cockroach poker game Lily Geiger launched her “zero-proof” aperitif brand, Figlia (Italian for “daughter”), in April 2021 from her family’s Ashley Falls home during the pandemic. The business was motivated by her father’s untimely death in 2016 due to alcoholism and inspired by the Italian culture she immersed herself in for the five months that followed. “The aperitivo hour was a thoughtful ritual, a little something to open the palate and a coming together to enjoy conversation—nothing overdone,” she describes observing while living in Rome. In starting her company, she sought to create a nonalcoholic alternative that had the sophistication of a Campari or Aperol but didn’t try to mimic the taste of alcohol (which can be triggering for those struggling with addiction). She also wanted to open up the conversation around healthy drinking, fostering “moments to remember” rooted in integrity and community without the adverse effects of alcohol—or, as her website puts it, “a modern non-alcoholic beverage that brings everyone to the party.” “We’re still one of the only brands talking about addiction,” Geiger notes. Those conversations happen on Instagram and TikTok, in interviews and podcasts, and on her website via links to Partnership to End Addiction . While the message is clearly sobering, balance is vital to her. “We try to be honest, not too hardcore, to encourage people to become more conscious and intentional in their intake,” she stresses, adding, “The most important question a person can ask is ‘What is healthy for me?’” Four years later, Figlia is thriving—and helping to change the drinking culture. Since we first wrote about Figlia in January 2023 (scroll down for the full original article), Geiger’s product has moved from a regional distribution base of roughly 400 in Massachusetts and New York to, within two years, a national distribution of close to 600 in New York, Texas, and Washington. Geiger attributes much of her success to Community Health Programs (CHP), a “small, loyal community that has actively sought out new vendors with the simple question “Why don’t you carry Figlia?” Figlia expanded into Whole Foods Market in the metro New York area in 2024, followed by Central Market in Texas and Faire in Washington. Figlia’s current distribution represents “a pretty good split between coffee shops and bodegas, grocery stores, specialty stores, and wine and beer spots,” Geiger notes. Sales are strong, thanks to a good sales rep and publicity in some major newspapers and magazines, including Forbes, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Figlia was most recently included in Wirecutter’s Best Nonalcoholic Drinks (December 2024). Despite the growth, Figlia is still run by a three-woman team—Geiger (who is based in New York City and “pretty much involved in everything”), Riley Johansson (digital marketing, based in Miami), and Vivien Brown (sales and operations, based in San Francisco). “We’re trying to grow organically and regionally as well as get into bigger retailers and chains while demo-ing to ensure we can manage the conversation,” Geiger maintains. Figlia is now available in restaurants in New York and California but is looking to expand gradually to other states. “I want to keep our operation sustainable, with a limited amount of production (still only in Utah) to keep the quality high,” she states. Even more exciting, Figlia is developing a new flavor—with the help of a Brooklyn-based team—which will launch this spring. “We’re using customer feedback about what they’d like to see next as well, and what they don’t like about Figlia currently, to fine-tune the recipe,” Geiger explains. That feedback has come via emails, surveys, media pitches, and social media comments. She’s likely also consulting with her chef friend, who recommended adding clove to the rose and bitter orange in Fiore, her original flavor. “This will be a big year for non-alcoholic brands,” she predicts. “The space is only growing as more research comes out showing that no amount of alcohol is actually good for you.” [Editor’s note: The following Spotlight was initially published on January 16, 2023. We are rerunning it now with the update above to coincide with the increasing popularity of non-alcoholic drinks and the growing trend toward Dry January and then Sober October.] “So I decided to create Figlia for those who are going zero proof, for whatever reason. To create an active community and a place for fun. The type of dinner table that always has an open seat for all experiences and stories. Where no one is an outsider and there is something special to sip for all...” —Lily Geiger, Founder & CEO, Figlia According to Mental Floss , there is good precedent for people being creative and productive beyond their usual capacity during a quarantine. Shakespeare wrote “ King Lear”, Isaac Newton developed his theory of gravity, and Edvard Munch painted his “Self-Portrait with the Spanish Flu”—all during pandemic periods. Lily Geiger, who was living in Los Angeles pre-COVID, moved to her mom’s house in Ashley Falls during the lockdown of August 2020 and started working on an idea she had for a new non-alcoholic beverage. By September, she had an LLC, and in April 2021 she launched Figlia, a non-alcoholic