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PTI reschedules civil disobedience movement PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary Information Sheikh Waqas Akram on Friday said that his party had changed the date for its civil disobedience movement. Talking to Geo News, he said that the PTI had planned to launch the civil disobedience movement on December 16 instead of the previously announced date December 14.Sheikh Waqas explained that the movement would be implemented in phases, adding that PTI leadership was not currently engaged in negotiations with any other political parties. He said that PTI founder Imran Khan had opened the door for talks, should anyone wish to discuss the party’s demands.“Anyone who wants to engage in dialogue regarding our demands is welcome to do so,” Sheikh Waqas, reaffirming PTI’s readiness for negotiations despite the ongoing political standoff.Amazing Disney Robot Dances! See the Future of Lifelike Movement

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Joel Embiid played just one half and the Sixers failed to add an eighth win Friday night. They dropped to 7-16 this season with a 121-107 loss to the Pacers. > Philadelphia news 24/7: Watch NBC10 free wherever you are Embiid did not play the second half after being unintentionally stuck on the right side of his face by Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin. He will undergo further testing, a Sixers official said. The Sixers were without Caleb Martin (right shoulder impingement) and Adem Bona (left knee tendinopathy). Both players have resumed on-court work and are considered day-to-day. Kyle Lowry was scratched late because of lower back spasms. Tyrese Maxey scored a team-high 22 points. Paul George added 15 and Kelly Oubre Jr. recorded a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double. Tyrese Haliburton led the 11-15 Pacers with 32 points and 11 assists. Pascal Siakam had 23 points and eight boards. Next up for the Sixers a road game Monday night against the Hornets. Here are observations on their defeat to Indiana: Complete coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers and their rivals in the NBA from NBC Sports Philadelphia. Pacers pounce on Sixers' sloppiness Embiid’s passing was a plus in the early going. The superstar big man tallied four first-quarter assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. cut behind the Indiana defense on the game’s first play and Embiid dished to him for a layup. The Sixers had a few nice inside-out moments from multiple players’ post-ups, including an Embiid feed that set George up for a wide-open three-pointer. The Pacers responded to a 9-2 deficit by storming back with a 14-0 run. The Sixers’ turnovers played a key part, allowing Indiana to attack in transition. Mathurin poked the ball away from an unsuspecting George, leading to Haliburton’s second consecutive three. He made four triples in the first period. Maxey turned the ball early in the second quarter over when the Pacers blitzed him in the pick-and-roll shortly after he crossed half court. Seconds later, T.J. McConnell tossed a successful alley-oop to Obi Toppin and Indiana took a 37-24 lead. At that point, the Sixers had eight turnovers to the Pacers’ one. Indiana applied effective pressure on Maxey, who’d scored 45 points on Oct. 27 in an overtime victory against the Pacers. Before Friday, his season high in turnovers was four. He had five giveaways in the first half. It didn’t help that the Sixers came up empty on several decent looks. Embiid missed a driving layup on Myles Turner and began 0 for 4 from the floor. He’d started 0 for 7 in the Sixers’ win Sunday over the Bulls . Only one half of Embiid Eric Gordon was the lone available Sixer not in the team’s 10-man rotation. While the team’s second unit had some defensive breakdowns, the youthful trio of Jared McCain, KJ Martin and Ricky Council IV combined for 16 first-half points. Once he checked back in for his second stint, Embiid was determined to go at Turner inside. He drew Turner’s third foul with 4:49 left in the second quarter. All attention turned to Embiid's health at the tail end of the second. He was hit in the face by Mathurin's arm as the Indiana guard pursued a potential offensive rebound. Embiid eventually rose to his feet and walked back to the Sixers' locker room holding a towel to his face. He did not come back to the floor. It's unsurprising that the Sixers would want to thoroughly evaluate Embiid, who has twice worn a mask on his face during the playoffs after returning from orbital fractures. Jared McCain started the third quarter and had an injury scare of his own when he fell hard on a drive and appeared to hit his head against the court. According to a Sixers official, McCain was assessed for a concussion and cleared to return. Comeback effort fizzles out The Sixers fell behind by as many as 18 points in the third quarter. They surged back into the game late in the third period, though. Oubre, Council and Drummond all played hard and did good, physical work on the boards. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used George and four bench players to begin the fourth quarter. George grew more aggressive, sinking a floater and a jumper that cut the Pacers' lead to 92-87. In the end, the Sixers seemed to run out of juice and Indiana made enough timely shots, including two Siakam jumpers in a row. Haliburton scored an and-one hoop on McCain and then stopped by the bench to celebrate with his teammates. The Pacers' lead kept expanding and they cruised to victory. For the Sixers, all the important questions yet again revolve around the health of Embiid.NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell broadly on Friday as Wall Street closed out a holiday-shortened week on a down note. The losses were made worse by sharp declines for the Big Tech stocks known as the “Magnificent 7”, which can heavily influence the direction of the market because of their large size. The S&P 500 fell 66.75 points, or 1.1%, to 5,970.84. Roughly 90% of stocks in the benchmark index lost ground, but it managed to hold onto a modest gain of 0.7% for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 333.59 points, or 0.8%, to 42,992.21. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell 298.33 points, or 1.5%, to 19,722.03. Semiconductor giant Nvidia slumped 2.1%. Microsoft declined 1.7%. Each has a market value above $3 trillion, giving the companies outsized sway on the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. A wide range of retailers also fell. Amazon fell 1.5% and Best Buy slipped 1.5%. The sector is being closely watched for clues on how it performed during the holiday shopping season. Energy stocks held up better than the rest of the market, with a loss of less than 0.1% as crude oil prices rose. “There’s just some uncertainty over this relief rally we’ve witnessed since last week,” said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist for LPL Financial. The S&P 500 gained nearly 3% over a 3-day stretch before breaking for the Christmas holiday. On Thursday, the index posted a small decline. Despite Friday's drop, the market is moving closer to another standout annual finish . The S&P 500 is on track for a gain of around 25% in 2024. That would mark a second consecutive yearly gain of more than 20%, the first time that has happened since 1997-1998. The gains have been driven partly by upbeat economic data showing that consumers continued spending and the labor market remained strong. Inflation, while still high, has also been steadily easing. A report on Friday showed that sales and inventory estimates for the wholesales trade industry fell 0.2% in November, following a slight gain in October. That weaker-than-expected report follows an update on the labor market Thursday that showed unemployment benefits held steady last week. The stream of upbeat economic data and easing inflation helped prompt a reversal in the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy this year. Expectations for interest rate cuts also helped drive market gains. The central bank recently delivered its third cut to interest rates in 2024. Even though inflation has come closer to the central bank's target of 2%, it remains stubbornly above that mark and worries about it heating up again have tempered the forecast for more interest rate cuts. Inflation concerns have added to uncertainties heading into 2025, which include the labor market’s path ahead and shifting economic policies under incoming President Donald Trump. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Amedisys rose 4.7% after the home health care and hospice services provider agreed to extend the deadline for its sale to UnitedHealth Group. The Justice Department had sued to block the $3.3 billion deal, citing concerns the combination would hinder access to home health and hospice services in the U.S. The move to extend the deadline comes ahead of an expected shift in regulatory policy under Trump. The incoming administration is expected to have a more permissive approach to dealmaking and is less likely to raise antitrust concerns. In Asia, Japan’s benchmark index surged as the yen remained weak against the dollar. Stocks in South Korea fell after the main opposition party voted to impeach the country’s acting leader. Markets in Europe gained ground. Bond yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.62% from 4.59% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury remained at 4.33% from late Thursday. Wall Street will have more economic updates to look forward to next week, including reports on pending home sales and home prices. There will also be reports on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity.Boston Scientific director sells $446,901 in stock

Navy gets 95-yard TD run from Horvath and stops 2-point try to beat Oklahoma in Armed Forces BowlVena Recognized as a Challenger in the 2024 Gartner® Magic QuadrantTM for Financial Planning Software49ers’ Kyle Shanahan isn’t ready to talk about 2025 season yet

BEIJING , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Beacon Education is proud to celebrate an exciting and important milestone with its partner Northern Arizona University , as its Master of Computer Information Technology (MCIT) program graduates its 1000 th student this month. In just four years, NAU's innovative personalized learning model has helped the MCIT program become one of China's most successful online degrees, delivering important skills to working professionals across a variety of different industries. As one of Beacon's first partners, NAU has worked closely with teams across the company to design and implement an elite experience for working professional learners across China , ensuring that the program is delivered to NAU's s world-class standards and that all students become an authentic part of the NAU community. Carmin Chan , Vice Provost of NAU Online, notes "NAU has a long history of welcoming and educating students from across the world. The partnership between NAU Online and Beacon Education is a great example of how NAU offers career-ready degrees that provide economic mobility and increased opportunity for our students in Arizona and around the globe." With a broad array of companies, channels, and partners investing in the MCIT program, they increasingly ask for an expansion of the degree portfolio from NAU. As an innovative first-mover, NAU is helping educate the market about what is possible through online degree-based education, driving rapidly-increasing demand for degree programs from universities in the US and around the world. "We are so proud of what we have built with NAU and thrilled to continue expanding with new degrees, new markets, and new corporate partners. NAU has grabbed an opportunity to deliver innovative programs to untapped student pools and both Beacon and NAU are seeing the work to design and deliver outstanding programs pay off. The graduates in China are proud to be NAU alumni and the MCIT program continues to grow as word of the program spreads," explains CEO Michael Wang . With a breadth of degrees from a growing range of university partners experiencing similar enrollment and revenue expansion, Beacon looks forward to reaching new, ambitious milestones in coming years with NAU and other universities as they pursue this untapped opportunity in degree-based upskilling Chinese working professionals. Media Contact: Charles Iannuzzi, [email protected] SOURCE Beacon Education

