invested tremendous faith in the India story working relentlessly over the decades to drive the Indian economy to its current leadership. He is hailed as the original middle class hero who dared to dream. And here is this original India bull who worked tirelessly to make one such dream come true. As irony would have it, both died within a day of each-other, one in New Delhi and the other in Tokyo. Dr Manmohan Singh, 92, silent architect of India’s economic reforms died on December 26, while Osamu Suzuki, 94, died on Christmas Day. His death, however, was announced on December 27. Both invested tremendous faith in the India story working relentlessly over the decades to drive the Indian economy to its current leadership. Call it serendipity, just a few days ago, I happened to discover a prized possession, a letter written to me by Suzuki, about 27 years ago. All these years I thought I had misplaced it but found it while shifting home as I rummaged through some old clippings and files. It came to life as Osamu walked into history. The November, 14, 1997, letter penned by Suzuki (then the President & CEO, Suzuki Motor Corporation), was delivered at my New Delhi Zee News office, where I served then as the Business Editor. All my professional life I have never ever received any similar personal communication from any Indian or global business owner. A matter of introspection for business leaders in how they engage with the newsroom. Romance Gone Sour The opening para of the letter gave it all away: “I am writing to you as I believe that given the full and correct facts about Suzuki and Maruti, you would form views and take decisions which are in the best interests of the Indian automobile industry and India.” Humbled by the confidence, I sensed his deep hurt and displeasure with the then Union government. India was then ruled by I K Gujral, who became Prime Minister as a consensus candidate of a coalition government supported by Congress from the outside. Gujral’s industry minister happened to be Murasoli Maran, an important DMK leader, a party which was headed by his maternal uncle and mentor, M Karunanidhi. Maran was a Union Minister in three separate central governments, in charge of Urban Development in the V.P. Singh government, Industry in the Gowda and Gujral governments, and finally Commerce and Industry under AB Vajpayee. Suzuki’s anguish was palpable: “In 1982, Suzuki agreed to invest in India in a JV where the Government was a majority partner. At that time most car manufacturers were not willing to invest in markets traditionally given very low priority..... It was difficult for us to understand why despite the several achievements of Maruti, this trust has been lost in the last two to three years and we are being treated as adversaries of the government,” Suzuki said in his November 1997 letter. Establishing the chronology, Suzuki lamented, “The safeguards and rights given to us when we decided to invest in Maruti in 1982 , and which were observed until 1994, were totally disregarded. Our protests were considered unpatriotic.” The Maruti Story The man who built Suzuki as a global behemoth concluded the letter with the confidence that “Maruti has a future that will span any individual or event. It is a fusion of two cultures that has enabled it to establish a benchmark of excellence.” Prophetic words, indeed, uttered 27 years ago by a business visionary who simply loved India. Osamu Suzuki passed away at a time when Maruti is among world’s top passenger vehicle companies driving the parent’s profitability. In May 2007, when Dr Manmohan Singh, was the Prime Minister, the Union government fully exited from Maruti selling its 10.3% putting an end to the bitter past. One man who made it possible besides Osamu is former bureaucrat turned evergreen Maruti leader, R C Bhargava, who enjoyed complete trust and confidence of the Japanese auto owner. The famed Suzuki and Bhargava, current non-executive chairman, friendship, is a case study. Asked to describe the relationship, Bhargava once told me that it was born out of trust, transparency and target. Suzuki stood by Bhargava even in the most trying circumstances. Bhargava (former civil servant), 90, symbol of continuity at Maruti, said that without his vision (Suzuki’s) the Indian automobile industry could not have become the powerhouse that it has become. Indeed, the largest market for Japan’s fifth biggest carmaker – India accounted for over 61% of total output in the previous financial year (FY-24) and 57% of its total global sales. Maruti Suzuki continues to dominate the proceedings riding the boom at a time when India witnessed exits of some of the top global auto brands. It endures a 40 per cent plus market share. What began in 1982 has been a journey of the making of a truly Indian brand respected in the global arena. For Osamu Suzuki, the spectacular growth despite turbulence in between is a vindication of the immense trust and faith in India. Meanwhile, up above, Dr Singh can regale Suzuki with anecdotes of his love for the only car he owned and loved, the Maruti 800. Click for more latest India news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. The author is a senior editor having spent over three decades in the newsroom, spanning print, television, digital & OTT domain. He writes at the intersection of business, politics, and civil society. Currently he serves as the Editor, News9 Mediaverse (English Cluster), TV9 Network.UC SAN DIEGO 73, JAMES MADISON 67None

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Conservative: Amnesty’s ‘Genocide’ Game Amnesty International “produced a report accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza” — but, sniffs Commentary’s Seth Mandel , “a funny thing happened on the way to the forum.” The group’s Israel branch, “the part of the organization that works on the ground in the country . . . disavowed the report .” Why? “The report is a joke. It didn’t take long for people to find the part where Amnesty explained that in order to find Israel guilty of genocide, the organization had to literally redefine genocide .” “So Amnesty International dissents from international law. That’s fine. Just be up-front about it: Amnesty is not accusing Israel of ‘genocide,’ it is accusing Israel of a different crime which Amnesty has named ‘genocide,’ just so it could use that word.” Libertarian: The Obama CIA’s Futile Syria Scheme “From 2013 to 2017, the CIA spent over $1 billion trying to strengthen ‘moderate rebels’ against both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and anti-American extremists in the opposition,” but “Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, former head of Al Qaeda in Syria” is now “accomplishing in a week what the CIA tried and failed to do for years” after he “organized a surprise offensive against the Syrian government,” reports Reason’s Matthew Petti. “The collapse of Assad’s government” is “a sign of how futile U.S. intervention has been. The U.S. spent years paying Syrians to kill their countrymen without being able to shape the outcome, before giving up.” Now, Jolani’s evil Levant Liberation Committee is calling the shots. “All the American money spent and Syrian blood it paid to spill amounted to very little in the end.” Labor beat: Biden the Unions’ Man “Thanks to the undemocratic power of government unions, the new administration will be limited in its ability to deliver more efficient services for citizens,” grumble the Washington Examiner’s editors . The Biden crew just inked a new labor deal that lets 42,000 Social Security Administration employees work remotely “when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in” — moving “to thwart Trump’s government efficiency agenda.” Barring government workers from “signing collective bargaining agreements with government agencies” is the only way “to make the federal government efficient.” Foreign desk: Blame Macron for French Collapse France faces “its most serious political, constitutional and economic crisis in decades,” warns Spiked’s Fraser Myers — and President Emmanuel Macron is to blame, as it’s his “hand-picked prime minister,” Michel Barnier, just ousted by a no-confidence vote. “Under the French constitution, legislative elections cannot be held until the summer of 2025, meaning Macron is stuck with a hung parliament that won’t accept his austerity measures or pass a new budget,” making France “effectively ungovernable for the foreseeable future.” Many “blame the ‘populists’ on the left and the right for pulling the plug on Barnier’s ailing government.” But France’s centrists deserve to be j’accused: “While it would be overstating it to say the French economy is on the verge of collapse, we are a very long way away from the dynamic, competitive ‘start-up nation’ that Macron promised to build when he entered the Élysée.” From the right: End the Pardon-palooza Now that President Biden has pardoned his son Hunter, Democrats are debating whether he “should hand out similar pre-emptive clemency like Christmas stocking stuffers,” snarks The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board . If Biden goes along, it’ll “be another broken democratic norm, and another swirl into the lawfare spiral.” “Pre-emptive pardons for outgoing officials would be a bad precedent” and “a constitutional abuse.” They risk “developing a culture of impunity,” with the next administration expecting the same for their guy. To cool things, Biden could pardon Donald Trump for the two federal cases against him. Note that Trump said in his debate with Biden that his only retribution will be to be successful. If he “leaned into that message, it would do the country good.” — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

