taya 777 casino login PORTLAND, Maine — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes for one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy — seafood — and some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they are concerned Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive for consumers. Conservationists also worry Trump’s emphasis on government deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks that are already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood-processing industries said they are excited for Trump’s second presidency. They said they expect he’ll allow fishing in protected areas as he did in his first presidency, crack down on offshore wind expansion and cut back regulations they describe as burdensome. They expect a marked shift from the administration of President Joe Biden, who prioritized ocean conservation and championed wind power from the start. The seafood industry isn’t hungry for another tariff war, which hurt fishermen during Trump’s first term, said Beth Casoni, executive director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association. But she said the new Trump administration has a unique chance to throw its support behind U.S. fishermen. “I think we should be focused on feeding Americans,” Casoni said. “The ‘America First’ administration I think will make that point loud and clear. Know where your food is coming from.” But the seafood industry, which is international in nature, could be seriously disrupted if Trump goes through with a plan to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada, said John Sackton, a longtime industry analyst and founder of Seafood News. Canada is the largest seafood market for the U.S. for both imports and exports, and nearly a sixth of the seafood imported by the U.S. is from its northern neighbor, according to federal statistics published in November. In total, about 80% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. Losing Canada — an especially important buyer of American lobster — as a market for U.S. seafood could cause prices for fishermen to collapse, Sackton said. And some products could become unavailable while others become more expensive and still others oversupplied, he said. He described the seafood industry as “interdependent on both sides of the border.” In Canada, members of the country’s seafood industry are watching closely to see what changes Trump ushers in, said Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “A potential trade war will cost everyone more (in Canada and the U.S.) and cause damage to the seafood section in Canada and the United States,” Irvine said via email. “We are working with allies in Canada and the U.S. to send this message to all governments.” One of the major changes for fishermen under a new Trump administration is that they can expect to have a seat at the table when high-level decisions get made, representatives for several commercial fishing groups said. Last time around, Trump sat down with fishermen and listened to their concerns about loss of fishing rights in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a nearly 5,000-square mile protected area off New England, said Robert Vanasse, executive director of industry advocate Saving Seafood. That goodwill is likely to carry over into Trump’s new presidency. And the industry feels it already scored a win with election of a president who is an outspoken critic of offshore wind power, said Drew Minkiewicz, an attorney who represents the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based Sustainable Scalloping Fund. Fishermen of valuable seafoods such as scallops and lobsters long opposed offshore wind development because of concerns wind power will disrupt prime fishing grounds. “There is excitement in the industry that offshore wind will basically be contained to its existing footprint and nothing beyond that,” Minkiewicz said. Others in the industry said they’re concerned about how Trump will handle the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that regulates fisheries. The undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, who is currently the Biden-appointed Rick Spinrad, will be one of Trump’s key appointees. Trump went through three different administrators at the post during his first term of office. The industry recently suffered major crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and trade hostilities with Russia, another major trading partner, and isn’t in a position to withstand unstable leadership, said Noah Oppenheim, coordinator for Fishing Communities Coalition, which represents small-scale commercial fishing groups. “The Fishing Communities Coalition is always deeply concerned that any administration’s shifts away from a fishery management focus on conservation and accountability will do serious lasting damage to the industry,” Oppenheim said. Conservation groups who pushed for stricter vessel speed rules and new fishing standards, such as new gear that is less likely to harm whales, said they’re also waiting to see the direction Trump takes fisheries and ocean policy. They said they’re hopeful progress made under Biden can withstand a second Trump presidency. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Hoops star Nurse joins Athletes Unlimited aiming to rebound from ‘rocky’ two years TORONTO — Everything changed for Kia Nurse when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in the 2021 WNBA playoffs. The basketball star from Hamilton was locked in as starter for a team in the semifinals. Myles Dichter, The Canadian Press Nov 22, 2024 1:37 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Everything changed for Kia Nurse when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in the 2021 WNBA playoffs. Nurse, of Canada, plays against France in a women's basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 29, 2024, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mark J. Terrill TORONTO — Everything changed for Kia Nurse when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in the 2021 WNBA playoffs. The basketball star from Hamilton was locked in as starter for a team in the semifinals. She’d been selected as an all-star just two years prior. But in one awkward fall three years ago, she was plunged into the depths of surgery and rehab. Nurse would miss the entire 2022 season due to the injury. She signed with the Seattle Storm for the 2023 campaign before a trade landed her with the Los Angeles Sparks last