Noa Lininger was a freshman at Lafayette’s Centaurus High at the end of the pandemic and decided a traditional high school experience wasn’t for them. After trying various options, Noa created a senior year schedule that combines an in-person, concurrent enrollment videography class at the Boulder Technical Education Center with online Front Range Community College classes. Concurrent enrollment allows high school students to earn college credit while in high school, with the college tuition paid for by the state. Because of concurrent enrollment programs, Noa expects to graduate from high school in May with 22 college credits at no cost and plans to continue their education. “Concurrent enrollment classes helped me see my options,” said Lininger, who goes by they/their pronouns. Statewide, as originally reported by Chalkbeat Colorado , high school students account for almost half of the state’s community college enrollment, thanks to concurrent enrollment. Of the 88,118 students enrolled at the two-year level, more than 39,000 students statewide are still in high school, the Colorado Community College System reports. In total, high school students accounted for almost 90% of enrollment increases at the community college level this year. Since the pandemic, high school students have become a main driver of community college enrollment in the state. Front Range Community College is the largest provider of concurrent enrollment in Colorado. The college serves about 13,000 dual-enrolled students and has contracts with 65 partners. FRCC serves students at more than 120 sites, including 55 high schools. FRCC has campuses in Longmont, Westminster and Fort Collins. “The need for concurrent enrollment, the popularity and the access have just skyrocketed,” said Courtney Graeff, FRCC’s director of concurrent enrollment at the Longmont campus. “We’re constantly having to find new ways of keeping up with the numbers because the popularity has increased exponentially.” For Noa, college classes are different enough from high school courses that they can now see themselves continuing their education. They feel the classes are more interesting and “structured better for how my brain works.” Noa’s plans include earning a professional esthetician license at Boulder TEC before graduation, potentially trying video editing as a side gig and applying to the ASCENT program. ASCENT, or Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment, allows students who completed at least nine college credits to stay in high school for a fifth year while they take free college classes. “It’s a huge opportunity for students to continue their education at Front Range,” Graeff said. Along with Front Range, colleges that participate in ASCENT include Metropolitan State University Denver, University of Northern Colorado, Aims Community College, Emily Griffith Technical College, Western Colorado University and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. FRCC has seen consistent, steady growth in all concurrent enrollment classes college-wide since 2009. At the Boulder County campus in Longmont, concurrent enrollment students comprised 53% of the 5,506 total students in the 2023-2024 academic year. The year before, those students made up 46% of the total population and 32% the year before that. In both the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley school districts, officials say student demand for concurrent enrollment classes has increased exponentially in recent years. Most of those classes are taught on high school campuses by high school teachers certified to teach at the college level. Taking college classes online is another popular option. Only a small percentage of students attend classes on a college campus. Along with FRCC, Boulder Valley has concurrent enrollment agreements with the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Denver and Metro State University. For the fall semester, 1,603 Boulder Valley students were earning college credits. Of those, about 100 were taking classes at a college, either in-person or online. The rest, about 1,500 students, took concurrent enrollment classes at their high school or at Boulder TEC. Getting more students into concurrent enrollment classes is part of the school district’s Grad Plus initiative, which encourages all students to graduate with more than a diploma. Other options include work-based learning and industry certificates. “We’re all about helping students get ahead in their education,” said Madeline Brockish, Boulder Valley’s Career and College Connections coordinator. “Concurrent enrollment is really about making college more affordable to students and saving them time.” St. Vrain Valley officials said the district enrolled a record number of students in concurrent enrollment classes in the fall. To meet the demand and help students navigate their options, each of its high schools now has a counselor who oversees the program. The district has concurrent enrollment agreements with six colleges: FRCC, Red Rocks Community College, Aims Community College, University of Colorado Denver, Colorado State University Online and Metro State University. First semester, 1,733 students took 91 concurrent enrollment classes. Sixty of those were taught in St. Vrain Valley classrooms, while the other 31 were held online or at a college campus. St. Vrain Valley Assistant Superintendent Kahle Charles said concurrent enrollment classes give students a competitive advantage going into college or the workforce, while earning credits can make coursework feel more relevant. “It’s opening opportunities for our students,” he said. “We really appreciate these relationships we have with these higher education institutions. They’re really seeing the value of working with school districts.” At FRCC, concurrent enrollment students have access to all the same support services as the college’s traditional students, including library databases, tutoring, writing and math support centers. Graeff said those opportunities are life-changing, especially for students of color, first-generation students and students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. “The student debt crisis has really pushed forward the opportunities for concurrent enrollment students,” Graeff said. “They’re starting to see the importance of engaging in college work earlier so that they can be more successful upon high school graduation, whether they’re continuing their education or entering the workforce.” As student interest grows, one challenge for school districts has been getting teachers certified to teach college classes. The qualifications can vary by college and subject, but colleges generally require either a master’s degree in the subject area being taught or a master’s degree plus 18 subject credit hours. If there’s not a high school teacher with those qualifications, the community college may send an instructor to teach the class on the high school campus. Centaurus High, for example, brought in a Front Range instructor this semester to teach three classes in Spanish to students who needed the higher-level coursework. Another Front Range class offered at Centaurus is English composition class. For that class, which is in its third year, the school has three qualified teachers. One of those is Jennifer Dunbar, who has a master’s degree in English literature, taught English at a community college in Washington and, after taking time off to raise her kids, went back to school for a teaching license and master’s in education. She said Front Range provides high school teachers with professional development, a mentor/class observer and support for registration issues. Front Range also provides a syllabus and online textbook but allows teachers to tailor the class based on their strengths. She added that combining higher education with K-12 required resolving some conflicts, including around special education accommodations. Accommodations are more limited at the college level. Along with the on-campus support Front Range offers to students, Impact on Education is covering the cost of after-school tutoring at Centaurus for concurrent enrollment students. “For kids who are underwater, it’s hard to