jolibet gaming Sophomore surge carries Cumberland Valley boys basketball past Downingtown WestCOMMUNITY CALENDAR: Langley in mid-DecemberWheel of Fortune contestants regularly whiff their bonus puzzles, but the winner of Monday, December 2’s episode was in for a particularly heartbreaking spin. Her additional letter choices added ZERO letters to a tricky puzzle, which was even more shocking since she had the advantage of a Wild Card wedge. The tough break involved Kelsey Sowders, a mom of three and steak/wine savant from Tomball, Texas. After an astounding performance, she proceeded to the coveted bonus round, having racked up $40,398 in cash, a prize trip to Japan, and the elusive Wild Card. This meant she got to pick five additional letters instead of four, which often spells success. Selecting “What are You Doing?” as her category, with the off-side support of her eldest son Grant and husband, Sowders joined Ryan Seacrest center stage. She landed on the star portion of the wheel, and the host assured, “Perhaps it’s good luck.” “I hope so,” Sowders said. The two-word puzzle read as “_EE_N_’ ‘_ _ S_,’ and she chose an additional “MFDA,” and H.” However, Vanna White didn’t move an inch as the letter choices were useless, making the puzzle very difficult. “Oh no!” Sowders exclaimed in disappointment. She went through the five stages of grief, staring in disbelief, blowing a raspberry in frustration, and recollecting herself. Seacrest wished her the best, “You’re doing great so far tonight.” But the cruel twist of fate left Sowder unable to solve the puzzle under the 10-second timer, which ended up being “KEEPING BUSY.” She was close, even able to get the first word, but nowhere near the second. “Oh no!” Sowders exclaimed once more as the full puzzle was displayed. Then, cutting back to the contestant and Seacrest, the second dagger came. The host revealed from his prize card contained $75,000 and she hid her face from it. “I don’t want to see that,” she said as Seacrest winced at the camera. “Don’t worry,” the host told her as she emotionally recovered and told him, “That’s okay.” The game show shared the big miss on YouTube, where fans expressed their shock and empathized with the player’s reaction. “That was a tough one. I didn’t get it either. Props to her for getting the first word right, but that second word was tricky as hell. I’m glad she’s not walking away empty-handed, though. She still won up until that point and nobody can take that from her,” one fan wrote. “Impossible without the right letter choices. Been a few of those this season,” wrote another. “If she would have won, she would have won over $100,000 cash without actually landing on the envelope! That’s really disappointing. Also, the fact that she had 5 letters but didn’t get a single one?! Should I be disappointed or impressed?” asked a third. “Ouch!” wrote a fourth. “You don’t see $75,000 all that often!” Meanwhile , Seacrest had huge shoes to fill replacing the legendary Pat Sajak after four decades for Season 42. His debut month was the strongest ratings month for WoF in the past three years, and viewers were already treated to a viral moment (via a round of sausage) . That said, there have been some questionable host moments according to fans. In September, Seacrest suffered what fans dubbed his “first blooper” , involving a delayed reaction to rewarding a bonus round. Fans also called out the host for ruling against another player before the timer was up. Most controversially, fans recently called out the host for not reminding a player to pick a letter , leading to him losing the game in a misunderstanding and by a mere $147. Another puzzling pattern has emerged, which is that no player has won the bonus round in a full week , many fans blaming the players, not the host. As for Sowders, another contestant recently botched their bonus puzzle in a similar way after choosing poor letters, but in that instance, they didn’t have the boost of the Wild Card wedge. Wheel of Fortune , Weeknights, Check your local listings More Headlines:

US job growth rebounds in November; unemployment rate ticks up

LOS ANGELES — Historically, before they find their rhythm, Eric Musselman’s teams have never quite stacked the deck. For three consecutive years, when Musselman arrived in Fayetteville, Arkansas didn’t play a single top-25 team across their nonconference slate before diving into SEC play. That changed, into 2023-24, when the Razorbacks took on powers North Carolina, Duke and Oklahoma in November and December as part of a rough-and-tumble season. But with Musselman’s return to Southern California roots this spring, and a roster carefully pieced together from transfer-portal remnants, he returned to a softer slate in the early months. That’s come in matchups and in travel, as USC hasn’t and won’t travel beyond Palm Desert for a single nonconference game this season. “When you take the two games in Palm Springs, and 20 league games, and Cal, that’s a good enough strength of schedule,” Musselman said, after USC’s early November opener against Chattanooga. The Trojans’ early-season slate, though, was as cushy a Musselman-led team has had in recent memory. And they bounced, quickly, to a 5-1 record, with four games against teams currently under .500. Then they traveled two hours east to the desert, and came away thoroughly embarrassed. USC’s 71-36 loss to Saint Mary’s on Thursday was the worst loss in program memory since Andy Enfield’s Trojans were smacked by TCU by 35 points in 2018. The underlying realities, too, were even uglier than the final score: USC shot 26% from the floor, went 0 for 12 from deep, recorded a total of six assists and were doubled in rebounding. After a subsequent loss to New Mexico on Saturday, any fuzzy feelings from Musselman’s early tenure have quickly faded, with the Trojans sitting at 5-3 entering their Big Ten debut against 12th-ranked Oregon on Wednesday night. With a roster of new faces, USC’s defensive identity still hasn’t clicked, and their offensive identity looks even more fragile. Entering conference play, here’s a breakdown of three key takeaways from the Trojans’ nonconference slate. USC’s roster was constructed on