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Asia Capital denies alleged takeover offer move by MAC HoldingsA butterfly collector in Africa with more than 4.2 million seeks to share them for the future NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa’s largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya’s capital. Steve Collins has a collection of 4.2 million butterflies representing hundreds of species. Now, running out of space and time, he hopes to hand it over to the next generation. One expert familiar with Collins and his work suggests that the collection should be digitized for global access. Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen returns to a tournament after a dispute over jeans is resolved NEW YORK (AP) — Top ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday. That's after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans. The International Chess Federation president said in a statement Sunday that he’d let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, as well as other "minor deviations” from the dress code. Carlsen quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships on Friday. He said Sunday he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship. 'Sonic 3' and 'Mufasa' battle for No. 1 at the holiday box office Two family films are dominating the holiday box office, with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” winning the three-day weekend over “Mufasa” by a blue hair. According to studio estimates Sunday, the Sonic movie earned $38 million, while “Mufasa” brought in $37.1 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada. The R-rated horror “Nosferatu” placed third with an unexpectedly strong $21.2 million. Thanksgiving release holdovers “Wicked” and “Moana 2” rounded out the top five. Christmas Day had several big film openings, including the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” the Nicole Kidman erotic drama “Babygirl” and the boxing drama “The Fire Inside.” Charles Shyer, ‘Father of the Bride’ and ‘Baby Boom’ filmmaker, dies at 83 An Oscar-nominated writer and filmmaker known for classic comedies like “Private Benjamin,” “Baby Boom” and “Father of the Bride," Charles Shyer has died. He was 83. On Sunday his daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer told The Associated Press that he died Friday in Los Angeles. No cause was disclosed. Born in Los Angeles in 1941 to a filmmaker father, Shyer's big breakthrough came with co-writing “Private Benjamin” for which he and Nancy Meyers received an Oscar nomination. He and Nancy Meyers were frequent collaborators through their nearly 20-year marriage, including on the remake of “The Parent Trap," starring Lindsay Lohan. LeBron James at 40: A milestone birthday arrives Monday for the NBA's all-time scoring leader When LeBron James broke another NBA record earlier this month, the one for most regular-season minutes played in a career, his Los Angeles Lakers teammates handled the moment in typical locker room fashion. They made fun of him. Dubbed The Kid from Akron, with a limitless future, James is now the 40-year-old from Los Angeles with wisps of gray in his beard, his milestone birthday coming Monday, one that will make him the first player in NBA history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. He has stood and excelled in the spotlight his entire career. Belgium will ban sales of disposable e-cigarettes in a first for the EU BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium will ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes as of Jan. 1 on health and environmental grounds in a groundbreaking move for European Union nations. Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke tells The Associated Press that the inexpensive e-cigarettes have turned into a health threat since they are an easy way for teenagers to be drawn into smoking and get hooked on nicotine. Australia outlawed the sale of “vapes” outside pharmacies earlier this year in some of the world’s toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes. Now Belgium is leading the EU drive. Belgium's minister wants tougher tobacco measures in the 27-nation bloc. Charles Dolan, HBO and Cablevision founder, dies at 98 Charles F. Dolan, who founded some of the most prominent U.S. media companies including Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at age 98. Newsday reports that a statement issued Saturday by his family says Dolan died of natural causes. Dolan’s legacy in cable broadcasting includes founding HBO in 1972, Cablevision in 1973 and the American Movie Classics television station in 1984. He also launched News 12 in New York City, the first U.S. 24-hour cable channel for local news. Dolan also held controlling stakes in companies that owned Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the New York Knicks and New York Rangers sports franchises. Snoop's game: Snoop Dogg thrills the crowd in the bowl that bears his name TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Miami of Ohio beat Colorado State in the Arizona Bowl, but Snoop Dogg was the main attraction. The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl presented by Gin & Juice by Dre and Snoop was much a spectacle as a football game. Snoop Dogg seemed to be everywhere all at once, from a pregame tailgate to the postgame trophy presentation. Snoop Dog donned a headset on Colorado State's sideline, spent some time in the broadcast and even led both marching bands as conductor during their halftime performance. Snoop Dogg saved the best for last, rolling out in a light green, lowrider Chevy Impala with gold rims and accents, the shiny Arizona Bowl trophy in his hand as fans screamed his name. Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. The star guard’s business manager tells multiple media outlets there was a break-in at Doncic’s home Friday night. Lara Beth Seager says nobody was home, and Doncic filed a police report. The Dallas Morning News reports that jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen. Doncic is the sixth known pro athlete in the U.S. whose home was burglarized since October. Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati are among them. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to players over the break-ins. Victor Wembanyama plays 1-on-1 chess with fans in New York Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. And people began showing up almost immediately.