get back,” Dunbar said. “We’ve caught a lot of students with this tutoring who might have failed.” Dunbar said many of the students taking the class are in the Centaurus engineering program and want to get their college English requirements out of the way. Others want the experience of a college class. “I can prepare myself for when I go to college and be able to say I took a college class,” said senior Lizbeth Aguirre. “I took it as a challenge.” Classmate Logan Cole, also a senior, said he likes concurrent enrollment because, unlike in an AP class, a good grade guarantees college credit. In AP, receiving college credit requires a high enough score on the end-of-year AP test — and even then, colleges decide what scores and what subjects they’ll accept for credit. “Concurrent enrollment classes are a good taste of what a college class will be,” he said. Along with adding college classes at their high schools, both local districts are increasing opportunities to earn college credits in their career and technical education classes. To teach career and technical education classes for college credit, instructors typically need an associate’s degree or higher plus a specified number of hours of industry experience. Kate Topham, the counselor at St. Vrain Valley’s Career Elevation and Technology Center, said the center offers 50 classes with the opportunity to earn college credit through five college partners, up from two college partners in 2019. She talks up the advantages, helps students register with the colleges and troubleshoots with students if there are problems. Of the students eligible to earn college credit, she said, 83% signed up this fall. “I tell students they’re not opting into a harder class,” she said. “Instead, it’s about where those credits can take you in the future. You can add it to a resume or get ahead in college. The impact is amazing.” Emma Grassman, a senior at Erie High School taking a Certified Nursing Assistant class, said she’s learning skills like CPR that will be useful no matter where she ends up after high school. Plus, she said, the credit through Red Rocks Community College should help her stand out on college applications. “You’re showing them that you’re ready to go to college,” she said. Erik Hakanson, a Longmont High student taking manufacturing classes, said he’s on track to earn 12 credits in Metro State’s engineering program. Taking the classes at the Career Elevation and Technology Center, he said, saves money on college tuition, lets him learn from a supportive teacher who worked in the industry and gives him more time in the machine shop than he would likely get in college. “This gives you a hands-on experience,” he said. At Boulder’s Technical Education Center, Ash Collins is teaching a concurrent enrollment videography class. She started the center’s videography program four years ago, retrofitting a classroom into a studio by adding a sound booth and other equipment. Two years ago, she got certified to teach at the college level and partnered with Front Range, allowing her students to earn 12 college credits. “My expectations are high,” she said. “I need to be able to trust them to take ownership of what they’re learning. They get to decide what they want to create. Students really do get that college-level curriculum here. They should get credit for it.” She said the rigor and content are the same as a videography class taught at the college level, but she gives them more direct support. In college, she said, a student might be given a project that’s due in three months and be expected to complete it on their own. She provides more structure and breaks down the steps. “There’s a lot more checking in, but they’re capable of a lot,” she said. Along with a large roster of concurrent enrollment classes, St. Vrain offers the early college P-TECH, or Pathways in Technology Early College High School, program. The extended year program gives high school students up to six years to earn an associate’s degree along with their high diploma, with a goal of getting underrepresented students into STEM fields after graduation. State funding covers the community college tuition costs. St. Vrain has expanded the program since first offering it at Skyline High in 2016 to four high schools. Altogether, 444 St. Vrain students are enrolled in P-TECH classes this school year, with students generally going to the community college campus for classes starting in their junior and senior years. Each high school has a different focus, community college partners and business partners. Front Range partners with the P-TECH programs at the three Longmont schools, Skyline High, Silver Creek and Longmont High. “They always tell me, ‘Ms, I never thought I’d go to college,’”Graeff said. “And the day that they graduate I get to watch them walk across the stage and get that college degree before they even graduate high school.” April Menzies, FRCC’s associate vice president for K-12 partnerships, said the college about five years ago was seeing double-digit percentage increases in concurrently enrolled students year-over-year. Now increases aren’t so high, but enrollment is still going up. “What the data really shows, both in the state data reports and nationwide, is students tend to start taking college classes in high school and they tend to go to college at a greater rate than students that don’t have that opportunity or don’t take college classes in high school,” Menzies said. Roughly a third of FRCC’s concurrent enrollment students return to the college for further education at some point after high school. Many others often continue to a four-year college or university. Menzies said concurrent enrollment can create financial savings for families and allow students to explore career opportunities and topics not available in the high school curriculum. She said there’s also value in learning how college works, helping students transition to college with more ease. “There are lots of reasons why students take a concurrent enrollment class, and the nice thing is it serves a lot of needs,” Menzies said. “It meets a lot of different goals for students and families.” Colorado lawmakers say they recognize the value of dual enrollment, especially because national research shows these programs can help eliminate gaps in who gets to college. But they also want more information on the long-term benefit of the programs, as well as the overall costs to the state. A state task force has called for streamlining what it has described as a fragmented early career and college system built over many years. Colorado has numerous programs, but not every district offers every program. Each program has different reporting requirements, making it hard to measure how programs are working individually and as a whole. Colorado lawmakers enacted legislation this year that: Directs the state to perform a comprehensive financial study to analyze how much the programs cost the state and districts; Compiles long-term data on program outcomes; Expands college opportunities for high school students; and Seeks to find a comprehensive direction on college and career education. The financial study , by Denver-based Slalom Consulting, was published in December and includes recommendations to consolidate state grants and incentives into a single funding source, standardize concurrent enrollment tuition agreements, adopt a tuition reimbursement model for extended-year programs like ASCENT and P-TECH, and reassess the ASCENT program. ASCENT, according to the report, should be realigned to ensure it’s focused on the original intent of serving low-income, at-risk students. A lack of clear workforce goals and rising costs are other concerns lawmakers have raised about ASCENT. Unlike P-TECH, ASCENT doesn’t require students to choose a particular major or area of study. From the school district perspective, St. Vrain’s Charles said, a common tuition agreement and streamlining teacher qualifications would both be helpful, especially for rural school districts that don’t have the same resources as a larger district like St. Vrain. “Statewide, it can be a better system for all of us,” he said. Chalkbeat Colorado contributed to this report.
