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Okta shares pop 18% on earnings beat, strong guidanceThe woman initially stumbled upon the clinic through social media advertisements that touted the benefits of their revolutionary leg contouring treatment. Intrigued by the before-and-after photos showcasing perfectly sculpted legs, she eagerly booked an appointment and paid a hefty sum of $18,000 for the procedure.Every single person in his platoon knew someone who was killed. Yuval Green, 26, knew at least three. He was a reservist, a medic in the paratroops of the Israel Defence Forces, when he heard the first news of the 7 October Hamas attack. “Israel is a small country. Everyone knows each other,” he says. In several days of violence,1,200 people were killed, and 251 more abducted into Gaza. Ninety-seven hostages remain in Gaza, and around half of them are believed to be alive. Yuval immediately answered his country’s call to arms. It was a mission to defend Israelis. He recalls the horror of entering devastated Jewish communities near the Gaza border. “You're seeing... dead bodies on the streets, seeing cars punctured by bullets.” Back then, there was no doubt about reporting for duty. The country was under attack. The hostages had to be brought home. Then came the Things seen that could not be unseen. Like the night he saw cats eating human remains in the roadway. “Start to imagine, like an apocalypse. You look to your right, you look to your left, all you see is destroyed buildings, buildings that are damaged by fire, by missiles, everything. That's Gaza right now.” One year on, the young man who reported for duty on 7 October is refusing to fight. Yuval is the co-organiser of a public letter signed by more than 165 - at the latest count - Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reservists, and a smaller number of permanent soldiers, refusing to serve, or threatening to refuse, unless the hostages are returned - something that would require a ceasefire deal with Hamas. In a country still traumatised by the worst violence in its history, those refusing for reasons of conscience are a minority in a military that includes around 465,000 reservists. There is another factor in play for some other IDF reservists: exhaustion. According to Israeli media reports, a growing number are failing to report for duty. The Times of Israel newspaper and several other outlets quoted military sources as saying that there was a drop of between 15% to 25% of troops showing up, mainly due to burnout with the long periods of service required of them. Even if there is not widespread public support for those refusing to serve because of reasons of conscience, there is evidence that some of the key demands of those who signed the refusal letter are shared by a growing number of Israelis. A recent opinion poll by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) indicated that among Jewish Israelis 45% wanted the war to end - with a ceasefire to bring the hostages home - against 43% who wanted the IDF to fight on to destroy Hamas. Significantly, the IDI poll also suggests that which marked the opening days of the war as the country reeled from the trauma of 7 October has been overtaken by the revival of political divisions: only 26% of Israelis believe there is now a sense of togetherness, while 44% say there is not. At least part of this has to do with a feeling often expressed, especially among those on the left of the political divide, that the war is being prolonged at the behest of far-right parties whose support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to remain in power. Even the former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, a member of Netanhayu’s Likud Party, dismissed by the prime minister last month, cited the failure to return the hostages as one of the key disagreements with his boss. “There is and will not be any atonement for abandoning the captives,” he said. “It will be a mark of Cain on the forehead of Israeli society and those leading this mistaken path.” Netanyahu, who along with Gallant is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, has repeatedly denied this and stressed his commitment to freeing the hostages. The seeds of Yuval’s refusal lie back in the days soon after the war began. Then the deputy speaker of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), Nissim Vaturi, called for the Gaza Strip to be “erased from the face of the Earth”. Prominent rabbi Eliyahu Mali, referring generally to Palestinians in Gaza, said: “If you don’t kill them, they’ll kill you.” The rabbi stressed soldiers should only do what the army orders, and that the state law did not allow for the killing of the civilian population. But the language - by no means restricted to the two examples above - worried Yuval. “People were speaking about killing the entire population of Gaza, as if it was some type of an academic idea that makes sense... And with this atmosphere, soldiers are entering Gaza just a month after their friends were butchered, hearing about soldiers dying every day. And soldiers do a lot of things.” There have been social media posts from soldiers in Gaza abusing prisoners, destroying property, and mocking Palestinians, including numerous examples of soldiers posing with people’s possessions - including womens’ dresses and underwear. “I was trying to fight that at the time as much as I could,” says Yuval. “There was a lot of dehumanising, a vengeful atmosphere.” His personal turning point came with an order he could not obey. “They told us to burn down a house, and I went to my commander and asked him: ‘Why are we doing that?’ And the answers he gave me were just not good enough. I wasn't willing to burn down a house without reasons that make sense, without knowing that this serves a certain military purpose, or any type of purpose. So I said no and left.” That was his last day in Gaza. In response, the IDF told me that its actions were “based on military necessity, and with accordance to international law” and said Hamas “unlawfully embed their military assets in civilian areas”. Three of the refusers have spoken to the BBC. Two agreed to give their names, while a third requested anonymity because he feared repercussions. All stress that they love their country, but the experience of the war, the failure to reach a hostage deal led to a defining moral choice. One soldier, who asked to remain anonymous, was at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport when news started coming in about He recalls feeling shock at first. Then a ringing sensation in his ears. “I remember the drive home... The radio’s on and people [are] calling in, saying: ‘My dad was just kidnapped, help me. No-one's helping me.’ It was truly a living nightmare.” This was the moment the IDF was made for, he felt. It wasn’t like making house raids in the occupied West Bank or chasing stone-throwing youths. “Probably for the first time I felt like I enlisted in true self-defence.” But his view transformed as the war progressed. “I guess I no longer felt I could honestly say that this campaign was centered around securing the lives of Israelis.” He says this was based on what he saw and heard among comrades. “I try to have empathy and say, ‘This is what happens to people who are torn apart by war...’ but it was hard to overlook how wide this discourse was.” He recalls comrades boasting, even to their commanders, about beating “helpless Palestinians”. And he heard more chilling conversations. “People would pretty calmly talk about cases of abuse or even murder, as if it was a technicality, or with real serenity. That obviously shocked me.” The soldier also says he witnessed prisoners being blindfolded and not allowed to move “for basically their entire stay... and given amounts of food that were shocking”. When his first tour of duty ended he vowed not to return. The IDF referred me to a statement from last May which said any abuse of detainees was strictly prohibited. It also said three meals a day were provided, “of quantity and variety approved by a qualified nutritionist”. It said handcuffing of detainees was only carried out “where the security risk requires it” and “every day an examination is carried out... to make sure that the handcuffs are not too tight”. The UN has said reports of alleged torture and sexual violence by Israeli guards were “grossly illegal and revolting” and enabled by “absolute impunity”. Michael Ofer-Ziv, 29, knew two people from his village who were killed on 7 October, whose body was paraded through Gaza on the back of a pickup truck in what became one of the most widely shared images of the war. “That was hell,” he says. Michael was already a committed left-winger who advocated political not military solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But, like his comrades, he felt reporting for reserve duty was correct. “I knew that the military action was inevitable... and was justified in a way, but I was very worried about the shape it might take.” His job was to work as an operations officer in a brigade war room, watching and directing action relayed back from drone cameras in Gaza. At times the physical reality of the war hit home. “We went to get some paper from somewhere in the main command of the Gaza area,” he remembers. “And at some point we opened the window... and the stench was like a butchery... Like in the market, where it's not very clean.” Again it was a remark heard during a discussion among comrades that helped push him towards action. “I think the most horrible sentence that I heard was someone who said to me that the kids that we spared in the last war in Gaza [2014] became the terrorists of October 7, which I bet is true for some cases... but definitely not all of them.” Such extreme views existed among a minority of soldiers, he says, but the majority were “just indifferent towards the price... what's called ‘collateral damage’, or Palestinian lives”. He’s also dismayed by statements that Jewish settlements should be built in Gaza after the war - a stated aim of far-right government ministers, and even some members of Netanyahu’s Likud party. Figures suggest there is a growing body of officers and troops within the IDF who come from what is called a ‘National Religious’ background: these are supporters of far-right Jewish nationalist parties who advocate settlement and annexation of Palestinian lands, and are firmly opposed to Palestinian statehood. According to research from the Israeli Centre for Public Affairs, a non-governmental think tank, the number of such officers graduating from the military academy rose from 2.5% in 1990 to 40% in 2014. Ten years ago, one of Israel’s leading authorities on the issue, Professor Mordechai Kremnitzer, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, warned about what he called the ‘religification’ of the army. “Within this context, messages about Jewish superiority and demonisation of the enemy are fertile ground for fostering brutality and releasing soldiers from moral constraints.” The decisive moment for Michael Ofer-Ziv came when the IDF shot three Israeli hostages in Gaza in December 2023. The three men approached the army stripped to the waist, and one held a stick with a white cloth. The IDF said a soldier had felt threatened and opened fire, killing two hostages. A third was wounded but then shot again and killed, when a soldier ignored his commander’s ceasefire order. “I remember thinking to what level of moral corruption have we got... that this can happen. And I also remember thinking, there is just no way this is the first time [innocent people were shot]... It's just the first time that we are hearing about it, because they are hostages. If the victims were Palestinians, we just would never hear about it.” The IDF has said that refusal to serve by reservists is dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and Prime Minister Netanyahu insists it is “the most moral army in the world”. For most Israelis, the IDF is the guarantor of their security; it helped found Israel in 1948 and is an expression of the nation - every Israeli citizen over 18 who is Jewish (and also Druze and Circassian minorities) must serve. The refusers have attracted some hostility. Some prominent politicians, like Miri Regev, a cabinet member and former IDF spokeswoman, have called for action. “Refusers should be arrested and prosecuted," she has said. But the government has so far avoided tough action because, according to Yuval Green, “the military realised that it only draws attention to our actions, so they try to let us go quietly.” For those starting their national service and who refuse, sanctions are tougher. Eight conscientious objectors - not part of the reservists group - due to begin their military service at 18 years old have served time in military prison. The soldiers I spoke with described a mix of anger, disappointment, pain or ‘radio silence’ from their former comrades. “I strongly oppose them [the refusers],” says Major Sam Lipsky, 31, a reservist who fought in Gaza during the current war but is now based outside the Strip. He accuses the refusers group of being “highly political” and focused on opposing the current government. “I don't have to be a Netanyahu fan in order to not appreciate people using the military, an institution we're all meant to rally behind, as political leverage.” Maj Lipsky is a supporter of what he views as Israel’s mainstream right - not the far right represented by government figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister who has been convicted of inciting racism and supporting terrorism, and finance minister, Belazel Smotrich, who recently called for the population of Gaza to be halved by encouraging “voluntary migration”. Maj Lipsky acknowledges the civilian suffering in Gaza and does not deny the imagery of dead and maimed women and children. As we speak at his home in southern Israel, his two young children are sleeping in the next room. “There's no way to fight the war and to prosecute a military campaign without these images happening,” he says. He then uses