Central Okanagan politicians tour local aerospace, tech industryTransport for London (TfL) is investigating after one of its new “tram buses” was involved in a crash on the day the fleet was launched. The vehicle reportedly collided with a car driven by the wife of a Bromley councillor. The 20-strong fleet covers the 358 route, connecting Crystal Palace to Orpington in one of London ’s longest bus routes. TfL unveiled the new set of buses on November 20, which include pantograph technology that connects to the roof of the bus at each end of the 15-mile long journey, allowing them to charge in as little as six minutes. Labour Councillor Kathy Bance said at a Bromley Council meeting on the evening of the launch that one of the first new 358 buses hit a car belonging to a Labour councillor’s wife. The collision reportedly took place on Sevenoaks Road in Orpington earlier that day while the new 358 buses were making their first journeys. A TfL spokesperson said: “We are aware of a road traffic collision involving a route 358 bus and another vehicle. Thankfully, no one was injured and we understand that the collision was minor.” They added: “We are working with the bus operator, Go-Ahead London, to investigate this incident.” Conservative Councillor Nicholas Bennett, Executive Councillor for Transport, Highways & Road Safety, sent his best wishes to the councillor’s wife at the meeting. The executive councillor also claimed the pantograph technology being used on the new 358 buses was already several years out of date. Cllr Bennett said in his update: “They claim it as ‘new technology’ yet such charging has been in place for years in some European cities and TfL route 132 has had such charging for several years.” Pantograph technology was initially introduced to London in 2022 for the 132 route at Bexleyheath bus garage. TfL has said the innovation will allow fewer buses to be required on the 358 route, bringing savings to be used in other areas of the London network. Safety benefits also include speed limiting technology and audible warnings for pedestrians. Lorna Murphy, director of buses at TfL, previously said: “The green benefits are obviously that we’re reducing our carbon emissions. On a bus like this, we can carry up to 80 times the amount of people that can go in a car in just three times the space. “Clearly that’s a huge benefit from an emissions point of view, for the climate, for improving the air that we all breathe and that’s great for Londoners.”Trump Is Running His Transition Team on Secret Moneywild casino no deposit bonus codes 。

NoneSKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — A political party in North Macedonia on Saturday demanded authorities ban social networks whose content incites violence and self-destructive behavior after several young people were seriously injured in connection with the popular “Superman challenge” on TikTok. Health authorities said at least 17 students, ages 10 to 17, were brought to hospitals in the capital Skopje and other towns over the past week with broken bones, contusions and bruises. The children were injured after being thrown into the air by their friends to fly like superheroes and get applause on the internet. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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Konark Sun Temple restoration: ASI ADG inspects sand removal processInsurgents reach gates of Syria’s capital, threatening to upend decades of Assad rule BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian opposition war monitor and a pro-government media outlet say government forces have withdrawn from much of the central city of Homs. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. Losing Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Syria’s embattled leader, Bashar Assad. An archbishop's knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look on PARIS (AP) — France’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral has formally reopened its doors for the first time since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the 861-year-old landmark in 2019. The five-year restoration is widely seen as a boost for French President Emmanuel Macron, who championed the ambitious timeline, and brings a welcome respite from his domestic political woes. World leaders, dignitaries, and worshippers gathered on Saturday evening for the celebrations under the cathedral's soaring arches. The celebration was attended by 1,500 dignitaries, including President-elect Donald Trump, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For Catholics, Notre Dame’s rector said the cathedral “carries the enveloping presence of the Virgin Mary, a maternal and embracing presence.′′ Trump is welcomed by Macron to Paris with presidential pomp and joined by Zelenskyy for their talks PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron has welcomed Donald Trump to Paris with a full dose of presidential pomp. And they held a hastily arranged meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a day that's mixing pageantry with attention to pressing global problems. The president-elect's visit to France is part of a global a celebration of the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral five years after a devastating fire. Macron and other European leaders are trying to win Trump’s favor and persuade him to maintain support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. Trump isn't back in office but he's already pushing his agenda and negotiating with world leaders NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is making threats, traveling abroad, and negotiating with world leaders. He has more than a month-and-a-half to go before he’s sworn in for a second term. But the president-elect is already moving aggressively to not only fill his Cabinet and outline policy goals, but also to try to achieve his priorities. In recent days, Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, two of the country’s largest trading partners. That led to emergency calls and a visit. And he's warned of “ALL HELL TO PAY” if Hamas doesn't release the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over short-lived martial law SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Most of Yoon's ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea. A survey suggests a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party. But the party also apparently fears losing the presidency to liberals. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. UnitedHealthcare CEO's shooting opens a door for many to vent frustrations over insurance The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's CEO has opened the door for many people to vent their frustrations and anger over the insurance industry. The feelings of exasperation, anger, resentment, and helplessness toward insurers aren’t new. But the shooting and the headlines around it have unleashed a new wave of patients sharing such sentiments and personal stories of interactions with insurance companies. Conversations at dinner tables, office water coolers, social gatherings and on social media have pivoted to the topic. Many say they hope the new amplified voices can bring about change for companies often accused of valuing profits over people. 2 Pearl Harbor survivors, ages 104 and 102, return to Hawaii to honor those killed in 1941 attack PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — The bombing of Pearl Harbor 83 years ago launched the United States into World War II. Two survivors returned to the Hawaii military base on Saturday for a remembrance ceremony on the attack's anniversary. Both are over 100 years old. They joined active-duty troops, veterans and members of the public for an observance hosted by the Navy and the National Park Service. A third survivor was planning to join them but had to cancel due to health issues. The bombing killed more than 2,300 U.S. servicemen. An explosion destroys an apartment block in a Dutch city, killing at least 3 and injuring others THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — An explosion and fire has rocked a neighborhood in the Dutch city of The Hague, killing three people and injuring other people and destroying several apartments. The cause of the disaster is unclear. Emergency authorities said four people were rescued from the rubble and taken to the hospital. The mayor said rescuers were no longer looking for survivors but for eventual bodies, but could not specify how many people might still be unaccounted for. Residents of the northeastern neighborhood of Mariahoeve in The Hague heard a huge bang and screams before dawn. Dutch authorities have deployed a specialized urban search and rescue team to find victims. How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music SAN DIEGO (AP) — When Aaron Pierre was cast as Mufasa, the weight of following in the late James Earl Jones’ legendary footsteps was enough to rattle any actor. But instead of letting the pressure roar too loudly, he harnessed his nerves to breathe fresh life into his young lion character. Pierre found parallels between himself and his character while filming his leading role in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which opens in theaters Dec. 20. He took the reigns as the new voice of Mufasa after Jones played the iconic King Mufasa in both the 1994 and 2019 versions of Disney’s “The Lion King.” The prequel offers a fresh exploration into Mufasa’s origin story.

When ESPN announced Timothee Chalamet as this week's guest picker on 'College GameDay" live from the SEC championship game, many fans were confused. Chalamet doesn't have a prior connection to either Texas or Georgia, and the actore isn't really known for going to sporting events. However, during "College GameDay," Chalamet silence all his critics. The 28-year-old put on an impressive performance during the picks segment, surprising even the panel for his knowledge. Here is a look at how Chalamet stunned the college football world on Saturday. NCAAF HQ: Live NCAAF scores | Updated NCAAF standings | Full NCAAF schedule Timothee Chalamet's 'College GameDay' picks When picking this weeks conference championship games, "GameDay" started with the SWAC championship between Southern and Jackson State, and Chalamet immediately impressed the rest of the panel. The actor continued to show off his knowledge when discussing all the championship games on Saturday, including the MAC championship, where he went against the experts to pick Ohio. "This guy's unbelievable!" Pat McAfee said midway through the segment. TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET ELITE BALL KNOWLEDGE 😤 😂 @RealChalamet pic.twitter.com/Vci23UK8nx Chalamet's latest performance went viral on social media, with many fans using the same memes to describe how impressed they were. https://t.co/GAp65fihWb pic.twitter.com/iiz5i9lAlb https://t.co/ab6d4e90lN pic.twitter.com/KxMSFy0p7m I’ve never been more wrong about anything in my life than I was about Timothee Chalamet college football knowledge. Im speechless. This guy knows ball. pic.twitter.com/pMuzQyVqpj I assume he got some professional help with his @CollegeGameDay pick data... but Timothée Chalamet *crushed* it in his Saturday Selections segment! 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/cZ65K9Xcpz Timothee Chalamet came prepared , researched, and referenced the Pony Express. Maybe the best College Gameday guest picker yet. NYC guy. Respect. You are all fools for doubting Timothée Chalamet’s knowledge of ball. He drank the Water of Life. pic.twitter.com/BommKnO54a Chalamet's successful appearance likely earned him the chance to return again at some point to further share his ball knowledge to the world.Mumbai, Dec 7 (IANS): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, is slated to hold a meeting with a Norwegian industry delegation, led by Norwegian Ambassador May-Elin Stener, here on Sunday, eyeing a $100 billion investment opportunity for both nations. According to a statement by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the key focus of the business roundtable will be on the recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, which holds immense potential for both nations. “India is particularly keen on attracting $100 billion in investments from the EFTA countries, as outlined in the agreement,” the ministry said. The two sides will hold wide-ranging discussions on all aspects of the bilateral trade partnership, including opportunities, challenges and measures to further strengthen cross-border infrastructure, enhance connectivity and facilitate trade between the two countries. They will also assess the opportunities in investment partnerships in logistics, supply chain, connectivity, maritime, energy, circular economy, food and agri, infrastructure, technology and more. Union Minister Goyal is expected to hold discussions on key opportunities and trends for further Norwegian investments in India and potential areas of collaboration between India and Norway. The discussions will also focus on the current business climate in India and key government reforms and policies conducive for the partnership. According to the ministry, a high-level visit to Norway is expected in the next year during the India–Nordic Summit. The forum and the discussions will foster further strengthening the existing close ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. According to the government, the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) has the potential to boost 99.6 per cent of Indian exports with market access to EFTA countries and drive $100 billion investment. India signed TEPA with four developed nations - Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein — which is an important economic bloc in Europe. The agreement will give a boost to ‘Make in India’ and provide opportunities to the young and talented workforce, according to the government. EFTA is offering 92.2 per cent of its tariff lines which covers 99.6 per cent of India’s exports. The EFTA's market access offer covers 100 per cent of non-agri products and tariff concession on processed agricultural products (PAP).

Justin Thomas with big drives and a few big putts takes 1-shot lead over Scheffler in the Bahamas

LUQUE, Paraguay — Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-famous sushi. It's brewed in centuries-old mountaintop warehouses, savored in the country’s pub-like izakayas, poured during weddings and served slightly chilled for special toasts. The smooth rice wine that plays a crucial role in Japan's culinary traditions was enshrined on Wednesday by UNESCO on its list of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity." At a meeting in Luque, Paraguay, members of UNESCO’s committee for safeguarding humanity's cultural heritage voted to recognize 45 cultural practices and products around the world, including Brazilian white cheese, Caribbean cassava bread and Palestinian olive oil soap. Unlike UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which includes sites considered important to humanity like the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Intangible Cultural Heritage designation names products and practices of different cultures that are deserving of recognition. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts after the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was officially named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. A Japanese delegation welcomed the announcement in Luque. “Sake is considered a divine gift and is essential for social and cultural events in Japan,” Kano Takehiro, the Japanese ambassador to UNESCO, told The Associated Press. The basic ingredients of sake are few: rice, water, yeast and koji, a rice mold that breaks down the starches into fermentable sugars like malting does in beer production. The whole two-month process of steaming, stirring, fermenting and pressing can be grueling. The rice — which wields tremendous marketing power as part of Japan's broader cultural identity — is key to the alcoholic brew. For a product to be categorized Japanese sake, the rice must be Japanese. Japanese sake, a nominee for UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list, are displayed on Japan's delegation table, during a UNESCO World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Wednesday. The UNESCO recognition, the delegation said, captured more than the craft knowledge of making high-quality sake. It also honored a tradition dating back some 1,000 years — sake makes a cameo in Japan’s famous 11th century novel, “The Tale of Genji,” as the drink of choice in the refined Heian court. Now, officials hope to restore sake's image as Japan's premier alcoholic drink even as the younger drinkers in the country switch to imported wine or domestic beer and whiskey. Japanese breweries also expressed hope the listing could give a lift to the country's export economy as the popularity of sake booms around the world and in the United States amid heightened interest in Japanese cuisine. “I hope that this will also be an opportunity for Japanese people to take another look at sake, shochu and awamori, which are the essence of their culture," Hitoshi Utsunomiya, director of the trade group Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, said in Tokyo. "I would like them to try it even once and see what it tastes like,” he said. Sake exports, mostly to the U.S. and China, now rake in over $265 million a year, according to the association. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts as the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. Japan's delegation appeared ready to celebrate Wednesday — in classic Japanese style. After the announcement, Takehiro raised a cypress box full of sake to toast the alcoholic brew and cultural rite. “It means a lot to Japan and to the Japanese,” he said of the UNESCO designation. "This will help to renew interest in traditional sake elaboration.” In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was “delighted” by UNESCO's recognition of traditional sake-making techniques, and he congratulated those dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition. The crisp autumn air ushers in more than just pumpkin spice latte season. Consider cozying up inside with friends for a wine tasting and sharing delicious food and drinks with more complex flavors than cinnamon and sugar. Perhaps once thought of as stuffy affairs only for wine connoisseurs, today a tasting can be as casual as pouring a few bottles while doing another activity—say, bar games like darts or art activities like painting. The tasting can also be more traditional, especially if held at a winery or local wine shop, which is a great way to learn about what wines you might like to later serve at home. To host the ultimate wine tasting, it pays to do some R&D. One of the best aspects of hosting a wine tasting at home is that you get to establish the mood, tone, and guest list for the gathering—you can't pick a playlist when you sample wines at a bar or wine shop or make the dress code loungewear. So whether the mood is serious or playful, sophisticated or laid-back, the key to a successful tasting is enjoying and appreciating the wine and having fun with friends and family. Of course, there are a few other things to figure out along the way. Peerspace put together a few tips for hosting your wine-tasting party. A tasting party is all about sampling different wines and evaluating and hopefully enjoying them—and there are a variety of ways to do that. Would you like to host a playful gathering where each guest brings a mystery bottle of wine within a certain price range—a BYOB affair? Or would it be better to have more control over which wines are featured by curating and supplying all the wines as a host? This decision sets the tone—a tasting where guests contribute wine can be a bit of a free-for-all, whereas one where you select wines you supply allows guests to sit back and simply enjoy. And you don't have to break the bank to buy excellent wines—there are lots of wine experts ready to share their affordable picks. How much folks know about wine differs—and that's a good thing. Tastings are group learning experiences. Expertise isn't necessary to host or attend a tasting, but it is helpful to think about what will keep guests comfortable and having fun. Decide whether the vibe will be relaxed and laid-back, like friends sipping wine fireside, or more upbeat and formal. Think about elements like the atmosphere and the location, and consider whether folks will be seated or standing. Will you have a spirited playlist (couldn't resist) or live music? Do you want an expert to introduce each wine, or will you be that expert? Consider how guests will share their thoughts on what they are tasting. Do you want to just talk about them or do something more organized, like take notes or give ratings? Then supply notebooks or notecards and pencils, with categories or questions established ahead of time—all of which can reflect your evening's tone as well. Picking a theme is essential to curating the selection of wines—it's the organizing principle behind your selections. Otherwise, your tasting might as well be just walking down the wine aisle at the grocery store and taking sips from random bottles. There's too much wine out there not to be strategic about this. Plus, a theme helps you to tell the story of each wine better—it's the plot line of the night, if you will. Common themes are types of wine, regions they are from, or even price points—really, one can get as creative as they wish. For inspiration, check out local wine shops and see what they do for tastings. Often, they will follow seasonality and group wines in novel ways for their own in-house tastings. Don't let food be an afterthought for the festivities—after all, food can enhance particular qualities of wine and vice versa. There are many rules around what foods to pair with which wines, but consider this simple advice from Alder Yarrow's Vinography : "Stick with eating good food and drinking good wine." Since the focus is on the wines, allow the drinks to determine what food makes sense, but don't overthink it. Food is a supporting character here—at the very least, guests will need something to soak up all the alcohol (unless you are spitting it out). Eating foods that contain a mixture of protein, fats, and carbs when drinking helps increase the rate of alcohol elimination . Whether it's a full meal or heavy hors d'oeuvres, thoughtful noshes are necessary. How many people to invite is a question largely informed by the answers to tip #1: Are you having a big, formal affair or an intimate catch-up with close friends? Or something in between? Whatever the case, an RSVP is essential because not only do you need to plan the setup of the space, but you must also make sure there's enough wine for everyone to taste, including each of the wines featured. There's nothing worse than a tasting that runs dry! The math to determine how much wine you need considers the size of the tasting pours—a full glass of wine at a restaurant is usually around 5 ounces, which yields around five glasses of wine from a standard bottle. For tastings, you'll want to do less, depending on how many wines you are featuring—say, 2 ounces if you'll be trying a lot of different wines. Experts agree, having more wine than you need is always a good idea—that way you can send guests home with a bottle should there be a prize at the end of the night. The bottom line is, however you do it, hosting the ultimate wine tasting should be fun. Wine can feel intimidating to many people, but most wine experts are passionate, inspired folks who want to share what they know and help you find wines you like. So visit your local wine store or winemaker and ask questions. There are good guides specifically concerning how to taste wine. Dig a little, taste a lot, and have fun. It's all research for your next ultimate wine tasting. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Peerspace and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