Texans trying to get 'locked in' with Jags up nextNEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed Monday of trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7% to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor , the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board. It also said that it doesn’t expect to restate its past financials and that it will find a new chief financial officer, appoint a general counsel and make other moves to strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8% for Microsoft and 3.2% for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Intel was another propellant during the morning, but it lost an early gain to fall 0.5% after the chip company said CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired and stepped down from the board. Intel is looking for Gelsinger’s replacement, and its chair said it’s “committed to restoring investor confidence.” Intel recently lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average to Nvidia, which has skyrocketed in Wall Street’s frenzy around AI. Stellantis, meanwhile, skidded following the announcement of its CEO’s departure . Carlos Tavares steps down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales and an inventory backlog at dealerships. The world’s fourth-largest automaker’s stock fell 6.3% in Milan. The majority of stocks in the S&P 500 likewise fell, including California utility PG&E. It dropped 5% after saying it would sell $2.4 billion of stock and preferred shares to raise cash. Retailers were mixed amid what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday . Target, which recently gave a forecast for the holiday season that left investors discouraged , fell 1.2%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.2%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.4%. All told, the S&P 500 added 14.77 points to 6,047.15. The Dow fell 128.65 to 44,782.00, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 185.78 to 19,403.95. The stock market largely took Donald Trump’s latest threat on tariffs in stride. The president-elect on Saturday threatened 100% tariffs against a group of developing economies if they act to undermine the U.S. dollar. Trump said he wants the group, headlined by Brazil, Russia, India and China, to promise it won’t create a new currency or otherwise try to undercut the U.S. dollar. The dollar has long been the currency of choice for global trade. Speculation has also been around a long time that other currencies could knock it off its mantle, but no contender has come close. The U.S. dollar’s value rose Monday against several other currencies, but one of its strongest moves likely had less to do with the tariff threats. The euro fell amid a political battle in Paris over the French government’s budget . The euro sank 0.7% against the U.S. dollar and broke below $1.05. In the bond market, Treasury yields gave up early gains to hold relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed above 4.23% during the morning before falling back to 4.19%. That was just above its level of 4.18% late Friday. A report in the morning showed the U.S. manufacturing sector contracted again last month, but not by as much as economists expected. This upcoming week will bring several big updates on the job market, including the October job openings report, weekly unemployment benefits data and the all-important November jobs report. They could steer the next moves for Federal Reserve, which recently began pulling interest rates lower to give support to the economy. Economists expect Friday’s headliner report to show U.S. employers accelerated their hiring in November, coming off October’s lackluster growth that was hampered by damaging hurricanes and strikes. “We now find ourselves in the middle of this Goldilocks zone, where economic health supports earnings growth while remaining weak enough to justify potential Fed rate cuts,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. In financial markets abroad, Chinese stocks led gains worldwide as monthly surveys showed improving conditions for manufacturing, partly driven by a surge in orders ahead of Trump’s inauguration next month. Both official and private sector surveys of factory managers showed strong new orders and export orders, possibly partly linked to efforts by importers in the U.S. to beat potential tariff hikes by Trump once he takes office. Indexes rose 0.7% in Hong Kong and 1.1% in Shanghai. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
Pep Guardiola: If I can’t reverse Manchester City slide then I have to goMadhya Pradesh Chief Minister Yadav Announces Rs 78,000 Crore Investment Proposals from UK and Germany TourWay back in January, when the stink of a 5-7 season was still lingering on South Carolina, Shane Beamer held his first team meeting for the 2024 Gamecocks. He made a comment about a bowl game at the end of the season, how South Carolina was going to get back to the postseason after missing it for the first time in Beamer’s tenure. Right after the meeting, five-star freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart — who might have been on campus for 48 hours — walked up to his new coach with a declaration. “Enough of this bowl stuff,” Beamer said Stewart told him. “We have higher expectations that that.” On Saturday afternoon in the bowels of Memorial Stadium, Beamer sat behind the podium after South Carolina’s 17-14 win over No. 12 Clemson , having earned the chance to make his case for the Gamecocks as a College Football Playoff team. “I do believe we deserve a spot in the 12-team playoff,” Beamer said. “I get it, the committee has a really tough job. They have to choose the 12 best teams. I get it, we’ve got three losses. “When you look at our strength of schedule (No. 15 in FBS), our wins on the road (4-1) in tough environments,” he continued, “we aren’t playing in front of 20,000 people like some teams do. We go into hostile environments every single week. Our only loss on the road is a two-point loss” at Alabama. The No. 15 Gamecocks (9-3) went into Saturday in the playoff picture but, per ESPN’s Playoff Predictor, had just a 58% chance of making the 12-team field with a win over Clemson (9-3). But then they actually beat the Tigers, defeating another ranked team to finish the season on a six-game winning streak. If the playoff is about finding the true top dozen teams, Beamer argued, how could South Carolina be left out? “If the committee’s job is to pick the 12 best teams,” Beamer said, “you tell me on selection Sunday, if South Carolina pops up in that bracket, I don’t know anyone that would be excited about playing this team the way we’re playing. That is what I judge it on.” Whether or not it will be a part of the selection committee’s decision when they choose the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field next Sunday, Beamer made a pretty convincing point. To look across college football is to see a bunch of mercurial teams. On Friday, Georgia needed eight overtimes to beat a 7-5 Georgia Tech team . Just as the Clemson-South Carolina game went final, Michigan (7-5) knocked off No. 2 Ohio State. And that all comes just a week after six teams ranked in the Top 16 lost. Yet, South Carolina just keeps winning. The Gamecocks have not faltered since Oct. 12 . While they do have three blemishes on their record — losses to LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama — there’s no truly ugly loss. “I don’t know if there is a hotter team in America than what we are,” Beamer said. “Six wins in a row, four over ranked opponents, on the road for two of them. Outside of the Alabama loss, this was the first close road game we had all season. “We are hot,” he added. “You want to be a team that is playing their best football at the end of the season. We sure are.” When is the next College Football Playoff rankings release? The next College Football Playoff show and Top 25 release is 7 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN. The final CFP selections and playoff bracket will be revealed at noon next Sunday, Dec. 8. This story was originally published November 30, 2024, 6:00 PM.