an expression heard in the past from Israeli leaders: “You can't mow the lawn without grass flying up. It is not possible.” He says the blame belongs to Hamas who went to “randomly slaughter as many Jews as possible, women, children, soldiers”. The imperative of fighting the war has postponed a deepening struggle over the future character of the Jewish state. It is, in large part, a conflict between the secularist ideals held by people like Michael Ofer-Zif and Yuval Green, and the increasingly powerful religious right represented by the settlements movement, and their champions in Netanyahu’s cabinet, including figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Add to that the lingering, widespread anger over the government’s attempts to dilute the power of the country’s judiciary in 2023 - it led to mass demonstrations in the months before October 7 - and the stage is set for a turbulent politics long after the war ends. On both sides it is not unusual to hear people talk of a struggle for the soul of Israel. Maj Lipsky was packing to return to military duty on the evening I met him, sure of his duty and responsibility. No peace until Hamas was defeated. Among the refusers I spoke with, there was a determination to stand by their principles. Michael Ofer-Ziv may leave Israel, unsure whether he can be happy in the country. “It just looks less and less likely that I will be able to hold the values that I hold, wanting the future that I want for my kids to live here, and that is very scary,” he says. Yuval Green is training to become a doctor, and hopes that a settlement can be reached between peacemakers among the Israeli and Palestinian people. “I think in this conflict, there are only two sides, not the Israeli side and the Palestinian side. There is the side that supports violence and the side that supports, you know, finding better solutions.” There are many Israelis who would disagree with that analysis, but it won’t stop his mission.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has said Arne Slot's side have the "quality to achieve something special" this season and has called on his teammates to "create their own history" at the club. Editor's Picks Liverpool in 'constant' talks over Salah, VVD 1d Beth Lindop How VAR decisions have affected every Premier League club in 2024-25 8h Dale Johnson West Ham vs Liverpool: Time, how to watch, stats, team news 11h ESPN The Merseyside club are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a game in hand, having also won all of their games in the revamped Champions League and secured passage to the semifinals of the Carabao Cup . Their impressive form has inevitably led to parallels being drawn with Liverpool's title-winning side of 2019-20 but Alisson -- who played an integral part in the club winning both the Premier League and Champions League under Jürgen Klopp -- has insisted that it is impossible to compare the two teams. "I don't think it's too similar, [it's] two different teams," the Brazil international said. "A few players still play in the team but we have a little bit different style now, more ball possession, before it was really straightforward: a lot of transition, a lot of intensity. "That team was really special, we achieved great things, it was the first Premier League title for this club in a long time. We achieved the Champions League together as well, the season before. I think there's no comparison with both situations. "Just what makes me happy is to see that this group of players, we have the quality to do something special and the most important thing is the commitment that is needed to win something is there, and the passion, the desire. "We are hungry and we want to win every game in front of us and that we have in front of us and that's all we are focused on at the moment. "We know that in the future we're going to remember more about the good moments now that you had together in football. Winning is not everything, of course, but it's a big part of football so I want to remember this team as a winning team. "I believe we don't have to compare ourselves with the teams in the past, we have to create our own history. This season, this group has to create its own history." Liverpool have defied expectations this season to mount a title charge under new head coach Slot. Alisson was quick to praise the Dutchman for how quickly he has been able to implement his ideas at Anfield. "I think when Arne joined the club, everybody thought it would be hard work for him to replace a manager like Jürgen," he said. "He's showing his qualities and he brings us a lot of good things. "I think it's not only one key, but many things that are helping us to achieve our goals. I want to highlight the commitment of this team, of the players, to do what the manager asks, to go every day and train hard and having the desire to improve as well, to be a better team and the desire of winning big things for this club. So that will always be an important point for a team that wants to be a winner." It has been a challenging season so far for Alisson, who was sidelined for more than two months with a hamstring injury earlier in the campaign. However, the 32-year-old has confirmed he is now fully fit and is thrilled to be able to now help Slot's side on the pitch. "It's not easy when you stay for a long time away," he said. "It was not easy for me, but I worked really hard. "I was looking forward to coming back because when you are injured, these days you just don't go there, put some ice on your legs and just wait until you're fully recovered. "You work so hard in the gym every day, sometimes double sessions, pretty much every day double sessions, doing treatment at home, having treatment at the club. "So I spent a lot of time working without doing the best side of football, that is playing. So I was looking forward to coming back, even because the team was doing so well, so you get even more excited to be part of it." Liverpool will look to keep their impressive run going when they travel to West Ham United on Sunday. But while the league leaders seem in rude health, Alisson has stressed the importance of Slot's squad keeping their feet on the ground. "It's too soon to talk about the title, of course, but it's our goal, it's our target," he said. "At this point, we cannot just start to look to the points and see how it goes. We have to really focus on the next opponent that we have in front of us. "That's the mentality that we need and that is the mentality that we are having at the moment. We know how Premier League can change so quickly in two games. "Two games ago, maybe everybody was saying, looking to us at the table, Chelsea coming closer, all the teams coming closer, and now two games after we are in a better position. So everything changes so quickly here because of the quality of all the teams. So we have to be really focused on ourselves. "As I said before, we have so many things to improve. During the season, you have to become a champion not only in one game or only for what we did at this half way point."