season. Meanwhile, Nurse represented Canada at the Paris Olympics in August, but she struggled as the team failed to reach the knockout round for the second straight time. The common thread throughout Nurse’s recent basketball journey? She just hasn’t quite felt like herself. “I still love basketball with all of my heart, and it's my favourite thing that I get to do. And I'm so privileged to be able to say that I get to do it as a job,” Nurse said. "But the last two years for me have been just really rocky, up and down.” Nurse, 28, will become a WNBA free agent as of Feb. 1. For now, she’s continuing her Raptors broadcast work with TSN and, on Monday, announced a new playing gig. In February, Nurse will join fellow WNBAers Alysha Clark and Sydney Colson among 37 others for Athletes Unlimited’s third basketball season in Nashville. Athletes Unlimited was founded as a women’s professional softball league in 2020 before expanding to basketball, volleyball and lacrosse. Its 24-game hoops campaign switches teams weekly and concludes by crowning a season-long individual champion. Players earn points through a fantasy-style system that rewards team successes like wins as well as individual accomplishments from made three-pointers to steals to drawn fouls. Outside of the unique scoring system, the game looks like traditional basketball — a major appeal to Nurse as she attempts to tap back into her roots. “I am not proud of my performance at the Olympics and not necessarily proud of how I’ve been playing over the last two years. I just have goals of finding my true love of the game and kind of coming back and being stronger physically, being more fit and just ultimately having a good year,” Nurse said. When Nurse’s career began in 2018, many WNBA players would ply their trade overseas during the off-season as a way of staying in shape and making additional money. But over the past half-decade — and perhaps expedited by Brittney Griner’s 2022 detainment in Russia — more options have emerged stateside, including Athletes Unlimited. “The (WNBA) now has a lot of the teams that have practice facilities, so they have full-time player development, practice-facility access and that's a big piece as well. But now ultimately we have these leagues at home like AU,” Nurse said. Athletes Unlimited will not be the only professional women’s basketball operation in North America this winter. A three-on-three league called Unrivaled, founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, will tip off in January in Miami. Nurse said Unrivaled was an option for her, but she preferred Athletes Unlimited. “I wanted a place where I'm happy with basketball again, really happy with myself and how I'm playing and a having a little more confidence boost from what I've had over these last two years. And I feel like AU, for me, that five-on-five setting was a big piece of it,” Nurse said. The timing of the Athletes Unlimited schedule — deep enough into the WNBA off-season but with enough leeway to fine tune things before the 2025 campaign begins — also stood out to Nurse. Ahead of AU, Nurse said she moved her training from Toronto to Hamilton, where she could stay closer to home and avoid the long highway drives. And following two seasons in which Nurse’s WNBA teams suffered a combined 61 losses, she’s hoping to find a landing spot in free agency with a winning franchise. “I want to ... have an opportunity make a deep playoff run, be kind of like an X-Factor player, somebody who can go out there, be a three-and-D player, can help make winning plays,” she said. Nurse said she and fellow WNBA veteran Bridget Carleton have discussed what went wrong in Paris and how it can be fixed ahead of Los Angeles 2028. Management changes have already occurred with the retirement of GM Denise Dignard and a mutual parting with head coach Victor Lapena. The national team recently met up in Toronto for an informal training camp where Nurse and Carleton aimed to lay the groundwork for the culture they hope to create over the next four years. “Getting back to the basics and just enjoying playing for Canada Basketball, but also creating a really strong, bonded culture where everybody does what they need to do for our team to win," she said. "We understand our roles (and) we understand the commitment piece of it because now there's so much going on and people are all over the place." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. Myles Dichter, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National Sports Grant-Mentis scores twice as Victorie beat Charge in PWHL pre-season Nov 22, 2024 2:25 PM O’Shea stands by decision to keep playing Collaros after QB was hurt in Grey Cup Nov 22, 2024 2:23 PM Maple Leafs place Knies on injured reserve and add Alex Nylander on a one-year deal Nov 22, 2024 2:21 PM Featured FlyerBurt died over the weekend, the Crocosaurus Cove reptile aquarium in Darwin, Australia, said. He was at least 90 years old. “Known for his independent nature, Burt was a confirmed bachelor – an attitude he made clear during his earlier years at a crocodile farm,” Crocosaurus Cove wrote in social media posts. The aquarium added: “He wasn’t just a crocodile, he was a force of nature and a reminder of the power and majesty of these incredible creatures. While his personality could be challenging, it was also what made him so memorable and beloved by those who worked with him and the thousands who visited him over the years.” A saltwater crocodile, Burt was estimated to be more than 16 feet long. He was captured in the 1980s in the Reynolds River and became one of the most well-known crocodiles in the world, according to Crocosaurus Cove. The 1986 film stars Paul Hogan as the rugged crocodile hunter Mick Dundee. In the movie, American Sue Charlton, played by actress Linda Kozlowski, goes to fill her canteen in a watering hole when she is attacked by a crocodile before being saved by Dundee. Burt is briefly shown lunging out of the water. But the creature shown in more detail as Dundee saves the day is apparently something else. The Internet Movie Database says the film made a mistake by depicting an American alligator, which has a blunter snout. The Australian aquarium where Burt had lived since 2008 features a Cage of Death which it says is the nation’s only crocodile dive. It said it planned to honour Burt’s legacy with a commemorative sign “celebrating his extraordinary life and the stories and interactions he shared throughout his time at the park”.