Chairman of NPP UK chapter, Kingsley Adumattah Agyapong The Chairman of the New Patriotic Party(NPP)UK chapter, Kingsley Adumattah Agyapong, commonly known as Wofa K, has claimed that the Akufo-Addo-led administration is leaving behind a strong economy. He argued that the incoming Mahama-led administration should have no excuse to send the country back to the dark days. “If Mahama fails to build on the growth we have achieved, the growth rate will drop and the country will head back to the challenges and difficulties we complained about,” he said. He asserted that Mr Mahama has a poor track record of mismanaging the economy, and the example could be traced to when the Atta Mills increased our GDP from 8% under Kufuor to 14%, which dropped to 3.5%. Mahama destroyed all the gains made and plunged us into five years of dumsor with the collapse of industries, which cost the country an annual figure of GHC 10.88 billion. That was the state of the country. He added the NPP came in with every fibre in us and worked hard; in 2017, 2018, and 2019, Ghana was the fastest-growing economy in the whole world. If not for the outbreak of Covid-19, we would have experienced something different. He stressed the need for Mahama not to have any excuse but to put in motion all his promises to make the living conditions of the people better than what the NPP had doneNicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate in 2024, said on Thursday that the H1-B visa program delivers “massive breaks” for cheap labor for tech companies, and those with the visas are essentially “indentured servants” for big tech. The selection of Siriam Krishnan as a senior policy adviser for artificial intelligence in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has sparked a widespread debate over the H1-B visa program, which conservatives have railed as “abusive” and designed to undercut wages of white-collar Americans. Vivek Ramaswamy further enflamed the controversy when he claimed that America “has venerated mediocrity over excellence.” Shanahan weighed into the debate, stating emphatically that the visa program has been abused to serve as corporate welfare, as it delivers “massive breaks” for cheap labor for big tech, and that these visa workers are “indentured servants” for big tech companies. A Rasmussen Reports poll found that a majority of likely American voters believe that the country does not need more foreign H1-B visa workers to fill white-collar jobs. Breitbart News has long reported the countless incidents where white-collar Americans are laid off and forced to train their foreign replacements. She is no stranger to the world of big tech; she was a fellow at Stanford Law School’s CodeX, Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, and used to be married to Sergey Brin, one of the two founders of Google. “I take issue with some of the discourse I’ve read online today suggesting “lazy American culture” is the main driver for why we need to continue the H-1B program. Let’s be real: tech companies getting massive breaks on cheap labor at the expense of the American way of life is predatory,” Shanahan wrote. She continued: The system we’ve constructed with H-1B visas, whether we like it or not, incentivizes people to come here and serve as essentially indentured servants for Big Tech, taking on the tough, grueling jobs that few here in America are excited to perform at the current suppressed salaries. In return, if you’re good at your job, you’re then put on a fast track to get a Green Card, which means legal status and the chance to bring your family over through chain migration. Shanahan also took issue with the notion that companies have to bring in untold numbers of H1-B visa holders because America has a culture of pursuing their passions: Just because our kids have the “right” to chase artistic dreams like music and painting, doesn’t mean we should bring in hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to displace them in math-intensive careers. It’s a two-fold issue: both our education and immigration policies are broken. Instead of tackling these complex issues head-on, Big Tech monopolies and tech VCs are looking for the fastest way to outcompete globally and become industry giants. It’s paid off—look at the insane valuations of these companies! We can’t entirely blame them for this approach—it’s been the industry norm for 40 years—but we can insist they seek out the tough, lasting solutions. No more temporary fixes. Shanahan called for reform to prevent abuse to America’s immigration policies: 1. Immigration policy must be designed to protect the American way of life and its workforce. Singapore’s work permit program, which they designed in the ’90s, was built from this standard and could provide good inspiration. They use a modern-day designation system to manage the influx of labor across various sectors. ⁃ Employers face levies (essentially fees that employers have to pay for each foreign worker they hire. It’s a way to manage the number of foreign workers coming in by making it more expensive to employ them, encouraging companies to also look for talent locally). ⁃ There are Dependency Ceilings, which essentially limit the number of foreign workers based on the local workforce—this is KEY. ⁃ They impose restrictions on the countries from which workers can come. ⁃ Permits are diversified across industries to ensure balance. 2. Special economic zones are amazing and can transform local tech job markets. Hiring locally is going to be critical for making sure Americans are taking key tech industry roles AND able to support their families. Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3 .India Vs Australia 3rd Test Day 1 LIVE Score: Rohit Sharma's men look to recreate Gabba heroics

