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However, some state workers failed to return to their jobs and a United Nations official said the country’s public sector had come “to a complete and abrupt halt”. Meanwhile, streams of refugees crossed back into Syria from neighbouring countries, hoping for a more peaceful future and looking for relatives who disappeared during Mr Assad’s brutal rule. There were already signs of the difficulties ahead for the rebel alliance now in control of much of the country. The alliance is led by a former senior al-Qaida militant, who severed ties with the extremist group years ago and has promised representative government and religious tolerance. The rebel command said they would not tell women how to dress. “It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women’s dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty,” the command said in a statement on social media. Nearly two days after rebels entered the capital, some key government services had shut down after state workers ignored calls to go back to their jobs, the UN official said, causing issues at airports and borders and slowing the flow of humanitarian aid. Rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, also met with Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali for the first time. Mr Jalali stayed in Syria when Mr Assad fled and has sought to project normalcy since. “We are working so that the transitional period is quick and smooth,” he told Sky News Arabia TV on Monday, saying the security situation had already improved from the day before. At the court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said that judges were ready to resume work quickly. “We want to give everyone their rights,” Mr Haddad said outside the courthouse. “We want to build a new Syria and to keep the work, but with new methods.” But a UN official said some government services had been paralysed as worried state employees stayed at home. The public sector “has just come to a complete and abrupt halt,” said Adam Abdelmoula, UN resident and humanitarian co-ordinator for Syria, noting, for example, that an aid flight carrying urgently needed medical supplies had been put on hold after aviation employees abandoned their jobs. “This is a country that has had one government for 53 years and then suddenly all of those who have been demonised by the public media are now in charge in the nation’s capital,” Mr Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. “I think it will take a couple of days and a lot of assurance on the part of the armed groups for these people to return to work again.” In a video shared on a rebel messaging channel, Mr al-Sharaa said: “You will see there are skills” among the rebels. The Kremlin said Russia has granted political asylum to Mr Assad, a decision made by President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Mr Assad’s specific whereabouts and said Mr Putin did not plan to meet with him. Damascus was quiet Monday, with life slowly returning to normal, though most shops and public institutions were closed. In public squares, some people were still celebrating. Civilian traffic resumed, but there was no public transport. Long lines formed in front of bakeries and other food stores. There was little sign of any security presence though in some areas, small groups of armed men were stationed in the streets.

Mobile phones could be confiscated from immigration detainees under a federal government response to what it says are an increasing number of criminal activities being organised inside. But immigration law experts argue the changes could have serious implications for the rights of detainees. The Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities Bill was introduced to parliament with little fanfare on Thursday morning. It expands the powers of Home Affairs Department officials, including allowing Australian Border Force to search and seize prohibited items from detainees. Those items include drugs, mobile phones and SIM cards. Can Australia have a sensible debate about immigration? Photo shows Pauline Hanson holds her head in her hand The cheap points of politics means we have little sensible debate about fixing our migration system so that it works better for everyone, and for the economy. A looming election only appears likely to make sensible debate even more unattainable. The minister could determine an item is prohibited if satisfied that possessing or using that item might pose a risk to the health, safety or security of people in the facility. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said while introducing the bill that immigration detention centres are housing an increasing number... Nicole HegartyA Christmas Story has remained a seminal holiday movie since its release in 1983 and is a favorite to watch on Christmas Day. The movie follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) who is determined that he wants a new Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, but all the adults are trying to convince him its a bad idea because it might "shoot your eye out." Despite being released more than 40 years ago , many of its stars have remained in show business, so let's take a look at what they're up to today. Peter Billingsley (Ralphie) The star of the film with his iconic blue eyes and glasses, stayed in movies and even continued to make hit Christmas films. Billingsley had an uncredited role in 2003's Elf starring Will Ferrell and he also served as a producer—even briefly making a cameo appearance—in Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. The actor remained close to the movie that made him famous around the world and co-produced the original 2012 Broadway musical adaptation of A Christmas Story. Billingsley once again played Ralphie in the 2022 HBO Max film A Christmas Story Christmas . Ian Petrella (Randy Parker) The actor would go on to have some more acting roles in TV shows such as Diff'rent Strokes and Who's The Boss? after landing his first acting role at the age of three. Petrella took a 15-year break from acting where he traveled the world and studied marionette puppetry in Czechia. He eventually returned to the U.S. where he made animated shorts and acted in A Christmas Story Christmas alongside Billingsley. Scott Schwartz (Flick) Schwartz perhaps had one of the most memorable scenes in cinema history when his character licked a frozen light pole, getting his tongue stuck. In the 1990s, Schwartz turned his attention to the adult film industry where he starred as an actor and also worked behind the camera. He eventually returned to mainstream acting but is well known for his collection of celebrity-based trading cards. Schwartz also reprised his role as Flick for the HBO sequel to A Christmas Story . Zack Ward (Scut Farkus) Scut Farkus was the notorious bully in A Christmas Story and also returned for the 2022 sequel. "It's part of my life that I really couldn't separate away from," Ward told Newsweek in 2022. "And I'm sure the day that I die, they'll be like, 'Oh, by the way, Scut Farkus has passed, and his other name was Zack Ward.' So it's like being Batman, I guess." Other than starring in the Christmas classic, Ward has had a prolific acting career. Some of his credits include, American Horror Story , It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia , Mike and Molly , Liv and Maddie , three CSI shows, Hawaii Five-O , Cold Case and Transformers. Melinda Dillon (Mrs. Parker) Dillon had already won a Tony Award and been nominated twice for an Oscar before appearing in the Christmas film. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her roles in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Absence of Malice . She continued to work in many movies and TV shows, with some of her final roles coming in 2007, including the series Heartland and the film Reign Over Me with Adam Sandler. Dillon passed away in 2023 at the age of 83. Darren McGavin (Old Man) McGavin played Ralphie's very grumpy, but loving dad. He is probably most remembered in the movie for bringing out a lamp that looked like a leg in a fishnet stocking. After A Christmas Story, McGavin played Adam Sandler's billionaire dad in Billy Madison . McGavin was nominated for an Emmy in 1990 for a guest appearance on sitcom Murphy Brown. McGavin passed away from heart disease in 2006, aged 83. Yano Anaya (Grover Dill) The actor portrayed Scut Farkus' sidekick and continued to act, including reprising his role in the HBO sequel. Anaya made headlines in 2022 when the owner of the iconic house from A Christmas Story slammed him for taking selfies with fans outside the property, per TMZ. When the owner listed the property for sale, Anaya expressed an interest in buying it. "You guys ain't gonna buy this place. I'm never selling it to you," the man is heard telling Anaya in a video posted on TMZ.

