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Michael Croley | (TNS) Bloomberg News In the old days of 2016, when golfers visited the Dormie Club in West End, North Carolina — 15 minutes from the hotbed of American golf, Pinehurst — they were greeted by a small, single-wide trailer and a rugged pine straw parking lot. Related Articles Travel | A preview of some stunning hotels and resorts opening in 2025 Travel | Travel scams that can hurt your credit or finances Travel | Travel: Paddle the Loxahatchee River, one of two National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Florida Travel | 7 family-friendly ski resorts in the US that won’t break the bank Travel | It’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel That trailer is now long gone. A gate has been installed at the club’s entrance and a long driveway leads to a grand turnaround that sweeps you past a new modern clubhouse that’s all right angles, with floor-to-ceiling glass. Seconds after you exit your car, valets are zipping up in golf carts, taking your name, then your bags, handing you keys to your own golf cart, and then zipping off to drop your luggage in the four-bedroom cottage where you’ll stay. A short walk past an expansive putting green you’ll find the pro shop — and then you’ll see the club’s most elegant feature: its golf course. The changes have all come about because Dormie Club was acquired in 2017 by the Dormie Network, a national group that owns seven private golf facilities from Nebraska to New Jersey. (“Dormie” is a word for being ahead in golf — the names were coincidences.) A key to the network’s success has been its ability to find clubs ripe for acquisition, with outstanding golf courses and existing on-site lodging or the room to build it, says Zach Peed, president of the company and its driving force. After investing in Arbor Links Golf Club in Nebraska City, Nebraska, in late 2015, Peed believed he saw an opening in the golf market: a new model of hospitality for traveling professionals who wanted a pure golf experience that eschewed the pools and pickleball courts of their home clubs. His clubs would become dream golf-only getaways for avid players and their pals. “Dormie Network’s concept was sparked by having played competitive golf in college, combined with an element of experiencing and understanding hospitality,” says Peed. “It made sense to blend the two to create golf trips that had more value than just playing golf. We want genuine hospitality to help create unforgettable memories and new friendships.” Part of that formula has been in the lodging strategy; in North Carolina, 15 four-bedroom cottages now are a short golf cart ride from the main clubhouse. In each, golfers all have their own king-size bed and en suite bathroom. A large common room is dominated by a flatscreen television along with a well-stocked bar and snacks. That ability to be both social, or tucked away in your room, extends to the expansive new clubhouse, where a high-ceilinged bar area with blond wood creates an inviting space for dining and drinking, and several hideaway rooms allow for more private diners with just your group. So far, their commitment to hospitality has been helping them expand in both membership and club usage in the increasingly competitive market for traveling golfers. Major players such as Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst Resort, and the Cabot Collection have created — or renovated — a new paradigm where golfers get dining and lodging that’s as showcase-worthy as the courses they play. Comfortable sheets and options beyond pub food aren’t luxuries anymore, but staples for many group trips. Dormie has answered that call by focusing on both the big details and the small ones, like having the dew wiped off each golf cart at dawn outside guest cottages before the day begins or having a tray of cocktails delivered to golfers as their final putt falls on the 18th green. These touches may seem over-the-top, but they stand out in a world where golf travel is increasingly popular — and expensive — after the pandemic lockdowns. Since 2020 there has been an explosion in participation in the sport, with new golfers picking up the game and avid golfers playing more: According to the National Golf Foundation, a record 531 million rounds were played in 2023, surpassing the high of 529 million set in 2021. Supreme Golf, a public golf booking website, reports in its latest analysis that the average cost of a tee time has increased to $49 in 2024 from $38 in 2019, a 30% increase. Those cost increases are also on par (pun intended) with the costs of private clubs and initiation fees during that same period, where membership rosters that were dwindling pre-COVID now have waitlists 50 to 60 people deep, according to Jason Becker, co-founder and chief executive officer of Golf Life Navigators, which matches homebuyers with golf course communities. “There’s been an absolute run on private golf. If we use southwest Florida as an example, where there are 158 golf communities, this time last November, only five had memberships available,” he said. That inability to find a club close to home has pushed avid golfers to look farther afield, choosing national memberships at clubs that require traveling, usually via plane, to play. Dormie has capitalized on this growing segment, offering two types of memberships: First, a national membership, where members pay an initiation fee and monthly dues just as they would at a local club, but instead of one club they have access to seven. The second option is a signature membership for companies, “which allows businesses to use our properties for entertainment needs and requires a multiyear commitment,” Peed says. The network also offers a limited number of regional memberships for those living within a certain distance of one of its clubs. Dormie Network declined to provide the cost of memberships or monthly dues and wouldn’t give membership numbers, but the clubs are structured to lodge roughly 60 golfers, max, on-site at any given property at any time. The total number of beds across the network’s portfolio of properties has increased from 84 in 2019 to 432 today. It saw a jump from 10,000 room nights in 2019 to 48,000 in 2023. This September, Dormie opened GrayBull in Maxwell, in Nebraska’s, Sandhills region. Dormie Network tabbed David McLay Kidd to build the course, who also built the original course at Oregon’s famed Bandon Dunes. Kidd says of the property GrayBull sits on, “It’s like the Goldilocks thing: not too flat, not too steep. It’s kind of in a bowl that looks inwards, and there are no bad views.” That kind of remote destination, where the long-range views are only Mother Nature or other golf holes, is what drives many traveling golfers these days. Peed says his team leaned on years of knowledge from Dormie’s acquisitions as they built GrayBull, which started construction in 2022. “We had an understanding of how our members and guests use the clubs that allowed us to take a blank canvas in the Sandhills of Nebraska and combine all of the greatest aspects of each Dormie property into one.” ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Bashar Barhoum woke in his prison cell in Damascus at dawn, thinking it would be the last day of his life. The 63-year-old writer was supposed to have been executed after being imprisoned for seven months. But he soon realized the men at the door weren’t from former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s notorious security forces, ready to take him to his death. Instead, they were rebels coming to set him free. As the insurgents swept across Syria in just 10 days to bring an end to the Assad family’s 50-year rule Dec. 8, they broke into prisons and security facilities to free political prisoners and many of the tens of thousands of people who disappeared since the conflict began back in 2011. Barhoum was one of those freed who were celebrating in Damascus. “I haven’t seen the sun until today,” Barhoum told The Associated Press after walking in disbelief through the streets of Damascus. “Instead of being dead tomorrow, thank God, he gave me a new lease of life.” Barhoum couldn’t find his cellphone and belongings in the prison, so he set off to find a way to tell his wife and daughters that he’s alive. Videos shared widely across social media showed dozens of prisoners running in celebration after the insurgents released them, some barefoot and others wearing little clothing. One of them screams in celebration after he finds out that the government has fallen. Syria’s prisons have been infamous for their harsh conditions. Torture is systemic, say human rights groups, whistleblowers and former detainees. Secret executions have been reported at more than two dozen facilities run by Syrian intelligence, as well as at other sites. In 2013, a Syrian military defector, known as “Caesar,” smuggled out over 53,000 photographs that human rights groups say showed clear evidence of rampant torture, but also disease and starvation in Syria’s prison facilities. Syria’s feared security apparatus and prisons did not only serve to isolate Assad’s opponents, but also to instill fear among his own people, said Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at the London think tank Chatham House. “Anxiety about being thrown in one of Assad’s notorious prisons created wide mistrust among Syrians,” Khatib said. “Assad nurtured this culture of fear to maintain control and crush political opposition.” Just north of Damascus, in the Saydnaya military prison known as the “human slaughterhouse,” female detainees, some with their children, screamed as men broke the locks off their cell doors in the early hours Sunday as insurgents entered the city. Amnesty International and other groups say that dozens of people were secretly executed every week in Saydnaya, estimating that up to 13,000 Syrians were killed between 2011 and 2016. “Don’t be afraid ... Bashar Assad has fallen! Why are you afraid?” said one of the rebels as he tried to rush streams of women out of their jam-packed tiny cells. Tens of thousands of detainees have so far been freed, said Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based pro-opposition war monitor. Over the course of 10 days, insurgents freed prisoners in cities including Aleppo, Homs, Hama and Damascus. Omar Alshogre, who was detained for three years and survived relentless torture, watched in awe from his home far from Syria as videos showed dozens of detainees fleeing. “A hundred democracies in the world had done nothing to help them, and now a few military groups came down and broke open prison after prison,” Alshogre, a human rights advocate who now resides in Sweden and the U.S., told The Associated Press. Meanwhile, families of detainees and the disappeared skipped celebrations of the downfall of the Assad dynasty. Instead, they waited outside prisons and security branch centers, hoping their loved ones would be there. They had high expectations for the newcomers who will now run the battered country. “This happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where he is,” said Bassam Masri. “I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years,” since the start of the Syrian uprising in 2011. Rebels struggled to control the chaos as crowds gathered by the Court of Justice in Damascus. Heba, who gave only her first name while speaking to the AP, said she was looking for her brother and brother-in-law who were detained while reporting a stolen car in 2011 and hadn’t been seen since. “They took away so many of us,” said Heba, whose mother’s cousin also disappeared. “We know nothing about them ... They (the Assad government) burned our hearts.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!Oregon beats San Diego State, improves to 7-0

Trump joins Putin, Xi and Modi as the ‘four horsemen’ of global authoritarianism

andresr/E+ via Getty Images Thesis Summary Medical Properties Trust, Inc. ( NYSE: MPW ) has seen its stock price plunge 80% in the past 5 years. The healthcare REIT has faced issues with tenants defaulting, which combined with higher interest rates has weighed Macro moves markets, and this is what I do at The Pragmatic Investor Join today and enjoy: - Weekly Macro Newsletter - Access to our Portfolio - Deep dive reports on stocks. - Regular news updates Start your free trial right now! James Foord is an economist by trade and has been analyzing global markets for the past decade. He leads the investing group The Pragmatic Investor where the focus is on building robust and truly diversified portfolios that will continually preserve and increase wealth. Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in MPW over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.A researcher with Goldman Sachs said he foresees “significant consequences” for US consumers under President-elect Donald Trump ‘s proposed tariffs . Trump announced that Canada and Mexico could soon see a 25 percent tariff added to all imported goods while China could face an additional 10 percent. Trump claims this is part of an effort to curtail “crime and drugs” coming into the U.S. and slow the number of illegal border crossings – but many critics are concerned it could lead to rising prices. Daan Struyven, head of commodities research at Goldman, is one of those critics. These tariffs “could in theory lead to some pretty significant consequences for three groups of people: US consumers, US refiners, and Canadian producers,” Struyven said, according to Bloomberg . Meanwhile, Trump spokesperson Brian Hughes said these policies will “protect the American manufacturers and working men and women from the unfair practices of foreign companies and foreign market.” “As he did in his first term, he will implement economic and trade policies to make life affordable and more prosperous for our nation,” Hughes added. Several economists have warned that the president-elect’s tariffs could lead to a spike in inflation – the very issue that many Americans said drove them to vote for Trump. Exit polls taken on Election Day showed that nearly 1⁄3 of voters ranked the economy as their top issue . Throughout his campaign, Trump played heavily on voters’ economic concerns, promising to lower grocery and gas prices amid a cost-of-living crisis. George Washington University economics professor Tara Sinclair previously made a similar claim to The Independent , explaining that consumers will suffer under these policies. “Tariffs would likely be a higher tax on consumers – U.S. consumers,” Sinclair said. “This idea that those tariffs would somehow be magically paid by the foreign companies and wouldn’t be passed through American consumers does not seem to stand out empirically in the data.” Struyven added that Trump’s tariff on Canada may not come to fruition: “Given the focus from Trump to lower energy costs, we think Canada tariffs are somewhat unlikely.” Canada is the largest supplier of crude oil to the U.S., making up 60 percent of U.S. crude oil imports and sending more than 3.8 million barrels per day . As such, a tariff on Canadian goods could mean rising gas prices – the exact opposite of what Trump promised for Americans during his second term. “A 25% tariff on Canadian oil would have huge impacts to #gasprices in the Great Lakes, Midwest & Rockies, which are major markets where refiners process Canadian oil,” gas price expert Patrick De Haan wrote on X. “You can’t simply process different oil overnight. It would take investments/years. More U.S. supply wouldn’t help.” Canadian, Mexican and Chinese officials have also pushed back against the tariffs. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the proposal is “like a family member stabbing you right in the heart.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also met with Trump shortly after he announced the proposals. “This is a relationship that we know takes a certain amount of working on, and that’s what we’ll do,” Trudeau told reporters. “One of the really important things is that we be all pulling together on this – the Team Canada approach, putting aside partisanship. There’s work to do, but we know how to do it.” Tariffs and threats can’t solve the “migration phenomenon” or drug use in the US, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said on Tuesday. “[Drug use] is a problem of public health and consumption in your country’s society,” she said. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC also decried Trump’s proposal in a statement to the BBC . “No-one will win a trade war or a tariff war,” the spokesperson said. When contacted by The Independent , spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s tariffs on China in particular. “In his first term, President Trump instituted tariffs against China that created jobs, spurred investment, and resulted in no inflation,” Leavitt said. “President Trump will work quickly to fix and restore an economy that puts American workers by re-shoring American jobs, lowering inflation, raising real wages, lowering taxes, cutting regulations, and unshackling American energy.”

Ange Postecoglou has said he is happy Pep Guardiola signed a contract extension at so he has a chance to "knock him off" the summit. City confirmed on Thursday that after agreeing a new two-year deal. Guardiola is seeking an unprecedented fifth consecutive league title but despite 's last silverware coming in 2008, Postecoglou has never hidden his ambition of returning Spurs to serious challengers for the game's biggest prizes. When asked in a news conference whether there was any part of him that wanted Guardiola to leave City after a period of sustained success, Postecoglou said: "I look at it the other way -- 'imagine you knock him off?' That would be something, eh? And I'm at the stage of my life where I'd rather have a chance of knocking him off than missing that opportunity. In the right way, obviously. "I think when greatness is around, you want to be around it. Hopefully it challenges you to be like that as well. "I love the fact that there is a massive target out there that can seem insurmountable. It does for me anyway, raises my level, gets me going. "I keep saying, I lived the experience of equalisation of sport in Australia and it is great from a competitive point of view because everybody believes they can win but after a while I used to get frustrated with it because excellence tends to be capped at a certain point. It is up to everyone else to bridge that gap. "I love the challenge of that and I never see that as a bad thing." Postecoglou also insisted he had no concerns about the integrity of Premier League officiating despite . The 42-year-old was suspended last week by referees' body Professional Game Match Officials Limited pending an investigation after footage emerged in which he appeared to make derogatory remarks about and their former manager Jürgen Klopp. "I'm not across the detail of it but firstly, he's obviously made some poor decisions, made a big mistake," Postecoglou said. "He's a human being so you worry about his welfare. I'm sure he's getting good support around him. With our officials, rightly so, we hold them to the highest possible standard because of those things but I don't think just because one person makes a mistake that necessary means ... I'm not silly to think every official is perfect, like no manager is perfect or anyone else. We all make mistakes. "I never lose faith in the officialdom because if you do then it is a very slippery slope. I've worked in a couple of leagues where that was always kind of the undertone and I hated it because you kind of questioned everything. "I don't want to do that. I believe the officials. I believe in the integrity of the officials. I'll always abide by their decision-making and accept it."

