CINCINNATI -- The Denver Broncos finally leaned on their running attack and it paid off with their first touchdown drive of the game against the Bengals on Saturday. After wrestling with their offensive rhythm for well over a half, the Broncos ran eight times for 47 yards in a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive in the third quarter -- exactly half of their rushing yards at that point. They finished the march with a 6-yard toss from Bo Nix to Courtland Sutton in the back right corner of the end zone. Sutton Special. @SuttonCourtland | 📺: NFLN pic.twitter.com/23sDS6cAzp It tied the score at 10 with 3:10 left in the third quarter. It was Sutton's seventh touchdown reception of the season and gave him 941 yards receiving as he searches for his second career 1,000-yard campaign. The Broncos' passing game had struggled, as Nix was 13-of-16 passing for 91 yards and the score.WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Jaland Lowe scored 19 of his career-high 22 points in the second half and collected eight rebounds and six assists in leading Pittsburgh to a 74-63 win over LSU at the Greenbrier Tip-Off on Friday. Pitt (6-0) will play the Wisconsin-UCF winner on Sunday for the tournament title. The Tigers (4-1) will take on the loser. This is Pitt's best start since 2018-19. Lowe made four 3-pointers while Ishmael Leggett added 21 points, six rebounds and five steals. Cameron Corhen scored 14 points and Zack Austin 10. The Panthers shot 64% in the second half after a 31% showing in the first. Jalen Reed had 14 points and seven rebounds, Vyctorius Miller came off the bench to score 14 points and Cam Carter added 11 for the Tigers, who shot 37%. LSU, which had trailed by as many as 12 in the second half, got within four on a four-point play by Miller with six minutes left but Lowe scored eight points, found Corhen for a pair of dunks and Leggett added seven points to help the Panthers pull away. Pitt stumbled at the end of the first half in surrendering the lead but came out in the second hot, hitting its first five shots and scoring the first 13 points. The Tigers missed their first 12 shots before finally getting a bucket and their first points from Carter nearly seven minutes into the second half. LSU had its only lead after Lowe was called for a technical foul with 4.9 seconds remaining in the first half and Carter hit a free throw to finish an 8-2 run to send the Tigers into the break ahead 28-27. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah said that PTI founder Imran Khan, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari should shit together resolve Pakistan’s problems, ARY News reported. Addressing a seminar in connection with martyrdom ceremony of Shaheed Khawaja Muhammad Rafique in Lahore today, he said attitude of some political parties has been changed after failed protest on November 26 this year. He expressed Government’s resolve to make negotiation process with Opposition successful. Special Assistant said national issues can only be resolved through talks. He said PML N saved the country from default, even by suffering political setback. Earlier, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that talks between PTI and the Centre are ongoing, with Nawaz Sharif’s approval. Senator Siddiqui emphasized that the committee will focus on written demands rather than statements made by PTI’s founder. Prior to this, PTI set a deadline for the completion of talks with the government, aiming to conclude negotiations by January 31, 2025. Addressing reporters outside Adiala jail, SIC head Hamid Raza stated that Imran Khan has expressed confidence in the negotiating committee who are working to resolve issues with the Centre. Also read: PTI ‘sets’ deadline for completion of talks with Centre It’s worth mentioning here that PTI engaged in political dialogue with the government over its various demands. The next round of the political reconciliation talks between the government and PTI will be held on January 02. The government sought a charter of demands from the PTI in the maiden round of talks concluded in the National Assembly. Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq presided over the meeting in which the representatives of the government and PTI discussed headways over by the current political situation. The government committee comprised Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Irfan Siddiqui, Aleem Khan, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Farooq Sattar. The opposition committee, on the other hand, included Asad Qaiser, Hamid Raza, and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.