Colombians Rally Against Petro's Controversial Reforms( ) stock saw a positive improvement to its on Tuesday, with an increase from 69 to 74. IBD's proprietary rating identifies market leadership with a 1 (worst) to 99 (best) score. The score shows how a stock's price performance over the last 52 weeks holds up against all the other stocks in our database. Over 100 years of market history reveals that the market's biggest winners tend to have an RS Rating of at least 80 as they launch their largest price moves. See if Dell Technologies stock can continue to show renewed price strength and clear that threshold. Is Dell Technologies Stock A Buy? Dell Technologies stock has been trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages. The tech stock is not in a proper buying range. See if the stock forms a new pattern or follow-on buying opportunity like a or pullback to the 50-day or 10-week moving average. In terms of fundamentals, the company has posted two quarters of rising earnings growth. Sales gains have also increased during the same period. Dell Technologies stock holds the No. 6 rank among its peers in the Computer-Hardware/Peripherals industry group. ( ), ( ) and ( ) are among the top 5 highly rated stocks within the group.

Women and LGBTQ+ people take up guns after Trump’s win: ‘We need to protect ourselves’Chandigarh, Dec 25 (PTI) Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya on Wednesday said information technology is the most effective means of ensuring transparency, implementing good governance and curbing corruption. He was speaking at the Good Governance Day event organised at LNJP Hospital, Kurukshetra on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Before addressing the event, the governor paid floral tributes to Vajpayee, distributed fruits to patients and extended greetings of the Good Governance Day to the people of the state. He formally inaugurated the Good Governance Day programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp. During the event, he interacted with patients, exchanged views with hospital doctors and staff. Dattatreya noted that the state government is organising programmes in every district on Good Governance Day to reinforce the principles of governance. Reflecting on Vajpayee’s legacy, he remarked that the former prime minister dedicated his entire life to society, working tirelessly for the country’s progress through inclusive development. Vajpayee was a true patriot who selflessly served the nation and his birth anniversary is now celebrated across the country as the Good Governance Day, said Dattatreya, while emphasising the need for the younger generation to draw inspiration from the leader’s exemplary life. The governor further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the path shown by Vajpayee, has implemented welfare-oriented policies aimed at eradicating poverty and ensuring holistic development. These initiatives have been coupled with governance reforms and the introduction of Digital India to make such schemes accessible to every citizen, he said. The governor also extended Christmas greetings to the people. PTI SUN KSS KSS This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

Grok Academy, the coding academy formerly led by disgraced chief executive James Curran, has avoided being shut down and will undergo a cultural overhaul after being acquired by a social impact charity. More than 200,000 students nationally went through Grok Academy’s coding classes last year, and more than 1 million students have used its learning platform to date. James Curran, Grok Academy boss and National Computer Science School director. Credit: Matt Davidson The non-profit was plunged into turmoil this year, however, when its boss James Curran resigned after multiple allegations of harassment were substantiated by an independent investigator. This masthead spoke to nine women who allege Curran sent them inappropriate messages, in many instances while they were high school students, in allegations that span 10 years. For each of the women, Curran represented a powerful, influential mentor figure who promised to help them with their careers, but then abused their trust by making sexualised comments – and in some cases, inappropriate touching – during a game he called “jungle speed”. Curran has apologised and told this masthead he was “deeply sorry” for his actions. As the allegations came to light, as many as 80 of Grok’s 100 permanent staff were made redundant, and half of its board, chaired by former University of Technology Sydney deputy vice-chancellor Shirley Alexander, resigned. Grok Academy was funded in part by the billionaire former chief executive of Australian software company WiseTech Global Richard White, who personally donated more than $2 million to