LUQUE, Paraguay — Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-famous sushi. It's brewed in centuries-old mountaintop warehouses, savored in the country’s pub-like izakayas, poured during weddings and served slightly chilled for special toasts. The smooth rice wine that plays a crucial role in Japan's culinary traditions was enshrined on Wednesday by UNESCO on its list of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity." At a meeting in Luque, Paraguay, members of UNESCO’s committee for safeguarding humanity's cultural heritage voted to recognize 45 cultural practices and products around the world, including Brazilian white cheese, Caribbean cassava bread and Palestinian olive oil soap. Unlike UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which includes sites considered important to humanity like the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Intangible Cultural Heritage designation names products and practices of different cultures that are deserving of recognition. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts after the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was officially named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. A Japanese delegation welcomed the announcement in Luque. “Sake is considered a divine gift and is essential for social and cultural events in Japan,” Kano Takehiro, the Japanese ambassador to UNESCO, told The Associated Press. The basic ingredients of sake are few: rice, water, yeast and koji, a rice mold that breaks down the starches into fermentable sugars like malting does in beer production. The whole two-month process of steaming, stirring, fermenting and pressing can be grueling. The rice — which wields tremendous marketing power as part of Japan's broader cultural identity — is key to the alcoholic brew. For a product to be categorized Japanese sake, the rice must be Japanese. Japanese sake, a nominee for UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list, are displayed on Japan's delegation table, during a UNESCO World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Wednesday. The UNESCO recognition, the delegation said, captured more than the craft knowledge of making high-quality sake. It also honored a tradition dating back some 1,000 years — sake makes a cameo in Japan’s famous 11th century novel, “The Tale of Genji,” as the drink of choice in the refined Heian court. Now, officials hope to restore sake's image as Japan's premier alcoholic drink even as the younger drinkers in the country switch to imported wine or domestic beer and whiskey. Japanese breweries also expressed hope the listing could give a lift to the country's export economy as the popularity of sake booms around the world and in the United States amid heightened interest in Japanese cuisine. Sake exports, mostly to the U.S. and China, now rake in over $265 million a year, according to the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, a trade group. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts as the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. Japan's delegation appeared ready to celebrate Wednesday — in classic Japanese style. After the announcement, Takehiro raised a cypress box full of sake to toast the alcoholic brew and cultural rite. “It means a lot to Japan and to the Japanese,” he said of the UNESCO designation. "This will help to renew interest in traditional sake elaboration.” In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was “delighted” by UNESCO's recognition of traditional sake-making techniques, and he congratulated those dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition. A tasting party is all about sampling different wines and evaluating and hopefully enjoying them—and there are a variety of ways to do that. Would you like to host a playful gathering where each guest brings a mystery bottle of wine within a certain price range—a BYOB affair? Or would it be better to have more control over which wines are featured by curating and supplying all the wines as a host? This decision sets the tone—a tasting where guests contribute wine can be a bit of a free-for-all, whereas one where you select wines you supply allows guests to sit back and simply enjoy. And you don't have to break the bank to buy excellent wines—there are lots of wine experts ready to share their affordable picks. How much folks know about wine differs—and that's a good thing. Tastings are group learning experiences. Expertise isn't necessary to host or attend a tasting, but it is helpful to think about what will keep guests comfortable and having fun. Decide whether the vibe will be relaxed and laid-back, like friends sipping wine fireside, or more upbeat and formal. Think about elements like the atmosphere and the location, and consider whether folks will be seated or standing. Will you have a spirited playlist (couldn't resist) or live music? Do you want an expert to introduce each wine, or will you be that expert? Consider how guests will share their thoughts on what they are tasting. Do you want to just talk about them or do something more organized, like take notes or give ratings? Then supply notebooks or notecards and pencils, with categories or questions established ahead of time—all of which can reflect your evening's tone as well. How many people to invite is a question largely informed by the answers to tip #1: Are you having a big, formal affair or an intimate catch-up with close friends? Or something in between? Whatever the case, an RSVP is essential because not only do you need to plan the setup of the space, but you must also make sure there's enough wine for everyone to taste, including each of the wines featured. There's nothing worse than a tasting that runs dry! The math to determine how much wine you need considers the size of the tasting pours—a full glass of wine at a restaurant is usually around 5 ounces, which yields around five glasses of wine from a standard bottle. For tastings, you'll want to do less, depending on how many wines you are featuring—say, 2 ounces if you'll be trying a lot of different wines. Experts agree, having more wine than you need is always a good idea—that way you can send guests home with a bottle should there be a prize at the end of the night. Don't let food be an afterthought for the festivities—after all, food can enhance particular qualities of wine and vice versa. There are many rules around what foods to pair with which wines, but consider this simple advice from Alder Yarrow's Vinography : "Stick with eating good food and drinking good wine." Since the focus is on the wines, allow the drinks to determine what food makes sense, but don't overthink it. Food is a supporting character here—at the very least, guests will need something to soak up all the alcohol (unless you are spitting it out). Eating foods that contain a mixture of protein, fats, and carbs when drinking helps increase the rate of alcohol elimination . Whether it's a full meal or heavy hors d'oeuvres, thoughtful noshes are necessary. The bottom line is, however you do it, hosting the ultimate wine tasting should be fun. Wine can feel intimidating to many people, but most wine experts are passionate, inspired folks who want to share what they know and help you find wines you like. So visit your local wine store or winemaker and ask questions. There are good guides specifically concerning how to taste wine. Dig a little, taste a lot, and have fun. It's all research for your next ultimate wine tasting. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Peerspace and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. The crisp autumn air ushers in more than just pumpkin spice latte season. Consider cozying up inside with friends for a wine tasting and sharing delicious food and drinks with more complex flavors than cinnamon and sugar. Perhaps once thought of as stuffy affairs only for wine connoisseurs, today a tasting can be as casual as pouring a few bottles while doing another activity—say, bar games like darts or art activities like painting. The tasting can also be more traditional, especially if held at a winery or local wine shop, which is a great way to learn about what wines you might like to later serve at home. To host the ultimate wine tasting, it pays to do some R&D. One of the best aspects of hosting a wine tasting at home is that you get to establish the mood, tone, and guest list for the gathering—you can't pick a playlist when you sample wines at a bar or wine shop or make the dress code loungewear. So whether the mood is serious or playful, sophisticated or laid-back, the key to a successful tasting is enjoying and appreciating the wine and having fun with friends and family. Of course, there are a few other things to figure out along the way. Peerspace put together a few tips for hosting your wine-tasting party. Picking a theme is essential to curating the selection of wines—it's the organizing principle behind your selections. Otherwise, your tasting might as well be just walking down the wine aisle at the grocery store and taking sips from random bottles. There's too much wine out there not to be strategic about this. Plus, a theme helps you to tell the story of each wine better—it's the plot line of the night, if you will. Common themes are types of wine, regions they are from, or even price points—really, one can get as creative as they wish. For inspiration, check out local wine shops and see what they do for tastings. Often, they will follow seasonality and group wines in novel ways for their own in-house tastings. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

“Barbenheimer” was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn’t stopped people from trying to make “Glicked” — or even “Babyratu” — happen. The counterprogramming of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office. This combination of images shows promotional art for "Gladiator II," left, and "Wicked." And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, “Saw Patrol” ). This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation “Wicked” opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic “Gladiator II.” Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: “Wickiator,” “Wadiator,” “Gladwick” and even the eyebrow raising “Gladicked” have all been suggested. “'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more,” actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of “Gladiator II” this week. “I think we should all band around ‘Glicked.’ It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it.” As with “Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, “Glicked” also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging muscles. Both films topped Fandango’s most anticipated holiday movie survey, where 65% of respondents said that they were interested in the “Glicked” double feature. Theaters big and small are also pulling out the stops with movie-themed tie-ins. B&B Theaters will have Roman guards tearing tickets at some locations and Maximus popcorn tubs. Marcus Theaters is doing Oz photo ops and friendship bracelet-making. Alamo Drafthouse is leaning into the singalong aspect (beware, though, not all theaters are embracing this) and the punny drinks like “Defying Gravi-Tea.” This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande in a scene from the film "Wicked." “Rather than it being in competition, I think they’re in conversation,” “Gladiator II” star Paul Mescal said. “This industry needs a shot in the arm. Those films gave it last year. We hope to do it this year.” And the hope is that audiences will flock to theaters to be part of this moment as well. It's a sorely needed influx of could-be blockbusters into a marketplace that's still at an 11% deficit from last year and down 27.2% from 2019, according to data from Comscore. “Competition is good for the marketplace. It’s good for consumers,” said Michael O'Leary, the president and CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “Having two great movies coming out at the same time is simply a multiplier effect.” “Glicked” is currently tracking for a combined North American debut in the $165 million range, with “Wicked” forecast to earn around $100 million (up from the $80 million estimates a few weeks ago) and “Gladiator II” pegged for the $65 million range. “Barbenheimer” shattered its projections last July. Going into that weekend, “Barbie” had been pegged for $90 million and “Oppenheimer” around $40 million. Ultimately, they brought in a combined $244 million in that first outing, and nearly $2.4 billion by the end of their runs. It’s possible “Glicked” will exceed expectations, too. And it has the advantage of another behemoth coming close behind: “Moana 2,” which opens just five days later on the Wednesday before the Thanksgiving holiday. “Glickedana” triple feature anyone? This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Pedro Pascal, left, and Paul Mescal in a scene from "Gladiator II." “These are 10 important days,” O'Leary said. “It’s going to show the moviegoing audience that there’s a lot of compelling stuff out there for them to see.” There are infinite caveats to the imperfect comparison to “Barbenheimer,” as well. “Wicked” is a “Part One.” Musicals carry their own baggage with moviegoers, even those based on wildly successful productions (ahem, “Cats”). “Gladiator II” got a head start and opened internationally last weekend. In fact, in the U.K. it played alongside “Paddington in Peru,” where that double was pegged “Gladdington.” “Gladiator” reviews, while positive, are a little more divided than the others. And neither directors Ridley Scott nor Jon M. Chu has the built-in box office cache that Christopher Nolan’s name alone carries at the moment. The new films also cost more than “Barbie” ($145 million) and “Oppenheimer” ($100 million). According to reports, “Gladiator II” had a $250 million price tag; “Wicked” reportedly cost $150 million to produce (and that does not include the cost of the second film, due next year). The narrative, though, has shifted away from “who will win the weekend.” Earlier this year, Chu told The Associated Press that he loves that this is a moment where “we can root for all movies all the time.” Close behind are a bevy of Christmas releases with double feature potential, but those feel a little more niche. There’s the remake of “Nosferatu,” the Nicole Kidman kink pic “Babygirl” and the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown.” The internet can’t even seem to decide on its angle for that batch of contenders, and none exactly screams blockbuster. Sometimes the joy is just in the game, however. Some are sticking with the one-name mashup (“Babyratu”); others are suggesting that the fact that two of the movies feature real-life exes (Timothée Chalamet and Lily-Rose Depp) is enough reason for a double feature. And getting people talking is half the battle. When in doubt, or lacking a catchy name, there’s always the default: “This is my Barbenheimer.” Associated Press journalist John Carucci and Film Writer Jake Coyle contributed reporting. Last summer, Malibu's iconic blonde faced off against Cillian Murphy and the hydrogen bomb in the unforgettable "Barbenheimer" double feature. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!FLORIDA ST. (6-1) Bol Bowen 3-4 1-2 7, Ewin 7-10 3-5 17, Holt 1-3 2-4 5, Jackson 3-7 2-2 8, Watkins 5-6 2-4 14, Davis 1-4 3-4 6, Deng 4-6 0-0 10, Swinton 3-4 1-1 8, Thomas 3-3 2-4 10, Maluk 2-7 0-0 4, Nitu 0-1 0-0 0, Mbatch 1-1 0-0 2, Rozakeas 0-1 1-2 1, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Simpson 0-0 0-0 0, Crawford 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 33-58 17-28 92. UMASS (1-5) Hankins-Sanford 1-3 2-4 4, Rivera 4-12 3-4 12, Muhammad 0-1 0-0 0, Curry 4-9 8-9 17, Diggins 2-13 0-0 4, Guerengomba 3-11 3-3 10, Watson 1-2 2-5 4, Ndjigue 1-2 0-0 2, Worthy 0-3 2-4 2, Abdelgowad 0-0 0-0 0, Damjanac 0-0 0-0 0, Doumbia 2-2 0-0 4, Foster 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-58 20-29 59. Halftime_Florida St. 37-27. 3-Point Goals_Florida St. 9-18 (Thomas 2-2, Watkins 2-3, Deng 2-4, Holt 1-1, Swinton 1-1, Davis 1-2, Bol Bowen 0-1, Crawford 0-1, Rozakeas 0-1, Jackson 0-2), UMass 3-24 (Curry 1-2, Rivera 1-4, Guerengomba 1-6, Ndjigue 0-1, Watson 0-1, Worthy 0-2, Diggins 0-8). Rebounds_Florida St. 28 (Ewin 7), UMass 31 (Hankins-Sanford 13). Assists_Florida St. 25 (Jackson 6), UMass 8 (Diggins 4). Total Fouls_Florida St. 24, UMass 20.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Invests $1.06 Million in Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE:KMI)Iran Vice President Shina Ansari leaves after speaking during a plenary session at the COP29 U.N. ... [+] Climate Summit, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits) The United Nations climate summit in Azerbaijan is wrapping up, and world leaders have presented national plans for tackling the growing threats of climate change. The Islamic Republic of Iran, however, is among the countries without a strategy. Despite being a top greenhouse gas emitter and highly vulnerable to rising temperatures, its authorities have failed to outline a path for addressing the crisis facing their communities at home. Over the past year, Iranians have suffered through severe floods, droughts, dust storms, wildfires, and heat waves, endangering the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. Last summer, temperatures in some cities exceeded 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), sending thousands to hospitals with respiratory and heat-related illnesses. Shrinking rivers, lakes , wetlands, and widespread land subsidence have added to the challenges, straining public health systems and destabilizing local economies. In Iran, decades of poor water management have driven the environmental challenges that have been intensified by climate change. But hopes for a shift in Iran’s climate policy rested on Shina Ansari, the recently appointed head of the Department of Environment. With more than 20 years of experience and a doctorate in environmental management, Ansari is a seasoned environmental expert and one of the few women to hold this position. Elon Musk Apparently Just Became The No. 1 ‘Diablo 4’ Player In The World Stop Using Your Passwords—1Password And Google Warn Samsung’s Android 15 Decision—Bad News For Millions Of Galaxy S24, S23, S22 Owners Her nomination raised hope among local and international observers that Iran might take a more proactive approach to climate change. However, when Ansari spoke at COP29, her speech raised more questions than answered. While she acknowledged the urgent need for a cleaner energy transition and expressed aspirations to reduce Iran’s carbon emissions, her statement lacked detailed commitments, leaving her message vague. Ansari attributed Iran's inaction to U.S. sanctions, stating they have “restricted” access to the financial resources and advanced technologies required for impactful measures. She also criticized Western nations for “hypocrisy”, highlighting the environmental damage caused by the war in Gaza. At the end of her remarks, she emphasized that developed nations, as the “primary contributors” to global warming, have a “responsibility” to financially support developing ones in their transition to clean energy without “undermining” economic growth. What Ansari failed to mention was Iran’s troubling climate track record. The Climate Change Performance Index ranks Iran at the bottom of its list, below the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the country remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels with renewables making up less than 1% of its energy consumption. To make matters worse, Iran is one of the few remaining nations that have signed but not ratified the Paris Agreement—a landmark deal aimed at limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Ten years ago, Iran pledged its intention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4% unconditionally or 12% if sanctions were lifted below business as usual by 2030. However, climate research groups have evaluated the targets as “critically insufficient,” noting that they are unlikly to be met. Historically, Iran has stuck to a familiar stance at the United Nations climate talks. At COP28 in the UAE, its delegation, led by the Energy Ministry, walked out in protest over Israel’s presence amid the ongoing war in Gaza. At COP27 in Egypt and COP26 in the United Kingdom, Iran blamed sanctions as the reason for its failed response to climate change. Notably, no Iranian president has ever attended a COP summit—a sharp contrast to other nations, where high-level participation signals a political willingness towards mitigating environmental challenges. This year, Masoud Pezeshkian, who was elected president in July after his predecessor was killed in a helicopter crash, was expected to travel to Baku for COP29, sparking optimism for a change in tone. However, his trip was reportedly canceled because of Israel’s participation and its close ties with the host country, Azerbaijan. The Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel view each other as “arch-enemies”, a relationship that has further deteriorated following recent missile and drone attacks on their territories. Back in Tehran, Pezeshkian has yet to unveil a concrete method for how his administration plans to prepare a population of 85 million people for consequences of environmental degradation. Meanwhile, Ansari told local media about the government’s intentions to improve the situation by introducing policies favoring renewable energy and publishing long-overdue greenhouse gas reports. As the world looks ahead to Brazil’s climate talks in 2025, Iran's lack of commitments leaves it increasingly vulnerable to the worsening impacts of climate change. Extreme heatwaves, disappearing ecosystems, water shortages, and the risk of conflict and forced migration are already causing serious issues in the Middle East. Experts warn that without quick and effective steps, Iran’s challenges will grow, endangering its people, increasing regional instability, and hurting global efforts to fight climate change. Whether these realities will lead to any substantial move is another story for another day.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain on Saturday took notice of farmers’ complaints regarding the low prices of sugarcane by sugar mills. Chairing the Sugar Advisory Board meeting, the minister directed the Sugar Commissioner to present a report on sugarcane prices in the next meeting, said a news release. Tanveer emphasized that the exploitation of farmers will not be tolerated and stressed that sugar mill owners must pay the fair price of sugarcane to farmers. The board also reviewed the current situation of sugar stocks in the country and expressed complete satisfaction with the current sugar reserves in the country. The timely commencement of the sugar crushing season is a significant achievement, Rana Tanveer remarked.The archbishop of Paris re-opened Notre Dame cathedral on Saturday by symbolically knocking on the doors and entering the 12th-century landmark which has been restored after a devastating fire in 2019. Wearing new designer vestments and carrying a staff cut from one of the roof beams that survived the inferno, Laurent Ulrich joined hundreds of VIPs inside the Gothic masterpiece for a two-hour ceremony. Ulrich commanded the cathedral to "open your doors" and he entered the magnificently-restored edifice. US President-elect Donald Trump sat on the front row as guest of honour next to French President Emmanuel Macron, with invitees marvelling at the freshly cleaned walls, new furniture and state-of-the-art lightening installed as part of the cathedral's overhaul. Outside, small crowds of Parisians and tourists braved wet weather and high winds to witness the renaissance of a beloved monument which came close to being totally destroyed by the inferno that toppled its roof and spire. "I find it really beautiful, even more so now that the spire has been restored," Marie Jean, a 27-year-old dentist from southwest France, told AFP outside. The reconstruction effort has cost around 700 million euros ($750 million), financed from donations, with the re-opening achieved within a five-year deadline set by Macron despite predictions it could take decades. Workers had to overcome problems with lead pollution, the Covid-19 epidemic, and the army general overseeing the project falling to his death while hiking in the Pyrenees last year. It is "a cathedral like we have never seen before," Philippe Jost, who took over as project manager last year, told Franceinfo radio, adding that he was proud to "show the whole world" a "great collective success and a source of pride for all of France". Saturday's service will feature prayer, organ music and hymns from the cathedral's choir. A public concert planned in front of the cathedral featuring Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang and possibly US singer and fashion designer Pharrell Williams had to be pre-recorded on Friday night because of the stormy weather. ‘Do the impossible’ Held up as an example of French creativity and resilience by Macron, Notre Dame's renaissance so soon after the fire comes at a difficult time for the country. The sense of national accomplishment in restoring a symbol of Paris has been undercut by political turmoil that has left France without a proper government since last week when prime minister Michel Barnier lost a confidence vote. Macron is hoping the re-opening might provide a fleeting sense of national pride and unity -- as the Paris Olympics did in July and August. The scale of the immense security operation also recalls the Olympics -- with some 6,000 police officers and gendarmes mobilised. The re-opening "is the proof that we know how to do grand things, we know how to do the impossible" Macron said Thursday in a televised address to the country. He is set to address the congregation during Saturday's ceremony. Trump show? Macron has scored a major coup by attracting incoming US president Donald Trump for his first foreign trip since his re-election. Another 40 heads of state and government are also present, including Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, who was given a round of applause as he entered Notre Dame, as well as British heir to the throne, Prince William. Macron hosted three-way talks with Zelensky and Trump at the presidential palace shortly before the ceremony, with future US military support for Ukraine's war effort against Russia's invasion expected to have been discussed. Trump has vowed to force an end to the nearly three-year Ukraine war when he takes office, sparking fears in Kyiv that he will force Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia which Zelensky is resisting. "It seems like the world is going a little crazy right now and we will be talking about that," Trump told reporters as he prepared to sit down for talks with Macron. One surprising absentee on Saturday was Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church. He sent a message addressed to the French people which is set to be read out. The exact cause of the 2019 blaze has never been identified despite a forensic investigation by prosecutors, who believe an accident such as an electrical fault was the most likely reason. On Sunday, the first mass with 170 bishops and more than 100 Paris priests will take place at 10:30 am (0930 GMT), followed by a second service in the evening at 6:30 pm which will be open to the public.Money Maker: A Look At SkyWest's Impressive Year