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Freida McFadden's thriller 'The Housemaid' topped Amazon's UK best-selling book chart for the year, while Rory Stewart's candid memoir 'Politics On The Edge' led the biography category. Colleen Hoover's novel 'It Ends With Us', which saw a film adaptation this year, secured the second spot on the list, with social media playing a significant role in driving sales, according to the online retailer. The Amazon Books Most Sold list is compiled based on the number of copies sold and pre-ordered across both print and ebook formats. In fiction, the "romantasy" genre proved particularly popular, with Rebecca Yarros's 'Fourth Wing and Iron Flame' and several titles from Sarah J Maas' 'Court Of Thorns And Roses' series entering the top 20. Cookbooks were a hit in non-fiction, especially those focusing on air fryer recipes. 'Pinch of Nom Air Fryer' by Kay Allinson and 'Bored Of Lunch: The Healthy Air Fryer Book' by Nathan Anthony tapped into the gadget's trend, while Emily English's 'So Good' was the runner-up in cookbooks. Health-focused titles like Chris van Tulleken's 'Ultra-Processed People' and Tim Spector's 'The Food For Life' also featured among the top sellers, reflecting the public's concern over the cost-of-living crisis and an increased consciousness about the impact of diet on wellbeing. Stewart's memoir stood out as the bestselling biography, ranking at number 42 overall. Boris Johnson's 'Unleashed', however, did not make it onto this year's bestsellers list, having been released in October. Amazon's Most Read list, which is ranked by the average number of daily Kindle Readers and Audible listeners each week, has been dominated by JK Rowling, with all seven Harry Potter books still captivating readers years after their release. Zak Watts, UK books country manager at Amazon.co.uk, commented: "This year’s bestseller list tells a fascinating story about British readers in 2024." He added: "From the surge of popularity for romantasy, to our continued love affair with cosy crime, we’re seeing how our nation’s reading habits are a means of escapism and perhaps a much-needed departure from day-to-day reality."None

t park DK Metcalf is happy to block as Seahawks ride streak into Sunday night matchup with PackersWhy Is Astronics Corporation (ATRO) An Undervalued Aerospace Stock to Buy According to Hedge Funds?Costs Don't miss out on the headlines from Costs. Followed categories will be added to My News. It is the most festive time of the year, but it can also be the most “stressful”, especially for a family of three living off $80,000. Rachel Green, 32, has been planning for the cost of Christmas for months, but now that December has arrived, she’s still anxious. Ms Green, who lives in Queensland, described Christmas as a “stressful time” and a period where she has to plan everything in advance. She has a young child and is pregnant with her second, and they’re all relying on her partner’s $80,000 salary. “My husband earns $1220 a week. After covering our bills and mortgage, we’re left with around $60 each week,” she told news.com.au. The 32-year-old said it feels almost “impossible” to plan ahead for Christmas and budget because everything is so expensive. “We’ve tried to stick to a strict budget, buying one or two items each week to prepare for Christmas, but we’re still not where we want to be financially,” she said. Ms Green explained why Christmas is stressful. Picture: Instagram/AussieFrugalFamily She said their mortgage right now is really high. Picture: Instagram/AussieFrugalFamily MORE: Home loan trap taking years to escape It has also been a tough year for the family. Earlier this year, Ms Green was trolled for sharing their mortgage stress online. “Our mortgage repayments have gone from under $400 to almost $650. It’s a crazy amount extra to pay when everything else has gone up too,” she previously told news.com.au Online, she explained how tough it is to fork out $650 a week on their mortgage, and instead of people offering her sympathy, she was met with judgment. “Sounds like you’ve overextended yourself. Sell your house and sell your car,” one wrote. “Maybe don’t have children! If you can’t even afford it,” one said, with another slamming the family for using charity services they claimed other people “need more”. Ms Green is not alone in her stress. It’s been an expensive year for Australians. The median rental price nationwide has soared past $600, the official cash rate has held for over a year, and conversations about inflation and shrinkflation have been ongoing. The young family survive off one income. Picture: Instagram/AussieFrugalFamily Ms Green shares her frugal tips online. Picture: Instagram/AussieFrugalFamily MORE: Sign RBA is creating ticking time bomb The financial stress is impacting everyone. Non-bank lender, MONEYME , conducted a survey that found 43 per cent of households earning between $100,000 to $149,000 and 37 per cent of households earning between $50,000 to $99,000 plan to spend more this Christmas than the last. Since Aussies are expecting to spend more, they are trying to make cuts where they can. Thirty seven per cent plan to reduce their grocery spending and forgo traditional Christmas staples like oysters, prawns, red meat, and turkey. Ms Green isn’t surprised by these trends. She thinks about money all the time. In fact, she runs a popular social media account called AussieFrugalFamily , where she documents how she budgets. “Even people who are usually financially comfortable are feeling the squeeze this year. Many Christmas items that were once staples are now considered luxuries,” she said. Ms Green said one relief has been that she’s not hosting Christmas. She’ll be going to her mum’s and everyone is expected to bring a plate, so not one person gets lumped with the Christmas lunch cost. “We’re not cutting back completely. We’re trying to be smarter about our purchases,” she said. “For instance, instead of fresh prawns, we’re buying frozen ones to thaw the night before.” “We’ve also divided the food responsibilities among family members. If everyone contributes, we can still enjoy the traditional Christmas feast without overspending.” Aussies are cutting back this Christmas but still spending more. Picture: Instagram/AussieFrugalFamily Ms Green said that people should also consider going to food banks to get through Christmas. “Many of these places actively encourage people to shop with them. You can save money on your Christmas food bill while supporting a charity. It’s a win-win,” she said. She’s also got a game plan for once Christmas is over and wants to take advantage of the yearly sales. “If you have some funds left, hit the shops after Christmas. There are great sales on items like meat and seafood, which can be frozen for New Year’s, Australia Day, or even meals throughout the next few months,” she recommended. “The freezer is your best friend when it comes to saving money.” Clayton Howes, CEO at MONEYME , said that it is clear Aussies are doing it tough this Christmas. “The festive season is a time for family and giving but its clear many Aussies – particularly Millennials and Gen Z – are feeling the financial pinch this year,” he said. “This survey shows that some Aussies are forgoing luxuries to help ease the cost of living pressures, but are determined to have a joyful celebration with loved ones, despite it being a tough year financially.” More Coverage ‘Completely false’: Cops hit back in 28yo case Claudia Poposki ‘Chained to my desk’: 28yo quits $170k job Mary Madigan Originally published as ‘Stressful’: Proof Aussies are doing it tough this Christmas More related stories Designers Surprising Aussie fashion trend revealed Buy-now pay-later giant Afterpay has revealed some surprising Aussie fashion trends in its latest Afterpaid report, with one colour dominating 2024. Read more Costs HECS balances slashed from today If you can actually remember your MyGov login, you should probably take a squiz at how much HECS you owe after tonight. Read moreThe Sterling Group Names Two New Partners

