Fresno State QB Mikey Keene transferring to MichiganSOLVIT System Wins CES 2025 Innovation Award, Illuminating Paths to Save Lives in Radio Shadow Areas

“The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few metres from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and UN colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said. UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay later said the injured person was with the UN Humanitarian Air Service. Our mission to negotiate the release of @UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in #Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees' immediate release. As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport... pic.twitter.com/riZayWHkvf — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 26, 2024 Israel’s army later told The Associated Press it was not aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military in a statement said it attacked infrastructure used by the Iran-backed Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel’s military added it had “capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively”. The strikes, carried out over 1,000 miles from Jerusalem, came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned” as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Houthi-controlled satellite channel al-Masirah reported multiple deaths and showed broken windows, collapsed ceilings and a bloodstained floor and vehicle. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes. The US military has also targeted the Houthis in recent days. The UN has said the targeted ports are important entry points for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, while other missiles and drones have been shot down. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor in what it says is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The UN Security Council has an emergency meeting on Monday in response to an Israeli request that it condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying them with weapons.

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SEOUL, South Korea , Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SOLVIT System, a recognized leader in innovative technology, will participate in CES 2025, taking place January 7–10 in Las Vegas . The company's iSARTM (intelligent Search and Rescue) has been honored with the prestigious CES Innovation Award in the "Smart Cities" category. At CES, SOLVIT System will showcase its groundbreaking technology to dramatically reduce search areas for individuals lost in radio shadow zones. Addressing the Challenges of Rescue Dead Zones Mobile communication shadow areas, often called "rescue dead zones" in current E911 services, pose significant challenges for locating missing individuals due to the absence of technology capable of identifying or narrowing these shadow zones. Wide-area searches without actionable clues often result in unsuccessful rescue attempts despite substantial investments of time and resources. Powered by advanced algorithms, the SOLVIT-iSARTM system reduces the search area to as little as 1/25 the size required by traditional methods. Cutting-edge technology for Swift and Accurate Rescues At CES, SOLVIT System will demonstrate iSARTM's functionality and the innovative algorithms behind its success. The solution leverages advanced mobile communication forensic technologies and intelligent inference, including: These fully automated processes enable rescue operators to complete professional-grade analyses within just 10 minutes, a significant improvement over the three hours typically required by radio forensic experts. The company will highlight its front-end applications for command-and-control centers and mobile devices. These tools enhance operational efficiency, allowing rescue teams to work quickly and effectively in the field. Proven Innovation with Global Recognition SOLVIT System's iSARTM has been celebrated for its groundbreaking contributions to public safety, improving the likelihood of rescuing individuals while ensuring the safety of rescue personnel. Before earning the CES Innovation Award, iSARTM was recognized as an "Excellent Research and Development Innovation Product" by Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. Since its deployment in April 2024 at the Korea National Fire & Disaster Headquarters, the system has demonstrated exceptional efficiency and reliability. Motivation and Vision for the Future "We are proud to be honored with the CES Innovation Award for iSARTM that saves lives," said Yeong-Goo Kim , Founder and CEO of SOLVIT System. "Driven by our commitment to saving lives, we have applied our expertise to the search and rescue field." The company's participation in CES 2025 goes beyond showcasing its product. Mr Kim aims to connect with a wide range of people, agencies, companies, and institutions to explore opportunities for collaboration and the localization of iSARTM in different countries. He also hinted at the development of the next version of iSARTM, promising further groundbreaking innovations. He also hopes that iSARTM's CES Award will serve as a stepping-stone toward establishing