Nani's story is a testament to the unpredictable nature of life and the twists and turns that come with pursuing one's passions. As a young and ambitious player, he had envisioned himself as the heir apparent to Cristiano Ronaldo, the talismanic figure of Manchester United and Portuguese football. His talent and potential were undeniable, and he believed that he could reach the heights of success that his predecessor had achieved.For years, the US government has been using tariffs as a tool to protect domestic industries, level the playing field, and address trade imbalances with other countries. However, Dr. Wilson's research has uncovered a different reality - that the cost of tariffs is ultimately being absorbed by American companies and consumers, rather than foreign producers. Through a series of meticulous economic analyses, he has shown that the increased prices resulting from tariffs are eroding the profitability of US businesses, making them less competitive both domestically and internationally.
On the other hand, AC Milan have been experiencing a slight dip in form in recent weeks, dropping points in key matches which has allowed Udinese to close the gap between them. Despite having a strong start to the season, the Rossoneri will need to regroup and rediscover their winning ways in order to maintain their position at the top of the table.
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2024 was the year of the Cats in Prince George. It was fun while it lasted, until their season ended in double-overtime May 6 in 2-1 loss to the Portland Winterhawks in Game 6 of the Western Hockey League Western Conference final . Until that point, Cougars fans thought they has a real chance of going to go all the way. Winterhawks forward Josh Davies ended that dream, 5:40 into the second overtime period, clinching the series with a 30-foot shot into the Prince George net that silenced the crowd of 6,016 that packed into CN Centre hoping their boys would push it to Game 7. “I’m almost speechless, it’s such a tough feeling, honestly,” said Cougar captain Hudson Thornton, who played his last junior hockey game that night. "We’ve been through so much this year as a group and we’ve come so far and this city deserves so much. “We try to give our best every single night and at the end of this you wanted to give them a championship and obviously we didn’t do that so it’s pretty disappointing. Overall we had a tremendous season and the group that we have is so special, we’re brothers for life.” In 2023-24, their 30th season in Prince George, the Cougars established franchise records for wins (49) and points (102). They won the Western Conference regular season title and their second-ever BC Division crown and finished the season as the Canadian Hockey League’s top-ranked team. For only the fourth time since the franchise moved north from Victoria in 1994 the Cougars advanced to the third round of the WHL playoffs and fans flocked to the ticket booth, lining up to buy up tickets as playoff fever built. The postseason started with a first-round sweep over the Spokane Chiefs. The Kelowna Rockets took it to five games and by Game 5 is was sellout city at CN Centre with crowds of 6,000-plus for the rest of the playoffs. All that team success brought plenty of individual accolades. Winger Terik Parascak lit up the league with 43 goals and 105 points and was the BC Division’s top rookie. Head coach and general manager Mark Lamb won the WHL coach-of-the-year and executive-of-the-year awards after he bolstered the lineup through trades to acquire forwards Borya Valis and Matteo Danis and defenceman Chase Pauls. Six Cougars made the WHL all-star list, including Zac Funk, a Lamb trade acquisition the previous season who finished second in the ’23-24 scoring race with 123 points. Joining Funk on the first all-star team was Riley Heidt, who ended up third in WHL scoring with 117 points, and Thornton, who had 18 goals and 74 points, fourth among WHL defencemen. Goalie Josh Ravensbergen had a smashing debut as a 17-year-old WHL rookie. He tied a league record for first-year netminders with six shutouts and was picked for the second all-star team, along with Parascak and Cats’ defenceman Viliam Kmec. The Cougars increased their attendance 29 per cent, tops in the WHL, and raised season memberships 43 per cent as the BC Division nominee for business of the year. There were more rewards waiting for the Cougars at the NHL draft in June when Parascak was picked 17th overall by the Washington Capitals, Ondrej Becher went to the Detroit Red Wings in the third round and Hunter Laing was a sixth-round selection of the Calgary Flames. Prince George native Miguel Marques of the Lethbridge Hurricanes was also chosen in the third round by the Nashville Predators. Looking back at the year in sports, it’s hard to ignore what Prince George native Jared Young did to earn himself a one-year contract with the New York Mets . Young started his eighth year of pro ball in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization after being claimed on waivers from the Chicago Cubs. He began the season with the triple-A Memphis Redbirds and just like he did the previous year with the triple-A Iowa Cubs he put up impressive numbers, hitting .285 with 11 home runs, 15 doubles with a .411 on-base percentage and a .917 OPS (on-base plus slugging). On July 30, the Redbirds released Young so he could pursue an opportunity in the Korean Baseball Organization with the Doosan Bears. In his second game with the Seoul-based Bears, Young hit 5-for-6, including