NEW YORK and LONDON , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. (NYSE: PDCC) (the "Company") today announced that it has priced an underwritten public offering of 1,200,000 shares of its 8.00% Series A Preferred Stock Due 2029 (the "Preferred Shares") at a public offering price of $25 per share, which will result in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $28.8 million after payment of underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Preferred Shares are rated 'BBB' by Egan-Jones Ratings Company, an independent rating agency. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 180,000 Preferred Shares pursuant to the same terms and conditions. The offering is expected to close on December 18, 2024 , subject to customary closing conditions. The Company intends to list the Preferred Shares on the New York Stock Exchange within 30 days of the original issue date under the symbol "PDPA." Lucid Capital Markets, LLC ("Lucid"), B. Riley Securities, Inc. and Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC are acting as joint book-running managers and InspereX LLC and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC are acting as lead managers for the offering. Investors should consider the Company's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The preliminary prospectus, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), contains this and other information about the Company and should be read carefully before investing. The information in the preliminary prospectus and this press release is not complete and may be changed. The preliminary prospectus and this press release are not offers to sell these securities and are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted. A registration statement relating to these securities is on file with and has been declared effective by the SEC. Copies of the preliminary prospectus (and the final prospectus, when available) may be obtained by writing to Lucid Capital Markets, LLC, 570 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022, by calling Lucid toll-free at 646-362-0256 or by sending an e-mail to Lucid at prospectus@lucid.com . Copies also may be obtained on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . Egan-Jones Ratings Company is a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO). A security rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities, and any such rating may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the applicable rating agency. About Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. (NYSE: PDCC) is an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its primary investment objective is to maximize its portfolio's total return, with a secondary objective of generating high current income. The Company seeks to achieve these objectives by investing primarily in equity and junior debt tranches of CLOs collateralized by portfolios of sub-investment grade, senior secured floating-rate debt issued by a large number of distinct US companies across several industry sectors. The Company is externally managed by Pearl Diver Capital LLP. For more information, visit www.pearldivercreditcompany.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described in the prospectus and the Company's other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE Investor Contact: Info@Pearldivercap.com UK: +44 (0)20 3967 8032 US: +1 617 872 0945 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pearl-diver-credit-company-inc-prices-offering-of-series-a-preferred-stock-302330836.html SOURCE Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc.

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

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.”NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams met with President-elect Donald Trump's incoming “border czar” on Thursday, with the Democratic mayor expressing an enthusiasm to work with the incoming administration to pursue violent criminals in the city while Trump promises mass deportations. The mayor's meeting with Tom Homan, who will oversee the southern and northern borders and be responsible for deportation efforts in the Trump administration, came as Adams has welcomed parts of the president-elect's hardline immigration platform. Adams told reporters at a brief news conference that he and Homan agreed on pursuing people who commit violent crimes in the city but did not disclose additional details or future plans. “We’re not going to be a safe haven for those who commit repeated violent crimes against innocent migrants, immigrants and longstanding New Yorkers," he said. “That was my conversation today with the border czar, to figure out how to go after those individuals who are repeatedly committing crimes in our city.” The meeting marked Adams' latest and most definitive step toward collaborating with the Trump administration, a development that has startled critics in one of the country's most liberal cities. In the weeks since Trump’s election win, Adams has mused about potentially scaling back the city’s so-called sanctuary policies and coordinating with the incoming Trump administration on immigration. He has also said migrants accused of crimes shouldn’t have due process rights under the Constitution, though he eventually walked back those comments. The mayor further stunned Democrats when he sidestepped questions last week on whether he would consider changing parties to become a Republican, telling journalists that he was part of the “American party.” Adams later clarified that he would remain a Democrat. For Adams, a centrist Democrat known for quarreling with the city's progressive left, the recent comments on immigration follow frustration with the Biden Administration over its immigration policies and a surge of international migrants in the city. He has maintained that his positions have not changed and argues he is trying to protect New Yorkers, pointing to the law-and-order platform he has staked out throughout his political career and during his successful campaign for mayor. At his news conference Thursday, Adams reiterated his commitment to New York’s generous social safety net. “We’re going to tell those who are here, who are law-abiding, to continue to utilize the services that are open to the city, the services that they have a right to utilize, educating their children, health care, public protection,” he said. “But we will not be the safe haven for those who commit violent acts.” While the education of all children present in the U.S. is already guaranteed by a Supreme Court ruling, New York also offers social services like healthcare and emergency shelter to low-income residents, including those in the country illegally. City and state grants also provide significant access to lawyers, which is not guaranteed in the immigration court as they are in the criminal court. Still, Adams’ recent rhetoric has been seen by some critics as an attempt to cozy up to Trump, who could potentially offer a presidential pardon in his federal corruption case. Adams has been charged with accepting luxury travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign nationals looking to buy his influence. He has pleaded not guilty. Homan, who was Trump’s former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, also met this week with Republicans in Illinois, where he called on Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both Democrats, to start negotiations over how Trump's mass deportation plans, according to local media. Separately, New York City officials this week announced continued efforts to shrink a huge emergency shelter system for migrants because of a steady decline in new arrivals. Among the planned shelter closures is a massive tent complex built on a federally owned former airport in Brooklyn, which advocates have warned could be a prime target for Trump's mass deportation plan. Elsewhere, Republican governors and lawmakers in some states are already rolling out proposals that could help him carry out his pledge to deport millions of people living in the U.S. illegally. Izaguirre reported from Albany, N.Y.AI voice cloning: How programs are learning to pick up on pitch and tone