Revenue of $14,054 million for the fourth quarter, up 51 percent from the prior year period GAAP net income of $4,324 million for the fourth quarter; Non-GAAP net income of $6,965 million for the fourth quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $9,089 million for the fourth quarter, or 65 percent of revenue GAAP diluted EPS of $0.90 for the fourth quarter; Non-GAAP diluted EPS of $1.42 for the fourth quarter Cash from operations of $5,604 million for the fourth quarter, less capital expenditures of $122 million , resulted in $5,482 million of free cash flow, or 39 percent of revenue Quarterly common stock dividend increased by 11 percent from the prior quarter to $0.59 per share First quarter fiscal year 2025 revenue guidance of approximately $14.6 billion , an increase of 22 percent from the prior year period First quarter fiscal year 2025 Adjusted EBITDA guidance of approximately 66 percent of projected revenue (1) PALO ALTO, Calif. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadcom Inc. (Nasdaq: AVGO ), a global technology leader that designs, develops and supplies semiconductor and infrastructure software solutions, today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended November 3, 2024 , provided guidance for its first quarter of fiscal year 2025 and announced its quarterly dividend. "Broadcom's fiscal year 2024 revenue grew 44% year-over-year to a record $51.6 billion , as infrastructure software revenue grew to $21.5 billion , on the successful integration of VMware," said Hock Tan, President and CEO of Broadcom Inc. "Semiconductor revenue was a record $30.1 billion driven by AI revenue of $12.2 billion . AI revenue which grew 220 percent year-on-year was driven by our leading AI XPUs and Ethernet networking portfolio." "In fiscal year 2024 adjusted EBITDA increased 37% year-over-year to a record $31.9 billion , and free cash flow excluding restructuring was strong at $21.9 billion ," said Kirsten Spears , CFO of Broadcom Inc. "Based on increased cash flows in fiscal year 2024, we are increasing our quarterly common stock dividend by 11% to $0.59 per share for fiscal year 2025. The target fiscal year 2025 annual common stock dividend of $2.36 per share is a record, and the fourteenth consecutive increase in annual dividends since we initiated dividends in fiscal 2011." Fourth Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Highlights The Company's cash and cash equivalents at the end of the fiscal quarter were $9,348 million , compared to $9,952 million at the end of the prior quarter. During the fourth fiscal quarter, the Company generated $5,604 million in cash from operations and spent $122 million on capital expenditures. The Company paid $1,204 million of withholding taxes related to net settled equity awards that vested in the quarter (resulting in the elimination of 7.4 million shares). On September 30, 2024 , the Company paid a cash dividend on a split adjusted basis of $0.53 per share, totaling $2,484 million . The differences between the Company's GAAP and non-GAAP results are described generally under "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below and presented in detail in the financial reconciliation tables attached to this release. Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Highlights First Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Business Outlook Based on current business trends and conditions, the outlook for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ending February 2, 2025 , is expected to be as follows: First quarter revenue guidance of approximately $14.6 billion ; and First quarter Adjusted EBITDA guidance of approximately 66 percent of projected revenue. The guidance provided above is only an estimate of what the Company believes is realizable as of the date of this release. The Company is not readily able to provide a reconciliation of projected Adjusted EBITDA to projected net income without unreasonable effort. Actual results will vary from the guidance and the variations may be material. The Company undertakes no intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any of these projections, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Quarterly Dividends The Company's Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.59 per share. The dividend is payable on December 31, 2024 to stockholders of record at the close of business ( 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time ) on December 23, 2024 . Financial Results Conference Call Broadcom Inc. will host a conference call to review its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2024 and to discuss the business outlook today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time . To Listen via Internet: The conference call can be accessed live online in the Investors section of the Broadcom website at https://investors.broadcom.com/ . Replay: An audio replay of the conference call can be accessed for one year through the Investors section of Broadcom's website at https://investors.broadcom.com/ . Non-GAAP Financial Measures The non-GAAP measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation between GAAP and non-GAAP financial data is included in the supplemental financial data attached to this press release. Broadcom believes non-GAAP financial information provides additional insight into the Company's on-going performance. Therefore, Broadcom provides this information to investors for a more consistent basis of comparison and to help them evaluate the results of the Company's on-going operations and enable more meaningful period to period comparisons. In addition to GAAP reporting, Broadcom provides investors with net income, operating income, gross margin, operating expenses, cash flow and other data on a non-GAAP basis. This non-GAAP information excludes amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring and other charges, acquisition-related costs, including integration costs, non-GAAP tax reconciling adjustments, and other adjustments. Management does not believe that these items are reflective of the Company's underlying performance. Internally, these non-GAAP measures are significant measures used by management for purposes of evaluating the core operating performance of the Company, establishing internal budgets, calculating return on investment for development programs and growth initiatives, comparing performance with internal forecasts and targeted business models, strategic planning, evaluating and valuing potential acquisition candidates and how their operations compare to the Company's operations, and benchmarking performance externally against the Company's competitors. The exclusion of these and other similar items from Broadcom's non-GAAP financial results should not be interpreted as implying that these items are non-recurring, infrequent or unusual. Free cash flow measures have limitations as they omit certain components of the overall cash flow statement and do not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. Investors should not consider presentation of free cash flow measures as implying that stockholders have any right to such cash. Broadcom's free cash flow may not be calculated in a manner comparable to similarly named measures used by other companies. About Broadcom Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO ) is a global technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies a broad range of semiconductor, enterprise software and security solutions. Broadcom's category-leading product portfolio serves critical markets including cloud, data center, networking, broadband, wireless, storage, industrial, and enterprise software. Our solutions include service provider and enterprise networking and storage, mobile device and broadband connectivity, mainframe, cybersecurity, and private and hybrid cloud infrastructure. Broadcom is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning Broadcom. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements that address our expected future business and financial performance, and other statements identified by words such as "will," "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "intend," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "aim," and similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs of Broadcom's management, current information available to Broadcom's management, and current market trends and market conditions and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Particular uncertainties that could materially affect future results include risks associated with: global economic conditions and concerns; government regulations and administrative proceedings, trade restrictions and trade tensions; global political and economic conditions; our acquisition of VMware, Inc., including our ability to realize the expected benefits; any acquisitions or dispositions we may make, such as delays, challenges and expenses associated with receiving governmental and regulatory approvals and satisfying other closing conditions, and with integrating acquired businesses with our existing businesses and our ability to achieve the benefits, growth prospects and synergies expected by such acquisitions; dependence on and risks associated with distributors and resellers of our products; dependence on senior management and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to protect against cyber security threats and a breach of security systems; any loss of our significant customers and fluctuations in the timing and volume of significant customer demand; cyclicality in the semiconductor industry or in our target markets; our dependence on contract manufacturing and outsourced supply chain; our dependency on a limited number of suppliers; prolonged disruptions of our or our contract manufacturers' manufacturing facilities, warehouses or other significant operations; our ability to accurately estimate customers' demand and adjust our manufacturing and supply chain accordingly; our ability to continue achieving design wins with our customers, as well as the timing of any design wins; our ability to improve our manufacturing efficiency and quality; involvement in legal proceedings; ability of our software products to manage and secure IT infrastructures and environments; demand for our data center virtualization products and market acceptance of our products and services; compatibility of our software products with operating environments, platforms or third-party products; our ability to enter into satisfactory software license agreements; availability of third-party software used in our products; use of open source software in our products; sales to government customers; our ability to manage products and services lifecycles; quarterly and annual fluctuations in operating results; our competitive performance; our ability to maintain or improve gross margin; our ability to protect our intellectual property and the unpredictability of any associated litigation expenses; any expenses or reputational damage associated with resolving customer product warranty and indemnification claims, or other undetected defects or bugs; our ability to sell to new types of customers and to keep pace with technological advances; our compliance with privacy and data security laws; our provision for income taxes and overall cash tax costs; our ability to maintain tax concessions in certain jurisdictions; potential tax liabilities as a result of acquiring VMware; our significant indebtedness and the need to generate sufficient cash flows to service and repay such debt; and other events and trends on a national, regional, industry-specific and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive and regulatory nature. Our filings with the SEC, which are available without charge at the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov , discuss some of the important risk factors that may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Actual results may vary from the estimates provided. We undertake no intent or obligation to publicly update or revise any of the estimates and other forward-looking statements made in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Contact: Ji Yoo Broadcom Inc. Investor Relations 650-427-6000 [email protected] (AVGO-Q) SOURCE Broadcom Inc.MIAMI (AP) — The top United Nations human rights watchdog on Tuesday ordered Venezuela to avoid destroying tally sheets and other electoral material as it investigates allegations that President Nicolás Maduro stole this summer’s election. The U.N. Human Rights Council announced the opening of the probe in a letter to several Latin American jurists who in October petitioned the U.N. agency to take action in the face of what is said was widespread evidence of electoral fraud that violates the political rights of millions of Venezuelans. Maduro claimed he won the July contest by a large margin and is preparing to start a third, six-year term in January. But electoral authorities have so far refused to publish voting records to back such claims, as they have in the past, amid calls by the U.S., European Union and even leftist allies from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to do so. Meanwhile, the opposition has published online what appear to be authentic tallies from 80% of polling machines showing that its candidate, Edmundo González , won by a more than 2-to-1 margin. The October petition, made on behalf of a regular Venezuelan citizen, alleges that Maduro officials committed multiple human rights violations by restricting the ability of millions of Venezuelans abroad, publishing false results and blocking any challenges in court. Paulo Abrao, a Brazilian attorney who was among those behind the complaint, said the decision comes as a crucial time, as the Maduro government is seeking to “normalize its nebulous electoral process” in the hopes the rest of the world will move on amid so many other pressing international crises. “We cannot allow that to happen,” said Abrao, the former head of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. “Now there is a formal case being processed in an international body with binding force. Venezuela has the obligation to comply with the decision.” ____ Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-americawinner777 login 。

TSX Enjoys Moderate GainsWASHINGTON — The National Park Service is seeing a surge in private support bigger than anytime in its 108-year history as it also faces a maintenance backlog of more than $23 billion, made worse this fall by hurricane damage to its most popular location. Three years after setting a goal of raising $1 billion, the Park Service’s official charitable partner, the National Park Foundation, is almost there, having raised $840 million since 2021, the foundation’s outgoing president and CEO Will Shafroth said. That fundraising under the Campaign for National Parks is in addition to efforts of park partners across the country — such as the Trust for Public Land, American Battlefield Trust, Conservation Legacy and the Student Conservation Association — that collectively want to raise another $3.5 billion. Visits to national parks rose from about 275 million in 2010 to 325 million last year. Shafroth said many of these visitors, inspired by the beauty of places like Yellowstone National Park, say the parks and staff have “created an amazing experience for me and my family. I want to give back.” Hundreds of thousands more give back by volunteering, whether rebuilding trails, clearing trash, serving as docents or organizing special events. “National parks experienced substantially increased public interest over the past two years,” according to the 2024 Park Partners Report commissioned by the foundation. There are now at least 470 partner groups, many of them “Friends” organizations that coordinate volunteer work with superintendents of individual parks. That community provided nearly 1 million volunteer hours in the park system last year, the equivalent of 122,500 days or 471 full-time employees, according to the report. One of those groups is Friends of the Smokies, which has about 2,000 members who volunteer for projects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, the most popular of the 63 national parks with 13.3 million visitors in 2023. The park, which stretches over 816 square miles, sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Helene in late September, and many roads and trails are still closed to the public, said Dana Soehn, president of Friends of the Smokies. But the group is eager to get to work when the Park Service completes its assessments and makes restoration plans, she said. “We stand at the ready to really push and raise funds,” Soehn said. “The public-private partnership in helping meet these challenging times is something that’s critically needed. Our organization is able to provide $2 million to $4 million of funding each year to help support the national park.” Funding needs The private funding goes a long way to help the cash-strapped National Park Service, with an operating budget of $3.3 billion in fiscal 2024, which supports about 20,000 full-time employees. The Senate’s Interior-Environment Appropriations bill would provide $3.5 billion in fiscal 2025, as the Biden administration requested, but the House version would cut the funding to $3.1 billion. The Great American Outdoors Act passed by Congress in 2020 provided up to $1.3 billion per year for five years through 2025 to help reduce $23.3 billion in deferred maintenance projects. Private donations won’t do much to reduce the maintenance backlog because most people aren’t interested in funding infrastructure projects like roads and bridges that are the government’s responsibility, Shafroth said. “We’re never going to be very effective at convincing donors to pay for pothole repair and water systems and things like that,” he said. “So we really need to focus on the things that are resonant to donors and also are a high need for the parks.” When Lilly Endowment Inc. announced a $100 million contribution in August, Shafroth’s foundation said the funds would go toward four priorities: creating environmental stewardship opportunities for young people, protecting fragile ecosystems and diverse species in the parks, developing new technologies to improve visitor experiences, and providing “a more comprehensive historical narrative” about national parks and the communities around them. Many donors to the park system, especially corporate givers, are also motivated by the knowledge that public lands used for recreation are an economic driver. Outdoor recreation generates $1.2 trillion in annual economic activity and supports 5 million jobs, according to a report released in November by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable using data from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. The ORR is a coalition of more than 110,000 businesses in the sector. The Interior Department reported last year that visitor spending in communities near national parks totals more than $50 billion a year, supporting nearly 400,000 jobs. Other legislation Advocates for the parks are urging Congress to rev up this economic engine by passing a package of bills that would overhaul how public land agencies distribute passes and permits, encourage technology to improve visitor experiences, restore campgrounds and address housing shortages near outdoor recreation areas, among other things. The House passed the legislation sponsored by Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., in April by voice vote under suspension of the rules. Dozens of groups are urging the Senate to pass the measure in the lame-duck session. “Despite the profound and widespread benefits that parks and outdoor recreation offer, they are chronically underfunded with many systems facing a significant backlog of capital improvement projects,” more than 50 organizations said in a Nov. 12 letter to Senate leaders urging them to prioritize the legislation. Aside from their economic importance, Shafroth noted that national parks play a role in uniting Americans. “You know, our country just feels so divided in so many ways, especially politically,” he said. “It feels like those divisions just dissolve when people enter a national park. They’re just citizens of the United States. They’re just lovers of the outdoors, appreciators of America’s story.” Shafroth announced this fall that he plans to step aside as president and CEO of the National Park Foundation and turn over the reins to Park Service veteran Jeff Reinbold, most recently the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington. The pair will work together on the transition in December and January, then Shafroth said he plans to develop a new program at the foundation addressing issues facing the park system, including climate change, housing shortages near parks and development of new technologies.

President-elect Donald Trump is underscoring his intention to block the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp. , and he’s pledging to use tax incentives and tariffs to strengthen the iconic American steelmaker. Trump had vowed early in the presidential campaign that he would “instantaneously” block the deal, and he reiterated that sentiment in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday night. “I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company” and will use tax incentives and tariffs to make U.S. Steel “Strong and Great Again, and it will happen FAST!” he wrote. “As President,” he continued, “I will block this deal from happening. Buyer Beware!!!” | President Joe Biden , like Trump, also opposes Nippon Steel’s purchase of Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel. Biden’s White House in September said that it had yet to see a report from the secretive Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which was reviewing the transaction for national security concerns. The committee, which is chaired by the treasury secretary and includes other Cabinet members, can recommend that the president block a transaction, and federal law gives the president that power. Ahead of the November election , the proposed merger carried political importance in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state that Trump eventually won. Biden publicly sided with the United Steelworkers, the labor union, in seeking to reject the deal. When he announced his opposition in a March statement , Biden said: “U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel company for more than a century, and it is vital for it to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated.” Nippon Steel has said it is the only company that can make the necessary investment in U.S. Steel’s factories and strengthen the American steel industry. Both Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel on Tuesday released statements in support of the acquisition. “This transaction should be approved on its merits. The benefits are overwhelmingly clear. Our communities, customers, investors, and employees strongly support this transaction, and we will continue to advocate for them and adherence to the rule of law,” U.S. Steel said. The deal follows a long stretch of protectionist U.S. tariffs that analysts say has helped reinvigorate domestic steel, including U.S. Steel. U.S. Steel’s shareholders have approved the deal, but the United Steelworkers oppose it. In a statement Tuesday, the union said the deal carries “serious long-term implications for U.S. economic and national security.” “It’s clear that President Trump understands the vital role a strong domestic steel industry plays in our national security, as well as the importance of the jobs and communities the industry supports,” the union said. The deal has drawn bipartisan opposition in the U.S. Senate, including from the incoming vice president, Republican Sen. JD Vanc e of Ohio, although the federal government’s objections to the deal have drawn criticism that the opposition is political. Some U.S. Steel workers would prefer Nippon Steel acquire the company, given that it appears to have a better financial balance sheet than another potential buyer, Cleveland-Cliffs. U.S. Steel “provided a very, very good life for our families for a lot of years,” said Jack Maskil, a vice president at the Steelworkers local branch in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. “And we feel that with the Nippon deal that a lot more families for futures to come will be able to share the same.” West Mifflin Mayor Chris Kelly said he met with Nippon Steel executives and found himself satisfied by their commitments. Located southeast of Pittsburgh, West Mifflin is home to U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works–Irvin Plant. “There’s no question in my mind that it’s the best deal moving forward,” Kelly said at a panel hosted on Tuesday by the conservative think tank Hudson Institute, where Maskil was also speaking. Trump’s statement came two weeks after Nippon Steel’s vice chairman, Takahiro Mori, visited Pittsburgh and Washington to meet with lawmakers, local officials and workers in an ongoing persuasion campaign. That campaign has included Nippon Steel’s promises to boost its capital commitments beyond the original deal and, more recently, a pledge that it won’t import steel slabs that would compete with U.S. Steel’s blast furnaces. As part of its proposed $14.9 billion purchase of U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel also pledged to invest at least $1.4 billion in USW-represented facilities, not to conduct layoffs or plant closings during the term of the basic labor agreement, and to protect the best interests of U.S. Steel in trade matters. —Marc Levy and Josh Boak, Associated Press The application deadline for Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards is this Friday, December 6, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.WASHINGTON — The National Park Service is seeing a surge in private support bigger than anytime in its 108-year history as it also faces a maintenance backlog of more than $23 billion, made worse this fall by hurricane damage to its most popular location. Three years after setting a goal of raising $1 billion, the Park Service’s official charitable partner, the National Park Foundation, is almost there, having raised $840 million since 2021, the foundation’s outgoing president and CEO Will Shafroth said. That fundraising under the Campaign for National Parks is in addition to efforts of park partners across the country — such as the Trust for Public Land, American Battlefield Trust, Conservation Legacy and the Student Conservation Association — that collectively want to raise another $3.5 billion. Visits to national parks rose from about 275 million in 2010 to 325 million last year. Shafroth said many of these visitors, inspired by the beauty of places like Yellowstone National Park, say the parks and staff have “created an amazing experience for me and my family. I want to give back.” Hundreds of thousands more give back by volunteering, whether rebuilding trails, clearing trash, serving as docents or organizing special events. “National parks experienced substantially increased public interest over the past two years,” according to the 2024 Park Partners Report commissioned by the foundation. There are now at least 470 partner groups, many of them “Friends” organizations that coordinate volunteer work with superintendents of individual parks. That community provided nearly 1 million volunteer hours in the park system last year, the equivalent of 122,500 days or 471 full-time employees, according to the report. One of those groups is Friends of the Smokies, which has about 2,000 members who volunteer for projects in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, the most popular of the 63 national parks with 13.3 million visitors in 2023. The park, which stretches over 816 square miles, sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Helene in late September, and many roads and trails are still closed to the public, said Dana Soehn, president of Friends of the Smokies. But the group is eager to get to work when the Park Service completes its assessments and makes restoration plans, she said. “We stand at the ready to really push and raise funds,” Soehn said. “The public-private partnership in helping meet these challenging times is something that’s critically needed. Our organization is able to provide $2 million to $4 million of funding each year to help support the national park.” Funding needs The private funding goes a long way to help the cash-strapped National Park Service, with an operating budget of $3.3 billion in fiscal 2024, which supports about 20,000 full-time employees. The Senate’s Interior-Environment Appropriations bill would provide $3.5 billion in fiscal 2025, as the Biden administration requested, but the House version would cut the funding to $3.1 billion. The Great American Outdoors Act passed by Congress in 2020 provided up to $1.3 billion per year for five years through 2025 to help reduce $23.3 billion in deferred maintenance projects. Private donations won’t do much to reduce the maintenance backlog because most people aren’t interested in funding infrastructure projects like roads and bridges that are the government’s responsibility, Shafroth said. Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! “We’re never going to be very effective at convincing donors to pay for pothole repair and water systems and things like that,” he said. “So we really need to focus on the things that are resonant to donors and also are a high need for the parks.” When Lilly Endowment Inc. announced a $100 million contribution in August, Shafroth’s foundation said the funds would go toward four priorities: creating environmental stewardship opportunities for young people, protecting fragile ecosystems and diverse species in the parks, developing new technologies to improve visitor experiences, and providing “a more comprehensive historical narrative” about national parks and the communities around them. Many donors to the park system, especially corporate givers, are also motivated by the knowledge that public lands used for recreation are an economic driver. Outdoor recreation generates $1.2 trillion in annual economic activity and supports 5 million jobs, according to a report released in November by the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable using data from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. The ORR is a coalition of more than 110,000 businesses in the sector. The Interior Department reported last year that visitor spending in communities near national parks totals more than $50 billion a year, supporting nearly 400,000 jobs. Other legislation Advocates for the parks are urging Congress to rev up this economic engine by passing a package of bills that would overhaul how public land agencies distribute passes and permits, encourage technology to improve visitor experiences, restore campgrounds and address housing shortages near outdoor recreation areas, among other things. The House passed the legislation sponsored by Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., in April by voice vote under suspension of the rules. Dozens of groups are urging the Senate to pass the measure in the lame-duck session. “Despite the profound and widespread benefits that parks and outdoor recreation offer, they are chronically underfunded with many systems facing a significant backlog of capital improvement projects,” more than 50 organizations said in a Nov. 12 letter to Senate leaders urging them to prioritize the legislation. Aside from their economic importance, Shafroth noted that national parks play a role in uniting Americans. “You know, our country just feels so divided in so many ways, especially politically,” he said. “It feels like those divisions just dissolve when people enter a national park. They’re just citizens of the United States. They’re just lovers of the outdoors, appreciators of America’s story.” Shafroth announced this fall that he plans to step aside as president and CEO of the National Park Foundation and turn over the reins to Park Service veteran Jeff Reinbold, most recently the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington. The pair will work together on the transition in December and January, then Shafroth said he plans to develop a new program at the foundation addressing issues facing the park system, including climate change, housing shortages near parks and development of new technologies.

