online casino free Simmons scores 29 as Gardner-Webb defeats East Carolina 84-79Hennessy Advisors, Inc. Announces Listing Transfer for the Hennessy Stance ESG ETF (STNC) to The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

MALAGA, Spain -- The last man to face — and beat — Rafael Nadal in professional tennis, 80th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp , converted his 10th match point Friday to finally close out a 6-4, 6-7 (12), 6-3 victory over Daniel Altmaier and help the Netherlands reach its first Davis Cup final by sweeping Germany. Tallon Griekspoor, who is ranked 40th, sealed the 2-0 win for the Dutch in the best-of-three-match semifinal by hitting 25 aces and coming back to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4. When it ended, appropriately, on an ace, Griekspoor shut his eyes, dropped to his knees and spread his arms wide. “We have been talking about this for two, three years,” Griekspoor said. “We believed in ourselves so much. We always felt like this was possible. To do it now feels unbelievable.” The other semifinal is Saturday, with No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner and defending champion Italy taking on Australia . The championship will be decided Sunday. “We don’t have that top 5 player. We don’t that top 10 player. We don’t have that top 15 player,” Dutch captain Paul Harhuuis said. “But it’s a team effort. ... So proud of these guys.” In Friday's opener, van de Zandschulp was up a set and just a point away from leading 5-2 in the second when Altmaier began playing more aggressively and interacting more with the German fans, yelling and throwing uppercuts or raising his arms after key points. In the tiebreaker, Altmaier managed to save five match points before converting his own fourth set point to extend the contest. But van de Zandschulp — who upset four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open — quickly moved out front in the final set, even if he eventually needed five more match points in the last game before serving it out. “At some point, I didn’t know what to do any more on the match points,” van de Zandschulp said. “I had the toughest match of my life on Tuesday (against Nadal), so everything that comes next is maybe a little bit easier.” In the quarterfinals, van de Zandschulp outplayed Nadal for a 6-4, 6-4 result that marked the end of the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s career because the Netherlands went on to eliminate Spain 2-1. The 38-year-old Nadal announced last month that the Davis Cup would be his final event before retiring. Presumably because people purchased tickets ahead of time with plans to watch Nadal compete in the semifinals, there were hundreds of unoccupied blue or gray seats surrounding the indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain on Friday. Now truly a neutral site, the place was not nearly as loud and rowdy as on Tuesday, although there were shouts of “Vamos, Rafa!” that drew laughter while van de Zandschulp played the 88th-ranked Altmaier. It took Griekspoor more than 75 minutes and nearly two full sets to figure out how to break No. 43 Struff and then did it twice in a row — to lead 6-5 in the second set, and then go up 1-0 in the third. That was plenty, because Griekspoor saved the only two break points he faced. The Netherlands hadn’t been to the semifinals since 2001. The Germans — whose best current player, two-time major finalist Alexander Zverev, is not on the team in Malaga — have won three Davis Cups, but not since 1993, when 1991 Wimbledon champion Michael Stich led them to the title. ___ AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisTrinity's Owen Schlager, right, shoots for two points over Columbia's Arthur Poindexter during the first quarter of the District 3 Class 3A championship game at the Giant Center. The two-time defending All-Sentinel Player of the Year, Schlager sets sail on a senior season rife with potential. The Siena College commit steered the Shamrocks to a 2023-24 Mid-Penn Capital title and a District 3 Class 3A runner-up result and was awarded a 3A All-State first team nod. Schlager paced Trinity in several statistical categories, including points per game (23.7), rebounds (6.6), assists (2.7) and steals (1.7), and recorded his 1,000th career point. Get local news delivered to your inbox!For the second straight Major League Baseball offseason, a norm-shattering contract has been the talk of the winter , with Juan Soto agreeing with the New York Mets on a $765 million, 15-year deal that's the richest in baseball history. It comes almost exactly one year after the Los Angeles Dodgers forked out a princely sum of $700 million on a 10-year, heavily deferred deal for two-way Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. They are believed to be the two richest contracts in pro sports history. The way it's going, a contract approaching $1 billion doesn't seem out of the question. But several factors are working against it — at least in the near future. There's reason to believe the megadeals for Ohtani and Soto are unicorns in the baseball world. Both players are uniquely talented, surely, but both also had unusual circumstances propelling their value into the stratosphere. Ohtani is the greatest two-way player in baseball history, capable of improving any team on both sides of the ball. He's also the rare baseball player who has true international appeal . His every move ( like his unexpected marriage announcement ) is followed closely in his native Japan, adding another 125 million potential fans who buy merchandise, watch him play and help fill the Dodgers' coffers. Then there's Soto — a four-time All-Star and on-base machine who won a World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The X-factor for him is he became a free agent at the prime age of 26, which is extremely hard to do under current MLB rules. Players have to be in the big leagues for six years before testing free agency. The precocious Soto debuted at 19 with the Nats, making him part of a rare group of players who reached the highest level of professional baseball as a teenager. That accelerated his free agency timeline. It's rare for players to debut that young, and rarer still for them to develop into stars and test the open market the first chance they get. Two recent examples are Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who both reached free agency in 2019. Machado signed a free-agent record $300 million contract with San Diego, and Harper overtook him days later with a $330 million contract to join the Phillies. Most players debut in the big leagues from ages 22 to 26, which means free agency comes in their late 20s or early 30s. A typical example is Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who is one of this generation's great players but didn't hit the market until he was 30. Judge played three seasons of college baseball for Fresno State before getting drafted by the Yankees in 2013 at age 21 — already two years older than Soto was when he made his MLB debut. It took a few years for the budding superstar to reach the majors, and he was 25 when he had his breakout season in 2018, smashing 52 homers to earn AL Rookie of the Year honors. By the time he reached free agency after the 2022 season, he had already passed age 30. It's a major factor that led to him signing a $360 million, nine-year deal with the Yankees, which seems downright reasonable these days after the Ohtani and Soto deals. Two major trends are colliding that will make it harder for guys like Soto to hit free agency in their mid 20s. First, MLB teams have been more likely in recent years to take college players early in the draft, betting on more experienced talents. Just 10 high school players were drafted among the top 30 picks in the 2024 draft . Second, teams are more eager to lock up young, premium talent on long-term deals very early in their careers, well before they hit free agency. Sometimes before they even reach the majors. Since Soto, just two players have debuted in MLB before their 20th birthday — Elvis Luciano and Junior Caminero. Luciano hasn't been back to the majors since his 2019 cup of coffee. Caminero is now 21 and has only played in 50 big league games. Among those that debuted at 20: Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a $340 million, 14-year deal with San Diego in 2021, years before reaching the open market. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio got an $82 million, eight-year deal before even reaching the big leagues. Young stars Corbin Carroll ($111 million, eight years with Arizona), Bobby Witt Jr. ($288 million, 11 years with Kansas City) and Julio Rodriguez ($209.3 million, 12 years with Seattle) also got massive guarantees early in their 20s to forgo an early free agency. The exception and wild card: Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be a 26-year-old free agent next offseason. Guerrero hasn't been as consistent in his young career as Soto, but a standout 2025 season could position him to threaten Soto's deal. More likely is that the player to pass Soto isn't in the majors yet — and might not even be in pro baseball. When 25-year-old Alex Rodriguez signed his record $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in 2001, it took over a decade for another player to match that total, when Albert Pujols got $240 million over 10 years from the Angels in 2012. For many players, passing up life-changing money in their early or mid 20s is too enticing, even if it means that they might not maximize their value on the free agent market later in their careers. Soto was determined to test the market. He famously turned down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals in 2022, betting that he could make even more as a free agent. Not many players would turn down that kind of cash. Then again, that's what makes Soto so unique. And it's also why his $765 million deal could be the industry standard for some time. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