Oklahoma State's 3-point accuracy sends Miami to defeatMAPUTO, Mozambique. (AP) — At least 6,000 inmates escaped from a high-security prison in Mozambique’s capital on Christmas Day after a rebellion, the country's police chief said, as widespread post-election riots and violence are roiling the country. Police chief Bernardino Rafael said 33 prisoners died and 15 others were injured during a confrontation with the security forces. The prisoners fled during violent protests that have seen police cars, stations and infrastructure destroyed after the country’s Constitutional Council confirmed the ruling Frelimo party as the winner of the Oct. 9 elections. The escape from the Maputo Central Prison, located 14 kilometers (9 miles) southwest of the capital, started around midday on Wednesday after “agitation” by a “group of subversive protesters” nearby, Rafael said. Some of the prisoners at the facility snatched weapons from the guards and started freeing other detainees. “A curious fact is that in that prison we had 29 convicted terrorists, who they released. We are worried, as a country, as Mozambicans, as members of the defense and security forces,” said Rafael. “They (protesters) were making noise, demanding that they be able to remove the prisoners who are there serving their sentences”, said Rafael, adding that the protests led to the collapse of a wall, allowing the prisoners to flee. He called on the escaped prisoners to surrender to authorities and for the population to be informed about the fugitives. Videos circulating on social media show the moment inmates left the prison, while other recordings reveal captures made by military personnel and prison guards. Many prisoners tried to hide in homes, but some were unsuccessful and ended up being detained again. In one video, a prisoner still with handcuffs on his right wrist says he was held n the disciplinary section of the prison and was released by other inmates.Struggling Bears can find optimism in thriving connection of rookies Williams and Odunzewild casino online reviews 。

Ajay Sura is Senior Assistant Editor with The Times of India Chandigarh. He covers news concerning the State of Haryana, Punjab & Haryana High Court and Defence & Military Affairs. He likes to analyse political developments and decoding judicial pronouncements. His hobbies include travelling, mountaineering and trekking. Read More ​How to make Masala Chicken Curry at home​ 10 beautiful animals that are pink in colour 10 easy-to-care-for beautiful freshwater fish for home aquariums 9 vegetarian dishes shine in the ‘100 Best Dishes in the World’ list ​10 rare animals found only in Asia​ In pics: Sai Pallavi's vacation to Australia 8 books that will help develop discipline and good habits in 2025 Sanskrit names for baby boy that sound modern 18 stews and soups shine among the '100 Best Dishes in the World' 9 foods that provide over 30 grams of protein when cookedThe Vikings will officially be without cornerback Stephon Gilmore for Sunday’s noon game against the Falcons. Gilmore left the Vikings' win over the Cardinals with a left hamstring strain and has not practiced this week. The Vikings will have Byron Murphy Jr. , Shaq Griffin and Fabian Moreau as their top three cornerback options with Gilmore absent. “It was always something that fingers crossed just in case maybe if he can get a limited day, he’d possibly be available, but he’s right on schedule where we probably thought he would be, and we’ll see what next week looks like,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said Friday of Gilmore. Kicker Will Reichard and long snapper Andrew DePaola are questionable. Both returned to practice this week after missing four games on injured reserve and were full participants all three days of practice. They would need to be activated from injured reserve to play Sunday. Sign up for the Access Vikings newsletter O’Connell said decisions on Reichard and DePaola will be made later Friday, as corresponding roster moves have to be made by Saturday afternoon to return them to the active roster. The Vikings already released long snapper Jake McQuaide , DePaola’s replacement; kicker Parker Romo is preparing for the same fate . Four other players were left questionable by O’Connell after Friday’s practice: outside linebacker Patrick Jones II (knee), defensive lineman Harrison Phillips (back), offensive guard Dalton Risner (back) and outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (thigh). Jones, Phillips and Van Ginkel were all limited in Friday’s practice. O’Connell said he was unsure if Risner’s back issue was related to one he had earlier in the season. Risner, who was a full participant Friday, told the Minnesota Star-Tribune he expects to play. Safety Jay Ward , who missed last game with an elbow injury, was a full participant Friday and will be available against the Falcons. Tight end Josh Oliver , who has missed the last two games, will also be back after being a full participant in practice all week. Jefferson stockpiling jokes Asked abo the biggest thing he learned from former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins , who visits Sunday with the Falcons , wide receiver Justin Jefferson had a surprising answer. “There’s a lot of jokes I learned from Kirk,” Jefferson said Thursday. “It’s always great to have a quarterback you can joke around with and be yourself with.” He also hit on the expected — work ethic being what it all boiled down to — but the jokes became a sticking point. Jefferson alluded to the jokes being for generations older than him, but said that he’s holding on to them for potential use when his delivery will be more believable. “I want it to be later on when I get older and I can come on here and tell y’all the joke, and then it’s really gonna be funny,” Jefferson said. “Me telling you all right now, it’s not gonna be funny. Kirk’s gotta tell you all himself.” Vikings add tackle to practice squad The Vikings signed offensive tackle Coy Cronk to their practice squad Friday. This is his second stint with the team, having also spent time on the practice squad in 2023. Cronk’s most recent stop was with the Falcons practice squad this October. He’s also been with the Jaguars; he was elevated to their active roster five times during the 2022 season and appeared in all five games. Cronk joined the league as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Packers in 2021. The Vikings also placed offensive guard Henry Byrd on the practice squad injured reserve. For sale: Van Ginkel shirts T-shirts featuring edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel will be for sale Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. All proceeds will go toward Van Ginkel’s flood relief in his hometown, Rock Valley, Iowa, where recovery efforts are ongoing after severe storms in June. The Vikings announced that one of their sponsors, Minnesota-based Land O’Lakes, will match the proceeds in a donation. Van Ginkel’s wife, Sam, had a message for fans on Friday morning. “Shirts are only available in person at the stadium on Sunday,” Sam Van Ginkel wrote on social media. “Please do not fall for all of the links being posted on here. They are scams. Until you see something from us or the Vikings, do NOT buy online.” Star Tribune writer Andrew Krammer contributed to this report.

The trilemma of inequalitiesBy MATTHEW BROWN and JACK DURA BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Donald Trump assigned Doug Burgum a singular mission in nominating the governor of oil-rich North Dakota to lead an agency that oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore: “Drill baby drill.” That dictate from the president-elect’s announcement of Burgum for Secretary of Interior sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump’s first term, with environmentalists worried about climate change already pledging their opposition. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew up on his family’s farm. He represents a tame choice compared to other Trump Cabinet picks. Public lands experts said his experience as a popular two-term governor who aligns himself with conservationist Teddy Roosevelt suggests a willingness to collaborate, as opposed to dismantling from within the agency he is tasked with leading. That could help smooth his confirmation and clear the way for the incoming administration to move quickly to open more public lands to development and commercial use. “Burgum strikes me as a credible nominee who could do a credible job as Interior secretary,” said John Leshy, who served as Interior’s solicitor under former President Bill Clinton. “He’s not a right-wing radical on public lands,” added Leshy, professor emeritus at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. The Interior Department manages about one-fifth of the country’s land with a mandate that spans from wildlife conservation and recreation to natural resource extraction and fulfilling treaty obligations with Native American tribes. Most of those lands are in the West, where frictions with private landowners and state officials are commonplace and have sometimes mushroomed into violent confrontations with right-wing groups that reject federal jurisdiction. Burgum if confirmed would be faced with a pending U.S. Supreme Court action from Utah that seeks to assert state power over Interior Department lands. North Dakota’s attorney general has supported the lawsuit, but Burgum’s office declined to say if he backs Utah’s claims. U.S. Justice Department attorneys on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to reject Utah’s lawsuit. They said Utah in 1894 agreed to give up its right to the lands at issue when it became a state. Trump’s narrow focus on fossil fuels is a replay from his 2016 campaign — although minus coal mining, a collapsing industry that he failed to revive in his first term. Trump repeatedly hailed oil as “liquid gold” on the campaign trail this year and largely omitted any mention of coal. About 26% of U.S. oil comes from federal lands and offshore waters overseen by Interior. Production continues to hit record levels under President Joe Biden despite claims by Trump that the Democrat hindered drilling. But industry representatives and their Republican allies say volumes could be further boosted. They want Burgum and the Interior Department to ramp up oil and gas sales from federal lands, in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska. The oil industry also hopes Trump’s government efficiency initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk can dramatically reduce environmental reviews. Biden’s administration reduced the frequency and size of lease sales, and it restored environmental rules that were weakened under Trump . The Democrat as a candidate in 2020 promised further restrictions on drilling to help combat global warming, but he struck a deal for the 2022 climate bill that requires offshore oil and gas sales to be held before renewable energy leases can be sold. “Oil and gas brings billions of dollars of revenue in, but you don’t get that if you don’t have leasing,” said Erik Milito with the National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore industries including oil and wind. Trump has vowed to kill offshore wind energy projects. But Milito said he was hopeful that with Burgum in place it would be “green lights ahead for everything, not just oil and gas.” It is unclear if Burgum would revive some of the most controversial steps taken at the agency during Trump’s first term, including relocating senior officials out of Washington, D.C., dismantling parts of the Endangered Species Act and shrinking the size of two national monuments in Utah designated by former President Barack Obama. Officials under Biden spent much of the past four years reversing Trump’s moves. They restored the Utah monuments and rescinded numerous Trump regulations. Onshore oil and gas lease sales plummeted — from more than a million acres sold annually under Trump and other previous administrations, to just 91,712 acres (37,115 hectares) sold last year — while many wind and solar projects advanced. Developing energy leases takes years, and oil companies control millions of acres that remain untapped. Biden’s administration also elevated the importance of conservation in public lands decisions, adopting a rule putting it more on par with oil and gas development. They proposed withdrawing parcels of land in six states from potential future mining to protect a struggling bird species, the greater sage grouse. North Dakota is among Republican states that challenged the Biden administration’s public lands rule. The states said in a June lawsuit that officials acting to prevent climate change have turned laws meant to facilitate development into policies that obstruct drilling, livestock grazing and other uses. Oil production boomed over the past two decades in North Dakota thanks in large part to better drilling techniques. Burgum has been an industry champion and last year signed a repeal of the state’s oil tax trigger — a price-based tax hike industry leaders supported removing. Burgum’s office declined an interview request. In a statement after his nomination, Burgum echoed Trump’s call for U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. The 68-year-old governor also said the Interior post offered an opportunity to improve government relations with developers, tribes, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts “with a focus on maximizing the responsible use of our natural resources with environmental stewardship for the benefit of the American people.” Related Articles National Politics | Judge delays Trump hush money sentencing in order to decide where case should go now National Politics | Republicans scramble to fill JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat National Politics | Gaetz’s withdrawal highlights how incoming presidents often lose Cabinet nominees National Politics | What to know about Pam Bondi, Trump’s new pick for attorney general National Politics | Democrat Bob Casey concedes to Republican David McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate contest Under current Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the agency put greater emphasis on working collaboratively with tribes, including their own energy projects . Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe in New Mexico, also advanced an initiative to solve criminal cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous peoples and helped lead a nationwide reckoning over abuses at federal Indian boarding schools that culminated in a formal public apology from Biden. Burgum has worked with tribes in his state, including on oil development. Badlands Conservation Alliance director Shannon Straight in Bismarck, North Dakota, said Burgum has also been a big supporter of tourism in North Dakota and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. Yet Straight said that hasn’t translated into additional protections for land in the state. “Theodore Roosevelt had a conservation ethic, and we talk and hold that up as a beautiful standard to live by,” he said. “We haven’t seen it as much on the ground. ... We need to recognize the landscape is only going to be as good as some additional protections.” Burgum has been a cheerleader of the planned Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota. Brown reported from Billings, Montana.TikTok has edged closer to a potential ban in the United States after losing a legal bid to overturn legislation targeting the app’s Chinese ownership. On Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a law requiring TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform to a non-Chinese owner or face a nationwide ban starting January 19, 2025. According to CNN, TikTok had argued that the legislation infringed on free speech and equal protection rights, but the court ruled that the law neither violates the First Amendment nor the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution. The ruling grants Congress the authority to act on national security concerns regarding TikTok’s ties to China. The court stated, “Congress and multiple Presidents determined that divesting (TikTok) from the (People’s Republic of China’s) control is essential to protect our national security.” TikTok has, however, announced plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court. The company spokesperson, Michael Hughes said, “The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans’ right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue. “Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people. The TikTok ban, unless stopped, will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19th, 2025.” ByteDance has repeatedly insisted it will not sell TikTok. If the company fails to comply with the law, US app stores and internet service providers could face heavy penalties for hosting the app. President Joe Biden signed the legislation in April, citing fears that ByteDance could share user data with the Chinese government or use TikTok’s algorithm to influence American users. TikTok’s lawsuit, filed in May, argued that the law unfairly targeted the platform and its creators. While the court recognised TikTok’s role in facilitating free expression, it ultimately supported Congress’s narrowly focused approach. The judges said the law addresses the specific issue of China’s potential control over TikTok and does not suppress user-generated content. Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg called the decision a “major setback” for TikTok but noted that an appeal to the Supreme Court could alter its fate. She stated, “If the ban is enforced, it would cause major upheaval in the social landscape, benefitting Meta, YouTube, and Snap while hurting content creators and small businesses that rely on the app.” Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel now

Saint Nick-Mas: 10 Best Nickelodeon Holiday Specials, RankedBhopal Slum Rehabilitation Programme: Slum Dwellers To Be Provided Pucca HousesBoxing Day shopper footfall was down 7.9% from last year across all UK retail destinations up until 5pm, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. However, this year’s data had been compared with an unusual spike in footfall as 2023 was the first “proper Christmas” period without Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, an analyst at the retail technology company said. It found £4.6 billion will be spent overall on the festive sales. Before the pandemic the number of Boxing Day shoppers on the streets had been declining year on year. The last uplift recorded by MRI was in 2015. Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software, told the PA news agency: “We’ve got to bear in mind that (last year) was our first proper Christmas without any (Covid-19) restrictions or limitations. “Figures have come out that things have stabilised, we’re almost back to what we saw pre-pandemic.” There were year-on-year declines in footfall anywhere between 5% and 12% before Covid-19 restrictions, she said. MRI found 12% fewer people were out shopping on Boxing Day in 2019 than in 2018, and there were 3% fewer in 2018 than in 2017, Ms Matthews added. She said: “It’s the shift to online shopping, it’s the convenience, you’ve got the family days that take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.” People are also increasingly stocking-up before Christmas, Ms Matthews said, and MRI found an 18% increase in footfall at all UK retail destinations on Christmas Eve this year compared with 2023. Ms Matthews said: “We see the shops are full of people all the way up to Christmas Eve, so they’ve probably got a couple of good days of food, goodies, everything that they need, and they don’t really need to go out again until later on in that week. “We did see that big boost on Christmas Eve. It looks like shoppers may have concentrated much of their spending in that pre-Christmas rush.” Many online sales kicked off between December 23 and the night of Christmas Day and “a lot of people would have grabbed those bargains from the comfort of their own home”, she said. She added: “I feel like it’s becoming more and more common that people are grabbing the bargains pre-Christmas.” Footfall is expected to rise on December 27 as people emerge from family visits and shops re-open, including Next, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis that all shut for Boxing Day. It will also be payday for some as it is the last Friday of the month. A study by Barclays Consumer Spend had forecast that shoppers would spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, but that the majority of purchases would be made online. Nearly half of respondents said the cost-of-living crisis will affect their post-Christmas shopping but the forecast average spend is still £50 more per person than it was before the pandemic, with some of that figure because of inflation, Barclays said. Amid the financial pressures, many people are planning to buy practical, perishable and essential items such as food and kitchenware. A total of 65% of shoppers are expecting to spend the majority of their sales budget online. Last year, Barclays found 63.9% of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online. However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in store – an 11% rise compared with last year. Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, it is encouraging to hear that consumers will be actively participating in the post-Christmas sales. “This year, we’re likely to see a shift towards practicality and sustainability, with more shoppers looking to bag bargains on kitchen appliances and second-hand goods.” Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding that high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.

Published 00:05 IST, December 27th 2024 Rahul Gandhi shocked India by publicly tearing up a controversial ordinance supported by Manmohan Singh's government in 2013 New Delhi: Manmohan Singh, a man of intellect and integrity, remained steadfast in his leadership despite facing insults and challenges, particularly from within his own party. As he breathed his last on December 26, Republic World remembers how, despite Rahul Gandhi's insults, the isolated PM continued to stand firm in his commitment to the nation. In a dramatic moment that shook the corridors of Indian politics, Rahul Gandhi, the then Vice-President of the Congress Party, publicly tore up a crucial ordinance supported by his own government in 2013. The ordinance, aimed at protecting convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification, was a controversial piece of legislation that had already been passed by the Union Cabinet and was presented as a way to address the issues faced by politicians with pending criminal cases. However, it was Rahul Gandhi's shocking move that turned the ordinance into one of the most discussed moments in Indian political history. This event took place just days before the Congress-led government’s proposed ordinance was to be introduced in Parliament. The ordinance, seen as a protectionist measure for politicians facing charges, had been endorsed by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several members of the cabinet. Singh, known for his calm demeanour and technical approach to governance, was caught in a political storm when Gandhi made an unexpected announcement on the matter. Later at a press conference, Rahul Gandhi not only condemned the ordinance but also took the bold step of publicly tearing it up, declaring it as “complete nonsense.” His fiery stance shocked many, including his party colleagues, and revealed a clear rift between the Congress leadership. Gandhi’s actions were seen as a direct challenge to Prime Minister Singh’s authority and his government's decisions, sending a clear signal of the young leader's growing discontent with the old guard and his desire to chart a new political course for the Congress Party. AIIMS informed that Manmohan Singh breathed his last on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. Singh retired from the Rajya Sabha earlier this year after serving for 33 years in the house. Manmohan Singh, born in Punjab in 1932, served two terms as Prime Minister of India- from 2004 to 2014. He took the oath of the office for the first time in 2004, after Congress' win in 2004 Lok Sabha election against Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA. He served his second term from 2009 to 2014. He was then suceeded by PM Narendra Modi in 2014. Get Current Updates on India News , Entertainment News along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world. Updated 00:05 IST, December 27th 2024