New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns

‘Unpardonable’: May 9 not to be compromised, forgiven due to ongoing govt-PTI talks: Tarar

Türkiye sendsinvestigative team to Baku to investigate crash of Azerbaijaniplane, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said, reports. "At the request of the Azerbaijan State Civil Aviation Agency inconnection with the crash of the passenger plane of "AzerbaijanAirlines" in the city of Aktau, Türkiye is sending an 8-memberinvestigative team to Baku to investigate the causes of the crashand conduct a technical and operational analysis. Our team will leave for Baku this evening and will continue towork in coordination with the Azerbaijani authorities toinvestigate all aspects of the incident in accordance with its areaof ​​​​competence. Türkiye declares that it will always be by Azerbaijan's side,expresses condolences in connection with the victims and wishes aspeedy recovery to the injured Azerbaijani brothers," Uraloglusaid. To note, AZAL's Embraer 190 passenger plane on the Baku-Groznyroute crashed 3 km away from Aktau airport on December 25. A total of 67 people (62 passengers and 5 crew members) were onboard the Embraer 190 airplane, flying Baku-Grozny, which crashedin Aktau. Following the crash of the passenger airplane near Aktau, 27people were hospitalized. Of them, 15 people are citizens of theRepublic of Azerbaijan, 8 of the Russian Federation, and 3 of theKyrgyz Republic. The identity of one person has not beenestablished yet. Of the victims hospitalized, 11 are being treated in theintensive care unit, 13 in the traumatology department, 2 in theneurosurgery department, and 1 in the surgical department. Thesepersons are under the control of professional doctors fromKazakhstan and those expelled from Azerbaijan and Russia. They wereprovided with prompt and specialized medical and psychologicaltreatment. Both crew pilots as well as the flight stewardess were lost, buttwo crew members survived. December 26 has been declared a day of mourning inAzerbaijan.Stojakovic, Wilkinson lead short-handed Cal past Sacramento State, 83-77 in Cal Classic

Amid easing inflation, the Bank of Canada has slashed interest rates five times since June, with its benchmark interest rates declining to 3.25%. Amid falling interest rates, investing in that offer higher yields would be an excellent strategy to earn a stable passive income. Against this backdrop, here are my three top picks. NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT ( ) operates 186 highly defensive healthcare properties, with a gross leasable area of 16 million square feet across eight countries. It has signed long-term lease agreements with government-backed tenants, thus allowing it to enjoy healthy occupancy and collection rates. Also, around 85% of its lease agreements are inflation-indexed, shielding its financials against rising expenses. Further, the has undertaken a non-core asset sales program to strengthen its financial position. Under this program, it has disposed of around 50 properties, generating $1.3 billion in net sales and utilizing the net proceeds to lower its debt levels. Besides, the company has listed 19 other properties for sale, which it expects to dispose of over the next 12 months, generating $122.8 million. Also, NWH is developing next-gen properties that could deliver long-term earnings growth for its investors. Given its improving financial position, stable cash flows, and healthy growth prospects, NWH could continue rewarding its shareholders at a healthier rate. It currently offers an impressive forward dividend yield of 7.6%, making it an excellent buy. Extendicare Another monthly-paying dividend stock that I am bullish on is ( ), which has delivered an impressive 54.4% return this year. Its solid quarter performances and strategic acquisitions have made investors optimistic, thus increasing its stock price. In the recently reported third-quarter performance, the company’s and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) grew by 11.3% and 42.4%, respectively. Volume growth, increased prices, strong performance from its managed services segment, and higher LTC (long-term-care) funding boosted its financials. Moreover, the company is working on acquiring nine Class C LTC homes in Ontario and Manitoba from Revera for $60.3 million. This transaction would add 1,100 beds to its redevelopment pipeline. Besides, the company is also constructing a 256-bed LTC home in St. Catharines, Ontario, to replace an existing 152-bed Class C home. The company also hopes to start building two additional homes this quarter. Given its solid financials and healthy growth prospects, Extendicare could continue rewarding its shareholders with healthy dividends. With a monthly dividend of $0.04/share, it currently offers a forward dividend yield of 4.5%. Pizza Pizza Royalty