versatility, with Musselman often emphasizing that USC would turn smaller or bigger based upon game flow and style of opponent. But eight games in, it’s abundantly clear Musselman’s still tinkering, a development that suggests his program hasn’t yet found a consistent identity. Twelve Trojans have seen stints, of one form or another, in Musselman’s rotation in this early part of the season. In an 83-73 loss to New Mexico that had ballooned to a 20-point deficit with six minutes to play, USC closed with freshman Isaiah Elohim and sophomore Kevin Patton Jr., both of whom had rarely played for extended stretches. Center Josh Cohen is USC’s top scorer through eight games, but wasn’t on the floor late against Cal and New Mexico. It’s clear, at the moment, Musselman trusts USC’s wings to finish games more than relying on Cohen or another big. But precisely which wings, still, is yet to be determined. More does not mean more production. Through eight games, the Northern Colorado transfer is USC’s leader in rebounds, assists and steals, playing the kind of 6-foot-7 do-everything role Musselman saw early in his blend of ball-handling and physicality. “When we got the commitment, we felt like he was going to have to carry a load,” Musselman said in early November. But one key ingredient is missing: The fiery Thomas hasn’t been the go-to scorer he so often showed in exhibition games. He’s averaging just 8.3 points a game, shooting 37% from the floor and 25% from deep while often passing up shots in the flow of USC’s offense. These Trojans desperately need shot creators. Thomas consistently taking 10-plus shots a game and finding a rhythm would go a long way. For long stretches in USC’s first few games, Washington transfer Wesley Yates III has looked like USC’s best player and completely unaware of the concept of shot selection, a maddening conundrum that saw him score in double figures for four straight games before falling in Musselman’s rotation. “Wes has a great ability to score the ball, but he’s got a lot of things – as a lot of young players need to grow – and understand how to play with discipline on both ends of the floor,” Musselman said earlier in the year. Elohim, a Sierra Canyon product, has gotten a few looks but little consistent run to establish himself as a scorer. Patton Jr., a San Diego import, has seen some opportunity since returning from injury. Freshman Jalen Shelley looked dynamic in a preseason scrimmage, but has barely played. Musselman, thus far, has shown much more trust in his veteran transfers – keep an eye on the stock of USC’s youth quadrant.Israel detains the director of one of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals, Palestinians say DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says Israel’s army has detained the director of one of northern Gaza's last functioning hospitals. The announcement on Saturday came after health officials said Israeli troops stormed the hospital on Friday and forced many staff and patients outside and told them to strip in winter weather. Israel’s army didn’t respond to questions about the hospital director. It denied it had entered or set fire to the complex but acknowledged it had ordered people outside. It said it was conducting operations against Hamas in the area. The military repeated claims that Hamas militants operate inside Kamal Adwan Hospital, which officials there have denied. Israeli airstrikes hit a Yemen airport as a jet with hundreds onboard was landing, UN official says UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The top U.N. humanitarian official in Yemen says Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s main airport as a civilian Airbus 320 with hundreds of passengers on board was landing this week. He says a U.N. delegation led by the head of the World Health Organization was waiting to leave on Thursday as two Israeli airstrikes hit the airport in the capital of Sanaa. Julien Harneis told U.N. reporters on Friday that the most frightening thing about the airstrikes wasn’t the effect on him and about 15 others in the VIP lounge at the international airport. Rather, it was the destruction of the airport control tower as a Yemenia Airways plane was taxiing in after touching down. Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. Trump's request Friday came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court. Oral arguments are scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The brief said Trump opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” Bloodied Ukrainian troops risk losing more hard-won land in Kursk to Russia KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Five months after their shock offensive into Russia, Ukrainian troops are bloodied by daily combat losses and demoralized by the rising risk of defeat in Kursk. Some want to stay in the region at all costs. Others question the value of having gone in at all. Battles are so intense that commanders are unable to evacuate their dead. Lags in communication and poorly timed operations have cost lives and commanders say they have little way to counterattack. The overstretched Ukrainians have lost more then 40% of the territory they won in the lightning incursion that seized much of Kursk in August. US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, pushing to get aid out before Biden leaves office WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the United States is expected to announce it will send another $1.25 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. It's part of a push by the Biden administration to get as much aid to Kyiv as possible before leaving office on Jan. 20. Officials say the large package of aid includes a significant amount of munitions, including for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems and the HAWK air defense system. It also will provide Stinger missiles and 155 mm- and 105 mm artillery rounds. The officials say they expect the announcement will be made on Monday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump's political coalition WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in the president-elect’s political movement into public display. The argument previews fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — that is, wealthy members of the tech world who want more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. Canadian Cabinet ministers meet with Trump's nominee for commerce secretary in bid to avoid tariffs TORONTO (AP) — Two top Canadian Cabinet ministers have met with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary at Mar-a-Lago as Canada tries to avoid sweeping tariffs when Trump takes office. New Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for commerce secretary, as well as North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department. The meeting was a follow up to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month. Trump has threatened to impose sweeping tariffs if Canada does not stem what he calls a flow of migrants and fentanyl into the United States. Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who instituted economic reforms, cremated in New Delhi NEW DELHI (AP) — Manmohan Singh, the former Indian prime minister widely regarded as the architect of the country’s economic reform program, has been cremated after a state funeral. The veteran leader, who was also credited for a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, died late Thursday at age 92. Singh’s body was taken Saturday to the headquarters of his Congress party in New Delhi, where party leaders and activists paid tributes to him and chanted “Manmohan Singh lives forever.” Later, his body was transported to a crematorium ground for his last rites as soldiers beat drums. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh was prime minister for 10 years until 2014. Winning ticket for $1.22 billion lottery jackpot sold in California, Mega Millions says At least one Mega Millions player has plenty of dough to ring in the New Year after drawing the winning number. After three months without anyone winning the top prize in the lottery, a ticket worth an estimated $1.22 billion was sold in California for the drawing Friday night. The California Lottery said the winning ticket was sold at Circle K (Sunshine Food and Gas) on Rhonda Rd. in Cottonwood. The winning ticket matched the white balls 3, 7, 37, 49, 55 and the gold Mega Ball 6. The identity of the winner or winners was not immediately known. The estimated jackpot was the fifth-highest ever for Mega Millions. A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says a ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies, as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, a deputy national security adviser, said Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 3, 2024-- Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) today announced its Board of Directors has agreed with Frederick H. Eppinger , Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to amend and restate his employment agreement, extending the term for another three years through the end of 2028. “In five years as CEO, Fred has guided Stewart by developing our strategy, capabilities and team, much in a down market, resulting in more than doubling our market cap and increasing market share to over 10 percent,” said Thomas G. Apel, Chairman of the Board. “Fred has built momentum, both financially and operationally. The Board is confident that Fred is the right leader for Stewart to continue delivering financial stability and shareholder value.” “In my first three years at Stewart, my goal was to focus our company’s strengths and fortify our position in the market, and I’m extremely proud of the commitment and dedication of our employees to get behind this singular goal,” said Eppinger. “Now that we are five years into our mission, not only have we fortified Stewart as an industry leader, but we have grown our share of the market. The work is not done and I’m excited about the continued opportunities ahead to innovate, expand and enhance our value proposition for our employees and customers, and to see us execute on our plans to capture 15 percent market share and 11-12 percent pretax margins.” Eppinger took over as CEO in September of 2019 after having served as a director of Stewart since 2016. Since assuming the CEO position, Eppinger has led the company through a global pandemic and driven sustained growth and momentum through one of the worst housing markets in history. Even when managing through these difficult macro conditions, he has remained relentless in his pursuit of growth, scale, and pretax margin improvement. Eppinger has hired best-in-class leaders, delivered on more than thirty strategic acquisitions, expanded the company’s digital and technological capabilities, built additional capacity into the system, and sought out ways to drive efficiencies through process and data management improvements. All these actions and more have enhanced the company’s market presence and its financial strength, helping to solidify Stewart’s position as a leader in the title insurance space for another 130 years. About Stewart Stewart (NYSE-STC) is a global real estate services company, offering products and services through our direct operations, network of Stewart Trusted ProvidersTM and family of companies. From residential and commercial title insurance and closing and settlement services to specialized offerings for the mortgage and real estate industries, we offer the comprehensive service, deep expertise and solutions our customers need for any real estate transaction. At Stewart, we are dedicated to becoming the premier title services company and we are committed to doing so by partnering with our customers to create mutual success. Learn more at stewart.com . Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements. Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements", including statements related to Stewart’s plans to achieve certain market share and pretax margin targets. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially. Such risks and uncertainties include the volatility of general economic conditions and adverse changes in the level of real estate activity, as well as a number of other risk and uncertainties discussed in detail in our documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof, except as may be required by applicable law. ST-IR View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241203492253/en/ CONTACT: John Chattaway, Stewart Media Relations (713) 625-8180;mediarelations@stewart.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA TEXAS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OTHER CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL BUILDING & REAL ESTATE FINANCE CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY SOURCE: Stewart Information Services Corporation Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/03/2024 04:45 PM/DISC: 12/03/2024 04:43 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241203492253/en

