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My love of movie scoundrels has been sorely tested this year. When I was young, I daydreamed of exotic heists, slick con artists and lovable crooks I’d seen on screen. For most of my moviegoing life, I’ve been a sucker for larceny done well. Most of us are, probably. Related Articles Movies | Review: Angelina Jolie glides through ‘Maria’ like an iceberg, but a chilly Callas isn’t enough Movies | ‘Nightbitch’ review: Mother embraces her animal side in thought-provoking film Movies | Jon M. Chu talks directing ‘Wicked,’ fatherhood, Palo Alto roots Movies | Making ‘Queer’ required openness. Daniel Craig was ready Movies | 18 most anticipated movies in holiday season 2024 But now it’s late 2024. Mood is wrong. In the real world, in America, it’s scoundrel time all the time. Maybe Charles Dickens was right. In “American Notes for General Circulation” (1842), the English literary superstar chronicled his travels and detected a widespread, peculiarly American “love of ‘smart’ dealing” across the land. In business and in politics, Dickens observed, slavish admiration of the con men among them “gilds over many a swindle and gross breach of trust.” And here we are. It’ll pass, this scoundrel reprieve of mine. In fact it just did. All it took was thinking about the conspicuous, roguish outlier on my best-of-2024 list: “Challengers.” It’s what this year needed and didn’t know it: a tricky story of lying, duplicitous weasels on and off the court. The best films this year showed me things I hadn’t seen, following familiar character dynamics into fresh territory. Some were more visually distinctive than others; all made eloquent cases for how, and where, their stories unfolded. “All We Imagine as Light,” recently at the Gene Siskel Film Center, works like a poem, or a sustained exhalation of breath, in its simply designed narrative of three Mumbai hospital workers. Fluid, subtly political, filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s achievement is very nearly perfect. So is cowriter-director RaMell Ross’ adaptation of the Colson Whitehead novel “The Nickel Boys,” arriving in Chicago-area theaters on Jan. 3, 2025. “Nickel Boys,” the film, loses the “the” in Whitehead’s title but gains an astonishingly realized visual perspective. If Ross never makes another movie, he’ll have an American masterpiece to his credit. The following top 10 movies of 2024 are in alphabetical order. “All We Imagine as Light” Both a mosaic of urban ebb and flow, and a delicate revelation of character, director and writer Payal Kapadia’s Mumbai story is hypnotic, patient and in its more traditional story progression, a second feature every bit as good as Kapadia’s first, 2021’s “A Night of Knowing Nothing.” “Anora” Mikey Madison gives one of the year’s funniest, saddest, truest performances as a Brooklyn exotic dancer who takes a shine to the gangly son of a Russian oligarch, and he to her. Their transactional courtship and dizzying Vegas marriage, followed by violently escalating complications, add up to filmmaker Sean Baker’s triumph, capped by an ending full of exquisite mysteries of the human heart. “The Brutalist” As played by Adrien Brody, the title character is a visionary architect and Hungarian Jewish emigre arriving in America in 1947 after the Holocaust. (That said, the title refers to more than one character.) His patron, and his nemesis, is the Philadelphia blueblood industrialist played by Guy Pearce. Director/co-writer Brady Corbet’s thrillingly ambitious epic, imperfect but loaded with rewarding risks, was shot mostly in widescreen VistaVision. Worth seeing on the biggest screen you can find. Opens in Chicago-area theaters on Jan. 10, 2025. “Challengers” Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor play games with each other, on the tennis court and in beds, while director Luca Guadagnino builds to a match-point climax that can’t possibly work, and doesn’t quite — but I saw the thing twice anyway. “Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World” In Bucharest, production assistant Angela zigzags around the city interviewing people for her employer’s workplace safety video. If that sounds less than promising, even for a deadpan Romanian slice-of-life tragicomedy, go ahead and make the mistake of skipping this one. llinca Manolache is terrific as Angela. “Green Border” Like “Do Not Expect Too Much,” director Agnieszka Holland’s harrowing slice of recent history was a 2023 release, making it to Chicago in early 2024. Set along the densely forested Poland/Belarus border, this is a model of well-dramatized fiction honoring what refugees have always known: the fully justified, ever-present fear of the unknown. “Janet Planet” A quiet marvel of a feature debut from writer-director Annie Baker, this is a mother/daughter tale rich in ambiguities and wry humor, set in a lovely, slightly forlorn corner of rural Massachusetts. Julianne Nicholson, never better; Zoe Ziegler as young, hawk-eyed Lacy, equally memorable. “My Old Ass” I love this year’s nicest surprise. The premise: A teenager’s future 39-year-old self appears to her, magically, via a strong dose of mushrooms. The surprise: Writer-director Megan Park gradually deepens her scenario and sticks a powerfully emotional landing. Wonderful work from Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella, Maria Dizzia and