Legendary Sportscaster Greg Gumbel Dies at 78

New manager Ruben Amorim is tempering any expectations of him transforming Manchester United's brand of football overnightAfter lackluster spending at U.S. stores on a deals-heavy Black Friday, retailers are pulling out all the stops with steep promotions and discounts on their websites and apps to entice people to buy holiday gifts and other merchandise after the long Thanksgiving weekend. Retailers have been coaxing cautious U.S. shoppers on Cyber Monday — traditionally America’s biggest internet shopping day — with push notifications, emails and other ads touting heavily discounted cosmetics, electronics, toys, clothing and other products. With just 23 days before Christmas, the discounts this year have been deeper, with shoppers waiting for promotion-heavy days, experts have said. For instance, Target said it was offering 50% off thousands of items including video games, home decor and other technology items with a “two-day Cyber Monday” sale that started on Sunday. The moves follow a mixed holiday season so far, with muted spending in stores on key shopping days such as Black Friday. Sales at brick-and-mortar stores on Friday grew just 0.7% year over year, according to preliminary estimates by payments processor Mastercard. Meanwhile, data firm Facteus said sales were actually lower. Online, retailers like Walmart and Amazon have relied on generative AI customer service and search features to make it easier for shoppers to find products on websites and mobile apps. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, resident Cheyenne Berens, 29, has been using Amazon’s generative AI chatbot Rufus to track prices of baby merchandise and electronics this holiday season. Amazon launched Rufus in February to give customers product recommendations and details based on its entire catalog of merchandise. “I have found that using Rufus on Amazon has been extremely helpful in determining whether a ‘deal’ is actually a ‘deal’,” Berens said. She’s been tracking the fluctuating prices of a Pack ‘n’ Play portable playpen and waiting for the right time to buy. The price started at $90 before the holidays, briefly rose to $120 and dropped back to $90, she said. Caila Schwartz, director of consumer insights at Salesforce, a cloud-computing company that tracks global shopping data from more than 1.5 billion consumers, said that GenAI tools such as chatbots to answer online shoppers’ basic questions, such as queries about products, helped retailers protect their profit margins despite rising costs. On Saturday, retailers using GenAI tools for customer service saw a 15% higher purchase rate by users, according to estimates by Salesforce. Schwartz said the higher so-called conversion rate “is a game changer.” Spending online today in the United States is expected to reach $13.2 billion, 6% more than on Cyber Monday a year earlier, according to preliminary estimates from Adobe Inc. That outlay would follow the roughly $10.8 billion Americans spent online on Black Friday, according to Adobe. Traffic to retail sites from chatbots or shoppers clicking on a link to a website rose 1,800% from Black Friday through the weekend, Adobe said. With many Americans recently carrying more debt, many are using third-party “buy now, pay later” services, with spending on the services likely to approach $1 billion, according to projections by Adobe, which keeps track of devices that use its software to help power more than 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites.

Marvel Rivals' Wolverine Design Is Certainly a Choice - IGN Daily Fix In today's Daily Fix:Marvel Rivals' roster keeps on growing, and we now have a first look at Wolverine via a new trailer. The fan-favorite mutant's new design, however, is raising some eyebrows for its lack of iconic mask and overall younger look. But purists shouldn't fret, as his more recognizable outfits will likely be coming in a season pass or other (likely paid) DLC. In other news, The PlayStation 5 just got a console software update which allows you to choose a new start-up animation and menu theme. This is part of Sony's celebration of the PlayStation's 30th anniversary, and now you can wax nostalgic while your modern PS5 boots up to the sound of the PS1's start-up animation. And finally, a trailer has leaked for a cancelled James Bond game, and no this isn't related to the upcoming Project 007 from IO interactive—it's a Lego game!