the non-profit. White had championed Curran as a “superb educator” who was “incredibly powerful in delivering tech education”. White resigned as WiseTech chief executive in October following an aborted court case against an ex-lover and allegations published by this masthead of inappropriate conduct. Grok had also landed partnerships with universities and large companies, including ANZ, CBA, NAB, Westpac and Amazon, some of whom withdrew their funding after the allegations against Curran were revealed. However, Grok has been thrown a lifeline after being acquired by Adelaide-based social impact charity KIK Innovation, which runs major IT school network 42 Adelaide. KIK Innovation CEO Louise Nobes. Credit: KIK chief executive Louise Nobes told this masthead she first heard about Grok Academy’s issues when travelling in Britain. “In discussions with my board, we thought we could help, given that we have an experienced female CEO and founder, charity status, and deep skills in tech education,” Nobes said. “I reached out and the discussion soon turned to the need for a new home for the high-school tech education platform, as it was becoming obvious that Grok would have to shut down, as it would be unlikely to receive further partnerships or donations. “Luckily, the Grok constitution had a mechanism that allowed Grok to gift the IP to another similar non-for-profit to enable the charity’s purpose to continue.” Nobes said she would lead a cultural shift at the organisation. She said KIK made offers of employment to a “small number of previous Grok employees who have the knowledge, skills and expertise needed to ensure a successful transition of the platform to KIK”. KIK Innovation’s most recent financial statement filed with the charity regulator showed it had nine employees as of January and had pulled in just over $2 million in revenue for the prior financial year. “Our immediate plan is to ensure that the schools, teachers and the more than 1 million students who have used Grok Academy continue to have access to the same great platform and resources. Ensuring continuity of access is our No. 1 priority,” Nobes said. “As a female founder and CEO, ensuring that all participants including women and girls feel safe and heard in their interactions and have access to the same opportunities is of the utmost importance to me, as is fostering a culture of trust, respect and safety within KIK. “We are proudly a team of majority women, and with KIK being the new home of Grok Academy, a culture shift will be inevitable as it has a new home and CEO, and each of the team that has transitioned to KIK has been made familiar with our principles and their obligations to KIK and the students.” The cultural issues at Grok Academy were related to a single person, and were not systemic, Nobes said. “We’re proud to be the new home of the fantastic high-school tech education platform, and I am excited to see the impact we can achieve together.” The news was welcomed by some of the young women who alleged Curran sent them inappropriate messages. “I’m happy that the Grok platform will live on,” one whistleblower, Stephanie*, told this masthead. Stephanie, a former Grok employee, alleged instances of inappropriate touching and messages from Curran. According to Stephanie, over a period of months, Curran would frequently message late at night and ask questions about her sexual history and preferences, including references to masturbation. “A lot of good people put a lot of good, hard work into making it what it is, despite the harassment and cultural issues they faced from James Curran, personally and through his leadership,” she told this masthead. “There will be a lot of people out there who are happy that their work is living on because the impact we made isn’t something that can be taken away by what this man did.” *Name changed to protect whistleblower’s identity. Get news and reviews on technology, gadgets and gaming in our Technology newsletter every Friday . 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In recent years, Carter had received various hospital treatments, including when he revealed in August 2015 that he had brain cancer and was undergoing radiation treatment — an illness he recovered from, seemingly against the odds. In addition to being president, the 100-year-old was a U.S. Navy submarine officer, a farmer, a diplomat, a Nobel laureate, a Sunday school teacher and one of the world’s most well-known humanitarians. Carter won the presidency in 1976, following the Nixon and Ford administrations, at a time of grave political and social tumult not unlike our own. During his tenure, the Democrat prioritized human rights and social justice , enjoying a solid first two years, which included brokering a peace deal between Israel and Egypt dubbed