SAO PAULO (AP) — Police have formally accused Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 others of attempting a coup to keep the right-wing leader in office after his electoral defeat in 2022. Their allegations threaten to torpedo Bolsonaro's hopes of returning to politics. Brazil’s Supreme Court said Friday that police findings were delivered to Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who next week will relay them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet. He will decide whether to formally charge Bolsonaro or toss the investigation. Bolsonaro told the news website Metropoles on Thursday that he is waiting for his lawyer to review the police report, which is reportedly about 700 pages long, but that he would fight the case. He dismissed the investigation as the result of “creativity.” The former president denies that he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has since faced a series of legal threats. That police are seeking formal charges indicates the investigation found evidence of “a crime and its author,” and it is likely there are legal grounds for the prosecutor-general to file charges, said Eloísa Machado de Almeida, a law professor at Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university in Sao Paulo. On Friday, the attorney for Bolsonaro’s former right hand, Lt. Col. Mauro Cid, said in a live television interview that his client had informed the Supreme Court that Bolsonaro was aware of the coup plot. “The then-president knew it all. Actually, he led this organization,” Cid’s attorney, Cezar Bitencourt, told network GloboNews. Just minutes later, Bitencourt partially retracted his statement. "I didn’t say Bolsonaro knew it all. ‘All’ is a lot. He was evidently aware of some things.” Police said the Supreme Court agreed to the release all 37 names in the police report “to avoid the dissemination of incorrect news.” Among them are dozens of former and current Bolsonaro aides, including: Gen. Walter Braga Netto, who was his running mate in the 2022 campaign; former Army commander Gen. Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira; Valdemar Costa Neto, the chairman of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party; and his veteran former adviser, Gen. Augusto Heleno. Braga Netto’s lawyers said they would wait to formally receive the police documents before making any comments. The retired general shared their statement on X late Thursday. Bolsonaro is already accused separately of smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil and directing Lt. Col. Cid to falsify his and others’ COVID-19 vaccination statuses. Bolsonaro has denied those charges. Another probe found he abused his authority by casting doubt on Brazil's electoral system, and judges on the top electoral court barred him from running again until 2030. Still, he insists he will run in 2026, and many in his orbit were heartened by President-elect Donald Trump's recent election win despite his swirling legal troubles. Local media report that Gonet is already under pressure to move forward with multiple investigations against the former president, and politicians say if the 69-year-old Bolsonaro does stand trial his allies and rivals will race to seize his influence with voters. “Bolsonaro is no longer the sole leader of the right-wing. He is coming out of mayoral elections in which most of his candidates lost. All these probes don’t help him at all,” said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper, a university in Sao Paulo. “The governor of Sao Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, the radical candidate for Sao Paulo mayorship Pablo Marçal, the governor of Goias state, Ronaldo Caiado ... There are politicians lining up to court Bolsonaro voters,” Melo said. Creomar de Souza, a political analyst of Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, said the formal accusation is “obviously bad” for Bolsonaro, but that it might not impede him if he does decide to run for office again. “This could give those targeted a chance to portray themselves as being persecuted,” de Souza said, adding that could benefit them. Bolsonaro's allies in Congress have been negotiating a bill to pardon individuals who stormed the Brazilian capital and rioted on Jan. 8, 2023, in an attempt to keep the former president in power. Analysts have speculated that lawmakers want to extend the legislation to cover the former president himself. However, efforts to push a broad amnesty bill would be “politically challenging” in light of the new allegations against Bolsonaro and others, Machado said. On Tuesday, Federal Police arrested four military and a Federal Police officer, accused of plotting to assassinate Lula and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes in an effort to overthrow the government following the 2022 elections. Last week, a man tried to enter the Supreme Court in the capital Brasilia with explosives but was blocked by guards. He threw the explosives outside the building , killing himself.By COLLEEN SLEVIN DENVER (AP) — Amid renewed interest in the killing of JonBenet Ramsey triggered in part by a new Netflix documentary, police in Boulder, Colorado, refuted assertions this week that there is viable evidence and leads about the 1996 killing of the 6-year-old girl that they are not pursuing. JonBenet Ramsey, who competed in beauty pageants, was found dead in the basement of her family’s home in the college town of Boulder the day after Christmas in 1996. Her body was found several hours after her mother called 911 to say her daughter was missing and a ransom note had been left behind. The details of the crime and video footage of JonBenet competing in pageants propelled the case into one of the highest-profile mysteries in the United States. The police comments came as part of their annual update on the investigation, a month before the 28th anniversary of JonBenet’s killing. Police said they released it a little earlier due to the increased attention on the case, apparently referring to the three-part Netflix series “Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey.” In a video statement, Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said the department welcomes news coverage and documentaries about the killing of JonBenet, who would have been 34 this year, as a way to generate possible new leads. He said the department is committed to solving the case but needs to be careful about what it shares about the investigation to protect a possible future prosecution. “What I can tell you though, is we have thoroughly investigated multiple people as suspects throughout the years and we continue to be open-minded about what occurred as we investigate the tips that come into detectives,” he said. The Netflix documentary focuses on the mistakes made by police and the “media circus” surrounding the case. JonBenet was bludgeoned and strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide, but nobody was ever prosecuted. Police were widely criticized for mishandling the early investigation into her death amid speculation that her family was responsible. However, a prosecutor cleared her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, and brother Burke in 2008 based on new DNA evidence from JonBenet’s clothing that pointed to the involvement of an “unexplained third party” in her slaying. The announcement by former district attorney Mary Lacy came two years after Patsy Ramsey died of cancer. Lacy called the Ramseys “victims of this crime.” John Ramsey has continued to speak out for the case to be solved. In 2022, he supported an online petition asking Colorado’s governor to intervene in the investigation by putting an outside agency in charge of DNA testing in the case. In the Netflix documentary, he said he has been advocating for several items that have not been prepared for DNA testing to be tested and for other items to be retested. He said the results should be put through a genealogy database. In recent years, investigators have identified suspects in unsolved cases by comparing DNA profiles from crime scenes and to DNA testing results shared online by people researching their family trees. In 2021, police said in their annual update that DNA hadn’t been ruled out to help solve the case, and in 2022 noted that some evidence could be “consumed” if DNA testing is done on it. Last year, police said they convened a panel of outside experts to review the investigation to give recommendations and determine if updated technologies or forensic testing might produce new leads. In the latest update, Redfearn said that review had ended but that police continue to work through and evaluate a “lengthy list of recommendations” from the panel. Amy Beth Hanson contributed to this report from Helena, Montana.

NEW YORK and LONDON , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. (NYSE: PDCC) (the "Company") today announced that it has priced an underwritten public offering of 1,200,000 shares of its 8.00% Series A Preferred Stock Due 2029 (the "Preferred Shares") at a public offering price of $25 per share, which will result in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $28.8 million after payment of underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company. The Preferred Shares are rated 'BBB' by Egan-Jones Ratings Company, an independent rating agency. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 180,000 Preferred Shares pursuant to the same terms and conditions. The offering is expected to close on December 18, 2024 , subject to customary closing conditions. The Company intends to list the Preferred Shares on the New York Stock Exchange within 30 days of the original issue date under the symbol "PDPA." Lucid Capital Markets, LLC ("Lucid"), B. Riley Securities, Inc. and Kingswood Capital Partners, LLC are acting as joint book-running managers and InspereX LLC and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC are acting as lead managers for the offering. Investors should consider the Company's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The preliminary prospectus, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), contains this and other information about the Company and should be read carefully before investing. The information in the preliminary prospectus and this press release is not complete and may be changed. The preliminary prospectus and this press release are not offers to sell these securities and are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted. A registration statement relating to these securities is on file with and has been declared effective by the SEC. Copies of the preliminary prospectus (and the final prospectus, when available) may be obtained by writing to Lucid Capital Markets, LLC, 570 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10022, by calling Lucid toll-free at 646-362-0256 or by sending an e-mail to Lucid at prospectus@lucid.com . Copies also may be obtained on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . Egan-Jones Ratings Company is a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO). A security rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities, and any such rating may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the applicable rating agency. About Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc. (NYSE: PDCC) is an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its primary investment objective is to maximize its portfolio's total return, with a secondary objective of generating high current income. The Company seeks to achieve these objectives by investing primarily in equity and junior debt tranches of CLOs collateralized by portfolios of sub-investment grade, senior secured floating-rate debt issued by a large number of distinct US companies across several industry sectors. The Company is externally managed by Pearl Diver Capital LLP. For more information, visit www.pearldivercreditcompany.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described in the prospectus and the Company's other filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement made herein. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE Investor Contact: Info@Pearldivercap.com UK: +44 (0)20 3967 8032 US: +1 617 872 0945 View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pearl-diver-credit-company-inc-prices-offering-of-series-a-preferred-stock-302330836.html SOURCE Pearl Diver Credit Company Inc.NEW YORK (AP) — A number of President-elect Donald Trump 's most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks," Trump's transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years. Leavitt said law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted and Trump and his transition team are grateful. Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations ; Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general ; and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Law enforcement officials are also looking into whether Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz’s replacement, and other incoming administration officials were also victims — as well as how each was targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity as the investigation continues. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI said in a statement that it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees" and was investigating with its law enforcement partners. The FBI added: "We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma said President Joe Biden had been briefed and the White House is in touch with federal law enforcement and Trump's transition team. Biden “continues to monitor the situation closely," Sharma said, adding the president and his administration “condemn threats of political violence.” Stefanik's office said that, on Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. Her office said “New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism.” The New York State Police said a team was dispatched to sweep Stefanik’s home on Wednesday morning in response to the bomb threat but did not locate any explosive devices. The agency directed further questions to the FBI. Zeldin said in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened. “A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” he wrote on X . “My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops.” Police in Suffolk County, Long Island, said emergency officers responded to a bomb threat Wednesday morning at an address listed in public records as Zeldin’s home and were checking the property. In Florida, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area" around 9 a.m. Wednesday. While a family member resides at the address, the office said, Gaetz “is NOT a resident.” No threatening devices were found. Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration after allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by disturbing and unprecedented violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. Trump was also the subject of an Iranian murder-for-hire plot , with a man saying he had been tasked with planning the assassination of the Republican president-elect. Also this week, authorities arrested a man they say posted videos on social media threatening to kill Trump, according to court documents. In one video posted on Nov. 13, Manuel Tamayo-Torres threatened to shoot the former president while holding what appeared to be an AR-15 style rifle, authorities said Among the other videos he posted was one from an arena in Glendale, Arizona on Aug. 23, the same day Trump held a campaign rally there, according to court papers. An attorney for Tamayo-Torres did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Public figures across the political spectrum have been targeted in recent years by hoax bomb threats and false reports of shootings at their homes. About a year ago the FBI responded to an uptick in such incidents at the homes of public officials, state capitols and courthouses across the country around the holidays. Many were locked down and evacuated in early January after receiving bomb threats. No explosives were found and no one was hurt. Some of those targeted last year were Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. In Wu’s case, a male caller told police he had shot his own wife and tied another man up. When police and EMT responders arrived at the address given by the caller, they quickly realized it was the Boston mayor’s home. Wu, a Democrat, has also been targeted by many swatting calls since she took office in 2021. The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against Trump in New York and the criminal election interference case against him in Washington were both targeted earlier this year. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who recently abandoned the two criminal cases he brought against Trump, was also the subject of a fake emergency call on Christmas Day last year. Earlier this year, schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials in Springfield, Ohio, received a string of hoax bomb threats after Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs. And in 2022, a slew of historically Black colleges and universities nationwide were targeted with dozens of bomb threats, with the vast majority arriving during the celebration of Black History Month. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday that anytime a member of Congress is the victim of a swatting' incident, “we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners.” The force declined to provide further details, in part to “minimize the risk of copy-cats.” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats “dangerous and unhinged.” “This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump," he wrote on X . “Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats.” He added: “It is not who we are in America.” ___ Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Eric Tucker in Washington, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this report.