Trump threatens 100% tariff on the BRIC bloc of nations if they act to undermine US dollarASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) — Gaston Martirena and Adrian Martinez scored first-half goals as Argentina's Racing won its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1 in the final on Saturday. Martirena opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Martinez added a goal five minutes later to give “La Academia” its first international title since 1988 when it won the Supercopa Sudamericana. “Maravilla” Martinez scored 10 goals in 13 matches and finished as the top scorer in the competition. Roger Martinez sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th. Kaio Jorge scored in the 52nd for Cruzeiro. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerwinner 777 。

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Uruguay's voters choose their next president in a close runoff with low stakes but much suspenseHENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Aidan O’Connell might not be Mr. Right for the Raiders, but he is Mr. Right Now. He did enough in Friday’s to show that Las Vegas’ quarterback job will be his for the rest of the season — barring, that is, another injury. O’Connell didn’t look like a quarterback who hadn’t played in nearly six weeks . Plus, the Raiders had a short week to prepare for the Chiefs, meaning O’Connell only went through a series of walk-through practices. Even so, he completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards, including touchdown passes of 33 yards to tight end Brock Bowers and 58 yards to wide receiver Tre Tucker. He didn’t throw any interceptions. “Thought he competed,” coach Antonio Pierce said Saturday morning. “I thought for what we knew we were getting with Spags (Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) and that defense, that he stood in the pocket, made some tough throws, took some hits, took the shots down the field like we wanted. We had some opportunities to take shots down the field, he threw them. And I thought our skill guys did a hell of a job competing and making some really good plays for us.” O’Connell’s performance would’ve shined even more if not for the Raiders’ final offensive play. He led the Raiders from their 8-yard line to the Chiefs 32 with 15 seconds left. The plan was for O’Connell to take the snap and throw the ball away to run off a few more seconds, then send Daniel Carlson out for the potential winning field goal without giving Patrick Mahomes enough time to mount one of his signature comebacks. But rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson snapped the ball before O’Connell was expecting it, and the Chiefs recovered to secure another close, last-minute victory. The Raiders were called for illegal shift, which Kansas City declined. But there was some question about whether officials intended to call a false start instead. Though that infraction would have cost Las Vegas 5 yards, the pre-snap penalty still would’ve given Carlson a shot at the field goal. Pierce said his team heard an official’s whistle before the snap, and that will be included in the Raiders’ report to the NFL. “We do that every game,” Pierce said. “Typically, anywhere from three to five questions, and then we’ll get a letter within 24 to 36 hours, and we’ll read it and learn from it.” What’s working Bowers had another sensational game. He was targeted 14 times, catching 10 passes for 140 yards. For the season, he has 84 receptions for 884 yards and four TDs, making him a strong contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year. “We’re seeing double-teams and them really shifting their zone to him, and I don’t really think it matters,” Pierce said. “I think we’ve got a really special player on our hand.” What needs help The Raiders need to do better on first and second downs to set up more favorable third-down conversions. They have faced 47 third downs from 7 to 10 yards, tied with the Dallas Cowboys for fifth most. Las Vegas’ conversion rate on those plays is 36.2%, which actually is favorable compared to the rest of the league, but the Raiders are still creating too many of those situations. Stock up Las Vegas made life difficult for Mahomes, sacking him five times. And it wasn’t just Maxx Crosby bringing the heat. Four players had at least one-half sack, including K’Lavon Chaisson, who had 1 1/2. It was a season-high total for the Raiders, and they have taken down the opposing quarterback in 30 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak. Stock down Carlson is usually money, but he missed field goals from 56, 55 and 58 yards. Hardly chip shots, but he is capable of converting from those distances. He had made 30 of 38 field goals from 50-plus yards entering the game, with a career long of 57 yards. Injuries WR DJ Turner injured his knee in the second half. Key number 12 — The Raiders are one of three teams to fall behind double digits in each of their first 12 games of a season. The others were the 1986 Indianapolis Colts and 1972 New England Patriots. Next steps The Raiders visit Tampa Bay on Dec. 8. ___ AP NFL:The Thursday injury report for the Minnesota Vikings is a mixed bag with some good news and one piece of news that's relatively concerning. TE Josh Oliver (wrist/ankle): Did not practice DE Jonathan Bullard (toe): Full QB Sam Darnold (foot): Full RB Aaron Jones (ribs): Full OLB Gabe Murphy (knee): Full TE Nick Muse (hand): Full This is a brutal one for the Vikings, as Oliver has been a crucial part of the success they have had through the first 10 games of the year. Not only has Oliver been a great blocker this year, but Oliver has emerged as the pass catcher that the Jacksonville Jaguars thought they were getting when they selected him in the 2019 NFL Draft out of San Jose State. The good news here is both Bullard and Darnold practiced in full for the Vikings. Same with Muse, who could be activated to take Oliver's place going into Sunday's game. For the Bears, things are much of the same just like yesterday. OT Kiran Amegadjie (calf): Did not practice OG Ryan Bates (concussion): Did not practice DB Elijah Hicks (ankle): Did not practice TE Marcedes Lewis (rest): Did not practice RB D'Andre Swift (groin): Limited OL Teven Jenkins (ankle): Full Swift being limited is a big factor in him potentially playing on Sunday, same with Jenkins being full. Friday will tell us more of what we need to know for Sunday's game. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