Kemi Badenoch has long proved herself to be a gaffe-prone politician - and that trend has not ended since she was elected Tory leader. In the the race to replace Rishi Sunak , the former Business Secretary found herself at the mercy of headline after headline amid interview car crashes and bizarre moments. At the Tory conference in September, she caused a huge row after claiming maternity pay was "overburdening businesses". Elsewhere during the conference she said between 5% and 10% of civil servants are "should-be-in-prison bad" . This would mean between 25,000 and 50,000 were put behind bars. During the same month she was mocked after claiming she became working class when she got a job in McDonalds. Since becoming the leader of the Conservative Party on November 2, Ms Badenoch has had a rocky road. Her performances at the weekly Prime Minister's Questions clash with Keir Starmer have been branded underwhelming - and the latest YouGov polling shows more than half of Brits think she does not look like a Prime Minister in waiting. Here The Mirror takes a look at some of her top gaffes and weird moments since becoming Tory leader. 1. Partygate was 'overblown' A day after becoming Tory leader, Ms Badenoch thought it would be a good idea to declare Boris Johnson a "great" Prime Minister and that the Partygate scandal was "overblown". In her first major interview since winning the contest to replace Mr Sunak , Ms Badenoch suggested the problem instead was with the Covid fines. During his time in No10, Mr Johnson became the first sitting PM to be sanctioned by police after he was found to have breached his own Covid rules. Despite being among dozens who resigned from his government in July 2022, Ms Badenoch told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "I thought he was a great Prime Minister. "But there were some serious issues which were not being resolved and I think that during that tenure the public thought that we were not speaking for them or looking out for them, we were in it for ourselves." She went on: "Some of those things I think were perception issues, a lot of the stuff that happened around partygate was not why I resigned. I thought that it was overblown. We should not have created fixed penalty notices, for example. That was us not going with our principles." She added that the public was "not wrong to be upset about partygate", but said : "The problem was that we should not have criminalised everyday activities the way that we did." At the time, chair of the Labour Party Ellie Reeves said: “Listening to Kemi Badenoch dismiss Partygate as 'overblown' will add insult to injury for families across Britain who followed the rules, missing loved one’s deaths and family funerals, whilst her colleagues partied in Downing Street." 2. Misleading attack at PMQs At the start of November Kemi Badenoch used her first PMQs session to launch a misleading attack on the Government over defence spending. The new Tory leader told MPs there was nothing in the October Budget on defence spending. In fact Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an additional £2.9billion for the Ministry of Defence and said the Government would "set a path" to spending 2.5% of GDP on defending the country. Ms Badenoch told the PM: "His Chancellor's Budget did not even mention defence. The Chancellor's budget last week was a copy and paste of Bidenomics. It turns out that a high spending, high borrowing, high inflation approach is less popular than she may have thought." The PM shot back: "The one thing I learned as leader of the opposition it is a good idea to listen to what the Government is actually saying. I think she said defence wasn't mentioned in the Budget. It was seven days ago and it is absolutely clear and central to the Budget." He said that the Government is committed to bringing defence spending to 2.5% - and pointed out that the last time this was achieved was under the last Labour government. 3. Sandwich In December Kemi Badenoch triggered a bizarre row after launching an attack on sandwiches - and dismissing them as not "real food". It caused Keir Starmer to issue a defence of sandwiches as a "great British institution" . In a magazine interview, she said "lunch is for wimps" before ranting: "I don't think sandwiches are a real food, it's what you have for breakfast." Describing her daily routine, Ms Badenoch said: "What's a lunch break? Lunch is for wimps. I have food brought in and I work and eat at the same time." She added that she "will not touch bread if it’s moist”. And in another weird turn, she revealed that she sometimes has a steak brought to her as she works. No10 was having none of it. The PM's official spokesman said at the time: "I think he was surprised to hear that the leader of the Opposition has a steak brought in for lunch. The Prime Minister is quite happy with a sandwich lunch." He added that the PM "enjoys a tuna sandwich and occasionally a cheese toastie". Ms Badenoch's rant was a far cry from her predecessor's equally odd moment, in which Mr Sunak claimed his favourite meal is "sandwiches" in a cringe-worthy appearance on ITV's This Morning in July. 4. Criticism of PM backfires In another wobbly PMQs moment in November, Ms Badenoch appeared to read from her pre-prepared lines as she attacked the government's "cruel family farms tax" over a changes in October's Budget. But it landed her in trouble when moments after she attempted to attack Mr Starmer on his "scripted lines". It caused a severe mocking from the PM , who drew loud laughter from the Labour benches. He responded sharply: "I'm happy to help the leader of the opposition. If she's going to complain about scripted answers, it's probably best not to read that from a script. "I'm glad she's raised farmers. Because the budget last week put £5billion over the next two years into farming. That's the single biggest increase, unlike the £300million which was underspent under the last government. But when it comes to inheritance, the vast vast majority of farmers will be unaffected, as she well knows; as they well know." 5. Flat-rate tax is an attractive idea In December Ms Badenoch came under fire after suggesting millionaires should pay the same rate of tax as the poor. The Tory leader faced comparisons to Liz Truss after saying a flat tax rate is a "very attractive" idea. She made the comments at a theatre that was ironically showing a pantomime of Robin Hood - the heroic character known for helping the poor. Ms Badenoch said the country couldn't afford to introduce a flat rate of tax at the moment and that the cost of welfare, such as benefits, in the country needs to be "turned around" to do so. The comments triggered comparisons to disastrous ex-PM Ms Truss , who tried to push for tax cuts for the rich but crashed the economy with her unfunded promises. At the time in 2022, Ms Truss admitted her plans would disproportionately benefit wealthy people. Currently British people pay different levels of tax depending on their tax band - which is determined by how much they earn. Critics have warned that introducing a flat rate in the UK would mean low paid earners would face a tax rise, while high earners would face a tax rise. Labour analysis showed that Ms Badenoch's idea could see low earners facing a £1,200 tax hike , while the highest earners would get a tax cut of more than £5,000. A Labour spokesman hit back: “ Kemi Badenoch needs to come clean about how much she would hike taxes on working people to pay for tax cuts for the super-rich. While Labour protects working people with no tax rises on their payslips, the Tories are bringing out the ghost of Christmas past with these Truss-style tax cuts for millionaires. They haven’t listened and they haven’t learnt.” 6. Row with Nigeria A row erupted earlier in December between Kemi Badenoch and the Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who hit out at the Tory leader for having talked down Nigeria. Ms Badenoch, who was born in the UK but mostly raised in the West African country, previously said "fear was everywhere" during her childhood in Lagos. Nigerian Vice-President Kashim Shettima suggested Ms Badenoch could "remove the Kemi from her name" if she was not proud of her "nation of origin". During a speech, he said his government was "proud" of her "in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin." The audience applauded him as he added: "She is entitled to her own opinions; she has even every right to remove the Kemi from her name but that does not underscore the fact that the greatest black nation on earth is the nation called Nigeria." He compared her comments to Mr Sunak's pride in his Indian heritage, describing him as "a brilliant young man" who "never denigrated his nation of ancestry". Ms Badenoch's spokesman hit back that she "stands by what she says" and "is not the PR for Nigeria". "She is the leader of the opposition and she is very proud of her leadership of the opposition in this country," he said. "She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She is not going to couch her words." 7. Fumbling words in PMQs In another on-edge moment in PMQs, confusion circled the chamber as Ms Badenoch fumbled her words - which ended up making no sense. Talking about Mr Starmer's Cop29 trip, Ms Badenoch said: "I welcome the Prime Minister back from his trip to Azerbaijan where he has unilaterally made commitments that will make life more experience (sic) back home." MPs in the Commons wondered what she was talking about... As she continued, it became apparent she had meant to say "expensive". She went on: "He has made life more expensive with his unilateral commitments but speaking of making life more expensive, will the Prime Minister confirm that he will keep the cap on council tax?" The PM replied: "She talks of the trip to Cop. I'm very proud of the fact that we're restoring leadership on climate. That will be measured in lower bills, on energy independence and the jobs of the future." He added: "On the question of councils, she knows what the arrangements are." Be the first with news from Mirror Politics BLUESKY: Follow our Mirror Politics account on Bluesky here . And follow our Mirror Politics team here - Lizzy Buchan , Jason Beattie , Kevin Maguire , Sophie Huskisson , Dave Burke , Ashley Cowburn , Mikey Smith POLITICS WHATSAPP: Be first to get the biggest bombshells and breaking news by joining our Politics WhatsApp group here . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you want to leave our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . NEWSLETTER: Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. PODCAST: And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell , hosted by the Mirror and the Express every Thursday. 8. Bizarre agreement with PM In another weird PMQs moment in November, Ms Badenoch attacked Labour's economic announcements - including on money for local authorities - before bizarrely agreeing with Mr Starmer's comeback. In her rant, the Tory leader called Rachel Reeves a "copy and paste chancellor" and claimed "it is clear they had not thought through the impact of the Budget". But Mr Starmer hit back and said Labour's October Budget "does not increase tax on working people" and is putting huge investment into the NHS, schools and housing. The PM added: "If she's against those things, she should say so." In response, Ms Badenoch surprisingly agreed: "I'm not against any of those things, of course not, none of us are against any of those things. But he has confirmed that he does not know what is going on. "The Prime Minister probably does not realise that on Monday the Ministry for Communities, Local Government and Housing revealed that councils will need to find an additional £2.4 billion in council tax next year. That is a lot more than £600 million. I know that he has been away, but did the Deputy Prime Minister who runs that department make him aware of their £2.4billion black hole?" Mr Starmer replied: "Let me get this straight, she doesn't want any of the measures in the Budget, but she wants all the benefits. So the budget management is back after two weeks in office. They've learned absolutely nothing. We put forward a Budget which takes the difficult decisions, fixing the £22billion black hole, investing in the future of our country. They say they want all of that, but they don't know how they're going to pay for it - same old Tories." 9. Laughing at MP's question In November Ms Badenoch was called out on social media for laughing after an MP criticised her for saying maternity pay is "excessive". The new Tory leader came under fire at the Conservative Party conference in September that maternity pay had gone “too far”. She rowed back on her comments after widespread criticism, claiming “of course” she believes in maternity pay. But she maintained that maternity pay - as well as minimum wage - was "overburdening businesses" . During the PMqs session, Labour MP Lloyd Hatton asked Mr Starmer : "Members have raised their concerns of a range of damaging policies pursued by the Leader of the Opposition. These include voting against critical investment for our NHS , stating maternity pay is excessive and that the minimum wage is a burden, and even backing harmful backing when last in government." The camera then cut to Ms Badenoch laughing on the opposition benches in the Commons. Ms Badenoch hit back: "The Prime Minister can plant as many questions as he likes with his backbenchers but at the end of the day I am the one he has to face at the despatch box."Mobile Application Security Market worth $37.1 Billion by 2032, Safeguarding the Future of Digital AppsStock market today: Wall Street mixed at the start of a holiday-shortened week

By Katheryn Houghton and Arielle Zionts, KFF Health News (TNS) Tescha Hawley learned that hospital bills from her son’s birth had been sent to debt collectors only when she checked her credit score while attending a home-buying class. The new mom’s plans to buy a house stalled. Hawley said she didn’t owe those thousands of dollars in debts. The federal government did. Hawley, a citizen of the Gros Ventre Tribe, lives on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. The Indian Health Service is a federal agency that provides free health care to Native Americans, but its services are limited by a chronic shortage of funding and staff. Hawley’s local Indian Health Service hospital wasn’t equipped to deliver babies. But she said staff there agreed that the agency would pay for her care at a privately owned hospital more than an hour away. That arrangement came through the Purchased/Referred Care program, which pays for services Native Americans can’t get through an agency-funded clinic or hospital. Federal law stresses that patients approved for the program aren’t responsible for any of the costs. But tribal leaders, health officials, and a new federal report say patients are routinely billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the Indian Health Service, financial middlemen, hospitals, and clinics. The financial consequences for patients can last years. Those sent to collections can face damaged credit scores, which can prevent them from securing loans or require them to pay higher interest rates. The December report , by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, found these long-standing problems contribute to people in Native American-majority communities being nearly twice as likely to have medical debt in collections compared with the national average. And their amount of medical debt is significantly higher. The report found the program is often late to pay bills. In some cases, hospitals or collection agencies hound tribal citizens for more money after bills are paid. Hawley’s son was born in 2003. She had to wait another year to buy a home, as she struggled to pay off the debt. It took seven years for it to drop from her credit report. “I don’t think a person ever recovers from debt,” Hawley said. Hawley, a cancer survivor, still must navigate the referral program. In 2024 alone, she received two notices from clinics about overdue bills. Frank White Clay, chairman of the Crow Tribe in Montana, testified about the impact of wrongful billing during a U.S. House committee hearing in April. He shared stories of veterans rejected for home loans, elders whose Social Security benefits were reduced, and students denied college loans and federal aid. “Some of the most vulnerable people are being harassed daily by debt collectors,” White Clay said. No one is immune from the risk. A high-ranking Indian Health Service official learned during her job’s background check that her credit report contained referred-care debt, the federal report found. Native Americans face disproportionately high rates of poverty and disease , which researchers link to limited access to health care and the ongoing impact of racist federal policies . White Clay is among many who say problems with the referred-care program are an example of the U.S. government violating treaties that promised to provide for the health and welfare of tribes in return for their land. The chairman’s testimony came during a hearing on the Purchased and Referred Care Improvement Act, which would require the Indian Health Service to create a reimbursement process for patients who were wrongfully billed. Committee members approved the bill in November and sent it for consideration by the full House. A second federal bill, the Protecting Native Americans’ Credit Act , would prevent debt like Hawley’s from affecting patients’ credit scores. The bipartisan bill hadn’t had a hearing by mid-December. The exact number of people wrongfully billed isn’t clear, but the Indian Health Service has acknowledged it has work to do. The agency is developing a dashboard to help workers track referrals and to speed up bill processing, spokesperson Brendan White said. It’s also trying to hire more referred-care staff, to address vacancy rates of more than 30%. Officials say problems with the program also stem from outside health providers that don’t follow the rules. Melanie Egorin, an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said at the hearing that the proposed legislation doesn’t include consequences for “bad actors” — health facilities that repeatedly bill patients when they shouldn’t. “The lack of enforcement is definitely a challenge,” she said. But tribal leaders warned that penalties could backfire. Related Articles Health | How America lost control of the bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic Health | How to kick back, relax and embrace a less-than-perfect holiday Health | New childhood leukemia protocol is ‘tremendous win’ Health | For some FSA dollars, it’s use it or lose it at year’s end Health | Reporting for duty: Monica Martinez, Kim De Serpa sworn in as newest Santa Cruz County supervisors White Clay told lawmakers that some clinics already refuse to see patients if the Indian Health Service hasn’t paid for their previous appointments. He’s worried the threat of penalties would lead to more refusals. If that happens, White Clay said, Crow tribal members who already travel hours to access specialty treatment would have to go even farther. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report found clinics are already refusing to see any referred-care patients due to the program’s payment problems. The bureau and the Indian Health Service also recently published a letter urging health care providers and debt collectors not to hold patients accountable for program-approved care. White, the Indian Health Service spokesperson, said the agency recently updated the referred-care forms sent to outside hospitals and clinics to include billing instructions and to stress that patients aren’t liable for any out-of-pocket costs. And he said the staff can help patients get reimbursed if they have already paid for services that were supposed to be covered. Joe Bryant, an Indian Health Service official who oversees efforts to improve the referral program, said patients can ask credit bureaus to remove debt from their reports if the agency should have covered their bills. Leaders with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington state helped shape the proposed legislation after their citizens were repeatedly harmed by wrongful billing. Tribal Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson said problems began in 2017, when a regional Indian Health Service office took over the referred-care program from local staff. It “created a domino effect of negative outcomes,” Erickson wrote in a letter to Congress. He said some tribal members whose finances were damaged stopped using the Indian Health Service. Others avoided health care altogether. Responsibility for the Colville Reservation program transferred back to local staff in 2022. Staffers found the billing process hadn’t been completed for thousands of cases, worth an estimated $24 million in medical care, Erickson told lawmakers . Workers are making progress on the backlog and they have explained the rules to outside hospitals and clinics, Erickson said. But he said there are still cases of wrongful billing, such as a tribal member who was sent to collections after receiving a $17,000 bill for chemotherapy that the agency was supposed to pay for. Erickson said the tribe is in the process of taking over its health care facilities instead of having the Indian Health Service run them. He and others who work in Native American health said tribally managed units — which are still funded by the federal agency — tend to have fewer problems with their referred-care programs. For example, they have more oversight over staff and flexibility to create their own payment tracking systems. But some Native Americans oppose tribal management because they feel it releases the federal government from its obligations. Beyond wrongful billing, access to the referred-care program is limited because of underfunding from Congress. The $1 billion budget this year is $9 billion short of the need, according to a committee report by tribal health and government leaders. Donald Warne, a physician and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, called the proposed legislation a “band-aid.” He said the ultimate solution is for Congress to fully fund the Indian Health Service, which would reduce the need for the referred-care program. Back in Montana, Hawley said she braces for a fight each time she gets a bill that the referral program was supposed to cover. “I’ve learned not to trust the process,” Hawley said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BricklayerDAO is setting a new standard in the intersection of blockchain technology and real estate. Frustrated by the limited returns and lack of control in traditional Real estate investment, Nick and Denis founded a platform that merges the flexibility of blockchain Technology with the stability of real estate investment trusts (REITs). Their extensive experience in commercial real estate, spanning a collective 30 years and encompassing billions in transactions, has paved the way for an innovative model. This model not only reduces barriers to entry for institutional-grade real estate but also empowers investors by providing unprecedented levels of participation. 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We're committed to delivering value and opportunity in good faith to our investors, the community, and the broader industry, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable future.” BricklayerDAO invites investors and real estate professionals to join this transformative journey. As it continues to redefine property investment, the DAO offers not only a platform but a community, a space where collaboration and innovation pave the way to a more inclusive and efficient real estate ecosystem. Also, the MRTR presale is now live , and we'd love for you to participate! Don't miss out. Click here to buy your tokens today! You can stay up-to-date with BricklayerDAO by following them on social media platforms such as X , Discord , LinkedIn and Instagram ___________________________________ For media inquiries, please contact: Contact Person Name: Stuart Alldus Designation: Head of Investor Relations Email: ... About BricklayerDAO: BricklayerDAO is a groundbreaking platform that merges blockchain technology with real estate investment, offering a decentralised approach to property transactions. By tokenising real-world assets and empowering stakeholders through governance, BricklayerDAO creates a transparent, accessible, and community-driven ecosystem for the future of real estate and blockchain integration. ___________________________________ Disclaimer: This content is provided by BricklayerDAO. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at MENAFN24122024004107003653ID1109028855 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.For just one more day, Best Buy is slashing $100 off the new Asus ROG Ally X gaming handheld PC. Best Buy was the only vendor that discounted the Ally X for all of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and according to the product page, this deal is going to expire in one day. If you're shopping for the absolute best gaming handheld PC on the market , this is your last chance to pick one up below market price for the rest of the year. $100 Off the New Asus ROG Ally X In our Asus ROG Ally X review , gaming guru Jacqueline Thomas wrote that "the Asus ROG Ally X is simply the best handheld gaming PC on the market right now (knocking the Legion Go off its throne). With more and faster memory and double the battery as the original Ally, the Ally X will run any modern game without dying in an hour and a half." Like the Ally, the Ally X runs off the Windows 11 operating system. The benefit of this OS compared to the Steam Deck's proprietary Steam OS client is that you can install pretty much any Windows-based game launcher, including Battle.net, Xbox Games Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, and of course Steam itself. That makes it more attractive to gamers who like to play games that aren't normally available on Steam and are harder to load onto the Steam Deck, like Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Minecraft, and more. Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

( MENAFN - IANS) New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) On the joyous occasion of Christmas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and congress President Mallikarjun Kharge extended heartfelt greetings on Wednesday, emphasising the values of compassion, peace, and unity. Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi shared his warm wishes and reflected on the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. In his post, he wrote: "Wishing you all a Merry Christmas. May the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ show everyone the path of peace and prosperity." PM Modi also shared a video from his recent visit to the Christmas programme organised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI). In the video, he highlighted the enduring significance of Jesus Christ's teachings: "Jesus Christ showed the path of compassion and selfless service to the world. We celebrate and remember Jesus so that we can imbibe these values in our lives. I believe this is our personal responsibility, a social obligation, and also our duty as a nation." "Today, the country is taking this spirit forward through the resolve of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Prayas.' The teachings of the Lord Christ celebrate love, harmony, and brotherhood. It is important that we all work together to make this spirit stronger," said PM Modi. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also conveyed his Christmas greetings, focusing on the ideals of forgiveness, service, and compassion. In his post on X, he wrote: "To my fellow citizens, I extend warm wishes on Christmas, which embodies the ideals of forgiveness, peace, and unity. The festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ underscores the need to follow the ideals of sacrifice, service, redemption, and amity. The values of compassion for all living beings and concern for those in need imbue this joyous occasion with a unique spirit of sharing," said Kharge adding "May these festivities usher in a new era of hope, happiness, and prosperity for all. Merry Christmas!" MENAFN24122024000231011071ID1109028850 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Missing trees, misleading ornaments, mini inflatables: Holiday decor scams leave shoppers less jolly