everybody, really. “Nickel Boys” From the horrific true story of a Florida reform school and its decades of abuse, neglect and enraging injustice toward its Black residents, novelist Colson Whitehead’s fictionalized novel makes a remarkable jump to the screen thanks to co-writer/director RaMell Ross’s feature debut. “A Real Pain” Cousins, not as close as they once were, reunite for a Holocaust heritage tour in Poland and their own search for their late grandmother’s childhood home. They’re the rootless Benji (Kieran Culkin) and tightly sprung David (Jesse Eisenberg, who wrote and directed). Small but very sure, this movie’s themes of genocidal trauma and Jewish legacy support the narrative every step of the way. Culkin is marvelous; so is the perpetually undervalued Eisenberg. To the above, I’ll add 10 more runners-up, again in alphabetical order: “Blink Twice,” directed by Zoe Kravitz. “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger. “Dune: Part Two ,” directed by Denis Villeneuve. “Good One ,” directed by India Donaldson. “Hit Man,” directed by Richard Linklater. “Joker: Folie a Deux,” directed by Todd Phillips. “Nosferatu,” directed by Robert Eggers, opens in Chicago-area theaters on Dec. 25. “The Outrun,” directed by Nora Fingscheidt. “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat,” directed by Johan Grimonprez. “Tuesday,” directed by Daina O. Pusić. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.UN General Assembly calls for 'unconditional' Gaza ceasefire

The cryptocurrency officially to rose six figures Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitcoin has soared since Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The asset climbed from $69,374 on Election Day, hitting as high as $103,713 Wednesday, according to CoinDesk. And the latest all-time high arrives just two years after bitcoin dropped below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX . Bitcoin fell back below the $100,000 by Thursday afternoon, sitting above $99,000 by 4 p.m. ET. Even amid a massive rally that has more than doubled the value of bitcoin this year, some experts continue to warn of investment risks around the asset, which has quite a volatile history. Here’s what you need to know. Back up. What is cryptocurrency again? Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But chances are you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years. In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain. Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, XRP, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money, but most daily financial transactions are still conducted using fiat currencies such as the dollar. Also, bitcoin can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions. Why is bitcoin soaring? A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, has pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies. On Thursday morning, hours after bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark, Trump congratulated “BITCOINERS” on his social media platform Truth Social. He also appeared to take credit for the recent rally, writing, “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” Top crypto players welcomed Trump’s election victory last month, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape. And the industry has made sizeable investments along the way. Back in August, Public Citizen, a left-leaning consumer rights advocacy nonprofit, reported finding that crypto-sector corporations spent more than $119 million in 2024 to back pro-crypto candidates across federal elections. Trump made his latest pro-crypto move when he announced his plans Wednesday to nominate Atkins to chair the SEC. Atkins was an SEC commissioner during the presidency of George W. Bush. In the years since leaving the agency, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. He joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization, in 2017. Under current chair Gary Gensler, who will step down when Trump takes office, the SEC has cracked down on the crypto industry — penalizing a number of companies for violating securities laws. Gensler has also faced ample criticism from industry players in the process. One crypto-friendly move the SEC did make under Gensler was the approval in January of spot bitcoin ETFs, or exchange trade funds, which allow investors to have a stake in bitcoin without directly buying it. The spot ETFs were the dominant driver of bitcoin's price before Trump's win — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. What does bitcoin hitting the $100k mark mean? Could it keep climbing? Bitcoin surpassing the coveted $100,000 mark has left much of the crypto world buzzing. “What we’re seeing isn’t just a rally — it’s a fundamental transformation of bitcoin’s place in the financial system,” Nathan McCauley, CEO and co-founder of crypto custodian Anchorage Digital, said in a statement — while pointing to the growth of who's entering the market, particularly with rising institutional adoption. Still, others note that the new heights of bitcoin's price don't necessarily mean the asset is going mainstream. The $100,000 level is “merely a psychological factor and ultimately just a number,” Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at British investment company AJ Bell, wrote in a Thursday commentary . That being said, bitcoin could keep climbing to more and more all-time highs, particularly if Trump makes good on his promises for more crypto-friendly regulation once in office. If Trump actually makes a bitcoin reserve, for example, supply changes could also propel the price forward. “It is hard to overstate the magnitude of the change in Washington’s attitude towards crypto post-election,” Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, said via email Thursday, reiterating that prices could keep rising if trends persist. “There is a lot more demand than there is supply, and that’s usually a pretty good recipe for success.