By ROB GILLIES TORONTO (AP) — Canada is already examining possible retaliatory tariffs on certain items from the United States should President-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, a senior official said Wednesday. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if the countries don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across southern and northern borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders. A Canadian government official said Canada is preparing for every eventuality and has started thinking about what items to target with tariffs in retaliation. The official stressed no decision has been made. The person spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. When Trump imposed higher tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a tit-for-tat response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Many of the U.S. products were chosen for their political rather than economic impact. For example, Canada imports $3 million worth of yogurt from the U.S. annually and most comes from one plant in Wisconsin, home state of then-House Speaker Paul Ryan. That product was hit with a 10% duty. Another product on the list was whiskey, which comes from Tennessee and Kentucky, the latter of which is the home state of then-Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell. Trump made the threat Monday while railing against an influx of illegal migrants, even though the numbers at Canadian border pale in comparison to the southern border. The U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone — and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian one between October 2023 and September 2024. Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are happy to work with the Trump administration to lower the numbers from Canada. The Canadians are also worried about a influx north of migrants if Trump follows through with his plan for mass deportations. Trump also railed about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though seizures from the Canadian border pale in comparison to the Mexican border. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. Related Articles National Politics | Trump selects longtime adviser Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia National Politics | Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be different National Politics | Trump transition says Cabinet picks, appointees were targeted by bomb threats, swatting attacks National Politics | Southwest states certify election results after the process led to controversy in previous years National Politics | Political stress: Can you stay engaged without sacrificing your mental health? Canadian officials argue their country is not the problem and that tariffs will have severe implications for both countries. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US$2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. “Canada is essential to the United States’ domestic energy supply,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said. Trump has pledged to cut American energy bills in half within 18 months, something that could be made harder if a 25% premium is added to Canadian oil imports. In 2023, Canadian oil accounted for almost two-thirds of total U.S. oil imports and about one-fifth of the U.S. oil supply. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is holding a emergency virtual meeting on Wednesday with the leaders of Canada’s provinces, who want Trudeau to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States that excludes Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that.”A bankruptcy judge on Monday ordered a new hearing in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' effort to stop the satirical news outlet The Onion from buying Infowars and turning it into a parody. Jones alleges fraud and collusion marred the bankruptcy auction in which The Onion was named the winning bidder on Nov. 14 over a company affiliated with him. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez had been scheduled to hear an emergency motion to disqualify The Onion's bid, but decided to put it off until either Dec. 9 or Dec. 17. That's also when the judge will hear arguments on a request to approve the sale of Infowars to The Onion. Lopez said similar arguments are being made in both requests. Lopez could ultimately allow The Onion to move forward with its purchase, order a new auction or name the other bidder as the winner. At stake is whether Jones gets to stay at Infowars’ studio in Austin, Texas, under a new owner friendly to him, or whether he gets kicked out by The Onion. The other bidder, First United American Companies, runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements. Regardless, Jones has set up a new studio, websites and social media accounts that would allow him to keep airing his show. And his personal account with 3.3 million followers on the social platform X was not part of the sale, although Lopez will be deciding whether it should be included in the liquidation and sold off later. In a new court filing Monday, lawyers for X objected to any sale of the accounts of both Jones and Infowars, saying X is the owner of the accounts and that it has not given consent for them to be sold or transferred. Jones has praised X owner Elon Musk on his show and suggested that Musk should buy Infowars. Musk has not responded publicly to that suggestion and was not among the bidders. Jones' bankruptcy and the liquidation of his assets came about after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones was found liable for defamation and emotional distress damages in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas for repeatedly calling the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control. Proceeds from the liquidation are to go to Jones' creditors, including the Sandy Hook families who sued him. Jones alleges The Onion’s bid was the result of fraud and collusion involving many of those families, the humor site and a court-appointed trustee who is overseeing the liquidation. First United American Companies submitted a $3.5 million sealed bid, while The Onion offered $1.75 million in cash. But The Onion's bid also included a pledge by Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that made The Onion's proposal better for creditors and he named it the winning bid. He has denied any wrongdoing. Jones and First United American Companies claimed that the bid violated Lopez’s rules for the auction by including multiple entities and lacking a valid dollar amount. Jones also alleged Murray improperly canceled an expected round of live bidding and only selected from among the sealed bids that were submitted. Jones called the auction “rigged” and a “fraud” on his show, which airs on the Infowars website, radio stations and Jones' X account. He filed a counter lawsuit last week against Murray, The Onion's parent company and the Sandy Hook families in the bankruptcy court. In a court filing on Sunday, Murray called the allegations a “desperate attempt” to delay the sale of Infowars to The Onion and accused Jones, his lawyers and attorneys for First United American Companies of a “vicious smear campaign lobbing patently false accusations.” He also alleges Jones collaborated with First United American Companies to try to buy Infowars. Lopez’s September order on the auction procedures made a live bidding round optional. And it gave broad authority to Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Jones, his company and their creditors. But at a Nov. 14 hearing Lopez said he was concerned about the process and transparency. “We’re all going to an evidentiary hearing and I’m going to figure out exactly what happened,” he said. “No one should feel comfortable with the results of this auction.” The assets of Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, that were up for sale included the Austin studio, Infowars' video archive, video production equipment, product trademarks, and Infowars' websites and social media accounts. Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights, but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened . Jones has brought in millions of dollars a year in revenue by hawking nutritional supplements, clothing, survival gear and other merchandise, including more than $22 million this year through Sept. 30 from his Infowars Store website, according to court documents. Many of Jones’ personal assets, including real estate, guns and other personal belongings, also are being sold as part of the bankruptcy. Documents filed in court this year say Jones has about $9 million in personal assets, while Free Speech Systems has about $6 million in cash and more than $1 million worth of inventory. Dave Collins, The Associated Press