A World Cup across three continents: Climate concerns over Fifa’s 2030 planRUSTON, La. (AP) — Daniel Batcho scored 27 points as Louisiana Tech beat Rust 108-60 on Saturday night. Batcho also had 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs (11-2). Kaden Cooper scored 17 points while going 8 of 10 from the field and added 11 rebounds. Amaree Abram shot 7 for 13, including 3 for 8 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 points, while adding seven rebounds. Jordin Jackson finished with 17 points and five assists for the Bearcats. Isiah McCallum added 13 points for Rust. Jalin Thomas finished with 11 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from . The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA . The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

NEW YORK , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Light & Wonder, Inc. (NASDAQ: LNW) resulting from allegations that Light & Wonder may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. So What: If you purchased Light & Wonder securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action seeking recovery of investor losses. What to do next: To join the prospective class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=29678 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. What is this about: On September 24, 2024 , the Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article entitled "Slot manufacturer scores major win against Las Vegas -based rival." The article stated that "Aristocrat Technologies Inc.'s request for a preliminary injunction in its trade-secret and copyright infringement lawsuit against Light & Wonder" had been granted, and that the "order prohibits [Light & Wonder] from the 'continued or planned sale, leasing, or other commercialization of Dragon Train,' which Aristocrat claims uses intellectual property developed for its Dragon Link and Lightning Link games." On this news, Light & Wonder's common stock fell 19.49% on September 24, 2024 . Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rosen-law-firm-encourages-light--wonder-inc-investors-to-inquire-about-securities-class-action-investigation--lnw-302327948.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.Milan's Via MonteNapoleone usurps New York's Fifth Avenue as world's most upscale shopping street

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.