Drop in Boxing Day footfall ‘signals return to declining pre-pandemic levels’Paris, Dec 23 (AP) French President Emmanuel Macron's office announced a new government Monday, after the previous Cabinet collapsed in a historic vote prompted by fighting over the country's budget. The government, put together by newly named Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, includes members of the outgoing conservative-dominated team and new figures from centrist or left-leaning backgrounds. Coming up with a 2025 budget will be the most urgent order of business. The new government enters office after months of political deadlock and crisis and pressure from financial markets to reduce France's colossal debt. Macron has vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027, but has struggled to govern since snap elections in the summer left no single party with a majority in the National Assembly. Since his appointment 10 days ago, Bayrou has held talks with political leaders from various parties in search of the right balance for the new government. Some critics on Monday were angry at Bayrou for consulting with Marine Le Pen's far-right party, and some argue the government looks too much like the old one to win lawmakers' trust. Former Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigned this month following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government. Le Pen played a key role in Barnier's downfall by joining her National Rally party's forces with the left to pass the no-confidence motion. Bayrou will need support from moderate legislators on the right and left to keep his government alive. Banker Eric Lombard will be finance minister, a crucial post when France is working to fulfil its promises to European Union partners to reduce its deficit, estimated to reach 6 per cent of its gross domestic product this year. Lombard briefly worked as an adviser to a Socialist finance minister in the 1990s. Bayrou has said he supports tax hikes championed by his predecessor, but it's not clear how the new government can find the right calculation for a budget that satisfies a majority of lawmakers angry over spending cuts. Hard-right Bruno Retailleau stays on as interior minister, with responsibility for France's security and migration policy. Sebastien Lecornu, who has been at the forefront of France's military support for Ukraine, remains defence minister, while Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, who has travelled extensively in the Mideast in recent weeks, also retains his post. Among new faces are two former prime ministers. Manuel Valls will be minister for overseas affairs, and Elisabeth Borne takes the education ministry. (AP) GSP (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

Experts discuss why and how to navigate information overload and counter misinformation so that people with cancer can make well-informed decisions about their care. WASHINGTON , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network ® (NCCN ® )—a non-profit alliance of leading cancer centers—hosted a Patient Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. , today. The annual event brings together leading experts to promote strategies and best practices for improving cancer care. This year's summit focused on practice and policy solutions for sharing accurate, evidence-based health information with patients and caregivers. It featured a keynote address from W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC, Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) , along with panel discussions that included Robin Vanderpool , DrPH, Chief of the NCI's Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch . "When people with cancer are empowered to make informed choices about their care, they tend to have better outcomes," said Crystal S. Denlinger , MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN , who welcomed attendees at the start of the program. "That means we must provide patients with clear, trustworthy information that meets them where they are. For example, the NCCN Guidelines for Patients offer plain-language explanations of the latest evidence-based recommendations. They feature expert guidance on most cancer types, along with prevention, screening, and supportive care. We share them in multiple languages and formats, including books and webinars." "Every person facing cancer needs and deserves high-quality information to understand their options and guide their decisions. The National Cancer Institute, NCCN, and other organizations represented at the summit contribute to a complex information landscape to meet the needs of people with cancer," said Dr. Rathmell. "Trust in the cancer research enterprise is essential to ensuring that scientific progress includes and reflects the diversity of patient experiences and providing reliable health information is a key aspect of earning and honoring that trust." During a series of Best Practices Presentations for sharing patient-centered health information, NCCN's Senior Director of Patient Information Operations, Dorothy Shead , explained that the NCCN Guidelines for Patients ® are available for free at NCCN.org/patientguidelines or via the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer App —thanks to funding via the NCCN Foundation ® . Additional presentations came from spokespeople for We Engage 4 Health, HPV Cancers Alliance, Cancer Support Community, and the Frontier & Rural Patient Navigators at the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute. More information can be found in a new resource toolkit at NCCN.org/patient-advocacy-resources . Preventing the spread of misinformation Speakers underscored the need to identify and debunk any myths that can create misunderstanding and a false sense of security. They discussed the importance of working with trusted messengers to counter misinformation. "A key lesson learned from COVID-19 was the importance of having trusted professional and community advocates address misinformation and disinformation," noted Martha Dawson , DNP, RN, FAAN, FACHE , Immediate Past President, National Black Nurses Association . "Diverse researchers, scientists, policymakers, faith-based leaders, and community advocates with similar lived experiences can serve as sources of trusted information. It is important to support and expand cancer education at the community level and engage with people where they are born, live, work, play, worship and transition life." "Misinformation in cancer care can create confusion, delay treatment, and undermine trust between patients and providers. By addressing these challenges head-on, we can empower patients with accurate, accessible information to make informed decisions about their health," agreed Skyler Johnson , MD, Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah . "Effective communication is at the heart of quality cancer care. We need to equip clinicians and patients with the tools and strategies to counter misinformation, foster trust, and work together through an increasingly complex healthcare landscape." Clear and consistent messaging to build trust A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the importance of clear and consistent health messaging that is delivered in a way everyone can understand. That means keeping in mind inclusive technology and supportive health literacy levels. Speakers cautioned against using too much medical jargon, instead focusing on language that can resonate. They also noted that it can be hard to retain information right after learning you or a loved one has cancer, so careful repetition can be key. Speakers also reiterated how crucial it is to build trust with each patient through open and honest two-way relationships. "As a survivor and caregiver, I've seen firsthand the impact that clear and culturally-relevant care discussions can have for patients and their families," explained Randi Ervin , Survivor/Advocate, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) . "Compassionate, empathetic, and relatable communication—delivered at the right time—can make a difficult journey feel a little more manageable for families like mine." Bryce Reeve , PhD, Professor, Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, commented: "As a health care system, we have a responsibility to ensure that every individual with cancer has a voice in their care. This is especially important for young children and individuals from marginalized communities whose values, perceptions, and experiences have often been overlooked." "Regardless of our affiliations, whether it be community healthcare, academic medicine, the federal government, or the nonprofit sector, it is critical for us to recognize the richness of collaborating with non-science/healthcare community members to address challenges such as health misinformation and equitable clinical trial participation," concluded Arnethea Sutton, PhD, Interim Assistant Director of Community Outreach and Engagement, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center . "Not only will these collaborations contribute to trust-building amongst all partners, but the richness of diverse thought and perspectives will contribute to the translation of science and ultimately equitable outcomes for all." Learn more about past NCCN Oncology Policy Summits, and save-the-date for future events, at NCCN.org/summits . Next year's series will include the topics: Primary Care and Oncology Collaboration, Artificial Intelligence, and Unique Needs of Veterans and First Responders. About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network ® (NCCN ® ) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines ® ) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients ® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation ® . NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information. Media Contact: Rachel Darwin 267-622-6624 darwin@nccn.org View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nccn-hosts-patient-advocacy-summit-on-improving-access-to-accurate-health-information-302325181.html SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer NetworkAP Business SummaryBrief at 5:57 p.m. EST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” Ukraine ́s parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday’s Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech to his nation 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 Western air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up the bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. “The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined,” he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow’s talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world ́s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia ́s responses, emphasizing that the country ́s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It ́s not a trick... there will be consequences,” he said. Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday’s missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He underlined that the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday’s previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations “in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who added this is not the first time such a threat has been received. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ́s office continued to work in compliance with standard security measures, a spokesperson said. Ukraine ́s Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile, whose name in Russian means “hazelnut tree,” was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia ́s Astrakhan region, and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. The missile had six nonnuclear warheads each carrying six submunitions and reached a spoeed of Mach 11, it said. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed that Russia ́s missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia struck a residential district of Sumy overnight with Iranian-designed Shahed drones, killing two people and injuring 13, the regional administration said.. Ukraine ́s Suspilne media, quoting Sumy regional head Volodymyr Artiukh, said the drones were stuffed with shrapnel elements. “These weapons are used to destroy people, not to destroy objects,” said Artiukh, according to Suspilne.Breaking Through With Strength, Leading The Future: Engineai Launches The PM01 Humanoid Robot

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Yes, there is a ground beef recall, but not for beef sold at grocery storesBauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, on Thursday, said President Bola Tinubu’s tax policies is “anti-northern” Nigerian and threatened that the region would show its “true colours.” According to him, the Tax Reforms Bills are aimed at favouring just a section of the country and shortchanging northern Nigeria, threatening that “we would show our true colour, we will fight for it.” Mohammed, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, is known for his opposition to Tinubu’s economic reforms which he has been saying were against the interest of Nigerians. Speaking when he received the Christian Community in Bauchi State who visited him at the Government House on Wednesday for the annual Christmas homage, the Governor called on the President to listen to the people and change the “anti-people” policies. He stressed that no policy should be imposed on the people because Nigeria does not operate an oligarchy system of government or a military rule. “I call on you to pray for Nigeria and pray for all the leaders of Nigeria including my humble self because Nigeria needs prayers. We are facing difficulties. There is a lot of wahala, there is a lot of hunger and it is something that we have to pray for God to obliterate. We have to say it but certainly, we are not insulting anybody. “We are calling on the presidency and the Federal Government to change their style. Whenever a policy is not popular, they should listen to the people, they should not be arrogant and think that whatever we bring, must be. This is not an oligarchy, this is not a military rule, they must listen to the people and that is what makes a good leader. “And we pledge to be loyal to them but anything they are doing contrary to that, they are calling for anarchy, they are calling for intransigence and it is unacceptable. There are a lot of wahala, we must work together across the party lines, across the tiers of government to provide succour and solace to the Nigerian people.” Mohammed further said: “It is not about pride or ego, we must be able to do things that people will be assisted with because whatever it is, the situation was not like this before. If the situation was bad before I came, tell me! And I must change and that is why the presidency must listen to the cries about Tax Reform. “It is not a good policy for northern Nigeria because we are not going to get money to pay you salaries, to do roads. They must listen, otherwise, they are calling for anarchy. And that is not good. READ ALSO: Dogara’s attacks on Gov Bala desperate bid for Tinubu’s favour — Aide “We voted for the presidency in this State and other states, they must listen to us. They must not come up with policies that favour only one section of the country or even one state in the country. It is not about religion, it is not about tribe, it is about national unity, it is about national hegemony and this is what we are all about, good leadership. “We will continue to be loyal for the time being, if the situation persists, they will see our real colour, we are going to fight for it. “We are not afraid of them, even if it’s the President, we are not afraid of them, except that we only show respect. Whether it is a traditional institution, or it is the Federal Government or it is the President, honestly, we are not afraid of them but we can only show our obedience and respect to leadership. But we will not allow anyone to denigrate us. “People are suffering and are hungry. They need to look at their leadership style. Leadership is listening to the people and being sensitive to their feelings, leadership is doing what the people want. But I appeal to you (Nigerians) that since we’ve endured to this point, we should continue to be more patient because living in peace is what we need. “We should continue to pray for the President and his government that God will make them listen, may God make them change their minds and policies in a way that will be beneficial to all Nigerians, in a way that will drive away hunger, the insults, insecurity and all the things they want to bring that will cause division among Nigerians,” he stated. Mohammed expressed appreciation to the Christian Community in Bauchi State for the support to him throughout his sojourn in politics, saying that whatever he does for them is only a reciprocation of what they’ve been doing to him for decades.

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It didn't take Syracuse first-year coach Fran Brown long to figure out the key matchup for Saturday afternoon's Atlantic Coast Conference game visiting Miami. "Syracuse has a really good quarterback," Brown said of Kyle McCord, "and Miami has a really good quarterback (Cam Ward)." With a win on Saturday, the No. 6 Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 ACC) can clinch a berth in the league championship game against SMU. Miami is a 10 1/2-point favorite for Saturday's game. Syracuse (8-3, 4-3) has reached eight wins for just the fourth time since 2002, going 8-5 in 2010 and 2012 and 10-3 in 2018. However, the Orange haven't defeated a Top-10 team since knocking off Clemson in 2017. Miami leads the nation in scoring (44.7), and the Hurricanes will count on perfect passing conditions in Syracuse's dome. That could be huge for Ward, who leads the nation with 34 touchdown passes, ranking second in passing yards (3,774) and fourth in passing efficiency. Ward's top target is wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, who needs just 21 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Restrepo also ranks tied for seventh in the nation with 10 TD receptions. Ward has some other top targets, including 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end Elijah Arroyo, who is a walking mismatch because of his size and speed. He leads Miami with 18.5 yards per reception. Hurricanes wide receivers Isaiah Horton and Jacolby George have combined for 12 TD passes, and Sam Brown has added two more. Each of them has more than 500 receiving yards this season. Miami's running game features battering ram Damien Martinez (739 yards, 5.5 average, eight TDs); versatile Mark Fletcher Jr. (499 yards, 5.7 average, six TDs); and game-breaking freshman Jordan Lyle (361 yards, 8.6 average, four TDs). Defensively, Miami's big-play man is safety Mishael Powell, who ranks second in the ACC with five interceptions. "He's all about winning," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said of Powell. "He's a smart, self-starting team player." On special teams, Miami kicker Andres Borregales ranks second in the ACC with 97 points. He is 52-for-52 on extra points and 15-for-16 on field goals. Meanwhile, McCord ranks No. 1 in the nation in passing yards (3,946) and tied for seventh in TD passes (26). McCord, a transfer from Ohio State, has also set Syracuse's single-season record for passing yards. In last week's 31-24 win over Connecticut, McCord passed for a career-high 470 yards. However, McCord is just 46th in the nation in passing efficiency, due in part to his high total of interceptions (12). Syracuse also has three of the top six pass-catchers in the ACC in terms of yards: tight end Oronde Gadsden II (810) and wide receivers Jackson Meeks (801) and Trebor Pena (743). Gadsden, who is from the greater Miami area, has had three straight 100-yard games. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden. Syracuse's run game is led by LeQuint Allen, who has rushed for 819 yards, a 4.3 average and 12 TDs. The issue for Syracuse could be its defense, which ranks 13th in the ACC in points allowed (27.8). Miami's defense is fourth (22.3). Even so, Syracuse coach Brown said he's excited about this matchup. "I heard Miami is going to come deep," Brown said of Miami fans. "It's going to be intense in the stands. It's going to be intense on the field. I think this is a game everyone wants to see." --Field Level Media

KITE’s initiatives to boost tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa NATHIAGALI: The provision of heavy machinery worth Rs350 million for road clearance during snowfall at the popular tourist destinations in the province is one of the major initiatives of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE) for promotion of tourism, especially during winter season. The state-of-the-art machinery, including two heavy bulldozers for Galiyat valley only, has been handed over to the local development authority, which has been effectively clearing road blockages in the snow-bound long strip of the beautiful valley. Such efforts have significantly improved winter accessibility in the picturesque Galiyat valley and other tourist zones in Hazara and Malakand divisions. “We had received a request from the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) for two units each of five-ton and three-ton bulldozers to clear snow-covered roads during winter. These machines have been arranged and handed over to GDA and they play a crucial role in keeping the roads open,” said Hashmat Ali, a KITE representative. A resident of the area said that the results of this initiative could be gauged from the fact that Galiyat valley has experienced uninterrupted traffic flow during the snow season for the past three years. “It is certainly a relief from the hardship of earlier times when heavy snowfall would frequently block roads, causing difficulties for the local population and the tourists,” he added. A GD official said that this development had not only eased the hardships of local residents but has also made the valley more accessible for tourists, boosting winter tourism.” KITE, a foreign-funded project, under the KP Department of Culture, Tourism, Archaeology, and Museums, is designed to foster sustainable tourism development in the province. The project has adopted a multi-dimensional approach to ensure that tourism promotion is balanced with environmental conservation and community engagement. In addition to infrastructure upgrades, KITE has been working to identify integrated and sustainable tourism zones. Feasibility studies and master plans have been completed for four Integrated Tourism Zones (ITZs), including Tandiyani in Abbotabad, Ganool in Mansehra, Mankiyal in Swat and Madaklasht in Chitral, in order to safeguard the existing tourist destinations from overcrowding. Destination Investment and Management Plans (DIMPs) and Visitor Management Plans (VMPs) are also implemented to improve tourism infrastructure while preserving cultural and natural resources. KITE has also conducted studies for Upper Swat, Chitral, and Kumrat in Upper Dir, which have been handed over to the respective Special Purpose Development Authorities (SPDAs) for implementation. These plans are expected to streamline tourism activities, enhance visitor experiences, and ensure long-term sustainability. In a bid to create awareness and involve stakeholders, KITE had organised a three-day orientation workshop for journalists here. Some 18 Peshawar-based journalists from various leading media houses attended the workshop. Shafqat Ali Khan, a social development specialist, was the resource person at the workshop, who provided the participants with insights into the legal frameworks guiding the project, including the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF). He also highlighted KITE’s initiatives such as installation of 73 prefabricated washrooms in the tourist sites, conservation of archaeological sites and provided technical support for tourism development. He spoke about the project’s role in balancing tourism development with environmental and cultural preservation. “Our goal is to enhance tourism in KP while ensuring that the region’s rich cultural and natural heritage is preserved for future generations,” he said. The workshop also included a panel discussion on “The Future of Sustainable Tourism in KP and the Role of Media.” The participants engaged in a thoughtful dialogue on ecotourism, natural resource preservation, and the media’s role in shaping public perceptions about sustainable tourism. Journalists were urged to use their platforms to advocate for promotion of tourism and highlight KITE’s efforts.