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Elko County gets state's first Acres for America conservation easementJEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia's decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different — and the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. The award — and the glitzy festival itself — is a sign of Saudi Arabia's commitment to shaping a new film industry. “My heart is attached to cinema and art; I have always dreamed of a moment like this,” Dakheelallah, who still works a 9-5 job, told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “I used to work in voluntary films and help my friends in the field, but this is my first big role in a film.” The reopening of cinemas in 2018 marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that had instituted the ban 35 years before, under the influence of ultraconservative religious authorities. It has since invested heavily in a native film industry by building theaters and launching programs to support local filmmakers through grants and training. The Red Sea International Film Festival was launched just a year later, part of an attempt to expand Saudi influence into films, gaming, sports and other cultural fields. Activists have decried the investments as whitewashing the kingdom’s human rights record as it tightly controls speech and remains one of the world’s top executioners. With FIFA awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia this week, Lina al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist with the London-based rights group ALQST, said Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “has really managed to create this bubble where people only see entertainment and they don’t see the reality on the ground.” These efforts are part of Vision 2030, an ambitious reform plan unveiled in 2016 to ease the economy's dependence on oil. As part of it, Saudi Arabia plans to construct 350 cinemas with over 2,500 movie screens — by this past April, across 22 cities, it already had 66 cinemas showing movies from the local film industry, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood. (The Red Sea International Film Festival attracts a host of talent from the latter industries, with Viola Davis and Priyanka Chopra Jonas also picking up awards Thursday.) The country's General Entertainment Authority last month opened Al Hisn Studios on the outskirts of Riyadh. As one of the largest such production hubs in the Middle East, it not only includes several film studios but also a production village with workshops for carpentry, blacksmithing and fashion tailoring. “These facilities, when they exist, will stimulate filmmakers,” said Saudi actor Mohammed Elshehri. “Today, no writer or director has an excuse to imagine and say, ‘I cannot implement my imagination.’” The facilities are one part of the equation — the content itself is another. One of the major players in transforming Saudi filmmaking has been Telfaz11, a media company founded in 2011 that began as a YouTube channel and quickly became a trailblazer. Producing high-quality digital content such as short films, comedy sketches and series, Telfaz11 offered fresh perspectives on Saudi and regional issues. In 2020, Telfaz11 signed a partnership with Netflix to produce original content for the streaming giant. The result has been movies that demonstrate an evolution on the storytelling level, tackling topics that were once off-limits and sensitive to the public like secret nightlife in “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) and changing social norms in “Naga.” “I think we tell our stories in a very simple way, and that’s what reaches the world,” Elshehri says of the changing shift. “When you tell your story in a natural way without any affectation, it will reach every person.” But the films were not without their critics, drawing mixed reaction. Social media discoursed ranged from pleasure that Saudi film were tackling such topics to anger over how the films reflected conservative society. As Hana Al-Omair, a Saudi writer and director, points out, there are still many stories left untold. “We certainly have a long time ahead of us before we can tell the Saudi narrative as it should be,” she said, acknowledging that there are still barriers and rampant censorship. “The Goat Life,” a Malayalam-language movie about an Indian man forced to work without pay in Saudi Arabia, is not available on Netflix's platform in the country. Movies that explore political topics or LGBTQ+ stories are essentially out of the question. Even “My Driver and I,” featured at the Red Sea festival alongside 11 other Saudi feature-length films, was initially too controversial. It centers on a Sudanese man in Jeddah, living away from his own daughter, who feels responsible for the girl he drives as her parents are absent. It was initially blocked from being made because of the relationship between the girl and the driver, filmmaker Ahd Kamel has said, even though it's not a romantic relationship. Now in 2024, the film is a success story — a symbol of the Saudi film industry's evolution as well as the growing role of women like Kamel behind the camera and Dakheelallah in front of it. “I see the change in Saudi cinema, a very beautiful change and it is moving at a wonderful speed. In my opinion, we do not need to rush,” Dakheelallah said. “We need to guide the truth of the artistic movement that is happening in Saudi Arabia.” Copyright 2024 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.WESTERLY, R.I., Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: WASH) (the "Corporation"), parent company of The Washington Trust Company, of Westerly (the "Bank"), today announced it has commenced an underwritten public offering of $55,000,000 of the Corporation's common stock. The Corporation also expects to grant the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the shares of its common stock sold in the offering. BofA Securities is serving as the sole book-running manager for the offering. The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds of this offering for general corporate purposes to support continued organic growth and capital generation, which are expected to include investments in the Bank and Bank balance sheet optimization strategies involving the sale of lower-yielding loans and available for sale debt securities, the repayment of wholesale funding balances and the purchase of debt securities with current market yields. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE OFFERING The common stock offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-274430), which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on September 8, 2023, and declared effective by the SEC on September 29, 2023. A preliminary prospectus supplement to which this communication relates has been filed with the SEC, and a prospectus supplement will be filed with the SEC prior to the closing of the common stock offering. Before you invest in any securities, you should read the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, including the risk factors set forth therein, the registration statement and the documents incorporated by reference therein, and the other documents that the Corporation has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Corporation and the offering. Copies of these documents are available at no charge by visiting EDGAR on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement, the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus related to the offering may also be obtained from BofA Securities, NC1-022-02-25, 201, North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, Attention: Prospectus Department or by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com . NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. There will be no sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. SPECIAL NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains statements that are "forward-looking statements." Forward looking-statements include all statements that are not historical facts and include any statements regarding the proposed offering and the intended use of net proceeds from the offering. We may also make forward-looking statements in other documents we file with the SEC, in our annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by our officers, directors, or employees. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "assume," "outlook," "will," "should," and other expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. A detailed discussion of factors that could affect our results is included in the Corporation's SEC filings, including Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. You should not rely on forward-looking statements, because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the anticipated future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The Corporation undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in our expectations, except as required by law. ABOUT WASHINGTON TRUST BANCORP, INC. Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., NASDAQ: WASH, is the publicly-owned holding company of The Washington Trust Company ("Washington Trust", "the Bank"), with $7.1 billion in assets as of September 30, 2024. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is recognized as the oldest community bank in the nation, the largest state-chartered bank headquartered in Rhode Island and one of the Northeast's premier financial services companies. Washington Trust values its role as a community bank and is committed to helping the people, businesses, and organizations of New England improve their financial lives. The Bank offers a wide range of commercial banking, mortgage banking, personal banking and wealth management services through its offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts and a full suite of convenient digital tools. Washington Trust is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/washington-trust-announces-stock-offering-302330754.html SOURCE Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.

The diabolical establishment media has lost credibility everywhere except among establishment figures whose interests it protects. Unfortunately, some of those establishment figures serve as senators who must vote to confirm President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees. Thus, cognizant of the need to counter the media narrative, many former colleagues took to the social media platform X on Tuesday and early Wednesday to defend , Trump’s nominee for secretary of Defense, against an anonymously-sourced NBC hit piece. A decorated veteran and longtime Fox News host, Hegseth last month after receiving Trump’s nomination. reported on Tuesday that “10 current and former Fox employees,” each of whom “asked not to be named because of fear of retaliation,” spoke with the establishment outlet about their concerns regarding what they described as Hegseth’s history of excessive drinking. “Everyone would be talking about it behind the scenes before he went on the air,” an unnamed former Fox employee recalled. Needless to say, that sort of “journalism” did not sit well with many of supporters. In fact, a number of former colleagues went on the record to refute the NBC hit piece. “I’ve worked with @PeteHegseth since the beginning,” Fox News co-host and weather anchor Janice Dean posted. “Never witnessed any of this behavior from him. Always kind, professional and hard working. A good man that loves his family and his country.” I’ve worked with since the beginning. Never witnessed any of this behavior from him. Always kind, professional and hard working. A good man that loves his family and his country. — Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-hosts Will Cain and Rachel Campos-Duffy denounced the hit piece in more colorful terms. Each called the anonymously-sourced story “horses***.” Cain, in fact, offered himself to NBC as “your only on the record source.” Your story is horseshit . Put my name on it. On the record. It’ll be your only on the record source. Signed, The guy who sat next to him for 8 hours every week for five years starting at 6am. — Will Cain (@willcain) “You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story?” Campos-Duffy wrote. The losers at never reached out to me either. is right – your story IS horseshit. You now have 2 people who sat next to him 8+ hours a week on the record. Will you retract or correct your story? — Rachel Campos-Duffy (@RCamposDuffy) Meanwhile, former Fox booking producer Breanna Morello drafted a letter in support of . She posted it