two home runs, and drove in eight runs to trigger a 30-6 win over the first-place Kia Tigers. The left-handed hitting Young finished the season in Korea with a .326 batting average with 10 homers, 39 RBI and a 1.08 OPS. He’ll head to the Mets’ training camp in Florida having played all position as a pro except centerfield and catcher. “There’s not too many teams bigger than them,” said Young, after a trip to New York to sign with Mets on Dec. 17. “It’s really humbling and an awesome opportunity for me. It makes it easier when you know where you’re going and you have a goal in mind.” The UNBC Timberwolves men’s basketball team had their own objectives as they headed into the Canada West playoffs in Winnipeg. Ranked 12th out of 12 teams, the TWolves used that as incentive and became the talk of the town as they pulled off three shocking upsets to emerge as bronze medalists – the first UNBC team ever to win a Canada West medal. The playoff run started Feb. 22 when they took on they defeated the No. 5 UBC Thunderbirds, a team that included former UNBC veterans Fareed Shittu and Micah Jessie. Six UNBC players – Jutin Sunga, Spencer Ledoux, Darren Hunter, Josh Gillespie, Evgeni Baukin and Chris Ross - hit double figures in points and combined for a smothering defence that added up to an 86-76 win that eliminated UBC. The following day UNBC took on the No. 4-ranked Manitoba Bisons and beat them 84-78, setting up a semifinal playoff against the top-ranked Victoria Vikings. Trailing by six at three-quarter time, the TWolves refused to wilt. With 4:47 left in the game they grabbed a 62-61 lead on a Hunter jumpshot, but they ultimately lost 80-68. The best was yet to come for UNBC in the bronze-medal game against the Calgary Dinos. Clinging to a three-point lead to start the fourth quarter, the TWolves made five three-pointers, including two from Chris Ross on his way to a game-high 25 points, and they outscored the Dinos 23-12 down the stretch to head to the medal podium 94-80 winners. “No one expected us to be here,” said graduating guard Darren Hunter. “We don’t even have an all-star. We did it as a team and I just love these guys so much, we have a great team, probably the best team off-court I’ve ever been on.” On the international stage, Carolina Hiller continued to make PG proud as one of the world’s best long track speed skaters . In February, Hiller teamed up with Ivanie Blondin and Maddison Pearman in Calgary to repeat as ISU world champion in the women’s team sprint. Then in October, the 27-year-old Prince George Blizzard alumna won the Canadian 500-metre title for the third consecutive year, and in November, Hiller combined with Blondin and Beatrice Lamarche to win the Four Continents team sprint. In snowboard cross, Evan Bichon laid down his best-ever World Cup results near the end of the season in March. After placing a personal-best seventh in Montafon, Austria, the Mackenzie native made his first World Cup big final and finished fourth in Mont-Saint-Anne, Que. Meryeta O’Dine and Colby Graham are back this season on the national snowboard cross team, while Gavin Rowell held his national team spot and is competing in World Cup ski cross events in 2024-25. Emily Dickson of Burns Lake posted her first top-12 solo finish earlier this month on the IBU Cup biathlon circuit in Europe. In August, Joel Ewert of Prince George played wheelchair rugby for Canada at the Paralympics in Paris. The Canadian team went 2-3 in the tournament an finished sixth. In March, the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club hosted the Para World Biathlon Championships and Para Nordic World Cup on consecutive weeks at Otway Nordic Centre. In April, the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame inducted boxer Kenny Lally, baseball/hockey/softball player Amanda Asay, biathlete Megan Tandy, baseball/hockey builder Edna Stitt and wheelchair curling coach Joe Rea.It’s the waning days of December, which means it’s time to look back at the year that was. For this week’s newsletter, here are four trends in Latino media — music, television and film — that stood out to me in 2024. Música Mexicana reigns supreme. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but música Mexicana — the broad subsection of Latin music that includes everything from banda to cumbia to corridos tumbados to Reggaeton mexa — had a spectacular 2024. It was everywhere . Música Mexicana dominated the streaming charts and was repped at music festivals like Coachella and South By Southwest. Superstar Peso Pluma played at both events, and Southern California native Estevie won the Grulke Prize for Developing U.S. Act at the latter. It went country thanks to crooner Carin León, who performed at the legendary Grand Ole Opry in February . Even Drake, who’s long been accused of being a culture vulture , has jumped on the música Mexicana train, collaborating with Chino Pacas and Fuerza Regida on “Modo Capone.” (Not to be outdone, Kendrick Lamar featured mariachi singer Deyra Barrera on several tracks of his new album, “GNX.” ) As someone who has reported and assigned stories on música Mexicana, I can confidently tell you that this genre is not a fad. On the contrary, we’ve only seen the beginning. Though it has been a mainstay in the U.S. for decades, música Mexicana blew up in the last few years thanks in large part to social media, streaming and an ever-growing, young bicultural fanbase. I’ve often told people that chronicling the rise of the genre nowadays is what I imagine covering the rise of West Coast rap in the late ’80s and early ’90s