Third on my list would be ( ), which offers an impressive forward dividend yield of 7%. The company has adopted a highly franchised business, collecting royalty from its franchisees based on their sales. So, its financials are less susceptible to inflation, thus generating stable and predictable cash flows. The company intends to distribute all the available cash to its shareholders through dividends. Meanwhile, the pizza franchise has been witnessing a decline in its same-store sales growth for the last two quarters. Management has blamed the reduction in consumer spending for the decline. However, the company is hopeful that its value offerings, menu enhancements, and ongoing improvement in its restaurants and digital customer experiences could lead to a recovery in its sales. Besides, the company continues to expand its royalty pool network by adding 31 restaurants over the last four quarters. It expects to continue its expansion and hopes to increase its store count by 3–4% this year.Biden regrets leaving presidential race, thinks he could’ve beaten Trump: report

FORT WORTH, Texas — Navy football capped a turnaround season with an uplifting victory in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl — and made some history in the process. Quarterback Blake Horvath directed a gutsy 12-play, 66-yard touchdown drive that put Navy ahead of Oklahoma. The Mids hung on thanks to defensive end Justin Reed, who preserved the 21-20 win by sacking Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. on a two-point conversion attempt with six seconds remaining. Horvath’s 6-yard keeper with 4:34 left capped a string of 21 straight Navy points to fully erase a 14-0 lead Oklahoma built in the first quarter. However, the Sooners drove 65 yards in 1:41 to get in position to win the game after Hawkins threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jake Roberts. Coach Brent Venables decided to go for the win and Hawkins never had a chance to get off a pass as several Navy defenders broke into the backfield. Reed dropped the dangerous freshman as the Midshipmen breathed a collective sigh of relief. Navy’s winning score came after taking possession at its own 34-yard line following a missed field goal by Oklahoma early in the fourth quarter. The Midshipmen converted on third down twice and fourth down once to stay on the field. Horvath completed a clutch 10-yard pass to snipe Brandon Chatman on a third down, then later found snipe Eli Heidenreich open in the flat for a 16-yard gain on fourth down to set up the winning score. On first-and-goal from the 6, Horvath found an opening on the right side, got a great block from fullback Alex Tecza and scooted untouched into the end zone, giving Navy its first lead of the game and causing a raucous celebration along the visiting sideline. The drive took more than seven minutes off the clock and left less than five for the Sooners to tie or win. An exchange of punts left Oklahoma at its own 35-yard line with 1:47 to go in the game. Hawkins calmly completed seven passes as the Sooners drove 65 yards in 13 plays. He got the touchdown the Sooners needed, but couldn’t escape Reed with the game on the line. Horvath was the offensive hero for Navy (10-3), rushing for 155 yards and two touchdowns with almost all of that coming in the second half. Horvath overcame a slow start throwing the ball to complete 7 of 12 passes for 92 yards. Inside linebackers Colin Ramos and Kyle Jacob spearheaded the defense for the Midshipmen. Ramos recorded a game-high 12 tackles, while Jacob totaled nine tackles, a forced fumble and a sack. This Navy team became just the sixth in program history to reach double digits for wins, the first since 2019, which also was the last time Navy won a bowl game. The Midshipmen defeated a Southeastern Conference opponent in a bowl game for only the second time in program history. Way back in 1954, Navy’s “Team Named Desire” defeated Mississippi in the Sugar Bowl. “It was all Oklahoma early as the Navy defense was overmatched on two straight possessions to start the game, while the offense shot itself in the foot. Hawkins directed an efficient nine-play, 65-yard touchdown drive on the game’s opening possession. Gavin Sawchuk capped it with a 21-yard scoring scamper. He burst through a big hole on the left side and raced untouched into the end zone to give the Sooners a 7-0 lead with just over three minutes elapsed. Navy nearly countered with a score of its own as Horvath hit wide receiver Nathan Kent in stride on a deep throw. Kent got way behind the entire secondary and was wide-open, but Horvath’s throw was high. Kent made a spectacular catch to snag the ball, but fell to the turf at the Oklahoma 41-yard line. Navy eventually punted. Oklahoma added to the lead on its second possession with Hawkins using his running ability to make things happen. He scrambled for 