to X and pledged to send it to “EVERY” senator. Running a hit piece on a man that’s solely based on anonymous sources is cowardly and isn’t journalism. I’m willing to go on the record regarding Pete Hegseth. As a former Fox booking producer, I’ve never heard a negative remark about Hegseth–until now. This is the letter I... — Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) Longtime colleague Dr. Nicole Saphier confirmed that in eight years she never once suspected that Hegseth had “consumed anything other than an egg sandwich and coffee before going on air.” I have routinely sat on the couch with for 8 years. Not once did I suspect he had consumed anything other than an egg sandwich and coffee before going on air. — Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) Indeed, the list of Hegseth defenders and NBC critics on X grew quite long. Add me also. Pete has always been the epitome of a class act and a great guy. These attacks are shameful BS. — Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) No one ask me my opinion about the great aka my friend! Here I am sitting next to this great American! — LeoTerrell (@TheLeoTerrell) I’ve co-hosted with Pete and have never experienced anything like what was claimed in this anonymously-sourced report. — Guy Benson (@guypbenson) I have known since we were both at The Blaze way back when and as a contributor for Fox since 2017, I have never once seen this type of reported lies or behavior. He’s always been a gentleman and great guy! — Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) I can’t stand the propaganda practice of using anonymous sources to smear political opponents, as NBC does here. FWIW, I have nothing but good things to say about Pete and the anonymously sourced stories don’t match my personal experience in any way. Quite the contrary, in fact. — Mollie (@MZHemingway) As often happens, the establishment’s assault on Hegseth appears coordinated. For instance, late Tuesday a report broke that Trump had considered replacing Hegseth with Republican Gov. of Florida. Whether or not that happens, the establishment and its media minions have not yet had their pound of flesh. First, they attacked former Republican Rep. of Florida, Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Then, when Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration, they turned on Hegseth. If they succeed in tanking Hegseth’s nomination, they will turn to another anti-establishment candidate. , Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, and , the president-elect’s choice as secretary of Health and Human Services, will almost certainly endure similar treatment. Thus, senators must know what Hegseth’s former colleagues — at least the brave ones — actually think of him. Then, if the defense of Hegseth succeeds, perhaps those same senators will learn what so many of us learned a long time ago: always ignore the lying establishment media. We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. .NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes reached more records after tech companies talked up how much artificial intelligence is boosting their results. The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% Wednesday to add to what looks to be one of its best years of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7%, while the Nasdaq composite added 1.3% to its own record. Salesforce pulled the market higher after highlighting its artificial-intelligence offering for customers. Marvell Technology jumped even more after saying it’s seeing strong demand from AI. Treasury yields eased, while bitcoin climbed after President-elect Donald Trump nominated a crypto advocate to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are rising toward more records Wednesday after tech companies talked up how much of a boost they're getting from artificial intelligence . The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% to add to what looks to be one of its best years of the millennium. It’s on track to set an all-time high for the 56th time this year after coming off 10 gains in the last 11 days . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 252 points, or 0.6%, with an hour remaining in trading, while the Nasdaq composite was adding 1.2% to its own record. Salesforce helped pull the market higher after delivering stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell just short. CEO Mark Benioff highlighted the company’s artificial-intelligence offering for customers, saying “the rise of autonomous AI agents is revolutionizing global labor, reshaping how industries operate and scale.” The stock of the company, which helps businesses manage their customers, rose 9.3%. Marvell Technology jumped even more after delivering better results than expected, up 23.2%. CEO Matt Murphy said the semiconductor supplier is seeing strong demand from AI and gave a forecast for profit in the upcoming quarter that topped analysts’ expectations. They helped offset a 9.8% drop for Foot Locker, which reported profit and revenue that fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Mary Dillon said the company is taking a more cautious view, and it cut its forecasts for sales and profit this year. Dillon pointed to how keen customers are for discounts and how soft demand has been outside of Thanksgiving week and other key selling periods. Retailers overall have offered mixed signals about how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain. Their spending has been one of the main reasons the U.S. economy has avoided a recession that earlier seemed inevitable because of high interest rates brought by the Federal Reserve to crush inflation. But shoppers are now contending with still-high prices and a slowing job market . This week’s highlight for Wall Street will be Friday’s jobs report from the U.S. government, which will show how many people employers hired and fired last month. A narrower report released on Wednesday morning may have offered a preview of it. The report from ADP suggested employers in the private sector increased their payrolls by less last month than economists expected. Hiring in manufacturing was the weakest since the spring, according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. The report strengthened traders’ expectations that the Fed will cut its main interest rate again when it meets in two weeks. The Fed began easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high in September, hoping to offer more support for the job market. The central bank had appeared set to continue cutting rates into next year, but the election of Donald Trump has scrambled Wall Street’s expectations somewhat. Trump’s preference for higher tariffs and other policies could lead to higher economic growth and inflation , which could alter the Fed’s plans . Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank can afford to cut its benchmark rate cautiously because inflation has slowed significantly from its peak two years ago and the economy remains sturdy. A separate report on Wednesday said health care, finance and other businesses in the U.S. services sector are continuing to grow, but not by as much as before and not by as much as economists expected. One respondent from the construction industry told the survey from the Institute for Supply Management that the Fed’s rate cuts have not pulled down mortgage rates as much as hoped yet. Plus “the unknown effect of tariffs clouds the future.” In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.18% from 4.23% late Tuesday. On Wall Street, Campbell’s fell 6% for one of the S&P 500’s sharper losses despite increasing its dividend and reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its revenue fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, and the National Football League’s Washington Commanders hired Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse as its team president. Campbell’s said Mick Beekhuizen, its president of meals and beverages, will become its 15th CEO following Clouse’s departure. Gains for airline stocks helped offset that drop after JetBlue Airways said it saw stronger bookings for travel in November and December following the presidential election. It said it’s also benefiting from lower fuel prices, as well as lower costs due to improved on-time performance. JetBlue jumped 8.3%, while Southwest Airlines climbed 2.8%. In stock markets abroad, South Korea’s Kospi sank 1.4% following a night full of drama in Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol was facing possible impeachment after he suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday night, prompting troops to surround the parliament. Yoon accused pro-North Korean forces of plotting to overthrow one of the world’s most vibrant democracies. The martial law declaration was revoked about six hours later. Samsung Electronics fell 0.9% in Seoul. The country’s financial regulator said it was prepared to deploy 10 trillion won ($7.07 billion) into a stock market stabilization fund at any time, the Yonhap news agency reported. In the crypto market , bitcoin climbed back above $97,000 after Trump said he would nominate Paul Atkins , a cryptocurrency advocate, to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. ___ AP Writers Matt Ott and Zimo Zhong contributed. Stan Choe, The Associated PressA months-long fight against a proposed plastics recycling facility on the W.R. Grace and Co. Columbia campus continues as residents gathered Tuesday to share information and tips for the next steps in advocacy.

( MENAFN - Daily News Egypt) Cairo for investment and Real estate Developments (CIRA) has announced an exclusive opportunity to acquire 43 fully equipped factories for leather production in the third phase of Robbiki Leather City. This offering marks a significant milestone in advancing Egypt's leather industry and aligns with the nation's strategy to develop integrated industrial clusters. With only two days remaining to apply, investors are encouraged to submit their applications electronically via the Digital Egypt Industrial Platform. The available factories, designed to meet various production capacities, include: To accommodate diverse business needs, investors can combine multiple units. Each factory is optimized for leather production and related industries, offering cutting-edge infrastructure, access to advanced marketing, technological training, and spaces for international and local exhibitions. This offering features unprecedented financial facilities to support investors. Factory prices are based on the actual 2021 cost of infrastructure and construction, ensuring affordability. Key financial options include: Additionally, partnerships with leading banks-including the National Bank of Egypt, Bank of Alexandria, and the Export Development Bank of Egypt-offer tailored financing solutions for purchasing machinery, equipment, and working capital. Investors benefit from significant export incentives, including a 50% rebate on export burden recovery for products manufactured within Robbiki Leather City. The third phase aims to establish a comprehensive manufacturing base for finished leather goods, attracting both local companies and global brands. It completes the leather value chain, from tanning to final product manufacturing, creating an integrated hub for exports. Robbiki Leather City's strategic location connects it to key ports, including Ain Sokhna, Adabiya, Suez, Port Said, Damietta, and Alexandria. The city boasts: During a recent meeting between Nahed Youssef, Chairperson of CIRA, and Gamal El-Samalouti, Head of the Chamber of Leather Industry, industry leaders praised Robbiki Leather City's exceptional facilities. The project is a transformative leap for Egypt's leather sector, adhering to global standards for environmental compliance and infrastructure. Prominent leather investors have expressed strong interest in reserving both large-scale and SME-focused factories. The government's support, facilitated by the Ministry of Industry and the Industrial Development Authority, has been instrumental in advancing the project. Robbiki Leather City aims to be a leading industrial hub with economic, environmental, and social diversity. Its integrated facilities, modern communication services, and advanced training programs position it as a center for innovation and growth in the leather industry. This offering represents an unparalleled opportunity for investors to participate in a landmark project that combines strategic location, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and robust financial support. MENAFN23122024000153011029ID1109025662 