aperitivo, making $13,000 in her first week. Geiger was born and raised in New York City. After graduating from Wake Forest University, she moved to L.A. and worked in brand marketing at Beautycounter, followed by a job at a small boutique retail consulting agency, gaining experience with brands like Summer Fridays, APL, and Heyday. She was 24 (and living in the Berkshires) when she first conceptualized the Figlia product and then developed it with the help of RoAndCo, a design-focused branding agency based in L.A. They met over Zoom and shipped samples back and forth. At the age of 25, she launched the brand with one flavor—Fiore (Italian for flower ), made with rose, bitter orange, and clove—that is now sold in 400 locations throughout the U.S. and has been featured in The New York Times , Vogue , and GQ (to name just a few publications). “I’ve always felt inspired to do something that meant something to me,” Geiger states. “When I asked myself what I was passionate about, this was the idea that stayed with me.” Geiger grew up with an alcoholic father and knew from a young age that her family was different. “There was a lot of embarrassment and shame.” Growing up in Manhattan, she also observed “an accelerated rate of drinking”— how social settings tended to revolve around alcohol. While in college, she began to think about how the habits kids started to foster during those years were carried into adult life. A few years later, Geiger noted the increase in drinking habits and alcohol sales during the pandemic. “Everyone was bored during COVID and wanted some rituals to help them get through it. Drinking was one of them.” She used 2020 as a time to re-evaluate her own drinking habits, to notice how she felt waking up after drinking the night before. “I wanted to find a nightly ritual that didn’t make me feel bad and also tasted great.” The non-alcoholic options offered at most restaurants and events felt juvenile and demeaning. “Being the one drinking a soda when everyone else has a glass of wine can separate you from the conversation and the people you’re with,” Geiger explains. “I wanted to provide something up to the caliber of what everyone else was drinking—something sophisticated, with an edge, that was meant to be savored. There wasn’t anything like that out there.” She’s not alone in that thinking—besides proponents of Dry January and Sober October movements, plenty of folks are interested in foregoing booze these days, and Geiger is eager to tap that audience. “There’s a wide range of people who want non-alcoholic options,” she notes, “and for lots of different reasons.” Whether you’re pregnant, struggle with addiction, have a medical or health condition, or the usual drinks just aren’t working for you, Figlia offers a fresh, new alternative to change things up. The zero-proof elixir helps you create “sophisticated drinks meant for memorable, leisurely moments.” It’s for “sipping with intention. Not for hangovers” (per the website). Based on her past jobs, Geiger had some confidence when thinking about starting her own business. But with no experience in food and beverages, she relied heavily on doing her homework. She stresses, “To be successful, you have to do a ton of research, but then it’s about trusting yourself and keeping going.” She credits her creative team at RoAndCo with helping her create her brand (images, colors, mood) and her copywriter with helping her develop her story and identify keywords to guide the marketing. “I’m all bootstraps, no investors—yet,” Geiger says. But considering the fact that she launched with only an Instagram account ( @drinkfiglia ) and website ( drinkfiglia.com ), those straps have proven to be pretty strong. “My own community expanded to all of these other communities,” she says. “We’ve broken our sales record for the past four consecutive months, and that’s with no paid magazine ads, just some ads on social media.” And as for investors, can we take the “yet” as a clue to future financing? “Definitely. I want to scale alongside our competitors in a healthy way,” she smiles. With one full-time employee and one part-time contractor, it’s still a small enough operation that you might wonder how Geiger keeps up with the increasing demand. “I just work more,” she answers. “Everyone I work with, I went to college with. We’re all women and we enjoy working together. We know who we are as a company and have a stance that won’t be easily changed.” What sets Fiore apart? The taste, for one, which isn’t meant to mimic wine or other spirits the way many nonalcoholic products do. The description: “ Fiore bottles the lushness of Italian gardens and the energy of sidewalk dinners in New York City. It is an ode to the spritz, a token of leisure and a reminder to take your time...We recommend Fiore poured over ice, adorned with an orange peel.” The bright red color. The beautiful bottle. The name ( Figlia means daughter in Italian), a nod to her inspiration in creating it and the culture the drink comes from. The way it is produced in Utah—the only place that could do the special hot-fill process Figlia requires (sterilizing with heat and then hand-closing it). And the fact that they don’t use any serotonin-altering ingredients (which people on