Nick Kyrgios says positive tests for duo are ‘disgusting’ and ‘a horrible look’ATLANTA (AP) — Even when grappling with a four-game losing streak and the uncertainty generated by quarterback Kirk Cousins’ eight interceptions and no touchdown passes in that span, there is some solace for the Atlanta Falcons. They play in the NFC South. There is more good news: The Falcons' next two opponents, the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, are tied for the NFL's worst record at 2-11. Coach Raheem Morris says he is sticking with Cousins for next Monday night's game at Las Vegas. Sunday's 42-21 loss at Minnesota dropped Atlanta to 6-7, one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South. The Falcons hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Buccaneers, so if they can take advantage of their cushy closing stretch of games that also includes Washington and Carolina, they could salvage their season. “We’re right in this thing,” right guard Chris Lindstrom said Monday before acknowledging he is “obviously not happy or satisfied with where we’re at." Lindstrom said he maintains "the ultimate belief in what we’re doing and everything that we have going on and everything is still in front of us.” Cousins and the Falcons must solve their red-zone woes to maintain hopes of the team's first playoff appearance since 2017. The Falcons rank eighth in the NFL with 371 yards per game but only 19th with their average of 21.4 points thanks to their persistent problems inside the 20. Even the forgiving NFC South can't make up for the scoring problems caused by penalties, turnovers and other persistent breakdowns. “You can't live with it at all,” Morris said Monday when asked about Cousins' recent streak of interceptions. Even so, Cousins remains the starter as first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. awaits his opportunity. “It’s for sure Kirk is our quarterback but I have no hesitations about what our young man has been doing and how he has been preparing and the things he is ready to do,” Morris said. “So if that time ever came I would have a lot of confidence in what Mike is able to do, but Kirk is our quarterback. Kirk is the guy who is going to lead us.” With four sacks against the Vikings, the Falcons may have finally solved their longtime pass-rush woes. Atlanta had five sacks in a 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 1, giving the team back-to-back games with at least four sacks for the first time since 2019. Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie had one of Sunday's sacks, giving him four for the season. With nine sacks in the last two games, the Falcons have almost doubled their NFL-low total of 10 through their first 11 games. Even as the pass rush was productive, the Falcons' defense showed a sudden inability to prevent big plays through the air. Atlanta allowed four completions of more than 40 yards as Vikings receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson combined to catch five scoring passes from Sam Darnold, who did not throw an interception. Morris said the Vikings' strategy was to avoid cornerback A.J. Terrell, “making other people make plays, and we didn’t go out there and make them.” Running back Tyler Allgeier had nine carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Even while Bijan Robinson continued to produce with 22 carries for 92 yards and a score, Allgeier re-emerged as a strong complement with his second-highest rushing total of the season. Cousins has an unhealthy ratio of 17 touchdown passes to 15 interceptions. “Kirk was the guy who led us to the 6-3 record,” Morris said. “We’ve got to find a way to get out of the funk. ... For us, it’s going to be his opportunity to go out and right the ship and he has earned it.” 142: Wide receiver Darnell Mooney set a career high with 142 yards on six catches. It was the third game this season Mooney has led the Falcons in receiving yards. Former Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder is expected to start for the Raiders on Monday night after Aidan O’Connell's knee injury in Sunday's 28-13 loss at Tampa Bay. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflGENEVA -- World Cup sponsor Bank of America teamed with FIFA for a second time Tuesday, signing for the Club World Cup that still has no broadcast deals just over six months before games start. Bank of America became FIFA’s first global banking partner in August and sealed a separate deal for a second event also being played in the United States, two days before the group-stage draw in Miami for the revamped 32-team club event . It features recent European champions Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea. “FIFA is going to take America by storm and we’re going to be right at their side,” the bank’s head of marketing, David Tyrie, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. Bank of America joins 2026 World Cup sponsors Hisense and Budweiser brewer AB InBev in separately also backing the club event, and more deals are expected after Saudi Arabia is confirmed next week as the 2034 World Cup host. While games at the next World Cup, co-hosted with Canada and Mexico, will be watched by hundreds of millions globally mostly on free-to-air public networks, the Club World Cup broadcast picture is unclear. FIFA has promised hundreds of millions of dollars in prize money for the 32 clubs to share but is yet to announce any broadcast deals for the month-long tournament. It is expected to land on a streaming service. “You have to think about how you are going to connect with these fans,” Tyrie told the Associated Press from Boston. “TV is one, sure, social media is a big avenue. “The smart marketing capabilities are able to say ‘Hey, we need to tilt this one a little bit more away from TV-type marketing into social-type marketing.’ We have got a pretty decent strategy that we’re putting in place to do activation.” Engaging Bank of America’s customers and 250,000 employees are key to that strategy, Tyrie said. “It’s going to be for our clients, and entertainment, it’s going to be for our employees in creating excitement. All of the above.” The Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums across 11 cities, including Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C, and Lumen Field where the hometown Seattle Sounders play three group-stage games. European powers Madrid, Man City and Bayern Munich lead a 12-strong European challenge. Teams qualified by winning continental titles or posting consistently good results across four years of those competitions. The exception is Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, who FIFA gave the entry reserved for a host nation team in October based on regular season record without waiting for the MLS Cup final. LA Galaxy hosts New York Red Bulls playing for that national title Saturday. Messi’s team opens the FIFA tournament June 15 in the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium and will play its three group games in Florida. “The more brand players you bring in, the bigger the following you have got,” Tyrie acknowledged, though adding Messi being involved was “not a make or break for the event.” The Club World Cup final is July 13 at Met Life Stadium near New York, which also will host the World Cup final one year later. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction , arguing that continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.“ In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that anything short of immediate dismissal would undermine the transition of power, as well as the “overwhelming national mandate" granted to Trump by voters last month. They also cited President Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “President Biden asserted that his son was ‘selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ and ‘treated differently,’" Trump’s legal team wrote. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, they claimed, had engaged in the type of political theater "that President Biden condemned.” Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated a willingness to delay the sentencing until after Trump’s second term ends in 2029. In their filing Monday, Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea of holding off sentencing until Trump is out of office as a “ridiculous suggestion.” Following Trump’s election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, previously scheduled for late November, to allow the defense and prosecution to weigh in on the future of the case. He also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier. He says they did not and denies any wrongdoing. The defense filing was signed by Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who represented Trump during the trial and have since been selected by the president-elect to fill senior roles at the Justice Department. Taking a swipe at Bragg and New York City, as Trump often did throughout the trial, the filing argues that dismissal would also benefit the public by giving him and “the numerous prosecutors assigned to this case a renewed opportunity to put an end to deteriorating conditions in the City and to protect its residents from violent crime.” Clearing Trump, the lawyers added, would also allow him to “to devote all of his energy to protecting the Nation.” Merchan hasn’t yet set a timetable for a decision. He could decide to uphold the verdict and proceed to sentencing, delay the case until Trump leaves office, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court or choose some other option. An outright dismissal of the New York case would further lift a legal cloud that at one point carried the prospect of derailing Trump’s political future. Last week, special counsel Jack Smith told courts that he was withdrawing both federal cases against Trump — one charging him with hoarding classified documents at his Florida estate, the other with scheming to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost — citing longstanding Justice Department policy that shields a president from indictment while in office. The hush money case was the only one of Trump’s four criminal indictments to go to trial, resulting in a historic verdict that made him the first former president to be convicted of a crime. Prosecutors had cast the payout as part of a Trump-driven effort to keep voters from hearing salacious stories about him. Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels. Trump later reimbursed him, and Trump’s company logged the reimbursements as legal expenses — concealing what they really were, prosecutors alleged. Trump has said the payments to Cohen were properly categorized as legal expenses for legal work. A month after the verdict, the Supreme Court ruled that ex-presidents can’t be prosecuted for official acts — things they did in the course of running the country — and that prosecutors can’t cite those actions to bolster a case centered on purely personal, unofficial conduct. Trump’s lawyers cited the ruling to argue that the hush money jury got some improper evidence, such as Trump’s presidential financial disclosure form, testimony from some White House aides and social media posts made during his first term. Prosecutors disagreed and said the evidence in question was only “a sliver” of their case. If the verdict stands and the case proceeds to sentencing, Trump’s punishments would range from a fine to probation to up to four years in prison — but it’s unlikely he’d spend any time behind bars for a first-time conviction involving charges in the lowest tier of felonies. Because it is a state case, Trump would not be able to pardon himself once he returns to office.