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.The winter meetings are over, , and several of the have been on the move. But as teams started to , the biggest issue soon became that there was no franchise-altering player available once Soto was off the market. At least, that was the case until Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker became available. Since arriving in the big leagues in 2019, Tucker has been a force for the Astros and the true definition of a five-tool player. He owns a .274/.353/.516 slash line with 125 home runs and 94 stolen bases, and he’s an elite defender in right field. Tucker was on pace to have the best year of his career last season — with 23 homers in 79 games — before a shin fracture from a foul ball forced him to miss significant time. In recent weeks, it emerged that the Astros were open to moving the star outfielder. On Friday, in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third-base prospect Cam Smith. The deal instantly makes Tucker the best player in Chicago. For Houston, Paredes has the ability to play third or first base with pull-side power that should play at Minute Maid Park. Wesneski is a versatile arm with good stuff who pitched in 68 games with 22 starts for the Cubs, with a respectable career 3.93 ERA. But the crown jewel of the trade for the Astros is Smith. The Cubs’ 2024 first-round draft pick was one of the best hitters in college baseball before Chicago took him with the 14th overall pick last year. He performed well during his first year in pro ball, slashing .313/.396/.609 with seven homers and 24 RBI, and finished the year in Double-A. The Astros have won a lot over the past decade, including two World Series titles. The only team that has won more games than Houston since 2015 is the Los Angeles Dodgers. But keeping their winning window open for that long comes at a cost, and it left the Astros’ prospect pool pretty thin. Sources aware of Houston’s thinking told Yahoo Sports that the hope was that a Tucker trade could help replenish the farm system that allowed the Astros to reach the ALCS in seven of the past eight seasons. With such a trade now complete, Paredes slots into the Astros’ infield and lineup immediately, and Wesneski could fill multiple roles for Houston, either in the bullpen or the rotation, depending on how the remainder of their offseason shakes out. And with Smith, who was ranked as the Cubs’ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the Astros might’ve acquired their third baseman of the future. The other side of the equation for Houston was that the team’s owner, Jim Crane, doesn’t seem keen on going beyond six years in a contract offer for any player, whether that was Tucker or a free agent such as Alex Bregman, . The addition of Paredes likely makes re-signing Bregman less feasible, but Houston could, in theory, move Paredes to first if they still want to retain their longtime star. What the Cubs have lacked in recent years has been a true, difference-making bat in the middle of their lineup. They haven’t had one since the days of Kris Bryant. Now Tucker provides exactly that — a player who can produce consistently on offense and carry a lineup for weeks at a time. And with other teams in the National League having game-changing players, including Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., Soto and Francisco Lindor, and the Dodgers’ three MVPs, Chicago now has an answer. The addition of Tucker also immediately makes the Cubs better on defense. With Tucker presumably in right field, Pete Crow-Armstrong in center and Ian Happ in left, you can make the case that the Cubs have one of the best defensive outfields in baseball. What the team will do with outfielders Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki still needs to be figured out, but this deal gives Chicago moveable assets to continue to improve the roster. And in the aftermath of this trade, the Cubs have even more incentive to keep improving. The next step for Chicago will be to land one more starting pitcher; they’ve been active in the free-agent and trade markets for starters. Adding a high-leverage arm or two in the bullpen is also a significant need and would really put a stamp on what is shaping up to be an impactful winter for the Cubs. For the Cubs, the concern with acquiring Tucker has nothing to do with his talent, which at his best puts him among the top 10 players in MLB, and everything to do with his contract situation. The 27-year-old is entering his final season of club control before he’ll hit the free-agent market next winter. With the Yankees and Soto, we just witnessed a cautionary tale about making a move such as this. New York pulled the trigger on a Soto trade to acquire what they hoped would be the final piece of their championship puzzle, and they had great success, getting all the way to the World Series before falling to the Dodgers. Despite all that, Soto decided to leave in free agency and sign with the Mets, . Tucker entering free agency after the 2025 season is almost a certainty, according to sources. After Soto signed his record-breaking deal, players such as Tucker and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is also set to be a free agent next winter, are even more incentivized to let the free-agent process play out, with potentially a $400 million-500 million payday awaiting them at the end. The Cubs traded for Tucker with full awareness that he might leave in 12 months and sign elsewhere. There is no guarantee that he will stay in Chicago or even that they will have an advantage in free-agent negotiations. In the case of the Yankees, they at least still have a top-five player in Aaron Judge following Soto’s departure, but the Cubs won’t likely have that type of security. The trio of players the Cubs gave up represent a steep price for a one-year rental. But it’s understandable that the price was so high. Tucker is the type of player who can take a team over the top as a contender or — perhaps more aptly in Chicago’s case — take a borderline playoff team and push it into October. With Soto signed, Tucker was the only player available with that kind of ability. But the Cubs need to be certain they have the rest of the pieces in place before Opening Day. Because they’ll likely get only one chance with Tucker on their roster.