Shares of electric vehicle (EV) and related stocks Lucid Motors ( LCID 3.33% ) , QuantumScape ( QS 3.68% ) , and Navitas Semiconductor Corporation ( NVTS 14.88% ) rallied today, up 3.3%, 3.7%, and 14.9%, respectively, in Monday's trading. The commonality among all three stocks is their leverage to the EV and clean energy markets. Such stocks have taken a pounding this year, at first because of the big slowdown in EV sales amid higher interest rates. And these stocks took another severe downturn recently after the election of Donald Trump. But with these stocks now trading at severely depressed levels, any positive news was likely to spark a relief rally. And the EV sector got some of that very relief today. California to make up for a lost federal EV tax credit It had been feared by many investors in the EV and renewable energy space that incentives for clean energy under the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act would be repealed by the incoming Trump administration. Notably, a repeal of the federal tax credit for EV purchases could lead to a 30% decline in EV sales, according to a recent paper led by researchers at UC Berkeley. But today, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state would make up the federal EV tax credit, which goes up to $7,500 per purchase, if that federal tax credit is repealed. According to Newsom, the money could come from California's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. That's paid for by polluters under the state's cap-and-trade program. Interestingly, Newsom is proposing market-share restrictions on the potential new state tax credit, which would likely cut Tesla ( TSLA -3.96% ) out of qualifying. Although Tesla's market share has been declining in California, it still accounted for 54.5% of all new EV registrations in the state this year, down from 63% in 2023. The proposal smells of a potential reprisal toward Elon Musk, who has been involved in several public fights with Newsom over the past few years and who was a big donor to President Trump. For its part, the governor's office merely said the restriction was about "creating the market conditions for more of these car makers to take root." A Tesla exclusion has the potential to disproportionately benefit Lucid, which makes high-end EVs that compete with Tesla's Model S and X vehicles. Lucid has been making some progress with its high-end Air sedans and recently launched its Gravity SUV. However, Lucid's sales are still far below its expenses, with massive losses accumulating. In October, Lucid diluted its shareholders again , selling over 600 million shares to Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) even with the stock at multiyear lows. So, it could certainly use California's help. Additionally, QuantumScape is a pre-revenue company aiming to commercialize its solid-state battery technology. That technology would also compete with the lithium-ion batteries used by basically all EV automakers today, including Tesla, which has invested in its own lithium-ion battery technology and production. Finally, Navitas is a small-cap chipmaker that produces silicon carbide and gallium nitride chips for the EV, solar, and data center markets. Perhaps due to its small size and the fact it's down a whopping 65% on the year, its stock rallied the hardest on the prospect of better EV sales. A turnaround or dead-cat bounce? So, is today's EV-related rally the beginning of a turnaround or a dead-cat bounce ? As of now, it's pretty hard to say. The EV market has been in a severe slowdown this year, even with the EV tax credit in place, due to higher interest rates and a post-pandemic hangover. Furthermore, it's difficult to know even if the tax credit will be repealed and what exactly California's remedy will look like. While it's tempting to call a bottom in EV stocks, these three stocks still seem pretty risky due to their loss-making nature. For those willing to gamble on a bottom in the EV market, you might want to look at more profitable stocks in the sector .