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Brandon Ingram Injury Status – Pelicans vs. Warriors Injury Report November 22After being blown out in Buffalo by a score of 40-14, it’s clear that the 2024 NFL season can’t come to an end soon enough for Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets . The Bills took an early lead and never looked back. It may have looked like a game the Jets would be able to keep close as they had multiple drives that landed them in Buffalo territory. However, the Jets failed to capitalize as Aaron Rodgers finished the day with two interceptions. Tyrod Taylor would come on in relief of Rodgers and lead a couple of touchdown drives that saw Garrett Wilson and Tyler Conklin find the end zone. The loss drops the Jets to 4-12 which has them currently slated to pick sixth in the draft. This article first appeared on JetNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

Celebrity-loved jeweler Azza Fahmy has ‘a strong connection’ with Saudi Arabia

The huge country where barely anybody lives that's the world's largest landlocked nationChargers will be without top RB Dobbins and could lean on QB Herbert against Falcons

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Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief” and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America’s dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise” speech, even though he never used that word. READ MORE: Rosalynn Carter, outspoken former first lady, dies at 96 After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter’s diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ___ Contributors include former AP staffer Alex Sanz in Atlanta. Bill Barrow, The Associated PressAn Invitation, A Rejection, Now What? Trump And Xi Jinping Play Mindgames

LONDON -- and the women's national team played out a 0-0 draw at Wembley on Saturday evening. In a tense affair, it was the USWNT had the better chances to break the deadlock. The hosts were without the likes of and , while the USWNT travelled to Europe without their "Triple Espresso" front three of , and . So, it was two teams giving a few fringe players the opportunity at a near-sold out Wembley, and it was the USWNT who were had the bulk of possession in the first-half, dangerous in attack play, but lacking the finishing touch. England had to wait until the 55th minute to have their first effort on target. Lindsay Horan had a goal disallowed in the 48th minute for offside, while one of the big talking points came just after the hour mark when the USWNT were awarded a penalty for what was deemed to be an handball that blocked 's long-range shot. In the end, intervention from VAR saw it rightly reversed. With England seven months out from the start of the Euros where they'll look to defend their crown, you feel they're still a way off top form. For the USWNT, this was yet another match where they were assured, and had the chance to test their strength in depth. Ryan and Shaw impact, but USWNT still miss "Triple Espresso" energy Let's start with a glass half empty perspective: The USWNT went scoreless for the first time since July. This is perhaps not a shock when you consider that the team was missing the lethal "Triple Espresso" trio of Smith, Rodman and Swanson, who are all resting after lingering injuries. Without their star figures, an experimental front three of , and weren't able to create enough danger against England. But, glass half full: Improvements were immediately seen through attacking subs such as and Ryan. Ryan, despite her involvement in just one half, looked like the most dangerous player of the game. The 25-year-old was brilliant off the bench and a dynamic figure in the final third. The same could be said for Shaw, a versatile up-and-comer from the San Diego Wave that was proactive in her cameo role. Hayes knows that she can't count on all of her marquee figures game-in and game-out, and a big part of her job going forward is finding the right alternative options that could step in to fully fill the glass of the USWNT attack. What are England all about, anyway? First, the good news: England looked more assured in defence than they did against . Wiegman switched between a back four when England were without the ball, and a back three when they were attacking. It meant they looked more settled, and kept out a dangerous USWNT side. Given the Lionesses had kept just four cleansheets in their previous 19 matches heading into Saturday's game, keeping out the USWNT is a positive step forward. Now the parts of England that remain a concern. Their ability to play out from the back causes themselves all sorts of self-inflicted havoc, while their midfield lacked presence. And their few attempts on goal were rarely generated through the slick attacking play displayed by the USWNT. This was an England team without Hemp, James, and , and their absence told. There was room for others to impress: with starting on the wing, and taking the No.10 spot, but neither put down markers to justify more minutes at this stage. "I think it has been a tough year, with a few tough results, but we know what we can do as a group," said after the match. "It is about figuring out how we can play. "That's the thing with friendlies, you can experiment with a few things. Drawing against the Olympic champions is no small thing, but we want to be winning those games." Overall, you feel England are still trying to find the intensity and ability to suffocate opponents that we've seen in the past. While this was a decent result all told and a step forward for England, as Wiegman's team look to peak at the right time for the Euros, they're not yet at their best. England's attack fails to spark England's attack throughout the evening was frantic and chaotic. Wiegman wanted to try new things and was forced into two changes due to regular starters Lauren Hemp and Ella Toone suffering injuries. England were still without Lauren James, who has not played for England since April. In fact, Wiegman had only selected five forwards in her 25-player squad. Hemp, who has been vital to the Lionesses' successes and arguably one of The Lionesses' most reliable players, left a gaping hole in the attack. Despite having an impressive start to 's season, club teammate Park could not effectively fill the void, leaving the attack disjointed and lacking in rhythm. Hemp is England's fastest player and without her pace to stretch USA's calm defence, there was little strain placed on the visiting defenders. The positional change to move usual winger into a wing-back role also proved counterproductive for England as they tried to generate attacks, leaving her vital attacking threat sitting far too deep to make an effective impact. England only managed their first and only shot on target in the 55th minute, having struggled throughout the first half to generate anything in front of goal. A flurry of opportunities followed suit in the second half but was squandered by England's lack of connectivity in the USA's box. The introduction of , who has struggled for minutes with City, and injected more urgency into the side, but were unable to break the deadlock, leaving Wiegman with more questions than answers. Throughout the 90 minutes, England only had 14 touches in the box, four shots and only one on target. In comparison, the USA had 40 touches, 10 shots and four on target, reflecting the stark differences in attack for the two teams. Naeher earns shutout in possible final game It wasn't the most difficult of matches when you consider that she just needed to make one save and one aerial claim, but veteran goalkeeper can hold her head high with a clean sheet in what could be the final game of her USWNT career. Earlier this week, the 36-year-old announced that the matches against England and the (on Dec. 3) would be the last with the national team. "Having the opportunity to be a part of the USWNT for the past 15 years has been the greatest honor," said Naeher, who also noted her involvement with U.S. youth national teams. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup winner could be given one more match against the Netherlands, but with a shutout in hand and family watching from the stands at Wembley, her most recent game and clean sheet could be an appropriate goodbye for the goalkeeper. Post-game to TNT Sports, she also had a message for the next generation of USWNT stars. "Soak it all in, be a sponge, don't take anything for granted. I think that's what kept me going," said Naeher. "For those young ones coming in, nothing is guaranteed in this sport and soak it all in and enjoy every minute of it." Lionesses need more dominance in midfield It was two very different narratives for the midfield on Saturday evening, and England could learn a lot from the visitor's controlled and dominant approach. The hosts were completely unable to play through their midfield, meaning their game was non-transitional and lacked control. It should be rather alarming that after striding to a European victory and World Cup final, the Lionesses have sunk, unable to really challenge the Olympic Champions in a game where the hosts would have been looking to assert dominance. England's opportunities to use their midfield to effect were sparse, with positioning issues and under-hit passes also generating further concerns for England seven months ahead of the start of their title-defending Euros campaign. The USA were the exact opposite: controlled, comfortable and executing their game plan to keep and contained. Veterans and were able to conduct an effortless dominance in the middle, ensuring build-up play was swift and pinpoint. Their pair even combined to have the ball in the back of the net, but Horan was adjudged to be offside. Their pressing was also a stark contrast to England's. The USA rushed the hosts, allowing them no time on the ball to gather themselves, often forcing them into snap, poor decision-making and keeping consistent pressure applied. In retaliation, England could not press Hayes' side to any effect. Wiegman will need to devise a plan to improve their dominance and transitional play if England are to retain their Euros crown. Earps back as England's No.1 Against Germany, it looked like had established herself as England's new number one. Wiegman was adamant it was all part of the pre-Euros experimentation and sure enough, Mary Earps was restored for the USWNT match. It's hard to overstate the Earps fandom when it comes to the Lionesses. As you walked down Wembley Way before the match, her name and image was everywhere: on Christmas jumpers, on scarves. Pre-match, her name got a roar from the crowd to rival 's. Earps was the far busier of the two goalkeepers too, for the most part - making a good early save off an Alyssa Thompson shot, and saving well to deny Krueger in the first half. The second half was more of the same, with Earps palming away a Ryan effort, and while there was some last-minute scrambling in front of her, England looked more assured with Earps at the back than they did against Germany. After the match, Earps was clearly pleased despite the result. "It's about me going out there and being who I am. That's all I try to do. Play with a smile on my face and that's what I will start to do."