the Camp David Accords . But his administration hit numerous snags — the most serious being the taking of U.S. hostages in Iran and the disastrous failed attempt to rescue the 52 captive Americans in 1980 . The blowback from the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics , held in the former Soviet Union in response to that country’s invasion of Afghanistan, may have also hurt Carter. Richard Moe, who served from 1977 to 1981 as chief of staff to Vice President Walter Mondale, offered an alternative view of Carter’s presidency in 2015 , citing numerous achievements. “ As worthy as Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency has been, it shouldn’t overshadow his time in office, which has been too often overlooked, and which stands in sharp contrast to what we see in the [ Trump administration],” Moe said. In November 1980, Republican challenger Ronald Reagan beat Carter, relegating him to a single term of office on a wave of staunch conservatism. “We told the truth, we obeyed the law, and we kept the peace,” said Vice President Walter Mondale at the end of Carter’s term . In the introduction of his 2015 book, A Full Life , Carter repeated the Mondale quote, adding, “We championed human rights.” As the years passed, a more nuanced image of Carter emerged, taking into account his post-presidential activities and reassessing his achievements. He founded the Carter Center in 1982 to pursue his vision of world diplomacy and received the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote social and economic justice. Carter said basic Christian tenets such as justice and love served as the bedrock of his presidency, and the ex-president taught Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist, his church in Plains, well into his 90s. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who is also a senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King, Jr. preached, wished the Carter family comfort as the former president entered hospice. "Across life's seasons, President Jimmy Carter, a man of great faith, has walked with God," Warnock tweeted. "In this tender time of transitioning, God is surely walking with him." Both Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter made plans to be buried at their family home in Plains , near “a willow tree at the pond’s edge, on a gentle sloping lawn, where they will be buried in graves marked by simple stones.” The Carters’ property has already been deeded to the National Park Service. With additional reporting from AFP.Pay first, deliver later: Some women are being asked to prepay for their baby

Elon Musk has come out in support of Poornima Ramarao, mother of Suchir Balaji, the Indian-origin techie and a former employee of OpenAI, who was found dead at his apartment in San Francisco. In a post on the social media platform X, Musk posed a question on the official suicide ruling which resonated with Ramarao's version of foul play. Aged 26, prior to his demise, Balaji had accused ChatGPT-maker OpenAI of violating copyright privileges. Although the local authorities and medical reports ruled out foul play, Ramarao has urged the FBI to investigate regarding the struggle in her son's apartment and inconsistencies in what became of the official autopsy findings. Doubts Over Official Reports The San Francisco police department stated that their initial investigation found no signs of foul play in Balaji’s death. However, Poornima Ramarao, determined to uncover the truth, hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy. According to her, the private findings contradict the police’s conclusion. She shared on X that Balaji’s apartment appeared ransacked, with evidence of a struggle in the bathroom, including bloodstains. “This is not suicide; it’s a cold-blooded murder,” she alleged in a post that caught Elon Musk’s attention. Musk’s Reaction Responding to Ramarao’s claims, Musk commented, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide,” amplifying the growing skepticism surrounding Balaji’s death. The billionaire’s statement has fueled public interest and calls for a thorough investigation. Musk’s involvement adds weight to the concerns raised by Ramarao, who has demanded that federal agencies step in to reexamine the case. Whistleblower’s Concerns About AI Before his untimely death, Suchir Balaji was a prominent voice against the misuse of AI. In an interview with The New York Times, he accused OpenAI of unlawfully using copyrighted data and expressed concerns that technologies like ChatGPT were causing more harm than good. Balaji left OpenAI after nearly four years, stating he could no longer support a technology he believed posed risks to humanity. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Technology Science and around the world.

