One of the key issues at hand is the fact that James, at 36 years old, is no longer in the peak physical condition of his younger years. While he has maintained an incredible level of fitness throughout his career, the wear and tear of playing in the NBA for so many years can take a toll on even the most well-conditioned athlete. In particular, concerns have been raised about the risk of injury that comes with playing high minutes at an advanced age.
Local media outlets have picked up on the story, with reporters interviewing both Qiong Yao and the neighbor to get to the bottom of the controversy. While Qiong Yao has remained composed and maintained that there is no truth to the allegations, the neighbor has stood by their claims, citing strange occurrences such as flickering lights, unexplained noises, and feelings of unease when passing by the house.
Economic growth and added complexity sound like they would be good, but at some point, the combination gets to be too much–simplification is needed. Too much of the world’s income starts going to non-working individuals and to high-earning workers in privileged fields. Ordinary working citizens start to say, “Wait a minute, there is not enough left for my everyday expenses. The system needs to change.” Elections lead to the selection of politicians who want war, or who want to overturn the current system. The system then changes in a way that leads to less spending on healthcare and other complexities. if(window.innerWidthADVERTISEMENTfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "oilprice_medrec_atf", slotId: "oilprice_medrec_atf" });';document.write(write_html);} In this post, I will try to explain a bit of the underlying problem and give some hints at what the simplification might look like. Part of the problem is too little energy supply. This is a problem that cannot be told to the public; it would be too distressing. In this post, I present the result of a recent academic study that has attempted to recalibrate the findings of the 1972 Limits to Growth study with updated data. Economies need both resources and human participants. Human populations tend to increase in number if conditions are favorable. When population grows, resources per capita, such as arable land and fresh water, tends to fall. Adding complexity helps an economy work around falling resources per capita. With added complexity, it is possible for resource extraction of many kinds to grow, at least for a time. Deeper wells can sometimes add more fresh water supply. Irrigation and fertilizer can be used to increase crop yields. International trade allows the possibility of getting resources from more distant lands. Adding debt allows factories to be built and to be paid for “after the fact,” using the sales of the goods produced by the factories. Ever-larger governments allow more roads, schools, and services of all kinds. The use of added complexity helps keep economies growing for a long time, but at some point, things start going wrong. Oil wells and other types of resource extraction become more expensive to build because the easiest to extract resources tend to be used first. Pollution becomes more of a problem. Universities start producing more graduates with advanced degrees than there are job openings paying enough to justify studying for those degrees. Healthcare costs become hugely expensive. Increasing interest on debt becomes a huge burden, both for governments and individual citizens. When added complexity reaches a limit, citizens sense a problem. They tend to vote the current governments out of power. Or they become rebellious in other ways. I think the world has already reached a complexity limit. When added complexity no longer has sufficient payback, the system seems to sense this and starts pushing economies in the opposite direction. Often, the wages of ordinary workers become too low, relative to the cost of living. They rebel and overthrow their governments. Or central governments may collapse, as the central government of the Soviet Union did in 1991. This happened after oil prices were low for an extended period. The Soviet Union was an oil exporter, depending on oil exports for tax revenue. Revenue from collectivized agriculture was underperforming, also. Thus, getting rid of a layer of government, or too many government programs, seems to be one common theme of simplification. Another issue today is international trade. Crude oil supplies per capita are low. Somehow, international trade (which uses crude oil) needs to be cut back. With inadequate total oil supplies available, it becomes very desirable to do manufacturing close to home, rather than at a distance. This is a major reason for the competition in manufacturing between the US and China. If the US can manufacture locally, it will provide jobs and save some of the limited world crude oil supply. Another issue is the oversupply of workers with advanced degrees, relative to the number of jobs requiring such degrees. A study released in early 2024 indicates that only about half of US college graduates are able to obtain a job requiring a college level degree within a year of graduation. In fact, the majority of those who cannot obtain a job requiring a college-level degree within a year after graduation remain underemployed 10 years after graduation. Pretty clearly, the number of college graduates needs to fall. I showed in Figure 1 that US healthcare costs are very high, but they have recently been on a plateau. Perhaps these high healthcare expenses might make sense if US life expectancies were longer than elsewhere, thanks to all this spending. In fact, US life expectancy at birth is lower than in any other advanced nation. The CIA Factbook ranks the US life expectancy as 49th from the top in 2024. Figure 3 (above) shows a chart I found several years ago, showing how US female life expectancy has been dropping, relative to other high-income countries. Figure 4 shows that US life expectancies have continued to fall relative to other advanced economies. Something is clearly going wrong with health in the United States. It is no wonder that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. wants to “Make America Healthy Again.” There is also the question of the level of US healthcare spending, relative to GDP. The share for the US, from Figure 