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is never promised. Worldwide regulatory uncertainties and environmental concerns around bitcoin “mining" — the creation of new bitcoin, which consumes a lot of energy — are among factors that analysts like Coatsworth note could hamper future growth. And, as still a relatively young asset with a history of volatility, longer-term adoption has yet to be seen through. Is it too late to invest? What are the risks? Today’s excitement around bitcoin may make many who aren’t already in the space want to get in on the action. For those in a position to invest, Hougan says it's not too late — noting that bitcoin is still early in its development and most institutional investors “still have zero exposure.” At the same time, Hougan and others maintain that it's important to tread cautiously and not bite off more than you can chew. Experts continue to stress caution around getting carried away with crypto “FOMO,” or the fear of missing out, especially for small-pocketed investors. “A lot of people have got rich from the cryptocurrency soaring in value this year, but this high-risk asset isn’t suitable for everyone,” Coatsworth noted Thursday. “It’s volatile, unpredictable and is driven by speculation, none of which makes for a sleep-at-night investment.” In short, history shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day. Coatsworth points to recent research from the Bank for International Settlements, a Switzerland-based global organization of central banks, which found that about three-quarters of retail buyers on crypto exchange apps likely lost money on their bitcoin investments between 2015 and 2022. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. And the late-2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000. Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs, and again, now the post-election frenzy. But lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could also mean less guardrails. This story has been corrected to refer to Anchorage Digital as a crypto custodian, not a crypto asset manager.FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign at end of Biden's term in January

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester walks off stage after conceding the Montana senate race in front of family and staff in Great Falls, Mont. on Nov. 6. U.S. Jon Tester warned the chamber he may shed a fear tears on Monday during his farewell speech in the U.S. Senate, but it wouldn't be for sorrow; someone had just convinced the 68-year-old Montana farmer closing out his third term to play a little basketball a day earlier. Such silliness set the tone as Tester bid so long to the nation's capital, particularly in the send-off speeches from Democratic Senate buddy Cory Booker and the stately Republican Sen. Mitt Romney from Utah. Tester's re-election effort fell short last month in a high-stakes contest against Republican newcomer Tim Sheehy. Tester's races for the U.S. Senate have always been won on a tight margin. On Nov. 5, Sheehy beat Montana's senior senator by 8 percentage points, completing a GOP sweep of statewide offices here. Early on in his speech, Tester said with some conviction that it was time to move forward. That was the case when he moved on from his meat-cutting operation to become a state legislator, and again when he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006. In the time since, Tester has become one of the most consequential policymakers in the Senate on veterans’ issues, chairing the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. He raised mileage reimbursements approved for veterans traveling for health care services, bills working to better veterans health care and women’s health care with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He held especially high the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act), which provided treatment for health issues from exposure to toxic burn pits and other substances like Agent Orange. "Veterans, veterans, veterans, they all got together and made this the highest priority," he said. "Some of you could remember the veterans being on the swamp in July, hotter than ... hot, and we got it passed because of their influence." Tester is credited for pulling lawmakers together to get the bill over the finish line in the Senate. Sen. Angus King, an Independent from Maine, made sure to not let the moment pass without the record reflecting it. "The PACT Act would not have happened without Jon Tester," he said. "That's just a fact." Tester spoke about his upbringing, his memories of immigrant grandparents and the influence of his parents on his fashion of public service. "So what did these ancestors instill in me? They instilled Montana values, like telling the truth, like your word is your bond, like your handshake means something and that you respect people and absolutely never, never sass your elders," he said. "But most importantly they taught me that hard work creates luck, and hard work is essential for success." Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, right, snaps a selfie with fellow Montana Sen. Jon Tester and a supporter on Saturday, March 18, 2017, in Helena, Montana, for the state party's annual dinner. (AP Photo/Bobby Caina Calvan) He thanked his wife, Sharla, who has been a familiar face with him in Washington, D.C., and on the recent campaign circuit. He was 21 and she was 19 when they took over his family's farm. "That meant every other day of the year, our workplace was across form one another with knives, very sharp knives in our hands. That taught us to choose our arguments carefully," he said. "In the end she always supported my public service endeavors even when she really didn't think it was a good idea." Tester said the Big Sandy School Board was the hardest job he ever had, and the Montana Legislature was the most fun. He spoke of many accomplishments, from infrastructure funding and community banking to supporting tech job growth in the U.S. and in Montana. But Tester said his greatest accomplishment was serving in the U.S. Senate "as a citizen legislator, having a real full-time job outside his body, in my case, as a farmer." "This is what our forefathers had in mind," he said. He urged the body to take up efforts to bolster the nation's military defense, climate change, consolidation of the agriculture industry, public education and more. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., left, and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, leave the Senate chamber as the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump adjourns until Saturday, in Washington, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) He also compelled the Senate to take up campaign finance reform, calling it the source of division among the country and paralysis inside of Congress. Montana's Senate contest this year drew a record-setting flood of outside money, more than $315 million. Tester meanwhile raised and spent more than $87 million over the cycle, compared to Sheehy's campaign, which won out with almost $22 million raised. Booker, a Democratic senator from urban New Jersey, wrapped up a farcical "I don't like Jon Tester" speech by driving home some commonalities the two found while serving in Washington. And he praised Tester for running for a fourth term while well aware that Montana was trending further to the right, steadily shedding its purple status and cementing itself as a Trump state. "Jon didn't go quietly into the night," Booker said. "He chose, because of the love of his state, to run an election. ... It was a testimony to his character." Republicans chipped in their respects Monday, as well. Sen. Steve Daines, Montana's soon-to-be senior senator, thanked Tester in a statement for his 25 years of public service to the state, from school board to the U.S. Capitol. "I'm sure Jon has lost count of the number of very early cold and dark Montana mornings he left Big Sandy to get to Great Falls to catch his plane to D.C., but this is just one of the sacrifices folks don’t often see. Jon did that commute for 18 years," Daines said in the statement. "There was never any doubt that Jon worked hard every day to represent the people of the state we both love to call home. And while it’s no secret Jon and I didn’t see eye to eye on many issues, we worked together on a number of important Montana priorities and agree that the people we represent make coming to work here every day worth it. Jon, thank you for your decades of dedicated service to the Treasure State." Romney likewise applauded Tester Monday. When he believed President Joe Biden would falter on his own re-election bid, Romney said he approached Tester (and a small number of other Democrats) about running for president, despite disagreeing with him "on almost every issue." "I wanted Jon Tester to be the next president of the United States because he's a man of such extraordinary character," he said, then grinning: "He is as honest as his hair is short. And as strong as his physique is imposing." There were several fits of laughter on the Senate chamber floor over the hour spent on the goodbye, but Tester finished his own speech with some stern assessment. "This democracy has resulted in the greatest country that has ever existed. It is because of our forefathers' ability to compromise and think clearly about the challenges ahead," he said. "To say that I'm worried about this country's ability to maintain the strongest economy and the most powerful military in the world would be an understatement. However, I know a majority of people that serve in this U.S. Senate today are real legislators who want to do real legislating. To those senators, you need to make sure your voices are a majority of this body. If not, this country will change in a way that our children will not thank us for. God bless you all, and tally-ho." Supporters of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy cheer in anticipation of his taking the stage during his watch party early Wednesday at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester concedes the Montana senate race in front of family and staff in Great Falls, Mont., on Nov. 6. Republican U.S. senate candidate Tim Sheehy addresses supporters early Nov. 6 at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester walks off stage after conceding the Montana senate race in front of family and staff in Great Falls, Mont. on Nov. 6. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy addresses supporters early Wednesday morning at the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester addresses supporters during his election night party in Great Falls on Tuesday. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy speaks at a campaign event in East Helena on Oct. 27. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester concedes the Montana senate race in front of family and staff in Great Falls, Mont. on Nov. 6. Tim Sheehy prepares to debate U.S. Sen. Jon Tester on campus at the University of Montana in Missoula on Sept. 30. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester addresses supporters during his election night party in Great Falls on Tuesday. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy addresses supporters at a primary election night party in Gallatin Gateway on June 4. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester addresses supporters during his election night party in Great Falls on Tuesday. Former president Donald Trump shakes hands with senatorial candidate Tim Sheehy during a rally at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman on Aug. 9. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester answers questions from members of the community related to Social Security and Medicare during an event at the Garden City Harvest Barn in Missoula on Tuesday. U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy speaks at a rally in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman on Friday. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester works on his speech before addressing his election night party in Great Falls on Tuesday. Campaign staffers and volunteers for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester walk in the Montana Pride parade in downtown Helena on Aug. 3. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy, talks with supporters outside the Donald Trump rally at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman, Mont. on August 9, 2024. A demonstrator with Montanans for Palestine is forcibly removed after interrupting Sen. Jon Tester speaking at the Montana Democrats' annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner on March 2. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester greets supporters in the crowd during the Montana Democratic Big Sky Victory Get Out the Vote Rally at the Pub Station Taproom in downtown Billings on Nov. 1. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy, talks with supporters outside the Donald Trump rally at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman, Mont. on August 9, 2024. Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Tim Sheehy talks with a supporter at a primary election night party in Gallatin Gateway on Tuesday. Tim Sheehy, a Republican running against Democratic incumbent Jon Tester for U.S. Senate, speaks at the “Protecting Freedom” event at the University Center Ballroom at the University of Montana on Sunday. Sen. Jon Tester laughs at questions from the audience during an event with Tester, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and Hank Green at the Wilma on Wednesday. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester answers questions from members of the community related to Social Security and Medicare during an event at the Garden City Harvest Barn in Missoula on Tuesday. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy speaks to the audience at the Montana GOP 2024 Winter Kickoff event in Helena on Friday night. U.S. Senator Jon Tester at a campaign event in Helena on Oct. 25, 2024. Veteran Mike Lawson holds a "Veterans for Tester" sign while addressing the crowd prior to U.S. Sen. Jon Tester taking the stage during a campaign rally on Oct. 4 at the Carpenter's Union Hall in Butte. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester gestures while addressing the crowd during a campaign rally on Oct. 4 at the Carpenter's Union Hall in Butte. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester prepares to debate Tim Sheehy in the PAR/TV Building on campus at the University of Montana on Monday. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester speaks at the Montana Democrats' annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena on March 2. Supporters of U.S. Sen. Jon Tester wave campaign signs as he takes the stage at the Montana Democrats' annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner on March 2 in Helena. Senate candidate Republican Tim Sheehy appears with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, right, and Jodee Etchart of the Montana House of Representatives in the Beacon Air hangar at the Billings airport on Sunday. Seaborn Larson has worked for the Montana State News Bureau since 2020. His past work includes local crime and courts reporting at the Missoulian and Great Falls Tribune, and daily news reporting at the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. State Bureau Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