There is no denying times have been tough for small and medium-sized businesses, and 2025 is not looking that much better . Gross domestic product per capita is continuing to decline in both Australia and New Zealand . Company liquidations are on the rise, hitting a ten-year high in New Zealand and nearing an 11-year high in Australia. And while consumer confidence has inched up , it’s still below the long-term average. But even in this tough economic climate, there are ways small and medium-sized businesses can improve their prospects in 2025. A fresh look at customers While it is tempting to chase all revenue in a downturn, it can come at a cost . This is particularly the case when businesses overextend resources, acquire less profitable customers or over-invest in marketing. Bad customers – those who don’t pay, don’t know what they want, are not loyal, constantly demand exceptions or who engage in aggressive or abusive behaviour – can kill profitability in a business. Small businesses can also lose money when emulating the marketing strategies of large firms, such as offering freebies or discounts . Rather than investing significant effort in finding new customers, businesses can benefit from retaining existing customers. Research on earlier economic crises found a 5% increase in customer retention produces more than a 25% increase in profit. Businesses need to better understand their most profitable customers — those who pay in full, on time and provide repeat business. This means asking questions such as: “what do these customers value and could we get more of them?” Indeed, businesses might first have to shrink by losing bad customers before becoming more profitable by targeting good ones . A fresh look at the competition Businesses also need to recognise they are not alone. Surviving 2025 might require a focus on collaboration rather than competition. Doing so could be the difference between closing and making it to 2026. Collaborating with another business could mean sharing costs or the opportunity to pitch for a larger project. These types of opportunities are easily dismissed when the economic climate is strong. But during an economic downturn, collaboration could mean the difference between surviving or not. Other competitors might be looking at winding down. Every business has some “crown jewels” — key assets, employees or customers. These jewels become greatly undervalued if the business is dissolved. Bluntly put, there might be a bargain or a great customer to secure from competitors who are on their way out. A fresh look at digitalisation Many businesses have delayed investments in technology as they try to weather the economic slowdown. This means there are often unrealised efficiency gains from digitalisation, or new sales channels , such as TikTok , Facebook and other social media platforms. Digitalisation helps small and medium-sized businesses to respond to crises, such as enabling cost savings and growth to increase chances of survival . Artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, has significant potential to help small businesses bridge gaps in content creation, insights and productivity. Although the Australian and New Zealand governments have begun supporting AI transition for small and medium-sized businesses, overall buy-in remains cautious. Half of small and medium enterprises in both countries have yet to adopt AI. So while AI holds the potential to level the playing field and drive productivity by equipping these businesses with tools and capabilities typically reserved for large firms, it may deepen the divide. Digitalisation can also increase flexibility and spark an entrepreneurial mindset. As employees of large companies return to the office in droves, some skilled and entrepreneurial employees seek opportunities to maintain the freedom of remote work . Hiring this talent creates a win-win: working for your business can help them to hone their skills, while their skills can yield a competitive edge for your business. These shifts can help businesses attract and keep talent, and reduce the need for physical assets. A fresh look at oneself How a business performs in a crisis is determined by the quality of its management. The value of good management is often underestimated. It lies in doing the basics well: setting clear goals, monitoring progress and encouraging performance. A crisis is the perfect time to take a fresh look at customers, competition and costs. Leaders need to examine what their blind spots are so the business doesn’t fall short at the management level. Personal success in business depends on achieving balance across work, home, community and self. What matters most to me? Where do I see the business in three years? Where do I see myself? Taking the time to think about these questions is vital — not just for your business, but for you.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have no plans to pitch prized prospect Andrew Painter in spring training games as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The 21-year-old Painter hurt his elbow during spring training in 2023 and had surgery that July 25 with Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Painter was the 13th overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and signed for a $3.9 million bonus. “He'll throw but not plan on pitching” in games, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday. “We're going to push the innings back.” Dombrowski said Painter will build up at some point in the minor leagues and could make his major league debut at some point in the summer. Painter made six starts and allowed four runs in the Arizona Fall League. He struck out 18 batters in 15 2/3 innings after he sat out each of the last two seasons. Painter sprinted through Philadelphia’s system in 2022, going 6-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 26 appearances spread across two Class A teams and Double-A Reading. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