1, is about 17%. The shares for the EU, the UK, and Japan are each about 11% according to the World Bank. The share for Russia is about 7%; for China it is about 5%. Another issue mentioned in the introduction is the proportion of government spending that goes toward non-working individuals. The chart below shows how US Federal Government funds are spent. When the budget is prepared, often many of these programs are lumped together as “Mandatory Spending,” so we don’t see precisely what the spending is for. Typically, the arguments about spending are on the parts of the budget other than mandatory spending. The problem is that all parts need to be funded, one way or another. Social Security describes its program as largely pay as you go . Mostly, the payroll taxes collected from today’s workers are used to pay benefits to today’s recipients. Keeping the system working as it does today becomes a problem if the total amount of goods and services produced starts falling at some point. For example, if the total food supply at some point (say 2050) becomes too low, there is a question regarding which citizens should get inadequate food rations: the workers, or those receiving benefits under a pension program for the elderly. I would vote for the workers getting adequate food, if we expect them to continue to work. This issue suggests that at some point, the elderly may have to go back to work to get an adequate share of what is being produced. Donald Trump and his team clearly have a much different view of how the government should be operated than Joe Biden did. In particular, the new team would like to get rid of what they see as unneeded parts of the system. There seem to be many other parts of the world encountering somewhat similar political and funding difficulties. Germany is dealing with a collapse of government . France is facing political and budget crises . Even China’s economy is having huge difficulties . It is not only oil that is in short supply (Figure 2); coal is also in short supply, relative to world’s population (Figure 6). if(window.innerWidth ADVERTISEMENTfreestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: "oilprice_medrec_btf", slotId: "oilprice_medrec_btf" });`;document.write(write_html);} Uranium is in short supply, as well. The issue for uranium is that the world’s supply of nuclear warheads that could temporarily serve as a supplement to currently mined uranium is running short. These warheads belonged primarily to the US and to Russia, but Russia has sold a substantial amount of its warheads to the US, to be down-blended for use in nuclear power reactors. Without enough energy resources per person, the world will likely need to produce fewer goods and services in total. Some uses for energy products, and for the goods and services that can be made with energy products, need to disappear. Now, all parts of the world need to re-examine energy uses that are currently being made and look for uses that the economy can most easily get along without. For example, the step-down in oil consumption per capita that occurred in 2020 seems to be still having some effect. Some people are still working from home, saving oil that would be used for commuting. Some long-distance airline flights were eliminated, as well, particularly in Asia, reducing jet fuel consumption. The self-organizing economy tends to push the world in the direction of contraction. How this will work is not at all clear. Most people didn’t understand the response to Covid-19 as a way to cut back oil consumption. It is possible that future changes will, to some extent, come from cutbacks directed by government organizations that are as difficult to understand as the Covid-19 restrictions. The original 1972 analysis, in its base model, suggested that resources would start to run short about now. An article called, “ Recalibration of limits to growth: An update of the World3 model ” by Arjuna Nebel and others was published earlier this year in the Journal of Industrial Ecology . The summary exhibit of their findings is shown here as Figure 8. On Figure 8, Recalibration23 is the name given to the new model output. The BAU dotted line shows the indications from the base (business as usual) 1972 model. I found the coloring a little confusing, so I added the labels “Industrial Output” and “Population” to better mark what I consider the two most important model outputs. Food Production per capita is the green line, which is also important. The calculations are all made in terms of the weight of physical quantities of materials used, for the world as a whole. The financial system is not modeled. We do not know how accurate a forecast such as this is. I know that Dennis Meadows, who was the leader of the 1972 Limits to Growth analysis, has said that once peak was reached, we could not expect the model to necessarily hold. Even with this caveat, I find this forecast disturbing. Industrial output per capita (which would include things like automobiles, farm machinery, and computers) is shown as already steeply declining by 2025 in the updated model. This trend is much clearer than in the 1972 model. By 2050, industrial output per capita is a small fraction of the amount it was at peak. Food output per capita is shown to start dropping about 2025. Based on my understanding of the 1972 Limits to Growth analysis, this change might reflect a shift away from meat-eating, rather than simply fewer total calories per person. World population follows a curve similar to that of the 1972 Limits to Growth analysis with a peak in world population at perhaps about 2030. In the updated model, pollution has been modeled as CO2 levels. This is different from the mix of pollutants used in the original model. The peak comes around 2090. Figure 8 indicates that world industrial production is expected to be the first type of output to drop. This makes sense if energy supply is quite limited or is high-priced. Without adequate inexpensive energy supply, a country is likely to cut back on manufacturing its own goods. Instead, it tries to buy from countries with less expensive sources of energy supply. For example, US industrial production per capita has been falling since 1973. The year 1973 was the year when oil prices first spiked. US business leaders realized that changes were needed: A larger