Job market jitters real for some mid-career Minnesotans and recent grads'We owe him a debt of gratitude': Presidents remember Jimmy Carter after death at 100
Pep Guardiola has pledged to step aside if he fails to turn around Manchester City’s poor run of form. The City boss is enduring the worst run of his glittering managerial career after a six-game winless streak featuring five successive defeats and a calamitous 3-3 draw in a match his side had led 3-0. The 53-year-old, who has won 18 trophies since taking charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, signed a contract extension through to the summer of 2027 just over a week ago. Yet, despite his remarkable successes, he still considers himself vulnerable to the sack and has pleaded with the club to keep faith. “I don’t want to stay in the place if I feel like I’m a problem,” said the Spaniard, who watched in obvious frustration as City conceded three times in the last 15 minutes in a dramatic capitulation against Feyenoord in midweek. “I don’t want to stay here just because the contract is there. “My chairman knows it. I said to him, ‘Give me the chance to try come back’, and especially when everybody comes back (from injury) and see what happens. “After, if I’m not able to do it, we have to change because, of course, (the past) nine years are dead. “More than ever I ask to my hierarchy, give me the chance. “Will it be easy for me now? No. I have the feeling that still I have a job to do and I want to do it.” City have been hampered by a raft of injuries this term, most pertinently to midfield talisman and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. The Euro 2024 winner is expected to miss the remainder of the season and his absence has been keenly felt over the past two months. Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has also not started a match since September. The pressure continues to build with champions City facing a crucial trip to title rivals and Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday. Defeat would leave City trailing Arne Slot’s side by 11 points. “I don’t enjoy it at all, I don’t like it,” said Guardiola of his side’s current situation. “I sleep not as good as I slept when I won every game. “The sound, the smell, the perfume is not good enough right now. “But I’m the same person who won the four Premier Leagues in a row. I was happier because I ate better, lived better, but I was not thinking differently from who I am.” Guardiola is confident his side will not stop battling as they bid to get back on track. He said: “The people say, ‘Yeah, it’s the end of that’. Maybe, but we are in November. We will see what happens until the end. “What can you do? Cry for that? You don’t stay long – many, many years without fighting. That is what you try to look for, this is the best (way). “Why should we not believe? Why should it not happen with us?”Enhancing Property Safety with Landscape Lighting: Protecting Homes During Darker Winter Months
On Jimmy Carter’s Deep and Historic Connection With Musicians: Why He Is Remembered as the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll President’Questioning the decisions of professionals is a time-honored tradition of sports fans and automotive enthusiasts alike. Professional athletes train their entire lives, honing physiques, sharpening minds, studying every aspect of their chosen game, only to have thousands of fans spilling beverages while scrutinizing every move and shouting suggested improvements. While automotive enthusiasts aren't as vocal, we suffer the same angst and spill the occasional beverage when discussing the state of automobiles for which we've developed a passion. One area in particular that gets our blood boiling is news that a beloved model is getting the axe just because some corporate bean counter (no offense intended to those tasked with the counting of beans) placed more beans in the "cons" column than they did in the "pros." We won't include the Nissan MID4 among our lost loves since it was discontinued before it even rolled off the factory floor , but the recently announced discontinuance of the Nissan GT-R has already left a hole in some of our hearts. In addition to the GT-R, the Nissan Titan XD is among the top brand cars and trucks being discontinued in 2025 that we wish would stick around. Other Nissan models we wish were still available include the Xterra, Juke, and Murano CrossCabriolet. If you hurry, you might be able to snag a new Nissan GT-R, but with the beloved model's slated demise following a limited 2025 production run, your opportunity to be the first owner of one of Nissan's most iconic sports cars is slipping away, at least for a while. The suggested prices of the 2024 Nissan GT-R range from $121,090 for the Premium AWD version to $221,090 for the AWD Nismo. Intermediate models include the Skyline Edition and T-spec AWD. In all, these model names are reminiscent of some of the best special edition Nissan GT-Rs ever made . The top-spec 2024 Nissan GT-R Nismo AWD features a specially-tuned 600-horsepower twin-turbo 3.8-liter V6. The Nismo V6 produces 481 pound-feet of torque and gets an estimated 22 mpg on the highway using premium unleaded gas. Power transmits to all four tires through a six-speed auto-shift manual transmission and limited-slip differential system. The final GT-R features independent double wishbone suspension up front and independent multi-link rear suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars. The rack-and-pinion steering mechanism features hydraulic power-assist and speed-sensitive operation. The Titan is another discontinued model you might still find on a dealer lot if you hurry. While the Cummins diesel-powered Nissan Titan XD , discontinued following the 2019 model year, was never particularly well-suited to compete in the heavy-duty pickup truck segment it was often associated with, it served a noble purpose nonetheless. It was the worst truck, the truck that other trucks aspired to be better than. With the Titan XD's absence, other automakers could let their trucks slip into the lowest position and begin to feel comfortable there. The loss of diesel-powered half-ton trucks, and entire V8-engine lineups, are the slippery-slope that the Nissan Titan XD once held firm. While rumors of the Nissan Titan making a comeback in 2025 appear false, the gas-powered 2024 Titan XD is likely still available, although it's also being discontinued. The 2024 Titan XD featured a 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 with 413 lb-ft of torque. Its drivetrain consisted of a nine-speed automatic transmission, a two-speed switch-operated transfer case, and Nissan's standard four-wheel drive while the Titan XD PRO-4X trim came with an electronic locking rear differential. However, we wish the 5.0 Cummins diesel-powered Nissan Titan XD was still available. We'll admit that if you peruse the pages of SlashGear you'll find the Nissan Xterra listed among the used Nissan models you should steer clear of at all costs . But that was the 2005 model year that kicked off the Xterra's second generation. Of course, we'd like to see a host of improvements associated with the return of the Xterra, but hopefully with enough of its rugged charm to compete with other off-road-oriented SUVs dominating the market today. Early versions of the Xterra included the XE and SE trims. Engine offerings were divided between a 2.4L inline four-cylinder and a 3.3L V6. We'd expect a returning Nissan Xterra to share drivetrain specs with the ongoing midsize Nissan Frontier pickup truck. For 2024, the Frontier featured a 310-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 delivering up to 281 lb-ft of torque, a nine-speed automatic transmission, and a two-speed transfer case on 4x4 models. Hopefully, if it returns, the Xterra doesn't devolve into another soccer-team-transport vehicle best suited to traversing mall parking lots. It would be nice to see an Xterra equipped to compete with the likes of the Ford Bronco Raptor, or Wildtrak . The Nissan Juke, with its quirky front turn signals perched atop its fenders like raised eyebrows, didn't present a face everyone loved. Nissan introduced the Juke, a