NonePortland, Oregon, swears in new government and mayor who campaigned to end homelessness

( MENAFN - EIN Presswire) Global Solar Panel Recycling market to Breach $478.6 million by 2030 David Correa Allied Market Research +1 800-792-5285 email us here Visit us on social media: Facebook X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above. MENAFN23122024003118003196ID1109025633 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Jack Sawyer's Emotional Outburst After Michigan Brawl Captures AttentionNoneIran to meet with Germany, France, UK in nuclear talks

Ilona Maher is changing rugby forever – here’s why you should pay attention to herNoneNEW YORK — Stocks closed higher Dec. 23 at the start of a holiday-shortened week, with several big technology companies, including Nvidia and Broadcom, helping drive the gains. The S&P 500 rose 0.7 percent Monday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2 percent, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1 percent. Honda's U.S.-listed shares rose sharply after the company said it was in talks about a combination with Nissan in a deal that could also include Mitsubishi Motors. Eli Lilly cimbed after announcing that regulators approved Zepbound as the first prescription medicine for adults with sleep apnea. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market's path ahead and shifting economic policies under incoming President Donald Trump. "Put simply, much of the strong market performance prior to last week was driven by expectations that a best-case scenario was the base case for 2025," said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company Treasury yields rose in the bond market. Wall Street will close at 1 p.m. Tuesday for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Wednesday for Christmas. NEW YORK — Century-old department store Nordstrom has agreed to be acquired and taken private by Nordstrom family members and a Mexican retail group for $6.25 billion, the company said Dec. 23. Investors will receive $24.25 for each share of common stock, representing a 42 percent from March 18, when the first reports of a potential transaction surfaced. That offer tops the previous $23-per-share bid the family and Mexican retail group, El Puerto de Liverpool, offered in September. The company also plans to authorize a special dividend of up to 25 cents per share. Following the close of the transaction, the Nordstrom family will have a majority ownership stake in the company. Erik and Pete Nordstrom are the fourth-generation leaders of the Seattle-based retailer, which was founded in 1901. The company operates 381 stores in the U.S., including Nordstrom Rack outlets in Columbia, Greenville and Mount Pleasant. NEW YORK — The Container Store has filed for bankruptcy protection as the storage and organizational goods retailer with roots dating back to the 1970s grapples with mounting losses and cash flow shortages. The company has faced increasing competition from retailers like Target and Walmart at the same time that demand for its goods is under strain in a rough housing market, where soaring prices and elevated mortgage rates have stunted sales. The Container Store will continue to operate while it restructures. The chain has no South Carolina locations. The company said Dec. 22 that it had filed for bankruptcy protection in Texas. The filing arrives two weeks after the trading of company shares was suspended by the New York Stock Exchange for failing to maintain an average market capitalization of at least $15 million in accordance with listing rules. Last month, The Container Store said that it was in advanced discussions with lenders to provide additional capital as it aimed to turn around sagging earnings and sales, according to a regulatory filing. NEW YORK — A five-day strike by Starbucks baristas had closed 59 stores as of the afternoon of Dec. 23, according to the union organizing the workers. The strike, which began Friday in Los Angeles, Chicago and Starbucks' hometown of Seattle, spread Monday to stores in Boston, Dallas and Portland, Ore. Workers in New York, Denver, Pittsburgh and other cities had also joined the strike over the weekend. Workers are protesting a lack of progress in contract negotiation with the company. Starbucks Workers United, which began the unionization effort in 2021, said Starbucks has failed to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. "We respect our partners' right to engage in lawful strike activity, and we appreciate the thousands of partners across the country who are continuing to support each other and deliver the Starbucks experience for our customers," the company said Monday. NEW YORK — American consumers are feeling less confident in December, a business research group said. The Conference Board said Dec. 23 that its consumer confidence index fell back for the month to a lower-than-projected 104.7 from 112.8 in November. Consumers had been feeling increasingly confident in recent months, spending more in the run-up to the all-important holiday shopping season. The consumer confidence index measures both Americans' assessment of current economic conditions and their outlook for the next six months. The proportion of consumers expecting a recession over the next 12 months remained stable.