legal and institutional frameworks for public access to radio resource information and time-series data. Special thanks go to KCA for providing refined radio resource information, ATDI for supplying a proven radio analysis engine, and the institutions that supported technical validation. Key Features of SOLVIT-iSAR Join Us at CES 2025 For more information, visit SOLVIT System at CES 2025 in LVCC North Hall, Booth 8879 , to experience the award-winning SOLVIT-iSARTM — a revolutionary step forward in rescue operations designed to save lives and resources through advanced technology. About SOLVIT System Since its establishment as a corporation in 2007, SOLVIT System has grown into a small but strong enterprise that provides military communication Modeling & Simulation (M&S), radio analysis, digital twin technology, edge AI, and security solutions. It supplies these solutions to defense research institutions such as the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology (KRIT) and defense companies like Hanwha Systems and LIG Nex1. The company has been recognized by Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) as a "Defense Industry Innovation Company." More at CES 2025: LVCC North Hall, Booth 8879 ( https://exhibitors.ces.tech/8_0/floorplan/?hallID=A&selectedBooth=8879) Website: https://en.solvitsystem.co.kr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEjBF993Pwc For further information: SOLVIT System: Hansol Kim , +82-2-6241-6667, hansolkim@solvitsystem.co.kr , sales@solvitsystem.co.kr ; View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/solvit-system-wins-ces-2025-innovation-award-illuminating-paths-to-save-lives-in-radio-shadow-areas-302339454.html SOURCE SOLVIT System

Christopher Nolan is following his Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer” with a true epic: Homer’s “The Odyssey.” It will open in theaters on July 17, 2026, Universal Pictures said Monday. Details remain scarce, but the studio teased that it will be a “mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX technology.” It will also be the first time that an adaptation of Homer’s saga will play on IMAX film screens. Nolan has been an IMAX enthusiast for years, going back to “The Dark Knight,” and has made his last three films exclusively using large format film and the highest resolution film cameras. For “Oppenheimer,” the first black-and-white IMAX film stock was developed. Nolan hasn’t said specifically what the new technology for “The Odyssey” will be, but earlier this month he told The Associated Press that they’re in an intensive testing phase with IMAX to prepare for the new production. “They have an incredible engineering staff, really brilliant minds doing extraordinary work,” Nolan said. “It’s wonderful to see innovation in the celluloid film arena still happening and happening at the highest level possible.” “The Odyssey” will be Nolan’s second collaboration with Universal Pictures following “Oppenheimer,” which earned nearly $1 billion at the box office and won the filmmaker his first Oscars, including for best director and best picture . Rumors about his next project have been swirling ever since, with near-daily speculations about plot — none of which turned out to be true — and casting. While there are many reports about actors joining the ensemble, none has been officially confirmed by the studio.

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Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation. The former congressman, who filed a last-minute lawsuit to try to block the report's release Monday, slammed the committee's findings. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has insisted he never had sex with a minor. And a Justice Department investigation into the allegations ended without any criminal charges filed against him. "Giving funds to someone you are dating — that they didn't ask for — and that isn't 'charged' for sex is now prostitution?!?" Gaetz wrote in one post Monday. "There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses." Here's a look at some of the committee's key findings: 'Sex-for-money arrangements,' drug-fueled parties and trips The committee found that between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women "likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use." He paid the women using through online services such as PayPal, Venmo and CashApp and with cash or check, the committee said. The committee said it found evidence that Gaetz understood the "transactional nature" of his relationships with the women. The report points to one text exchange in which Gaetz balked at a woman's request that he send her money, "claiming she only gave him a 'drive by.'" Women interviewed by the committee said there was a "general expectation of sex," the report said. One woman who received more than $5,000 from Gaetz between 2018 and 2019 said that "99 percent of the time" that when she hung out with Gaetz "there was sex involved." However, Gaetz was in a long-term relationship with one of the women he paid, so "some of the payments may have been of a legitimate nature," the committee said. Text messages obtained by the committee also show that Gaetz would ask the women to bring drugs to their "rendezvous," the report said. While most of his encounters with the women were in Florida, the committee said Gaetz also traveled "on several occasions" with women whom he paid for sex. The report includes text message exchanges in which Gaetz appears to be inviting various women to events, getaways or parties, and arranging airplane travel and lodging. Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking charges in 2021, initially connected with women through an online service. In one text with a 20-year-old woman, Greenberg suggested if she had a friend, the four of them could meet up. The woman responded that she usually does "$400 per meet." Greenberg replied: "He understands the deal," along with a smiley face emoji. Greenberg asked if they were old enough to drink alcohol, and sent the woman a picture of Gaetz. The woman responded that her friend found him "really cute." "Well, he's down here for only for the day, we work hard and play hard," Greenberg replied. 'Substantial evidence' indicates that Gaetz had sex with an underage girl, the committee said The report details a party in July 2017 in which Gaetz is accused of having sex with "multiple women, including the 17-year-old, for which they were paid." The committee pointed to "credible testimony" from the now-woman herself as well as "multiple individuals" who corroborated the allegation. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts The then-17-year-old — who had just completed her junior year in high school — told the committee that Gaetz paid her $400 in cash that night, "which she understood to be payment for sex," according to the report. The woman acknowledged that she had taken ecstasy the night of the party, but told the committee that she was "certain" of her sexual encounters with the then-congressman. There's no evidence that Gaetz knew she was a minor when he had sex with her, the committee said. The woman told the committee she didn't tell Gaetz she was under 18 at the time and he didn't ask how old she was. Rather, the committee said Gaetz learned she was a minor more than a month after the party. But he stayed in touch with her after that and met up with her for "commercial sex" again less than six months after she turned 18, according to the committee. Gaetz said evidence would 'exonerate' him but provided none of it In sum, the committee said it authorized 29 subpoenas for documents and testimony, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents and contacted more than two dozen witnesses. But when the committee subpoenaed Gaetz for his testimony, he failed to comply. "Gaetz pointed to evidence that would 'exonerate' him yet failed to produce any such materials," the committee said. Gaetz "continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed." The report details a months-long process that dragged into a year as it sought information from Gaetz that he decried as "nosey" and a "weaponization" of government against him. In one notable exchange, investigators were seeking information about the expenses for a 2018 getaway with multiple women to the Bahamas. Gaetz ultimately offered up his plane ticket receipt "to" the destination, but declined to share his return "from" the Bahamas. The report said his return on a private plane and other expenses paid by an associate were in violation of House gift rules. In another Gaetz told the committee he would "welcome" the opportunity to respond to written questions. Yet, after it sent a list of 16 questions, Gaetz said publicly he would "no longer" voluntarily cooperate. He called the investigation "frivolous," adding, "Every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration." The report said that while Gaetz's obstruction of the investigation does not rise to a criminal violation it is inconsistent with the requirement that all members of Congress "act in a manner that reflects creditably upon the House." Justice Department didn't cooperate with the committee The committee began its review of Gaetz in April 2021 and deferred its work in response to a Justice Department request. It renewed its work shortly after Gaetz announced that the Justice Department had ended a sex trafficking investigation without filing any charges against him. The committee sought records from the Justice Department about the probe, but the agency refused, saying it doesn't disclose information about investigations that don't result in charges. The committee then subpoenaed the Justice Department, and after a back-and-forth between officials and the committee, the department handed over "publicly reported information about the testimony of a deceased individual," according to the report. "To date, DOJ has provided no meaningful evidence or information to the Committee or cited any lawful basis for its responses," the committee said. Many of the women who the committee spoke to had already given statements to the Justice Department and didn't want to "relive their experience," the committee said. "They were particularly concerned with providing additional testimony about a sitting congressman in light of DOJ's lack of action on their prior testimony," the report said. The