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A trio of top Republican Party of Guam representatives has joined a group of other Pacific leaders to offer joint recommendations of federal policy and key appointments to President-elect Donald J. Trump ahead of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Jan 20, according to an announcement Friday. Guam Del. James Moylan, 38th Guam Legislature Speaker-elect Sen. Frank Blas Jr. and Republican Party of Guam Chairman and senator-elect Shawn Gumataotao were recruited for the Pacific Transition 47 Committee that also includes American Samoa Congresswoman Amata C. Radewagen, and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Congresswoman-elect Kimberlynn King-Hinds. The committee was formed following a recommendation by incoming Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs James Braid, who is coordinating the process. “The purpose of this committee is for the three House members to join forces with senior political leaders in the American Pacific to offer joint recommendations to the incoming Trump-Vance Administration,” the announcement said. Braid said, “There have only been a handful of GOP trifectas since World War II. The transition team is looking forward to working with you to advance President Trump’s priorities on Capitol Hill during this historic opportunity to Make America Great Again. The transition welcomes the input of you and your team on personnel and policy.” According to the announcement, Radewagen stressed that job seekers should feel free to reach out to any committee member as well as submit a resume and letters of recommendation by email to PacificTransition47@gmail.com . “Committee members are not precluded from communicating directly with the Trump-Vance Transition to make policy and personnel recommendations,” Radewagen said. “But we expect that recommendations will be given greater weight if submitted by the committee, which consists of the most prominent senior Republican leaders in the American Pacific.” Gumataotao said the Guam group intends to submit recommendations for the positions of U.S. District Court of Guam/CNMI, U.S. attorney for Guam/CNMI, U.S. Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs assistant secretary or deputy assistant secretary. "We as a group discuss those potential appointments, and get resumes together, submit them and then work closely with them," Gumataotao said. Separately, CNMI Gov. Arnold Palacios and American Samoa Governor-elect Pulaalii Nikolao Pula on Thursday also announced they plan to join the Republican Party, according to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley. Coincidentally, Pula is the former head of the DOI Office of Insular Affairs. "We're taking this right now up until the (presidential inauguration) on the 20th ... but if some go beyond the 20th then we'll keep working until those positions are filled," Gumataotao said. Committee meetings and deliberations will be conducted by videoconference and a social media chat group, but the members also expect to meet on the sidelines of the inauguration when they travel to Washington, D.C. next month, according to the announcement. Rounding out the committee will be American Samoa territorial party chairman Taualapapa William Sword, and the CNMI Republican party chairman, pending election.Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. Haleluya Hadero And Michelle Price, The Associated Press Dec 27, 2024 3:07 PM Dec 27, 2024 3:20 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message FILE - The TikTok Inc. building is seen in Culver City, Calif., March 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general. The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table. Trump has also reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the app during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He said earlier this year that he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but that he opposed banning it. This month, Trump also met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The filings Friday come ahead of oral arguments 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 law was was signed by President Joe Biden in April after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. TikTok and ByteDance filed a legal challenge afterwards. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s U.S. platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates. The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread or suppress information. But the government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” TikTok’s legal filing said, adding that the U.S. fears are predicated on future risks. In its filing Friday, the Biden administration said because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its propriety engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries with it risk. Haleluya Hadero And Michelle Price, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Science News Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office Dec 27, 2024 2:45 PM A 9th telecoms firm has been hit by a massive Chinese espionage campaign, the White House says Dec 27, 2024 1:37 PM American Civil War-era sword belonging to N.B. doctor to go on display in Saint John Dec 27, 2024 1:12 PM

Nov. 27—With Jay Inslee's 12 years as Washington's governor coming to an end, and current attorney general Bob Ferguson set to replace him, the state government is about to see plenty of turnover. As a result, both Ferguson and incoming attorney general Nick Brown have posted job listings and put out a call for Washingtonians to apply. Brown recently announced that he's opening applications for five senior positions in his office. "I am committed to building a diverse and experienced leadership team that will work alongside me to realize the commitments I made to the voters during my campaign: to uphold and enforce our laws, to stand strong for our shared values, and to protect our communities," Brown stated in a press release on Monday, Nov. 25. "Our state is blessed with so many talented people with a deep commitment to public service, and I encourage all those who are interested and feel they could contribute to apply." Here are the roles and how Washingtonians can apply. WA AG's office jobs hiring now First Assistant Attorney General Salary: $166,667 to $200,000 a year Description: The first assistant attorney general serves as "legal counsel and a chief advisor" to the attorney general. In addition to providing legal advice to both Brown and the rest of his office, the first assistant is tasked with legal research, as well as drafting and editing briefs and arguments. Requirements: Juris doctorate or completion of a Rule 6 law clerk program, eight years of legal experience and experience with legal matters related to state or federal government. Application deadline: Dec. 6 Legislative Director Salary: $131,500 to $158,000 a year Description: The legislative director develops the attorney general's legislative agenda, overseeing a team of legislative analysts while coordinating with the rest of the office. Requirements: Bachelor's degree in political science, a related field or comparable work experience, knowledge of Washington's legislative process, experience working in legislative affairs, policy strong interpersonal and leadership skills. Application deadline: Dec. 11 Chief Human Resources Officer Salary: $140,500 to $167,000 a year Description: The chief human resources officer oversees the human resources division of the attorney general's office, developing and implementing office-wide policy and creating a positive and inclusive work environment. Requirements: Eight years of experience in human resources, or a masters degree in human resources and five years of experience, strong interpersonal and leadership skills. Application deadline: Dec. 11 Policy Director Salary: $131,500 to $158,000 a year Description: The policy director develops and implements the office's policy programs and initiatives, working with state agencies, tribes and local governments, while researching and advising on policy issues. Requirements: Bachelor's or advanced degree in public policy, law, government, economics or a related field, five years of relevant experience including two years in management, experience developing and analyzing policy, strong interpersonal and leadership skills. Application deadline: Dec. 6 Communications Director Salary: $131,500 to $158,000 a year Description: The communications director develops the office's communications strategy, oversees the office's messaging, manages communications to the public and the media and serves as a spokesperson for the office. Requirements: Bachelor's or advanced degree in public policy, law, government, economics or a related field, five years of relevant experience including two years in management, experience developing and analyzing policy, strong interpersonal and leadership skills. Application deadline: Dec. 6 Other WA government jobs Brown's office is hiring for several other roles as well, primarily for regional departments or office subdivisions. You can view all job listings in the Attorney General's Office at this link. If you'd like to be considered for jobs with Ferguson's team, you can fill out the interest form on his website. (c)2024 The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.) Visit The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Wash.) at www.bellinghamherald.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Global Tensions and Movements in Politics and Defense

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Alexandra Samuels is a national political reporter and contributor to the Daily Dot, where she started as an intern covering politics in the summer of 2016. She enjoys all things Marvel, keeping up with the latest TikTok trends, long walks with her pup, and reading murder-mystery novels.

When Katja Vogt considers a Jaguar, she pictures a British-made car purring confidently along the Italian coastline — a vision of familiarity that conveys "that dreaming, longing feeling we all love." She's not sure what to think about Jaguar now after the 89-year-old company announced a radical rebranding that featured loud colors and androgynous people — but no cars. Jaguar, the company says, will now be JaGUar. It will produce only electric vehicles beginning in 2026. Bad attention is good attention, Jaguar execs would appear to believe. The car brand has prompted mockery online for posting a glitzy ad without a single car in it. Say goodbye to British racing green, Cotswold Blue and black. Its colors are henceforth electric pink, red and yellow, according to a video that sparked backlash online. Its mission statement: "Create exuberance. Live vivid. Delete ordinary. Break moulds." "Intrigued?" @Jaguar posted on social media. "Weird and unsettled" is more like it, Vogt wrote on Instagram. "Especially now, with the world feeling so dystopian," the Cyprus-based brand designer wrote, "a heritage brand like Jaguar should be conveying feelings of safety, stability, and maybe a hint of rebellion — the kind that shakes things up in a good way, not in a way that unsettles." Jaguar was one of several iconic companies that announced significant rebrandings in recent weeks, upending a series of commercial — and cultural — landmarks by which many modern human beings sort one another, carve out identities and recognize the world around them. Campbell's, the 155-year-old American icon that artist Andy Warhol immortalized in pop culture decades ago, is ready for a new, soupless name. Comcast's corporate reorganization means there will soon be two television networks with "NBC" in their name — CNBC and MSNBC — that will no longer have any corporate connection to NBC News, a U.S. legacy news outlet. CNBC One could even argue the United States itself is rebranding with the election of former President Donald Trump and Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Unlike Trump's first election in 2016, he won the popular vote in what many called a national referendum on American identity. Are we, then, the sum total of our consumer decisions — what we buy, where we travel and whom we elect? Certainly, it's a question for those privileged enough to be able to afford such choices. Volumes of research in the art and science of branding — from "brandr," an old Norse word for burning symbols into the hides of livestock — say those factors do contribute to the modern sense of identity. So rebranding, especially of heritage names, can be a deeply felt affront to consumers. "It can feel like the brand is turning its back on everything that it stood for — and therefore it feels like it's turning its back on us, the people who subscribe to that idea or ideology," said Ali Marmaduke, strategy director with the Amsterdam-based Brand Potential. He said cultural tension — polarization — is surging over politics, wars in Russia and the Mideast, the environment, public health and more, creating what Marmaduke said is known as a "polycrisis": the idea that there are several massive crises converging that feel scary and complex. Campbell's soups "People are understandably freaked out by that," he said. "So we are looking for something that will help us navigate this changing, threatening world that we face." Trump's "Make America Great Again" qualifies. So did President Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" slogan. Campbell's soup itself — "Mmm Mmm Good" — isn't going anywhere, CEO Mark Clouse said. The company's new name, Campbell's Co., will reflect "the full breadth of our portfolio," which includes brands like Prego pasta sauce and Goldfish crackers. None of the recent activity around heritage brands sparked a backlash as ferocious as Jaguar's. The company stood as a pillar of tradition-loving British identity since World War II. The famous "leaper" cat Jaguar logo is pictured in 2019 at the Auto show in Paris, France. Jaguar said its approach to the rebrand was rooted in the philosophy of its founder, Sir William Lyons, to "copy nothing." What it's calling "the new Jaguar" will overhaul everything from the font of its name to the positioning of it's famous "leaper" cat. "Exuberant modernism" will "define all aspects of the new Jaguar world," according to the news release. The approach is thought to be aimed at selling fewer cars at a six-figure price point to a more diverse customer base. The reaction ranged from bewilderment to hostility. Memes sprouted up likening the video to the Teletubbies, a Benetton ad and — perhaps predictably — a bow to "woke" culture as the blowback intersected with politics. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

With the Municipal Corporation elections around the corner, aspiring candidates from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have ramped up their campaign efforts in a bid to secure party tickets. From engaging in social media campaigns to installing hoardings across their respective wards, the hopefuls are leaving no stone unturned to catch the party leadership’s attention. In several areas, ward heads and aspiring candidates have erected a significant number of hoardings and installed banners, many of which lack official permission. This has sparked concerns over the proliferation of illegal hoardings, cluttering public spaces and violating municipal regulations. AAP members vying for tickets have been highly active on social media, using platforms to highlight their public outreach and local contributions. Many of the leaders have uploaded pictures reading ‘Sewa vich haazar’, highlighting their community service, cleanliness drives and public interactions on their social media accounts as candidates seek to project themselves as deserving nominees for the upcoming elections. In addition to their online campaigns, such posters and hoardings have been installed in various parts of the city. These prominently display the candidates’ photos along with AAP logos and slogans. However, many of these hoardings have been deemed unauthorised by civic authorities. A senior Municipal Corporation official, requesting anonymity, said, “The installation of unauthorised hoardings is a violation of municipal bylaws. We are monitoring the situation and will take action against those found guilty of flouting the rules. Political pressure is there for not removing illegal posters.” Jaskaran Singh, a resident of Model Town, remarked, “Every election season, the city becomes a billboard jungle. Instead of addressing genuine issues, aspiring candidates focus on promoting themselves with flashy banners. The authorities must enforce rules to prevent such illegal practices.”

wild casino payout reviews The gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner.AP News Summary at 3:29 p.m. EST

Campbell River city council voted Thursday (Nov. 21) to decrease funding to non-profit organizations in Campbell River, while also streamlining the city's approach to its grant process, with most of the changes taking effect in 2026. Chief financial officer Alaina Maher said the new grant policy will allow the city to continue to support non-profits in "improved ways." "It's less subjective, more transparent, and more inclusive," said Maher of the new policy. By providing $2.87 million in grants, leases, and facility rentals to non-profit organizations, she said, the changes reflect a $370,000 decrease in the city's current funding. She added the changes would also align city spending with comparable communities. Currently, the City of Campbell River spends more on non-profit funding than comparable communities, such as Courtenay and Penticton, according to the city report. During the presentation to the council, finance services manager Aaron Daur said the proposed changes streamline three existing policies – the permissive tax exemption, the community grant policy, and a segment of the property policy – into a single policy called the "financial assistance policy." Permissive tax exemptions will decrease from 1.7 percent (or $720,000) to 1.4 percent (or $603,000) of the previous year's tax, resulting in an estimated savings of up to $220,000 each year, he said. Community grants will no longer be restricted to the arts and culture sector. Instead, they will be available to all organizations that contribute directly to the city's social, recreational, cultural, environmental, and economic well-being. A total of $150,000 will be budgeted for community grants, with a maximum of $20,000 per organization. The city currently awards $277,000 in grants, meaning the savings will amount to $127,000, Daur said. The city operating grants are available to organizations operating on city-owned property – and, under the changes, are no longer restricted to arts and culture organizations. The budget will decrease to $550,000, from the $654,000 the municipality currently awards. For example, the Campbell River Art Gallery was awarded an operating grant of $80,000 in 2024. But, due to the changes, with a budget of $550,000, it would instead receive $67,000 – a reduction of $13,000. The changes are substantial, Daur said. City staff recommend the changes be phased in over 2025, taking effect in 2026. At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Kermit Dahl addressed the significant community uproar over the changes. He said there is a "lack of understanding" about the substantial funding the city currently allocates to non-profits. "Like many cities across Canada, Campbell River is facing the challenge of maintaining our service levels while meeting the needs of a growing community and keeping taxes affordable," Dahl said. "We also recognize that we provide significant funding to the non-profit sector each year." Coun. Ben Lanyon said a five per cent reduction for certain organizations would not lead to dire consequences. He recommended the organizations reach out to the community for philanthropic donations. These days many families are just struggling to put food on the table and don't have any extra money to put toward a higher property tax, he added. 'Intense' approach to keeping taxes low Just one councillor, Tanille Johnston, voted against the changes. "We are taking a pretty intense, in my opinion, approach to where we're finding the money to keep the taxation as low as is desired," she said. "This is also a cumulative effect of having councils that have not, in my opinion, operated the community in a way that can sustain itself." She pointed to what she called the city's "historic commitment" to single-family housing as a culprit, adding that single-family homes don't pay for themselves, setting up the city to implement drastic tax measures. Sara Lopez Assu, the Campbell River Art Gallery's executive director, attended Thursday's council meeting. To her, the city is playing a "numbers game" and is "intentionally misleading." "I'm angry and I'm disappointed," she told the Mirror , adding when it comes to the actual money the art gallery receives, the community grant cuts amount to about 25 per cent, while the permissive tax cuts add up to 16 per cent. Asking organizations to seek philanthropic donations is "tone deaf," she said, as organizations, like the art gallery, already do so. She said city funding represents about 13 per cent of the art gallery's total operating budget. However, they use those funds, which are core operating funds, to leverage a "multiplier effect" with other funding sources. "We can show up with money in our pocket and say, 'Hey, match it.' And that is what we all have been doing. So we bring in four times what the city invests," she said. Lopez Assu is also not convinced the city funds more than the so-called comparable communities. "It's nine (comparative) communities that the city report is based on," she said. "Five out of those nine communities don't even have a public art gallery. You're comparing complete apples to oranges. "They're comparing us to communities that don't have arts and cultural assets," she said. To help with this transition, council also approved a $20,000 budget to implement the policy and provide workshops to help organizations navigate the changes. The city is also in discussions about creating a grant process with the Strathcona Regional District for non-profits that benefit the entire region, including the city.

Central Connecticut State defeats Binghamton 64-56

Percentages: FG .438, FT .857. 3-Point Goals: 4-18, .222 (Kinziger 3-6, Wolf 1-3, Banks 0-1, Pence 0-1, Walker 0-1, Boser 0-2, Daugherty 0-2, Poindexter 0-2). Team Rebounds: 1. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Barnes). Turnovers: 10 (Kinziger 4, Walker 3, Boser 2, Banks). Steals: 6 (Banks 2, Walker 2, Kinziger, Pence). Technical Fouls: None. Percentages: FG .380, FT .800. 3-Point Goals: 10-28, .357 (Autry 5-7, Drumgoole 2-5, Hansen 1-1, Hutchinson 1-6, Moss 1-6, Jones 0-1, Buchanan 0-2). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 2. Blocked Shots: 4 (Castro 2, Drumgoole, Hansen). Turnovers: 8 (Buchanan 4, Hutchinson 2, Castro, Moss). Steals: 4 (Castro, Hansen, Hutchinson, Moss). Technical Fouls: None. .

The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a dramatic 30-27 win over the Carolina Panthers . The reigning Super Bowl champions saw their run of 15 straight wins ended by the Buffalo Bills last week, but got back to winning ways thanks to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After a late Chuba Hubbard touchdown and two-point conversion had made it 27-27, the Chiefs got the ball back with less than two minutes on the clock and a 33-yard run from Mahomes helped set up Spencer Shrader for a game-winning field goal. Mahomes finished the game with 269 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Noah Gray in the first half. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored two touchdowns as the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-6 to improve their record to 10-1, matching that of the Chiefs. David Montgomery also ran for a score before having to leave the game with a shoulder injury. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended a four-game losing streak with a 30-7 win over the New York Giants, who “mutually agreed” to terminate the contract of quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this week. Jones’ replacement Tommy DeVito was sacked four times while opposite number Baker Mayfield ran for a touchdown and completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 294 yards. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker also ran for touchdowns in a one-sided contest. The Dallas Cowboys ended their five-game losing streak with a remarkable 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders, with 30 points scored in the final three minutes. KaVontae Turpin’s 99-yard kick-off return for a touchdown looked to have sealed victory for the Cowboys, only for the Commanders to respond with a field goal before getting the ball back with 33 seconds remaining. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin sprinted 86 yards through the Dallas defence for a touchdown, only for Austin Seibert to miss the extra point. The Commanders tried an onside kick and Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes as the Miami Dolphins cruised to a 34-15 win over the New England Patriots, while the Tennessee Titans pulled off a surprise 32-27 victory at the Houston Texans. The Minnesota Vikings improved to 9-2 thanks to a 30-27 overtime win against the Chicago Bears, Parker Romo kicking the decisive field goal from 29 yards.Global brokerage firm JPMorgan has expressed a positive outlook on India’s defense sector as it initiated coverage on Bharat Electronics (BEL), Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders , signaling a growth potential of up to 17%. JPMorgan highlighted the strong growth prospects in production and exports within the sector. Here is what the foreign brokerage said: BEL: Overweight | Target price: Rs 340 | Upside: 16.25% BEL has been assigned an "Overweight" rating, with a target price set at Rs 340. The company has been identified as the preferred pick for exposure to the sector’s structural growth owing to its strong fundamentals and growth trajectory. HAL: Overweight | Target price: Rs 5,135 | Upside: 17.2% HAL has also received an "Overweight" rating, with a target price of Rs 5,135. The company’s significant role in defense production positions it as a key player poised to benefit from the sector’s expanding opportunities. 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While the company remains an essential player in shipbuilding, the neutral stance reflects a more balanced risk-reward outlook compared to peers. The brokerage emphasizes the "long runway of structural growth" for the defense industry, driven by increasing domestic production, government initiatives, and rising export opportunities. Also read: Vodafone Idea shares zoom 18% on in-principle Cabinet nod for bank guarantee waiver The recent correction in stock prices across the sector is viewed as an attractive entry point for investors. This optimistic outlook highlights the sector’s resilience and potential for sustained growth amid a growing focus on indigenous defense production and technological advancements. ( Disclaimer : Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of Economic Times) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )TikTok's future uncertain after appeals court rejects its bid to overturn possible US ban

https://arab.news/n4cm5 RIYADH: Investment strategies must be compatible with sustainable development goals to ensure economically viable and environmentally responsible global growth, a top official said at the World Investment Conference. Speaking on the first day of the Riyad-based event, James Zhan, chair of the WIC executive board, said reforming the global financial system should be a priority alongside helping to deliver social and environmental reform. The 28th WIC is being held from Nov. 25 to 27, and will see global stakeholders gather to explore investment trends and how best to foster sustainable development. During a panel discussion titled “Impact Maximization: Leveraging Trade and Investment for Growth and Development,” Zhan said: “We need to embed investment strategies into the SDG implementation plans. We need to transform these international investment regimes into a kind of SDG promotion instrument.” The SDGs are a set of 17 global objectives established by the UN to address pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges, aiming to achieve a sustainable and equitable future by 2030. Zhan also called for transforming international investment: “We need to be practicing incentives for investment on the ground.” Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, assistant minister of investment and CEO of the Saudi Investment Promotion Authority, outlined the Kingdom’s focused approach to investment. “Our investment strategy focuses on quality, FDI. That’s a very big word. So, what I like to call it is smart capital,” he said. Al-Mubarak also emphasized Saudi Arabia’s reform journey under Vision 2030, saying: “Since the launch of Vision 2030, we have set a very ambitious reform agenda. That reform agenda comes in various ways, be it in the reform of existing laws, launching new laws, removing subsidies.” These reforms aim to bolster the Kingdom’s investment environment, which has already been recognized as the 16th most competitive economy globally, according to the IMD’s World Competitiveness Index. Al-Mubarak highlighted the significance of comprehensive and consistent regulatory reforms in enhancing investment appeal. One measure of this is the success of Saudi Arabia’s Regional Headquarters Program, which came into effect in January and encouraged multinational companies to set up regional offices in Riyadh. “We already have exceeded our target by having 550 regional headquarters companies here. Our location, our infrastructure, our youth are enabling us to achieve those (goals), but they have to be clubbed with positive, unified, consistent regulatory reform agenda,” Al-Mubarak said. The assistant minister highlighted that attracting investments requires groundwork, adding: “The promotion piece of investment is one thing, but the attraction is a much tougher one because it requires a lot more reforms and work on the ground, on the infrastructure, on the policies, on the procedures.” Chairman of the Berlin Global Dialogue and Professor of Economics at the European School of Management and Technology Lars-Hendrik Roller called for a broader perspective on global investments. “The world is changing, and now I think we need to look eye level (at) Africa and other continents as well,” he said. He also cautioned about the interplay of foreign policy and national security with economic agendas, adding: “What is now overarching more and more (is) foreign policy and economic policy, national security issues. And I think we have to be very careful with that.” Roller pointed out the distorting effects of subsidies on global markets and stressed the urgency of private investments in the green economy, saying: “We’re not going to solve the climate crisis unless we generate a lot more private investment in the green economy.”