Coming off a competitive performance in Buffalo, the New England Patriots hoped to carry some positive momentum into their final two-game stretch of the 2024 season. However, the first of those contest was another step in the wrong direction for the team of first-year head coach Jerod Mayo. Showing little signs of life on both offense and defense, the Patriots were blown out 40-7 by the visiting Los Angeles Chargers . New England has now dropped to 3-13 on the year. Here are our quick-hit observations from a rainy afternoon at Gillette Stadium. The 40-7 loss goes into the books as the most lopsided defeat in Jerod Mayo’s young career as Patriots head coach. The game was every bit the blowout the final score made it look like. Outside of beating New England by 33 points, the Chargers also out-gained their opponent 428 to 181 yards, had 29 first downs to 11, ran 77 plays to 48, and held the ball 40:34 compared to the Patriots’ 19:26. No matter how you look at it, the game was a train wreck from the home team’s point of view. In fact, the contest got so out of hand that the Chargers were able to pull starting quarterback Justin Herbert with almost a full quarter left (10:54). Up 37-7 at that point, there was no doubt the game was long decided. This, in turn, created some unease among the Foxboro Faithful. At one point, “Fire Mayo” chants began breaking out in the stands. Mayo going one-and-done still seems unlikely, but a noncompetitive loss in a standalone game surely will neither help him nor his coaching staff heading toward a pivotal offseason. New England has long been eliminated from playoff contention, meaning that the primary goals over the remainder of the 2024 season were two-fold: lay a strong foundation to build on in 2025, and get out of the season as healthy as possible. Both of those goals took a hit on Saturday, with the Patriots seeing their two best players get banged up. First up was quarterback Drake Maye, who exited the game after a third down scramble on his team’s opening possession. Maye took a hit to the head and left first for the medical tent on the sidelines and later the locker room. The rookie QB was ultimately cleared to return to the game, meaning he avoided a second concussion this season. Christian Gonzalez did not get that lucky. The standout cornerback hit his head hard on a tackle attempt against Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey. He too exited the game for the medical tent and locker room, but was eventually ruled out due to the injury he suffered on the collision. His status heading into the season finale against the Buffalo Bills next weekend is naturally in question. From top to bottom, their loss to the Chargers was arguably the worst game of what is already an underwhelming season. Through it all, however, Drake Maye continues to prove himself a player worthy of the “face of the franchise” label. After his brief injury scare in the first quarter, the youngster went on to complete all five of his pass attempts in the first half for 66 yards and a highlight-reel touchdown. That score showed both his awareness and ability to make something out of nothing. Getting a free play after an offsides call against the Chargers defense, the 22-year-old heaved a pass up the field knowing that a re-do was an option. No such re-do was needed: Maye found DeMario Douglas 36 yards down the field, and the sophomore wide receiver was able to haul the ball in and roll the final inches into the end zone. The touchdown pass was Maye’s 15th of the season, and helped him set a new Patriots rookie record: his streak of eight straight games with at least one TD pass bests Jim Plunkett’s mark set in 1971. On the day, the youngster completed 12 of 22 pass attempts for 117 yards with that one score. He also gained 32 yards on six carries, once again showing his ability and willingness to attack defenses more than one way. Speaking to 98.5 The Sports Hub ahead of Saturday’s game, head coach Jerod Mayo announced that Antonio Gibson would get the starting nod at the running back position over Rhamondre Stevenson. The change seemed like a logical one given Stevenson’s fumble issues this season, and the fact he was involved in two turnovers last week against the Buffalo Bills. When the Patriots offense first took the field, however, it was Stevenson who lined up in the backfield. The fourth-year man, who signed a four-year, $36 million contract extension in the offseason, also took a handoff on the play, gaining 5 yards in the process. “That was just a coaching decision,” Mayo said after the game. On the day, Stevenson ended up touching the ball twice for a combined gain of 1 yard. For comparison, Gibson finished with 12 carries for 63 yards. Losing Christian Gonzalez in the early second quarter did not make things easier for New England’s defense, but one would still have hoped to see more resistance out of the unit. After all, it once again struggled to play consistent football and found itself unable to slow the opponent on both the ground and through the air. Possibly the biggest issue on Saturday was a lack of pass rush. While Keion White managed to get a couple of pressures in, resulting in errant throws, the Patriots defense failed to sack quarterback Justin Herbert even once. Giving a quarterback of