Justice Department, however, never handed over the women's statements. The agency's lack of cooperation — along with its request that the committee pause its investigation — significantly delayed the committee's probe, lawmakers said.SEOUL, South Korea , Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SOLVIT System, a recognized leader in innovative technology, will participate in CES 2025, taking place January 7–10 in Las Vegas . The company's iSARTM (intelligent Search and Rescue) has been honored with the prestigious CES Innovation Award in the "Smart Cities" category. At CES, SOLVIT System will showcase its groundbreaking technology to dramatically reduce search areas for individuals lost in radio shadow zones. Addressing the Challenges of Rescue Dead Zones Mobile communication shadow areas, often called "rescue dead zones" in current E911 services, pose significant challenges for locating missing individuals due to the absence of technology capable of identifying or narrowing these shadow zones. Wide-area searches without actionable clues often result in unsuccessful rescue attempts despite substantial investments of time and resources. Powered by advanced algorithms, the SOLVIT-iSARTM system reduces the search area to as little as 1/25 the size required by traditional methods. Cutting-edge technology for Swift and Accurate Rescues At CES, SOLVIT System will demonstrate iSARTM's functionality and the innovative algorithms behind its success. The solution leverages advanced mobile communication forensic technologies and intelligent inference, including: Radio Coverage & Best Server Analysis CDR(Call Detailed Record) based Time Series Inference Shadow Area Elimination using Neighboring Cells Mobility Diffusion Modeling These fully automated processes enable rescue operators to complete professional-grade analyses within just 10 minutes, a significant improvement over the three hours typically required by radio forensic experts. The company will highlight its front-end applications for command-and-control centers and mobile devices. These tools enhance operational efficiency, allowing rescue teams to work quickly and effectively in the field. Proven Innovation with Global Recognition SOLVIT System's iSARTM has been celebrated for its groundbreaking contributions to public safety, improving the likelihood of rescuing individuals while ensuring the safety of rescue personnel. Before earning the CES Innovation Award, iSARTM was recognized as an "Excellent Research and Development Innovation Product" by Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy. Since its deployment in April 2024 at the Korea National Fire & Disaster Headquarters, the system has demonstrated exceptional efficiency and reliability. Motivation and Vision for the Future "We are proud to be honored with the CES Innovation Award for iSARTM that saves lives," said Yeong-Goo Kim , Founder and CEO of SOLVIT System. "Driven by our commitment to saving lives, we have applied our expertise to the search and rescue field." The company's participation in CES 2025 goes beyond showcasing its product. Mr Kim aims to connect with a wide range of people, agencies, companies, and institutions to explore opportunities for collaboration and the localization of iSARTM in different countries. He also hinted at the development of the next version of iSARTM, promising further groundbreaking innovations. He also hopes that iSARTM's CES Award will serve as a stepping-stone toward establishing legal and institutional frameworks for public access to radio resource information and time-series data. Special thanks go to KCA for providing refined radio resource information, ATDI for supplying a proven radio analysis engine, and the institutions that supported technical validation. Key Features of SOLVIT-iSAR Saving lives in a rescue dead zone: Radio shadow areas are areas where positioning is impossible for emergency rescue (effectively a rescue dead zone). Innovative technology reduces the priority search area within radio shadow areas to 1/25. Improvement of search efficiency: Time and cost savings, and reduction of rescuers' workload & Real-time control and safety assurance of large-scale search personnel (disaster and safety situation) User (rescue organization) convenience: 24/7 automated system & Near real-time analysis (within 10 minutes) General applicability (for rescue targets): The user needs to carry a mobile phone - no need to download an app or use any special devices Join Us at CES 2025 For more information, visit SOLVIT System at CES 2025 in LVCC North Hall, Booth 8879 , to experience the award-winning SOLVIT-iSARTM — a revolutionary step forward in rescue operations designed to save lives and resources through advanced technology. About SOLVIT System Since its establishment as a corporation in 2007, SOLVIT System has grown into a small but strong enterprise that provides military communication Modeling & Simulation (M&S), radio analysis, digital twin technology, edge AI, and security solutions. It supplies these solutions to defense research institutions such as the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology (KRIT) and defense companies like Hanwha