12 Predictions For 2025 That Will Shape Our Future1. An LCD doodle tablet that will inspire some serious creativity all while saving paper. (Trust us, the trees will thank you.) Promising review: "My son is 4-years-old, and once he got it, he played with it for two hours. We played Pictionary, tic-tac-toe, and practiced his writing. Great for being stuck inside. Just wish I bought more for gifts." — Mindy Ciglar Price: $13.99+ (available in four colors and two sizes) 2. A Silly Poopy hide-and-seek game that'll get the giggles going just by saying its name. And where's the grown-up hiding while the kids are occupied? In the kitchen, enjoying a cup of coffee (while it's still hot!) as the kids are independently playing. Promising review: "This hide-and-seek game is so fun. We randomly hide Silly Poopy in the house all the time. The song will get stuck in your head and never leave, so be prepared for that. But also hours of fun both inside and outside. We also do a little dance when we find Silly Poopy, and he plays the song. My 6-year-old loves it, and it’s so fun and silly. Great gift!! I had this in my cart for a while before I bought it and wish I would have sooner." — Schub22 Price: $12.99+ (available in two designs). 3. A 22-pack of Mr. Sketch scented markers , which will take you right back to your own childhood with just one whiff of blueberry or apple. Promising review: "I loved these as a kid and was excited to give them to my kids. Happy to say they love too! Good markers overall and the different scents make them fun!" — Matthew Fullmer Price: $14.29 4. A touchless forehead thermometer that will make sure you don't wake your sweetly sleeping dragon to check their temperature after they have FINALLY gone to sleep. Promising review: " We have owned four different touchless thermometers now, and this one has lasted the longest. Others did not last, or they occasionally provided random, unlikely readings. We have had this for almost two years, and we haven't had to replace the batteries yet. That isn't due to lack of sickness either. I have two toddlers who seem to trade bugs every couple of weeks. I would definitely recommend." — Cheyenne Price: $19.99 5. A pack of Crayola Globbles fidget toys to help with the wiggles and keep little hands busy. No judging if you happen to snag one or two of these for yourself — they're great! Promising review: "These are great! Kids love them! I love them! They do NOT leave that stain on your wall, and when they get dirty, you wash them off, and they are sticky again! 10/10" — Elizabeth M. Price: $10.99 6. A Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza game deck that is so fun you might just find yourself clearing your schedule for the day and joining in. Work? Meh, that can be done later. Promising review: "This is the funnest game we own, and we own a lot! It's a high-speed, physical game, and anyone can play it! You just have to remember the order of the words and the actions you have to make for certain cards. It's a blast, and we've played it with kids aged 4, all the way up to 19, and us adults as well! I highly recommend it! I think the value is great, especially since it's a go-to game that we play often!" — Janet Duran Price: $9.99 7. A copy of 642 Tiny Things to Draw , so your kiddo will have 642 fewer reasons to say, "I'm borrrrrrrred." Promising review: "My 11-year-old artist really loves this. It’s easy to carry around to restaurants or in the car. The prompts can be drawn simply or with more detail. Definitely a great purchase!" — Annie Price: $9.25 8. A 100-piece set of Picasso tiles , a magnetic building system that will get used over and over and over again. Pro tip: Commit to one building toy type and then just keep adding to it! It will still feel new to your crew, and cleanup will be MUCH easier. Promising review: "These tiles are amazing! So many different ways to be creative. Our 2-year-old loves it so much and even the adults can have hours of fun with it. These are great for individual play for our toddler and can keep her engaged for 15-30 minutes at a time. They are also amazing for interactive and pretend plays, from building houses to car ramps. Love these so much and highly recommended!" — Buu nguyen Price: $39.99 9. A set of four parachute toys that are simple but brilliant. How many times can your kids run up the stairs and throw them down? The limit does not exist. Promising review: " These paratroopers are great! My boys are so used to getting the ones that are poorly made with thin, cheap plastic and thin string. These are not those at all! They are super sturdy and very durable. I got these as stocking stuffers, and they're still going strong! They've been thrown, dragged, shoved in toy bins, etc. They are still good as new! They work great as well. Our boys enjoy throwing them over the side rail on the stairs and watching them fly down. I absolutely would recommend!" — Amber Price: $9.99 (available in two colors) 10. A pair of GeoSafari Jr. Kidnoculars so you can encourage your crew to start exploring the amazing world around them — whether that's inside or outside of your house. Promising review: "Bought six of these for all the kids in the family for Christmas. My 3-year-old thinks these are the cat's pajamas. He took them hiking to look at everything. I tell you, my kid is one to let you know when something doesn't work the correct way. These were worth every penny. He was able to look at everything from leaves and rocks to butterfly wings with a closer view. Plus, they are light enough for him to carry without complaining. Parent win!!" — Holly Price: $9.69+ (available in two colors) 11. A Fisher-Price record player toy , which gives your kiddo some freedom to choose their own music to sing and dance to. And you? You'll feel like a total parenting rock star. Promising review: "Got this for my 3-year-old as a birthday gift . She loves my 'grown-up' record player and loves to ask me to 'play songs' on it. I thought this would be a fun thing for her to play with so she could play her own songs, but I didn't expect her to have as much fun as she has with it! Each one of the records has two songs on it, one on each side, and each record has a different style. She loves the hip hop record the most, and the pop rock comes in a close second. What's nice is that there's no needle on the arm of the turntable, so there's nothing to worry about her hurting herself with. It has cool features like when you stop a record mid-song, it 'scratches' and makes the sound of a vinyl popping, which I love! You do have to monitor it, though, as we learned that, unlike a real record player if you don't move the arm off the record after a song ends, it just keeps playing that song over and over and over and over and over and over and over." — John Jeziorski Price: $25.99 12. A Melissa & Doug scissor skills activity pad with kid-safe scissors that will occupy their focus — giving you the cutting edge in accomplishing your to-do list for the day. Promising review: "I gave this to my 4-year-old when he was sick at home, and it's a great way to pass the time. More importantly it's a great way for him to practice the work with scissors. The scissors are great, without any blade, and the plastic is sharp enough for the pages in the notebook. The pages have different difficulty levels, some with straight lines, some with curves, which is a good challenge for kids." — Tamar Price: $7.99 13. A 5-pound tub of Crayola air-dry clay , which keeps fidgety hands busy and will lead to hours and hours of creativity. Promising review: "This clay is great. I bought two of them. My girls made lots of animals and bowls with it and painted them. Very nice to work with and dries very nicely. The kids spend hours playing with it. Definitely buying it again." — Andrew M Cavallo Price: $10.96 (available in three colors and four sizes) 14. A three-pack of liquid bubbler pens the kids will love because they are totally mesmerizing to watch. NGL, some boring adult things (like writing checks) would be WAY more fun with these. Promising review: "For my kids, these pens are such a treat. The ink is bright and runs smooth, and they are also entertainment in themselves!" — Marcia Price: $19.99 15. A Play-Doh Kitchen Creations restaurant play set , so your little can whip up the tastiest pretend creations...and you might have a few minutes to get the real deal ready in time for dinner. Promising review: " This and the coffee shop set keep my daughter entertained for hours. And when you think she would get tired she asks for a different color and starts all over again. Even the extra utensils help keep her amused longer. Gives me enough time for mom projects like dinner and dishes, and it's actually very easy to clean up — she does most of it herself, and she's only 3!!" — Lizzie Price: $16.89 16. A fruit and veggie divider that is going to chop time off prepping lunch and snacks for the kiddos. With this in your tool belt, you'll be ready to make some fancy after-school crudités! Promising review: "Ever since we got this, it has been used quite frequently!! We have two young kids at home (5- and 3-years-old) and by using this fruit/veggie cutter, we have increased their fruit and veggie intake! We would give them fruits/veggies to cut, and they would cut and eat them! It is very easy to cut as our kids can do it by themselves (with adult supervision). It cuts small cucumbers with ease. It is also very easy to clean!" — Payal Price: $9.95 17. A bottle of Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Stain Treater spray , which will take those spaghetti sauce stains right out of their clothes. Don't forget to take a picture of their sweet self covered in sauce because that will last longer than those stains. Promising review : "I recently tried Miss Mouth's stain remover spray, and I am impressed! This spray effortlessly removed tough stains on my clothes, leaving them spotless. This spray has removed oil stains from cooking, baby formula, breastmilk stains from newborn spit-ups, and many other stains — the list is long . We have yet to find a stain that this spray doesn't tackle. Its pleasant scent and quick action make it a must-have for anyone dealing with messy eaters or accidental spills." — Tiffany B. Price: $6.19+ (available in multipacks) 18. A Yonanas Classic soft serve maker that's going to magically turn "eat your fruit" into "enjoy your dessert!" You don't even need to tell them how healthy it is! This, as you can imagine, is a major parenting win. Promising review: "Bought this on Prime Day as an impulse buy, but it is now a kitchen staple. My kids (5 and 8) LOVE the sorbet that comes out of this just as much as ice cream, and it is just 100% ground-up fruit. We now buy more bananas than we can eat, cut them up, and freeze them once they start to turn brown. We mix these with different frozen fruits, and it is a great frozen treat. You don't have to use bananas, but they add a creamy consistency to the final product that we like. I would definitely read the directions and follow the thawing guidelines, as I am not sure how it would hold up over time if required to grind up completely solid frozen fruit, but it has held up well since we bought it. Also think it is pretty easy to clean. Just twist off the attachment, unscrew it, and rinse off the blades (not sharp enough to cut me) and gasket. Definitely recommend, even at full price." — N. Whelpley Price: $39.99 (available in four colors) 19. A super durable and leak-proof kids' Bentgo box that will actually help you organize your brain and figure out what you need to put in there. (Pssst — if you want to include a sweet treat, M&Ms look pretty cute in the circle compartment.) Promising review: " I purchased two of these, one for each of my elementary children, and they work wonderfully. I can easily pack a sandwich, veggies with dip, fruit, and a snack in the box. If they would like chips or crackers, I simply place those in the lunch box, along with an ice pack, to keep things cool. The Bentgo Box, a slim ice pack, and a small bag of chips or crackers easily fit in a children's lunchbox. The gaskets work well, and dressings/liquids do not leak to other compartments. So far so good!" — Erin Price: $27.99 (available in eight colors) 20. A tried-and-true baby gate that's super easy to install, won't mark up your walls, and, most importantly, works! Keep your little ones out of the spaces they aren't supposed to be so you can have peace of mind for their safety. Promising review: " This is a great fit for our home. We have a very active 1-year-old who stands against this and pushes on it. It is very sturdy and hasn’t budged since we installed it. The lock is very easy to use but not too easy for our son to figure out! Highly recommend." — Heather Price: $34.99 21. A three-pack of Melissa & Doug jumbo coloring books , which will keep your mini Monets and petite Picassos totally occupied. Hey, your fridge needs a new masterpiece! Promising review: "The jumbo books are awesome for our kids. The pages are nice and thick and do not bleed onto the next page. You can easily rip out pages they want to color, and they also fit nicely into the art frames we have on the walls. Would 10/10 recommend!" — K Price: $16.89 22. A Graco Extend2Fit convertible car seat , the perfect throne for your petite prince or princess. It's comfortable for baby, easy to install, but also has seatbelt hooks to hold the straps back so you're not digging for them with one hand while holding down a wiggly baby with the other. Promising review: "I wish they had this car seat when my oldest was a baby! It is super comfy and hella easy to adjust with the strap height adjusting via a level on the headrest, instead of you having to remove straps and feed them back through the holes — something I have always hated doing. The car seat itself was also super easy to install in our car. In addition, baby can stay rear-facing much longer in this car seat due to an extendable foot piece, which I adore . It also has little pockets to slide the seatbelt hooks into to keep the straps open while placing baby in, reducing the amount of frustration caused by having to constantly fish the straps from under and behind a squirming baby. It also comes in various color options and comes with shoulder strap pads to keep the straps from digging into baby's neck." — H.F. Desi Price: $159.99 (available in five colors and two styles) 23. A 150-piece marble run set that is ideal for those times when you're stuck indoors and about to lose YOUR marbles if those kids don't find something to do IMMEDIATELY. Promising review: " My kids played for HOURS with just three pieces of tracks. Love the independent play this facilitates, and the sturdiness means mommy can get housework done while the kids play! Great quality. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. We even purchased the super set the very next day after receiving this set; the kids (and mom and dad) love it so much." — Karen Price: $49.99 (available in four sets) 24. A crawling crab baby toy , which will make tummy time and learning to crawl feel as easy as a day at the beach. Promising review: "I’m sure I’m not the only mom saying this, but this is great for tummy time. Grab a Hula Hoop and put Mr. Crab inside so he doesn’t run away and turn him on (we like raving with him on music mode). There’s different settings for slow and fast, so that’s perfect for your little one to keep up with him as their little necks get stronger. Tummy time becomes an ease! " — Savanna Hulsey Price: $19.99 (available in four colors) 25. A pack of over 500 puffy stickers so your littles can create scenes, cards, and whatever else their imaginations can come up with! And because these are no-trace, you won't be left with sticky situations when one or two end up on your wall. Promising review: "My daughter loves these stickers! They are easy for her to remove from the sleeve, to get them off the backing, and stick well. The stickers themselves are cute, high quality, and are a good variety. My daughter will spend hours having fun with stickers, and these are my go-to!" — Bree Price: $7.99 26. A cute, starry-eyed Furby that will interact and play with your kiddo. These little guys have gotten a major upgrade since you had one. In addition to talking to you, it can lead you through mindfulness exercises, tell your fortune, put on a light show, and throw a dance party. How do you say, "That's impressive" in Furby? Promising review: " Furby is such a fun toy! My 5-year-old has played and played with her Furby. The phrases are easy to learn, so she has had the best time laughing, dancing, and playing with Furby. Would definitely recommend getting this toy for your child!" — Katie Momberger Price: $48.59 (available in three colors) 27. A five-piece set of absolutely adorable outdoor play figurines because these open-ended toys encourage kids to get creative using natural elements — like leaves, flowers, and twigs — they find during outdoor play. Who's up for an adventure? Promising review: "These are amazing. My 3-year-old and 18-month-old love to pick up leaves, flowers, pine cones, etc., and this gives us something to do with all of our foraged goods. Great for imagination play and creativity." — Dana Price: $39.99 (available in six colors) 28. A perfectly sized (and durable!) kids' digital camera so you can give your phone a break from your kids. Not that you don't love those 400+ up-the-nose selfies in a row, but ya know. Promising review: " This has been such a hit with my 3- and 4-year-olds and keeps them entertained for hours. It operates JUST like an adult digital camera but has some fun added filters like a mustache, kid face, and different border designs. It is a small size that allows them to operate it with ease. My kids walk around the house taking pictures of random things and then love to come and show me. Battery life is great and it seems pretty indestructible! I have purchased this three times now for birthday party gifts as it’s an affordable great gift!" — Above and Abode Price: $32.99 (available in five colors) 29. A Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes musical toy , which will keep your mini Mozart or baby Beethoven entertained while you do what you need to do. Who's the genius now, huh? Promising review: "This has been one of our favorite toys for a while now. It is so cute, it’s small so it’s easy to take with you, baby fingers can easily push the button, the different classical songs and corresponding lights are super entertaining, plus I love that baby is listening to classical music. The batteries have lasted a long time, and it’s fallen off of many a surface, so it’s durable . Get this toy!" — Park Price: $8.88 30. A TikTok-famous grape cutter that will seriously ~cut~ down on your prep time — and your anxiety — when you're feeding your littles. It can also be used on tomatoes! Promising review: "Whoever said that you shouldn't buy kitchen tools with only one function didn't have toddlers/young children. I spent three years cross-cutting grapes, grape tomatoes, or hot dog chunks with a board and chef's knife . I saw this tool about a year in and did without it until finally, after having my second baby, I realized that cutting up the food phase would be starting for her in about a year. I finally got this grape cutter, which does exactly what it should. Why did I go without this for so long? 😂 If you doubt whether you need this, either stop giving your kid grapes or similar-sized foods or buy it already. 😂" — Morgan/Branson Price: $11.99 31. A Frida Baby electric nail trimmer because baby nails are absolute DAGGERS, and nothing should even lightly scratch that perfect, squishy face. NOTHING. Promising review: "From day one, I’ve been able to use this on my newborn, now infant, son without worrying about whether or not I’m going to hurt him or make him bleed. It is safe to touch skin and really only eliminates excess nail growth. Almost impossible to trim nails too short unless you actually intend to do that. Comes with a battery and instructions as to which buffer to use for the age of your baby. Easy to use, easy to store, and a simple design that will make grooming your baby’s nails so easy and go by super fast!" — Brielle Price: $34.99 32. A National Geographic Break Open 10 Geodes kit that comes with safety goggles, which might just inspire the next generation of geologists. Bonus: Use it as a teachable moment to show your kids that it's what's on the inside that really counts. ✨ Promising review: "My 9-year-old is obsessed with all things gems and geology. We bought this for Christmas. He opened it tonight and it was so beautiful we ended up cracking them all! He even got an amethyst (he was thrilled as that's his favorite!) — I am very impressed. I will definitely be buying again. One tip — definitely score them before cracking, and be a little gentle if you want two halves. My husband was a little heavy-handed. 🤣 Also, one of them at first we thought wasn't much, but I had a feeling there was more inside, so we cracked it in half again, and lo and behold, it was a beautiful geode. Highly recommend!" — Andrea Green Price: $19.99+ (available in packs of 4, 5, or 10) 33. A 40-piece wooden puzzle that has lots of different solutions and honestly, is just really fun to tinker with, even for adults. It's exactly what you need to get some piece, err, peace in your day. Promising review: "I bought this as one of the toys to get my 6-year-old son off screens during the summer. Now we are all playing it and we have competitions to see who can solve the fastest. Who knew? You can also do designs, so it's leveled fun and appeals to different interests. It would be nice if it came with a carry case or tin, but you can use a zip lock to keep the pieces together. Going to buy more so we can battle with the cousins." — Haydee Gordon Price: $8.99 34. A 30-foot roll of road play tape because life (aka your entire house) is a highway, and your kids are gonna be cruising to a good time. Promising review: "Sticky level is about equal with painter's tape, so there’s no worry about restricting where to use. It’s great for cars, pretend play, etc. A perfect rainy day distraction!" — Jennifer Horne Price: $9.47+ (available in four patterns and quantities) 35. A 42-pack of Pay-Doh so you can keep a perfectly sized container in the car, in your bag, in the playroom, in the kitchen... you get the point. Promising review: "I bought this for my son’s birthday goody bags and kept the leftovers for my son. He’s 3, so these are perfect because they are small and come in handy for car trips, running errands, or just anytime. The colors are so vibrant and fun. Super easy to mold. Would recommend and would most likely purchase again." — Mariela Price: $16.99 36. A LeapFrog 100 Animals toy , which will teach your little words in English AND Spanish — all while they're happily playing and learning about the world's fauna. That's a win-win. Promising review: " This smart book is wonderful! I got it for my 2-year-old granddaughter for Christmas. She loves animals, and this is a perfect gift for any child. I highly recommend it. It is well made and even says the animal's names in Spanish. A great deal." — Jim Price: $12.97 (available in six colors) 37. A USB rechargeable whale bath toy so your little fish can have a splashin' good time and — hopefully — get in a good mindset for bedtime. Fingers (and fins!) crossed! Promising review: "It’s such a fun toy! I love this one because it doesn’t take batteries, it comes with a charger and takes no time to charge. I have two kids and it gets used twice a night, it stays charged for about a week. It’s very cute, and I haven’t noticed any mold or gunk buildup which is great! Quality toy!" — Carolyn Cracchiolo Price: $9.99+ (available in six colors) 38. An absolutely adorable sewing craft kit that will have everyone so quiet and focused, you'll wonder if their mouths were accidentally sewn shut, too. Promising review: "I'm so impressed at the thoughtfulness of this craft!! This is a beginner level, perfect for my 6-year-old's attention span; the only sewing is to attach the front of the fox to the back in order to stuff it. I was worried it might be too easy, but it was great, the instructions are clear, the holes all line up, there is plenty/extra yarn. The accessories and clothing are too cute and perfect, and the details and variety are awesome for a beginner sewing craft. The only part that she needed extra help with was the tiny little backpack to hold the baby fox. If you think about the time it would take to design and cutout all of these pieces, it's definitely fairly priced. I hope they come out with more animals because we want to make another!!" — Amazon Customer Price: $19.99 (available in two designs) The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.Supermicro’s Stock: Gaming’s Hidden Catalyst? Here’s Why You Should Care

Every car discontinued in Australia in 2024SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — De'Vondre Campbell's decision to quit on his team in the middle of a game overshadowed the bigger issues for the San Francisco 49ers. An offense that was one of the most dynamic in the NFL during a run to the Super Bowl last season has been just ordinary for most of 2024 and was downright bad in a 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night that just about ended San Francisco's playoff hopes. San Francisco (6-8) was held to its fewest yards (191) in a regular-season game in eight seasons under coach Kyle Shanahan and its fewest points since Shanahan's debut in 2017 on a rainy night that will be remembered mostly for Campbell walking off the field in the middle of the game with a towel draped over his head. The game also featured San Francisco going three-and-out on four drives as Brock Purdy struggled to connect with his receivers. Deebo Samuel dropped a potential touchdown pass after complaining earlier in the week about a lack of touches. Purdy then missed Ricky Pearsall on an underthrown deep shot in the fourth quarter before throwing an interception into the end zone that ended the Niners' comeback attempt. “I just feel like I had a lot of plays left out there that I could have made for our team,” Purdy said. “I thought the defense and special teams played so good. That’s what’s hurting me is I just feel like I failed the team. I could have been better for our offense and we could have put up more points.” Scoring has been an issue this season for the 49ers, who have been missing key playmakers like Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk for much of the season. San Francisco is scoring 8.5 fewer points per game on offense than the Niners did through 14 games last season. Red-zone defense. After allowing touchdowns on 13 consecutive red-zone drives over the previous four games, the 49ers kept the Rams out of the end zone on all three drives that went inside the 20. Receivers. The 49ers failed to get much production from their wide receivers with Purdy going 6 for 20 for 63 yards with an INT and a 19.4 rating when targeting wideouts. Samuel had 16 yards on seven targets with the key drop. Jauan Jennings had two drops and was the target on the interception. Pearsall had one catch for 16 yards on four targets. LB Dre Greenlaw returned for the first time since tearing his left Achilles tendon in last season's Super Bowl. Greenlaw had eight tackles in the first half as he brought needed intensity and physical play that had been missing for much of the season. Campbell. The 49ers are deciding whether to waive or suspend Campbell, who lost his starting job when Greenlaw returned and then refused to play when he was needed. “His actions from the game just is not something you can do to your team or your teammates and still expect to be a part of our team,” Shanahan said. “We’re working through exactly the semantics of it right now, but we’ll handle the situation appropriately.” Greenlaw came out of the game feeling OK after leaving with soreness in his knee and Achilles tendon. He is day to day. ... S Ji’Ayir Brown (groin) and LB Dee Winters (neck) are also day to day. ... LT Trent Williams (ankle) is still trying to get back to play after missing the last four games. Shanahan said Williams' recovery has been "a lot slower than anticipated.” 0 — The Niners didn't reach the red zone once all game, with their deepest penetration into Rams territory being when they reached the 27 on a third-quarter field goal drive. This marked the first time since Week 11 in 2010 that the 49ers didn't run a single play inside the opponent's 25. The 49ers visit Miami on Dec. 22. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLLaMelo Ball is arguably the most enigmatic player in the NBA. He is universally acclaimed for his flashy playstyle. But his defensive deficiencies and injury issues have prompted doubts about whether he could be the franchise cornerstone the Hornets need. However, this season, he has been answering those questions. He has missed only one game and is averaging 31.1 points, which ranks second in the league. But despite his hot star, Lou Williams believes he’s only the fifth-best guard in the East. On FanDuel’s Run It Back show, the former Clippers star claimed that the Hornets, who are 6-13, aren’t equipped to earn a playoff berth this season. However, he believes the future could be bright. Williams said , Williams claimed that Bucks’ Damian Lillard, Hawks’ Trae Young, Cavaliers’ Darius Garland, and Knicks’ Jalen Brunson are above him in the guard rankings in the East. He added it’s close between Pistons’ Cade Cunningham and Ball for the fifth spot but he prefers the former. While Williams is entitled to his opinion, ranking the Hornets star as the sixth-best guard in the East this season grossly undermines his impact. LaMelo Ball is among the best in the East LaMelo Ball is one of only two players in the league alongside Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to average over 30 points per game. He has always been a stellar offensive player, but he’s finally taking the next step and becoming an elite scorer. Over the years, the Hornets star’s defensive impact has been scrutinized heavily. However, his defensive rating of 115.1 ranks 12th in the East among guards, above Darius Garland (115.1), Damian Lillard (116.8), Trae Young (119.2), and Jalen Brunson (121). Among the names Williams mentioned, only Cunningham has a better defensive rating than Ball with 111.9. However, he’s averaging only 23.5 points per game, nearly eight fewer than the Hornets star. While he has been exceptional as a scorer, his playmaking hasn’t been up to the mark. He’s averaging only 6.9 assists per game, which is lower than every player on the former Clippers star’s list, except Darius Garland (6.8). However, it’s worth noting that sophomore Brandon Miller is the only other reliable scoring option on the Hornets, putting the onus on Ball to carry the offense. Charlotte’s 6-13 record has been used as a knock to undermine the 23-year-old’s campaign. However, except for Garland’s Cavaliers, none of the teams of the other five players that Williams named on his list have had a noteworthy season. On the contrary, Brunson’s Knicks and Lillard’s Bucks have had underwhelming seasons. Young’s Hawks and Cunningham’s Pistons haven’t exactly set the league ablaze either. Any argument against Ball being the best guard in the East this season falls flat in the face of facts. It remains to be seen whether he can sustain this form. But for now, no player in his position in his conference can claim they are having a better year than Ball.None