By DAVID BAUDER Time magazine gave Donald Trump something it has never done for a Person of the Year designee: a lengthy fact-check of claims he made in an accompanying interview. Related Articles National Politics | Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA’s idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it ‘absurd’ National Politics | Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time National Politics | Ruling by a conservative Supreme Court could help blue states resist Trump policies National Politics | A nonprofit leader, a social worker: Here are the stories of the people on Biden’s clemency list National Politics | Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ on official trip to Luxembourg The fact-check accompanies a transcript of what the president-elect told the newsmagazine’s journalists. Described as a “12 minute read,” it calls into question 15 separate statements that Trump made. It was the second time Trump earned the Time accolade; he also won in 2016, the first year he was elected president. Time editors said it wasn’t a particularly hard choice over other finalists Kamala Harris, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate Middleton. Time said Friday that no other Person of the Year has been fact-checked in the near-century that the magazine has annually written about the figure that has had the greatest impact on the news. But it has done the same for past interviews with the likes of Joe Biden, Netanyahu and Trump. Such corrections have been a sticking point for Trump and his team in the past, most notably when ABC News did it during his only debate with Democrat Kamala Harris this fall. There was no immediate response to a request for comment on Friday. In the piece, Time called into question statements Trump made about border security, autism and the size of a crowd at one of his rallies. When the president-elect talked about the “massive” mandate he had received from voters, Time pointed out that former President Barack Obama won more electoral votes the two times he had run for president. The magazine also questioned Trump’s claim that he would do interviews with anyone who asked during the campaign, if he had the time. The candidate rejected a request to speak to CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the magazine said. “In the final months of his campaign, Trump prioritized interviews with podcasts over mainstream media,” reporters Simmone Shah and Leslie Dickstein wrote. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

Why Alaska Air Stock Surged 15% Higher This WeekOLEAN, N.Y. (AP) — Noel Brown had 22 points in Saint Bonaventure's 85-70 win against Bryant on Sunday. Saint Bonaventure (6-0) is off to its best start since it won nine consecutive games to open the 1969-70 season. Brown added seven rebounds for the Bonnies. Melvin Council Jr. scored 18 points and added five rebounds. Lajae Jones shot 3 for 7 (2 for 3 from 3-point range) and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points. It was the sixth victory in a row for the Bonnies. The Bulldogs (3-3) were led by Earl Timberlake, who posted 17 points and seven rebounds. Barry Evans added 14 points and six rebounds for Bryant. Connor Withers also had 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Saint Bonaventure took the lead with 15:50 remaining in the first half and never looked back. The score was 46-40 at halftime, with Council racking up 14 points. Saint Bonaventure extended its lead to 64-44 during the second half, fueled by a 13-2 scoring run. Jones scored a team-high 10 points in the second half as their team closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Dejan Kulusevski cannot wait to play Man City again after Tottenham run riot

Should AI be used in recruitment? This issue divides between employers using the technology to screen job applications and employees to create their resumes or to complete their cover letter. The risk is, for the employee, if the application is not performed well then the fact it has been computer generated rather than written by the applicant becomes obvious and these can harm recruitment prospects. Shai Aharony, CEO and founder of Reboot Online , tells Digital Journal: “The job market recently has been tough, and it’s natural that applicants may resort to taking shortcuts to increase the volume of applications they’re sending out. Being in a creative industry though, I did find it concerning that more applicants didn’t use the cover letter to their advantage by telling their own unique story. The cover letter is an opportunity to demonstrate genuine interest and helps the hiring manager understand a little bit more of the authentic ‘you’, it gives you the chance to stand out, so don’t miss it.” Aharony elaborates: “That being said, the use of AI to help structure a job application wouldn’t automatically rule out a candidate for me. In some cases, it could even show initiative, as long as the use of AI is creative, supplements the application and shows skill relevant to the field and job role.” Top 5 most commonly used AI sentences in cover letters app.originality.ai was used to analyse cover letters submitted for job roles at Reboot Online in order to identify which ones were generated by AI. From the list above, the most commonly recognised AI-generated sentence in cover letters is, “With a natural flair for crafting captivating content, a keen eye for detail, and an insatiable curiosity, I am eager to contribute my creative energy to your expanding digital PR agency.” Appearing in 16 percent of cover letters, this sentence is rated 100 percent likely to be AI-generated, likely due to polished phrasing such as “natural flair” and “insatiable curiosity” that AI models tend to produce. The second most commonly used phrase in cover letters associated with the use of AI is, “My experience in SEO, combined with my analytical mindset, allows me to drive meaningful improvements in search visibility and website performance” which appears in 13 percent of cover letters with the same 100 percent AI likelihood. While professional, its combination of skills with results-focused claims makes it recognisable as a frequently used phrasing choice. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. Chargers player to watch RB Gus Edwards will move up as the lead back for Los Angeles after J.K Dobbins (knee) was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Edwards was activated from IR earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. Falcons player to watch WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Key matchup Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers' run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Key injuries Besides Dobbins, the Chargers also placed S Alohi Gilman (hamstring) on injured reserve. CB Cam Hart (ankle) and LB Denzel Perryman (groin) also have been ruled out. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. Series notes The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Stats and stuff Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. The Falcons will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. Fantasy tip The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflHow Maharashtra’s onion belt shifted loyalty within six months

Fresh Postecoglou headache as Tottenham star is ruled out of Newcastle clashThe Chase star Mark Labbett shows off 10 stone weight loss as he poses with unrecognisable ex-wife

Kliff Kingsbury might want to reconsider mindset on second-half struggles | Sporting NewsTrump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pickComposer Tyler Bates has been sued for allegedly pilfering a singer and former collaborator’s voice on productions he scored. Azam Ali, in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges Bates created a “digital replica” of her voice, which was used on new projects, including Cartoon Network’s animated series , without consent or compensation to the singer. Ali’s voice has appeared on scores for major studios films, including and . She met Bates in 2001, when he was looking for a vocalist to assist him on scoring the soundtrack to . The pair went on to collaborate on , and . Last year, Ali claims she was contacted by a fan congratulating her for appearing on a soundtrack to an unnamed production scored by Bates. When she reached out to the composer, he allegedly told her in a text message that he had “made an EXS 24 sample instrument,” which refers to a sampler used to manipulate sound files when arranging music, from recordings of her voice. “Azam’s investigation further revealed that Bates appeared to have included samples of [her] voice in audio libraries that were then distributed to his collaborators for use on their shared projects,” states the complaint. Ali alleges that these samples appeared in and , a game released in 2010. She brings a trio of claims related to breach of contract and seeks unspecified damages. Bates has faced accusations of plagiarism. In 2007, Warner Bros. issued a statement acknowledging that “a number of the music cues for the score of were, without our knowledge or participation, derived from music composed by Academy Award winning composer Elliot Goldenthal for the motion picture .” The composer — who scored the soundtracks for the franchise, and — was also sued in 2018 by Kurt Oldman and Dieter Hartmann in a dispute over credit and compensation on . They accused him of going back on a deal to give them credit on the film and 15 percent of royalties from its score. The two sides later settled the case. A representative for Bates didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day More from The Hollywood Reporter