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LeBron James is listed as questionable for the Los Angeles Lakers ' game Friday against the Atlanta Hawks because of soreness in his left foot, and Austin Reaves will miss a fourth straight game because of a left pelvic contusion, the team announced Thursday. James has played in all 22 games for L.A. so far in his 22nd season, averaging 22.3 points, 9.0 assists, 7.9 rebounds and 4.1 turnovers. He broke out of a shooting slump Wednesday against the Miami Heat by going 12-for-18 from the field, but the Lakers were still dominated 134-93. Editor's Picks L.A. rethinking LeBron's 82-game goal amid slump 3d Dave McMenamin Trounced by 41, reeling Lakers share in blame 18h Dave McMenamin NBA Power Rankings: Bucks bounce back, Rockets rise in the West 1d NBA Insiders L.A. has gone 1-2 on its current four-game road trip that concludes in Atlanta, getting outscored in those two losses to Miami and the Minnesota Timberwolves by 70 points -- the worst point differential over any two-game stretch in franchise history. James said it was his goal to play in all 82 games this season, something Lakers coach JJ Redick said the team could revisit following the loss to the Wolves. "I don't know that's in the best interest of him and us if he does that, but if he's feeling well and feeling good, then he should play," Redick said. Atlanta has won five games straight to move up to No. 6 in the Eastern Conference standings.The Holly Jolly Holiday Market in Fredericton has been a favourite for artisans from across the Maritimes, but it's taking on extra importance this year. As the Canada Post strike continues, among those impacted are artisans who sell their wares on online shopping sites like Etsy. Many of them will converge on the market in Fredericton this weekend instead, with the hope of making back some of the business they've lost without the postal service. Kate Hunter, the market's organizer, said there are more than a hundred vendors planning to sell at this year's fourth annual event. "I was speaking with a vendor the other day, and she sells Christmas cards. So not only is she worried about, you know, people getting their Christmas cards in the mail, she's worried about people not buying Christmas cards to put in the mail," Hunter said. While some sellers have taken to alternative carriers, shopping local is a great way to support the sellers, she said. "So we are really hoping that this weekend is big for people because the strike is affecting so many people, so much." About 55,000 postal workers , shutting down Canada Post mail service across the country, after their union, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, and the Crown corporation were unable to reach an agreement. The market will run Nov. 22 and 23 at the Currie Center at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. The market does a lot of social media advertising beforehand, Hunter said, and sellers are carrying a wide variety of items. "We have so much talent here and ... what you'll find different about this market is we have professional crafters, we have the Craft New Brunswick members, and we also have handmade sellers who have really made a go with their business and are just thriving." Hunter highlighted market members who create wooden cutting boards, quilts and ceramics as some that especially stand out. "So it's kind of something for everyone."Johan Cruyff Named His Greatest Football 11 of All Time

Bill Ackman, the chief executive officer at Pershing Square Capital Management shown speaking at a conference in 2017, says his believes Brookfield still flies under the radar in the U.S. RICHARD BRIAN/Reuters Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has built a $2.6-billion stake in asset management giant Brookfield Corp. BN-T that is now the second-largest position held by his hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management. The fund started buying stock in Brookfield Corp. – the parent company of Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. BAM-T , which manages more than US$1-trillion of assets – in April this year. By the end of June, Pershing had acquired 6.8 million shares, and its stake then ballooned to 32.7 million shares – or nearly 2.2 per cent of the company – as of Sept. 30, according to public filings. The new investment for Pershing Square is a bet on Brookfield as a major owner and operator of assets that can be considered critical infrastructure – what Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt likes to call “the backbone of the global economy,” which includes data centres powering artificial intelligence, renewable energy sources as well as the global shipping industry that underpins supply chains. The Brookfield stake accounts for 10.6 per cent of Pershing Square’s holdings, and is now larger than its investments in household names such as hotel owner Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., fast food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Tim Hortons owner Restaurant Brands International Inc. and Google parent Alphabet Inc. A Brookfield spokesperson declined to comment. Mr. Ackman told investors on a Thursday conference call that his interest in Brookfield dates back more than a decade to work he did with the asset manager to restructure bankrupt shopping mall owner General Growth Properties, which was ultimately one of Pershing Square’s best investments. Mr. Ackman said he worked “very, very