What to expect in 2025, and some reasons to be cheerfulHemispheres away from each other, Roc Marciano and The Alchemist are in sync like they’re in the same room. Roc is back home in LA, decompressing from Art Basel, while The Alchemist, who DJs for Eminem, is just landing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the “Rap God.” It’s slightly past midnight for Alchemist, who shows us Zoom attendees a group of people taking pictures of him in front of his hotel. It’s unclear if they’re sneaking shots because, as he suspects, his purple-and-pink ensemble is in stark contrast to their cultural garb or because he’s one of the greatest producers ever to walk the earth. During our conversation, someone walks up to show him love. The international appreciation is a testament to the body of work and production acumen displayed on The Skeleton Key , his new album with Roc Marciano, a follow-up to their 202 collaboration, Elephant Man’s Bones . When I ask when they started working on the 10-track album, which dropped Monday on RocMarci.com (with two bonus songs) and is available on streaming platforms today, Roc clarifies that they have an ongoing creative relationship. Alchemist is always sending beats, and Roc is always writing. Their chemistry is apparent throughout our conversation as they finish and build on each others’ thoughts. That cohesion comes through on the album’s first single, “Chopstick,” which exemplifies The Skeleton Key ’s overall vibe. Throughout the project, Alchemist delivers a canvas that varies from the sixties horror score of “Rauf” to the searing “Street Magic,” where Roc rhymes, “I’m a wolf, I’m aloof, I’m not cool / Despite what you may have assumed, I’m rude,” characteristically delivered with enough steeliness to radiate an entirely different context of “cool.” Their sophomore collaboration comes at the end of banner years for both artists. Alchemist dropped three projects: Heads I Win, Tails You Lose (as Gangrene with Oh No), Black & Whites with Hit-Boy and Big Hit, and The Genuine Articulate — while garnering notable individual placements like Kendrick Lamar’s “Meet The Grahams.” In March, Roc Marciano released his well-regarded album Marciology . He also recently struck a partnership between his Pimpire International label and Roc Nation’s Equity Distribution, which he says puts “a staff” behind his movement in a manner he’s never had before. The two say 2025 is set to be just as prosperous as they’re more artistically focused and empowered on the business end than ever. Editor’s picks The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Roc Marciano and The Alchemist talked to Rolling Stone about The Skeleton Key , their craft as producers, and the late, great Ka . How’s your 2024 been? Alchemist: It’s been eventful. It’s been more than I could ask for. I can’t speak for Roc, but I feel like we’re both at the place where we’re in a real good hefty stride where it’s like... I won’t say comfort zone because we never try to get too comfortable. I think the turnout and after running for a long time, it feels like we don’t got to speed on the bike anymore; we could kick back and we’re in a flow now. For years, I felt like we were pedaling to create the landscape that we have now. I feel like that’s why it’s... I don’t want to say easy, but it’s like without much effort that we could pull off something like this, basically whenever we want. At what point would you say you felt that flow state? Alchemist: I don’t know if it was a moment, but once we pulled off Elephant Man’s Bones , it felt like we approached it. We got over a hump, and it was like once we both got that and achieved that, collectively, I feel like — and maybe it’s in my head — I could pitch 80 to 90% with Roc if I’m sending him beats or if I got something in mind for him. We’re pretty much in sync. Similar to the flow I had with Prodigy, two completely different artists, but it was like the [similar] rhythm that we were in. It’s rare when you get connections like that with other artists. Related Content A$AP Rocky Teams With J. Cole for New Song 'Ruby Rosary' How Hit-Boy and His Father Big Hit Brought The Family Together on ‘Black & Whites’ Roc Marciano Satiates His Cult Fanbase On ‘Marciology’ How the Rising Rapper MIKE Became More Boundless Than Fan Expectations When would you say y’all started working on this project? Roc Marciano: It’s kind of like we never stopped. We always making music. I’m always sitting on a batch of beats from Al. How much of this one did y’all get a chance to record in person? Roc: Damn, how many joints we did? I think some of the older joints we did from the last project we might’ve did together, I’m not sure. Alchemist: I’m not sure. Some of them we did, but we live in the same city now, too. I feel like we’re damn near in the same studio every morning because of our respective work areas. I could pull up on Roc, or he’d come to my spot, but I think the flow is better when I’m sending him stuff and he’s in his bag over there, taking his time. And then we convene, and we come to my spot or his spot, we take notes, but I think we both have our [own] work environment. I know if Roc is in his element over there, I could just send him stuff, and at his leisure, if it might be three in the morning, it might be eight in the morning, whatever, he’s comfy, and he’s able to do what he does. How intentional was it for this one to have no features? Roc: I don’t know, I don’t care about features, to be honest. [ Laughs ] Features are always an afterthought. Whenever I put features on my album, they’re usually my friends. I never think of an album and be like, “Yo, I need rappers on my album.” I don’t give a fuck about features. Alchemist: It felt like we needed to just do this one. I felt like people that love what we do, I don’t think that they’re like, “Man, that album was good, but we needed some other voices on there.” I feel like if anything, they might be annoyed. It wasn’t one of those events. It felt like a quick mission we needed to pull off, just us in our bag. It naturally became that. And I think it says something too. I was telling Roc yesterday that it’s kind of dope that we were able to get together and make something with this much motion. And get with Josué Thomas , who’s our brother, to do the artwork, and [have] Evidence, also