16 yards to convert a third down then did it again to produce a touchdown, eluding pressure then finishing Zion Kearney for a 56-yard touchdown that made it 14-0. Navy finally got its offense going late in the second quarter. Oklahoma’s second turnover on downs gave Navy a short field and the Mids took advantage. Horvath used a fake quarterback draw and jump pass to convert a third down with a 21-yard completion to tight end Cody Howard. Two plays later, Tecza found a seam up the middle then ran through two defenders for a 21-yard touchdown that made it 14-7 at the break. Following an exchange of punts to start the second half, Horvath electrified the crowd by bursting up the middle on a quarterback keeper and racing 95 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest touchdown run in Navy football history and the also the longest in Armed Forces Bowl history. Set up in shotgun formation and standing on his own goal-line, Horvath saw the parting of the Red Sea and galloped untouched the length of the field. Heidenreich made a great hustle play by racing downfield to get in the way of the nearest chasing defender. Nathan Kirkwood’s extra point tied the game at 14 with 3:49 left in the third period. Oklahoma appeared to take the lead back with a 56-yard Hawkins touchdown run late in the third quarter, but it was called back for holding. The Sooners still put together a couple of first downs to get to Navy’s 34, but a 52-yard field goal by Zach Schmitt was off the mark and Navy proceeded to embark on its winning touchdown drive. (c)2024 The Capital (Annapolis, Md.) Visit The Capital (Annapolis, Md.) at www.hometownannapolis.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

AP News Summary at 2:01 p.m. ESTThe man reaches into a deep oven that looks like a door to hell, pulling flat, hot rounds of bread from its clay walls. The naan is rolled quickly into white paper and tucked under the arms of waiting customers, who disappear into the dark night. Romal Saleh-Zada with naan from the Maiwand Bakery. Credit: Eddie Jim The Maiwand Bakery is warm and steamy as a team of Afghan men and boys in T-shirts works in a chain, conversations in Dari switching to English as they proffer a round of sesame-studded naan roghani hot from the tandoor. In the 1950s and 60s, Afghanistan was a must-visit on the overland hippie trail through Central Asia, but Afghanistan’s deep blue chain of Band-e Amir lakes , the high peaks of the Hindu Kush and the glittering turquoise domes of Mazar-i-Sharif’s Blue Mosque are currently unreachable for all save the most intrepid traveller. However, get a taste of the Central Asian country without breaching smarttraveller’s red-flagged, “Do not travel” warning. In fact, you don’t even have to leave Melbourne. A 45-minute train ride from Flinders Street Station, Dandenong is the home ground for Melbourne’s Afghan population. Romal Saleh-Zada has spent a decade as a cultural ambassador for the City of Dandenong, where 163 dialects are spoken by people from over 100 countries. Originally from the capital, Kabul, Romal is one of 23,500 people born in Afghanistan who now live in Melbourne, ahead of Sydney’s population of 14,000 – not counting the next generation of Australian-Afghan children born here. Romal’s family moved to New Delhi for his father’s heart operation, their return blocked as the country spiralled into civil war. They came to Melbourne as refugees in 1997, where Romal – now a printer by trade and a tour guide by chance – has stayed. Romal Saleh-Zada, right, with the owner of Afghan Kitchen, Naueed Ahmadi. Credit: Eddie Jim Afghans are not new to Australia; remember that our signature luxury train – The Ghan – is named for Afghan cameleers working on the Central Australia Railway, in the 1860s. Romal leads groups to Thomas Street, the heartland of Afghan Melbourne, its footpaths stencilled in turquoise and lapis lazuli geometric designs inspired by Mazar-i-Sharīf. The street is lined with Afghani-run old-school grocers and homewares stores, bakeries and butchers. In Maiwand grocer, named for the district in Kandahar Province, there are barberries for rice dishes, rose jam, a tray of saffron-flavoured rock sugar on sticks, used to swirl in your tea. For curious foodies yet to fossick through Central Asia’s spice rack, there’s a cornucopia of the unknown – unripe grape powder, plantago major, balangu and ajwain seeds. Due to the crumbling of the Afghan export market, much of the goods hail from Iran, Tajikistan, Turkiye, says Romal. “And it’s not just Afghans, but a lot of Pakistanis, Iranians and Indians who come here to shop.” Shops are stacked haphazardly with gold-rimmed dinner sets, racks of bright rugs, silver platters for a whole lamb, stock pots to fit enough rice for a diaspora. “If you have 10 guests over, there will be cooking for 20. Anything can happen, but food must