PRESS RELEASE Arcueil, December 9, 2024 Declaration of transactions on own shares conducted from December 2 to December 6, 2024 Within the framework of the authorizations granted by the General Assembly on February 9, 2024, to operate on its shares and in accordance with the regulations related to share buybacks, Aramis Group hereby declares the following purchases of own shares (FR0014003U94) made from December 2 to December 6, 2024 (excluding the liquidity contract): *** About Aramis Group - www.aramis.group Aramis Group is the European leader for B2C online used car sales and operates in six countries. A fast-growing group, an e-commerce expert and a vehicle refurbishing pioneer, Aramis Group takes action each day for more sustainable mobility with an offering that is part of the circular economy. Founded in 2001, it has been revolutionizing its market for over 20 years, focused on ensuring the satisfaction of its customers and capitalizing on digital technology and employee engagement to create value for all its stakeholders. With annual revenues of more than €2 billion, Aramis Group sells more than 110,000 vehicles B2C and welcomes close to 70 million visitors across all its digital platforms each year. The Group employs more than 2,400 people and has eight industrial-scale refurbishing centers throughout Europe. Aramis Group is listed on Euronext Paris Compartment B (Ticker: ARAMI - ISIN: FR0014003U94). Investor contact Alexandre Leroy Head of Investor Relations, Financing and Cash Management [email protected] +33 (0)6 58 80 50 24 Attachment Press release - ARAMIS GROUP - Declaration of transactions on own shares conducted from Dec 2 to Dec 6, 2024Moore scores 20 as Norfolk State beats Grambling 76-70The 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.”No. 2 UConn falls again in Maui, losing 73-72 to Colorado on Jakimovski's off-balance layup

Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and RussiaNEW YORK (AP) — A number of President-elect Donald Trump 's most prominent Cabinet picks and appointees have been targeted by bomb threats and “swatting attacks," Trump's transition team said Wednesday. The FBI said it was investigating. “Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them," Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks ranged from bomb threats to swatting, in which attackers initiate an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretenses. The tactic has become a popular one in recent years. Leavitt said law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted and Trump and his transition team are grateful. Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations ; Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general ; and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Law enforcement officials are also looking into whether Susie Wiles, Trump’s incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz’s replacement, and other incoming administration officials were also victims — as well as how each was targeted, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity as the investigation continues. Wiles and Bondi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI said in a statement that it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees" and was investigating with its law enforcement partners. The FBI added: "We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma said President Joe Biden had been briefed and the White House is in touch with federal law enforcement and Trump's transition team. Biden “continues to monitor the situation closely," Sharma said, adding the president and his administration “condemn threats of political violence.” Stefanik's office said that, on Wednesday morning, she, her husband, and their 3-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. Her office said “New York State, County law enforcement, and U.S. Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism.” The New York State Police said a team was dispatched to sweep Stefanik’s home on Wednesday morning in response to the bomb threat but did not locate any explosive devices. The agency directed further questions to the FBI. Zeldin said in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened. “A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” he wrote on X . “My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops.” Police in Suffolk County, Long Island, said emergency officers responded to a bomb threat Wednesday morning at an address listed in public records as Zeldin’s home and were checking the property. In Florida, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former Congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area" around 9 a.m. Wednesday. While a family member resides at the address, the office said, Gaetz “is NOT a resident.” No threatening devices were found. Gaetz was Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration after allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by disturbing and unprecedented violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Trump's West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a perimeter fence while Trump was golfing. Trump was also the subject of an Iranian murder-for-hire plot , with a man saying he had been tasked with planning the assassination of the Republican president-elect. Also this week, authorities arrested a man they say posted videos on social media threatening to kill Trump, according to court documents. In one video posted on Nov. 13, Manuel Tamayo-Torres threatened to shoot the former president while holding what appeared to be an AR-15 style rifle, authorities said Among the other videos he posted was one from an arena in Glendale, Arizona on Aug. 23, the same day Trump held a campaign rally there, according to court papers. An attorney for Tamayo-Torres did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Public figures across the political spectrum have been targeted in recent years by hoax bomb threats and false reports of shootings at their homes. About a year ago the FBI responded to an uptick in such incidents at the homes of public officials, state capitols and courthouses across the country around the holidays. Many were locked down and evacuated in early January after receiving bomb threats. No explosives were found and no one was hurt. Some of those targeted last year were Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. In Wu’s case, a male caller told police he had shot his own wife and tied another man up. When police and EMT responders arrived at the address given by the caller, they quickly realized it was the Boston mayor’s home. Wu, a Democrat, has also been targeted by many swatting calls since she took office in 2021. The judges overseeing the civil fraud case against Trump in New York and the criminal election interference case against him in Washington were both targeted earlier this year. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who recently abandoned the two criminal cases he brought against Trump, was also the subject of a fake emergency call on Christmas Day last year. Earlier this year, schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials in Springfield, Ohio, received a string of hoax bomb threats after Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs. And in 2022, a slew of historically Black colleges and universities nationwide were targeted with dozens of bomb threats, with the vast majority arriving during the celebration of Black History Month. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Wednesday that anytime a member of Congress is the victim of a swatting' incident, “we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners.” The force declined to provide further details, in part to “minimize the risk of copy-cats.” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson called the threats “dangerous and unhinged.” “This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump," he wrote on X . “Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats.” He added: “It is not who we are in America.” ___ Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Eric Tucker in Washington, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this report.Moore scores 20 as Norfolk State beats Grambling 76-70

GigaCloud technology CTO Wan Xin sells $1.77 million in sharesA senior White House official on Thursday said nuclear-armed Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missile capabilities that eventually could allow it to strike targets well beyond South Asia, making it an "emerging threat" to the United States. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer's surprise revelation underscored how far the once-close ties between Washington and Islamabad have deteriorated since the 2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App It also raised questions about whether Pakistan has shifted the objectives of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs long intended to counter those of India, the victor in three major wars they have fought since 1947. Speaking to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Finer said Pakistan has pursued "increasingly sophisticated missile technology, from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment, that would enable the testing of significantly larger rocket motors." If those trends continue, Finer said, "Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States." The number of nuclear-armed states with missiles that can reach the U.S. homeland "is very small and they tend to be adversarial," he continued, naming Russia, North Korea and China. "So, candidly, it's hard for us to see Pakistan's actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States," Finer said. His speech came a day after Washington announced a new round of sanctions related to Pakistan's ballistic missile development program, including against the state-run defense agency that oversees the program. The Pakistani embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Islamabad casts its long-range ballistic missile program as a deterrent against Indian aggression and intended to maintain regional stability. Finer included himself among senior U.S. officials who he said repeatedly have raised concerns about the program with top Pakistani officials. Washington and Islamabad, he noted, had been "long-time partners" on development, counterterrorism and security. "That makes us question even more why Pakistan will be motivated to develop a capability that could be used against us." Pakistan conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1998 - more than 20 years after India's first test blast - becoming the seventh country to do so. It also has built an extensive arsenal of ballistic missiles capable of lofting nuclear warheads. The Bulletin of the American Scientists research organization estimates that Pakistan has a stockpile of about 170 warheads. Read more of the latest international headlines U.S.-Pakistani relations have undergone major ups and downs, including close Cold War ties that saw them support Afghan rebels against the 1979-89 Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Pakistan also was a key partner in the U.S. fight against al Qaeda following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, and has been a major non-NATO ally since 2004. But ties also have been hurt by coups staged by the Pakistani military, its support for the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule and its nuclear weapons program. Several experts said Finer's speech came as a major surprise. "For a senior U.S. official to publicly link concerns about proliferation in Pakistan to a future direct threat to the U.S. homeland - this is a mighty dramatic development," said Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center think tank. Elizabeth Threlkeld of the Stimson Center think tank, said Finer's speech showed that Pakistani officials had failed to reassure Washington about the aims of their missile and nuclear weapons programs and that U.S. concerns are mounting.

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Old oil palms are not as productive as young ones, as the old stock tends to be of a taller variety, harder to reach for the fruit harvesters. — Bernama file photo I AM happy to know that there exists an Incorporated Society of Planters (ISP) in Sarawak. It has a branch headed by Mr Ling Chia Yi ( The Borneo Post – Dec 3, 2024). Hello! I am not sure if this is the same society formed by the rubber planters in Malaya during the colonial days. Whatever it is, this kind of organisation is good for the plantation managers in the state. Many oil palm plantations have been established here in the past 50 years. This society of planters serves as a club where members may meet and relax and talk about other problems connected with the plantation industry, as well as the current affairs. One difficult problem faced by the oil palm industry in Sarawak is the shortage of labour. There are plenty of fresh fruits growing on the palms, but harvesters are few. That has been a blight on the industry. Perhaps, the leaders of ISP Central branch may, if they have not done so, get together with the various organisations such as the Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (Soppoa). As a larger grouping, they can make strong representations to the federal government, urging it to help devise a scheme by which foreign labourers could be recruited for the industry on a regular basis. When you are talking about replanting, you still need enough workers to cut down the old trees and plant new ones. True-blue planters will tell you which trees ought to go. Old oil palms are not as productive as young ones. The old stock tends to be of a taller variety, harder to reach for the fruit harvesters. Things will improve once more mechanical harvesters, such as the ‘Lipan’, are available cheaply. Not next year, not the next harvesting season for most plantations in this part of the world, considering the type of terrain in this state. Yes, it is true that the edible oils market is good. More palm oil and its derivatives are required by many countries other than China and India. The BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are the founding members of this inter-governmental bloc) are potential buyers of our products as long as we keep producing the oil according to the international quality standards set by the Roundtable Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and our own Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO). Other edible oils will always be there to compete with our product, but buyers know what is better for them. My locus standi for this account of the plantation industry is minimal. I learned the basics of plantation management from the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Felcra) and BAL Estate in Tawau in the early 1970s. It was in Tawau that I learned that the land in Sabah and Sarawak would be suitable for the planting of the palms on a large scale. Come to think of it: what the managers at BAL were telling me made sense. Apparently, they were up to date in terms of the latest information on the trade in edible oils in the world: China and India, potential big buyers of our palm oil. “Money on these trees, Sidi,” said veteran planter Mr Walker, pointing to the young palms at the nursery ready for field planting. These gave me ideas: what to do with Native Customary Rights (NCR) land in Sarawak? Another story, 15 years in Lubok Antu; another article, God-willing. ‘Rubber, cocoa, rice’ It appears that there has been a revival of interest among the people in authority in terms of rehabilitating the rubber plantations in Malaysia. They are talking about doing something about rubber trees that have remained untapped for a long time. It is said that there are about 47,000 hectares of land planted with rubber trees that have not been tapped regularly, according to the Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang. And now, ‘RisSmart24’. What’s that? The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) has all sorts of ideas by which the rubber industry may be revived. One new initiative is called the ‘RisSMart24’. I would like to see how the scheme will work in Sarawak. Two areas in the state have been earmarked for this scheme – one in Betong, and the other in Samarahan. As of today, I have not been able to get details of the scheme. Who among the owners of the trees, which need to be rehabilitated, are eligible for assistance? Whether or not trees planted on NCR land are eligible for rehabilitation? I wish the authorities would organise a series of talks on the scheme as soon as possible for those interested in it. What about the rubber trees planted under the settlement schemes at Triboh, Melugu, Skrang, Meradong, Sebintek, Lambir and Lubai Tengah? Are they qualified for assistance under this scheme? I used to visit them when I was Secretary of the Sarawak Land Development Board in 1972. I do not know about the condition of the trees now; I hear that parts of the rubber land are now under palms. I won’t be surprised, given the attractive lure of the golden crop. Whatever crops – rubber, or cocoa, or rice, or oil palm – planted on a large scale in this country, aiming for the world market, will face difficulties if there are not enough workers. The rubber tappers are old; the village youngsters are away working in the cities. The rice planters are getting old; the young ones in the village or longhouses will not work in the sun. You need workers from outside, like it or not, and we require them badly. If the government has no new concrete plan for recruiting foreign workers, the planters in the country cannot do much on their own. Perhaps, this is where members of the local branch of ISP could assist in lobbying the federal government for the recruitment of foreign workers. And do not forget to consult the Sarawak government in respect of matters relating to workers entering and working in the state. Give them ideas that the state should have its own agency for the recruitment of foreign workers, and a proper system for registering and monitoring them. You can do all sorts of things with artificial intelligence (AI), but you cannot grow a crop on a computer. That needs human hands – lots of them! * The opinions expressed in this article are the columnist’s own and do not reflect the view of the newspaper.PESHAWAR: The Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi has convened an All Parties Conference (APC) on law and order situation in the province in December. The APC would be held at Governor’s House Peshawar next month wherein all political parties of the province would be invited to it, said the KP Governor in a video message issued to media on Thursday. In his message, the Governor KP has said that since assuming his office, he has expressed concerns over bad security situation in the province. In this connection, he said that he had also written a letter to the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and held a meeting with the President Asif Ali Zardari. However, the attitude of the provincial government in this regard is irresponsible as they are utilizing all their energies marching on Islamabad and staging rallies and public meetings for the release of their Chairman Imran Khan and has handed over their province to terrorists. Faisal Karim Kundi said that the provincial government has failed in provision of protection to the lives and properties of the people. Therefore, he said they have decided to convene an APC in the province. In this proposed APC, the leadership of all political parties of the province would be invited to discuss law and order situation and issues relating to the resources of the province and present an argument based case of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before the federal government. He said that now-a-days daily based attacks are carried out against the military and Frontier Corps, police personnel and civilians while the provincial government has adopted a criminal silence over this lawlessness, which is a question mark. Furthermore, he said that neither any meeting of the provincial cabinet nor the provincial assembly has been convened over the issue. Therefore, he said he has come to the conclusion of uniting the political forces of the province on these issues and search out solution to them by ourselves. He said that the provincial leadership of all political parties and their leaders would be invited to the APC and will also invite the Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in his capacity as provincial president of PTI to present his stance. The acceptance of invitation and participation in the event would be a good gesture. In his video message, the Governor Faisal Kundi has further recalled that the KP Chief Minister was used to call for the withdrawal of military personnel from the province and holding of negotiations with Afghanistan. He said that if military withdraws from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa then he does not know that they will combat terrorists. He said that he is proud of KP Police, but it doesn’t have the resources like Pakistan Army. In case of the withdrawal of military we will not in a position to control them. Copyright Business Recorder, 20246 arrested, 6 sought after smash-and-grab jewelry store heist in Ontario