must have been like. The year of prestige Latin American television Netflix has “ Senna ” and “ 100 Years of Solitude .” Hulu released “ La Maquina ,” a mini-series by the charolastra duo of Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal about an aging boxer and his manager. HBO Latino countered with an adaptation of the Laura Esquivel novel “Like Water for Chocolate” produced by Salma Hayek Pinault. Not to be outdone, Apple TV+ put out “Familia de medianoche” (“Midnight Family”), a drama out of Mexico about a family-operated ambulance service. What’s the common denominator? All of these television shows came out on streaming services looking to expand their footprint globally. The end result has been a renaissance of Latin American television. “People were able to make films, but the television that they were able to make was linear and, in the classical way, was more serialized telenovela content,” Francisco Ramos, vice president of content for Latin America, told Deadline in October. “For sure, the long-formatted novelas are a huge and very successful business. But now you have talent saying, ‘Oh, I can tell my story in eight episodes or in 12 episodes. I get to dig deeper into characters in a seasonal arc.’ A lot of things have started opening up for filmmakers, creators and writers.” A mixed bag for U.S. Latino TV 2024 was a historic year for Latina talent. Selena Gomez ( “Only Murders in the Building” ), Nava Mau (“Baby Reindeer”), Sofia Vergara (“Griselda”), Issa López (“True Detective: Night Country”) and Liza Colón-Zayas (“The Bear”) were all nominated for Emmys — Colón-Zayas was the only winner, taking home the award for comedy supporting actress, and making history as the first Latina to ever win in that category. “Thank you for giving me a new life with this show,” Colón-Zayas said in her acceptance speech. “And to all the Latinas who are looking at me: Keep believing and vote. Vote for your rights.” Other highlights in U.S. Latino television this year included the success of “The Lincoln Lawyer.” The third season of the Netflix legal drama, whose showrunner and star actor are both Latinos, was the most watched show across streaming platforms after it premiered — and the premiere of “Fantasmas,” the lovable and absurdist comedy limited series by Julio Torres that is easily among my favorite shows of the year, Latino or otherwise. On the flipside, sitcoms “This Fool” and “Primo” were canceled early in the year by Hulu and Freevee, respectively. (Amazon also shuttered FreeVee in November. ) Both series were axed too soon, beloved by critics and audiences alike. Latino cinema won big at film festivals Independent productions featuring Latino talent had a stellar 2024 in the film festival circuit. At Sundance, “In the Summers,” a family drama starring René Pérez Joglar (better known as Residente from hip-hop group Calle 13), took home the U.S. dramatic competition’s grand jury prize, while “Sujo,” a new kind of narco film by directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, won the festival’s global competition. At SXSW, “Bob Trevino Likes It,” starring John Leguizamo and Barbie Ferreira, won the audience award in the narrative feature competition; “Clemente,” a documentary on baseball legend Roberto Clemente, won the documentary spotlight competition; and “Bionico’s Bachata,” a charming love story about a crack addict looking to get his life together before the love of his life gets out of rehab, won the global competition’s audience award. The strong showing of these productions at these festivals is proof that there is an audience for Latino-focused stories. And yet Hollywood continues to ignore us, leaving independent filmmakers and producers to pick up the slack. “I never wanted to be the Latino programming person, but the way the system works has put me in a position where if I don’t fight for these projects, no one else will,” Sergio Lira of Luz Films, the L.A.-based media company that co-produced “In the Summers,” told me in February. My favorite De Los stories of 2024 Over the last year, De Los, The Times vertical I help oversee that focuses on Latinx culture and identity, published hundreds of stories. Below is a selection of some of my favorite stories. Kali Uchis discusses pregnancy, breaking industry barriers and new Spanish-language album ‘Orquídeas’ [published Jan. 11, 2024] Ahead of the release of “Orquideas,” easily one of the best albums of 2024 (and one that gave us Peso Pluma singing on a disco-infused track), former De Los culture columnist sat down with Colombian American about having to simultaneously navigate the Anglo and Latin music worlds and being comfortable in her own skin. Oh, and she also broke the news of her pregnancy. Meet Los Shinigamis del Norte, a band that fuses a love of anime with norteño [published March 22, 2024] There are few things in this world that bring me as much joy as a good cultural mashup. Los Shinigamis del Norte, a band that performs norteño covers of anime theme songs, certainly fit the bill. It’s not a bit or a gimmick, either. “We’re real musicians that are serious about the music, the performance, about everything sounding good,” founder Yair Guzmán told De Los contributing columnist Alex Zaragoza. “We don’t do it as a joke or a way to mock. We do it to put on a good show.” Latinx Files: A eulogy for my father [published April 11, 2024] One of my favorite things about writing this newsletter is that I am afforded the opportunity to get personal now and then. On April 1, 2024, my father, Fidel Martinez Sr., died after fighting