antidepressants need to avoid). Beyond creating a beverage, Geiger is committed to encouraging people to have honest and inclusive conversations around alcohol consumption. “Figlia aims to better support our best selves, our community, and our planet,” the website explains. “But we can’t do it alone. That is why we support non-profits who are working diligently to help end addiction and support the environment.” One such nonprofit is the Partnership to End Addiction (committed to empowering families through a unique public health approach to addressing addiction, rooted in science and compassion). Figlia calls this act “sipping for good.” The business also donates to local New York City-based nonprofit environmental organizations through 1% for the Planet . So for everyone out there who is finding it hard to get through dry January (or dry forever), hang in there. Help is on the shelves, or you can order online. Try something new that promises to give you “all the glam, without the regrets.” Who knows? Maybe Fiore will become your new nightly ritual, too—and your drink of choice “for all the moments you want to remember.”

Photo: The Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question from the opposition during Question Period, Dec. 11, 2024 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld Billionaire Elon Musk called Canada's prime minister an "insufferable tool" on his social media platform today. Musk's comments were in response to Justin Trudeau likening Kamala Harris's defeat in the U.S. presidential election to an attack on women's rights and progress. This afternoon, Trudeau met with provincial and territorial premiers to discuss Canada's approach to negotiations with the U.S. Canada is facing a threat of a 25 per cent tariff hike from incoming president Donald Trump, who defeated Harris in the November election. Earlier this week, Trump taunted Trudeau on social media, referring to the prime minister as the governor of what he called the "Great State of Canada." The post was an apparent reference to a joke Trump cracked at his dinner with Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago estate nearly two weeks ago, where the president-elect teased that Canada could join the U.S. as its 51st state. Speaking on Tuesday night at an event hosted by the Equal Voice Foundation — an organization dedicated to improving gender representation in Canadian politics — Trudeau said there are regressive forces fighting against women's progress. "It shouldn't be that way. It wasn't supposed to be that way. We were supposed to be on a steady, if difficult sometimes, march towards progress," Trudeau said, adding he is a proud feminist and will always be an ally. "And yet, just a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president. Everywhere, women's rights and women's progress is under attack. Overtly, and subtly." In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk responded to a clip of Trudeau's remarks, saying, "He’s such an insufferable tool. Won't be in power for much longer." He’s such an insufferable tool. Won’t be in power for much longer. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 20242025 could be a busy year for young people in Burk’s Falls. Several Burk’s Falls residents, including parents, have created a youth centre proposal designed for 12- to 18-year-olds. Barry Burton of nearby Ryerson Township proposed the concept at the Burk’s Falls Dec. 17 meeting and received positive responses. According to the 2021 census, 20 per cent of Burk’s Falls population was made up of people under 20, and Burton says that the youth population has increased since that time. Burton adds that according to a Government of Canada State of Youth Report from 2021, many young people face issues like cyber bullying, social exclusion and mental health challenges. He adds the “numbers are staggering” because we have 53 per cent of young people aged 15 to 18 who struggle with depression and mental health. “And suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people in Canada,” Burton told town council. The proposed Burk’s Falls Youth Centre would be drug-free and bully-free and provide a safe environment. Burton says with the help from guest speakers and instructors, the centre would provide guidance and mentorship and leadership skills and explain the dangers of substance abuse. At the same time, the young people would be exposed to various programs, including the arts, music and technology, and learn the value of cooking one’s own meals. Burton is no stranger to helping to start a youth centre. In 2014, he was the deputy mayor of Clearview Township near Barrie, which includes the rural community of Stayner. Burton told Almaguin News Stayner “is very similar to Burk’s Falls” and there wasn’t much for young people to do. During an all-candidates debate in 2014, the people running for town council were asked by young people what their plan was for the youth of the township. Once elected, Burton and council set out to create the Stayner Youth Centre and raised $100,000 in three months, including $20,000 from the United Way, in addition to corporate grants and money from all three government levels. “We started with 12 young people coming in on a regular basis five