not be short,” advises Romal. That principle is amply displayed at dinner at Afghan Kitchen, where trays jostle for table space, slow-cooked lamb shanks hidden in Uzbeki rice pilau, manto (beef dumplings), are doused in a tomato and lentil sauce and lashed with yoghurt, and borani banjan – fried eggplants in tomato sauce and garlic yogurt. Bread, half a metre long and grooved, is central to the table. The Dandenong Market Cooks’ Tour visits the 154-year-old Dandenong Market, where a queue waits outside Kabul Kitchen for Kabuli pulao (rice), manto, kebabs and some of the 700 loaves of naan the kitchen bakes daily. Founder Ali Haidari fled Taliban-occupied Afghanistan for neighbouring Pakistan in 2009, where he trained as a chef before arriving in Australia by boat. After a year’s detention in Darwin and Christmas Island, he was released and, in 2017, opened Kabul Kitchen with fellow refugee Mohammad Sarwari. Belatedly, they realised they’d travelled on the same boat to Australia; the pair says they were reunited by fate. “Kabul Kitchen really says a lot about the market,” says market guide and chef Tim Holland. “A refugee came here with nothing, and within a few years, he’s got a cast of thousands!” As the Afghan proverb goes, “Even on a mountain, there is still a road.” TOUR Take a walking tour of Afghan Dandenong with Romal Saleh-Zada, $100 includes dinner, dandenongtours.com.au The Dandenong Market Cooks’ Tour includes a market walk, cooking demonstration and three-course meal, $100-$150, dandenongmarket.com.au STAY Holiday Inn Dandenong has rooms from $180, holidayinn.com/dandenong EAT Maiwand Bakery , 7 Scott St. Afghan Kitchen , 247 Thomas St. Kabul Kitchen , in Dandenong Market. The writer was a guest of Holiday Inn Dandenong and the City of Greater Dandenong. How we travel Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Melbourne Australia Victoria Culture holidays From Melbourne to the Middle East, Belinda Jackson is drawn to curious alleyways, street-eat carts and places of wild emptiness. She searches the globe for the weekly Expert Expats column. Connect via email . Most viewed on Traveller Loading

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:50 p.m. EST

Dominique Charriau/WireImage shared her thoughts on ageism in fashion in her final social media post before her Dec. 27 death at age 76. The actress and former supermodel — who died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning — promoted her appearance on Claudia Mahler's as part of her on Dec. 19, just eight days before her death. In the caption, Haddon wrote that it was a "pleasure" to join the host and discuss "aging gracefully, tuning into the gifts every age offers [and] knowing your worth and your values" in the episode. "We as women, and the girls, have to be sovereign and own our life that every age has gifts to give us. Every age has secrets,” she said on the podcast. “And if we desperately hold on to the prior age, afraid to blossom into the other ages, we will never hear what those ages have to offer us." Related: The episode preview then cut to another soundbite of Haddon discussing the importance of curiosity and making a "recipe" of life. "If you stay curious, if you stay interested, if you stay healthy and energetic, work on the mind and work on the body, so then that will be your entry point into what your 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s will be," she said. "You're making a recipe of your life. You know that if you're cooking, if you put in too much butter, it's going to be a little, wishy-washy cake,” she added. “So you've got to put in the good thinking, the actions toward others, have a philosophy and understanding of what aging is about and what your life — where the value is. Because wants and needs are ephemeral. As soon as you get what you want, you're going to replace it with another want. ... But what you value stays preeminently." jean-Louis Atlan/Sygma via Getty Related: As previously reported, Dayle's daughter, Ryan Haddon, remembered her mother with a on Friday — as a representative for Solebury Township Police in Pennsylvania told PEOPLE that authorities arrived at the Bucks County home of the Dayle's son-in-law, Hallmark star Marc Blucas, at around 6:30 a.m. local time that morning following a 911 call. While there, police discovered a 76-year-old man, later identified as Walter Blucas, passed out on the first floor of the home before he was to rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J. A woman was found dead in a second-floor bedroom. Eliot Gross, the deputy coroner of Bucks County, confirmed to that the woman was Dayle and that a toxicology report is being conducted to determine a cause of death. Per , other family members on the property were not affected by the suspected carbon monoxide leak. Authorities told PEOPLE the leak "appeared to have been caused