Percentages: FG .422, FT .621. 3-Point Goals: 9-27, .333 (Grady 3-5, Kopp 3-7, Petty 2-8, Faas 1-4, Hall 0-1, Nyeri 0-2). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: 3. Blocked Shots: 3 (Ebonkoli 2, Ijeh). Turnovers: 14 (Ebonkoli 3, Grady 3, Hall 2, Kopp 2, Petty 2, Diallo, Faas). Steals: 3 (Diallo, Ebonkoli, Petty). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .479, FT .696. 3-Point Goals: 5-19, .263 (Klaczek 2-4, Marshall 2-8, Reddish 1-3, Briggs 0-2, Joshua 0-2). Team Rebounds: 0. Team Turnovers: None. Blocked Shots: None. Turnovers: 8 (Joshua 3, Langford 2, Adewale, Marshall, Reddish). Steals: 9 (Marshall 5, Joshua 3, Briggs). Technical Fouls: None. A_100 (12,000).Michael Daniel has developed an app aimed at bridging the communication gap for people with . or signup to continue reading It's called the NeuroTranslator, and it quickly achieved viral status when it was launched online in November. The 34-year-old father of three from Newcastle only recently discovered that he was autistic. The diagnosis was life-changing. "My journey toward understanding that I was autistic started with my eldest daughter. As she grew into toddlerhood, I noticed certain unique traits and behaviours that felt extremely familiar - things I distinctly remembered doing myself as a child," he explains. "About a year ago, a family friend gently suggested that my daughter might be autistic. I didn't think too much about it at the time, but one day, while visiting the local library, I came across by Jenara Nerenberg. I picked it up, thinking it might offer some helpful parenting insights for my wife and I. "That night, after everyone was asleep, I stayed up reading. As I turned the pages, I felt a wave of emotion wash over me. Every story, every experience described, resonated so deeply. "I got goosebumps all over my body as it felt like the pieces of my life all fell into place. In that quiet moment by myself, I realised - I'm autistic. It was a life-changing realisation that helped me better understand myself." Looking back at his life through a different lens explained so much. "Being autistic means having a brain that's wired differently, so it has shaped literally every decision I've made throughout my life, often in ways I didn't fully understand," Daniel says. "Growing up, I always sensed that I thought differently, but society isn't always accepting of those who don't fit the norm. In response, I subconsciously developed what's known as a 'mask' - adopting behaviours that felt more socially acceptable to blend in and gain acceptance. "This experience is common among autistic individuals, especially those who don't fit the narrow, stereotypical portrayals often seen in media (think Sheldon Cooper from ). But autism is highly individual." He quotes a saying - "If you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person" - which he says explains how autistic traits vary, sometimes dramatically, from person to person. "After discovering that I was autistic, it felt like the process of unmasking kicked in automatically. I was eager to find the 'real me'," Daniel says. "What I didn't expect was that my brain would seemingly shut off in some areas, and I'd lose skills that had always felt second nature. It was as if the mask I had worn for years to navigate life had come off - but what lay beneath felt unfamiliar, even to me." It was a tumultuous time for the Daniel family. "I didn't recognise myself, and neither did my wife. We found ourselves speaking completely different languages, trapped in a cycle of constant misunderstandings," he says. "I'd say something with a completely different intention to how it was interpreted. Every misunderstanding seemed to trigger more emotional pain, creating a rift in our marriage that at times felt impossible to bridge. "It was that pain that drove me to create my own AI assistant. I needed something that could get me out of my own head and help me process interactions I didn't fully understand, especially in emotionally charged situations. "The AI became a lifeline, helping me break down and work through what would've taken me days to process on my own." An incident at his workplace was the final straw. In a Zoom meeting, his employer told him that the company no longer needed a full-time data analyst and that he was being "let go". "I completely misread the situation," Daniel says. "I didn't pick up on the seriousness in his facial expressions and, thinking he was joking, I burst out laughing. A moment later, HR joined the call, and that's when it hit me. It wasn't a joke. It was one of the most awkward moments of my life. "After the meeting, still reeling, I decided to release the AI tool I'd built for myself publicly for free. I thought, 'I can't be the only one going through this and if it helps even two or three people like me, that would be something good to come out of it'. "I spent the rest of the day building a simple website and posted about it on Reddit before going to bed. The next morning, I woke up to my phone blowing up with notifications. It had gone viral on Reddit and TikTok overnight, racking up hundreds of thousands of views." The app's web version had been viewed more than 400,000 times on TikTok and Reddit in the first 24 hours. There was a market for the app, but the cost was prohibitive. It was going to set Daniel back $300 a day to keep the app up and running, so he introduced "a small paywall to help cover the costs, and created a $2 per month financial hardship option for anyone struggling", while offering a slightly higher tier for people who wanted to support him as "a now-unemployed solopreneur". What started as a personal project had evolved into something much bigger. People started asking him if NeuroTranslator could be developed into a mobile app, and if it could be expanded to cover other neurotypes, such as ADHD. "I wanted NeuroTranslator to be more than just a translator for autistic communication - I wanted it to bridge communication gaps for a range of neurotypes," Daniel says. "The feedback I received from thousands of users inspired me to create something truly inclusive and scalable. "At first, I explored hiring developers to build a mobile app, but the quotes I received were far beyond what I could afford - especially given that I'd just lost my job. So, I decided to take a leap and teach myself how to build the app from scratch, with a little help from AI-powered tools along the way. "It's estimated that one in five people are neurodivergent, yet the world often isn't built for us. NeuroTranslator is my attempt to change that - to offer a way for neurodivergent and neurotypical people to connect in ways they may never have thought possible." The app works, he says, by acting as a bridge between different communication styles. Users type in a scenario and the app translates it in a way that's easy for the user to understand, based on their particular neurotype. "Anyone who isn't neurotypical will tell you that communicating can sometimes feel like speaking an entirely different language," he says. "Take something as seemingly simple as 'How are you?'. For a neurotypical person, it's often just a polite greeting, not meant to be answered in detail. For an autistic person, however, it can be interpreted as a literal question requiring an honest and thorough response. "The NeuroTranslator breaks down hidden meanings, implied context and common social cues that might not be obvious to everyone. "By making subtle adjustments in how we communicate, we can reduce misunderstandings and create more meaningful connections. That's what bridging the gap really means to me - fostering understanding by translating intent, not just words, and embracing our differences." Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . AdvertisementState, national officials remember Jimmy Carter

UEC expects losses due to Philippine casino, gaming equipment businessesWASHINGTON — With much of President Joe Biden’s student loan agenda tied up in court, the incoming Trump administration could have a significant impact on millions of borrowers. Related video above: Rossen Reports: These states have the highest student loan payments President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t made specific promises on student loans or other forms of college financial aid, but delivering student loan forgiveness isn’t a policy priority like it has been for Biden. Republicans have repeatedly challenged Biden’s efforts, and when his sweeping student loan forgiveness program was struck down by the Supreme Court last year, Trump said the proposal “would have been very unfair to the millions and millions of people who have paid their debt through hard work and diligence.” During his first term, Trump proposed ending a program that delivers student loan forgiveness to public sector workers after 10 years, and his administration tried to limit debt relief for borrowers who were misled by their colleges. Both efforts were unsuccessful, but the latter left many people waiting for years to find out if their debt relief claim would be granted. It’s possible for the Trump administration to unilaterally make some changes to the federal student loan system through a rulemaking process, but other actions — like abolishing the Department of Education, as Trump has promised to do — would require Congress to act. Here’s what student loan borrowers need to know about what’s at stake and what Trump could do: Biden’s SAVE repayment plan One of the first things Trump’s Department of Education may have to address is what to do with Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, repayment plan, which is currently on hold due to litigation. There are 8 million people enrolled in SAVE, and if it is struck down in court, they will have to move to a different repayment plan. A lawsuit brought by several Republican-led states argues that the president does not have the authority to implement the plan. A ruling by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected imminently. The Trump administration could decide to rescind the repayment plan, which was created by a regulatory process. It could also decide to stop defending the plan in court. SAVE, which was launched last year, is meant to offer the most generous terms for low-income borrowers. Under the plan, some enrolled borrowers would see monthly payments as low as 5% of discretionary income. It also promises to cancel remaining student loan debt after making as few as 10 years of payments. Borrowers enrolled in SAVE are not currently required to make payments since the Department of Education put them in an interest-free forbearance due to the litigation. The department is expected to reopen two older income-driven repayment plans in December, giving borrowers the option to switch to a plan that might be more affordable than the standard, 10-year plan. Income-driven repayment plans calculate a borrower’s monthly payment based on their income and family size rather than the amount of debt they owe. In addition to lowering monthly payments, the plans promise to wipe away remaining student debt after a borrower makes a certain number of payments — usually 20 or 25 years’ worth. Project 2025, the conservative blueprint published by the Heritage Foundation, calls for creating one new income-driven repayment plan and eliminating all the others. The policy paper also favors eliminating any loan forgiveness provision in the repayment plan, but this would likely require an act of Congress. Trump has distanced himself from the 900-page playbook, but a CNN review found that at least 140 people who worked in the first Trump administration were involved in it. Biden’s $175 billion of student loan forgiveness The Biden administration has canceled a record $175 billion of student loan debt for nearly 5 million people — largely through existing relief programs for public sector workers, disabled borrowers and people who were misled by their college. Under Biden, the Department of Education temporarily expanded eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, recounted past payments to correct administrative errors, cut red tape for disabled borrowers and chipped away at a backlog of relief applications left over from the previous Trump administration. Trump has not suggested that clawing back student loan forgiveness that was already granted is on his to-do list for his second term. It could be difficult both politically and logistically. Efforts to reverse student debt relief would be expected to face legal challenges. “If the new Trump administration attempts to reinstate discharged loans by reversing legal positions, they will be held accountable and spend much of the next four years tied up in court,” said Aaron Ament, president of the nonprofit National Student Legal Defense Network. There are some borrowers who may have been notified by the Department of Education that they have been granted debt relief, but they have yet to see the change made to their account balance. Even in that situation, there is a precedent that the forgiveness would still take effect under a new administration. “We don’t think that can be clawed back under the law. We don’t think it should be clawed back, of course, but we’re ready to defend those discharges,” said Eileen Connor, president and director of the Project on Predatory Student Lending, which represents borrowers defrauded by their colleges. Biden has made other efforts to create new programs to deliver student loan forgiveness, but none of them are currently in effect. His signature student loan forgiveness program, which would have delivered up to $20,000 of relief to millions of borrowers, was struck down by the Supreme Court last year. Since then, his Education Department has been working on implementing more targeted debt-relief programs through the regulatory process. But those proposals have not been finalized, and Trump’s new administration could decide not to move forward with implementing them. One proposal, which would cancel interest for some student loan borrowers, is already facing a Republican-led lawsuit. Trump’s earlier actions on student loans During Trump’s first term, he made some unsuccessful efforts to make it harder for some people to qualify for student loan forgiveness through two existing programs. His education secretary, Betsy DeVos, and many other Republicans argued against some debt relief because it transfers the cost to taxpayers, many of whom didn’t go to college. Public Service Loan Forgiveness program: PSLF was created during President George W. Bush’s administration in 2007. It cancels remaining student loan debt after a qualifying public sector worker makes 10 years’ worth of payments. During his first term, Trump called for phasing out PSLF. But since the program was created by Congress, it would have to be dissolved by Congress, and that move did not receive support in the past. Trump’s proposal would have eliminated the program for new borrowers only. Borrower defense to repayment : Trump’s first administration made attempts to limit the borrower defense to repayment program, which grants debt relief to people who were misled by their college. DeVos tried to change the rule so that eligible borrowers would receive partial relief instead of canceling the full amount of debt. She made it clear that she thought the rule was “bad policy” that put taxpayers on the hook for the cost of the debt relief without the right safeguards in place and made changes to limit its reach. The proposal was unsuccessful, but the department stopped processing borrower defense claims while fighting challenges in court. As a result, a backlog of more than 200,000 claims piled up. DeVos and the department were later found in contempt of court for continuing to collect on some of those loans while the rule was pending. The Biden administration has worked to chip away at that backlog. Call to abolish the Department of Education Trump has called for closing the Department of Education, which currently administers the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio. First of all, Trump will need Congress to do away with the department, and it’s unclear if he will have the support from enough lawmakers to do so. Trump’s first administration proposed merging the Education and Labor departments, but the idea didn’t go anywhere despite Republicans having control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate at the time. It’s possible that some programs and funding could be retained and shifted to other agencies, which is where they were housed before the department was created in 1979. If that happens, Project 2025 recommends moving the federal student loan portfolio to the Department of Treasury.

VA.-LYNCHBURG (0-4) T.Johnson 3-7 9-13 15, Bratcher 0-4 0-0 0, Corrigan 1-1 0-0 3, Jackson 3-8 10-12 16, Robinson 6-18 3-4 17, Joppy 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 13-39 22-29 51. NC CENTRAL (3-6) Adedire 1-4 1-2 4, P.Smith 2-2 1-2 5, D.Johnson 3-7 0-0 6, King 6-12 3-3 19, Porter 9-11 2-2 23, Okworogwo 6-11 6-7 18, Murray 7-9 2-2 16, Parson 3-7 2-5 10, Rideau 5-12 2-3 16, Ch.Daniels 2-4 0-0 4, Smart 4-7 0-1 10, Ellison 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 48-87 19-27 131. Halftime_NC Central 67-25. 3-Point Goals_Va.-Lynchburg 3-15 (Robinson 2-9, Corrigan 1-1, Bratcher 0-1, Jackson 0-2, T.Johnson 0-2), NC Central 16-37 (King 4-9, Rideau 4-11, Porter 3-4, Smart 2-3, Parson 2-5, Adedire 1-2, D.Johnson 0-1, Ch.Daniels 0-2). Fouled Out_Corrigan, Smart. Rebounds_Va.-Lynchburg 19 (T.Johnson 8), NC Central 41 (Okworogwo, Murray 10). Assists_Va.-Lynchburg 6 (Bratcher 3), NC Central 31 (Adedire 7). Total Fouls_Va.-Lynchburg 16, NC Central 24. A_145 (3,056).People from across the political spectrum mourned former President Jimmy Carter upon news of his death. The Georgia Democrat and noted humanitarian’s son James E. Carter III announced that his father had passed away while surrounded by family in his birthplace of Plains, Georgia, on Sunday. He was 100 years old. His son, known as Chip Carter, wrote, “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love.” In a statement from the White House, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden remembered Carter as a “dear friend” who changed the world. “Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman, and humanitarian,” it began. Remarking on Carter’s “compassion and moral clarity,” the Bidens noted how the Nobel Prize winner “worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us.” “He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe,” the statement went on. Calling Carter “a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism,” the Bidens also shared their admiration for the president’s 77-year marriage with his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, who passed away in November 2023. “The love shared between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter is the definition of partnership and their humble leadership is the definition of patriotism,” the president and first lady said. President-elect Donald Trump paid tribute to Carter in a post on Truth Social, where he wrote about the weight of the presidential office. “Those of us who have been fortunate to have served as President understand this is a very exclusive club, and only we can relate to the enormous responsibility of leading the Greatest Nation in History,” he shared. “The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” Trump went on. “For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.” Former President Bill Clinton and wife Hillary Clinton celebrated Carter’s life in a joint statement where they gave “thanks for his long, good life.” “Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others-until the very end,” it continued, noting his commitment to civil rights, protecting the environment, international diplomacy and supporting vulnerable Americans through his post-presidential work with Habitat for Humanity. “He worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” the Clintons’ tribute said. In his own statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote that Carter “personified the true meaning of leadership through service, through compassion, and through integrity.” Hillary's and my statement on the passing of President Jimmy Carter: pic.twitter.com/SOgqTZUdi6 “From his legacy as President, to his dedication to improving human rights across the globe, and his tireless efforts alongside his wife Rosalynn, in building a better world through Habitat for Humanity, he inspired millions with his unwavering commitment to justice and equality,” the statement read. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) honored Carter as someone who “lived a truly American dream,” serving his country “during times of tension and uncertainty, both at home and abroad.” A statement from McConnell’s office described Carter as “a devoutly religious peanut farmer from small-town Georgia” whose career in public service started when he “volunteered to serve his country in uniform.” “He found himself manning cutting-edge submarines hundreds of feet beneath the ocean,” the Kentucky Republican wrote. “He returned home and saved the family farm before feeling drawn to a different sort of public service. And less than 15 years after his first campaign for the state Senate, his fellow Americans elected him leader of the free world.” McConnell went on to say that despite the tumult of Carter’s 1977 to 1981 term in the Oval Office, “his calm spirit and deep faith seemed unshakeable.” Remarking on Carter’s deep faith, he added how “Jimmy Carter served as our commander-in-chief for four years, but he served as the beloved, unassuming Sunday school teacher at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia for forty. And his humble devotion leaves us little doubt which of those two important roles he prized the most.” Sad to learn about the passing of President Jimmy Carter. I join all Americans in saluting President Carter’s lifetime of service—first as a naval officer, then as a senator in the Georgia legislature, then as Governor of Georgia, and, finally, as President of the United States.... House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) paid tribute to the former president in a post on X, where he wrote that he was “sad to learn” of Carter’s death. “I join all Americans in saluting President Carter’s lifetime of service — first as a naval officer, then as a senator in the Georgia legislature, then as Governor of Georgia, and, finally, as President of the United States,” his post continued, adding how Carter “set the standard for post-presidential service through his work with Habitat for Humanity.” At 100, Carter was the longest-living U.S. president in the nation’s history. Born in 1924, he witnessed the tenure of 17 other presidents throughout his lifetime. On Jan. 20, Donald Trump will reclaim the most powerful seat in our nation's government. HuffPost will continue to fearlessly report on the new administration — but we need your help. We believe vital information during this unprecedented time should be free for everyone. With your support, we can provide critical news without paywalls. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Carter is survived by sons James E. Carter III, Jack Carter, Jeff Carter and daughter Amy, as well as his 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Memorial services will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., in the coming weeks, according to The Carter Center. Related From Our Partner

David J. Neal | (TNS) Miami Herald Stanley — whose cups have become almost as popular as the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup — recalled 2.6 million travel mugs because their burn count got too high. As explained in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice, “These mugs’ lid threads can shrink when exposed to heat and torque, causing the lid to detach during use, posing a burn hazard.” According to what Stanley told the CPSC, the lids on recalled travel mugs have detached 16 times in the United States and 91 times worldwide, causing two burn injuries in the United States and 38 worldwide. Of those 38, 11 “required medical attention.” Related Articles National News | Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats National News | Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge National News | Unidentified drones spotted flying at locations across NYC, including LaGuardia Airport National News | Woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape in 2006 publicly admits she lied National News | Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases This involves the Switchback model, ID No. 20-01437 in the 12-ounce size and Nos. 20-01436 and 20-02211 in the 16-ounce size; and the Trigger Action model, ID Nos. 20-02033, 20-02779 and 20-02825 in the 12-ounce size; Nos. 20-02030, 20-02745 and 20-02957 in the 16-ounce size; and 20-02034 and 20-02746 in the 20-ounce size. Stanley wants customers to contact the company to receive a free replacement lid by either going to the website to enter your product identification number and place of purchase (if you remember) or calling (866) 792-5445, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time. ©2024 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ signing of Blake Snell became official Saturday, adding the two-time Cy Young Award winner to front a starting rotation stocked with question marks. Snell, who will turn 32 next week, agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract that includes a $52 million signing bonus and $65 million in deferred salary. That deal was pending a physical which Snell passed. The 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner with the Tampa Bay Rays, Snell won the National League Cy Young in 2023 after going 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA for the San Diego Padres. He became a free agent last winter but stayed on the market well into March looking for a long-term deal that never materialized despite his Cy Young history. The Dodgers were involved with Snell at one point before he signed a two-year, $62 million contract with the San Francisco Giants that included an opt-out clause. He exercised that opt-out after going 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in an injury-interrupted season with the Giants. He had 145 strikeouts and just 44 walks in 104 innings. But he made just 20 starts due to two trips to the injured list with a groin injury (likely related to his late signing affecting his preparation for the season). The 20 starts were his fewest in a full season since his rookie year in 2016 (19 starts). Snell goes to the front of a rotation that includes a number of players returning from injury and/or surgery. Shohei Ohtani is expected to return to pitching after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in September 2023. But his return to the mound will be delayed by surgery on his non-throwing shoulder following the World Series. Yoshinobu Yamamoto finished the 2024 season healthy but missed three months with a rotator cuff strain. Neither he nor Ohtani will be asked to pitch on less than five days of rest and the Dodgers are planning to go with a six-man rotation in 2025. Tyler Glasnow’s 2024 season ended early with an elbow injury and his status for 2025 is uncertain. Tony Gonsolin will be returning from Tommy John surgery. Dustin May did not pitch in 2024 while recovering from his own elbow surgery and a torn esophagus. Emmet Sheehan is expected back at some point in 2025 after his Tommy John surgery. Clayton Kershaw is expected to re-sign at some point. But he underwent foot and knee surgeries in November and is not likely to be available for a full season. Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty are free agents. The Dodgers will start the 2025 season early again with another trip to Asia. They are scheduled to open the regular season with two games against the Chicago Cubs on March 18 and 19 in Tokyo.