closely” with Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt and the company’s long-time private equity head, Cyrus Madon. They didn’t always see eye to eye . “There were times where our interests were entirely aligned, and there are times where our interests, I would say, were disparate,” said on the call. “But it was one of the most satisfying and successful experiences I’ve had working with another management team of another investment firm,” he said. “And so that was really the beginning of, I would say, a relationship and respect for Brookfield.” Pershing Square is also banking on Brookfield being a beneficiary of Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president, which is expected to feature reduced regulation and a friendlier approach to large corporations. And Mr. Ackman predicts that Brookfield Asset Management’s fee-related earnings will nearly double by 2028, funneling a steady stream of cash to parent Brookfield Corp., which he thinks is undervalued relative to large industry peers. Brookfield Corp.’s stock is up more than 40 per cent since Pershing Square started buying its stake in April – and rose 1.3 per cent to $81.40 by early afternoon Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange. But Mr. Ackman is gambling that it still has plenty of room to rise. “We anticipate shares are poised to more than double over the coming years,” Pershing Square partner Charles Korn said Thursday, and the comparison to its peers “would imply very significant valuation upside.” Pershing Square estimates that Brookfield is trading at roughly 15 times earnings, while KKR & Co Inc. trades at 27 times and Apollo Global Management Inc. at 22 times. Pershing Square thinks Brookfield still flies below the radar with some U.S.-based institutional investors, in spite of its size, and “that this is an issue that Brookfield’s management team is taking steps to address,” Mr. Korn said. Brookfield recently moved the head office of Brookfield Asset Management to New York as part of a revamp of its corporate structure. The asset manager’s chief financial officer, Hadley Peer Marshall, told investors at a September presentation that the company was responding to feedback from a number of shareholders that urged it to focus on increasing the liquidity of BAM’s stock, and gaining inclusion in prominent U.S.-based and global stock indexes. Mr. Ackman said that at a time when index funds often own 25 per cent of large companies, inclusion in the S&P 500 index – one where Brookfield still isn’t a member – is “a critically important driver of valuation, for achieving sort of the upper band of valuation for U.S.-listed companies.” By being ineligible, “I would say you’re kind of missing the boat, so to speak,” he said. “And Brookfield is certainly aware of this issue.”

Zuora Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Results

RADFORD, Va. (AP) — Jarvis Moss scored 15 points and Jonas Sirtautas had a go-ahead three-point play in overtime to help Radford hold off Bucknell 74-70 on Sunday night. Sirtautas gave the Highlanders the lead for good with 2:38 left in the extra period. Moss shot 4 of 13 from the field, including 2 for 7 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 6 from the line for the Highlanders (9-2). Josiah Harris scored 12 points and added five rebounds. Achile Spadone led the Bison (4-7) in scoring, finishing with 22 points and two steals. Bucknell also got 19 points and four assists from Josh Bascoe. Noah Williamson had nine points. Bascoe's layup with 12 seconds left forced overtime tied at 59. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .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

Full House Resorts counsel Elaine Guidroz sells $41,606 in stock

On June 1, 2020, Emergent announced a $628 million contract with the U.S. government to produce COVID-19 vaccines. The company started producing vaccine materials for Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca at its Baltimore facility in late 2020. In March 2021, the facility accidentally contaminated Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses with AstraZeneca ingredients. By April 2021, the FDA halted production at the site, citing quality issues, contamination risks, and poor training. Following the contamination crisis, Emergent stock price dropped by over 60% by November 2021, erasing over half the company’s market value in just months. Shortly after, shareholders filed multiple lawsuits against Emergent, claiming the company misrepresented its vaccine production capabilities and hid serious quality issues. Emergent BioSolutions recently agreed to pay a $40 million settlement to investors to resolve the lawsuits. Affected investors can now file a claim to receive the payout. Overview Emergent BioSolutions EBS secured over $1 billion in government and pharmaceutical contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in March 2021, workers at its Baltimore facility mistakenly mixed Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccine ingredients, contaminating up to 15 million J&J doses and forcing AstraZeneca to discard tens of millions more. This error delayed J&J's vaccine rollout and disrupted global distribution, causing Emergent stock to drop by over 50% by November 2021. Following these events, a group of shareholders sued Emergent, and recently, Emergent agreed to pay a $40 million settlement to all