The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. The bill passed by a vote of 281-140 and next moves to the Senate, where lawmakers sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said service member pay failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. "No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "This bill goes a long way to fixing that." The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation's borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators wanted to increase defense spending about $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a "tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions in the bill. "We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it," Wicker said. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many nondefense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, proved effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. "These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives," Smith said. "And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar service members' children from having access to that." Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted on the ban and said the provision "taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation." Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, "I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates." Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, "and yet, here it is in this bill." Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team did not tell Democrats how to vote on the bill. "There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well," Jeffries said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January.

WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. It passed by a vote of 281-140 and next moves to the Senate, where lawmakers sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. The Pentagon and the surrounding area is seen Jan. 26, 2020, from the air in Washington. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said service member pay failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. "No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "This bill goes a long way to fixing that." The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation's borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a "tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions within the bill. "We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it," Wicker said. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., speaks with reporters Nov. 21 on Capitol Hill in Washington. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. "These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives," Smith said. "And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar service members' children from having access to that." Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted on the ban and said the provision "taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation." Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, "I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates." Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, "and yet, here it is in this bill." Branden Marty, a Navy veteran who served for 13 years, said the loss of health coverage for transgender medical treatments could prompt some with valuable experience to leave the military, affecting national security because "we already struggle from a recruiting and retention standpoint." He also said the bill could regularly force service members into difficult choices financially. "It will be tough for a lot of them because of out-of-pocket expenses, especially enlisted members who we know already struggle with food insecurity," said Marty, the father of a transgender teenager. "They don't get paid very much, so they're going to be making a lot of choices on a day-to-day, tactical level." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., responds to reporters Dec. 6 during his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team did not tell Democrats how to vote on the bill. "There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well," Jeffries said. Overall, 81 Democrats voted for the bill and 124 against it. On the Republican side, 200 voted for the bill and 16 against it. "It's disappointing to see 124 of my Democrat colleagues vote against our brave men and women in uniform over policies that have nothing to do with their intended mission," Johnson, R-La., said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January. Rising threats from debt collectors against members of the U.S. armed forces are undermining national security, according to data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal watchdog that protects consumer rights. To manage the impact of financial stress on individual performance, the Defense Department dedicates precious resources to improving financial literacy, so service members know the dangers of notorious no-credit-check loans. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities,” said Andrew Cohen, the director of financial readiness in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. But debt collectors are gaining ground. Last quarter, debt collection complaints by U.S. military service members increased 24% , and attempts to collect on “debts not owed” surged 40%. Complaints by service members against debt collectors for deceptive practices ballooned from 1,360 in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 1,833 in the first quarter of 2024. “There’s a connection between the financial readiness and the readiness of a service member to perform their duty,” said Jim Rice, Assistant Director, Office of Servicemember Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Laws exist to protect the mission readiness of U.S. troops from being compromised by threats and intimidation, but debt collectors appear to be violating them at an alarming pace. “If they’re threatening to call your commander or get your security clearance revoked, that’s illegal,” says Deborah Olvera, financial readiness manager at Wounded Warriors Project, and a military spouse who’s been harassed herself by a collection agency that tried to extort money from her for a debt she didn’t owe. But after she requested the name of the original creditor, she never heard from them again. “The financial well-being of service members and their families is one of the Department’s top priorities.” —Andrew Cohen, Director of Financial Readiness at the Pentagon Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, it’s illegal for debt collectors to threaten to contact your boss or have you arrested because it violates your financial privacy. The FDCPA also prohibits debt collectors from making false, deceptive, or misleading representations in connection with the collection of a debt, even for borrowers with bad credit scores. But according to the data, debt collectors are increasingly ignoring those rules. “Debt collection continues to be one of the top consumer complaint categories,” said a spokesperson at the Federal Trade Commission. The commission released a report earlier this year revealing that consumers were scammed $10 billion in 2023, a new benchmark for fraud losses. In his book Debt: The First 5,000 Years, David Graeber argues that debt often creates a relationship that can feel more oppressive than systems of hierarchy, like slavery or caste systems because it starts by presuming equality between the debtor and the creditor. When the debtor falls into arrears, that equality is then destroyed. This sense of betrayal and the subsequent imbalance of power leads to widespread resentment toward lenders. Photo Credit: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock The debt collector reportedly harassing military service members most was Resurgent Capital Services, a subsidiary of collection giant Sherman Financial Group. The company tacks on accrued interest and junk fees and tries to collect on debts purchased for pennies on the dollar from cable companies, hospitals, and credit card companies, among others. Sherman Financial Group is run by billionaire Benjamin Navarro, who has a reported net worth of $1.5 billion, according to Forbes. Sherman Financial also owns subprime lender Credit One Bank and LVNV Funding, which outsource collections to Resurgent Capital. According to CFPB data, the second worst offender is CL Holdings, the parent company of debt-buyer Jefferson Capital Systems. The company has also been named in numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau for alleged violations of the FDCPA, such as failing to properly validate debts or update credit reports with accurate information. Under the leadership of CEO David Burton, Jefferson Capital Systems is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CompuCredit Corporation, which markets subprime credit cards under the names Aspire, Majestic, and others. The third most referenced debt collector is publicly traded Portfolio Recovery Associates [NASDAQ: PRAA], which was forced to pay $27 million in penalties for making false representations about debts, initiating lawsuits without proper documentation, and other violations. Portfolio Recovery Associates is run by CEO Vikram Atal. Fourth place for alleged worst offender goes to Encore Capital Group [NASDAQ ECPG], which was required to pay $42 million in consumer refunds and a $10 million penalty for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Encore collects under its subsidiary Midland Credit Management Group. These debt collectors all operate under a veritable shell game of company and brand names, almost none of which are disclosed on their websites, sending consumers on a wild goose chase to try and figure out how they’re related to each other. But despite their attempts to hide their tracks behind a smoke screen of subsidiaries, a leopard can’t change its spots, and the CFPB complaint database makes it harder for them to try. Photo Credit: Bumble Dee / Shutterstock Although widely considered a consumer-friendly state, complaints spiked most in California, which saw a 188% increase in complaints filed from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. California is home to 157,367 military personnel, making it the most populous state for active-duty service members. The second-largest increase in debt collection complaints was in Texas, which saw a 66% jump from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. The U.S. Department of Defense reports 111,005 service members stationed in the Lone Star State, which is the third-most populous state for active-duty military. The rising trends do not correlate to the number of military personnel by state. Complaints against debt collectors in Virginia, the second most populous state with 126,145 active duty personnel, decreased by 29% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. And complaints filed quarter-over-quarter in North Carolina, the fifth most populous state with 91,077 military personnel, decreased by 3% in the same period. The third largest percentage increase in debt collection complaints was from service members stationed in Maryland, where alleged harassment reports jumped 112% from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. Maryland ranks number 12 with just 28,059 active duty service members. Fourth place goes to Ohio – the 28th most populous active-duty state – where complaints doubled, followed by Arizona – the 15th most populous military state – where complaints were up 70% in the same quarter-over-quarter period. Photo Credit: PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / Shutterstock In 2007, Congress passed the Military Lending Act to cap the cost of credit to a 36% annual percentage rate, inclusive of junk fees and late charges, for active duty military service members. That rate is still considerably higher than average credit card rates, which range from 8% for borrowers with excellent credit scores to as high as 36% for borrowers with bad credit. But lenders still get hauled into court for violating the MLA. Don Hankey, the billionaire subprime auto lender who funded Donald Trump’s $175 million appeal bond , is among those violators. His company, Westlake Financial, which markets high-interest car loans for bad credit, has been sued twice by the Department of Justice for harassing military service members. In 2017, the DoJ alleged Hankey’s Westlake Financial illegally repossessed at least 70 vehicles owned by military service members. Westlake Financial paid $700,000 to settle the charges. In 2022, Westlake Financial paid $250,000 for allegedly cheating U.S. troops out of interest rates they were legally entitled to. Westlake Financial continues to receive complaints from military service members alleging abusive debt collection practices on its no-credit-check loans. A steady year-over-year increase in the number of complaints filed against Westlake Financial continued from 2020 to 2023. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data shows a 13% increase in the number of complaints against the company from 2020 to 2021, a 28% increase from 2021 to 2022, and a torrential 119% surge from 2022 to 2023. The numbers suggest systemic complaint-handling processes and inadequate customer service resources. Photo Credit: Cynthia Shirk / Shutterstock On May 16, 2024, a deceptively named predatory lending industry front group dubbed the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA) lost a legal attempt to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In an effort to deprive Americans of essential consumer protections, the lobby group argued that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure was unconstitutional. But the Supreme Court denied its claim. In a 7-2 ruling, the Court held that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding structure is indeed constitutional. That means the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau cannot be defunded, but it does not mean the agency cannot be defanged. The New York Times suggested that Hankey’s incentive to finance Trump’s $175 million bond could have been a reciprocity pledge to neuter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau if Trump wins the upcoming U.S. presidential election. If Trump wins a second term, he could replace Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Rohit Chopra, an American consumer advocate, with a predatory lending advocate. In 2020, the Trump Administration secured a Supreme Court ruling that made it easier for the president to fire the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The ruling struck down previous restrictions on when a president can fire the bureau’s director. Like other federal agencies, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has also been confronted for overstepping its bounds, pushing too far, and acting unfairly against entities it regulates. Photo Credit: Lux Blue / Shutterstock Seasonality and rising interest rates do not explain the increase in debt collection complaints from service members. The surge in complaints is not tied to predictable seasonal fluctuations or changes in interest rates. The increase in debt collection complaints by service members may point to underlying systemic issues, such as aggressive and predatory debt collection practices that exploit the unique financial vulnerabilities of service members, who face frequent relocations and deployments. Debt Complaints by Service Members The 24% spike in debt collection complaints exhibits no correlation to fluctuations in interest rates. 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Pandemic stimulus checks were also not a factor. COVID-19 relief benefit checks went through three major rounds during the pandemic. The final round of Economic Impact Payments went out in March 2021 . To better understand the rising trend of debt collection complaints, we calculated the increase in the total number of complaints and the percentage increase quarter-over-quarter. For example, New Jersey has the second largest percentage increase in complaints quarter-over-quarter, but the total number of complaints increased by just 16. The data for this study was sourced from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) complaint database. The dataset specifically targeted complaints filed by U.S. military service members, identified using the tag “Servicemember” within Q4 2023 and Q1 2024. Readers can find the detailed research methodology underlying this news story in the accompanying section here . For complete results, see U.S. Troops Face Mounting Threats from Predatory Debt Collectors on BadCredit.org . Homelessness reached record levels in 2023, as rents and home prices continued to rise in most of the U.S. One group was particularly impacted: people who have served in the U.S. military. "This time last year, we knew the nation was facing a deadly public health crisis," Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, said in a statement about the 2023 numbers. He said the latest homelessness estimates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development "confirms the depth of the crisis." At least 35,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness in 2023, according to HUD. While that's about half of what it was in 2009—when the organization began collecting data—things have plateaued in recent years despite active efforts to get that number to zero. Although they make up just 6.6% of the total homeless population, veterans are more likely to be at risk of homelessness than Americans overall. Of every 10,000 Americans, 20 were experiencing homelessness. Of veterans living in the United States, that number jumps to 22, HUD data shows. Complicated by bureaucracy, family dynamics, and prejudice, the path from serving in the military to homelessness is a long one. According to a 2022 study by Yale School of Medicine researchers, homelessness typically occurs within four years of leaving the military, as veterans must contend with the harsh reality of finding a job in a world where employers struggle to see how skills on the battlefield transfer to a corporate environment. These days, veterans also deal with historically high rent and home prices, which causes many to rely on family generosity while figuring out a game plan. Stacker examined academic studies, analyzed government data, and spoke with members of the Biden administration, experts, and former members of the armed forces to see the struggles members of the military face when leaving the armed forces. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers transition assistance to the roughly 250,000 service members who leave each year. However, those programs can be burdensome and complex to navigate, especially for those who don't have a plan for post-military life. Only a small portion of veterans have jobs lined up when they leave, according to 2019 Pew Research. Many also choose to live with relatives until they get on their feet, which can be longer than anticipated. Some former service members are unsure what kind of career they'd like to pursue and may have to get further education or training, Carl Castro, director of the Military and Veteran Programs at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California, told Stacker. "It takes years for that kind of transition," Castro said. Many have trouble finding a job after leaving the service, even if they are qualified. Some employers carry misconceptions about those who have served. A 2020 analysis from the journal Human Resource Management Review found that some veterans face hiring discrimination due to negative stereotypes that lead hiring managers to write them off as a poor culture fit. Underemployment, or working low-wage jobs below their skill level, is also an issue. While the unemployment rate for veterans was 3% in March 2024, a study released by Penn State at the end of 2023 found three years after leaving the service, 61% of veterans said they were underemployed because of perceived skill mismatches . This phenomenon can have long-term economic effects, and eventually, that frustration can boil over, strain relationships, and potentially lead to housing instability. Working, especially a low-wage job, is not protection against homelessness. A 2021 study from the University of Chicago found half of people living in homeless shelters and 2 in 5 unsheltered people were employed, full or part-time. For veterans, housing costs certainly play a role, but those who leave the military also face systemic barriers. "It's worrying there are people that continue to fall through the cracks," said Jeanette Yih Harvie, a research associate at Syracuse University's D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Just under a quarter of adults experiencing homelessness have a severe mental illness , according to 2022 HUD survey data. They are also likely to have chronic illnesses but are unable to maintain preventative care, which only exacerbates these problems. Veterans facing homelessness are more likely to have experienced trauma , either before or after joining the military, according to Yale researchers who analyzed the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Childhood trauma was among the most significant commonalities among vets who become homeless. Substance use disorder is also widespread and can indicate an undiagnosed mental illness . Racial and ethnic disparities are at play, too. A 2023 study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research showed that Hispanic and Black veterans were more likely to screen positive for PTSD, and Hispanic veterans were more likely to report having suicidal ideation. Overall, access to mental health care has improved in the last decade or so. In December 2023, the VA announced it would open nine additional counseling centers. However, the stigma of getting help remains, especially after years of being conditioned to be self-reliant and pull oneself up by their bootstraps. That help, in the form of public policy, is slowly working to catch up to the need. In 2023, the Biden administration invested millions into research programs and studies on suicide prevention by the VA office in addition to a proposed $16 billion to improve quality and lower-cost mental health care services for veterans. And, in February of this year, HUD and the VA announced they would give up to $14 million in vouchers to public housing agencies for veterans experiencing homelessness. The program would also offer case management and other services. Still, with a culture that pushes people to keep going, it can be challenging for servicemembers to take advantage of these opportunities, Harvie said. "When you've been doing that for the last 15 or 20 years, it's difficult to stop and say, 'I'm the person that needs help.'" Story editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.Developed countries do little as climate change approaches irreversibility

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The Golden Knights will be down two key players Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Defenseman Zach Whitecloud is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and will miss his first game of the season, while center William Karlsson is out due to personal reasons. Karlsson and his wife Emily are expecting their second child. Brett Howden will move to third-line center in Karlsson’s place and skate with left wing Tanner Pearson and right wing Pavel Dorofeyev. Left wing Mason Morelli will make his season debut. Robert Hagg will replace Whitecloud on the third defense pair and skate with Nic Hague. Whitecloud’s injury puts the Knights down three defensemen. Alex Pietrangelo is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, while Ben Hutton is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.George Washington 72, Illinois St. 64

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As the investigation continues and more details emerge, the online community remains united in mourning the loss of Liu Dabeili and calling for justice to be served. May her tragic passing serve as a catalyst for positive change and reform within the cosmetic surgery industry, ensuring that such incidents are prevented in the future.Furthermore, Arsenal's struggles in front of goal have been exacerbated by their defensive frailties at the back. The team's inconsistency in defense has often left them vulnerable to counterattacks and quick transitions, further limiting their ability to control games and dictate play. As a result, Arsenal have found themselves chasing games and struggling to impose themselves on their opponents.

Joining Dybala is Romelu Lukaku, whose physical presence and goal-scoring instinct were on full display in Matchday 15. Lukaku's ability to hold up play, link up with his teammates, and find the back of the net with precision made him a constant threat to the opposition defense. His goal-scoring prowess was instrumental in his team's success.Canadian men win RAN Sevens tournament, qualify for World Rugby Challenger Series

Title: Breakthrough in Case of Murdered American Insurance CEO as Suspect ArrestedLiverpool's journey in the Champions League this season has been a rollercoaster ride, with ups and downs that have kept fans on the edge of their seats. After a slow start in the group stage, Jurgen Klopp's men have picked up steam in recent matches, showcasing their attacking prowess and defensive resilience. A win against Atletico Madrid would not only seal their place in the last 16 but also send a strong message to the rest of Europe that the Reds are a force to be reckoned with.Carl Black Chevrolet Introduces the 2025 Chevy Suburban for Sale Near Nashville with New Research Pages Available

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RCMP has 'contingency plans' to bolster the Canada-U.S. border — but here's what it says it still needs from the Trudeau governmentQuebec’s health minister has tabled a bill that would force new doctors trained in the province to spend the first five years of their careers working in Quebec’s public health network. Doctors who enter the private sector or move outside the province within that period would face fines up to $200,000 per day. Health Minister Christian Dubé says his bill addresses the rising number doctors who are leaving the public system for the private one. He says training a new doctor costs the government a total of between $435,000 and $790,000, including for residency, adding that doctors have a duty to care for the people who paid for their studies. The province has said the number of doctors working exclusively in the private sector has increased by 70 per cent since 2020, and that the trend is especially notable among new doctors. Members of the opposition parties in the legislature expressed support for the bill, which won’t be studied before the next session begins in January. A spokesperson for Dubé said last month that 400 of the 2,536 doctors who completed their studies between 2015 and 2017 have left Quebec for other jurisdictions. There are currently 2,355 doctors trained in Quebec practicing in Ontario, including 1,675 who attended McGill University.