Systems and LIG Nex1. The company has been recognized by Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) as a "Defense Industry Innovation Company." More at CES 2025: LVCC North Hall, Booth 8879 ( https://exhibitors.ces.tech/8_0/floorplan/?hallID=A&selectedBooth=8879) Website: https://en.solvitsystem.co.kr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEjBF993Pwc For further information: SOLVIT System: Hansol Kim , +82-2-6241-6667, hansolkim@solvitsystem.co.kr , sales@solvitsystem.co.kr ; View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/solvit-system-wins-ces-2025-innovation-award-illuminating-paths-to-save-lives-in-radio-shadow-areas-302339454.html SOURCE SOLVIT SystemUS sex-abuse watchdog fires investigator after learning of his arrest for stealing drug money DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Center for SafeSport abruptly fired one of its investigators last month after learning he’d been arrested for stealing money confiscated after a drug bust he was part of during his previous job as a police officer. Jason Krasley left his job with the Allentown Police Department in Pennsylvania in 2021 and was hired by the Denver-based SafeSport center to look into sensitive cases involving sex abuse and harassment. The center said it conducts multiple interviews and a “comprehensive background check” of potential employees. The center said it was looking into cases Krasley handled to make sure they were dealt with appropriately. Jim Larrañaga steps down at Miami, Bill Courtney takes over to finish season CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Jim Larrañaga has stepped down as Miami’s men’s basketball coach effective immediately. Larrañaga will be replaced by associate head coach Bill Courtney — one of Larrañaga’s best friends for the past three decades or so — for the remainder of the season. The now-former coach says he loves the university but believes it's the right time to step away. Larrañaga says "I’ve tried every which way to keep this going.” Larrañaga joins a long line of prominent college basketball coaches who have left their jobs in recent years citing the changes in the game and the challenge of coaching in the name, image and likeness era. Cowboys shutting down CeeDee Lamb with 2 games to go over receiver's shoulder issue FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are shutting down CeeDee Lamb with two games remaining after their 2023 All-Pro receiver spent the second half of the season dealing with a sprained right shoulder. The team says additional exams revealed enough damage to keep Lamb off the field Sunday at Philadelphia and in the final game at home against Washington. The team says surgery isn't expected to be required. Dallas was eliminated from playoff contention a few hours before last weekend’s 26-24 victory over Tampa Bay. NBA's Christmas Day ratings skyrocket, even going up against NFL games The NBA got viewers for Christmas, even while going up against NFL games. The NBA’s five-game Christmas lineup was the league’s most-watched in five years, with the games averaging about 5.25 million viewers per game across ABC, ESPN and its platforms, the league said Thursday based on Nielsen’s preliminary numbers. It’s an 84% rise over the NBA’s Christmas numbers from 2023. Pat Riley says the Miami Heat will not trade Jimmy Butler ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — If Jimmy Butler wants a trade, the Miami Heat have no plans to make him happy. Heat President Pat Riley — in a rare move — spoke out to address rumors Thursday, saying the team has no plans to trade Butler. It’s a clear sign that, if necessary, the team will be willing to let Butler leave as a free agent and get nothing in return. Riley says in a release distributed by the team "we usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches.” Penn State offensive coordinator Kotelnicki's creativity has the Nittany Lions humming in the CFP Penn State's offense is thriving under first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. The Nittany Lions are one of a handful of Power Four schools averaging 200 yards per game rushing and receiving heading into their College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Boise State. Penn State has one of the most unique offensive weapons in the country in tight end Tyler Warren. Warren has 92 receptions this season and has become a threat out of the backfield, rushing for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Organizers say two sailors have died in Sydney to Hobart yacht race amid wild weather conditions SYDNEY (AP) — Organizers said that two Sydney to Hobart sailors have died at sea amid wild weather conditions that forced line honors favorite Master Lock Comanche to withdraw among mass retirements. The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, which administers the yacht race, has said that one sailor each on entrants Flying Fish Arctos and Bowline were killed after being struck by the boom, a large horizontal pole at the bottom of the sail. The race will continue as the fleet continues its passage to Constitution Dock in Hobart, with the first boats expected to arrive later on Friday or early Saturday