Ever since it opened at Disneyland in 1969, the Haunted Mansion has spooked and delighted millions and millions of Disney Parks guests from all over the world. Now, with the Disney Treasure's Haunted Mansion Parlor, there is a brand-new way to experience this beloved attraction while in the middle of the ocean on Disney's newest cruise ship. Welcome, Foolish Mortals The Haunted Mansion Parlor feels like the perfect extension of The Haunted Mansion itself and just screams authenticity. From the iconic ticking clock sound to a floating Madame Leota to eerily familiar paintings that hide dark secrets to hitchhiking ghosts and the always wonderful 'Grim Grinning Ghosts,' there is so much love and care put into every inch of this lounge. However, this isn't just a smaller version of the Haunted Mansion. No, this is its own wonderful place with its own story to tell that shouldn't be missed. "We built our own mythology here because we're on a cruise ship, so we wanted it to have a nautical twist to everything," Danny Handke, senior creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, said. "And we built it all around this Captain character who is currently dead but lives on in this place and even in a portrait in the lounge. "This is the Captain's lounge, and the story is he rescued his bride-to-be who is actually a murderous mermaid you can also meet in the parlor. They get engaged and things start to go wrong and that's where the real Haunted Mansion story comes into play. More of the story is then told in various ways around the space and you have the option to discover it on your own and figure out what the lore is." One of the biggest additions to this lore is the centerpiece of the Haunted Mansion Parlor - an aquarium with ghost fish. While this alone seems like a very cool concept, its history goes way back to when the original Haunted Mansion was being developed. "The Haunted Mansion was worked on and developed for 10 years before it opened in 1969 at Disneyland for the first time and there were so many things that didn't make it in," Daniel Jones, executive illusions & effects development at Walt Disney Imagineering, told me. "So, with love, we looked at all these concepts and what really popped out were the Museum of the Weird elements that Imagineer Rolly Crump had worked on. Most of all however, the team and I agreed the Ghost Fish Aquarium was a must because it's the perfect fit." The Museum of the Weird was set to be a companion walkthrough experience to the Haunted Mansion but it never saw the light of day due in part to Walt's passing. Variations of some of the planned pieces of the museum - from the 'Donald Armchair' near the Endless Hallway to the iconic wallpaper - made it into the Haunted Mansion, and now one more of Crump's designs can be celebrated. While this was an exciting prospect for the team, it also proved to be one of the parlor's most difficult challenges. "The Ghost Fish Aquarium was a call it action to my team and I because a lot of illusions and things that we like to do tend to be in the dark and from one point of view and, as you know, the aquarium is the central piece and can be seen from all sides," Joseph said. "You can look through and see other people behind it. So it is, for all intents and purposes, a real fish tank just like you'd normally have but with ghost fish." Getting this bit of "Disney Magic" came down to the wire as it wasn't quite to the standard of Walt Disney Imagineering until after it was already installed on the ship. The aquarium was mocked up and designed four years beforehand but the team was tweaking it up until the last minute to make it what they all knew it could be. "The aquarium is a great example of typical Disney Magic where there's a lot of technology in it but you don't see any of it or don't even question it," Joseph said. "This thing was mocked up and developed probably four years ago and since then we've been kind of tweaking on and off how it would work and what's in it. And, really to the last minute, we didn't have it fully working to what we all knew it could do until it was on the ship, which is pretty late in our process. "The aquarium is a great example of typical Disney Magic where there's a lot of technology in it but you don't see any of it or don't even question it." Grim Grinning Ghosts Galore While Joseph didn't reveal all the tricks that finally brought the aquarium to the finish line, he and Handke did share how Imagineering made the rest of the parlor feel just as real and believable as the ghost fish are. We spoke previously about the paintings that change before your eyes in the parlor, which are very much in the style of those found in the original Haunted Mansion by Marc Davis, but Imagineering once again went above and beyond to honor the past while paving a new way forward. "What we're really proud of about this paintings is a new technique that we use where you can go right up on top of them, put your face right near it, and it looks and seems like a real painting," Joseph shared. "Just like in a museum, you can go up and see the texture of the art, all the brush strokes, and even the glossiness and the matte finish of the oil paint." This is made even more impressive by the fact that these paintings do change and move, from the captain becoming a skeleton to his bride-to-be showing her true form as that murderous mermaid. However, Imagineering was careful never to go too far and leave what we all expect from the Haunted Mansion behind. In fact, their passion for the attraction is one of the main reasons it feels so authentic. This is perhaps seen best in the mirror behind the bar where we see the hitchhiking ghosts, Madame Leota, and more. One route the team could have taken was to update these characters and use modern-day techniques to bring them to a new audience, but they chose a different path. For the character behind the bar, we elected to go with the original Haunted Mansion animated figures," Joseph said. "So, there's no CGI in that because we wanted it to feel like the original from 1969. Those aren't animated cartoon characters that you can see in a video game, they are very analog looking. So, we took a very high ISO camera with high resolution and filmed a whole bunch of the figures in the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland and then amped up the quality and added glow and all that." I know it's cliche to say, but the Haunted Mansion Parlor truly is a love letter to the original attraction and the incredible people who made it into the iconic attraction it is and always will be. To shine a haunted light on that and bring this story to a close, I want to share one final story from Daniel Joseph that just really proves why this is more than just another lounge. "Another character we all loved from the Museum of the Weird was Rolly Crump's Candleman," Joseph said. "Sadly, Rolly passed away during the development of the Haunted Mansion Parlor and we were all saddened by that and the fact he'd never get to see it completed. "So, we knew we wanted to do a bust in there no matter what just like you'd find in the Haunted Mansion, but we then knew the perfect choice was to make it of Rolly. To make it even more special, one of our team members suggested we do Rolly partially as the Candleman and make sure the side of his head that's melting is next to the fireplace. This was a huge honor and another really detailed thought and the authenticity of the design that follows suit with everything else in the Mansion parlor. For more on the Disney Treasure, check out why The Tale of Moana is one of the best shows I've seen on land or sea and why the Plaza de Coco dining experience was one of the most emotional I've had in quite some time. Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.Biden has pardoned his son Hunter. What does that mean?

Nolan Buzalka, sr., G, Cumberland Valley