Over the 20 years ago, people listened to just the live radio in their cars and even had radios in their homes. But today on-demand audio distribution is at an all-time high and the radio is one of many listening options. In 2024, an average of 135 Million Americans tuned into Podcasts, an increase of 15 million more average listeners compared to 2023. Also, many Americans do not listen to their favorite shows live but instead listen on demand at their convenience. Today, Podcasting is a 2.2 Billion Dollar Industry and the research team at Casino.org wanted to find out the most popular podcasts in 2024. They surveyed over 3,000 Americans to find out how often they listen to Podcasts and what their favorite podcasts are. They combined their survey results with Edison Research’s top 50 podcasts in the US Data to rank the most popular podcasts in America and learn each state's favorite podcasts. What is New Jersey's Favorite Podcast? The number-one Podcast in America is also the most popular listen for New Jersey residents. The Joe Rogan Experience has Millions of Subscribers and Listeners which is impressive for a podcast with polarizing socio-political content. New Jersey is one of 23 states where The Joe Rogan Experience is the most listened-to Podcast. The biggest reason this is a surprising result has to do with the fact that New Jersey has been a consistent Democratic Party voting state in Presidential Elections since 1992. Joe Rogan's Politics and Social fall in line with Libertarians which has earned him criticism from "Liberals" and "Left-Wing Politicos". The second reason why this is a surprising result is because of the exploding popularity that Former Eagles All-Pro Center Jason Kelce has experienced over the last several years. Kelce becoming on of the most popular Philadelphia Sports Athletes was not enough to elevate his The New Heights Show Podcast into New Jersey's number one spot. Co-hosted by Jason and his brother, Travis Kelce, the podcast is currently the 10th most popular in America. New Heights Podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce is the number-one podcast in Missouri and Iowa, an area that has many Kansas City Chiefs fans. There are numerous diehard Eagles fans in New Jersey and Jason Kelce's growing charity event in Sea Isle City has broken records every summer. But none of that was enough to earn the New Heights Show Podcast more listeners than the Joe Rogan Experience. Here are the Top Ten Most Listened-to Podcasts in America in 2024: 1. The Joe Rogan Experience 2. Crime Junkie 3. The American Life 4. Dateline NBC 5. The Daily 6. Call Her Daddy 7. The Dave Ramsey Show 8. Stuff You Should Know 9. Club Shay Shay 10. New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce You may want to listen to a podcast the next time you go on a road trip and here are some of the top Road Trip Recommendations we have for people living in New Jersey: 18 Amazing Summer Day Trips That Aren't Too Far From New Jersey If you're looking for some summertime fun that is close to home but you want to still feel like you are on vacation, check out these great regional attractions. Gallery Credit: Chris Colemanslot game gcash 。

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 25, 2024-- Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. (TSXV: TBRD, OTCQX: THBRF) (“Thunderbird” or the “Company”) has granted an aggregate amount of 143,317 restricted share units (the “RSUs”) to its non-executive directors on November 25, 2024, pursuant to the terms of the Company’s equity incentive compensation plan. The RSUs will vest on December 14, 2024. Each vested RSU entitles the holder thereof to receive one common share of the Company. The Company also granted an aggregate amount of 171,606 RSUs to certain members of the Company’s executive management team, pursuant to the terms of the Company’s equity incentive compensation plan. The RSUs will vest over three years, and each vested RSU entitles the holder to receive one common share of the Company. Additionally, 400,412 performance share units (“PSUs”) were granted to certain members of the Company’s executive management team, based on certain performance targets to be met. Subject to the satisfaction of such performance targets, the PSUs will vest on the one-year anniversary of the date of the grant. Each vested PSU entitles the holder to receive one common share of the Company (or can be paid out in cash at the discretion of the Company’s board of directors). Thunderbird Entertainment Inc. (“TEI”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, has also entered into an Addendum to the Executive Employment Agreement dated July 1, 2021 between TEI and Jennifer Twiner McCarron, the CEO of the Company (the “Addendum”). Under the terms of the Addendum, effective from July 1, 2024, Ms. Twiner McCarron has agreed to forego a guaranteed bonus and has agreed to a bonus structure that ensures eligibility for annual short term incentive payments is driven entirely by performance based on the achievement of AEBITDA targets and strategic objectives established by the Company’s board of directors. For information on Thunderbird and to subscribe to the Company’s investor list for news updates, go to www.thunderbird.tv . ABOUT THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Ottawa. Thunderbird creates award-winning scripted, unscripted, and animated programming for the world’s leading digital platforms, as well as Canadian and international broadcasters. The Company develops, produces, and distributes animated, factual, and scripted content through its various content arms, including Thunderbird Kids and Family (Atomic Cartoons), Thunderbird Unscripted (Great Pacific Media) and Thunderbird Scripted. Productions under the Thunderbird umbrella include Mermicorno: Starfall, Super Team Canada, Molly of Denali, Highway Thru Hell, Kim’s Convenience, Boot Camp, and Sidelined: The QB and Me . Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands manage global media and consumer products rights, respectively, for the Company and select third parties. Thunderbird is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @tbirdent. For more information, visit: www.thunderbird.tv . Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Thunderbird’s public communications may include written, or oral “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements or information may be identified by words such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “will”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “intend”, or similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this document include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the vesting schedule of the RSUs, the PSUs, and the achievement of certain performance objectives relating to Ms. Twiner McCarron’s performance bonus entitlements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; product capability and acceptance; and other factors set out in the “Risk and Uncertainty” section of the Company’s MD&A dated June 30, 2024. The foregoing is not an exhaustive list. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to Thunderbird or that management believes to be less significant may also adversely affect the Company. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this document represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof, and therefore such information should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. The Company’s actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those ‎expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be ‎given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if ‎any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. Readers are therefore cautioned ‎that the foregoing lists of important factors are not exhaustive, and they should not unduly rely on the ‎forward-looking statements included in this news release. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly ‎qualified by this cautionary statement. Thunderbird has no intention, and undertakes no obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125609691/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Contacts: Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital Phone: + 1 905 326 1888 ext 1 Email:glen@bristolir.comMedia Relations Contact: Lana Castleman, Director, Marketing & Communications Phone: 416-219-3769 Email:lcastleman@thunderbird.tvCorporate Communications: Julia Smith, Finch Media Email:Julia@finchmedia.net KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FILM & MOTION PICTURES ONLINE GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT TV AND RADIO SOURCE: Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/25/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 11/25/2024 05:02 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241125609691/en2 of the best ASX growth shares money can buy