Germany is to vote in an early election on February 23 after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party governing coalition collapsed last month in a dispute over how to revitalise the country’s stagnant economy. Mr Musk’s guest opinion piece for Welt am Sonntag – a sister publication of Politico owned by the Axel Springer Group – published in German over the weekend, was the second time this month that he has supported the Alternative for Germany, or AfD. “The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the last spark of hope for this country,” he wrote in his translated commentary. He went on to say that the far-right party “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality”. The Tesla Motors chief executive also wrote that his investment in Germany gives him the right to comment on the country’s condition. The AfD is polling strongly, but its candidate for the top job, Alice Weidel, has no realistic chance of becoming chancellor because other parties refuse to work with the far-right party. Billionaire Mr Musk, an ally of US President-elect Donald Trump, challenged in his opinion piece the party’s public image. “The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Mr Musk’s commentary has led to a debate in German media over the boundaries of free speech, with the paper’s own opinion editor announcing her resignation, pointedly on Mr Musk’s social media platform, X. Eva Marie Kogel wrote: “I always enjoyed leading the opinion section of WELT and WAMS. Today an article by Elon Musk appeared in Welt am Sonntag. I handed in my resignation yesterday after it went to print.” A critical article by the future editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Jan Philipp Burgard, accompanied Mr Musk’s opinion piece. “Musk’s diagnosis is correct, but his therapeutic approach, that only the AfD can save Germany, is fatally wrong,” he wrote. Responding to a request for comment from the German Press Agency, dpa, the current editor-in-chief of the Welt group, Ulf Poschardt, and Mr Burgard – who is due to take over on January 1 – said in a joint statement that the discussion over Mr Musk’s piece was “very insightful. Democracy and journalism thrive on freedom of expression.” “This will continue to determine the compass of the ‘world’ in the future. We will develop ‘Die Welt’ even more decisively as a forum for such debates,” they wrote to dpa.T he misogyny and anti-trans rhetoric that were hallmarks of the 2024 election campaign have seemingly ramped up since Donald Trump ’s win, prompting some women, queer and trans people to respond by buying guns – and learning how to defend themselves from potential attackers. The Guardian spoke to various Americans from marginalized groups taking firearms classes, arming themselves with stun guns and pepper spray and taking their friends shooting in an effort to protect themselves from bigots they fear will be emboldened by the president-elect’s return to power. A few left-leaning gun clubs say their numbers are increasing dramatically. “I am thinking about carrying every day,” said Ashley Parten, 38, a Douglasville, Georgia, resident who purchased stun guns for herself, her daughter and three nieces after the election. Parten, who is Black and bisexual, is also eyeing a maroon handgun that she plans on buying after taking a firearms class. “We all feel the need to make sure that we’re aware of our surroundings and protect ourselves in general, but even more so now,” she said. Earlier this week, the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, in effect targeted Sarah McBride, the first openly trans person elected to Congress, by stating single-sex bathrooms in the Capitol “are reserved for individuals of that biological sex”. Trump, whose campaign released a firehose of anti-trans attack ads , has promised to ban gender-affirming care for minors and “keep men out of women’s sports”. The president-elect and several of his cabinet picks are also facing sexual misconduct allegations; he and his allies have bragged about the overturning of Roe v Wade and denigrated childfree women. “Our identities are politicized every single day,” said Parten. A few days after Trump’s first presidential win in November 2016, Parten said she was filling up with gas in Charleston, South Carolina, when a white man in a red Mga hat shoved her against the pump. She says she elbowed the man and then drove off. “He told me that my N-word president couldn’t protect me any more, because it was Trump country,” she recalled. Some firearms sellers and trainers who serve marginalized groups said they had seen an explosion of interest following the election. “It’s been massively overwhelming,” said Tom Nguyen, founder of LA Progressive Shooters, a gun club that caters to Bipoc and LGBTQ+ people. His beginner pistol course is sold out until June 2025 and he says he’s been “getting more bookings on a daily basis, every single day since the election than I ever have in the past four years that I’ve been doing this work”. The nationwide Liberal Gun Club said it had fielded thousands of new membership requests since