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In the last fiscal year, 30 percent of Chattogram Wasa's water was wasted, resulting in significant revenue loss. Its system loss has doubled in the past decade, up from 15.24 percent in 2013-14 fiscal year. However, many of its customers are being billed for more water than they actually use. According to its annual report, Chattogram Wasa produced 176,511 million litres of water in 2023-24, but lost revenue from 52,962 million litres, categorised as Non-Revenue Water (NRW). With an average tariff of Tk 19.37 per 1,000 litres, the agency lost over Tk 100 crore in potential revenue. The NRW or system loss refers to water that is either lost or unaccounted for after it is produced. The system loss at Chattogram Wasa is the highest among the four state-run water supply agencies. By comparison, Rajshahi and Khulna Wasa had system loss rates of 17.5 percent and 29 percent respectively in FY 23-24, while Dhaka Wasa's NRW rate was 20 percent in 2021-2022, according to data from the respective agencies. Despite spending an enormous Tk 6,336 crore on network expansion and pipeline replacement, Chattogram Wasa's wastage continued to rise over the years. Officials have attributed the huge revenue loss to leakages in the pipelines, illegal connections, and errors in metering. Consumers and water resource experts have also blamed some unscrupulous Wasa staffers for stealing water by manipulating the metering system. This wastage has also caused severe water supply shortages for many of Chattogram Wasa's 89,508 customers. "I get water once a week, but I still billed around Tk 600 every month under the minimum billing system," said Habib Ullah, a resident of the port city's Cement Crossing area. Faruk Hossain, who lives in the Mokbul Ahmed Society area of Patenga, said people of his locality get water 8-10 times a month. "We only receive 8-12 units [1 unit = 1,000 litres] of water each month, but we are being charged for 30 units under the average billing system," said Faruk. Sajjad Hossain, a revenue officer at Chattogram Wasa, acknowledged that many consumers are being billed for more water than they actually use. Consumer rights activist SM Nazer Hossain said Wasa's inefficiencies are placing a financial burden on customers who are forced to pay extra. "System losses directly affect consumers. If these losses were reduced, Wasa would generate more revenue and wouldn't need to hike prices," said Nazer, vice president of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB). He accused some unscrupulous Wasa staffers of manipulating meters to steal water. "The system loss will persist unless authorities take firm action against those involved." Maksud Alam, chief engineer of Chattogram Wasa, admitted that metering errors are the primary way water is stolen. "System loss occurs in all water supply agencies across the country, but we are working to reduce it to the ideal level," he stated. He said the internationally accepted NRW standard is 15 percent. NEW PIPELINES FAIL TO REDUCE WASTAGE To cut wastage, Chattogram Wasa replaced old pipelines stretching around 45 km under the Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (phase-1) at a cost of Tk 1,715 crore. The scheme was implemented with a loan of Tk 919 crore from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Besides, old pipelines stretching 150 km were replaced under the Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation Project at a cost of Tk 1,539 crore, with a Tk 1,265 crore loan from the World Bank. The Karnaphuli Water Supply Project (phase-2) was carried out at a cost of Tk 3,082 crore to replace 700 km of pipelines, with another Tk 2,451 crore loan provided by the JICA. These three projects were implemented between 2011 and 2023. However, despite all these development works, at least 900 million litres of water worth Tk 25 crore is still wasted annually on average due to leakages in pipelines. Asked why wastage continued to grow despite major development works, Maksud said, "The system loss from leakages in pipelines is 5 percent. The remaining 25 percent loss is caused by other issues that still need to be addressed." Muhammad Rashidul Hasan, head of the urban and regional planning department at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, attributed the huge water wastage to poor planning. "Chattogram Wasa installed the new pipelines without proper planning, which has led to leakages again." Chattogram Wasa currently supplies around 45 crore litres of water daily through a 1,300km pipeline. However, 35-40 percent areas of the port city still remain out of its service network.