Ayodhya: Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Construction Committee Chairman Nripendra Mishra announced the completion of construction by June 2025, with rampart and shoe racks until September, with rising tower construction being checked for aviation safety. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Speaking to the media persons, Mishra said, "We are committed to completing all construction work by June 2025, except for the ramparts and shoe racks, which are estimated to go on till September 2025." "85 murals will be set up in the museum, of which work on 60 murals has already begun, and 21 murals. including 6 murals of Ram have been completed... New titanium lattices are being made for the Parikrama on the ground, first and second floors," Mishra added. Mishra further added,"The biggest challenge is to complete the construction of the rising tower which is also being checked for aviation safety." Earlier on Saturday, Mishra said, "All construction works will be reviewed today. Post review, we will decide the timeline for completing the pending construction. The rampart for which approximately 8,40,000 cubic feet of stones are to be laid, only 3 lakh cubic feet is left. Hopefully, will be able to complete the 1 km rampart which has 6 temples by June 2025." 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"The final inspection of the statues will be done in Jaipur by the first week of January. Digging has begun for the pool in the middle of the temples inside the complex. Today its design and technical details will be discussed. We have requested our general secretary to name the four gates in the south and north after the respected saints of Ayodhya," he further stated. The 'Pran Pratishtha' of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's historic temple was held on January 22, with PM Modi performing the Vedic rituals, led by a group of priests. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )First American Financial Co. (NYSE:FAF) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Following the results of the 2024 presidential election, searches related to emigrating from the U.S., including if it’s possible to buy Canadian citizenship , began surging. Similar searches have spiked following past presidential elections as well. Over the past week, however, people have also searched about the possibility of buying cheap homes in Italy. One VERIFY reader texted us to ask if it’s true an Italian village is selling Americans $1 homes following the election, and people on social media are also asking if it’s a real offer. THE QUESTION Is an Italian village offering $1 homes to Americans following the election? THE SOURCES THE ANSWER Yes, an Italian village is offering $1 homes to Americans following the election. WHAT WE FOUND Ollolai, a village on the island of Sardinia in Italy, is courting American homebuyers following the presidential election by offering them homes for as little as $1. Ollolai and other Italian villages have made similar offers to people around the globe for several years. However, the cheapest homes available require renovations that will push the cost of the home much higher than just a dollar. A website run by the village titled “ Live in Ollolai ” offers homes from 1 Euro to 100,000+ Euros ($1.05 to $105,000) for people “worned [sic] out by global politics.” The earliest appearance the website makes on the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine is Nov. 13, 2024, just over a week after the U.S. presidential election. The website itself makes no direct mention of Americans or U.S. politics. However, the village’s mayor, Francesco Columbu, told CNN that “the website was specifically created to attract American voters,” who would receive “preferential treatment” when applying. “We just really want, and will focus on, Americans above all,” Columbu told CNN. “We can’t of course ban people from other countries to apply, but Americans will have a fast-track procedure. We are betting on them to help us revive the village, they are our winning card.” The website promises any prospective buyers that the village will guide them through the process of buying and renovating the home, as well as navigating whatever paperwork Italy might require the homebuyer to go through. Ollolai’s website says 1-Euro homes will need renovations, but there are “move-in-ready” homes at affordable prices that “require minimal renovation.” Italian villages such as Ollolai have offered homes for as little as 1 Euro for years, but the cheapest homes have always come with the caveat that the buyer will need to pay for renovations. CNN first wrote about Ollolai in 2018 , when it reported the village was selling hundreds of abandoned homes for 1 Euro each. “The real estate bonanza comes with a catch, though,” CNN wrote at the time. “The 200 stone-built dwellings up for grabs are in poor condition and buyers must commit to a refurbishment within three years, which will likely cost about $25,000.” Other villages in Italy, such as Mussomeli on the island of Sicily, similarly require buyers of 1-Euro homes to renovate the homes within three years of purchase. In May 2024, CNBC reported on the true price of Italian 1-Euro homes purchased by two Americans. Both Americans first purchased their homes in villages in Sicily in 2019. One of them won their home in an auction after bidding 5,555 Euros, which was about 5,900 Euros (about $6,200) after taxes and fees. That homeowner then bought the neighboring home in a private sale for 22,000 Euros and spent about 425,000 Euros renovating the combined space. In total, the homes and renovations cost about $475,000. The other homeowner bought three homes in another village for 1 Euro each. Each building came with a 500-Euro realtors fee and a 2,800-Euro deed — that’s about $10,500 between the three buildings. At the time, that homeowner had spent about $35,000 in renovations. Ollolai’s website says prospective buyers will be able to explore properties online soon. Ollolai also maintains a separate website for foreign remote workers to apply to rent a home for a month in Ollolai for 1 Euro. Ollolai is just one of several villages listed by websites promoting 1-Euro home deals in Italy . The trend began when some Italian villages began making the offers to attract foreigners to boost their local economies and offset aging, declining populations. The offer does not come with Italian residency or citizenship. Any American seeking to live in Italy will have to apply for residency separately. The U.S. Embassies and Consulates in Italy describe the process for obtaining legal Italian residency. While Ollolai’s offer was announced following the election of Republican Donald Trump, people looking for a more liberal government may not find that in Italy. The country is currently led by a right-wing political party with roots to post-WWII fascist groups . Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has anti-LGBTQ+, anti-abortion and anti-migrant positions . The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » Follow Us Want something VERIFIED? Text: 202-410-8808SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Even when Penn State quarterback Drew Allar gets some praise, it's usually a backhanded compliment. They say he's a good game manager and stays within himself, or that he doesn't try to do too much. They mention he might not be flashy, but he gives the team a chance to win. And here's the thing about Penn State since Allar stepped under center: The Nittany Lions have won games. A lot of them. Sometimes that's hard to remember considering the lukewarm reception he often gets from fans. "I get it — we have a really passionate fan base and they're a huge part of our success," Allar said Sunday at College Football Playoff quarterfinals media day. "For us, we always want to go out there every drive and end with a touchdown, so when we don't do that, there's nobody more frustrated than us." The polarizing Allar is having a solid season by just about any standard, completing more than 68% of his passes for 3,021 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the sixth-seeded Nittany Lions to a 12-2 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl for Tuesday's game against No. 3 seed Boise State. But in a college football world filled with high-scoring, explosive offenses, Allar's no-frills performances often are the object of ire. The Penn State offense is a run-first bunch, led by the talented combo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. "If we had a nickel for every time there was a Monday morning quarterback saying some BS stuff, we'd all be pretty rich," offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki said. "I think part of being a quarterback, especially at Penn State but really anywhere, is how you respond to and manage criticism." The 20-year-old Allar has made strides in that department after a trying 2023 season that finished with a 10-3 record. He says that's largely because once fall camp started back in August, he logged off the social media platform X. Allar said negative online experiences wore on him last year, and his phone number was leaked a few times, which added to the stress. He finally realized that controlling outside narratives was impossible, so the best course of action was to eliminate a needless distraction. "I've been more mentally free, as much as that sounds crazy," Allar said. "I think that's been a huge difference for me this year." The biggest criticism of Allar — and really Penn State as a whole during the 11-year James Franklin era — is that he isn't capable of winning the big games. He's 0-2 against rival Ohio State and threw a late interception against Oregon in the Big Ten title game earlier this month, which sealed the Ducks' 45-37 victory. He wasn't great in the CFP's first round, either, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 127 yards as Penn State muscled past SMU 38-10 on a cold, blustery day to advance to the Fiesta Bowl. But the quarterback is confident a better performance — aided by a game that will be played in comfortable temperatures in a domed stadium — is coming. "For me, I just have to execute those (easy) throws early in the game and get our guys into rhythm," Allar said. "Get them involved early as much as I can and that allows us to stay on the field longer, call more plays and open up our offense more. That will help us a ton, building the momentum throughout the game." Allar might be a favorite punching bag for a section of the Penn State fan base, but that's not the case in his own locker room. Star tight end Tyler Warren praised his quarterback's ability to avoid sacks, saying that the 6-foot-5, 238-pounder brings a toughness that resonates with teammates. "He's a football player," Warren said. "He plays quarterback, but when you watch him play and the energy he brings and the way he runs the ball, he's just a football player and that fires up our offense." Now Allar and Penn State have a chance to silence critics who say that the Nittany Lions don't show up in big games. Not that he's worried about what other people think. "I think it's a skill at the end of the day — blocking out the outside noise," Allar said. "Focusing on you and the process and being honest with yourself, both good and bad." Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Russia says to halt gas exports to Moldova from Jan 1Nokia Corporation Stock Exchange Release 21 November 2024 at 22:45 EET Nokia completes the share buyback program launched in March Espoo, Finland - Nokia Corporation ("Nokia" or the "Company") has now completed the share buyback program announced on 18 March 2024 and upsized on 19 July 2024. Between 20 March 2024 and 21 November 2024, Nokia repurchased 157,646,220 of its own shares (FI0009000681) at an average price per share of approximately EUR 3.81. Nokia expects to cancel the acquired shares in December 2024. The repurchases under the share buyback program reduced the Company's unrestricted equity by EUR 600 million. Nokia Corporation now holds a total of 209,702,510 treasury shares. The repurchases were executed otherwise than in proportion to the existing shareholdings of Nokia's shareholders (directed repurchases) through public trading on the regulated market of Nasdaq Helsinki and selected multilateral trading facilities. About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable, and sustainable networks today - and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future. Inquiries: Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: [email protected] Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications Nokia Investor Relations Phone: +358 40 803 4080 Email: [email protected]