the election, about half of which have come from women, with queer and trans people also accounting for a bulk of newcomers. One Wisconsin-based instructor has already trained 100 new members, according to the club spokesperson, Lara Smith. The Pink Pistols, a national gun group catering to LGBTQ+ people, said it had opened six new chapters since the election. Politically motivated gun sales aren’t new, nor are they unique to progressive voters. Barack Obama’s 2008 election resulted in a sustained surge in gun sales throughout his tenure. Just a few days before the election, Michael Cargill, who owns Central Texas Gun Works in Austin, said he saw a spike in sales from conservatives stocking up on firearms and ammo because they believed Kamala Harris winning would result in a second amendment crackdown. (The US vice-president has said she owns a Glock.) Cargill, a Black, gay Republican, said his firearms classes have doubled in size since Trump’s win and are now at capacity. The influx is primarily coming from women and LGBTQ+ people worried about their rights and potential “civil unrest”, he said. The manosphere , an anti-feminist online ecosystem, has embraced Trump’s win with posts celebrating male dominance and the loss of bodily autonomy for women and LGBTQ+ people. Sign up to The Stakes — Presidential Transition We will guide you through the aftermath of the US election and the transition to a Trump presidency after newsletter promotion After the election, the white nationalist podcaster Nick Fuentes wrote on X: “Your body, my choice. Forever.” Smith, the Liberal Gun Club spokesperson, said many new members said the post motivated them to join. “If there’s men out there that really think like that, I want at least a fighting chance if I ever encounter one,” said Kylee Ortega, a 24-year-old Texan who bought a pink stun gun featuring a cartoon Grim Reaper and a strawberry keychain that can be used to stab people. Trans gun enthusiasts and content creators are also hearing from their previously gun-shy friends who want to learn defensive shooting. Jessie McGrath, 63, a lifelong Republican who is trans, grew up around guns on farms in Colorado and Nebraska. She decided to vote for Harris when Republicans started attacking gender-affirming care and “wanting to basically outlaw my ability to exist”. She ended up being a delegate at the Democratic national convention. “Government getting involved in making healthcare decisions is something that I never thought I would see the Republican party doing,” she said. McGrath, a veteran and prosecutor, now splits her time between Los Angeles and Omaha, and said she plans on taking a group of friends shooting when she’s back in Nebraska next month. “I’ve seen a huge uptick in women who don’t like guns who are thinking about at least getting trained on it,” she said. “It is a real, valid feeling that these people have, because the attacks have gotten larger. They’ve gotten more vitriolic.” While many women and LGBTQ+ folks cite protection as a reason for owning a gun, and may feel comforted having one, Harvard University research shows that it’s relatively rare to use a gun in self-defense. A meta-analysis by the University of California, San Francisco found that women with access to firearms are three times more likely to be killed than women who don’t have access. Tacticool Girlfriend, a trans woman and gun YouTuber with more than 62,000 subscribers, said she was concerned that people were panic-buying guns because of Trump’s win. “Guns are not going to answer most of people’s problems, even in the realm of self-defense. Training to use and carry pepper spray and studying martial arts will always be far more practical and useful in everyday self-defense scenarios,” she said, noting that gun ownership is costly in both time and money. “If you can’t dry-fire at least once a week and go out to the range once a month on average, you’re likely to become more of a liability to yourself and everyone around you in the event that you ever needed a gun.”US agencies should use advanced technology to identify mysterious drones, Schumer says( MENAFN - PR Newswire) CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Envision Energy, a world leader in renewable energy solutions, proudly announces a contract with the EDF Group, to supply three battery energy storage systems (BESS) for the Oasis 1 cluster of projects, amounting to 257 MW of capacity and 1028 MWh of storage. This marks the largest battery energy storage system (BESS) order in South Africa and positions Envision Energy as the first energy storage system supplier in the region to secure a GWh-scale order. These projects are integral to South Africa's inaugural Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP). EDF, in collaboration with co-sponsor Mulilo, and equity partners Pele Energy Group and Gibb-Crede, under the Oasis Consortium, successfully secured three projects: Oasis Aggeneis, Oasis Mookodi, and Oasis Nieuwehoop power plants, located in the Northern Cape Province. Each project includes a 5% ownership interest for local communities through a Community