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The cryptocurrency landscape is buzzing with opportunities as three major players—Qubetics, Bitcoin, and Ethereum—capture the market's attention with groundbreaking developments. Qubetics , a trailblazing blockchain project, is rewriting the rules of decentralisation with its autonomous and interoperable ecosystem. Meanwhile, Bitcoin traders are eyeing a potential Santa Claus rally, and Ethereum continues its meteoric rise, driven by institutional backing and robust investor confidence. With Qubetics now in Presale Phase 14, featuring a 10% weekly price hike, and Bitcoin and Ethereum showing strong upward momentum, the crypto world is poised for a dramatic end to 2024. Let’s dive into why these three cryptocurrencies are dominating the conversation and what their futures hold. The Blockchain Industry Welcomes Qubetics as a Game-Changer The blockchain landscape is no stranger to innovation, but introducing Qubetics marks a transformative leap forward. Designed to address the demand for a decentralised, autonomous, and highly interoperable blockchain infrastructure, Qubetics aims to redefine scalability, security, and user-centric design. By integrating seamlessly with the Ethereum ecosystem, Qubetics is poised to set new benchmarks for blockchain technology. Currently, in Presale Phase 14, Qubetics has been attracting significant investor attention with its unique pricing structure. Each presale phase sees a 10% price hike, culminating in a 20% increase in the final stage. With weekly phases driving this dynamic pricing, investors are increasingly keen to secure their positions early. Adding to the buzz, Qubetics has announced a landmark partnership with SWFT Blockchain to introduce a next-gen wallet that promises to revolutionise blockchain transactions. The wallet combines Qubetics' vision for innovation with SWFT Blockchain’s advanced technology, offering unparalleled transaction efficiency, enhanced security, and a user-friendly interface. This collaboration is a testament to Qubetics’ commitment to creating a comprehensive blockchain ecosystem. Bitcoin's Santa Claus Rally: Betting on a Record-Breaking Year-End As 2024 draws to a close, all eyes are on Bitcoin, the original cryptocurrency that continues to dominate headlines. At a current trading price of $98,503.82, Bitcoin is inching closer to the psychological barrier of $100,000, sparking a wave of speculative activity in crypto markets. The phenomenon of a Santa Claus rally—a historical trend of rising stock and crypto prices during the last and first trading days of December and January—has traders buzzing. Historically, cryptocurrencies have experienced such rallies in 8 of the past 10 years, making the prospect of a year-end surge highly plausible. On the prediction platform Polymarket, traders are wagering with 77% confidence that Bitcoin will break $100,000 by year’s end. Another prediction, trading nearly $25 million in contracts, suggests a 16% chance of Bitcoin surpassing its all-time high of $110,000. If these predictions materialise, the milestone would cap off a stellar year for Bitcoin and solidify its reputation as the king of digital assets. Ethereum’s Meteoric Rise: Institutional Backing Spurs Growth While Bitcoin may be stealing the spotlight, Ethereum has quietly outperformed its larger counterpart, delivering a 25% gain in the past ten days compared to Bitcoin’s 14% increase. Driven by a combination of Federal Reserve rate cuts and strong support from a crypto-friendly U.S. administration, Ethereum has surged past the $3,200 level, marking a resurgence in investor confidence. The technical charts for Ethereum reveal promising signs. The cryptocurrency is now testing its 50-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) on the weekly chart, a critical resistance level that has capped gains since August. Should Ethereum breach this barrier and establish $3,366 as a support level, analysts predict a climb toward its annual peak of $4,093. Adding further momentum, institutional interest in Ethereum continues to grow. Weekly inflows into Ethereum-focused ETFs recently reached a staggering $154.66 million, underscoring the asset’s appeal to major investors. As Ethereum continues to attract retail and institutional capital, its outlook remains highly optimistic heading into 2025. Conclusion The crypto landscape is transforming rapidly, with Qubetics , Bitcoin, and Ethereum at the forefront. Whether you’re an investor seeking early-stage opportunities, a trader betting on Bitcoin’s year-end surge, or an Ethereum enthusiast riding the wave of institutional backing, the current market dynamics offer something for everyone. As these three powerhouses continue to redefine the possibilities of blockchain technology, one thing is clear: the future of crypto is brighter than ever. The time to act is now, as these groundbreaking developments are poised to reshape the industry in ways we’ve never seen before. Qubetics: https://qubetics.com Telegram: https://t.me/qubetics Twitter: https://x.com/qubetics Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp _____________ Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/listed on the website could potentially be scams, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more here.CNN wants the North Carolina lieutenant governor’s defamation lawsuit against it thrown out
WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about any “chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day.” He said officials were watching for any cascading effects, such as staffing problems. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights were departing within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — were arriving at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York’s Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company. —— Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report.NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% Tuesday and marked its first back-to-back losses in three weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite also fell 0.3%. Oracle dragged on the market after reporting weaker growth than analysts expected. Treasury yields rose in the bond market ahead of Wednesday’s inflation report, which will be among the final big pieces of data before the Federal Reserve’s meeting on interest rates next week. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are drifting lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped by 0.2% in late trading, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . The index is on track for its first back-to-back losses in more than three weeks, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down by 7 points, or less than 0.1%, with roughly an hour remaining in trading, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 7.8% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped nearly 81% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. C3.ai fell 2.1% despite reporting a smaller loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The AI software company increased its forecast for how big a loss it expects to take this fiscal year from its operations. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show roughly similar increases as the month before. That and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to lift the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 5.2% even though it beat analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.6% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 5.2% after saying it's resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.7% after the ski resort operator reported a narrower first-quarter loss than expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. ___ AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated Press
AKRON, Ohio , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BIT Mining Limited (NYSE: BTCM) ("BIT Mining" or the "Company"), a leading technology-driven cryptocurrency mining company, today announced that it will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders at 428 South Seiberling Street, Akron, Ohio , US on January 7, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., New York time. Holders of record of ordinary shares and Class A preference shares of the Company at the close of business on December 20, 2024 , New York time (the "Record Date") are entitled to receive notice of, and to attend and vote at, the annual general meeting or any adjournment thereof. Holders of the Company's American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") who wish to exercise their voting rights for the underlying ordinary shares must act through the depositary of the Company's ADS program, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas. The notice of the annual general meeting, which sets forth the resolutions to be submitted to shareholder approval at the annual general meeting is available on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at https://ir.btcm.group . The Company filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 15, 2024 . Shareholders may obtain a copy of the Company's annual report, free of charge, from the Company's website at https://ir.btcm.group and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov , or by contacting BIT Mining Limited at 428 South Seiberling Street, Akron, Ohio , US, attention: Victor He , telephone: +1 (330) 676-2680, email: ir@btcm.group . About BIT Mining Limited BIT Mining (NYSE: BTCM) is a leading technology-driven cryptocurrency mining company with operations in cryptocurrency mining, data center operation and mining machine manufacturing. The Company is strategically creating long-term value across the industry with its cryptocurrency ecosystem. Anchored by its cost-efficient data centers that strengthen its profitability with steady cash flow, the Company also conducts self-mining operations that enhance its marketplace resilience by leveraging self-developed and purchased mining machines to seamlessly adapt to dynamic cryptocurrency pricing. The Company also owns 7-nanometer BTC chips and has strong capabilities in the development of LTC/ DOGE miners and ETC miners. Safe Harbor Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "target", "going forward", "outlook" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law. For more information: BIT Mining Limited ir@btcm.group ir.btcm.group www.btcm.group Piacente Financial Communications Victor He Tel: +1 (330) 676-2680 Email: BITMining@thepiacentegroup.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bit-mining-limited-to-hold-annual-general-meeting-on-january-7-2025-302327447.html SOURCE BIT Mining Limited
Robinson scores 25 in Mercer's 90-89 OT win against JacksonvilleWASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Hours after the ground stop was lifted, Tajer said the union had not heard about any “chaos out there beyond just the normal heavy travel day.” He said officials were watching for any cascading effects, such as staffing problems. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights were departing within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — were arriving at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York’s Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms were developing in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. And any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have “interline agreements” that let them put stranded customers on another carrier’s flights. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. That’s because finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. “Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday,” AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation’s highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington are the metropolitan areas primed for the greatest delays, according to the company. —— Associated Press writers David Koenig, Mae Anderson and Mike Pesoli contributed to this report.
Sen. Ossoff’s Bipartisan Bill to Crack Down on Fentanyl Trafficking at Southern Border Signed into LawThe holiday season is here and with that friends and family will be gathering all across the nation. Our recent election has shown how politically divided we are. There’s a lot of passion about who is right and who is wrong. We should all resist the temptation to share our political views at holiday gatherings. Take this time to enjoy the company of friends and family. Let me put this in the arena of automobiles. You like Ford and a family member thinks Chevrolet is the only way to go. You tell them how great the Ford Mustang is and they bring up the “dangerous” Ford Pinto. Then they mention the virtues of the Chevolet Camaro. To that you tell them about the “unsafe at any speed” Chevy Corvair. Please keep in mind you may be sharing the day with a “MOPAR” fan who doesn’t want to hear you two argue on whether we should "See the USA in your Chevrolet" or if "Ford has a better idea." In the spirit of the season, agree to disagree and put your differences aside, at least for the day. Everyone deserves to have a joyous holiday season with friends and family. Peace. Craig Fink lives in Moorhead.