share of manufactured goods needed to be imported from countries with lower-cost fuel supply. Oil needed to be used sparingly because of its high cost. Coal, used heavily in Asia, was typically much cheaper. China took the lead in industrial production after it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, but now it is running into obstacles. One issue is that China’s contribution to the world’s supply of goods is taking away high-paying jobs from other countries. Other countries are left with more low-paying service jobs. A second issue is that the US has become dependent upon China for critical materials, such as those used in military armaments. A third issue is that a great deal of China’s growth was financed by debt. As long as China’s exports were growing very rapidly, this was not a problem. But as growth has slowed, China’s debt has become difficult to repay with interest . The level of conflict between China and other countries has grown, in part because it has become clear that it is not possible for industry to grow rapidly both in China and elsewhere, indirectly because of fossil fuel and uranium limits. The US applies sanctions against some Chinese companies and China retaliates by hoarding scarce resources. These include minerals such as antimony, tungsten, gallium, germanium , graphite, and magnesium. The world is increasingly operating in a “not enough to go around” mode for scarce resources. At the same time, countries need to somewhat get along. So we get strange narratives in the press giving rationalizations for actions by both sides, without mentioning the shortage issue. Figure 8 shows that once industrialization drops, food production also begins to fall, but not as quickly. This makes sense because everyone recognizes that food is essential. The falling calories likely reflect people increasingly moving from meat to vegetable products. Somehow, world population becomes poorer, but the level of population does not drop nearly as rapidly as the drop in industrialization. These are a few ways simplification might take place: [a] High level government organizations might start disappearing . For example, the European Union might not get enough funding and would stop. Or something similar could happen to the International Monetary Fund or the World Trade Organization. [b] Programs that we expect to be funded by the US Federal Government might be handed over completely to the states , to be funded or not, as the finances of individual states permit. Examples might include Medicare, Medicaid, and even Social Security. [c] There could be major banking problems , perhaps simultaneously in many countries around the world. The debt bubble holding up stock markets could pop. Governments would try to compensate, but they might not be able to do enough. Or governments could inadvertently create hyperinflation if there is virtually nothing to buy with the newly printed money created to offset widespread bank failures. [d] There could be a great deal more sharing of homes and of apartments. The current arrangement of many single people living alone, either in an apartment or a stand-alone house could be replaced by many more roommate situations. Multi-generational families living together may become more common. [e] Healthcare may become much simpler and local. Instead of seeing an array of specialists at a distance, people may walk to a local health provider. Medications from around the world are likely to drop greatly in quantity. Government programs to care for the seriously disabled elderly seem likely to be scaled back. [f] Universities may be slimmed down greatly . There is no point in educating a huge number of individuals who cannot get jobs requiring a university degree. [g] The huge amount of effort that goes into taking care of lawns in the US may disappear . Instead, people will put more effort into growing crops locally. Some people may choose to raise chickens, as well. [h] International travel for pleasure will likely disappear, except perhaps for the very rich. Even business trips will become very uncommon. The amount of goods and services transported internationally seems likely to shrink. [i] Many types of optional activities that now take place by car may be replaced by more local versions, which will be reached by walking, or perhaps by bicycle. For example, visits to restaurants may largely disappear, but eating with nearby friends or relatives in homes may increase. Visits to churches may drop greatly, as they did during Covid-19 restrictions, but they may be replaced by groups meeting in homes. Gyms for recreation may disappear, but people may obtain more exercise from their gardens and their need to walk to appointments. [j] Very strange political leaders may take office. One person rule takes much less energy than transporting many representatives to a central location. Some of these leaders may take over as dictators. By Gail Tverberg via Our Finite World More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
Couples may be happier after a divorce, but they have a lot to lose financially. When Margye Solomon decided to end her 33-year marriage, she knew her finances would take a big hit. “I didn’t have enough money to retire before I got divorced, and I have less now,” said Ms Solomon, who, at 71, still works full time as head of social enterprise and non-profit partnerships at Ellevate, a global women’s network. Already a subscriber? Log in Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month $9.90 $9.90/month No contract ST app access on 1 mobile device Subscribe now All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K Dobbins is unlikely to play against the Atlanta Falcons this week because of a knee injury. Dobbins was hurt in the first half of the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. He had six carries for 40 yards and three catches for 19 yards before leaving the game. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh declined to get into specifics of the injury Wednesday, other than confirming Dobbins is “working through something with his knee,” he said. Dobbins had been putting together a strong first season for the Chargers (7-4) after his past three years in Baltimore had been injury-riddled. He has 766 yards rushing and eight touchdowns through 11 games for Los Angeles, which had positioned Dobbins as a strong candidate for AP Comeback Player of the Year. Dobbins tore his Achilles tendon in the 2023 season opener for Baltimore. He also tore his ACL in 2021, and the effects of that injury lingered into the following season. Dobbins played in just 24 of a possible 67 regular-season games for the Ravens, who drafted him in the second round in 2020. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLIt's been a while since Katherine Webb has made headlines but that all changed this week. Webb, who was named Miss Alabama USA in 2012, has officially agreed to a deal with CollXab, a public relations agency that is run by Arleigh Banner. The brand promises to handle its client's future partnerships with great care. "Katherine is more than a beauty queen," CollXab wrote on Instagram . "She's a force to be reckoned with—beauty, brains, and a magnetic TV presence. Remember Miss Alabama USA 2012 and that iconic 2013 BCS National Championship moment? Say no more. Welcome aboard, Katherine." Here's more on CollXab's CEO : She has spent her career planning and managing high-profile events for clients whose profiles range from diverse industries. She has secured extensive press coverage, social impressions and increased visibility for countless brands by sourcing and securing successful partnerships and marketing opportunities. Along the way, she has formed lasting, genuine relationships with a network of influencers, VIPs and decision-makers at national talent and PR agencies. Webb shared this announcement from CollXab on her own Instagram page. View the original article to see embedded media. Webb became a fan favorite in the college football world during the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. At that time, she was dating Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron. McCarron and Webb have been married since 2014. They share three sons together. McCarron has not yet commented on Webb's latest career move. Hopefully, the next chapter of Webb's career is an awfully successful one. Related: 3 Best Swimsuit Photos Of AJ McCarron's Wife, Katherine Webb
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail on Wednesday as he awaits a May sex trafficking trial by a judge who cited evidence showing him to be a “serious risk” of witness tampering and proof he has tried to hide prohibited communications with third parties while incarcerated. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled in a five-page order following a bail hearing last week. At the hearing, lawyers for the hip-hop mogul argued that a $50 million bail package they proposed would be sufficient to ensure Combs doesn’t flee and doesn’t try to intimidate prospective trial witnesses. Two other judges previously had agreed with prosecutors that the Bad Boy Records founder was a danger to the community if he is not behind bars. Subramanian concurred. “There is compelling evidence of Combs's propensity for violence,” Subramanian wrote. Lawyers for Combs did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the decision. Nicholas Biase, a spokesperson for prosecutors, declined comment. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he coerced and abused women for years, aided by associates and employees. An indictment alleges that he silenced victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings. A federal appeals court judge last month denied Combs’ immediate release while a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan considers his bail request. That appeal was put on hold while Subramanian, newly appointed to the case after an earlier judge stepped aside, considered the bail request for the first time. Subramanian said he took a fresh look at all the bail arguments and the evidence supporting them to make his decision. Prosecutors have insisted that no bail conditions would be sufficient to protect the public and prevent the “I'll Be Missing You” singer from fleeing. They say that even in a federal lockup in Brooklyn, Combs has orchestrated social media campaigns designed to influence prospective jurors and tried to publicly leak materials he thinks can help his case. They say he also has contacted potential witnesses through third parties. Lawyers for Combs say any alleged sexual abuse described in the indictment occurred during consensual relations between adults and that new evidence refutes allegations that Combs used his “power and prestige” to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers known as “Freak Offs.” Subramanian said evidence shows Combs to be a “serious risk of witness tampering,” particularly after he communicated over the summer with a grand jury witness and deleted some of his texts with the witness. The judge also cited evidence showing that Combs violated Bureau of Prisons regulations during pretrial detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn when he paid other inmates to use their phone code numbers so he could make calls to individuals who were not on his approved contact list. He said there was also evidence that he told family members and defense counsel to add other people to three-way calls so their communications would be more difficult to trace and that he made efforts to influence his trial's jury pool or to reach potential witnesses. Subramanian said his “willingness to skirt” jailhouse rules to conceal communications was “strong evidence” that any conditions of release would not prevent similar behavior. The judge said defense claims that Combs stopped using one particular phone technique criticized by prosecutors was belied by the fact that Combs apparently used it again on Sunday, two days after his bail hearing last week. Even a bail proposal that would include the strictest form of home confinement seemed insufficient, the judge said. “Given the nature of the allegations in this case and the information provided by the government, the Court doubts the sufficiency of any conditions that place trust in Combs and individuals in his employ — like a private security detail — to follow those conditions,” Subramanian wrote. Larry Neumeister, The Associated PressNone
Bloomfield's Davien Kerr left his twin brother and came to Syracuse first, Now he's starting; Mora picks Fagnano to start at QB, for now.Should AI resurrect extinct species like Neanderthals?