by a faulty vent on a water heater." A representative for Dayle did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Related: Dayle — who appeared on multiple magazine covers, signed contracts with Revlon, Max Factor, Estée Lauder and L’Oréal during her modeling career and starred in movies such as Disney’s and — was remembered by her daughter on Instagram as a "bright light." “I honor her. I bow to her. I revere all the paths and adventures taken. I saw her be golden and always reach for the Light in all areas of her life," Ryan wrote. "Thank you everyone who was a part of her journey that helped to shape her, enrich her and activate her to become the absolute gem that she is. She loved so many." “A pure heart. A rich inner life. Touching so many lives. A life well lived. Rest in Light, Mom," she concluded. Read the original article onWhat a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn't just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin, gold and other investments also drove higher. Here's a look at some of the numbers that defined the year. All are as of Dec. 20. Remember when President Bill Clinton got impeached or when baseball's Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run against the Montreal Expos? That was the last time the U.S. stock market closed out a second straight year with a leap of at least 20%, something the S&P 500 is on track to do again this year. The index has climbed 24.3% so far this year, not including dividends, following last year's spurt of 24.2%. The number of all-time highs the S&P 500 has set so far this year. The first came early, on Jan. 19, when the index capped a two-year comeback from the swoon caused by high inflation and worries that high interest rates instituted by the Federal Reserve to combat it would create a recession. But the index was methodical through the rest of the year, setting a record in every month outside of April and August, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. The latest came on Dec. 6. The number of times the Federal Reserve has cut its main interest rate this year from a two-decade high, offering some relief to the economy. Expectations for those cuts, along with hopes for more in 2025, were a big reason the U.S. stock market has been so successful this year. The 1 percentage point of cuts, though, is still short of the 1.5 percentage points that many traders were forecasting for 2024 at the start of the year. The Fed disappointed investors in December when it said it may cut rates just two more times in 2025, fewer than it had earlier expected. RELATED STORY | FBI arrests man charged with planning an attack on the New York Stock Exchange That’s how many points the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by the day after Election Day, as investors made bets on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world. The more widely followed S&P 500 soared 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. Aside from bitcoin, stocks of banks and smaller winners were also perceived to be big winners. The bump has since diminished amid worries that Trump’s policies could also send inflation higher. The level that bitcoin topped to set a record above $108,000 this past month. It's been climbing as interest rates come down, and it got a particularly big boost following Trump's election. He's turned around and become a fan of crypto, and he's named a former regulator who’s seen as friendly to digital currencies as the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, replacing someone who critics said was overly aggressive in his oversight. Bitcoin was below $17,000 just two years ago following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. Gold's rise for the year, as it also hit records and had as strong a run as U.S. stocks. Wars around the world have helped drive demand for investments seen as safe, such as gold. It's also benefited from the Fed's cut to interest rates. When bonds are paying less in interest, they pull away fewer potential buyers from gold, which pays investors nothing. It's a favorite number of Elon Musk, and it's also a threshold that Tesla's stock price passed in December as it set a record. The number has a long history among marijuana devotees, and Musk famously said in 2018 that he had secured funding to take Tesla private at $420 per share. Tesla soared this year, up from less than $250 at the start, in part because of expectations that Musk's close relationship with Trump could benefit the company. RELATED STORY | Wealthier Americans are driving retail spending and powering US economy That's how much revenue Nvidia made in the nine months through Oct. 27, showing how the artificial intelligence frenzy is creating mountains of cash. Nvidia's chips are driving much of the move into AI, and its revenue through the last nine months catapulted from less than $39 billion the year before. Such growth has boosted Nvidia's worth to more than $3 trillion in total. GameStop’s gain on May 13 after Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” appeared online for the first time in three years to support the video game retailer’s stock, which he helped rocket to unimaginable heights during the “ meme stock craze ” in 2021. Several other meme stocks also jumped following his post in May on the social platform X, including AMC Entertainment. Gill later disclosed a sizeable stake in the online pet products retailer Chewy, but he sold all of his holdings by late October. That's how much the U.S. economy grew, at annualized seasonally adjusted rates, in each of the three first quarters of this year. Such growth blew past what many pessimists were expecting when inflation was topping 9% in the summer of 2022. The fear was that the medicine prescribed by the Fed to beat high inflation — high interest rates — would create a recession. Households at the lower end of the income spectrum in particular are feeling pain now, as they contend with still-high prices. But the overall economy has remained remarkably resilient. This is the vacancy rate for U.S. office buildings — an all-time high — through the first three quarters of 2024, according to data from Moody's. The fact the rate held steady for most of the year was something of a win for office building owners, given that it had marched up steadily from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2019. Demand for office space weakened as the pandemic led to the popularization of remote work. That's the total number of previously occupied homes sold nationally through the first 11 months of 2024. Sales would have to surge 20% year-over-year in December for 2024's home sales to match the 4.09 million existing homes sold in 2023, a nearly 30-year low. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. A shortage of homes for sale and elevated mortgage rates have discouraged many would-be homebuyers.

Chargers activate RB J.K. Dobbins from IR

You’re charming and likable because you have excellent people skills. You’re also intelligent and perceptive. Your relationships matter. This has been a year of hard work for you; however, next year will bring exciting changes and increased freedom. Be ready to act fast when new opportunities arise. The stars show the kind of day you’ll have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult ARIES (March 21-April 19)  Travel plans might be pie-in-the-sky today; nevertheless, relations with friends will be positive. Meanwhile, you might have less energy to deal with your kids or social situations. It’s like the wind has gone out of your sails. Tonight: You’re admired. This week: Define future goals. TAURUS (April 20-May 20)  Decisions about finances, especially if they include parents or authority figures, will likely favor you today. In turn, you might feel sorry for someone, which is why you have less energy to devote to home and family. Tonight: Explore! This week: What can you do to enrich your life? Travel? Education? GEMINI (May 21-June 20)  Be careful in agreeing to anything or volunteering for anything, because relations with authority figures are subject to confusion, even manipulation. Tonight: Check your finances. This week: Resolve to reduce debt and be financially more solid. CANCER (June 21-July 22)  Issues regarding religion or the law might be confusing today. You’re not sure who to believe. Fortunately, someone might give you money they owe you or do a favor for you. This is timely, because your energy to work is low right now. Tonight: Cooperate. This week: Think about how you can improve your closest relationships. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)  Don’t worry if you feel tired and not up to the task. You might need naps or opportunities to stop working, because Mars is retrograde in your sign. It feels like something is dragging you down. Romance might be disappointing today. Tonight: Work. This week: What can you do to improve your health and your job? Ideas? VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)  When dealing with partners and close friends today, if you feel disappointed, ask yourself if you expressed your expectations ahead of time. Unexpressed expectations generally lead to disappointment. Tonight: Socialize. This week: Resolve to find a good balance between work and play this year. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)  You might feel emotionally confused today. You might even have trouble distinguishing between reality and illusion! Make sure that others are reliable and that no one is trying to call a fast one on you. Say grounded; be cautious. Tonight: Relax. This week: How can you improve family relationships and also the enjoyment of your home? SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)  This is a poor day to make important financial decisions, because someone might deceive you either intentionally or by accident. Fortunately, relations with family members are warm. Tonight: Discussions. This week: People are gregarious. How can you improve your style of communicating? SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)  Today is ripe for emotional confusion, which will lead to misunderstandings or misconceptions. This can lead to mood swings. Fortunately, everyday conversations are charming. Tonight: Check your belongings. This week: This week’s new moon urges you to be financially responsible. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)  Feelings of escapism might make you want to run away. Others might feel a heightened intuition and spiritual awareness in a vague, idealistic way. That’s because there’s an element of confusion present today. Sit tight. Tonight: You win! This week: How can you improve your impression on others? AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)  Be extra clear to avoid misunderstandings when talking to friends and members of groups today. Even though you feel warm and connected to someone, ironically, communications could go south in a New York minute. Tonight: Solitude. This week: This year promises more time to play and enjoy recreational diversions. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)  When dealing with bosses, parents and authority figures today, be extra clear in all your communications. Make sure you know what they expect from you. Make sure they understand you. Meanwhile, someone might help you. Tonight: Be friendly. This week: Give thought to your friendships. — King Features Syndicate

Morgan State hopes for end to recent skid with visit to MinnesotaQ. My new year’s resolution is to clean out my garage and get rid of any pesticides that are expired, not needed, or harmful to wildlife. How do I find out what I should get rid of? Do fertilizers have an expiration date? ANSWER: This is an excellent new year’s resolution! If you have any pesticides that are expired or not needed anymore, make sure they are labelled (hopefully with the original) and place them in a sturdy box so you can take them to your nearest hazardous materials disposal site. Fertilizers don’t really expire, but they may become clumpy and unusable, so these can be disposed of in a similar way. The laws concerning pesticides change frequently, so it’s always a good idea to take inventory and get rid of any chemicals that are no longer considered safe to use. Take note of the active ingredient(s), which should be listed on the front of the container, and look them up on the UC IPM website. There you can find an active ingredient index that will give you information on precautions, how it works, and possible adverse effects, including effects on wildlife. There is also a list of less toxic alternatives that is quite useful. When you are ready to dispose of your old pesticides, fertilizers, and other household chemicals, you can find a drop off site by searching “Household Hazardous Waste + (your county)”. Alternatively, your waste management company’s website should also have this information. Q. What rodenticides are least likely to harm wildlife? We have a terrible rat problem, but I don’t want to hurt the local predators. Realistically, there are no rodenticides that are completely safe for non-target species like owls, bobcats and coyotes. Poisons such as brodifacoum, bromadiolone, and difethialone are single-dose rodenticides. These poisons kill quickly, usually within a day of ingestion. Once eaten, the drug is stored in the liver and prevents blood clotting. Since these drugs are not excreted before the rodent dies, predators and scavengers can be poisoned. If you have any of these rodenticides, please dispose of them properly and do not use them. Older poisons such as warfarin, chlorophacinone, and diphacinone are multiple-dose rodenticides. These are generally considered to be less harmful to wildlife but can cause problems if a predator or scavenger consumes multiple rodents that have been poisoned. To minimize the risk of secondary poisoning to wildlife or pets, follow the instructions on the label closely. Promptly remove and dispose of any dead rodents by sealing in a plastic bag and disposing in a secure trash container. Don’t handle dead rodents with bare hands. Buried rodents can be exhumed by dogs or coyotes. If possible, find other ways to kill rodents. I prefer the electrocution-type traps since they are humane and easy to use. Never use sticky traps outdoors since they are more likely to catch non-target animals and are inhumane. For more information on rat control, see ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/rats/pest-notes/#gsc.tab=0 Related Articles

No. 5 UCLA snaps No. 1 South Carolina's 43-game win streak