cancer for nearly two years. I still carry a lot of grief over losing him, but being able to use this space to write about how much he meant to me has been an instrumental step in my healing process. Column: Melissa Barrera is not afraid [published April 23, 2024] In November 2023, Melissa Barrera was fired from the “Scream” horror movie franchise after repeatedly expressing support for the Palestinian people in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. In April 2024, the actor, who was characterized and accused of antisemitism, agreed to speak to De Los contributing columnist JP Brammer and opened up about the professional fallout that came from speaking up. “It wasn’t easy to be labeled as something so horrible when I knew that wasn’t the case,” Barrera told Brammer. “But I was always at peace, because I knew I had done nothing wrong. I was aligned with human rights organizations globally, and so many experts and scholars and historians and, most importantly, Indigenous peoples around the world. I find that the Indigenous communities around the world are always on the right side of history, point blank, period.” In Southeast L.A. County, working-class Latino students now have a pathway to becoming journalists [published May 8, 2024] De Los contributor Tina Vásquez wrote about the journalism program at Downey Unified School District, which has been providing hands-on training for budding journalists since 1994. This thoroughly reported story was a labor of love — Vásquez is a byproduct of the program — and it might very well be my favorite story I worked on in the last year. Ricky Martin and ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ ushered in pop’s ‘Latin explosion’ in 1999. Too bad it wasn’t real. [published May 20, 2024] For The Times’ 1999 Project , a yearlong series that revisited some of the most culturally significant moments from 25 years ago, reporter Andrea Flores wrote about “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” a song that propelled an already famous Ricky Martin into global stardom. The ubiquitous track is also credited for ushering in the so-called “Latin explosion” in music — 1999 also gave us debut albums by the likes of Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez. But as Flores reports, that explosion turned out to be an orchestrated flash in the pan. Isaac Psalm Escoto finds the intersection between L.A.’s art galleries and graffiti [published Aug. 8, 2024] I was hooked the moment I read the following opening two paragraphs of this profile of artist Isaac Psalm Escoto: “My car got impounded again. I am so sorry I’m late,” said Isaac Psalm Escoto, practically running into Jeffrey Deitch, a contemporary art gallery on Santa Monica Boulevard, energy drink in hand. It was the second night in a row that his 2006 Scion xA got towed. Escoto, also known by the graffiti alias Sickid, is on a tight deadline to finish the final installment in his first solo exhibition, “Gas Station Dinner.” From the crevice of his ear to the shoelaces on his Converse sneakers, he’s covered entirely in unintentional paint splatters. From the get-go, De Los reporter paints — sorry! — Escoto as a modern day Mad Hatter-like character whose art captures a version of Los Angeles that exists in a “florescent realm of mischief and humor.” ‘La Bamba’ is getting a remake. Luis Valdez isn’t sure why [published Aug. 27, 2024] In August, Variety reported that Sony Pictures and production company Mucho Mas Media were planning to remake “La Bamba,” the 1987 biopic about Mexican American rock and roller Ritchie Valens, who died in a 1959 plane crash alongside fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. Many questioned why it was being remade. Among them was Luis Valdez, the writer and director of the beloved film. For Natalia Lafourcade, playing the Hollywood Bowl again is the next step in her storied journey [published Sept. 3, 2024] In 2019, Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, performed at the Hollywood Bowl for the first time. Gustavo Dudamel, the beloved conductor of the orchestra, said that the show was among the best performances in the history of the iconic venue. Five years later, Lafourcade, who has established herself as one of the most revered and respected artists from Latin America, returned to the Bowl. I spent some time with Lafourcade ahead of her back-to-back concerts in September. For Becky G, ‘Encuentros’ marks her next chapter [published Oct. 14, 2024] As I wrote in the top section of this newsletter, música Mexicana enjoyed a massive surge in popularity in 2024. Rebbeca Marie Gomez, the 27-year-old artist better known as Becky G, has helped lead the charge. She used her 2023 Coachella performance as an opportunity to highlight the likes of Peso Pluma and JOP of Fuerza Regida. “Brick by brick, we’re continuing to build this bridge that artists like Selena Quintanilla started and couldn’t finish,” Becky G told reporter Andrea Flores about her “rising tide lifts all boats” approach to working with and uplifting other música Mexicana acts. “I hope that we can help kids who grew up like us feel more OK to be themselves.” Belissa Escobedo is finding her happy place [published Nov. 13, 2024] Things hadn’t panned out for actor Belissa Escobedo after appearing in “Blue Beetle.” Hollywood went on strike before the first Latino live action superhero movie premiered, and Escobedo found herself tending bar at a New York City tavern. Ironically, it would take another bar — the fictional “Happy’s Place” — for Escobedo to get back on track.