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Tech mogul Elon Musk and recently took a silent dig at OpenAI 's ChatGPT , reigniting the rivalry between his AI model Grok and OpenAI’s widely used chatbot. The debate was sparked by a post from X user Omar Sultan AlOlama, who shared images comparing the responses of the two AI models to the same prompt: "Draw a picture of the next president of the United States giving the inauguration address." The first image, generated by Grok, depicted Donald Trump, in line with the prompt. However, when the same prompt was given to ChatGPT-4, the AI produced an image of a bald woman resembling Vice President Kamala Harris, which prompted online discussions. This incident sparked a silent jab from Musk, hinting at Altman’s AI bias, as Musk’s Grok seemed more in line with expectations, while ChatGPT’s output was deemed to be more politically skewed. Musk’s rivalry with Altman is no secret, and this latest exchange is yet another chapter in their ongoing saga. The Musk-Altman Feud The battle between Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, and Elon Musk , the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, is becoming one of Silicon Valley’s most closely watched rivalries. Their differences go beyond the corporate world, touching on the very future of artificial intelligence . Once allies, Musk and Altman’s split traces back to their philosophical differences on how AI should be developed and controlled. Musk’s concerns over AI safety have led him to launch his own venture, xAI, aiming to create a more ethically guided AGI system. On the other hand, Altman continues to push forward with OpenAI’s rapid development of powerful AI tools, including ChatGPT, despite Musk’s warnings about the risks of unchecked AI development. As the feud intensifies, experts such as Geoffrey Hinton and Ilya Sutskever are weighing in, with some backing Altman’s more collaborative approach and others aligning with Musk’s cautionary stance. This rivalry has raised questions about the regulation of AI, its ethical implications, and the potential for global cooperation—or competition—between tech giants. At the heart of the Altman-Musk divide is the question of who should have control over AGI—the technology that could revolutionize every aspect of human life. Musk’s call for stringent regulation contrasts with Altman’s belief that progress and safety can go hand in hand. The stakes are high: AI isn’t just reshaping industries but could redefine economies, geopolitics, and even governance. The Altman-Musk rivalry is not just a battle of egos; it’s a clash that could determine the trajectory of humanity’s technological future. For now, the rivalry continues to fuel debates about AI ethics , control, and the role of private companies in shaping the future of technology. As Musk and Altman push their respective visions of AGI, one thing is clear: this battle is far from over. And as the AI wars heat up, the world watches closely, wondering who will ultimately control the future of artificial intelligence.

The City Council’s housing and homelessness committee is considering adding inspectors, imposing stiffer penalties and requiring websites like Airbnb and Booking.com to use an electronic system already in place in New York City that would automatically reject bookings at properties that aren’t approved for short-term rental. A July investigation by Capital & Main and ProPublica found more than 60 rent-controlled buildings with units advertised on booking sites despite LA’s Home Sharing Ordinance , which prohibits such stays in rent-controlled apartments. In some cases, entire apartment buildings were listed as boutique hotels on reservation sites. Rent-controlled units make up nearly 75% of the city’s rental market; the designation caps annual rent increases at about 4% and is intended to preserve affordable housing for city residents. The number of buildings with illegal listings is likely far higher than the news organizations found because most booking platforms mask the addresses of the properties. The LA Housing Department now estimates that 7,500, or about 60% of the city’s short-term rentals in multiunit buildings, are illegal , according to a memo sent by the agency’s interim general manager, Tricia Keane, to the City Council. “I think having the capacity to do stronger enforcement is the big missing piece,” said Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs the housing and homelessness committee. She said very few violators were receiving citations and fines “because of how broken the process is.” At a committee hearing in early December, the proposals faced opposition from several property owners, who urged the committee not to impose stricter rules. “I have become absolutely reliant on Airbnb to make ends meet,” said Joni Day, a freelance TV producer. Airbnb and Booking.com representatives didn’t answer emails requesting comment on the city’s enforcement proposals. Airbnb previously told the news organizations that it works closely with city staff “to address Hosts who try to evade the rules.” For more than a year, the housing and homelessness committee has been looking into the growth of home-sharing in LA. It has convened representatives of key city departments and the city attorney’s office to learn about enforcement of the 2019 home-sharing law against unapproved listings and what can be done to improve it. Raman said the dysfunction in the city’s home-sharing enforcement system is a matter of “priorities and staffing.” Additionally, she said, “There are real breakdowns of communication between departments.” In addition to spotlighting the misuse of rent-controlled apartments, Capital & Main and ProPublica documented how those breakdowns hobbled enforcement as cases were passed between the planning department, whose computer system flags potential home-sharing violations, and the Housing Department, which is tasked with actually citing violators. Raman has asked city officials to draft plans to establish a single home-sharing task force to streamline the process. However it’s organized, Housing Department Director of Code Enforcement Robert Galardi said he simply needs “boots on the ground” to investigate what he argues is an “underground” of illegal vacation rentals, which are often disguised as legal monthly rentals by some hosts to evade enforcement. Capital & Main and ProPublica’s investigation found that relatively few property owners have been cited under the ordinance and that some of those who had been cited continued to offer short-term rentals after paying minimal fines or while their cases awaited appeal hearings. In one case, residents and neighbors of 1940 Carmen Ave., a 21-unit apartment building in Hollywood, had repeatedly complained to the city about illegal vacation rentals. But the owner had never been fined for home-sharing. However, after the investigation, the owner was fined, and the building appears to no longer accept reservations on booking sites. Building owner Alexander Stein didn’t return calls seeking comment. Currently, the city imposes a $587 fine on first-time violators, but the department is proposing higher penalties that would escalate from $1,000 for first violations on the smallest properties to $64,000 for a third violation on the largest. Another proposal from City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield would give any LA resident the right to sue property owners who offer illegal short-term rentals and to reap some of the damages if they win. Activists who monitor home-sharing applauded the city’s efforts to strengthen the Home Sharing Ordinance. “Now, the problem is the city still has to develop the will to actually enforce this law,” said Noah Suarez-Sikes, an organizer for Better Neighbors LA. As the housing and homelessness committee pieces together its proposals, a process that will likely continue well into 2025, it has asked city departments to report back on how the city could put them into effect. The committee has also ordered the Housing Department to provide annual reports on its enforcement of another law aimed at preserving some of the city’s lowest-cost housing — in LA’s residential hotels, which typically provide single-room dwellings with shared bathrooms. The Housing Department was granted five new positions this year to enforce the Residential Hotel Ordinance, which prohibits the conversion of residential hotels to tourist accommodations. The budget allocation came in response to a 2023 investigation by Capital & Main and ProPublica , which found that lax enforcement of the law had allowed the loss of nearly 800 housing units to tourist rooms.

Trump says he can’t guarantee tariffs won’t raise US prices, won’t rule out revenge prosecutions

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Narin An handled the windy conditions with a hot putter on Thursday, making four straight birdies around the turn and finishing with an 8-under 64 for a one-shot lead in the CME Group Tour Championship. At stake for the 60-player field is a $4 million prize to the winner, the largest single-day payoff in women's golf. Nelly Korda already has won more than that during her sterling season of seven wins. Now she faces an eight-shot deficit over the next three days at Tiburon Golf Club if she wants to end her year in fitting fashion. Korda, coming off a victory last week, couldn't make amends for her three bogeys and had to settle for an even-par 72. She has come from behind in four of her victories, and still has 54 holes ahead of her. But it has made the task that much tougher. Everything felt easy for An, a 28-year-old from South Korea who has never won on the LPGA and has never cracked the top 10 in any of the 16 majors she has played. “Today my putt really good,” An said. “The speed was good and the shape was good. I just try to focus a little bit more.” She had a one-shot lead over Angel Yin, who shot 30 on the back nine, including an eagle on the par-5 17th hole that most players can easily reach in two. Former U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz and Marina Alex were at 66, with Lydia Ko leading the group at 67. Despite the wind so typical along the Gulf Coast of Florida, 27 players — nearly half the field — shot in the 60s. “It's a good head start for the big ol' prize we get at the end of the week,” Yin said. Whoever wins this week is assured of breaking the 17-year-old LPGA record for most money earned in season. The record was set by Lorena Ochoa in 2007 at $4,364,994, back when the total prize money was about half of what it is now. Ochoa earned $1 million for winning the Tour Championship in 2007. The opening round followed a big night of awards for the LPGA Tour, where Korda officially picked up her first award as player of the year, which she clinched earlier this month . Ko was recognized for her big year, highlighted by an Olympic gold medal that put her into the LPGA Hall of Fame. She regained plenty of focus for the opening round on a course where she won just two years ago. “The course isn't easy,” Ko said. “I set a goal of shooting 3 under today, and somebody shot 8 under. I was like, ‘OK, maybe I need to make a few more birdies.’ It's a course that can get away from you as much as you can shoot some low scores, so I’m just trying to stick to my game plan and go from there.” Also in the group at 67 was Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland, already celebrating a big year with her debut in the Solheim Cup and her first appearance in the Tour Championship. She made a late run at her first LPGA title last week at Pelican Golf Club, and kept up her form. And she can see the finish line, which is appealing. “I everyone is looking at that $4 million price tag,” Valenzuela said. “I try not to look too much at the result. I feel like in the past I’ve always been stuck on results, and ultimately all I can do is control my own round, my own energy, my own commitment. “It's the last week of the year. It’s kind of the bonus week. No matter what, everyone is having a paycheck.” AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golfNEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks are pulling Wall Street toward another record amid mixed trading on Monday. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in afternoon trading after closing its best month of the year at an all-time high . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 86 points, or 0.2%, with a little more than an hour remaining in trading, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.9% higher. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 31.1% to lead the market. Following accusations 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 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 2.9% 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 1.1% 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 3.7% 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 1.6%. Walmart , which gave a more optimistic forecast, rose 0.3%. Amazon, which looks to benefit from online sales from Cyber Monday, climbed 1.3%. 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.

A chocolate fan who unwrapped a rare smooth Mars bar on his way to Birmingham has been compensated £2 for the find - but the company won't say how it happened. Harry Seager, 34, became an internet sensation when he posted a picture of a Mars Bar with a completely smooth chocolate shell to the Dull Men's Club page on Facebook . The group's thousands of members were shocked to see the fan-favourite bar without its trademark surface ripples, with one social media user even branding the snack "hideous". Mr Seager had picked up the bar at a service station while travelling with friends to a classic car show in Birmingham , and, left bemused, wrote to Mars looking for answers as to how the unusual appearance came about. But he was left without answers and the unexpected recipient of £2 in compensation. Read more: Ambulance service says 'only if' and issues guidance on strict two reasons to call back Speaking to the BBC , Mr Seager, from Aylesbury, in Buckinghamshire, said he only wanted to know what "might have caused it to happen". He added: "That is all I wanted to know and they kept side-lining that question." Mr Seager also revealed how he planned to spend his £2, which he received via voucher. He said: "I think £2 is great, it will be two free Mars bars. Maybe they could have sent me more but I’m not being ungrateful. I think it’s amazing after everything that’s happened that I got the £2 voucher." A spokesperson for Mars Wrigley was tight lipped on what left the Mars bar ripple-less, saying they couldn't "reveal all the secrets behind our product line". They said: "With over 2.5 million Mars Bars produced daily at our Slough factory it seems this has slipped through without its signature flourish. While we can’t reveal all the secrets behind our product line, we can promise fans that these smooth Mars Bars are a rare find and the classic swirl isn’t going away." Some social media users commenting on Mr Seager's Facebook post attempted to offer a little more insight into the process behind manufacturing the bars - and what might have caused the irregularity. He said he was told the chocolates go through an "enrober" which shapes their characteristic covering. He said: "A few people who used to work at Mars’ factories commented [on Facebook] and they said it goes through a machine called an enrober, which is like the waterfall the bars go through. Apparently they get blown with air along the top as it comes out of that waterfall. Apparently there’s meant to be somebody at the end who removes the ones which haven’t been hit by the air."

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SAN DIEGO , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BSD Builders, Inc. today announced it has received seismic certification from California's OSHPD/HCAi for its state-of-the-art Microgrid Solutions. Developed in partnership with 2G Energy Inc., the BSD Special Seismically Certified (SSC) Microgrid product is set to revolutionize energy resilience and efficiency for all types of buildings. The BSD SSC Microgrid system, consisting of a cogeneration power plant and fuel storage, was initially designed to support California skilled nursing facilities' compliance with California Assembly Bill 2511, which California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on September 29, 2022 . This bill requires these facilities to have an alternative power source to protect resident health and safety for at least 96 hours during any type of power outage. This microgrid power solution is a self-contained electrical system that can operate independently from the main power grid. With the seismic certification, it is now available for any type of building that needs uninterruptable power. "At BSD Builders, we're passionate about creating solutions that make a difference in people's lives. We have developed a proprietary solution that not only meets but exceeds California's stringent seismic requirements while providing a reliable and efficient source of power, especially during unexpected power loss or natural disasters," said Jeff Blair , CEO of BSD Builders, Inc. "This solution offers long-term benefits not only by lowering utility costs, it can also help to improve the stability of the regional electric grid and reduce carbon emissions." Key features of the BSD SSC Microgrid Solution include: "2G Energy is proud to partner with BSD on the BSD SSC Microgrid System designing it for a wide range of applications, providing a reliable and cost-effective energy solution for skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, data centers, pharmaceutical labs, research facilities, cold storage units, data centers, and more," stated Darren Jamison , Managing Director of 2G Energy North America. "The design utilizes proprietary technologies to offer clients reduced utility costs and increased reliability. It is designed for continuous parallel operation with the utility as well as stand-alone island mode," concluded Jamison. For more information about the BSD SSC Microgrid System or to schedule a consultation, please visit bsdbuilders.com . About BSD Builders, Inc . - BSD Builders, Inc. is a leading general contractor specializing in the healthcare industry. Focusing on exceeding industry standards and delivering exceptional value to clients, BSD Builders, Inc. continues to set the benchmark for excellence in the construction and energy sectors. About 2G Energy – 2G Energy is a globally recognized leader in the development and production of combined heat and power (CHP) systems. With a commitment to sustainability and innovation, 2G Energy provides cutting-edge solutions that optimize energy efficiency and environmental performance. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bsd-builders-inc-advanced-microgrid-solutions-receives-california-seismic-certification-for-uninterruptible-power-supply-302324334.html SOURCE BSD Builders, Inc.Transcript: Conway Gittens: I’m Conway Gittens reporting from the New York Stock Exchange. Here’s what we’re watching on TheStreet today. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Satellogic Announces Closing of $10 Million Private Placement and Filing of Shelf Registration Statement