Zheng Qinhui's journey to the top of women's tennis has been nothing short of remarkable. Her commitment to hard work and continuous improvement has seen her climb the rankings and compete with some of the best players in the world. Her impressive victories on the tour and her ability to handle pressure in crucial moments have marked her as a player with immense potential and a bright future ahead.FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” What's working Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. What needs help KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. Stock up CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Stock down Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. Injuries The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. Key number 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. Next steps There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press
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EMMA PATON stole the show at Alexandra Palace as the World Darts Championship returned from its Christmas break. The Sky Sports presenter was front and centre of the pre-tournament advertising, including one hilarious "marriage proposal gone wrong" skit made by Paddy Power. And her popularity among darts fans has certainly not diminished during the tournament. Paton , 30, was seen back on TV screens in a dazzling black dress which came with some glistening silver flowers. Taking to social media, fans were loving the look. One fan said: "Emma Paton. Deary me." A second said: "Emma Paton back on the telly today happy days." A third added: "Looking absolutely gorgeous!!" Another said: "Is Emma Paton the best presenter on the old box atm??" Today's darts action has seen Damon Heta hit the tournament's second nine-darter en route to a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Luke Woodhouse. Jonny Clayton and Stephen Bunting also won in their respective games against Daryl Gurney and Madars Razma. The evening session see Gerwyn Price taking on Joe Cullen, with Peter Wright and Luke Humphries both in action later as well. Paton made the move into presenting in 2019. In an exclusive interview with SunSport earlier this year, Paton revealed some of the difficulties of working in front of a raucous darts crowd. She said: "It is really loud. There are some occasions when it’s just a wall of noise. "There are times when I actually can’t hear what Wayne Mardle , Mark Webster or John Part are saying. I can’t even hear the director in my ear. "I just have to hope we are on the same page for running order and not too much has changed. "Working with Wayne has helped me, he is someone who has always backs me. He’s one of those people who wants people around him to succeed. "He’s like the Gary Neville of Sky Sports Darts. He’s so engaging and his analysis is second to none and his stories are ridiculous!" READ MORE on all the build-up to the Ally Pally extravaganza... All the info: News, features and interviews:Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, who suffered a hamstring injury and hasn't practiced all week, is listed as questionable for Monday's game.( MENAFN - IANS) Patna, Nov 28 (IANS) The fourth day of the winter session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Thursday is likely to be intense and action-packed, with a focus on questions and discussions that are likely to stir significant debate. Members of both the ruling party and opposition will actively question ministers across key departments including the agriculture, revenue and land reforms department, animal husbandry and fisheries resources, PHED, food and consumer protection urban development and housing and corporate department. Even ruling party MLAs are expected to press ministers on various issues, reflecting internal scrutiny within the government. Members will highlight critical issues and bring them to the government's attention during the zero hour. Two questions are listed for Thursday, where the government will provide detailed responses. The second supplementary budget, presented on November 25 by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Samrat Chaudhary, will be debated on Thursday. The second supplementary budget has Rs 32,506.90 crore including Rs 1,114.94 crore for social security pensions, Rs 1,071.50 crore for student incentives under 7 Nischay, Rs 1,063.23 crore for roads and bridge construction, Rs 500 crore for the Student Credit Card Scheme and Rs 225 crore for the Mahila Samvad Programme. The opposition's response to the budget, particularly the provisions for social welfare and infrastructure, will be critical to watch. The five-day winter session of the Bihar Legislature continues to be a platform for intense political confrontation, with the opposition vigorously targeting the Nitish Kumar-led government. Key issues being highlighted by the opposition include the Waqf Board Amendment Bill, concerns over smart meters, and demands for 65 per cent reservation. The tension inside and outside the Assembly underscores the highly charged atmosphere. The opposition, led by Tejashwi Yadav, is actively cornering the government inside the House. The opposition leaders are indulging in continuous uproar during proceedings, leading to adjournments. Despite these disruptions, Question Hour has managed to proceed without interruption, a rarity in the Assembly's history. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is maintaining his presence in the House during Question Hour, signalling his focus on defending the government's stance. Ministers and the government are engaging with questions, reflecting an attempt to sustain legislative functioning amid opposition criticism. MENAFN27112024000231011071ID1108934612 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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Judge rejects request to sideline a San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgenderNEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is set to break more records Monday as U.S. stocks rise to add to last week’s gains. The S&P 500 was 0.2% higher, as of 3 p.m. Eastern time, and sitting just below its all-time high set two weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 397 points, or 0.9%, to its own record set on Friday, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.1% higher. Treasury yields also eased in the bond market amid what some analysts called a “Bessent bounce” after President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Scott Bessent , a hedge fund manager, to be his Treasury Secretary. Bessent has argued for reducing the U.S. government’s deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through tax and other revenue. Such an approach could soothe worries on Wall Street that Trump’s policies may lead to a much bigger deficit, which in turn would put upward pressure on Treasury yields. After climbing above 4.44% immediately after Trump’s election, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell back to 4.26% Monday and down from 4.41% late Friday. That’s a notable move, and lower yields help make it cheaper for all kinds of companies and households to borrow money. They also give a boost to prices for stocks and other investments. That helped stocks of smaller companies lead the way, and the Russell 2000 index of smaller stocks jumped 2%. It’s set to top its all-time high, which was set three years ago. Smaller companies can feel bigger boosts from lower borrowing costs because of the need of many to borrow to grow. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks the market’s expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with overnight interest rates, also eased sharply. The Fed began cutting its main interest rate just a couple months ago from a two-decade high, hoping to keep the job market humming after bringing high inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. But immediately after Trump’s victory, traders had reduced bets for how many cuts the Fed may deliver next year. They were worried Trump's preference for lower tax rates and higher spending on the border would balloon the national debt. . A report coming on Wednesday could influence how much the Fed may cut rates. Economists expect it to show that an underlying inflation trend the Fed prefers to use accelerated to 2.8% last month from 2.7% in September. Higher inflation would make the Fed more reluctant to cut rates as deeply or as quickly as it would otherwise. Goldman Sachs economist David Mericle expects that to slow by the end of next year to 2.4%, but he said inflation would be even lower if not for expected tariff increases on imports from China and autos favored by Trump. In the stock market, Bath & Body Works jumped 19.1% after delivering stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The seller of personal care products and home fragrances also raised its financial forecasts for the full year, even though it still sees a “volatile retail environment” and a shorter holiday shopping season this year. Much focus has been on how resilient U.S. shoppers can remain, given high prices across the economy and still-high interest rates. Last week, two major retailers sent mixed messages. Target tumbled after giving a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season. It followed Walmart , which gave a much more encouraging outlook. Another big retailer, Macy’s, said Monday its sales for the latest quarter were in line with its expectations, but it will delay the release of its full financial results. It found a single employee had intentionally hid up to $154 million in delivery expenses, and it needs more time to complete its investigation. Macy’s stock fell 2.9%. Among the market's leaders were several companies related to the housing industry. Monday's drop in Treasury yields could translate into easier mortgage rates, which could spur activity for housing. Builders FirstSource, a supplier or building materials, rose 6.2%. Homebuilders, D.R. Horton, PulteGroup and Lennar all rose at least 5.8%. In stock markets abroad, indexes moved modestly across much of Europe after finishing mixed in Asia. In the crypto market, bitcoin was trading around $96,800 after threatening to hit $100,000 late last week for the first time. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.