Which focal length is best for street and travel photography: 28mm or 35mm? If you've been thinking about buying a compact camera but you're not sure if 28mm or 35mm suits your style better, hopefully, this article will help. In March 2024, I took two compact classics with me to China for a week: the and the . I shot both cameras side by side during an 8-day trip. Although there doesn't seem to be a huge difference with the focal lengths, you'll see through the photos below just how much of a difference 7mm makes. I must confess that I've always been a 35mm guy—or so I thought. Before I bought the Ricoh GR III Diary Edition camera, I'd always loved 35mm-equivalent lenses. The wonderful for Fujifilm X Series is one of my all-time favorite lenses. I'm also a huge fanboy of the X100 line with its 35mm-equivalent focal length. Since the launch of the original X100 in 2010, I've owned every camera in the series apart from the X100S. In March 2024, I impulsively bought the despite telling myself I wouldn't. A week later, I took it and the on a trip to Beijing, Suzhou, and Shanghai. I was looking forward to this match up, as I'd already come to the conclusion that the . It was a lot of fun using both cameras, but I did get a little sick of swapping back and forth all the time. Soon I'll write an article about which of these you should buy, but for now, we're just looking at how the difference in focal length affects different scenes. In the photo comparisons below, the Ricoh 28mm image is on the left, and the Fujifilm 35mm image is on the right. When taking the comparison images, I tried to stay in the same spot for both photos so I could compare and contrast the shots. All images are JPGs, with only minor cropping and exposure corrections in Lightroom. The Ricoh shots used the camera's Positive Film simulation, and the Fujifilm shots used the new Reala Ace simulation. If you're keen to see how Reala Ace stacks up against four other color film sims, make sure you check out my Fstoppers article That's pretty much down to personal taste and the story you'd like to tell. The wider view of 28mm is ideal for street photography as it allows you to tell a more layered story, including more of your surroundings. The 35mm view can be better for focusing on a main subject in an image, with less distraction. The 28mm vs 35mm choice also depends on which camera brand you want to shoot with, as the X100 line is strictly 35mm-equivalent focal length, unless you use the somewhat hefty wide and tele converters. With Ricoh, you have the choice of 28mm equivalent lens on the GR III or 40mm with the . If you'd like to see example street and travel photos with the 40mm lens, make sure you check out . I'll be including all three cameras in an upcoming comparison article. If you'd like to see even more photo comparisons between the and the , make sure you check out the video at the top of this article where I compare more than 50 side-by-side images. After spending a week shooting two compact classics side by side in China, I've gained a deeper appreciation for how these two focal lengths shape storytelling in street and travel photography. I can't help but feel that for fast-moving travel and street photography, 28mm feels more natural for me. It excels at creating a sense of place and including more elements in the frame to build a richer narrative. However, this wider field of view demands careful composition to avoid clutter or distraction. The 35mm focal length seems to shine more when isolating a subject is key. With a slightly narrower view, it helps simplify compositions and can lend immediacy. It's a much better choice for close-up portraits or if you want to focus attention on a specific detail. Ultimately, the best focal length comes down to personal taste, shooting style, the story you want to tell, and which camera brand you like. Both have their strengths, and choosing one over the other depends on what resonates with you as a photographer. Which is your pick for street and travel photography: 28mm or 35mm? Let me know in the comments. Matt Murray is a travel and portrait photographer from Brisbane, Australia. Matt loves shooting with compact cameras: both film and digital. His YouTube features reviews of film cameras, film stocks, and travel photography with the Ricoh GR III, Fujifilm X100V, and Olympus OM-1. See more of Matt's photography and writing on his Substack.Sharia Court: I’ll insist law must be followed in Oyo — Makinde