Poulakidas' 22 help Yale beat Fairfield 91-66

slot machine 88 Entrepreneurs starting up businesses or looking toward expansions attended the Northwestern Ontario (NWO) Innovation Centre’s Meet the Funders event to learn about attainable funding sources. Funders have been vital to the survival of local businesses, both large and small. Jeff Coull, executive director of the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre, says it can be intimidating for organizations looking for funding. “When you start searching to find who does what, what do I need or what are the specific eligibility requirements, it can be quite complicated,” Coull said. “Our goal is to introduce people to the different funding organizations and connect them to have a one-on-one conversation.” The Meet the Funders event, which took place at the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre last month, provided a three-minute profile from each funder and an opportunity to speak with them privately. Each of the funding representatives described their organization and how they provide funding for businesses. Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre offers several funding programs, including the Next-Level program that provides a grant of up to $5,000 reimbursed at a 50-per cent cost share. Eligible activities must focus on scaling or accelerating the organization and eligible expenses include equipment and software, trade show and travel costs, and late-stage product development. Youth Effect is a summer youth subsidy program for any employer with an innovative new project over 15 weeks. The Executive in Residence program helps to find a senior external resource to support a specific initiative temporarily. The Co-Starter program provides $18,000 over an intense 12-week accelerator course for new businesses with an opportunity at the end to pitch for a $250,000 investment. The centre is the local representative for the Sustainable New Agri-Food Products and Productivity (SNAPP) program for Northern Ontario agriculture and food producers and businesses. The program provides up to $10,000 at a 50-per cent cost-share towards the purchase of equipment and materials that result in creating new food products, enhancing productivity or resource use, and reducing ecological impact. Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) supports community enhancement, infrastructure, and community events through funding and internship programs. The main criteria for organizations to apply is for them to bring jobs to Northern Ontario. Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) FedNor is one of seven regional development agencies established by the Government of Canada to service various regions across the country. Their Northern Ontario Development Program is primarily focused on the private or public sectors and the Regional Economic Growth and Innovation program has funding for both not-for-profits and for the private sector. Thunder Bay Ventures Thunder Bay Ventures offers financial assistance programs for new business starts, maintenance and expansion. The micro-loan program lends up to $25,000, term loans lend a maximum of $150,000 and the Northwestern Ontario investment pool lends larger loan amounts of up to $600,000. Initiatives include the student Enter the Den competitions, the Thunder Bay Area business competence index and a virtual tourism map. Paro Centre for Women’s Enterprise Paro Centre for Women’s Enterprise features peer circles comprised of four to seven women that provide opportunities for peer support and access to peer lending via grants and loans. Paro is also the provider for the Woman’s Entrepreneur Loan Fund with up to $50,000 for startup or expansion. A third grant fund is specific to women entrepreneurs already established in business and looking to expand and scale up into new regions. Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) Entrepreneur Centre Within the CEDC, the Entrepreneur Centre offers programs such as the Starter Company Plus program with a $5,000 grant available for businesses looking to either start up, expand or purchase an existing business or become full-time businesses. The Summer Company Program provides support mentorship and $3,000 in funding for anybody looking to launch a business during the summer. The Miinikaanan-Bakakidoon program is an Indigenous business branch of the Starter Company Plus program with a $5,000 grant for businesses looking to either start, expand or purchase. Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) BDC is a crown corporation that provides funding through financing opportunities. BDC offers loans and advisory services for businesses at a cost or a very good rate of return. Northern Ontario Angels Mary Long-Irwin with Northern Ontario Angels said they are a non-profit group that supports businesses by finding or helping to source an angel investor for your business. They work with you to help launch or grow your business or build your networks. Ontario Centre for Innovation (OCI) The Ontario Centre for Innovation helps to connect Ontario innovators with researchers, industry partners and funding for the next generation of made-in-Ontario academic intellectual property and solutions. eCampus Ontario eCampus Ontario offers funding programs to support the evolution of online and technology-enabled teaching at Ontario colleges and universities. The Ontario Collaborative Innovation Platform is a new matchmaking program that connects Ontario companies with expert researchers at Ontario’s post-secondary institutions to help businesses innovate and get to market more quickly and confidently. It creates opportunities for institutions to bring their vast research capabilities to bear on real-world challenges. Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund (NADF) NADF services an area from Timmins to the Manitoba border to finance and support individual or community First Nation-owned businesses through loans and grants. Individuals can tap into $100,000 in grants and the First Nation communities have the opportunity to tap into $250,000 in grants. These grants help to jumpstart startups, help out with expansions or purchase different companies. NADF’s Web program provides loans or grants of up to $20,000 to help women in business build up credit. The E-commerce grant of up to $8,000 is for small businesses that want a jumpstart in website design or to upgrade technology in their business and is a nonrepayable grant that doesn’t require equity. Emergency loans for businesses in the north and winter road access to help with inventory are also available. Futurepreneur Futurepreneur has four main financing mentorship and resource programs. They are the only national non-profit organization specializing in business support, financing and mentorship to young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39. Confederation College Although Confederation College is not a direct funder, they have access to funding to support economic, social or environmental projects that provide benefits to small and medium enterprises.Daniel Jones Next Team Odds: Contenders jockeying for QB?