Share Tweet Share Share Email Managing expenses effectively is crucial to maintaining financial integrity. However, the rise in fraudulent expense claims poses a significant challenge for organizations worldwide. Fraudulent activities not only drain resources but also damage trust within the workplace. Detecting such fraud manually can be tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone. This is where machine learning comes into play, offering innovative ways to combat expense fraud efficiently and proactively . What Is Expense Fraud? Expense fraud refers to the act of submitting false or exaggerated claims for reimbursement. Employees may manipulate receipts, inflate mileage claims, or create fake invoices to gain undeserved compensation. Common examples of expense fraud include: Submitting personal expenses as business-related costs. Altering the amounts on genuine receipts. Creating entirely fictitious receipts or invoices. Reimbursing duplicate claims for the same expense. These fraudulent activities can cost businesses thousands, if not millions, of dollars annually. While traditional audits can uncover some discrepancies, they often miss more sophisticated schemes. This highlights the need for advanced technologies like machine learning to tackle fraud more effectively. The Role of Machine Learning in Fraud Detection Machine learning (ML) leverages algorithms that analyze data, learn patterns, and make predictions. Unlike rule-based systems, ML models continuously improve over time as they process new data. In the context of expense fraud detection, machine learning offers the following advantages: Automated Data Analysis: ML systems can process vast amounts of expense data in real time, identifying anomalies that may signal fraudulent behavior. Pattern Recognition: By analyzing historical data, machine learning models can detect unusual patterns that deviate from normal expense behaviors. Risk Scoring: ML algorithms assign risk scores to expense claims, flagging those with high likelihoods of fraud for further review. Adaptive Learning: As fraud tactics evolve, machine learning models adapt by learning new patterns and identifying emerging threats. Key Machine Learning Techniques for Expense Fraud Detection Machine learning employs various techniques to identify fraudulent expense claims. Below are some of the most commonly used approaches: Supervised Learning Supervised learning involves training a model on labeled data, where the outcomes (fraudulent or non-fraudulent) are already known. The model learns to classify new expense claims based on the patterns it observes in the training data. Algorithms like decision trees, support vector machines (SVM), and neural networks are commonly used in supervised learning for fraud detection . Unsupervised Learning Unlike supervised learning, unsupervised learning works with unlabeled data. This approach is ideal for detecting unknown types of fraud. Techniques like clustering and anomaly detection help group similar data points and identify outliers. For instance, if an employee’s expense claim is significantly higher than their peers’, the system flags it for investigation. Natural Language Processing (NLP) Natural language processing is used to analyze text-based data, such as descriptions in expense claims. NLP can identify inconsistencies, suspicious keywords, or unusual phrasing that may indicate fraudulent intent. Reinforcement Learning Reinforcement learning involves training models through a reward-based system. In fraud detection, the algorithm receives rewards for accurately identifying fraudulent claims and penalties for false positives or negatives. This iterative process improves the model’s accuracy over time. Building an Effective Machine Learning Framework for Fraud Detection Implementing a machine learning-based expense fraud detection system requires careful planning and execution. Below are the critical steps: Data Collection and Preprocessing The first step is gathering expense-related data, such as receipts, invoices, and transaction records. Preprocessing this data is crucial to ensure accuracy and consistency. Steps include: Cleaning and removing duplicate entries. Converting unstructured data into structured formats. Normalizing numerical data for better model performance. Feature Engineering Feature engineering involves selecting and creating relevant variables (features) that help the model identify fraud. Examples include: Frequency of claims per employee. Average claim amount by department. Expense categories with unusually high costs. Model Training and Testing Once features are defined, the next step is training machine learning models. A portion of the data is used for training, while the rest is reserved for testing. This ensures that the model performs well on unseen data. Deployment and Monitoring After successful testing, the model is deployed to monitor expense claims in real-time. Continuous monitoring and periodic retraining are essential to maintain effectiveness and adapt to new fraud patterns. Challenges in Machine Learning-Based Fraud Detection While machine learning offers powerful tools for expense fraud detection, it is not without challenges. Some common obstacles include: Data Quality Issues: Inaccurate or incomplete data can lead to unreliable model predictions. High False Positives: Over-sensitive models may flag legitimate claims as fraudulent, leading to inefficiencies. Evolving Fraud Tactics: Fraudsters continuously adapt, requiring models to be updated regularly. Privacy Concerns: Handling sensitive financial data necessitates strict adherence to data protection regulations. Addressing these challenges requires a collaborative approach involving robust data governance, regular model audits, and input from domain experts. Benefits of Machine Learning in Expense Fraud Detection Despite the challenges, machine learning brings numerous benefits to expense fraud detection: Efficiency: Automating fraud detection reduces the manual workload, allowing finance teams to focus on high-priority tasks. Accuracy: ML models often outperform traditional methods, identifying subtle patterns that humans might miss. Scalability: Machine learning systems can handle large volumes of data, making them suitable for organizations of all sizes. Cost Savings: By preventing fraud, businesses can save significant amounts of money that would otherwise be lost. Real-World Applications of Machine Learning in Expense Fraud Detection Many organizations have successfully implemented machine learning to combat expense fraud. For instance: Corporate Finance Departments: Large corporations use ML tools to monitor employee expense reports, flagging anomalies in real-time. Expense Management Software: Companies like Expensify and Concur integrate machine learning algorithms to provide fraud detection features for their clients. Financial Institutions: Banks and credit card companies employ ML models to detect suspicious transactions that could indicate fraudulent expense claims. Conclusion Expense fraud is a pressing issue that requires proactive measures to mitigate its impact on businesses. Machine learning offers a transformative solution, enabling organizations to detect and prevent fraud with unprecedented efficiency.Furthermore, By leveraging techniques like supervised and unsupervised learning, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning, companies can build robust fraud detection systems that evolve alongside emerging threats. Although challenges remain, the benefits of machine learning far outweigh the drawbacks, making it an indispensable tool in the fight against expense fraud. Organizations that invest in this technology not only safeguard their finances but also foster a culture of transparency and trust . Related Items: Catching Fraud Before It Strikes , Expense Fraud Detection , machine learning Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Can Machine Learning Models Truly Revolutionize Retail Sales Forecasting? AI and Machine Learning Reshape Modern Data Center Operations How Machine Learning is Driving a New Era in Healthcare? Comments

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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cole Anthony drove for a layup with 1.3 seconds left to complete the Orlando Magic's 17-point fourth-quarter comeback Sunday in a 102-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Cam Thomas missed a jumper from the corner at the final horn. Anthony scored 10, and Tristan da Silva scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter for Orlando, which was down 71-51 midway through the third quarter. Goga Bitadze added 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. The Magic's comeback was their second in eight days after Orlando rallied from 25 points down to beat Miami 121-114 on Dec. 21. Thomas came off the bench with 25 points to lead the Nets in his first game since Nov. 25. Jalen Wilson added 16 points including two free throws with 6.2 seconds left. Thomas, Brooklyn's leading scorer with 24.7 points per game, played 25 minutes after missing 13 games with a strained left hamstring. Takeaways Nets: Losing for the seventh time in nine games, the Nets played for the first time without Dorian Finney-Smith, who was traded early Sunday to the Los Angeles Lakers. In their four games against the Magic this season, the Nets used 11 different starters. Only Cam Johnson started all four games. Magic: The Magic completed a four-game season series sweep of the Nets and concluded a 3-4 holiday home stretch. They overcame double-digit second-half deficits in all three of their wins against Miami, Boston and Brooklyn. Key moment A 3-pointer by Anthony, who did not play in the first half, launched a 13-0 Orlando run after they had fallen behind by 20 points. Key stat The Nets shot 13 for 30 from 3-point range. Up next The Nets are at Toronto and the Magic are at Detroit on Wednesday night. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba Dick Scanlon, The Associated Press

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WASHINGTON — After decades of inaction, federal transportation officials have moved ahead with requiring new technologies to reduce crashes and fatalities involving large trucks. But the incoming administration could install a red light to block their efforts. At issue are proposed new rules by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require large trucks to be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems and devices to limit their speeds. But advocates fear that such long-awaited progress to improve safety could end when Donald Trump replaces Joe Biden in the White House next month. Not only did Trump promise to reduce regulation but incoming Vice President JD Vance, while in the U.S. Senate, co-sponsored legislation to block the proposal requiring truckers to use speed limiters. "We are very nervous that safety-oriented rulemakings will be watered down or pulled altogether," said Zach Cahalan, executive director of the Truck Safety Coalition. After all, seven months after Trump took office the first time, his Transportation Department dropped efforts to require trucking companies and railroads to test employees for sleep apnea if symptoms were observed, even as the National Transportation Safety Board named reducing driver fatigue as one of its most-wanted safety improvements. "We want to hope for the best but based on the last time the Trump administration was in the White House, they did not advance safety regulations," said Harry Adler, principal at the Institute for Safer Trucking. The trucking industry gave 86% of its $13 million in campaign contributions to Republicans, including $1.2 million to Trump's campaign, according to the research group OpenSecrets. The 150,000-member strong Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association already has let the new administration know of its opposition to speed limiters. "We look forward to working with the Trump administration and congressional allies to advance a pro-trucker agenda, which includes expanding truck parking, stopping unworkable environmental mandates and preventing a dangerous speed limiter mandate," OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. Cahalan said he "would not be surprised if the incoming administration chose to pull" the proposed rule on speed limiters, saying he expected it to be "on the chopping block." President Joe Biden and Congress pivoted to traffic safety after the pandemic led to a spike in highway deaths as motorists sped along near-empty roads. Fatalities in truck crashes nationally grew by 48% from 2013 to 2022, from 3,981 to 5,936. Pennsylvania reported a 19% increase during the same period, from 155 to 185. The 185 fatalities in the Keystone State in 2022 were the eighth highest in the nation, according to the Truck Safety Coalition. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in January 2022 used some of the money in the bipartisan infrastructure law for a new National Roadway Safety Strategy that called for using new technology, adjusting speed limits, changing road design and signage, and improving responses from medical personnel to stem the increase in traffic-related deaths. Safety rules In the law, Congress demanded certain new safety rules, including automatic emergency braking on trucks heavier than 10,000 pounds. The final braking rule is scheduled to be released in January, the same month Trump takes office. Trump could let the rule take effect or possibly propose weaker regulations. Meanwhile, NHTSA estimated that the proposed braking rule would prevent more than 19,000 crashes, save 155 lives, and prevent 8,814 injuries every year. A formal process to develop a rule on speed limiters is scheduled to begin in May. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said that in truck crashes on roads where the speed limit was identified, almost 40% of deaths in 2019, about 1,500 fatalities, occurred when the posted speed limit was 65 mph or higher. Adler said he hoped the rise in fatalities might be enough for the Trump administration to let the proposed rules take effect. "At a time when truck crash deaths are at some of their highest levels ever, we hope the data will encourage the administration to move ahead," he said. Long time coming Both rules have been decades in the making. The National Transportation Safety Board first recommended automatic emergency braking and speed limiters in 1995. The Transportation Department first said in 2011 that it would look at speed limiters, and proposed a rule requiring them in 2016. Automatic emergency braking joined the agenda in 2015. Safety advocates acknowledge that there could be some delays as the new administration puts its people in place, but said they would not let up on their efforts to see the new safety standards enacted. "A truck crash doesn't count what political affiliation you are," said Peter Kurdock, general counsel for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, an alliance of consumer, health, law enforcement and insurance industry groups. "There's really a very strong compelling case, whatever your view on regulations, this is a rulemaking that can save a lot of lives and makes a lot of sense." (c)2024 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Long-term investment is the key to life-changing returns in the stock market, and few companies highlight this concept better than Nvidia ( NVDA -2.25% ) . If you bought $1,000 worth of the chipmaker's stock 10 years ago, you would have roughly $267,000 today -- a return of 26,600%. That said, past returns don't guarantee future results -- especially in an incredibly speculative new industry. Let's examine the pros and cons of Nvidia stock to determine whether the legendary technology giant still has multibagger potential over the long term. A history of boom and bust cycles Nvidia's core business has always been designing and selling graphics processing units (GPUs), a type of computer chip capable of parallel processing (running multiple calculations simultaneously). This tech proved crucial in rendering video game graphics, helping Nvidia dominate the custom PC and gaming laptop markets in the 2000s. When Bitcoin launched in 2009, GPUs found another use case in cryptocurrency mining, leading to Nvidia's second boom cycle. At the time, many blockchains used GPU computing power to validate their networks and mint more coins in a process called proof-of-work (PoW). This market declined substantially in 2022, erasing billions from Nvidia's market cap. Video gaming and crypto mining hardware are both represented in Nvidia's gaming segment, which posted third-quarter sales of just $3.3 billion or just around 9% of total sales . Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has become the company's latest boom cycle, causing its data center business to soar to represent 88% of total sales. The company is very nondiversified and vulnerable to another rapid change in its fortunes. How will the generative AI story end? Over the next 10 years, Nvidia's AI hardware business could face threats to its growth and profitability. And it isn't hard to see why. With a gross margin of 75%, Nvidia is selling hardware at software-level margins. For context, software-as-a-service (SaaS) giant Microsoft has a gross margin of just 69%, selling mainly digital products and services. Nvidia's market dominance will naturally encourage customers to replace its products wherever possible. While Nvidia seems to be able to keep direct competition (from other AI chipmakers like Advanced Micro Devices ) at bay, it can't stop "hyperscaler" clients like Alphabet and Amazon from designing their own custom chips or simply holding on to their old Nvidia hardware instead of upgrading to the latest models every year. Nvidia's sky-high margins may also come under increasing pressure from suppliers like Taiwan Semiconductor , which helps manufacture its highest-end AI chips. In June, analysts at Morgan Stanley reported that the fab is considering raising production fees for Nvidia. And if this is true, it could eventually eat into the company's margins. To be fair, however, Nvidia's third-quarter operating income soared 174% to $18.6 billion. And its forward price-to-earnings (P/E) of just 33 seems quite low compared to this growth rate, suggesting a possible slowdown in earnings growth may already be partially priced in. Is Nvidia stock a buy? Generally, time in the market is better than timing the market. And even if you bought Nvidia stock at the peak of its previous boom cycles, you would still have come out ahead if you held shares long enough. That said, with a market cap of $3.5 trillion, Nvidia has become the second-largest company in the world. So, things may be different now. Newton's second law of motion states that the larger an object is, the more force is needed to move it. And while the 18th-century physicist probably didn't have financial markets in mind, the concept can hold true for stocks. Investors who buy Nvidia now are making some very optimistic assumptions about the future of the AI industry. And it may make more sense to wait until the hype dies down before buying shares.

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winner 777 login Okanagan MLAs express concern with removal of religious sign from nativity sceneThe controversy around a religious Christmas sign that was taken down in downtown Kelowna continues. Two days after a sign stating 'Keep Christ in Christmas' was removed from the nativity scene display at Stuart Park, Kelowna-Centre MLA Kristina Loewen went to social media to express her opinion on the matter. "We believe that it's an important detail that Christmas is a Christian holiday," said Loewen in her video, referring to 'we' as all of the MLAs for the Central Okanagan. "We will be standing united and defending all British Columbians rights to religion and freedom of expression, speech, thought, belief," she added. "Canada is an incredible country full of diverse cultures and religions, and a wide variety of views, and I think that's one of the things that makes us so incredible." Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong agreed with her fellow Conservative, quote-tweeting the video and saying "a great message from a colleague and friend. I'm proud to be part of a team that stands for what's right." Macklin McCall, MLA for West Kelowna, also quote-tweeted Loewen's post. However, Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew appears to not have commented on social media. The nativity scene is put up by the Knights of Columbus every year and a permit is given from the City of Kelowna to do so. When the 'Keep Christ in Christmas' sign was displayed beside the scene on Monday, Dec. 9, some people in the community, including the Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists Association (KASHA) took issue. A letter by KASHA to Black Press Media on Dec. 9, stated the nativity scene is part of Christmas, just as "lights, festive trees, and other decorative displays" are also. "This message is not merely festive—it is political, advocating for a specific religious interpretation of the holiday," said KASHA about the sign. The next day, the sign was taken down and the City of Kelowna confirmed that the sign was not part of the Knights of Columbus' permit for the nativity scene. The Knights of Columbus had no comment regarding the matter. Capital News reached out to Loewen for further comment but was met with an automatic e-mail reply. Additionally, the City of Kelowna stated it had no comment on Loewen's video. However, Ian Bushfield the executive director of the B.C. Humanist Association did have a comment. "Freedom of religion in Canada includes freedom from religion," said Bushfield in an e-mailed statement. "Ms. Loewen and all Christians are obviously free to celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday but our governments have a clear duty of religious neutrality. That means neither endorsing nor prohibiting any religion over any other. That sign, and arguably even the nativity scene, being on public property breaches that duty. She can put the sign up at her church or at her own house but we do not live in a theocracy." Bushfield has previously stated that BCHA is an organization committed to secular values. “Part of that is the separation of religion and government," said Bushfield. The City of Kelowna also said it received five letters on the matter when the sign was up but none since it's been taken down.

A man in Jaipur was prevented from dying by hanging himself, an act he live-streamed on Facebook after his friend alerted police, authorities said on Sunday. He was taken to Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur for treatment, they said. The incident took place on Saturday night when Pavan, a resident of Jaipur's Bagru town, checked into a hotel on Ajmer highway, Station House Officer Dalbeer Singh said. He started a Facebook live from his hotel room in which he threatened to die by suicide, the officer said. His friend, who saw the live, immediately informed a head constable in Jaipur who was known to him. The constable traced the man's location and alerted the hotel staff, he said. After confirming, the staff broke into the room and found Pavan, who was about to hang himself from the ceiling fan. They immediately intervened and saved him, the SHO said. Further investigation in the matter is underway, he added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Featured Video Of The Day Does Trolling Impact Judges? What DY Chandrachud Said man tries to ill himself on facebook live "Moving Towards One Party, One Nation": Uddhav Thackeray On BJP Victory 3 Dead, Over 30 Cops Injured: Violence In UP's Sambhal Over Mosque Survey Autopsy Reveals Chilling Details Of Family Kidnapped, Killed In Manipur NTET 2024: Provisional Answer Keys Out, Check Steps To Raise Objections Video: Woman Falls From Moving Train In UP, Rescued By Cop Within Seconds After Stunning Win In Minority Stronghold, Assam BJP Eyes 5 Such Seats Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world . MORE Trending News IPL Auction LIVE: Pant Fetches Rs 27 Cr Bid, MI Make 1st Buy For... IPL 2025 Auction LIVE: Full List Of Sold And Unsold Players, Auction Price CSK Full Squad, IPL 2025: List Of Players Bought By Chennai Super Kings "Moving Towards One Party, One Nation": Uddhav Thackeray On BJP Victory 3 Dead, Over 30 Cops Injured: Violence In UP's Sambhal Over Mosque Survey "Naive, Baffling": India Great Blasts RCB After Early IPL Auction Performance SRH Full Squad, IPL 2025: List Of Players Bought By Sunrisers Hyderabad Abhishek Bachchan On Dealing With "Negativity" Amid Separation Rumours Autopsy Reveals Chilling Details Of Family Kidnapped, Killed In Manipur IPL 2025 Auction: Date, Time, RTM, Rules, Streaming - All You Need To Know 1st Test: Bumrah Strikes Twice As India Reduce Aus To 12/3 At Stumps KKR Full Squad, IPL 2025: List Of Players Bought By Kolkata Knight Riders After Mega Maharashtra Victory, NDA's Oath Ceremony Likely Tomorrow IPL 2025 Auction Live Streaming: When And Where To Watch For Free? With Thumping Win, Maharashtra Decides Real NCP, Sena Virat Kohli Leaves Behind Sir Don Bradman With Historic 30th Test Ton RCB Full Squad, IPL 2025: Complete List Of Players Bought By Franchise In Maharashtra, Victory Margin Lowest For AIMIM, Congress' Nana Patole Should Former Judges Join Politics? What Ex Chief Justice DY Chandrachud Said Video: Punches, Kicks Fly As Man Thrashed Over Parking Row In GhaziabadPinewood Prep had to fight for it, but finally added a football state championship trophy to its case. Pinewood has earned multiple state titles for multiple sports through the years, but a football championship was always out of reach until this year. In a thrilling game, the Panthers defeated Wilson Hall 24-21 in the SCISA 3A Football Championship Nov. 23 at Charleston Southern University. “This was a tough game,” Pinewood coach DeVonte Holloman said. “Wilson Hall played great, but our boys fought until the very end. We worked hard this season. The loss in the second round last year kind of fueled us all season. We got over the hump and made it to the big dance and were able to finish. The Pinewood family has worked hard for a long time for this so we’re glad to finally bring one home.” Pinewood ends the season with a 10-2 record while Wilson Hall fell to 11-2. Both of the Barons’ losses this season came to the Panthers. The Panthers went up 14-0 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Jeremiah Singleton and a 13-yard TD pass from Asa Windham to Terrance Stallworth. The Barons responded to the TD catch by mounting a 65-yard scoring drive capped by a 9-yard TD run by Milling Galloway. The score remained 14-7 entering the second half. Pinewood cushioned its lead with a 1-yard TD run from Singleton and a 33-yard field goal from Alex Hylton. The field goal was set up by an interception by Grady Fuller and a 28-yard reception byJayden Alexander. Wilson Hall trailed 24-7 entering the fourth quarter, but scored on a 30-yard TD pass from QB Owen Meyers to Ford Wilder and a 1-yard run by Meyers. The Barons completed a two-point conversion pass to Wilder to take the score to 24-21 with 3:44 remaining. With some tough running, the Panthers were able to move the sticks and runout the clock to clinch the championship.