our brother, to do the video. It’s a very self-contained creative product. What is it that’s special and distinct about collaborating with each other? Roc: Alchemist is one of the greats. I always wanted to work with him from back in the days since the Mobb Deep days. So to be able to work with him now, and call him one of my closest friends, I’m blessed to even have this friend circle. So it’s respect and admiration from my side. Alchemist: And I say it all the time, Roc’s my favorite rapper, and I don’t take it lightly because somebody I consider my favorite is one of my close friends. Those are two separate things. I don’t ever let one conflate the other. You are still the God, so when I get an opportunity to work with him or get his ear... Because I know what the hell he’s going to do to these beats, and it’s like, that’s your best friend, if you make beats. Your best friend is the guy who’s going to take your beats and breathe life into them. My friends make me look good. Without these guys, they’d just be a bunch of cool instrumentals. So I value it, and I let them know every time we get a chance to work, like, “Man, thank you.” Roc: Thank you, brother, and I’m lucky myself, man, to make shit, and you always have my back, and make sure I always got a crazy pack from you. Alchemist: That ain’t easy, because Roc’s standards is high. [ Laughs ] I send him a lot of stuff until we land on the right one, but it’s specific. We always find if it takes a couple beats, CDs, or whatever it takes, we going to get to a place where he finds something that moves the pen, and that’s all I can ask for. So, Roc, as a rapper and producer, what does it do for you as an emcee when you can get beats from somebody and just focus on writing? Roc: Yeah, it’s definitely [like] now I don’t have to worry about half the workload. So all I have to do is make sure that I hold up my end of the bargain. When I’m doing my own production, obviously, you got to wear both hats. With this, I get a chance totally focus on what I’m writing, so it’s definitely a much better and easier process for me. On “Street Magic,” you said: “I don’t need my ego stroked.” How important is it not to be driven in your art by external validation? Alchemist: I mean, shit, Roc don’t give a fuck about that. Roc is truly the essence of that. He don’t care with nothing. He does it for the most purest, and not even selfish [reasons], like it’s got to be validated to him first. It got to sit right in his heart, and where he’s at in his career. If somebody else likes it, that shit is trivial for Roc, because I look at stuff. I like to do consumer research and see what’s out there. Roc really, he appreciates it, but he ain’t tripping on that. It’s truthfully [like] we validate this first. We do it for a deeper, higher purpose. So anyone else liking it or validating it after is icing on the cake, you know what I mean? Roc: And I don’t trust people’s tastes anyway. People have bad tastes, so a person with bad taste can’t tell me shit. It’s no need for me to even try to wrap my head around that. I trust my taste over 99% of motherfuckers out here, so have at it. If people love it, they love it. If they don’t, it’s cool. What does your consumer research look like, Al? Alchemist: I do my studies, man. I love watching it. It fascinates me to see that we could press upload on this album, and in Germany, or in Belgium, or Japan, within an hour, there’s people enjoying it. I watch the reviews. If you do reviews, and you got five views on your review, I’m one of the five views. I try to give hope to some of them guys in their room doing those reviews. I watch them, and I like seeing, even if it’s a bad review, the real-time effect of our music on some technology shit. Roc: I got your bad review hanging right here. Alchemist: [ Laughs ] I never thought in my life that I would be in retail. At this point in our careers, we actually run our own labels. We make all the decisions. So it’s on some consumer research type of thing, just seeing what’s working, what isn’t. I check the temperatures out there. That reminds me of the tweet you made recently. It was like, “Yo, if you’re hot, I’ll find you. “ Alchemist: When something that reaches my radar is genuine, I definitely am the type that’ll reach out. I love discovering new artists, or giving somebody who’s a new producer [props like] “Yo, I see you. Keep going crazy.” There’s a producer, Child Actor , who’s really dope that was on my radar. I reached out to him. I didn’t wait for him to hit me like, “Yo, you’re dope. I mess with you.” I’ve done that to a lot of guys because I know what that does, and what that would’ve done for me at the time. And it’s genuine, too, like these are people I get inspiration from. Roc: Yeah, I love doing that, too. I love when you shout people out, and show them love, and they be like, “Yo, wow.” They can’t believe it. You be like, “What, you think I’m corny?” I’m not corny, bro. If you dope, I’ll show you love. It ain’t no skin off my back. So to show love, it don’t cost you nothing. Roc, how does the recent partnership with Roc Nation add to your movement? Roc: It’s just now, there’s a staff behind it. It’s contributing in ways that I feel like the people that were supporting me, they’ve always wanted to see it on a bigger stage and they wanted to see it pushed more to the front. So now that I have a staff and a team behind the projects, because everything that was built, even on our side, we built this without a staff. We weren’t even using marketing dollars and advertisements. This has all been organic. So now, to actually have some people helping out, it’s going to be great, and it’s going to bring more awareness, and it’s bringing more awareness to what we’re doing. Al, I saw you were in one of Eminem’s trailers for his recent album. I was wondering what that experience was like, filming that trailer. Alchemist: It was cool. It was an honor. Anytime they give me the chance to wet my shoes with some acting. And yeah, it’s cool to add that to the list of things that I do. Just being affiliated with Eminem. Obviously, I’m overseas right now on tour with Eminem. Yeah. It’s a