days a week and now there are more than 200 youth who are part of the centre,” Burton said. Burton left Clearview Township two years ago for Ryerson Township in the Almaguin Highlands. He was at a local historical society meeting in 2023 when people began talking about the lack of things for young people to do. Burton told the group he could help thanks to his recent experience in Stayner. During 2023 and into 2024, parents and adults interested in ensuring young people have things to do began meeting, and the ad hoc group was formed. One of those parents who is part of the group is Mary Thomson, who has 10- and 12-year-old boys and also lives in Ryerson. “They’re excited,” Thomson said about her boys’ reaction upon learning there might soon be a youth centre in Burk’s Falls. “There are no hubs for them. They can just go to their friends’ homes.” Thomson understands what her sons experience because she grew up in Burk’s Falls and also faced the age-old question of what to do in a small, rural community. “It could be boring and you would get into trouble,” Thomson said, adding she wasn’t one of the trouble makers. Corinne Penstone is a Burk’s Falls mother with twin 12-year-old boys and a seven-year-old daughter. Penstone says one thing the group wants to do is go into the schools and ask the students themselves what they need. “We want to involve them in this,” Penstone said. “My boys are pumped that we care about what they want.” Penstone adds that assuming the youth centre becomes reality, the committee would like to see some of the students become volunteers and act as the bridge between the committee and the young people at the centre. Burton says the local group has created a $93,030 budget, with $18,000 of that paying for rent and a further $43,680 covering the salary of a youth engagement co-ordinator. Volunteers would help the co-ordinator. The group has looked at three sites in downtown Burk’s Falls, but has made no commitments. Burton doesn’t find the task of raising close to $100,000 daunting. “I have experience getting this kind of thing off the ground,” he said. “It’s a lot of work, but we have a great committee that is ready to go.” Burton says $3,200 is already in place “and we haven’t even started yet.” Burton says there are federal, provincial and corporate grants available, and one simply has to know how to go about accessing those funds. What he and the committee are requesting of the council is that the youth centre group become a committee of council. “This opens the doors to municipal resources for us,” he said. Burton said the committee could apply to become a non-profit organization, but the paperwork to launch and maintain that status eats up money that could be applied to the youth centre. As a committee of council, Burton explained, the mechanism already exists for the municipality to provide donation receipts to people and businesses who contribute to the centre. During the school year, the centre would operate weekdays from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Burton says a different format would be needed if the facility is also open on weekends and during the summers. Burton says the group has been asked to draw up terms of reference for council’s consideration and formally elect officers as council members discuss his request for the group to become a committee of council. Burton says he’s optimistic that council will agree to the request, and that word of that agreement could come early in the new year. Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with Almaguin News. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistani police arrested thousands of Imran Khan supporters ahead of a rally in the capital to demand the ex-premier’s release from prison, a security officer said Sunday. Khan has been behind bars for more than a year and has over 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf or PTI, says the cases are politically motivated. Shahid Nawaz, a security officer in eastern Punjab province, said police have arrested more than 4,000 Khan supporters. They include five parliamentarians. Pakistan has sealed off Islamabad with shipping containers and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with PTI strongholds in Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Tit-for-tat teargas shelling between the police and the PTI was reported on the highway bordering Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns.” The government and Interior Ministry posted the announcement on the social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the areas, nor did they say how long the suspension would be in place. “Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said. Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “a reliable landline service” as a workaround in the areas suffering suspended cellphone service. Khan's supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release and use messaging platforms like WhatsApp to share information, including details of events. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan's wife Bushra Bibi was traveling to Islamabad in a convoy led by the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur. “She cannot leave the party workers on their own,” said Akram. There was a festive mood in Peshawar, with PTI members dancing, drumming and holding up pictures of Khan as cars set off for Islamabad. The government is imposing social media platform bans and targeting VPN services , according to internet advocacy group Netblocks. On Sunday, the group said live metrics showed problems with WhatsApp that were affecting media sharing on the app. The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert for Americans in the capital, encouraging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.” Last month, authorities suspended the cellphone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to thwart a pro-Khan rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected everyday services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery. The latest crackdown comes on the eve of a visit by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko . Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said authorities have sealed off Islamabad's Red Zone, which houses key government buildings and is the destination for Khan's supporters. “Anyone reaching it will be arrested,” Naqvi told a press conference. He said the security measures were in place to protect residents and property, blaming the PTI for inconveniencing people and businesses. He added that protesters were planning to take the same route as the Belarusian delegation, but that the government had headed off this scenario. Naqvi denied cellphone services were suspended and said only mobile data was affected. Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar and Asim Tanveer in Multan contributed to this report.Shyam Benegal, Zakir Hussain, Pankaj Udhas, Rohit Bal: 10 Most shocking celebrity deaths of 2024

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Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Beaten-up mining stocks are among the last-minute purchases for Australian fund managers as the year draws to a close and investors scour the market for bargain buys among recent poor performers. The final few months of 2024 have been volatile for the Australian sharemarket. It rose substantially in November following a bullish market reception to Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, only for the S & P/ASX 200 Index to retreat as much as 4 per cent in December. Copy link Copied Copy link Copied Subscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Already a subscriber? Login Introducing your Newsfeed Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. Latest In Equity markets Fetching latest articles Most Viewed In MarketsRussia missile suspected in Azerbaijani plane crash, Moscow warns against 'hypotheses'

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It’s not hard to understand the value tight end Josh Oliver brings to the Vikings. ADVERTISEMENT Just listen to the way people talk about him. “He’s an animal,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “Once he gets his hands on somebody, it’s kind of like, ‘Good luck.'” It was similar sentiment from offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “He’s the best blocking tight end in the league, and that’s no disrespect to anybody else,” Phillips said. “We will take Josh over anybody in this league in the role that he’s in. It’s not only that he’s physically imposing as a 270-pound man. It’s the attitude that he plays with out there.” ADVERTISEMENT What are the Vikings losing now that Oliver has been ruled out with an ankle injury? His absence will be felt most when the Vikings try to run the ball against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Though he has proved he can contribute in the passing game, Oliver has been a force in the running game since signing with the Vikings. There have been multiple times this season that Oliver had singlehandedly carved out space for running back Aaron Jones to go to work. That’s partially why Hockenson has played only about 50% of the offensive snaps since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament a few weeks ago. Even if the Vikings are often telegraphing a run when Oliver is on the field, they don’t care because they feel that strongly about his ability as a blocker. “You see it every single week,” Phillips said. “He’s moving large men and putting them on the ground.” ADVERTISEMENT It’s safe to assume Oliver would suit up for the Vikings if he were able to do so. He’s been playing through a wrist injury for the past few weeks, for example, and has still been extremely effective at the point of attack. How tough is it to replace Oliver in a vacuum? “It’s a big challenge because of all the things he does on a snap in and snap out basis,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We will see some guys make some impacts on some different downs and distances than we have maybe seen up to this point.” ADVERTISEMENT The only other players on the injury report for the Vikings are tight end Nick Muse (hand) and edge rusher Gabe Murphy (knee). Both players were officially listed as questionable and being full participants in the walkthrough on Friday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .7-Eleven battle shows resilience of Japan Inc’s family ties

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