Lara Trump announced on social media Saturday that she’s taking her name out of consideration for Florida’s soon-to-be vacant Senate seat. It’s a smart move by the president-elect’s daughter-in-law—since she probably wasn’t going to get the seat anyway. “After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate,” Trump wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. x After an incredible amount of thought, contemplation, and encouragement from so many, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for the United States Senate. I could not have been more honored to serve as RNC co-chair during the most high-stakes election of our... https://t.co/ARdvTQki9N — Lara Trump (@LaraLeaTrump) December 21, 2024 One of Florida’s Senate seats will be up for grabs soon because Donald Trump tapped Sen. Marco Rubio to be the next secretary of state. Rubio’s replacement will be selected by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has a hot-and-cold professional relationship with the incoming president. Whoever DeSantis appoints for the role will fill the seat until 2026 . Then there will be a special election to decide who will serve the last two years of Rubio’s term. Lara, who is married to Trump’s son, Eric, announced earlier this month that she would step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee, which signaled to some that she was being considered for the Senate role. The nepo hire also received several early endorsements from other Republicans including Elon Musk’s mother , who said that Lara would be a great addition to the political theatre commonly known as Capitol Hill. But it doesn’t seem that DeSantis was inclined to give Lara a slot in the Senate. In November, he said that he would appoint Rubio’s replacement in early 2025 and promised to do “extensive vetting and candidate interviews” before settling on a pick. The GOP governor has not talked publicly about who he is considering, but several people are reportedly in the mix , including Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Núñez, and former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva. In other words, despite his many personal flaws , DeSantis seems to want someone with at least an ounce of government experience for the role. That would exclude Lara, who launched a new activewear line in November and is hilariously trying to be a singer . Even Trump, who installed Lara as head of the Republican National Committee, seemed doubtful his daughter-in-law would get picked for the Senate seat. When asked last Monday whether DeSantis would appoint her, Trump suggested that he wasn’t expecting any favors from his onetime political nemesis, whom Trump once called “ Meatball Ron ” and “ Ron DeSanctimonious .” “I don’t. I probably don’t, but I don’t know,” Trump said when asked if thought DeSantis would tap Lara for the role. “Ron is doing a good job. It is his choice, nothing to do with me.” But don’t get too excited yet, as this won’t be the last we hear of Lara. “I do have a big announcement that I’m excited to share in January, so, stay tuned,” she wrote. “I remain incredibly passionate about public service and look forward to serving our country again sometime in the future. In the meantime, I wish Governor DeSantis the best of luck with this appointment.” Lara isn’t alone among daughters-in-law recently snubbed for government roles that their fathers-in-law wanted them to have. At least this nepo hire has her music career to fall back on. x RNC Chair Lara Trump releases her new music video. pic.twitter.com/iRplU6VIDy — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 2, 2024 If you value having free and reliable access to the information and resources we provide, we’re asking for your help today. Will you make a donation of $5, $25, or whatever you can afford to help us reach our year-end goal?Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office