blessing to be hitting on all levels. And I could be on the road with him doing this big ass show, come home, hit the studio, and get busy with Roc Marci and make classics and hit the road. I’m blessed to have all these different influences and be able to be with the best of the best in every category. So yeah, it was dope. It was dope when they tapped me to do shit like that because acting, it’s a new challenge for me. Wow. This is a whole world. And even though there’s little bits and things, last year I was filming some stuff with Hit-Boy and Big Hit and it’s fun. It’s like, “Shit. This is tough.” This is not... I respect actors. So it was fun to be able to do that. You mentioned you did something with Big Hit and Hit-Boy. I was wondering if the Eminem thing was your first acting role since Murda Muzik . Alchemist: [Laughs] That was my debut. Trevor, the gun salesman. Probably. And that was a last-minute thing, too. But acting is something that I would love to try my hand at a little more. I have a couple of things coming I don’t want to blow up, but for next year I think it should be interesting. In another interview , you said, “The fun is in danger” in a creative sense. What do you think are some of the next most ambitious creative things you’d like to explore? Roc Marciano: Actually, I want to do more singing. I want to get more into the melody side. I want to make an album like Isaac Hayes, like Black Moses kind of shit. Just fun stuff like that. Experimenting, even though I know they want to box us in with samples and stuff like that. But I’m going to start fucking with some live instrumentation, as well. Just start expanding in every way possible. Whatever they saying we shouldn’t be doing, we going to try our hand at it. Alchemist, I saw that some of your music is not on DSPs anymore. I was wondering if it will be returning to streaming or what’s going on with that? Alchemist: I got some plans. I think people will be surprised, but everything will be back. Yeah, it’s going to come back. Man, remember when Taylor Swift put her music back out? Yeah, re-recorded. Alchemist: Right. Well, I may not re-record, but I realized that the span of my career has touched a lot of different eras and what you think everybody knows, they just might not know. And I feel like me introducing some of the old projects... Like if I re-release First Infantry and do a new video, it’s going to be a whole new first week to a whole world of people. So there’s something there that I got that I’m toying with. And for the ones that knew about it, just keep your mouth shut and act like you don’t know what I’m doing. Roc: Exactly. Shut up. Alchemist: You know what I’m saying? Re-rock. Roc: See, that’s the danger we talking about. You’re not supposed to do that. Ka passed away recently . How are y’all holding up, and what do you think his legacy is? Roc: Well, holding up is a challenge every day when you lose somebody like Ka, so just never going to get over that. But as far as this legacy and everything that we doing, Ka’s firmly planted in it and is a big part of all of this that we started. Ka was the only feature on my first album. He’s been there for this whole ride, and all of the respect and admiration we get, he’s due it as well. It’s cemented: Ka is one of the best lyricists to ever walk the planet. And I’m not saying that because he passed because I was saying that while he was living. And that’s just what it is. That’s the truth. And he’s going to be forever missed. Alchemist: Ka was one of my biggest inspirations, and I still maintain that even more now. Definitely something I was able to tell him while he was here and let him know I met him through Roc. But I never let him think for a minute that I didn’t know that he was something special. And from the whole aspect of him producing, writing, and filming his own videos, that really inspired me. I felt like he was a true artist, and there was no filter between him. Sometimes you got to explain your shit to an engineer. You got to explain your shit to a video director. There was none of that. He bypassed all that. His art was exactly from the visual. You could smell, taste, and touch what was his pure thought. And that, to this day, still motivates me, especially on the video side of things. I feel like this type of project is something that we had to do, even in the spirit of Ka, in the passing of it. Man this is something that will make him proud. And I definitely felt like we were getting his blessings from above, as far as to keep going and keep alive in the artistry that we’ve been given. We all have a limited time on this earth, so every day matters. And Ka proved that. Look at how great his discography is in a short period of time. It’s almost scary. Like, “Damn, he did his thing.” But we never know when we’re going to check out. He’s always going to be a big inspiration, I know, to Roc and to me, as well. What are y’all looking forward to most in 2025? Roc: More great music and just enjoying life and our families and adding on to the legacy that we’ve been building. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Alchemist: Yeah, I can’t even lie, it looks already like next year could potentially be the biggest year ever for me. And really, to be honest, just based on the things I have lined up already, I’m just making sure I stay healthy, man. That’s all I care about now. I want to stay here because [there are] too much blessings around the corner. So [that’s] what I’m thinking about, making sure that we are in the right shape, mind, body, and soul to receive all the blessings that are right around the corner from the work. It wasn’t like they fell out of the sky. Roc: Ain’t that what I always be on you about? Alchemist: That’s it. Roc be checking in on me every now and then like, “Yo, you good? You sleeping? You eating good?” Because he knows I might work to the point where I’m not even paying attention to that shit. [ Laughs ] But as we get older, these are the true things. The only thing on my mind, is I got to stay good so I can enjoy all this shit. Because the hard work is starting to pay off and it’s only making us work harder.

MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler will not play in the final two games of Miami's ongoing road trip while recovering from illness, the team said Friday. That means Butler will not play Saturday at Atlanta or Sunday at Houston. The earliest he could play again is Wednesday at home against New Orleans. Butler hasn't played since the first quarter of Miami's Dec. 20 game against Oklahoma City, when he twisted an ankle, left the game and then was ruled out because of illness. Miami has played three games since without Butler, two because of the illness and then Thursday's win in Orlando with him back in Miami conditioning for a return. He is not with the team on the road trip. The Heat said Thursday that they are not going to trade Butler, that announcement coming after ESPN, citing sources, said the six-time All-Star would prefer to be moved before the trade deadline on Feb. 6. Butler has not publicly expressed any desire to be traded. He is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season. AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBANEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution’s suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies before sentencing. They called the idea “absurd.” The Manhattan district attorney's office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. Those options include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn’t resolved because of presidential immunity. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday that the only acceptable option to them is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined comment. It’s unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump’s request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution’s suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump’s parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution’s suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the “ongoing threat” that he’ll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. “To be clear, President Trump will never deviate from the public interest in response to these thuggish tactics,” the defense lawyers wrote. “However, the threat itself is unconstitutional.” The prosecution’s suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. If anything, the immunity statute should require dropping the case altogether, not merely limiting the judge’s sentencing options, they argued. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump has tabbed for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution’s novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump had died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to “fabricate” a solution “based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September “and a hypothetical dead defendant.” Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what’s already a unique case. “This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding,” prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn’t “precipitously discard” the “meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Prosecutors acknowledged that “presidential immunity requires accommodation” during Trump’s impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend a jury’s finding that came while he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution . Other world leaders don’t enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , a friend of Trump’s, is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation’s wars in Lebanon and Gaza . Trump has been fighting for months to reverse his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records . Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. In their filing Friday, Trump’s lawyers citing a social media post in which Sen. John Fetterman used profane language to criticize Trump’s hush money prosecution. The Pennsylvania Democrat suggested that Trump deserved a pardon, comparing his case to that of President Joe Biden’s pardoned son Hunter Biden, who had been convicted of tax and gun charges . “Weaponizing the judiciary for blatant, partisan gain diminishes the collective faith in our institutions and sows further division,” Fetterman wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump’s hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith has ended his two federal cases , which pertained to Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in all. Trump had been scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November. But following Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president’s sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Merchan also delayed a decision on Trump’s prior bid to dismiss the case on immunity grounds. A dismissal would erase Trump’s conviction, sparing him the cloud of a criminal record and possible prison sentence. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office.

Taylor Swift doppelganger responds to fan outburst at Chiefs game Taylor Swift lookalike breaks silence on being mistaken as the popstar A Taylor Swift lookalike contest has not yet held but we all know who would have taken the crown! At the pop superstar’s boyfriend Travis Kelce’s game on Wednesday, December 25th, Swift’s lookalike caused quite an uproar. Fans mistook the TikTok influencer Olivia for the Anti-Hero hitmaker and a video went viral where people claimed they had seen the popstar in a private box wearing a white cardigan and her signature red lip. However, the 14-time-Grammy winner was not present at the game on Wednesday and Olivia took to TikTok to clarify the confusion. “Today, I was at the Steelers [versus] Kansas City game for Christmas and I was sitting in a box seat with my best friend. We were having a really, really nice time. ... I would see a lot of people take pictures of me or wave to me. I would wave back, like, I didn’t want to be mean or rude. I was like, ‘Maybe they think I’m Taylor Swift?’ I can see it from far away,” she said in the video following the game. Olivia added that a “staff member came up” to her when the game ended, stating that she was trending on social media for presumably being Swift. “I’m sorry to the people that thought I was Taylor Swift, but yeah, everyone was like, ‘Is that Taylor Swift in the white sweater?’ It was me. There were a bunch of videos of me standing up or me sitting down or, like, talking to my friend. It was a whole thing.” Swifties got the mixup about the appearance as the Eras Tour performer has been a stable at the Kansas City Chiefs tight end’s games since they started dating last year. 