As part of a national “moonshot” to cure blindness, researchers at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus will receive as much as $46 million in federal funding over the next five years to pursue a first-of-its-kind full eye transplantation. “This is no easy undertaking, but I believe we can achieve this together,” said Dr. Kia Washington, the lead researcher for the University of Colorado-led team, during a press conference Monday. “And in fact I’ve never been more hopeful that a cure for blindness is within reach.” The CU team was one of four in the United States that received funding awards from the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health , or ARPA-H. The CU-based group will focus on achieving the first-ever vision-restoring eye transplant by using “novel stem cell and bioelectronic technologies,” according to a news release announcing the funding. The work will be interdisciplinary, Washington and others said, and will link together researchers at institutions across the country. The four teams that received the funding will work alongside each other on distinct approaches, though officials said the teams would likely collaborate and eventually may merge depending on which research avenues show the most promise toward achieving the ultimate goal of transplanting an eye and curing blindness. Dr. Calvin Roberts, who will oversee the broader project for ARPA-H, said the agency wanted to take multiple “shots on goal” to ensure progress. “In the broader picture, achieving this would be probably the most monumental task in medicine within the last several decades,” said Dr. Daniel Pelaez of the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, which also received ARPA-H funding. Pelaez is the lead investigator for that team, which has pursued new procedures to successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors, amid other research. He told The Denver Post that only four organ systems have not been successfully transplanted: the inner ear, the brain, the spinal cord and the eye. All four are part of the central nervous system, which does not repair itself when damaged. If researchers can successfully transplant the human eye and restore vision to the patient, it might help unlock deeper discoveries about repairing damage to the brain and spine, Pelaez said, as well as addressing hearing loss. To succeed, researchers must successfully remove and preserve eyes from donors and then successfully connect and repair the optical nerve, which takes information from the eye and tells the brain what the eye sees. A team at New York University performed a full eye transplant on a human patient in November 2023, though the procedure — while a “remarkable achievement,” Pelaez said — did not restore the patient’s vision. It was also part of a partial face transplant; other approaches pursued via the ARPA-H funding will involve eye-specific transplants. Washington, the lead CU researcher, said she and her colleagues have already completed the eye transplant procedure — albeit without vision restoration — in rats. The CU team will next work on large animals to advance “optic nerve regenerative strategies,” the school said, as well as to study immunosuppression, which is critical to ensuring that patients’ immune systems don’t reject a donated organ. The goal is to eventually advance to human trials. Pelaez and his colleagues have completed their eye-removal procedure in cadavers, he said, and they’ve also studied regeneration in several animals that are capable of regenerating parts of their eyes, like salamanders or zebra fish. His team’s funding will focus in part on a life-support machine for the eye to keep it healthy and viable during the removal process. InGel Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based Harvard spinoff and the lead of a third team, will pursue research on 3-D printed technology and “micro-tunneled scaffolds” that carry certain types of stem cells as part of a focus on optical nerve regeneration and repair, ARPA-H said. ARPH-A, created two years ago, will oversee the teams’ work. Researchers at 52 institutions nationwide will also contribute to the teams. The CU-led group will include researchers from the University of Southern California, the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University, as well as from the National Eye Institute . The teams will simultaneously compete and collaborate: Pelaez said his team has communicated with researchers at CU and at Stanford, another award recipient, about their eye-removal research. The total funding available for the teams is $125 million, ARPA-H officials said Monday, and it will be distributed in phases, in part dependent on teams’ success. U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat who represents Denver in Congress, acknowledged the recent election results at the press conference Monday and pledged to continue fighting to preserve ARPA-H’s funding under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. The effort to cure blindness, Washington joked, was “biblical” in its enormity — a reference to the Bible story in which Jesus cures a blind man. She and others also likened it to a moonshot, meaning the effort to successfully put Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon nearly 50 years ago. If curing blindness is similar to landing on the moon, then the space shuttle has already left the launchpad, Washington said. “We have launched,” she said, “and we are on our trajectory.”Schrock: U.S. ranks low in public science literacy

The proposed auto-enrolment pensions plan has been labelled a "waste of resources" by a former actuary. The Department of Social Protection' retirement savings scheme for employees is set to be implemented on September 30th next year. Under auto- enrolment , all employed workers who are not already in a pension scheme will be automa tically enrolled in the new national scheme. Employees, employers and the State will all pay a certain amount into an employee's pension fund. A new public body - the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority - will oversee the administration of the new scheme. Employees can opt out of the scheme after six months if they wish. Former actuary and past president of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland Colm Fagan, however, has described the pensions plan as a "waste of resources". On The Pat Kenny Show , Mr Fagan claimed two aspects of the plan would be very costly to the State. "One is the total contributions being paid by employees, employers and the State," he said. "That would be €20 billion in the first 10 years of the scheme and then it would be €4 billion a year after that." "It’s incomprehensible that they’ve agreed to go into this without any consideration of whether they’re getting good value for money ." Mr Fagan said Ireland's auto-enrolment plan is modelled off the UK's National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) scheme. "I n the NEST scheme, there is between a quarter and a third of the people who leave every year. "If we have the same experience as the NEST scheme, of the 80 0,000 people who join, only 30,000 of them will still be there after 10 years." Mr Fagan is calling for the Economic Social Research Institute (ESRI) to assess Ireland's proposed auto-enrolment scheme before it is enacted next year. "All I'm saying is we should have the ESRI go through it with a fine-tooth comb," he said. You can listen back here: Feature image: Bank notes, coins and a calculator are laid out on a surface, Alamy.