Littelfuse, Inc. (NASDAQ:LFUS) Stock Holdings Decreased by Mutual of America Capital Management LLC

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.NoneNATO head and Trump meet in Florida for talks on global securityColts QB Anthony Richardson ruled out for Sunday's game against the Giants

One night last month, near the end of the Chicago International Film Festival, a particularly long line of moviegoers snaked down Southport Avenue by the Music Box Theatre. The hot ticket? This fall’s hottest ticket, in fact, all over the international festival circuit? Well, it’s a 215-minute drama about a fictional Hungarian Jewish architect who emigrates to America in 1947 after surviving the Holocaust. The film’s title, “The Brutalist,” references several things, firstly a post-World War II design imperative made of stern concrete, steel, and a collision of poetry and functionality. Director and co-writer Brady Corbet, who wrote “The Brutalist” with his filmmaker wife, Mona Fastvold, explores brutalism in other forms as well, including love, envy, capitalist economics and how the promise of America eludes someone like the visionary architect László Tóth, played by Adrien Brody. Corbet, now 36 and a good bet for Oscar nominations this coming January, says his unfashionable sprawl of a picture, being distributed by A24, is also about the “strange relationship between artist and patron, and art and commerce.” It co-stars Felicity Jones as the visionary architect’s wife, Erzsébet, trapped in Eastern Europe after the war with their niece for an agonizingly long time. Guy Pearce portrays the imperious Philadelphia blueblood who hires Tóth, a near-invisible figure in his adopted country, to design a monumental public building known as the Institute in rural Pennsylvania. The project becomes an obsession, then a breaking point and then something else. Corbet’s project, which took the better part of a decade to come together after falling apart more than once, felt like that, too. Spanning five decades and filmed in Hungary and Italy, “The Brutalist” looks like a well-spent $50 million project. In actuality, it was made for a mere $10 million, with Corbet and cinematographer Lol Crawley shooting on film, largely in the VistaVision process. The filmmaker said at the Chicago festival screening: “Who woulda thunk that for screening after screening over the last couple of months, people stood in line around the block to get into a three-and-a-half-hour movie about a mid-century designer?” He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with Fastvold and their daughter. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length. Q: Putting together an independent movie, keeping it on track, getting it made: not easy, as you told the Music Box audience last night. Money is inevitably going to be part of the story of “The Brutalist,” since you had only so much to make a far-flung historical epic. A: Yeah, that’s right. In relation to my earlier features, “The Childhood of a Leader” had a $3 million budget. The budget for “Vox Lux” was right around $10 million, same as “The Brutalist,” although the actual production budget for “Vox Lux” was about $4.5 million. Which is to say: All the money on top of that was going to all the wrong places. For a lot of reasons, when my wife and I finished the screenplay for “The Brutalist,” we ruled out scouting locations in Philadelphia or anywhere in the northeastern United States. We needed to (film) somewhere with a lot less red tape. My wife’s previous film, “The World to Come,” she made in Romania; we shot “Childhood of a Leader” in Hungary. For “The Brutalist” we initially landed on Poland, but this was early on in COVID and Poland shut its borders the week our crew was arriving for pre-production. When we finally got things up and running again with a different iteration of the cast (the original ensemble was to star Joel Edgerton, Marion Cotillard and Mark Rylance), after nine months, the movie fell apart again because Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We couldn’t get any of the banks to cash-flow the tax credit (for location shooting in Poland). It’s completely stable now, but at that time the banks were nervous about whether the war would be contained to Ukraine or not. And then we finally got it up and running in Budapest, Hungary. Q: That’s a long time. A: Every filmmaker I know suffers from some form of post-traumatic stress (laughs). It sounds funny but it’s true. At every level. On the level of independent cinema, you’re just so damn poor. You’re not making any money, and yet from nose to tail, at minimum, a movie always takes a couple of years. With bigger projects, you might have a little more personal security but a lot less creative security with so many more cooks in the kitchen. Either route you choose, it can be an arduous and painful one. Whether you’re making a movie for a million dollars, or $10 million, or $100 million, it’s still “millions of dollars.” And if you’re concerned about the lives and livelihoods of the people working with you, it’s especially stressful. People are constantly calling you: “Is it happening? Are we starting? Should I take this other job or not?” And you have 250 people who need that answer from you. Every iteration of the project, I always thought we were really about to start in a week, two weeks. It’s just very challenging interpersonally. It’s an imposition for everyone in your life. And then there’s the imposition of screening a movie that’s three-and-a-half-hours long for film festivals, where it’s difficult to find that kind of real estate on the schedule. So essentially, making a movie means constantly apologizing. Q: At what point in your acting career did you take a strong interest in what was going on behind the camera? A: I was making short films when I was 11, 12 years old. The first thing I ever made more properly, I guess, was a short film I made when I was 18, “Protect You + Me,” shot by (cinematographer) Darius Khondji. It was supposed to be part of a triptych of films, and I went to Paris for the two films that followed it. And then all the financing fell through. But that first one screened at the London film festival, and won a prize at Sundance, and I was making music videos and other stuff by then. Q: You’ve written a lot of screenplays with your wife. How many? A: Probably 25. We work a lot for other people, too. I think we’ve done six together for our own projects. Sometimes I’ll start something at night and my wife will finish in the morning. Sometimes we work very closely together, talking and typing together. It’s always different. Right now I’m writing a lot on the road, and my wife is editing her film, which is a musical we wrote, “Ann Lee,” about the founder of the Shakers. I’m working on my next movie now, which spans a lot of time, like “The Brutalist,” with a lot of locations. And I need to make sure we can do it for not a lot of money, because it’s just not possible to have a lot of money and total autonomy. For me making a movie is like cooking. If everyone starts coming in and throwing a dash of this or that in the pot, it won’t work out. A continuity of vision is what I look for when I read a novel. Same with watching a film. A lot of stuff out there today, appropriately referred to as “content,” has more in common with a pair of Nikes than it does with narrative cinema. Q: Yeah, I can’t imagine a lot of Hollywood executives who’d sign off on “The Brutalist.” A: Well, even with our terrific producing team, I mean, everyone was up for a three-hour movie but we were sort of pushing it with three-and-a-half (laughs). I figured, worst-case scenario, it opens on a streamer. Not what I had in mind, but people watch stuff that’s eight, 12 hours long all the time. They get a cold, they watch four seasons of “Succession.” (A24 is releasing the film in theaters, gradually.) It was important for all of us to try to capture an entire century’s worth of thinking about design with “The Brutalist.” For me, making something means expressing a feeling I have about our history. I’ve described my films as poetic films about politics, that go to places politics alone cannot reach. It’s one thing to say something like “history repeats itself.” It’s another thing to make people see that, and feel it. I really want viewers to engage with the past, and the trauma of that history can be uncomfortable, or dusty, or dry. But if you can make it something vital, and tangible, the way great professors can do for their students, that’s my definition of success. “The Brutalist” opens in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 20. The Chicago release is Jan. 10, 2025. Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaulTikTok, the popular video-sharing platform owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, is poised for a pivotal legal showdown that could determine its future in the United States. The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear TikTok’s appeal in a case that challenges a legislative push to force the app to sell its US operations amid escalating national security concerns. This legal battle is a crucial moment in the growing tensions between the US government and Chinese technology companies, with implications not only for TikTok’s millions of American users but also for the broader tech industry. The controversy surrounding TikTok’s presence in the US has been brewing for years. Lawmakers have expressed concerns that the app could be compelled to share user data with the Chinese government—a claim that TikTok has consistently denied. In 2020, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order that sought to force ByteDance to sell its US operations, citing security risks. Though the order was blocked in court, the issue has not been resolved, with the US government maintaining pressure on TikTok. In response, Congress passed a bill that would require foreign companies, including TikTok, to divest their US assets. The bill stems from concerns that Chinese law could potentially compel ByteDance to share American user data, despite TikTok’s assertions that it operates independently. Proponents argue that TikTok’s ownership structure creates an inherent security risk, while TikTok contends that the legislation violates its rights as a business operating legally in the US. TikTok has taken several steps to address security concerns, including creating a “Transparency Center” and transferring user data to US-based servers. However, these efforts have not been enough to quell the government’s concerns. The US Supreme Court’s decision to hear TikTok’s appeal is now set to determine whether the bill forcing the company to sell its US operations is constitutional. The case could set a major precedent for how the US government regulates foreign-owned technology companies, particularly those from China. Legal experts are divided on the outcome, with some believing the court may side with the US government and grant it broader powers to regulate foreign companies, while others predict a victory for TikTok that could limit the government’s ability to impose such measures. If the court rules in favor of the divestment bill, TikTok would be forced to sell its US operations or face potential shutdown, which could significantly impact its millions of American users. On the other hand, a ruling in TikTok’s favor could embolden other foreign tech companies to challenge similar legislation, sparking a broader pushback against the US government’s regulatory authority. This case is emblematic of a larger shift in US tech policy, particularly in the context of the growing US-China rivalry. With many technology companies caught in the crossfire, the Supreme Court’s decision could shape future regulatory approaches for foreign tech giants, not only in the US but potentially in other markets as well. As the case progresses, all eyes are on the Supreme Court to decide whether the US government can force TikTok to divest its US operations or whether the app will be allowed to continue operating freely in the American market. The ruling will have far-reaching consequences for the tech industry, US-China relations, and the future of digital governance in an increasingly interconnected world.