'Bridgerton' Season 4 table read teases returning favourites and new faces Prince Harry's gift that had the Queen’s seal of approval Beyonce, Jay-Z spark divorce speculations amid recent allegations Princess Anne's granddaughter follows in footsteps of senior RoyalsDecember 13, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked proofread by Frontiers Journals Seed aging is a critical challenge for seed banks and agricultural industries, significantly reducing germination rates and seedling vigor. This decline not only leads to economic losses but also undermines efforts to preserve genetic diversity. A study by Dr. Jun Zhu and his team at the University of Arkansas introduces a sustainable and cost-effective solution: a solar-powered plasma water generator capable of rejuvenating aged seeds and promoting robust seedling growth. The research, recently published in Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering , highlights a transformative approach to addressing this long-standing issue. The researchers developed a novel corona dielectric barrier discharge (cDBD) microreactor that produces plasma-activated water (PAW) using solar energy . This innovative system effectively enhances seed germination by modifying the chemical and hormonal environment essential for seed development. The study demonstrated that spinach seeds stored for 23 years showed a remarkable 135% increase in germination rates and significantly improved seedling growth after PAW treatment, compared to untreated seeds. Key to this success is the biochemical transformation induced by PAW. The treatment lowers water pH, increases oxidation-reduction potential, and elevates nitrate levels, creating an ideal environment for germination. Furthermore, PAW influences key plant hormones, such as gibberellins and abscisic acid, to break seed dormancy and promote growth. These findings suggest that the solar-powered plasma generator not only restores the vitality of aged seeds but also offers insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying seed rejuvenation. "This solar-powered technology is a significant step forward in sustainable agriculture ," said Dr. Xiao, "It provides a low-cost, environmentally friendly method to enhance the germination of aged seeds, which are often discarded due to their diminished viability. By harnessing renewable energy, this innovation addresses critical challenges in food production while reducing waste." Spinach, chosen as the model crop for this study, holds significant economic and nutritional value. While the findings are directly applicable to spinach seeds, the potential applications extend to a wide range of crops, making this technology an invaluable tool for global agriculture. By prolonging seed viability and reducing agricultural waste, this plasma-based approach helps ensure food security and sustainability in the face of increasing global challenges. This breakthrough underscores the power of combining renewable energy with advanced plasma technology to address pressing agricultural issues. As climate change and resource limitations continue to impact global food production, innovations like this provide new avenues for sustainable growth. Future research will focus on scaling the technology for broader agricultural applications and further refining its efficiency. More information: Compact solar-powered plasma water generator: enhanced germination of aged seed with the corona dielectric barrier discharger, Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering (2024). DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2024573 Provided byFrontiers Journals

SEC rushing leader Dylan Sampson of Tennessee declares for NFL draftFLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets running back Breece Hall could play Sunday at Jacksonville after missing a game with a knee injury. Hall has been dealing with a hyperextension and injured MCL in his left knee that sidelined him last Sunday at Miami. But he was a full participant at practice Friday after sitting out Wednesday and Thursday. Hall was officially listed as questionable on the team's final injury report. “He looks good right now,” interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said. “So it’s promising.” Hall leads the Jets with 692 yards rushing and four touchdown runs, and he also has 401 yards receiving and two scores on 46 catches. A pair of rookies helped New York offset Hall's absence last weekend, with Braelon Allen rushing for 43 yards on 11 carries, and Isaiah Davis getting 40 yards on 10 attempts and scoring his first rushing touchdown. “We’re hopeful and we’ll see how it goes,” Ulbrich said of Hall. The Jets will get star cornerback Sauce Gardner back after he missed a game with a hamstring injury, but New York's secondary appears likely to be without cornerback D.J. Reed because of a groin injury. Reed was listed as doubtful after he didn't practice Thursday or Friday. “It’s been something that’s kind of lingered here and there,” Ulbrich said. “It’s gotten aggravated and then it went away, and then it got aggravated again. So, it’s just dealing with that.” Story continues below video Backup Brandin Echols is out with a shoulder injury, so veteran Isaiah Oliver or rookie Qwan'tez Stiggers could get the start opposite Gardner if Reed can't play. Kendall Sheffield also could be elevated from the practice squad for the second game in a row. Ulbrich said kick returner Kene Nwangwu will be placed on injured reserve after breaking a hand last weekend at Miami. The injury came a week after he was selected the AFC special teams player of the week in his Jets debut, during which he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and forced a fumble in a loss to Seattle. “To put him out there with a broken hand, just thought it’d be counterproductive for him and for us as a team, so it unfortunately cuts the season short and what a bright light he was,” Ulbrich said. “What an amazing future I think he has in this league. With saying that, he’s already been a really good player for quite a while, so (it's) unfortunate, but he’ll be back.” Offensive lineman Xavier Newman (groin) is doubtful, while right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) and RT Morgan Moses (wrist) are questionable. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Roc Marciano and The Alchemist Cap Off an Eventful Year With ‘The Skeleton Key’Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA's idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it 'absurd'Joe Biden slams 'outrageous' ICC arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza