casino baccarat WASHINGTON — As Dillion and Ben, two Clydesdales, pulled an 18-and-a-half-foot Christmas tree in a green wagon up the driveway to the North Portico of the White House Monday afternoon, it was already clear something would be different about this 58-year-old tradition. At the top of the driveway, first lady Jill Biden and an entourage of guests greeted the horses and accepted the tree from the Cartner family, North Carolina Christmas tree farmers who have grown Fraser firs at the family-owned and operated business in Newland since 1959. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest news, sports, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.

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War fatigue deepens in Israel as deaths mount and fighting expandsStojakovic, Wilkinson lead short-handed Cal past Sacramento State, 83-77 in Cal ClassicPITTSBURGH (AP) — Joey Porter Jr. thrives on the pressure. Wants it. Invites it. Needs it. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin first noticed it more than a decade ago, when Porter was just a kid running around the team facility while his father, Joey Porter Sr., served as an assistant coach. There was something about the way the younger Porter carried himself, a swagger, that made him stand out and served as a precursor to the professional life that was ahead for the second-year cornerback. Tomlin described it as a “serial killer’s mentality,” though Tomlin’s description of what that actually means isn’t as chilling as it sounds. “He’s not running from the fight, he’s running to the fight,” Tomlin said. “You better have a short memory at that position, and he’s always had it. He was probably nine or 10 when I met him, and he had it then.” It’s one of the reasons the Steelers practically sprinted to the podium to take Porter with the first pick of the second round in the 2023 draft, a full-circle moment for a Pittsburgh native well-versed in the franchise’s history of excellence at one of the most demanding positions on the field. RELATED COVERAGE Bears interim coach Thomas Brown insists he’s focused on task at hand and not what his future holds Falcons QB Cousins is looking to avoid interceptions, have bounce-back game in Minnesota homecoming Vikings defense has had a big boost this season from the indefatigable Jonathan Greenard Porter has not been shy about wanting to become known as an elite defender and is unafraid to ask for the toughest assignments, only too aware that things won’t always go his way. Good thing, because of late, they haven’t. Porter has found himself being targeted frequently by opposing quarterbacks, looking to use the 24-year-old’s innate aggressiveness against him. The results have been a steady stream of flags and the referee finishing his call with “No. 24, defense.” Porter found himself on the wrong side of a call four times in last Sunday’s 44-38 victory over Cincinnati as he ping-ponged in between Bengals stars Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Twice he was flagged for holding. Twice he was cited for pass interference. The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . It wasn’t ideal, to be clear. It also wasn’t the end of the world. Porter stood at his locker in the aftermath and answered every question, then did the same on Wednesday. Tomlin made it a point to say the issues with Porter are technical, not mental. It’s one of the reasons neither Porter nor his coach seem concerned about one shaky performance bleeding into another, something the first-place Steelers (9-3) can’t afford when Jameis Winston and pass-happy Cleveland (3-9) visit Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. “I’ve just got to keep playing my game and don’t let (the penalties) affect me,” Porter said. Asked if that was easier said than done, Porter nodded. “Definitely,” he said. “Playing DB is a hard position, but you got to have that mentality anyways. That’s the world we live in and I feel like I’m capable of doing that.” In some ways, Porter didn’t really have a choice. Not with his father — one of the most prolific and productive trash-talkers in the NFL during a 13-year career as a linebacker that included four Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring he earned with the Steelers in 2005. He preached the virtues of not letting one play, one moment, one game chip away at the confidence necessary to survive in a pass-happy game. “He’d been telling me that since I was a young kid,” Porter said. “I know what I got to do to be great, look good, and to help this team win.” It’s telling that for all the flags against him — Porter has been penalized nine times, tops on the Steelers and tied for second in the league among defensive players — he has yet to allow a touchdown pass in coverage. It’s a tradeoff the Steelers can live with in general. Porter’s 6-foot-2 frame is one of the reasons he was among the most coveted cornerbacks in his draft class. His size is unusual for his position, and necessary given some of the matchups he draws, such as the 6-foot-4 Higgins. “You have to match the physicality of these big people, and sometimes you do so at risk,” Tomlin said. “And that’s just a tightrope that I and he are willing to walk in an effort to be competitive.” There are certain tendencies Porter has noticed on film that he needs to clean up, particularly around the line of scrimmage. The hiccups that have popped up recently are correctable. The problems that could crop up if Porter started doubting his own ability are another matter. He insists that’s hardly the case. “Things happen, you know that,” he said. “I like to bounce back and prove myself again. So that’s what I got to do this upcoming Sunday.” He likely won’t lack for opportunities. Winston is coming off a 497-yard performance in a loss to Denver, and the Steelers had trouble keeping Joe Burrow in check in Cincinnati. Winston is not afraid to test opposing cornerbacks. Porter is not afraid to be tested. “I’m trying to be great,” he said. “And I know to do that, I got to clean up with the stuff I’ve been doing. So I just face it and keep working.” NOTES: LB Alex Highsmith (ankle) was limited in practice on Wednesday and is nearing a return after missing the past three games. ... WR Calvin Austin III (concussion) was limited. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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Titans showing signs of growing tougher under 1st-year coach Brian Callahan The Tennessee Titans are showing signs of growing tougher. This time, they shook off eight sacks and three turnovers to stave off a third straight losing season for at least another week. Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press Nov 25, 2024 11:33 AM Nov 25, 2024 11:35 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Tennessee Titans defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, left, celebrates a sack with linebacker Arden Key, right, during the second half an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith) The Tennessee Titans are showing signs of growing tougher. This time, they shook off eight sacks and three turnovers to stave off a third straight losing season for at least another week. The Titans not only scored the game-winning touchdown on a one-play drive in the fourth quarter, they also came up with back-to-back sacks. The second led to a safety, clinching a 32-27 win over the AFC South-leading Houston Texans. First-year coach Brian Callahan called how the Titans (3-8) responded crucial validation in the NFL where the only grading system is wins and losses. "We finally get a chance against a really good team on the road in the division to show what we’re made of," Callahan said. "This is the team we think we’re capable of being. It’s the team that I’ve believed in all year long." Running back Tony Pollard says the Titans have learned some important lessons that only come from fighting through adversity. They've had lots of that, which can wear out teams this late in the season. "Eventually, they’ll start turning over,” Pollard said. What’s working The offense. The Titans scored a season high in points and topped their game average with 20 points by halftime. Better yet was quarterback Will Levis both starting and finishing his first win of the season. Levis also completed his first 11 passes and connected with seven different receivers. Levis finished with 278 yards passing and threw two touchdown passes. Pollard also ran for 119 yards as the Titans played keep-away, holding the ball for more than 34 minutes. They finished with four plays of 27 yards or longer with Levis responsible for the three longest. What needs help Special teams. Coordinator Colt Anderson has been under pressure, which didn't ease after the Texans gave up an 80-yard return on the opening kickoff. The Titans then gave up a TD on the first play from scrimmage — only the fourth time that has happened in the NFL since 2000 and first since the Chargers in Week 7 in 2018. It didn't get better as rookie Jha'quan Jackson fumbled a punt recovered by Houston near midfield in the third quarter. The Titans allowed only a field goal. But special teams allowed the Texans to average 36.8 yards per kickoff return. Punter Ryan Stonehouse had a net average of 45.2 yards as he made up for a 38-yarder that counts as a shank for him with a 62-yarder early in the fourth to help flip the field. Stock up Tight end Chig Okonkwo. The fourth-round draft pick in 2022 scored a 70-yard catch-and-run touchdown that was the longest catch of his career. That one TD catch had more yards than Okonkwo had managed in any of his previous 44 games. It was enough as the game-winning TD. Stock down Levis completed his first 11 passes. He's completed 67.9% of his passes in his past three starts with five TD passes with only two interceptions with a 107.2 passer rating. Callahan likes those signs of improvement. “We definitely got to get the sack numbers down. ... We can't give up eight sacks a game and feel like it's going to be good enough,” Callahan said. The second-year quarterback has to be more aware of pressure to avoid sacks. The Titans offensive line hasn't helped much, but Levis took a beating, being sacked eight times by Houston. He's now been sacked 20 times in three straight starts since returning from a sprained AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder. He also had his third pick-6 this season. Injuries The Titans played Houston without starting safety Amari Hooker because of illness. Callahan said they will open the window for CB Chidobe Awuzie to practice in a possible return from injured reserve. Key number 35 — The number of times Levis has been sacked in eight games this season or more than all but three NFL quarterbacks. One of those? Houston’s C.J. Stroud, who was sacked for a safety to clinch Tennessee’s road win. Next steps A road win over the AFC South leader and defending champion could provide the confidence boost the Titans needed. They wrap up a two-game road swing by visiting Washington (7-5), which has lost three straight. The Titans play four of the final five inside the AFC South where their faint hope of reaching the postseason lies even as fans root for a high draft pick. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Teresa M. Walker, The Associated 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 Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Dolphins look like completely different teams with and without Tua Tagovailoa this season Nov 25, 2024 11:50 AM Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew is out for the season with a broken collarbone Nov 25, 2024 11:17 AM Busy schedule gives Packers no time to celebrate their lopsided win over 49ers Nov 25, 2024 11:03 AMLDV may have just launched an updated version of its Ford Ranger-rivalling T60 ute, but now it has a larger, more boldly styled ute waiting in the wings that it’s currently testing locally. Government approval documents first reported by CarExpert earlier this month uncovered the turbo-diesel Terron 9 and its electric eTerron 9 sibling, with LDV’s website confirming at the time the latter ute was due during the first quarter of 2025 (January to March). That launch timing has now been pushed back to the second quarter (April to June), and LDV has confirmed it’s currently conducting final validation testing for the Terron 9 in Australia. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today LDV engineers have been testing the Terron 9’s traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist and other electronic driver aid systems – often a source of annoyance for drivers when programmed poorly – on main and backroads in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland in a bid to better calibrate the ute for local conditions. 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . While LDV hasn’t said what will power the Terron 9, it’s been approved to go on sale with a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing 164kW of power. A torque figure wasn’t specified in the government approval documents. Both rear- and four-wheel drive variants have been green-lit to be sold in Australia, with gross vehicle mass (GVM) varying between 3320kg and 3500kg. Despite being larger and more modern than the LDV T60, the Terron 9 will be sold in local showrooms alongside the older ute, which will stay on to offer buyers a more affordable alternative. “We want to make sure when a ute buyer walks into an LDV showroom, we have a vehicle that offers value across a range of price points,” said LDV Australia General Manager, Dinesh Chinnappa. “We are not going to leave our traditional ute buyers behind. Rather, the LDV Terron ute series will broaden our offering across the ute segment.” The Terron 9 measures 5500mm long, 1997mm wide and 1860mm tall on a 3300mm wheelbase, with 220mm of running clearance. This makes it 105mm longer, 97mm wider and 41mm taller than the T60 Max Plus on a 125mm longer wheelbase. Both utes will be joined by the electric LDV eTerron 9, a more professional approach by the brand to amp up the battery-powered ute market than the eT60. Since going on sale in late 2022, approximately 100 eT60s have been sold – mainly to fleets and businesses targeting zero tailpipe emissions – with its launch price of $92,990 before on-road costs more than double that of the turbo-diesel T60. While it was a pioneer in the segment, the eTerron 9 represents improvements across almost every measurable aspect. “This is a completely different vehicle, inside and out,” said Mr Chinnappa. “We are proud that the LDV eT60 was the first electric ute in Australian showrooms, but we are also proud to demonstrate just how far electric ute technology has progressed with this all-new model.” LDV’s electric eTerron 9 shares identical dimensions to its turbo-diesel sibling, and it’s been approved for sale with a 3500kg braked towing capacity – well up on the battery-powered eT60’s 1000kg limit. Both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive layouts have been approved for sale in Australia, developing 200kW and 325kW respectively, which is significantly more than the 130kW rear-drive-only eT60. The eTerron 9’s electric motors are fed by a 102kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, which can provide up to 430km of claimed driving range based on the WLTP test cycle in the dual-motor variant. It also features vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, allowing owners to power external appliances and tools, with overseas examples featuring several 2.2kW sockets throughout the vehicle, plus an external 6.6kW connection. The LDV eTerron 9’s mid-2025 arrival will coincide with a flurry of electric or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes going on sale or having already launched in Australia. The BYD Shark 6 PHEV is soon rolling out to customers, the Ford Ranger PHEV is due in early 2025, and the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is expected around March or April. Further down the track, Isuzu is first launching its electric D-Max EV in Norway next year with an Australian debut to follow, while Geely wants to bring an electric ute – likely the Radar Auto RD6 – to the local market. Pricing and specifications for the LDV Terron 9 and eTerron 9 will be announced closer to each model’s Australian arrival. MORE: 2025 LDV Terron 9 revealed MORE: 2025 LDV eTerron 9: New electric ute locked in for Australia MORE: LDV’s next electric ute for Australia? Maxus eTerron 9 revealed

Best optionNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes reached more records after tech companies talked up how much artificial intelligence is boosting their results. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% Wednesday to add to what looks to be one of its best years of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite added 1.3% to its own record. Salesforce pulled the market higher after highlighting its artificial-intelligence offering for customers. Marvell Technology jumped even more after saying it’s seeing strong demand from AI. Treasury yields eased, while bitcoin climbed after President-elect Donald Trump nominated a crypto advocate to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are rising toward more records Wednesday after tech companies talked up how much of a boost they're getting from artificial intelligence . The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% to add to what looks to be one of its best years of the millennium. It’s on track to set an all-time high for the 56th time this year after coming off 10 gains in the last 11 days . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 252 points, or 0.6%, with an hour remaining in trading, while the Nasdaq composite was adding 1.2% to its own record. Salesforce helped pull the market higher after delivering stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell just short. CEO Mark Benioff highlighted the company’s artificial-intelligence offering for customers, saying “the rise of autonomous AI agents is revolutionizing global labor, reshaping how industries operate and scale.” The stock of the company, which helps businesses manage their customers, rose 9.3%. Marvell Technology jumped even more after delivering better results than expected, up 23.2%. CEO Matt Murphy said the semiconductor supplier is seeing strong demand from AI and gave a forecast for profit in the upcoming quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. They helped offset a 9.8% drop for Foot Locker, which reported profit and revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Mary Dillon said the company is taking a more cautious view, and it cut its forecasts for sales and profit this year. Dillon pointed to how keen customers are for discounts and how soft demand has been outside of Thanksgiving week and other key selling periods. Retailers overall have offered mixed signals about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Their spending has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable because of high interest rates brought by the Federal Reserve to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A narrower report released on Wednesday morning may have offered a preview of it. The report from ADP suggested employers in the private sector increased their payrolls by less last month than economists expected. Hiring in manufacturing was the weakest since the spring, according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. The report strengthened traders’ expectations that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. The central bank had appeared set to continue cutting rates into next year, but the election of Donald Trump has scrambled Wall Street’s expectations somewhat. Trump’s preference for higher tariffs and other policies could lead to higher economic growth and inflation , which could alter the Fed’s plans . Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank can afford to cut its benchmark rate cautiously because inflation has slowed significantly from its peak two years ago and the economy remains sturdy. A separate report on Wednesday said health care, finance and other businesses in the U.S. services sector are continuing to grow, but not by as much as before and not by as much as economists expected. One respondent from the construction industry told the survey from the Institute for Supply Management that the Fed’s rate cuts have not pulled down mortgage rates as much as hoped yet. Plus “the unknown effect of tariffs clouds the future.” In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.18% from 4.23% late Tuesday. On Wall Street, Campbell’s fell 6% for one of the S&P 500’s sharper losses despite increasing its dividend and reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, and the National Football League’s Washington Commanders hired Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse as its team president. Campbell’s said Mick Beekhuizen, its president of meals and beverages, will become its 15th CEO following Clouse’s departure. Gains for airline stocks helped offset that drop after JetBlue Airways said it saw stronger bookings for travel in November and December following the presidential election. It said it’s also benefiting from lower fuel prices, as well as lower costs due to improved on-time performance. JetBlue jumped 8.3%, while Southwest Airlines climbed 2.8%. In stock markets abroad, South Korea’s Kospi sank 1.4% following a night full of drama in Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night, prompting troops to surround the parliament. Yoon accused pro-North Korean forces of plotting to overthrow one of the world’s most vibrant democracies. The martial law declaration was revoked about six hours later. Samsung Electronics fell 0.9% in Seoul. The country’s financial regulator said it was prepared to deploy 10 trillion won ($7.07 billion) into a stock market stabilization fund at any time, the Yonhap news agency reported. In the crypto market , bitcoin climbed back above $97,000 after Trump said he would nominate Paul Atkins , a cryptocurrency advocate, to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. ___ AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated Press