compact crossover, in 2010. Inspired by the Qazana concept vehicle that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show the year prior, the innovative Juke featured torque-vectoring technology, the first for a compact car. In the early model Jukes, it was common to find a naturally aspirated 188-horsepower 1.6-liter engine under the hood. However, before the Juke was discontinued in the U.S . and replaced by the Nissan Kicks following the 2017 model year, Nissan changed up the Juke's engine lineup. Starting in 2014, Nissan began offering the Juke with a smaller 1.2-liter DIG-T 115 (Direct Injection Gasoline-Turbo offering 115 ps, or 113 horsepower) and a revised 188-horsepower DIG-T 190 engine for the Juke Nismo with 177 lb-ft of torque. Of course the Nismo RS sits on top of our Nissan Juke wishlist. It not only featured race-inspired seats, an aerodynamic body kit, and Nismo-tuned suspension components, its engine produced 215 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. Up to this point, our wish list for returning Nissan models has included a sports car, a diesel pickup, a rugged off-road vehicle, and a quirky yet sporty compact SUV. For our final wish, provided we can find a genie that grants five wishes, we'd like to see an updated version of the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. Sure, maybe the Murano CrossCabriolet, arguably one of the weirdest SUVs ever made , was ahead of its time when it debuted in 2011 as a convertible SUV with soft suspension and odd steering. And its low sales volume suggests that the SUV-buying public didn't warm up to its uniqueness by the time Nissan pulled the plug on it after the 2014 model year. But the world has changed in the 11 years since its departure. The basic Nissan Murano, now in its fourth generation, has proved quite popular with U.S. SUV buyers, although it flopped in other parts of the world. Given the Nissan Murano's staying power and the popularity of convertible SUVs like the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, the CrossCabriolet is sure to find some buyers given the proper treatment and an affordable suggested price from Nissan.Pep Guardiola: If I can’t reverse Manchester City slide then I have to go
If the thought of a cranberry vodka slush or frozen hot chocolate raises your holiday spirits high, then Walmart might have exactly what you want to see underneath your Christmas tree . The Ninja SLUSHi 3-in-1 Professional Frozen Drink Maker is back in stock at Walmart, and it doesn’t come with the typical $300 price tag that you’ll see on the Ninja website (or at retailers like Kohl’s and Target, when it’s actually in stock). This Walmart-exclusive special edition SLUSHi is marked down from $300 to $249, for a total $51 savings, and you can’t find it anywhere else. Shop Walmart’s full Black Friday sale now. With Ninja’s proprietary RapidChill Technology, you can turn your favorite cold drinks into frosty delights in just 15 minutes. The machine works by swirling liquids around a chilling cylinder and adjusting the temperature and texture to get a perfect, smooth consistency without any ice. The 72-ounce version is perfect for smaller kitchens, but also just as suitable for people who can appreciate a frozen bevvy once in a while, but don’t need to have everything they’re drinking on the frozen side. Instead of the larger 88-ounce iteration that has five presets — Slush, Spiked Slush, Milkshake, Frappé and Frozen Juice — this one just has the Slush, Spiked Slush and Milkshake. So, if you’re not a frozen ‘snow salt chococcino’ connoisseur or a fan of icy juices, then you definitely don’t need to have the bigger slush machine. You can still everything from cranberry orange slushies to candy cane mocha iced martinis and even gingerbread milkshakes or fizzy and frozen pomegranate champagne floats. Whether you’re hosting a party or just enjoying a cozy night in during the busy holiday season, your Ninja SLUSHi will be the biggest conversation piece in your kitchen. I say this, too, because it has been a major hit in mine ever since I got it in August. I can’t wait to make some “toasted elves” (think: amaretto, coffee liquor, vodka and chocolate syrup) when we’re putting up our tree in the next few weeks! Shop the Ninja SLUSHi 72 oz. 3-Programs Professional Frozen Drink Maker for $249 at Walmart here. And keep these other Ninja deals in mind, as well. Ninja Blast 16-Ounce Personal Portable Blender for $40, instead of $50 Ninja THIRSTi Drink System for $119, instead of $169 Ninja 5-Preset CREAMi Ice Cream Maker for $149, instead of $199 The Best Black Friday Deals in 2024 Amazon is having a secret sale on the GE Profile smart indoor smoker that makes it even cheaper for Black Friday Amazon has this enormous 77-inch Samsung OLED 4K TV on sale for $900 off in an unbeatable Black Friday deal Walmart has this giant JBL Partybox speaker on sale for a whopping $201 off for Black Friday — but this deal won’t last 31 Black Friday mattress sales to shop, including holiday deals from Walmart, Amazon, Sealy, Serta and more Amazon has Hey Dude sneakers on sale for up to 59% off for Black Friday Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Danielle Halibey can be reached at dhalibey@njadvancemedia.com . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips .As Elon Musk says, 'Will go to war on H-1B visa'; he gets support from the 'most-important' man in AmericaHornets point guard LaMelo Ball will miss at least 2 weeks with a left calf strainThe 32 things we learned from Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season: The number of TD receptions by Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride, who scored on his 98th catch of the season. Had he not found the end zone via reception, McBride would – by far – have had the most snags in a single campaign without a receiving touchdown in the history of the league. The number of times Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield has thrown five touchdown passes in a game, though Sunday was the first time he'd done it for the Bucs. He needs one more to become the 12th player to ever post 40 in a season. Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow became the 11th on Saturday. The number of kicks blocked this season by Los Angeles Rams LB Michael Hoecht. Costing the Cardinals an extra point Saturday night was a huge assist in a game LA won 13-9. The number of consecutive seasons the Buccaneers have made the playoffs, the longest active streak in the NFC. Sunday's 48-14 rout of the Carolina Panthers keeps the Bucs alive and kicking for both the NFC South crown and the conference's final wild-card berth – and they'll get help one way or another when the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders meet Sunday night. The number of consecutive seasons in which Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen has accounted for at least 40 touchdowns, an NFL record. 6. Allen passed for two more TDs in Sunday's shellacking of the New York Jets and ran for another, pushing him past 40 combined for 2024. Will it be enough to earn him his first MVP award even though he's had more impressive statistical seasons? The jersey number of Philadelphia Eagles backup QB Kenny Pickett. Unclear why the team is letting a digit made famous by the likes of QBs Ron Jaworski and Michael Vick remain in circulation ... aside from special circumstances. Maybe. Kenny Pickett wut — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) The number of consecutive games that Burrow has thrown for at least 250 yards and three TDs, an extension of his own NFL record after his huge performance in Saturday's win over the Denver Broncos. Maybe Burrow should be the MVP. The number of NFL players – ever – to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards after . (And it should be noted that Barkley only needed 16 games to reach the hallowed benchmark.) Standing ovation for reaching 2,000 yards 🔥💚 — NFL (@NFL) Now with a league-high 2,005 yards, Barkley needs 101 to overtake , which was set by the Hall of Famer with the Rams in 1984. And maybe Barkley should be the MVP given he piled up 167 yards on the ground Sunday despite playing with Pickett and QB3 Tanner McKee all day. The number of consecutive seasons Hall of Famer Jerry Rice posted 1,000 receiving yards, an NFL record. Bucs WR Mike Evans needs 85 yards in Week 18 to match Rice's mark. Notable this year given Evans missed three games with a bad hamstring. Unlucky No. 13? Eh, anyone becoming an interim coach is, by definition, behind the power curve. This year's trio is now a collective 5-17 after getting swept in Week 17. The Jets' Jeff Ulbrich is 2-9, the Saints' Darren Rizzi 3-4, and the Bears' Thomas Brown is 0-4. The number of sacks Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett has had in each of the past four seasons, the first player in league history with such a run ever since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. Speaking of sacks, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers has now been bagged 568 times in his career, overtaking Tom Brady (565) on Sunday for the most times any quarterback has gone down since 1982. "I got Tom in that," Rodgers said with a wry smile after New York's 40-14 loss at Buffalo. While Rodgers set that dubious mark Sunday, he didn't manage to throw a TD pass, keeping him stuck on 499 during the regular season over the course of his 20-year career. The Las Vegas Raiders' Brock Bowers set two records Sunday, – he now has 1,144, surpassing Mike Ditka's 1,076 (in 14 games in 1961) – and the overall rookie record for receptions (108). But look out for the New York Giants' Malik Nabers, who's up to 104 catches (in 14 games) and could certainly overtake 2024 first-round draftmate Bowers in Week 18. The rookie receptions record has now changed hands three times in the past four seasons, the Miami Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle (2021) and Rams' Puka Nacua (2023) briefly holding it as well. Anquan Boldin is the only other player to hit the century mark, which he did way back in 2003. Back to the Giants, it's suddenly less clear who will be throwing passes to Nabers in 2025 after New York won its first home game of 2024 ... but to No. 4. Now ? How about the New England Patriots, who picked QB Drake Maye third overall earlier this year. That should allow the Pats to incite a bidding war between the Giants, Browns and Tennessee Titans, who would all seemingly be in the market to take or at the top of the board four months from now. Also paying the price for the Giants' one-day revival were the Indianapolis Colts, who were eliminated from the playoff race due to their loss at MetLife Stadium. Who had undrafted Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle, who'd never started before this season, rushing for 1,000 yards? Who had Bucs rookie RB Bucky Irving, who started twice this season, rushing for 1,000 yards? So, if you're the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, would you rather win the AFC North and likely host the surging Los Angeles Chargers, or get a wild card and visit the AFC South "champion" Houston Texans in the opening round of the postseason? The Minnesota Vikings' Sam Darnold is the first NFL quarterback to notch 14 wins in his first season with a team after Sunday's defeat of the Green Bay Packers. The Vikes are one win shy of the franchise regular-season record of 15 wins – which occurred in a 16-game season back in 1998 ... when they also lost a heartbreaking NFC championship game to Atlanta. The Packers seemed to sleepwalk through most of their game in the Twin Cities ... but don't forget, they had nothing to play for but seeding. The Detroit Lions could be forgiven for sleepwalking through Monday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers, given it will have no impact on what's become a winner-take-all game for the NFC's No. 1 seed between the Lions and Vikings in Week 18. The best NFL-related video we've since Christmas involved Darnold. THAT’S OUR FREAKING QUARTERBACK — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) The second-best NFL-related video we've since Christmas involved, well, focus on Bolts DB Derwin James. WHO'S GOT IT BETTER THAN US? — Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) The second-best NFL-related video we saw on Christmas? Andy Reid, y'all. "For the present, you get home field advantage." Santa Reid giving the best gift of all. 😂🎅 — NFL (@NFL) But the best NFL-related video we saw on Christmas? Leave it to Beyoncé to salvage of pro football. . Bey and Blue 💙 — NFL (@NFL) ***
Data readiness is the ability of an organization to collect, manage and effectively use data. This concept is never more crucial than during the holiday season, which for many retailers represents their most important time of year. As retailers seek to maximize their impact during this peak period and retain customers after the holiday season, the ability to leverage real-time data becomes even more critical. A PYMNTS Intelligence report, “ The Platform Business Data Readiness Survey: How Real-Time Data Can Drive Growth ,” created in collaboration with Fiserv , examines the growing importance of data readiness for businesses aiming to optimize operations and unlock market potential. The study reveals that 62% of platform businesses view real-time data as crucial to their strategies, with those leveraging such insights 1.5 times more likely to experience higher revenue growth. Real-time data facilitates quicker decision-making, enabling companies to respond to market changes, track customer behavior and customize marketing efforts to enhance engagement and conversions. Data as a Retention Tool In an interview with PYMNTS, Martin Qiu , Associate Professor, Lazaridis School of Business and Economics , Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, said how data readiness can offer retailers a range of tools to retain customers and elevate business performance. “Data readiness offers retailers multiple means to boost business performance,” Qiu said. “Data readiness can facilitate converting new shoppers who are attracted by seasonal shopping promotions into loyal customers through strategic customer experience management.” Specifically, Qiu added, during holiday promotions, retailers can capture first-time customers’ engagement through integrated feedback systems, ratings collection and social sharing initiatives, while correlating these insights with their purchase patterns. “By analyzing this rich dataset, retailers can identify promising customer segments and develop targeted loyalty programs tailored to their characteristics,” he said. “By doing so, retailers can nurture these relationships beyond the holiday season, effectively converting seasonal buyers into return customers. This data-driven approach to customer experience highlights the value of data readiness in customer relationship management (CRM).” Gleaning Insights Expanding on this, Sudip Mazumder , senior vice president, retail industry lead, North America, at digital consultancy Publicis Sapient , told PYMNTS a solid data foundation is essential for capturing valuable customer insights during the holiday season. “Data readiness plays a pivotal role in data capture during the holidays and post-holiday engagement, offering numerous benefits to retailers,” Mazumder said. “Omnichannel integration facilitates seamless customer journeys during the holiday season. Data readiness ensures a smooth transition between online and offline channels, enabling retailers to track customer behavior across various devices and touch points. “A robust data foundation allows for personalized experiences, as retailers can analyze customer data to tailor product recommendations, promotions and experiences to individual preferences during the holiday season,” he added. “Additionally, data-driven optimization enhances checkout processes, reducing cart abandonment and improving conversion rates. Integrating loyalty programs with data collection systems can further capture valuable customer shopping preferences.” After the holidays, Mazumder said retailers can leverage this same data for post-holiday engagement and retention. “Regarding post-holiday engagement and retention, retailers can use the data captured for advanced customer micro-segmentation, allowing targeted marketing,” he said. “Retailers can deliver highly personalized marketing campaigns by segmenting customers based on purchase history, preferences and demographics. This approach includes offering tailored promotions and discounts to encourage repeat purchases and foster customer relationships even after the holidays. “Lifecycle marketing strategies, such as win-back campaigns, use data to identify inactive customers and re-engage them with personalized offers and incentives,” Mazumder added. “Retailers can also identify opportunities to enhance the shopping experience and strengthen customer relationships by analyzing