morning. Haaland penalty failure and Fernandes red card pile on woes for City and United in Premier League Erling Haaland’s failure from the penalty spot and Bruno Fernandes’ latest red card have compounded the woes of Manchester City and Manchester United on another tough day for the two Premier League giants. City dropped more points in its improbably poor run of form by drawing 1-1 at home to Everton. Haaland had a spot kick saved by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. The defending champions have only won one of its last 13 games in all competitions. City is languishing in seventh place while United is 14th after a 2-0 loss at Wolverhampton. Fernandes was sent off in the 47th. First-place Liverpool beat Leicester 3-1 in foggy conditions at Anfield and leads by seven points. Simona Halep withdraws from Australian Open qualifying because of knee and shoulder pain MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has pulled out of Australian Open qualifying and a tuneup tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, because of pain in her knee and shoulder. Thursday's news represents the latest interruption of her comeback from a drug suspension. Halep posted on social media that she was feeling poorly after participating in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi. The 33-year-old Romanian said she is planning to next enter the Transylvania Open in her home country, where play begins Feb. 3. Halep was granted a wild-card entry for qualifying in the Australian Open last week. Mahomes throws 3 TDs as Chiefs clinch AFC's top seed by breezing past the skidding Steelers 29-10 PITTSBURGH (AP) — Patrick Mahomes passed for 320 yards and three touchdowns and the Kansas City Chiefs locked up the top seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven seasons with a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions raced to an early 13-point lead and were never really threatened by the Steelers (10-6). Pittsburgh has dropped three straight to see its chances of capturing the AFC North take another hit. Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Kelce also became the third tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 receptions, joining Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten.Around 3.2 million years ago, in what is now present-day Ethiopia, a tiny human made it to the fossil record. Despite much research there is uncertainty over what could have led to their death. Whatever the reason may have been, enough of the carcass was protected by sediments. This led to the bones being fossilized. Those remains, now known to the world as 'Lucy', were discovered fifty years ago, becoming one of the most significant fossil discoveries of all time. In an interesting and intriguing recent finding, research shows that Lucy's species - Australopithecus Afarensis, was not the only early human species roaming the Earth at the time. Australopithecus Afarensis inhabited East Africa for about a million years, and paleoanthropologists have discovered many fossils of this species from north central Ethiopia to northern Tanzania, which is 1,460 miles (2,350 kilometres) away. For decades following Lucy's discovery, paleoanthropologists believed that Australopithecus Afarensis was the sole hominid to inhabit this area throughout the middle Pliocene era (3 million to 4 million years ago). However, the image of human diversity drastically changed in 1995 when a fragmented jawbone was found in the Bahr el Ghazal region of Chad. Believed to be 3.5 million years old, this fossil is of a species named Australopithecus Bahrelghazali. It served as evidence that other hominins lived around Lucy's time, Live Science quoted a study published in the journal PNAS in 2016. Given that these Australopithecines were almost 1,500 miles (more than 2,400 kilometres) apart, it is possible that Lucy's type did not come into contact with them. However, Haile-Selassie and colleagues discovered Australopithecus Afarensis fossils at the Woranso-Mille site, which is only 30 miles (48 km) north of the site in Ethiopia, where Lucy was discovered. They also discovered additional, anatomically different fossils from the same time period. The bones belonged to Australopithecus Deyiremeda, a new species of Australopithecine that was thought to have existed between 3.5 and 3.3 million years ago. Although paleoanthropologists are still divided on whether Australopithecus Deyiremeda is a distinct species from Lucy, the fact that its teeth differed significantly from Lucy's suggests that their diets were different. As the collection of fossils from different hominin species expands, an important question arises whether these species ever interacted or even mated with each other. Australopithecus Farensis was as social as other primates, evidenced by the preserved footprint path of three Australopithecines strolling together at the Laetoli site in Tanzania. But, there is little to no proof that Australopithecines ever interbred. Even with the enormous amount of Australopithecus Afarensis fossils found in the last 50 years, paleoanthropologists still have a lot of work ahead of them to really understand Lucy's world.