NEW YORK , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- RIA Eyewear (" RIA "), a New York -based performance eyewear company, is thrilled to announce that professional golfer Rocco Mediate has joined the brand as its latest ambassador. Mediate, renowned for his charismatic personality and remarkable on-course achievements, will bring his years of professional golf experience to further RIA's commitment to performance and innovation. Rocco's impressive career includes 6 PGA Tour victories along with 5 wins on the PGA Tour Champions, including the Senior PGA Championship. With his latest PGA Tour Champions victory, Mediate has now won PGA Tour-sanctioned events in 5 decades. As one of the game's greats, Mediate will be an integral part in representing RIA Eyewear's commitment to providing athletes with high-quality eyewear, designed for optimal performance on the course. "I'm excited to partner with RIA Eyewear," said Mediate. "Their commitment to innovation and quality is something I truly admire. In golf, having the right equipment can make all the difference, and I believe RIA's eyewear will help me—and golfers everywhere—perform at our best." RIA Eyewear is dedicated to enhancing the visual experience for golfers. With their proprietary Golf HD+ technology, RIA's lenses are designed to provide optimal contrast on the course while keeping golfers' eyes feeling fresh and protected during long rounds in the sun. "Rocco is not only a world class golfer but also an inspiration when it comes to pushing the boundaries of product development," said Jordan Kemp and Chris Hanson , co-founders of RIA Eyewear. His passion for the sport and commitment to excellence makes him a great ambassador for RIA." The addition of Rocco Mediate to RIA's ambassador team comes as the company continues to expand its collection in response to the overwhelming success of its proprietary Golf HD+ lens technology. RIA's Golf HD+ lens offering was designed with ZEISSTM, the global leader in lens optics, using rigorous color science research to find the balance between enhanced contrast and eye comfort, all while providing 100% UVA/B protection. RIA's lenses are specifically not polarized to help golfers maintain their depth perception, making it easier to see slopes and breaks on the greens. All of RIA's performance frame styles are handmade in Italy and built to stand up to the most challenging conditions. To find out more about RIA Eyewear, visit www.riaeyewear.com About RIA Eyewear RIA Eyewear is an independent performance eyewear brand started in 2017 to give athletes a visual edge on the court and course while protecting their eye health. RIA's lenses are developed through extensive color science research with world-renowned lens maker Carl ZEISS to enhance a wearer's visual acuity and eye comfort. With a growing list of pro ambassadors from the golf, tennis, and pickleball pro tours, including Rocco Mediate , Kim Clijsters , and the Bryan Brothers, RIA is changing the way golfers and racquet sport athletes see the game for the better. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ria-eyewear-welcomes-golf-legend-rocco-mediate-as-new-brand-ambassador-302325280.html SOURCE RIA Inc
NEW YORK , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Macy's, Inc. ("Macy's" or the "Company") (NYSE: M ). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Macy's and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On November 25, 2024 , Macy's issued a press release announcing its preliminary third quarter 2024 results. Therein, Macy's disclosed that "during the preparation of its unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the fiscal quarter ended November 2, 2024 , it identified an issue related to delivery expenses in one of its accrual accounts" and "consequently initiated an independent investigation." Macy's reported that, "[a]s a result of the independent investigation and forensic analysis, the company identified that a single employee with responsibility for small package delivery expense accounting intentionally made erroneous accounting accrual entries to hide approximately $132 to $154 million of cumulative delivery expenses from the fourth quarter of 2021 through fiscal quarter ended November 2, 2024 ." Macy's further advised that "[t]he individual who engaged in this conduct is no longer employed by the company." On this news, Macy's stock price fell $0.37 per share, or 02.27%, to close at $15.93 per share on November 25, 2024 . The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York , Chicago , Los Angeles , London , and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz , known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud , breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLPCork retail market in a period of growth as vacancy rates dropSACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings have let go of Head Coach Mike Brown following a string of disappointing losses for the team, sources close to the Kings told KCRA 3. The Kings currently stand at 13-8 but have lost the last five games at home, with Thursday night being particularly tough after the Detroit Pistons made a 19-point comeback. Shortly before the news about his firing, Brown made himself available to the media to comment on the team's defeat. At the shootaround, he said that they need to do better. In July of this year, the Kings signed brown to a multi-year contract extension. Brown joined the Kings in 2022 and helped Sacramento end its 16-season playoff drought. For the first time in years, the Kings created excitement as they took on the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Warriors went on to win in the seventh game of that round. In 2023, Sacramento fell just short of making playoffs, losing in the play-in tournament. Prior to the Kings, Brown was an associate head coach with Golden State from 2016-2022 and helped win the NBA finals three times. His career also included the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Indiana Pacers, the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
As Nani bid farewell to the football pitch and embarked on a new chapter of his life, he did so with a sense of pride and fulfillment. He may not have become the next Cristiano Ronaldo, but he had become something even more important - himself. And in that realization, Nani found peace, knowing that he had made his mark on the beautiful game in his own unique way.
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