that caliber time to go through his progressions is a recipe for disaster, particularly when combined with a secondary incapable of locking receivers down. Upon initial viewing, veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones in particular had a rough day in that regard. Would increased pressure have helped? Possibly, but that is the story of the Patriots defense in 2024: complementary football on that side of the ball is wishful thinking. With Ben Brown out due to a concussion, the Patriots offensive line was forced to adapt yet again. It did so by inserting 2022 first-round draft pick Cole Strange, a 27-game starter at left guard over the first two years of his career, at Brown’s usual spot at center. The 12th different offensive lineman to start a game for the Patriots this season, Strange went wire-to-wire in his debut at the position. The 26-year-old had his ups and downs. While mostly quiet in the first half — a positive sign for any offensive lineman — he had some miscues in the second. He appeared to snap the ball early on a 3rd-and-5 in the third quarter, leading to a 7-yard sack. Later, he was flagged for illegally charging downfield to take a 19-yard pass from Maye to DeMario Douglas off the board. The Patriots entered the 2024 draft with a definitive need at the wide receiver position, and as the owners of the 34th overall selection in the second round were in a prime spot to invest in an intriguing prospect out of Georgia. However, Eliot Wolf and company decided not to take Ladd McConkey and instead trade with the Chargers. New England ended up picking wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker at 37 and 110, respectively, with the picks acquired in the move. Neither of the two registered any catches against L.A. on Saturday. McConkey, meanwhile, had an impressive outing. Leading his team in receiving, the speedy slot defender caught eight passes for 94 yards and a couple of touchdowns. In fact, his production in that one game compares favorably to the 12 catches for 87 yards and 2 scores produced by the Polk-Baker combination so far this season.Chile's State-run copper miner, Codelco, will start using explosives with a significantly lower carbon footprint at its Radomiro Tomic mine, the company announced on Thursday. Explosives are used in mines to break up rocks to more easily process them and extract valuable metals. Codelco is the world's largest copper producer and its decision to use alternative explosives underscores the increasing pressure on mining companies to enhance their environmental standards and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The pressure is especially high for copper mining which has traditionally been more carbon-intensive. The new explosives are expected to cause a significant reduction in the "Scope 3," or indirect, emissions, at the Radomiro Tomic mine, which accounts for about 40% of Codelco's explosive consumption. The company has said it aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. "Using an innovative product in the explosives market will contribute to fulfilling our commitments to sustainable development," chairperson Maximo Pacheco said in a statement. "Its production involves 40% fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to grey ammonium," the statement added. The move to implement lower carbon explosives with the help from manufacturer Enaex is part of the miner's broader strategy to enhance production and achieve its annual targets, amid falling output of the key industrial metal to a 25-year low. Radomiro Tomic would be the first mining operation to use Prillex ECO2, an explosive whose main component is blue ammonium nitrate that is produced using advanced carbon capture and storage technologies, which significantly reduces CO2 emissions during the manufacturing process.

NEW YORK — The man accused of shooting and killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial. Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. Mangione’s initial appearance in New York’s state trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors say the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first. One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that government officials, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, turned Mangione into a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool. “I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial,” Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood among a throng of heavily armed officers Thursday when Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted up a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania. Friedman Agnifilo said police turned Mangione’s return to New York into a choreographed spectacle. Adams is himself scheduled to stand trial on federal corruption charges next year. He pleaded not guilty and vowed to remain in office as he fights the charges. Authorities say Mangione gunned down Brian Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4. Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day search, carrying a gun that matched the one used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. Mangione is being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried. Get local news delivered to your inbox!