By PETER SMITH A social-media tribute to Coptic Christians. A billboard in Amish country. A visit to a revered Jewish gravesite. While Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, he and his campaign allies also wooed smaller religious groups, far from the mainstream. As it turned out, Trump won by decisive margins, but his campaign aggressively courted niche communities with the understanding that every vote could be critical, particularly in swing states. Voter surveys such as exit polls, which canvass broad swaths of the electorate, aren’t able to gauge the impact of such microtargeting, but some backers say the effort was worth it. Just one week before the election, Trump directed a post on the social-media platform X to Coptic Christians in the United States —- whose church has ancient roots in Egypt. He saluted their “Steadfast Faith in God, Perseverance through Centuries of Persecution and Love for this Great Country.” “This was the first time seeing a major U.S. presidential candidate address the community in this manner,” said Mariam Wahba, a Coptic Christian and research analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based research institute. “It was really a profound moment.” She said many Copts share the conservative social views of other Christian groups in the Republican constituency, and they may already have been Trump supporters. But the posting reinforced those bonds. Coptic bishops sent the president-elect congratulations after his victory and cited their “shared social and family values.” Some Assyrian Christians — another faith group with Middle Eastern roots — similarly bonded with Trump, whose mispronunciation of “Assyrian” at a rally created a viral video moment and drew attention to their support. Sam Darmo, a Phoenix real estate agent and co-founder of Assyrians for Trump, said many community members cited the economy, illegal immigration and other prominent voter issues. They echoed other conservative Christians’ concerns, he said, on issues such as abortion, gender identity and religious expression in public. But he said Trump supported various Middle Eastern Christians recovering from the Islamic State group’s oppressive rule. Darmo also credited Massad Boulos, father-in-law to Trump’s daughter Tiffany, for mobilizing various Middle Eastern Christian groups, including Chaldean Catholics, and other voters, particularly in Michigan, such as Muslims. “He brought all these minority groups together,” he said. “We’re hoping to continue that relationship.” But members of Middle Eastern-rooted Christian groups, and their politics, are far from monolithic, said Marcus Zacharia, founder of Progressive Copts, a program of Informed Immigrants, an organization that promotes dialogue on sensitive topics among such groups in the United States and Canada. He said many younger community members question Trump’s stances on issues such as immigration, and sense that conservatives sometimes tokenize them by focusing on the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East while neglecting wider issues of repression in countries there that the U.S. supports. He said there needs to be more informed dialogue across the political divide in these communities. “There is no more high time than these next four years to have that way of conducting conversations,” he said. Republicans also made an aggressive push for Amish voters , particularly in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where they are most numerous at about 92,000 (many below voting age). The GOP has made similar efforts in the past, even though researchers have found that less than 10% of them typically vote, due to their separatism from society. But Republicans used billboards, mailers, ads and door-to-door campaigner to drive turnout in Lancaster County, home base to the nation’s largest Amish settlement. On Election Day, Amish voters Samuel Stoltzfus and his wife Lillian Stoltzfus said they were supporting Trump, citing their anti-abortion beliefs. “We basically look at it as murder,” Stoltzfus, 31, said outside a polling center in the Lancaster County community of New Holland, where dozens of other members of the local Amish community voted. Trump has wavered on the issue, dismaying some abortion opponents, though many have said Republicans still align more closely to their views. Stolzfus added: “Make America great again and keep the moral values,” he said. “Let’s go back to the roots.” Steven Nolt, a history professor at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster College who studies the Amish and their voting patterns, said that while it’s too early to say definitively without further research, he doesn’t see evidence of a larger turnout this year. Lancaster County as a whole — most of which is not Amish — is a GOP stronghold that Trump won handily, though both parties’ votes edged up from 2020, according to unofficial results posted by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Trump’s biggest increases were in urban or suburban areas with few Amish, while some areas with larger Amish populations generally saw a modest increase in the Trump vote, said Nolt, director of the college’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. “Bottom line, percentage-wise, not much change in the parts of Lancaster County where the Amish live,” he said. Trump directly reached out to members of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of Orthodox Judaism. Related Articles National Politics | Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi’s felony voting ban is cruel and unusual National Politics | Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. But can he do the same for his nominees? National Politics | Trump gave Interior nominee one directive for a half-billion acres of US land: ‘Drill.’ National Politics | Trump’s team is delaying transition agreements. What does it mean for security checks and governing? National Politics | Judge delays Trump hush money sentencing in order to decide where case should go now On Oct. 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, Trump made a symbolically resonant visit to the “Ohel,” the burial site of the movement’s revered late leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Wearing a yarmulke, the traditional Jewish skullcap, Trump, who has Jewish family members, brought a written prayer to the Ohel and laid a small stone at the grave in keeping with tradition. The site in New York City, while particularly central to Chabad adherents, draws an array of Jewish and other visitors, including politicians. About two-thirds of Jewish voters overall supported Trump’s opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. But the Trump campaign has made a particular outreach to Orthodox Jews, citing issues including his policies toward Israel in his first administration. Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowitz of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida said it was moving for him to see images of Trump’s visit. “The mere fact that he made a huge effort, obviously it was important to him,” he said. Associated Press journalist Luis Henao contributed.

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