Éric Duhaime is hospitalized after suffering heart attack

jili 99 AP News Summary at 5:51 p.m. ESTMichigan upsets No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 for Wolverines' 4th straight win over bitter rival COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left and Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10, likely ending the Buckeyes’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game next week. Late in the game, Kalel Mullings broke away for a 27-yard run, setting up the Wolverines at Ohio State’s 17-yard line with two minutes remaining. The drive stalled at the 3, and Zvada came on for the chip shot. Ohio State got the ball back but couldn’t move it, with Will Howard throwing incomplete on fourth down to seal the Wolverines’ fourth straight win over their bitter rival. Sellers' 20-yard TD run with 1:08 to go lifts No. 16 South Carolina to 17-14 win over No. 12 Clemson CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — LaNorris Sellers' 20-yard TD run with 1:08 to play lifted No. 16 South Carolina to a 17-14 victory over No. 12 Clemson. The Gamecocks won their sixth straight game, including four over ranked opponents, and may have played themselves into the College Football Playoff's 12-team field. They wouldn't have done it without Sellers, who spun away from a defender in the backfield, broke through the line and cut left on his way to the winning score. Sellers rushed for 166 yards and threw for 164 in South Carolina's second straight win at Clemson. Mikaela Shiffrin is alert and being evaluated after crashing in final run of World Cup giant slalom KILLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — American ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin is alert and being evaluated for injuries after crashing in her second run of a World Cup giant slalom race. Shiffrin was going for her 100th World Cup win when she crashed, did a flip and slid into the protective fencing. She stayed down on the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. The 29-year-old was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd. The U.S. Ski Team said she was taken to a medical clinic for evaluation. Shiffrin was leading after the first run of the GS. Reigning Olympic champion Sara Hector of Sweden won. Andrew Luck returns to Stanford as the GM of the football program STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford in hopes of turning around a struggling football program that he once helped become a national power. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced that Luck has been hired as the general manager of the Stanford football team and tasked with overseeing all aspects of the program that just finished its fourth straight 3-9 season. Luck will work with coach Troy Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with athletic department and university leadership on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience. Luck has kept a low profile since his surprise retirement from the NFL at age 29 in 2019. Saka stars in Arsenal rout at West Ham as Van Nistelrooy watches new team Leicester lose Arsenal was inspired by Bukayo Saka in scoring five goals in a wild first half before settling for a 5-2 win over West Ham that lifted the team into second place in the Premier League. Arsenal is attempting to chase down Liverpool and is now six points behind the leader. Saka was one of five different scorers for Arsenal at the Olympic Stadium and also had a hand in three goals, by Gabriel, Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard. Ruud van Nistelrooy witnessed at first hand the scale of his task to keep Leicester in the league. Leicester was beaten at Brentford 4-1 in front of Van Nistelrooy, who watched from the stands after being hired on Friday. US and England women draw 0-0 in Emma Hayes' homecoming LONDON (AP) — Emma Hayes witnessed a dominant display from her players at a packed Wembley stadium, but the U.S. coach could not taste victory on her return to England. Hayes, who led the U.S. women team to the Olympic gold medal this summer after winning 14 major trophies at Chelsea, came back to her home country on Saturday for a friendly against England. The U.S had the best chances but the game ended in a goalless draw. Jared Porter acknowledges he sent inappropriate text message to reporter, leading Mets to fire him Jared Porter acknowledged he sent an inappropriate text message to a reporter while he was a Chicago Cubs executive in 2016, which led to the New York Mets firing him as general manager in 2021 after just 38 days. Porter made his first public comments on his firing during an episode of the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast released Friday. Porter was hired by the Mets on Dec. 13, 2020, and fired on Jan. 19, 2021, about nine hours after an ESPN report detailing that he sent sexually explicit, uninvited text messages and images to a female reporter. Norris defies orders and gives Piastri the Qatar sprint while Verstappen takes pole LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lando Norris ignored team orders as he handed his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri the win the sprint race at the Qatar Grand Prix in a one-two finish for the team. Norris started on pole position and kept the lead at the start as Piastri squeezed past the Mercedes of George Russell for second. Norris gave the lead to Piastri with the finish line in sight, paying back Piastri for gifting him a win in a sprint race in Brazil when Norris was still fighting Max Verstappen for the drivers’ title. Champion Max Verstappen secured pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Face facts: Statues of stars like Kane and Ronaldo don't always deliver. Sculptors offer advice LONDON (AP) — One art critic compared the new Harry Kane bronze statue to a bulging-jawed comic strip character. The infamous Cristiano Ronaldo bust in 2017 gave the chiseled soccer star a chubby face and goofy smile. Sculptors are offering tips to avoid pitfalls. London-based Hywel Pratley says sculptors must first get the subject's profile correct “and then you can go forward with more confidence.” Probably best to avoid smiles, Pratley adds because it's “really difficult to do teeth looking good in sculpture." London-based sculptural conservator Lucy Branch suggests an open vote because the public tends "to know whether the artist has hit the nail on the head.” Colorado State advances to MW volleyball final and will take the court against San Jose State LAS VEGAS (AP) — Colorado State coach Emily Kohan said her team will take the floor against San Jose State in the Mountain West volleyball championship rather than become the latest team to forfeit to the Spartans. The top-seeded Rams advanced to the tournament final on Friday by beating San Diego State 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-23. An automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Tournament is on the line in Saturday’s final. Several schools have forfeited to San Jose State this season. In a lawsuit recently filed by players from various schools against the conference and San Jose State officials, plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State team.

Scottie Barnes is back. Barnes was inserted into the Toronto Raptors starting lineup ahead of tonight's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He broke his right orbital bone in the fourth quarter of Toronto's 121-119 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 4. Barnes was expected to be out at least three weeks with the injury but came back slightly ahead of schedule. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic would not say who would be moved to the bench to make space for Barnes. The 23-year-old all-star forward was averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and six assists per game before the injury. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.NORAD's Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kidsIonOpticks’ Custom Chromatography Column to Become Biognosys’ Standard for High-Quality Proteomic Insights

Urban development issues discussed in Baku within framework of COP29 (PHOTO)Transportation Management System Market Size, Share, Emerging Trends, Technologies, Top Countries Data, Opportunities and Forecast 2029

WORTHINGTON — In a battle of winless teams Tuesday night, Worthington High School came out on top over Albert Lea in a 66-53 battle. The Trojans won despite foul trouble throughout the game that saw two starters foul out in the second half. They still managed to build a double-digit lead over the Tigers through most of the game. Head coach CJ Nelson knew it was a needed win for his Trojans early in the year. ADVERTISEMENT “It was much needed,” said the second-year coach. “We've played some tough teams to start the year, so coming out here and having a chance to compete against someone that's at our level and to come out ahead is really exciting for our girls.” The first six minutes of the first half were back and forth with WHS opening up a small lead. The Trojan defense got three steals during that stretch that led to fast-break layups. Off six quick points from senior point guard Grace Barber, they led 11-7 before Albert Lea grabbed its first lead with an 8-1 run. An and-one layup from senior Jayden Spartz tied the game at 15 and then a trey from Madison Sieve later gave WHS a 19-18 lead with under 10:30 left. The Trojans wouldn’t give up the lead for the rest of the game. Spartz then began to take over. Speed and toughness helped her keep driving to the basket and drawing fouls to get to the line. She also hit two 3-pointers in the first half and scored 19 points, including a stretch of 13 in a row to push the Trojans’ lead past double digits with under 3:30 left. By halftime the Trojans held a 15-point lead with the score 38-23. “At the beginning of the game, I thought we ran our offense a little bit, and then all of a sudden, we kind of started to get away with it and really just kind of started forcing shots right away,” Nelson said. “So we just have to continue on working, to be patient and trust that if we move the ball, we're going to get a better look and trust that we need to get it back.” The Trojans kept stretching their lead into the second half, eventually reaching 20 points on an Alaina Feit putback and two Saige Scheepstra mid-range shots. But with under 10 minutes to go, both Fiet and Spartz had fouled out of the game and Albert Lea was starting to inch its way back. ADVERTISEMENT The Trojans needed to step up without two starters and the Tigers gaining momentum. After Albert Lea cut it to 13, Barber answered with a deep 3-pointer. While the Tigers did get within 11 with under five to play, they didn’t get any closer, as Worthington ran out the clock and hit free throws to ice the game in the end. “We have some big-time players that step up for us that are younger,” Nelson said. “Grace Bates played a long time with four fouls and guarding their best player, she did a nice job, I thought, overall. Even Emma Hietbrink stepping in as a freshman, who doesn't have a whole lot of varsity experience, she played a lot of minutes in the second half, and Paula (Dykstra) in the first half stepped in and took care of us when we got into a little bit of foul trouble. So it's, you know, again, it's going to be a group effort for a lot of different things.” Spartz finished with a game-high 23 points and hit nine free throws. Barber and Scheepstra each also scored in double figures for Worthington with Barber scoring 15 points and Scheepstra adding 11. Feit chipped in eight points, Sieve had six and Bates had three. Albert Lea’s leading scorer was Aliyah Heideman with 20 points and Nevaeh Wacholz added another 19. The Trojans (1-3) will be back on the court Saturday against an always-tough Southwest Minnesota Christian squad. But facing top competition is nothing new for WHS, with its first three opponents currently combining for a 7-2 record so far. SWC won its first game by 31 points Tuesday. “We have some really tough teams that we play being a AAA school,” Nelson said. “We're going to have some tough competition all year where we're going to struggle against some teams. But we're going to have games like (Tuesday) and these are the important ones, you know, these are the ones that we get to compete and we get to showcase our skills. So it's important when we have days like this that we come ready to play and again, we continue to be a team and ultimately we stick together throughout this whole year together.” Tigers 23 30 — 53 ADVERTISEMENT Trojans 38 28 — 66