customer journeys.” This data-driven approach extends beyond customer engagement and retention, also playing a crucial role in product development and innovation after the holiday season, Mazumder said. “Data also supports product development and innovation post-holidays,” he said. “Analyzing trends helps retailers identify emerging consumer preferences, informing future product development and assortment planning. Evaluating customer feedback and reviews provides valuable product improvement and innovation insights. By prioritizing data readiness and effectively leveraging customer data, retailers can optimize their holiday season performance, build stronger customer relationships and drive long-term growth.” What Businesses Can Do With Data Bellamy Grindl , principal and founder of Retailytics , told PYMNTS that data readiness is key during the holidays, “especially for brands that see a big revenue spike. For seasonal brands, November can be as big as 25% of annual revenue.” Grindl offered some best practices for retailers: Segmenting shoppers to focus on high-value customers versus one-time buyers. Using real-time data to adjust inventory, pricing and promotions on the fly. Personalization, like tailored emails or product recommendations, to boost conversion. Launch retention campaigns post-holiday to turn seasonal shoppers into loyal customers. Keep teams aligned so decisions are driven by shared data insights.A planned expansion of the Batavia Downs hotel is on hold, possibly for as much as a year, officials with Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. announced Thursday. Outgoing CEO Henry Wojtaszek said the agency put the 48-room addition on pause after two estimates solicited from Buffalo-based developers came in above expectations. The pause could last six months to a year, he said. According to Wojtaszek, both The Krog Group and Ciminelli Real Estate estimated the project would cost around $16 million. Both offers were far above what the agency had hoped to spend on the project, he said. The announcement of the pause came alongside incoming CEO Byron Brown telling board members he and other leaders had designed a “conservative” budget for 2025. Next year’s spending plan, he said, is focused on keeping costs down and managing a reduction in horse-race betting, a decades-long trend. At the same time, leaders hope to send additional money to the 15 counties and two cities that own the corporation. “Our goal is to increase disbursements,” Brown said. “The plan has been prepared in a very conservative way to give us the opportunity to do that.” The hotel expansion pause follows a March vote by the board to spend $106,000 on architectural plans and a market analysis in preparation for the project. The board voted then to pay Orchard Park-based Bammel Architects $76,000 to design the expansion and $30,000 to Spectrum Gaming Group to evaluate the expansion’s pros and cons. Donated to support the investigative post Double Your Money! Donations of up to $1,000 made by Dec. 31 will be matched. For months, OTB leadership has said the hotel is regularly between 94 and 96 percent occupied, leading them to believe an expansion was necessary. Not expanding the hotel means “we’re limited in our growth,” Chautauqua County board member Vincent Horrigan said. Brown agreed. “That’s one of the reasons why the board was looking at the expansion of the hotel, because the hotel has provided opportunities for additional financial growth of the corporation,” Brown said. The hotel at Batavia Downs has been controversial for nearly a decade. In the spring of 2015, OTB, then under Republican control, voted to sell approximately an acre of land adjacent to the Batavia Downs casino to a group of investors who had joined together as ADK Hospitality, LLC. Among the investors were Kent Frey of Frey Electric Construction and David McNamara, a partner at the Phillips Lytle law firm — both significant Republican donors. Additional investors included Anthony J. Baynes, a former chair of the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority, and James and John Basil, who own car dealerships. ADK Hospitality spent $5.5 million to build the 84-room hotel, buoyed by $600,000 in tax breaks from the Genesee County Industrial Development Agency. The hotel turned a profit each year until the pandemic. In 2021, OTB bought the hotel for $7.5 million.That purchase, done through a bond, raised concerns with Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick, who has questioned the project for the past two years. Hardwick in July 2022 sent a letter to OTB management indicating he had “serious questions” about the hotel’s development and management, as well as OTB’s eventual purchase of the property. Among Hardwick’s questions: Why would OTB engage a group of investors — many of them big political donors to Republicans — who had never developed a hotel before? Who approached whom? How was the sale price for the land determined? Who initiated OTB’s purchase of the hotel? And who set the price? Wojtaszek, the OTB president and CEO, instructed his staff not to respond to the comptroller’s inquiries, writing in an email that Hardwick’s questions were “designed to harass & intimidate our organization” and the comptroller’s office “can FOIL the documents.” Hardwick’s deputy, Timothy Callan, now represents Erie County on the OTB board and controls the greatest number of votes following last year’s Democratic takeover. Callan, in the spring, voted against plans to study the hotel’s expansion. Investigative Post reporter Geoff Kelly contributed to this story.
The City boss is enduring the worst run of his glittering managerial career after a six-game winless streak featuring five successive defeats and a calamitous 3-3 draw in a match his side had led 3-0. The 53-year-old, who has won 18 trophies since taking charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2016, signed a contract extension through to the summer of 2027 just over a week ago. Yet, despite his remarkable successes, he still considers himself vulnerable to the sack and has pleaded with the club to keep faith. “I don’t want to stay in the place if I feel like I’m a problem,” said the Spaniard, who watched in obvious frustration as City conceded three times in the last 15 minutes in a dramatic capitulation against Feyenoord in midweek. “I don’t want to stay here just because the contract is there. “My chairman knows it. I said to him, ‘Give me the chance to try come back’, and especially when everybody comes back (from injury) and see what happens. “After, if I’m not able to do it, we have to change because, of course, (the past) nine years are dead. “More than ever I ask to my hierarchy, give me the chance. “Will it be easy for me now? No. I have the feeling that still I have a job to do and I want to do it.” City have been hampered by a raft of injuries this term, most pertinently to midfield talisman and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. The Euro 2024 winner is expected to miss the remainder of the season and his absence has been keenly felt over the past two months. Playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has also not started a match since September. The pressure continues to build with champions City facing a crucial trip to title rivals and Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday. Defeat would leave City trailing Arne Slot’s side by 11 points. “I don’t enjoy it at all, I don’t like it,” said Guardiola of his side’s current situation. “I sleep not as good as I slept when I won every game. “The sound, the smell, the perfume is not good enough right now. “But I’m the same person who won the four Premier Leagues in a row. I was happier because I ate better, lived better, but I was not thinking differently from who I am.” Guardiola is confident his side will not stop battling as they bid to get back on track. He said: “The people say, ‘Yeah, it’s the end of that’. Maybe, but we are in November. We will see what happens until the end. “What can you do? Cry for that? You don’t stay long – many, many years without fighting. That is what you try to look for, this is the best (way). “Why should we not believe? Why should it not happen with us?”US prosecutors seek to drop federal criminal cases against TrumpUK's longest-serving MP calls for assisted dying vote delay as not enough time 'to consider immense complexities'
Cadillac to enter F1 in 2026
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