Trust. Financial Close was reached on 20 November 2024 and the projects are set to be operational by end of 2026. Envision Energy will equip these facilities with a full suite of AC and DC energy storage equipment, including station SCADA and EMS systems. The DC side will feature Envision's standard 20-foot, 5 MWh storage units powered by high-safety, high-performance 315Ah cells. Additionally, Envision will provide 15 years of comprehensive lifecycle operation and maintenance (O&M) services. Kane Xu, Senior Vice President and President of International Product Lines at Envision Energy, commented on the initiative: "Battery storage technology is a cornerstone of sustainable energy systems, and we are delighted to contribute our leading technology to this milestone project in South Africa. Once operational, it will effectively address the frequent load management of the current South African power grid, enhance grid stability, and reduce reliance on coal-fired power plants, supporting South Africa's transition to a more sustainable energy system." As the largest battery energy storage initiative in South Africa, these facilities will significantly enhance the country's power infrastructure. They are designed to alleviate grid congestion, increase renewable energy integration, and engage in the power market through energy arbitrage and ancillary services, aiding South Africa's low-carbon energy transition and goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. "We look forward to constructing this project with our industrial partners Envision Energy and Huadong, chosen for their expertise with energy storage products, and ability to deliver a reliable and effective system," said Gregoire de Montgolfier, EDF Renewables Projects Director. EDF Group, the world's largest nuclear operator and a leading global power company, continues to expand its renewable energy portfolio with an aim to reach 60 GW of net renewable capacity by 2030. Envision Energy stands out as a premier provider of cutting-edge energy storage products renowned for their superior battery quality, intelligent design, and the ease and speed of their deployment. With full-stack technical capabilities and a commitment to in-house research and manufacturing, Envision boasts end-to-end control from manufacturing to deployment, including full lifecycle asset management to drive innovation in systematic grid-forming solutions, to ensure grid safety and stability. As of late 2023, Envision has grown its global footprint across the globe with over 200 BESS projects, delivering more than 15 GWh and securing upwards of 25 GWh in ongoing orders. In 2024, Envision Energy was recognized as a Tier 1 Global Energy Storage Manufacturer by Bloomberg NEF for the third consecutive quarter, positioning the company among the top leaders in the energy storage sector worldwide. MENAFN15122024003732001241ID1108995673 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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FURMAN 67, CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 46The Green Bay Packers are in the playoffs , but can't win the NFC North nor reach the fifth seed in the NFC. The Chicago Bears are mathematically eliminated from contention. So, outside of seeding for the Packers in the NFC playoffs , sixth or seventh, there's not much left to fight for in the Week 18 game. Therefore, the NFL had no great options, and the Packers-Bears rivalry matchup will be played on Sunday, January 5, at noon (CT). The league had the option to move the game around, since the first Packers-Bears game of the season had been on Fox in Week 11. For divisional games, the league can't take both games out of the original broadcasting company (Fox for NFC, CBS for AFC). That's what prevented the NFL from making the Packers-Minnesota Vikings game in Week 17 a primetime game, because the first one had been moved to CBS. The Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions game will be on Sunday night, so there wasn't a need to play them at the same time. But it's not a big game after all, so it made more sense for the NFL to play it in the early Sunday window. Who will play The Packers haven't announced yet if they will play their starters, but there's a scenario where head coach Matt LaFleur gives some players a rest. Since the Packers won't have a bye in the postseason, it would make sense to take advantage of his last week of the regular season for that. It seems like the starters will play, though, based on what head coach Matt LaFleur said after the loss to the Minnesota Vikings . "We gotta learn from this and try to move on and get some momentum here," LaFleur mentioned. "We get the Bears coming in, and try to finish this thing out the right way." For the Bears, the game is valuable for the coaching staff. Interim head coach Thomas Brown and the rest of the group are fighting for Jobs — in Chicago or somewhere else. For the roster, it's an opportunity to end the Packers 11-win streak in the rivalry, and to end Caleb Williams ' rookie season on a higher note. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.