DexCom Inc. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitorsA 13-year-old United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Indian expat boy’s vision was recently saved after he sustained a severe eye injury while playing cricket in Dubai. The boy, an 8th grade student, was playing with friends in a parking lot near his apartment when a cricket ball struck his left eye, causing pain, redness, and blurry vision. Although initial treatment with an ice pack was administered, the boy’s symptoms worsened, prompting his parents to seek Aster Clinic Bur Dubai. Dr Gazala Hasan Mansuri, Specialist Ophthalmology at Aster Hospital Mankhool, conducted a comprehensive examination revealing a Giant Retinal Tear (GRT) and multiple retinal breaks in the left eye. She diagnosed a tear in a 90-degree retina section using advanced diagnostic tools like OCT and Fundus Photography, and recommended a laser procedure to seal the damage. The boy underwent a successful laser procedure using numbing eye drops, sealing tears and retinal breaks, and was discharged the same day, with follow-ups confirming his full recovery. He has since returned to India, with his vision restored. Dr Gazala emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and prompt intervention in treating eye injuries, emphasizing the need for immediate professional care to prevent long-term complications.
Matt Gaetz says he won't return to Congress next year after withdrawing name for attorney general WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz is not coming back to Congress. The Florida Republican said Friday he has no intention of serving another term in the House now that he is no longer President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. Gaetz withdrew as the nominee this week amid growing fallout from the allegations of sexual conduct against him. Gaetz denies the allegations. Gaetz didn't lay out his plans now that he's out of office, saying only, “I’m still going to be in the fight, but it’s going to be from a new perch." After Gaetz's withdrawal on Thursday, Trump named former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. Vance takes on a more visible transition role as he works to boost Trump's most controversial picks WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role. He's been helping Donald Trump’s most contentious Cabinet picks try to win confirmation in the Senate, where he has served for the last two years. Vance spent part of Wednesday at the Capitol with Rep. Matt Gaetz sitting in on meetings with Trump’s controversial choice for attorney general. On Thursday, Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings over the coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Beyond evangelicals, Trump and his allies courted smaller faith groups, from the Amish to Chabad Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn't focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race. NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russia's attack with new hypersonic missile KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Ukraine's parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik, saying it's so powerful that several of them fitted with conventional warheads could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Texas education board approves optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas’ education board has voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools. The approval Friday follows other Republican-led states that have pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education is optional for schools to adopt, but they’ll receive additional funding if they do so. Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum say the lessons will alienate students of other faith backgrounds. Supporters argue the Bible is a core feature of American history and that teaching it will enrich learning. 2 convicted in human smuggling case after Indian family froze to death on US-Canada border FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (AP) — A jury has convicted two men of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel and Steve Shand each faced four charges related to human smuggling before being convicted on Friday. Patel is an Indian national. Shand is an American from Florida. They were arrested after the family froze while trying to cross the desolate border during a 2022 blizzard. Storm inundates Northern California with rain, heavy snow. Thousands remain in the dark in Seattle HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — Heavy rain from a major storm prompted evacuations from communities near a Northern California river that forecasters say could break its banks Friday, as the storm keeps dumping heavy snow in the region's mountains where some ski resorts opened for the season. The storm reached the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands before moving through Northern California, where several roads were closed due to flooding and strong winds toppled some trees. Forecasters are warning about the risk of flash flooding and rockslides in areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by this season’s strongest atmospheric river. Archaeologists discover 4,000-year-old canals used to fish by predecessors of ancient Maya WASHINGTON (AP) — Using drones and Google Earth imagery, archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old network of earthen canals in what’s now Belize. The research published Friday in Science Advances shows that long before the ancient Maya built temples, their predecessors were already altering the landscape of Central America’s Yucatan peninsula. The ancient fish canals were used to channel and catch freshwater species such as catfish. These structures were used for around 1,000 years — including during the “formative” period when the Maya began to settle in permanent farming villages and a distinctive culture started to emerge. California case is the first confirmed bird flu infection in a US child Health officials are confirming bird flu in a California child — the first reported case in a U.S. minor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced confirmatory test results on Friday. Officials say the child had mild symptoms, was treated with antiviral medication and is recovering. The child’s infection brings the reported number of U.S. bird flu cases this year to 55, including 29 in California. State officials have said the child lives in Alameda County, which includes Oakland, and attends day care, but released no other details. Giants release quarterback Daniel Jones just days after benching him EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The Daniel Jones era in New York is over. The Giants quarterback was granted his release by the team just days after the franchise said it was benching him in favor of third-stringer Tommy DeVito. New York president John Mara said Jones approached the team about releasing him and the club obliged. Mara added he was “disappointed” at the quick dissolution of a once-promising relationship between Jones and the team. Giants coach Brian Daboll benched Jones in favor of DeVito following a loss to the Panthers in Germany that dropped New York's record to 2-8.