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The dust has finally settled as Manchester City's 115-count hearing ends. As the saying goes, "the grass is always greener on the other side." For me, this sentiment couldn't ring truer than when I made the decision to sell my beloved "East-facing house" and move into a "West-facing house." Little did I know at the time that the two properties would differ in ways I never could have imagined.Market analysts and economists immediately began to dissect and analyze every detail of the BOJ's upcoming event, trying to glean any clues or insights into the central bank's intentions. Speculation ran rampant, with some predicting that the BOJ could finally be ready to raise interest rates for the first time in years, signaling a shift towards a more hawkish monetary policy stance.The incident has raised concerns about the safety and well-being of individuals who may find themselves in vulnerable situations, particularly those who may be perceived as easy targets for exploitation and abuse. The fact that the victim in this case is well-educated and appeared to be of sound mind only serves to underscore the need for increased vigilance and protection for all members of society.wild casino promo code 。

Even with access to blockbuster obesity drugs, some people don't lose weightNEW YORK (AP) — The leaders of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign insist they simply didn't have enough time to execute a winning strategy against Donald Trump , pointing to “ferocious" political headwinds that were ultimately too much to overcome in the 107-day period after President Joe Biden stepped aside . Harris' leadership team, speaking on the “Pod Save America” podcast that aired on Tuesday, defended strategic decisions over the campaign's closing days, some of which have faced scrutiny in the weeks since Trump's decisive victory . Specifically, they defended Harris' outreach to Republican voters, her unwillingness to distance herself from Biden, her silence on Trump's attacks on her transgender policies and her inability to schedule an interview with popular podcaster Joe Rogan. “In a 107-day race, it is very difficult to do all the things you would normally do in a year and a half, two years,” said Harris campaign senior adviser Jen O'Malley Dillon. David Plouffe, another senior adviser, added, “There was a price to be paid for the short campaign." The pointed reflections on Harris' loss came just before she was scheduled to host a conference call with supporters as the party begins a painful process of self-examination. Trump won every swing state and made gains among key voting groups traditionally aligned with Democrats — young voters and voters of color, among them. Harris' team did not question the legitimacy of Trump's victory. “We lost,” O'Malley Dillon said. But none of the Harris' advisers acknowledged any mistakes during the wide-ranging podcast interview hosted by former Democratic operatives. Instead, they indicated that Harris had few options given the compressed timeframe and the broad anti-incumbent headwinds that have challenged elected officials across the world. They also gave Trump's team some credit. They specifically pointed to Trump's closing attack ad, which highlighted Harris' support for taxpayer-funded sex reassignment surgeries for transgender prisoners. “Obviously, it was a very effective ad at the end,” said Harris deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks. “I think that it made her seem out of touch.” The campaign tested several potential response ads but, in the end, decided it was best to avoid a specific rebuttal. “There’s no easy answers to this,” O'Malley Dillon said. Plouffe said he thought the Trump attack ad against “Bidenomics” was even more effective, but he acknowledged that the transgender attacks were not helpful. “She was on tape," he said. "Surgery for trans people who want to transition in prison was part of the Biden-Harris platform in 2020. It was part of what the administration did, right?” And while the campaign has faced lingering questions about its media strategy, Harris' team said she actually wanted to participate in a podcast with Rogan, who is among the world's most popular podcasters and ultimately endorsed Trump. Stephanie Cutter, another Harris senior adviser, said the campaign wasn't able to “find a date” to make it work. “We had discussions with Joe Rogan’s team. They were great. They wanted us to come on. We wanted to come on,” she said. “Will she do it sometime in the future? Maybe. Who knows. But it didn’t ultimately impact the outcome one way or the other.” Plouffe noted that the campaign offered to do the Rogan podcast on the road in Austin, Texas. Trump ultimately did his interview with Rogan in the podcaster's studio. Harris' campaign brass also defended her decision to court moderate Republicans in the campaign's closing days. The decision has drawn ire from some progressives, who believe Harris should have worked harder to turn out more traditional Democratic voters. “This political environment sucked, OK? We were dealing with ferocious headwinds,” Plouffe said. “So we had a complicated puzzle to put together here in terms of the voters.” He acknowledged some “drift” toward Trump among non-college-educated voters, particularly voters of color, which made Harris' outreach to moderate voters even more important. “Yes, of course you have to maximize your turnout and your vote share amongst liberal voters if you’re a Democrat. That was a huge focus,” he said. He added, “You’ve got to couple that with dominating in the middle. Not just winning it a little. We have to dominate the moderate vote."

中国拥有悠久的历史和多元文化景观，拥有丰富的体现中国文化精髓的非遗项目。从传统工艺和表演艺术到仪式和节日，这些项目展示了中国人民的智慧、创造力和精神。中国政府为保护和推广这些非物质文化遗产项目做出了重大努力，认识到它们在保存国家文化遗产方面的重要性。

The large mysterious drones reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. The Morris County Republican was among several state and local lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the spate of sightings that range from the New York City area through New Jersey and westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. The devices do not appear to be The dronees wereffffflown by hobbyists, Fantasia wrote. Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month and have raised growing concern among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility; and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified. Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once. Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to threaten public safety. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information they may have. Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, have called on the military to shoot down the drones. Smith said a Coast Guard commanding officer briefed him on an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a motorized Coast Guard lifeboat “in close pursuit” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo told The Associated Press Wednesday “that multiple low-altitude aircraft were observed in vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.” The aircraft weren't perceived as an immediate threat and didn't disrupt operations, Pinneo said. The Coast Guard is assisting the FBI and state agencies in investigating. In a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Smith called for military help dealing with the drones, noting that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has the capability "to identify and take down unauthorized unmanned aerial systems.” However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters Wednesday that “our initial assessment here is that these are not drones or activities coming from a foreign entity or adversary.” Many municipal lawmakers have called for more restrictions on who is entitled to fly the unmanned devices. At least one state lawmaker proposed a temporary ban on drone flights in the state. “This is something we’re taking deadly seriously. I don’t blame people for being frustrated," Murphy said earlier this week. A spokesman for the Democratic governor said he did not attend Wednesday's meeting. Republican Assemblyman Erik Peterson, whose district includes parts of the state where the drones have been reported, said he also attended Wednesday's meeting at a state police facility in West Trenton. The session lasted for about 90 minutes. Peterson said DHS officials were generous with their time, but appeared dismissive of some concerns, saying not all the sightings reported have been confirmed to involve drones. So who or what is behind the flying objects? Where are they coming from? What are they doing? “My understanding is they have no clue,” Peterson said. A message seeking comment was left with the Department of Homeland Security. Most of the drones have been spotted along coastal areas and some were recently reported flying over a large reservoir in Clinton. Sightings also have been reported in neighboring states. James Edwards, of Succasunna, New Jersey, said he has seen a few drones flying over his neighborhood since last month. “It raises concern mainly because there's so much that's unknown,” Edwards said Wednesday. “There are lots of people spouting off about various conspiracies that they believe are in play here, but that only adds fuel to the fire unnecessarily. We need to wait and see what is really happening here, not let fear of the unknown overtake us." —— AP reporters Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Pennsylvania; and Wayne Parry in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Samsung is reportedly gearing up for a major transformation at its A2 plant, as plans are underway to convert the 5.5 Generation line into a glass-based micro OLED production line. This development marks a significant shift in the company's manufacturing strategy, reflecting its commitment to embracing cutting-edge display technologies to stay ahead in the fiercely competitive tech industry.

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Gun found on suspect in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO matches shell casings at scene, police say ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — New York City’s police commissioner says the gun found on the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO matches shell casings found at the crime scene. Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said Wednesday that lab results matched suspect Luigi Mangione’s prints to a water bottle and a snack bar wrapper found near the scene of the killing. Police had said earlier that they believed the gunman bought the items at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target. Mangione is jailed in Pennsylvania on weapon and forgery charges, but he also has been charged in New York with murder in Brian Thompson's death. His lawyer has noted that Mangione is presumed innocent. Authorities are scrutinizing evidence and the suspect’s experiences with the health care industry. Arguments over whether Luigi Mangione is a 'hero' offer a glimpse into an unusual American moment Memes and online posts in support of 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who's charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO, have mushroomed online. Some cast Mangione as a hero. That's too far, says Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a rising Democrat who was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year. CEO Brian Thompson's death touched off off these ripples. They offer a glimpse into how so many different aspects of 21st-century life can be surreally connected, from public violence to politics, from health care to humor, or attempts at it. FBI Director Wray says he intends to resign before Trump takes office in January WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray says he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. The announcement Wednesday comes a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the position. His impending resignation will bring him three years short of the completion of a 10-year term during which he tried to keep the FBI out of politics even as the bureau found itself entangled in a string of explosive investigations. Trump applauded the news Wednesday, saying it will end the weaponization of what he called the “Department of Injustice.” Donald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine's Person of the Year. Thursday's events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen praise from the business world and media as a sign of success. Four people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press that Trump was expected to be on Wall Street on Thursday to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, while a person familiar with the selection confirmed that Trump had been selected as Time's Person of the Year. The Trump and Biden teams insist they're working hand in glove on foreign crises WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. He frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But the Trump and Biden national security teams have come to an understanding that they have no choice but to work together as conflicts in Gaza, Syria and Ukraine have left a significant swath of the world on a knife’s edge. It’s fuzzy how much common ground Biden and Trump’s teams have found as they navigate crises that threaten to cause more global upheaval as Trump prepares to settle back into the White House. Syrians flock to morgues looking for loved ones who perished in Assad's prisons DAMASCUS (AP) — Many bodies have been found in Syrian detention centers and prisons since President Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Now Syrians around the world are circulating images of the corpses in hopes that they will see slain loved ones whose fate had been a mystery. At the morgue visited by The Associated Press on Wednesday in Damascus, families flocked to a wall where some of the pictures were pinned in a haunting gallery of the dead. Relatives desperately scanned the images for a recognizable face. Some of the prisoners died just weeks ago. Others perished months earlier. US warns Russia may be ready to use new lethal missile against Ukraine again in 'coming days' WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh cited a U.S. intelligence assessment in telling reporters on Wednesday that an attack could come “in the coming days.” She says the U.S. does not consider the Oreshnik missile a game changer on the battlefield. But that Russia is using the weapon to intimidate Ukraine as both sides wrestle for an advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the war. The Russian Defense Ministry also is warning it may retaliate against Kyiv for an attack on a military base in the Rostov region in southern Russia on Wednesday. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 33 including children, Palestinian medics say DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 33 people. One of the strikes hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19. A separate strike outside nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital killed a woman and her two children, and another strike in central Gaza killed at least seven people. Israel's military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger. Local health officials say Israel’s retaliatory offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 has killed over 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Hannah Kobayashi, missing Hawaii woman whose disappearance prompted a massive search, is found safe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Kobayashi has been found safe. That’s according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Kobayashi vanished last month in Los Angeles. The missing Hawaii woman's disappearance prompted a massive search and a missing persons investigation. It was not immediately clear where she was found, but police previously said she had voluntarily crossed the border into Mexico. The LAPD said Wednesday the department will wrap up its investigation. Kobayashi's family reported her missing to law enforcement on Nov. 11 after relatives received “strange and cryptic, just alarming” text messages. Kobayashi’s mother and sister said they are “grateful” she has been found safe. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup. But when exactly? ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament. Key issues include during which part of the year to stage the tournament, where to play the games, whether alcohol will be allowed at all and how to protect workers rights in the massive construction projects required to host the World Cup.One of the key factors contributing to this assessment is the selection of experienced and seasoned individuals for key positions. Unlike in his first term, where Trump faced criticisms for appointing individuals with minimal government experience, his new cabinet nominees boast extensive backgrounds in their respective fields. This includes appointees with a track record of success in government, business, and academia, suggesting a broader and more diverse pool of expertise to draw from.In response to the discovery of this vulnerability, Cisco has swiftly taken action to address the issue. They have released a security advisory detailing the vulnerability and provided guidance on how to mitigate the risk. Additionally, they have released a software update that patches the flaw and strengthens the system's security measures.

SEMICONDUCTOR Manufacturing International Corporation’s (SMIC) stock has more than doubled over the past two months on an expected boost from China’s self-reliance push, even amid risks tied to competition and geopolitical tensions. Shanghai-listed shares of China’s largest outsourced chipmaker are up 120 per cent from a September low, trouncing global sector names including Nvidia and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. The mainland stock has outperformed SMIC’s Hong Kong shares by almost 50 percentage points, underscoring stronger demand from onshore Chinese investors. Expectations for Donald Trump’s presidency have pumped up shares of SMIC and local peers as beneficiaries of China’s drive to localise manufacturing. Some analysts and fund managers caution that the stocks now look expensive, while China’s chip industry faces ongoing issues of economic malaise and restricted access to crucial technologies. “There is a lot of speculative buying and the trading is based on news events instead of fundamentals,” so volatility should be expected, said Xiang Xiaotian, a director at Shanghai Chengzhou Investment Management. “The main trading thesis is domestic substitution as Chinese companies will need to turn to local chipmakers.” China has been outspending other nations on chips as it struggles to narrow the wide technology gap with Western nations. Expected benefits from Beijing’s latest pledges of stimulus have served as an additional catalyst for SMIC and domestic peers including Hua Hong Semiconductor whose onshore shares are up 78 per cent from their September low. SMIC forecast higher-than-expected sales growth for this quarter as its competitive prices lured local chip designers, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. More broadly, China foundries “bottomed out earlier” than other global manufacturers of less-advanced chips, Counterpoint Research wrote in a note in August. Even if demand for these so-called legacy semiconductors used in auto and industrial applications improves, however, China remains far behind in artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced areas due to US-led restrictions that prevent it from acquiring the most advanced manufacturing equipment. For example, Huawei Technologies’s ambitions to create more powerful chips have hit major snags because of US sanctions, sources familiar with the matter said. “Artificial intelligence is a small blessing for SMIC and Hua Hong,” Morningstar analyst Phelix Lee wrote in a report. The pair may not be moving quickly enough to capture demand for high-end power chips used in data centres, he said, adding that if Chinese AI startups lose access to advanced processors that would also hurt demand for peripheral chips supplied by SMIC and Hua Hong. Meanwhile, SMIC’s outsized share-price gain is likely to drive increased scrutiny of its earnings and other metrics. Some observers also note the potential for rivals such as TSMC to lower prices for making legacy chips, putting pressure on SMIC’s pricing power. “We acknowledge the stronger localisation demand and gross margin sustainability of SMIC,” Morgan Stanley analysts including Charlie Chan wrote in a note. “However, we believe the competition from foundries may get more intense in 2025. In addition, SMIC’s trading valuation does not look attractive to us.” The Hong Kong-listed stock is trading at a forward price-to-book ratio of 1.2 times, above its three-year average level of 0.9 times. Valuation based on book value is seen as more useful than earnings-based multiples for evaluating asset-heavy, cyclical businesses such as chip foundries. SMIC and Hua Hong both look overvalued, “as the market may have overestimated the extent of average selling price recovery”, Morningstar’s Lee said. “Also, the market can be overbullish on the impact of fiscal stimulus.” BLOOMBERG

wild casino promo code no deposit NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jacob Ognacevic had 25 points in Lipscomb's 112-54 victory over Division-III Asbury on Sunday night. Ognacevic added 12 rebounds for the Bisons (8-5). Charlie Williams scored 16 points while shooting 7 for 8, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc. Will Pruitt shot 4 for 10, including 2 for 6 from beyond the arc to finish with 10 points. The Eagles were led in scoring by Cameron Jones, who finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Johnathan Combs added 11 points for Asbury. Ben McNew also put up seven points. Lipscomb scored its most points since a 113-74 win over Asbury on Nov. 11, 2023. The Bisons topped the 100-point plateau four times last season. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings were ready to start their postgame ritual in honor of a ninth consecutive victory before realizing Sam Darnold was still missing from the raucous locker room because he was finishing his interview with the TV broadcasting crew. He was well worth the wait, on so many levels. Darnold added another exploit to his career-altering season, passing for a personal-best 377 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings hung on to beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25 on Sunday and moved tantalizingly close to the NFC’s top seed for the playoffs. “Just to see how he’s ultimately been able to maximize everything about his opportunity, our football team loves him for it,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I’ve had an absolute blast coaching him.” The Vikings (14-2) set up a final-week showdown in Detroit for both the NFC North title and the first-round-bye-plus-home-field-advantage package that comes with the best record in the conference, finishing 7-1 at U.S. Bank Stadium where their blitz-fueled defense has fed well off the deafening crowd. “Playing here, our opponents feel that,” said linebacker Blake Cashman, who had a team-leading 11 tackles and 11⁄2 sacks to help keep Packers quarterback Jordan Love from ever finding a rhythm. Darnold hit Jalen Nailor, Jordan Addison and Cam Akers for scores to raise his passing touchdown total to 35, the fourth-most in NFL history by a player in his debut season with a team. When Darnold jogged into the locker room after his interview with, of all people, Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion and now the lead analyst on Fox, he was doused in water by his teammates and hoisted in the air. “It was just mayhem,” Darnold said, smiling wide. “I think I blacked out when Aaron Jones grabbed me and lifted me up.” Love’s only touchdown pass for the Packers (11-5) came with 2:18 left, a 3-yard toss to Malik Heath that trimmed their deficit to two points and reignited the “Go Pack Go!” chants from the green-clad fans mixed in among the purple in another classic edition of this divisional rivalry. Despite another fierce climb out of a gaping hole against Minnesota this season, following a 31-29 loss in Green Bay on Sept. 29 that started with a 28-0 deficit, the Packers fell to a troubling 0-5 against the top three teams in the NFC. “We know what type of team we are,” Love said. “There’s just a lot of stuff to clean up.” The Packers were swept by the Lions, too, and lost their opener in Brazil to the Eagles. “I can’t sit up here and say, ‘Yeah, we’re on the same level,’ if we ain’t beat them,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “We’ve got to be more on our details. We’ve got to play cleaner. We’ve got to start faster.” Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson rushed for second-half touchdowns to fuel the late surge by the Packers after Will Reichard’s second missed field goal of the game for the Vikings with 9:18 remaining prevented them from pushing the lead to 20. But with the score too close for comfort and the Packers holding all their timeouts before the two-minute warning, O’Connell didn’t hesitate to trust Darnold to win it. Darnold ran bootlegs for completions for two vital first downs, one to fullback C.J. Ham and one on third-and-2 that Akers snagged just before it hit the turf to force the Packers to use their final timeout. On the play before that, Darnold hit Justin Jefferson in tight coverage for 9 yards on another rollout. “We can be aggressive, but he’s still going to be a great decision-maker,” O’Connell said. “He’s playing quarterback at a very, very high level.” Darnold went 33 for 43 with one interception as the Vikings ran 70 plays for 441 yards, their second-highest total of the season. He passed Brett Favre (33, Vikings, 2009) and Vinny Testaverde (33, Ravens, 1996) for fourth place in touchdown passes in a debut season. The third overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Jets trails only Matthew Stafford (41, Rams, 2021), Brady (40, Buccaneers, 2020) and Peyton Manning (37, Broncos, 2012). Stafford and Brady won the Super Bowl those years. Manning is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Packers: WR Christian Watson (knee) was inactive. LB Quay Walker (ankle) missed his second straight game and CB Jaire Alexander (knee) was sidelined for the sixth consecutive game and the ninth time this season. ... Two backups, FS Zayne Anderson and DE Brenton Cox, entered the concussion protocol during the game and did not return. Vikings: Jones (quadriceps) was pulled in the fourth quarter as a precaution, O’Connell said. ... OLB Patrick Jones (knee) limped off after Packers TE Tucker Kraft delivered a low, diving block that drew loud boos after the replay was shown on the video board but no penalty. The Packers host Chicago to finish the regular season next weekend, when the Vikings visit Detroit. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Today’s NBA card includes top teams in play. Among the seven games is the Cleveland Cavaliers playing the Golden State Warriors. Info on live coverage of today’s NBA play is available for you. Sign up for NBA League Pass to get access to games, live and on-demand, and more for the entire season and offseason. Watch ESPN originals, The Last Dance and more NBA content on ESPN+. Use our link to sign up for ESPN+ or the Disney bundle. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .Washington Nationals win lottery for No. 1 pick in next amateur baseball draft, Angels No. 2

NoneMavericks hit year-end turbulence with Luka Doncic out with calf strain