affected investors. How It All Started: Manufacturing Failures In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Emergent BioSolutions positioned its Bayview facility as a critical vaccine production asset. In March 2020, the company secured over $1 billion in contracts with Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, including a substantial government Operation Warp Speed contract. On April 30, 2020, CEO Robert Kramer declared during an earnings call that the company had “proven manufacturing capabilities” and was prepared to scale up quickly to meet the demands of vaccine production. In July 2020, following the AstraZeneca agreement, Emergent further bolstered its claims in a press release, with Kramer declaring, “ Emergent is driven by our desire to advance solutions that will make an impact on this pandemic “. The company’s CDMO business unit head, Syed T. Husain, added that “ Emergent stands ready alongside leading innovators to rapidly deploy our CDMO services to help meet the substantial demand for a vaccine. “ By early 2021, Emergent shares were trading above $90, fueled by high expectations for the company's role in vaccine production. However, despite positive public messaging, internal audits and inspections in the summer of 2020 uncovered serious issues at Emergent BioSolutions' manufacturing facilities. Reports highlighted poor staff training, equipment failures, and inadequate quality control measures, revealing long-standing problems within the company’s operations. One audit found that “the flow of workers and materials through the plant was not adequately controlled to prevent mix-ups or contamination.” Another audit discovered that a manager had “knowingly deviated” from standard procedures. After that, in November 2020, AstraZeneca representatives visiting Emergent’s Bayview facility raised concerns about poor oversight and GMP compliance. Emergent’s VP of Manufacturing acknowledged these issues, mentioning trash buildup in hallways and lapses in GMP standards. An external consultant also warned that the facility was “NON-CGMP compliant” and at regulatory risk, but production still continued. Contamination Crisis at Emergent's Facility In March 2021, a major contamination incident at Emergent's Baltimore facility revealed significant oversight failures. Millions of Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses were mixed with AstraZeneca ingredients, an issue initially detected by Johnson & Johnson's lab in the Netherlands, not Emergent. The contamination forced the disposal of tens of millions of AstraZeneca doses and delayed the delivery of approximately 100 million Johnson & Johnson doses during a critical phase of the pandemic. Following this disclosure, Emergent issued a press release, stating that their “quality control systems worked as designed” and that discarding a batch of bulk drug substance “occasionally happens during vaccine manufacturing.” However, that same day the Associated Press released FDA documents obtained through FOIA requests, revealing a history of quality control issues at Emergent’s facilities dating back to 2017. FDA leaders reported that the company “hired a lot of individuals not as familiar with vaccine manufacturing that did not have adequate training.” Inspectors found several issues at Emergent's facility, including mismanaged waste, peeling paint, and cluttered equipment. They also discovered that some quality checks were removed from vaccines before an FDA visit in February 2021. Later, it came to light that Emergent had been forced to destroy vaccine materials equivalent to nearly 400 million doses — much more than the previously reported 85 million. The situation worsened on November 4, 2021, when Emergent announced that the Department of Health and Human Services had cancelled its $628 million contract, requiring the company to reverse $86 million in Q3 2021 revenue and reduce its contract backlog by $180 million. The impact on investors was clear as Emergent's stock price dropped by over 60%, from more than $120 in early 2021 to below $45 by November 2021. These disclosures and the sharp drop in stock price led shareholders to file multiple lawsuits against Emergent, accusing the company of misrepresenting its vaccine production capabilities and concealing serious quality issues. Resolving The Case After three years of legal proceedings, in September 2024, Emergent agreed to pay $40 million to settle the lawsuit from shareholders. If you invested in Emergent, you may be eligible to file for a portion of the settlement to recover your losses. As of now, Emergent BioSolutions has made significant progress in its recovery, securing a $50 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson and driving a broader transformation under CEO Joe Papa. In Q3 2024, the company saw a 9% revenue increase to $293.8 million and secured vital government contracts, including a $250 million order to produce vaccines for anthrax, botulism, and smallpox. It also sold its Camden facility for $30 million to streamline operations. However, its stock remains far below previous highs, trading at $8 in November 2024 — a 93.6% decline from its $125 peak in 2021, showing that there is still a long road ahead for a recovery. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Trico Bancshares director sells $252,275 in stock

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