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(BPT) - Tech gifts are consistently some of the most popular presents to give and receive during the holidays. In fact, according to the annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns report , a record 233 million U.S. adults (89%) will buy tech products during the 2024 holiday season. But with so many devices out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect option for the loved one on your list. A tablet like the new Fire HD 8 from Amazon offers the versatility of an all-in-one device, with access to streaming, gaming, video chatting, reading or writing all at your fingertips. Fire HD 8 also features a vibrant 8-inch HD display and lightweight, portable design, for high-quality entertainment on the go. Plus, Fire HD 8 comes with three new AI features that can help you get the most out of your tablet experience. Check them out below and learn how they can help you with daily tasks this holiday season and beyond. 1. Meet your personal writing assistant Do you struggle with writing a heartfelt message or finessing a tricky email? Fear not! Writing Assist is here to help. Writing Assist works as part of your Fire tablet's device keyboard and compatible apps, including email, Word documents and social media. In just a few taps, you can transform your writing from good to great. Try Writing Assist's pre-set styles to turn a simple email into a professionally written note. Or, you can ask Writing Assist for grammar suggestions to make your writing more concise, or elaborate on your ideas. You can even "emojify" your writing to add more fun and personality. 2. Learn more in less time Say goodbye to scrolling through pages of information. The new Webpage Summaries feature allows you to learn pertinent information as quickly as possible. Available on the Silk browser on Fire tablets, Webpage Summaries provides quick insights on web articles. In a matter of seconds, this feature will distill the key points in an article or on a webpage into a clear, concise summary of what you need to know. 3. Get creative with your device wallpaper With Wallpaper Creator, you can easily add a touch of creative flair and customization to your tablet's home screen. You can choose from one of the curated prompts to get started on creating a unique background. Or, if you're ready to let your imagination run wild, type a description of what you'd like to see. For example, you can ask for an image of a tiger swimming underwater or a watercolor-style image of a desert landscape in space. Wallpaper Creator will then turn your vision into a reality, delivering a high-resolution image that you can use as your tablet's wallpaper. Celebrate an AI-powered holiday season Writing Assist, Webpage Summaries, and Wallpaper Creator are now available on Amazon's new Fire HD 8 and other compatible Fire tablet devices, including the latest Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 tablets. To learn more, or to order a new Fire tablet this gift-giving season, visit Amazon.com .President-elect Donald Trump has made headlines by selecting former Senator David Perdue as the ambassador to China. Despite Perdue's history of supporting Trump's contested claims of electoral fraud, the administration believes his business background will enhance US-China relations. Tensions between the US and China are intensifying as Trump threatens to impose heavy tariffs on key trade partners. The Chinese Embassy in Washington has cautioned against such measures, emphasizing that a trade war would be detrimental to all involved nations. In domestic matters, Trump is bolstering his immigration team. Former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott has been nominated to lead Customs and Border Protection, while Caleb Vitello is set to become the acting director of ICE. These moves suggest Trump's commitment to strict immigration policies. (With inputs from agencies.)

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said dealing with incoming president Donald Trump and his thundering on trade will be “a little more challenging” than the last time he was in the White House. Speaking at an event put on by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Trudeau said that’s because Trump’s team is coming in with a much clearer set of ideas of what they want to do right away than after his first election win in 2016. Even still, Trudeau said the answer is not to panic and said Canada can rally together to address the tough scenario the nation will face following Trump’s inauguration in January. Trump has threatened 25 per cent tariffs against Canada and Mexico, if the two nations do not beef up their borders to his satisfaction. On the weekend, Trump appeared in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where the president-elect said he can’t guarantee the tariffs won’t raise prices for U.S. consumers but that eventually tariffs will “make us rich.” “All I want to do is I want to have a level, fast, but fair playing field,” he said. Trudeau warned that steep tariffs could be “devastating for the Canadian economy” and cause “just horrific losses in all of our communities,” and that Trump’s approach is to introduce “a bit of chaos” to destabilize his negotiating partners. But he also said that Canada exports a range of goods to the U.S., from steel and aluminum to crude oil and agricultural commodities, all of which would get more expensive and mean real hardship for Americans at the same time. “For years, Americans have been paying more for their homes than they should because of unjust tariffs on softwood lumber. Maybe this level of tariffs will actually have them realize that this is something they are doing to themselves,” Trudeau said. “Trump got elected on a commitment to make life better and more affordable for Americans, and I think people south of the border are beginning to wake up to the real reality that tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive.” Experts, including Canada’s former top trade negotiator Steve Verheul, have warned the country needs to be ready to respond if Trump goes through with his tariff threats. The prime minister said his government is still mulling over “the right ways” to respond, referencing Canada’s calculated approach when Trump hit Canada with steel and aluminum tariffs. “It was the fact that we put tariffs on bourbon and Harley-Davidsons and playing cards and Heinz ketchup and cherries and a number of other things that were very carefully targeted because they were politically impactful to the president’s party and colleagues,” he said. That’s how Canada was able to “punch back in a way that was actually felt by Americans,” he added. Trudeau also said the country needs to rally together and work past its political differences. He offered up some rare words of praise for Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe — a frequent political thorn in his side and “no big fan of mine” — as one of Canada’s strongest voices during that tumultuous time period when NAFTA was under threat. “His voice with governors down south, his making the case for Canadian workers and Canadian trade in a way that complemented the arguments that we were making, did a better job of showing what Canadian unity was and (what) Canada’s negotiating position could be to a United States that has a political system that is incredibly fractured and fractious,” Trudeau said. On Sunday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said “every single Conservative would tell every single American” that tariffs on Canada would be a bad idea — and also took time to bill Trudeau as a weak leader. One member of his caucus, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani, said he had dinner with incoming vice-president JD Vance and British Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch over the weekend in Arlington, Va. He said it’s crucial right now to be building “strong relationships with our allies.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press, Kelly Geraldine Malone and Rosa Saba in TorontoMileOne Autogroup expands car seat program for underserved families

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 9, 2024-- Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV: TBRD, OTCQX: THBRF) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”) wishes to provide an update to shareholders on the impact of the strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers on the Company’s ability to comply with its obligations to deliver to shareholders its financial statements and related disclosure and proxy-related materials in respect of the Company’s annual general and special meeting of shareholders scheduled to be held virtually on December 12, 2024 at 9:00 am PST (the “Meeting”). As a result of the strike, and pursuant to CSA Coordinated Blanket Order 51-931 Temporary Exemption from requirements in National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Requirements and National Instrument 54-101 Communication with Beneficial Owners of Securities of a Reporting Issuer to send certain proxy-related materials during a postal strike (the “Blanket Order”), the Company is advising shareholders that: For information on Thunderbird and to subscribe to the Company’s investor list for news updates, go to www.thunderbird.tv . ABOUT THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Ottawa. Thunderbird creates award-winning scripted, unscripted, and animated programming for the world’s leading digital platforms, as well as Canadian and international broadcasters. The Company develops, produces, and distributes animated, factual, and scripted content through its various content arms, including Thunderbird Kids and Family (Atomic Cartoons), Thunderbird Unscripted (Great Pacific Media) and Thunderbird Scripted. Productions under the Thunderbird umbrella include Mermicorno: Starfall, Super Team Canada, Molly of Denali, Highway Thru Hell, Kim’s Convenience, Boot Camp, and Sidelined: The QB and Me . Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands manage global media and consumer products rights, respectively, for the Company and select third parties. Thunderbird is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @tbirdent. For more information, visit: www.thunderbird.tv . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Thunderbird’s public communications may include written, or oral “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements or information may be identified by words such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “will”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “intend”, or similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the ongoing Canada Post strike, the upcoming annual general and special meeting of shareholders of the Company, items to be voted upon by the shareholders attending such meeting, and delivery of materials to shareholders following resumption of regular postal service. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; product capability and acceptance; and other factors set out in the “Risk and Uncertainty” section of the Company’s MD&A dated June 30, 2024. The foregoing is not an exhaustive list. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to Thunderbird or that management believes to be less significant may also adversely affect the Company. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this document represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof, and therefore such information should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. The Company’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those ‎expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be ‎given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if ‎any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. Readers are therefore cautioned ‎that the foregoing lists of important factors are not exhaustive, and they should not unduly rely on the ‎forward-looking statements included in this news release. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly ‎qualified by this cautionary statement. Thunderbird has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209645003/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Contacts: Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital +1 905 326 1888 ext 1 glen@bristolir.comMedia Relations Contact: Lana Castleman, Director, Marketing & Communications 416-219-3769 lcastleman@thunderbird.tvCorporate Communications Julia Smith, Finch Media Julia@finchmedia.net KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: LICENSING (ENTERTAINMENT) COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT TV AND RADIO SOURCE: Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/09/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 12/09/2024 05:03 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241209645003/en

The undefeated Vernon Panthers will look to ground some northern birds in the semifinals at the 2024 Tsumura Basketball Invitational Girls High School Basketball tournament in the Fraser Valley. The Panthers will face the Duchess Park Condors of Prince George at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13. Dave Tetreault's crew advanced to the Select 16 semifinals by freezing the South Delta Sun Devils 63-54 in a Thursday quarterfinal. The Sun Devils led 14-1 before the Panthers got going, tying the game at the half, then taking their own 13-point lead late in the third quarter. But South Delta clawed back to pull ahead 54-52, only to see the Panthers end the game on an 11-0 run. Paige Leahy led VSS with 19 points, Chloe Collins added 15, and Adie Janke had 14. Collins and Janke nailed key three-point shots in the final quarter for the Cats. The Panthers will next face the smothering defence of the Condors, who defeated Langley's Walnut Grove Gators 88-27 in their quarterfinal. Duchess Park held the Gators to just 11 first-half points. In the Super 16 bracket, the Kelowna Owls were bounced from the championship side, falling 62-56 to Langley's Brookswood Bobcats. The Owls held Grade 10 phee-nom Jordyn Nohn to just 17 points. Nohr erupted for 52 points in the Bobcats' opening round game. Mavleen Chahal led the Owls with 25 points while Ava Thiessen scored all 12 of her points from the three-point line. On the consolation side, the Okanagan Mission Huskies of Kelowna evened their tournament record at 1-1 with a 56-50 win over the Sa-Hali Sabres of Kamloops. The Huskies face the Semiahmoo Thunderbirds of Surrey at 11:45 a.m. The Owls will take on the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers of Surrey at 4:30 p.m. For schedule and scores, .

Qatar tribune Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education (PUE) has partnered with Management Centre Europe (MCE), a global leader in talent development. This partnership offers professionals in Qatar Foundation access to a unique global accreditation program, setting a global standard for managerial excellence and equipping them with essential leadership skills. This partnership will strengthen leadership capabilities by equipping leaders with the expertise to harness AI for improved decision-making, streamlined processes, and innovation. In addition to other learning and development programs, it focuses on integrating AI technologies into leadership practices, providing a unique approach that strengthens leadership. The agreement was signed by Abeer Al Khalifa, president of Qatar Foundation’s (QF’s) Pre-University Education, and Patrick Faniel, managing director of MCE. As part of the signing event, a workshop titled ‘How AI is Changing the Leadership World’ was held to explore the profound impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on leadership and its implications for managing teams in an era of rapid technological advancement. Abeer Al Khalifa, president of Pre-University Education, highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership in advancing the evolution of education, stating, “This collaboration marks a pivotal step in fostering innovation within education, equipping educators and staff with cutting-edge tools and technologies that enable them to deliver a forward-thinking educational experience.” She further emphasized, “This partnership offers professionals at Qatar Foundation, particularly within Pre-University Education, the opportunity to engage with a distinguished international accreditation program. With global standards for administrative excellence, it provides them with the essential leadership skills needed to drive innovation and creativity, ultimately enriching the educational landscape as a whole.” On this occasion, Dr. Saheim Khalaf Al Tamimi, director of ABP, said: “This workshop offered valuable perspectives on how artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership and management approaches. As a leader, it is crucial to stay informed about emerging trends and technologies to ensure that our operations remain both efficient and innovative while being prepared for the future.” Dr. Al Temimi highlighted the essential need for leaders to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the complexities of AI-driven transformations confidently and effectively, stressing that this is a step every leader should take. “Through the workshop, I gained a deeper understanding of how AI can enhance decision-making, streamline processes, and drive innovation within Qatar Foundation. This knowledge will be crucial in designing programs that address the evolving needs and challenges of our teachers and staff.” “This initiative enhances our current Learning and Development programs by focusing on the integration of advanced technologies into leadership practices, further solidifying our commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation in the education sector.” During the workshop, Patrick Faniel, managing director of MCE, said: “Leadership is no longer just about managing people; it’s about navigating change and understanding the technological forces shaping our world. “We live in an era of unprecedented change. Technology has completely altered the way we interact and work. As leaders, we must adapt, not just react. The speed at which change is occurring demands a proactive approach to managing teams and businesses.” Faniel emphasized that the speed of technological evolution is palpable, and leaders must not only keep up with the changes but also anticipate what’s next, ensuring their teams are prepared for future challenges. “It’s about using AI as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not replacing them. Leaders must focus on how we can leverage AI to improve operations and better support their teams.” Faniel emphasized that the real challenge is ensuring that our people are prepared for the changes AI will bring, saying: “We can’t assume they will adapt on their own. As leaders, we must guide them through this transition and help them acquire the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world.” Faniel also addressed the fear many have about AI, saying: “Some worry AI will lead to job losses, but in reality, it will create new opportunities. The key is preparing and empowering employees to thrive in this new landscape.” Copy 06/12/2024 10Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier and wounds 18 as Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center has killed one soldier and wounded 18 others. The Hezbollah militant group meanwhile fired around 160 rockets and other projectiles into northern and central Israel on Sunday, wounding at least five people. Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines. The Israeli military expressed regret over the strike, saying it occurred in an area of ongoing combat operations against Hezbollah. It said it does not target the Lebanese armed forces and that the strike is under review. The rising price of paying the national debt is a risk for Trump's promises on growth and inflation WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has big plans for the economy. He also has big debt problem that'll be a hurdle to delivering on those plan. Trump has bold ambitions on tax cuts, tariffs and other programs. But high interest rates and the price of repaying the federal government’s existing debt could limit what he’s able to do. The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will easily exceed spending on national security. After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its authors and influencers for key roles WASHINGTON (AP) — During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had hailed what would become Project 2025 as a conservative roadmap for “exactly what our movement will do." Trump pulled an about-face when Project 2025 became a political liability. He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans, even though some were written by his former aides and many allies. Now, after winning the 2024 election, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the effort he temporarily shunned. Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain this weekend while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Saturday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia also began the weekend with heavy precipitation. Pakistan partially stops mobile and internet services ahead of pro-Imran Khan protest ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns” as supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan gear up for a protest in the capital. The government and Interior Ministry made the announcement on X, which is banned in Pakistan. Sunday's protest is to demand Khan's release. He has been in prison for more than a year but remains popular. His supporters rely heavily on social media and messaging apps to coordinate with each other. Pakistan has already sealed off Islamabad and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with Khan's power bases. Here's what to know about the new funding deal that countries agreed to at UN climate talks BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. But it’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still unsatisfied but hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. Japan holds Sado mines memorial despite South Korean boycott amid lingering historical tensions SADO, Japan (AP) — Japan has held a memorial ceremony near the Sado Island Gold Mines despite a last-minute boycott of the event by South Korea that highlighted tensions between the neighbors over the brutal wartime use of Korean laborers. South Korea’s absence at Sunday’s memorial, to which Seoul government officials and Korean victims’ families were invited, is a major setback in the rapidly improving ties between the countries. The Sado mines were listed in July as a UNESCO World Heritage Site after Japan moved past years of disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the mines’ dark history. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.