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Women more likely to need walking aids but less likely to use them – studyIn 2020, a conspiracy theory spread across social media claiming that online home goods retailer Wayfair was involved in child trafficking . People claimed that odd pricing and certain product names were evidence of the theory. VERIFY reader Leslie emailed us to ask if Wayfair was ever involved in the sex trafficking of children. THE QUESTION Is Wayfair involved in the sex trafficking of children? THE SOURCES National Center on Sexual Exploitation DeliverFund , a nonprofit intelligence agency that uses technology to help law enforcement fight human trafficking Polaris , organization that operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking hotline Original VERIFY reporting in 2020 Statement from Wayfair Statement from Wayfair to the BBC in 2020 THE ANSWER No, there is no evidence to support the claims that Wayfair was involved in the sex trafficking of children. WHAT WE FOUND When the conspiracy theory first spread in 2020, people on social media pointed to Wayfair products with strange names and disproportionately high prices as proof that the online furniture store was involved in child trafficking. These products included a “Samiyah Storage Cabinet” priced at over $14,000 and a “Duplessis Zodiac Sign Astrological Constellation Personalized Throw Pillow” at $9,999. At the time, people claimed that these products shared the names of girls that were reported missing. The theory followed that the products had high prices because they were fronts for selling the missing girls. Wayfair told the BBC in 2020 that the prices were accurate for the industrial grade cabinets and were the result of a glitch in the case of the pillows. Wayfair gave VERIFY a similar statement when asked to comment in 2024. "There is, of course, no truth to these claims," Wayfair told VERIFY. "The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced. Recognizing that the photos and descriptions provided by the supplier did not adequately explain the high price point, we temporarily removed the products from the site to rename them and provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point. We also corrected another pricing issue that was resulting in other products such as throw pillows being priced incorrectly. Multiple news outlets published stories to debunk the theory. " The viral social media posts frequently linked products to girls who were no longer missing. Multiple anti-trafficking groups said the claims were unproven and likely false. “We believe that the accusations being leveled against Wayfair regarding sex trafficking are lacking credibility in significant ways and, in many places, demonstrably false,” the National Center on Sexual Exploitation said at the time. In 2020, VERIFY found that the family of Samara Duplessis, a missing girl purportedly linked to the overpriced pillows, reported she was back home a couple of months before the Wayfair conspiracy became widespread. When VERIFY searched Wayfair for “Duplessis” products in 2020, we found the name attached to a number of different items that were considerably less expensive than the pillow. When VERIFY searched Wayfair’s site again on Dec. 2, 2024, we found it’s using the “Duplessis” name for at least one product, a rug selling for $144.99 , years after the missing girl was found. As for the reference to the cabinets in the original rumors, people claimed that there was a missing teenager from Ohio named Samiyah, too. But VERIFY was unable to find any evidence that a girl by that name was missing, and a teenager some people believed to be Samiyah refuted that she was missing in a video posted to her Facebook account. Wayfair told the BBC in 2020 that the expensive cabinets were “industrial size,” meant for business or commercial use and that the $14,000 price point was accurate. “We have temporarily removed the products from our site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point,” Wayfair told the BBC in 2020. Another example of a missing teenager’s name possibly matching a Wayfair product was Mary Durrett to a Durrett coffee table. But she went missing in 2017 and was found safe two days after she was first reported missing. The claim connecting her to the coffee table listing was posted three years later. Many anti-trafficking organizations addressed the rumors in 2020. They all said the claims lacked credibility. “We identified early on that this was a likely hoax or a case of overexuberance by someone who did not have the expertise and data-driven approach that DeliverFund has,” Michael Fullilove, chief of operations for DeliverFund , a nonprofit intelligence agency that uses technology to help law enforcement fight human trafficking, said in 2020. “Based on the original source of the information, we were able to use open source intelligence techniques to determine that it was highly unlikely that the trafficking of children was taking place through the sale of expensive items on Wayfair,” Fullilove said. Polaris , which operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, said the claims were unsubstantiated and did more harm than good. People overwhelmed the hotline to make reports related to the conspiracy, increasing wait times and potentially denying trafficking victims from reaching the hotline. The theory also resulted in harassment and privacy intrusions of people mistakenly believed to be victims, as well as broad sharing of online sexual abuse material of real victims never connected to the Wayfair conspiracy, Polaris said. Polaris pointed out that trafficking is rarely perpetrated by a total stranger who kidnaps children and is instead usually perpetrated by people the victims know or even love and trust. Scenarios where the trafficker locks up or imprisons the victim with literal shackles make up a minority of trafficking cases despite it being the common public perception of trafficking, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation said. Traffickers usually groom their victims and keep them captive through forms of psychological abuse, manipulation and coercion that can be difficult to identify. There are real cases in which sex trafficking is perpetrated online, usually through prostitution sites and pornography websites, according to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation said in 2020 that traffickers were increasingly using “popular social media apps such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to identify, groom and exploit children in the online space.” Anti-trafficking organizations say that sharing viral, unsubstantiated trafficking rumors online is generally unhelpful to trafficking victims. What’s more helpful, these organizations say , is to learn how to identify real, common cases of trafficking to spot victims who need help. Related Articles No, most sex trafficking victims are not kidnapped by strangers There’s no evidence sex traffickers use tactics in viral warnings to target victims Claim that 320,000 migrant children went missing during the Biden administration is misleading The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » Follow Us YouTube Snapchat Instagram Facebook TikTok Want something VERIFIED? Text: 202-410-8808

Wall Street's rally stalls as Nasdaq pulls back from its record

Renowned Architect Kazuyo Sejima Appointed to United States-Japan Foundation BoardLAS VEGAS, Nev. — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA. The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1."

Stanford knocks off Cal in both teams' ACC opener

second inauguration will be a triumphant return for a former president many believed to be permanently barred from Washington four years ago after denying his 2020 election loss. But for Democrats and their allies, Jan. 20, 2025 is a dreaded date coming off a bruising 2024 presidential election. And they're not sure about attending the time-honored transfer of power in person. "I'm not quite sure what I would be celebrating with his inauguration," Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat who spearheaded some of the aggressive oversight during Trump's first term, told USA TODAY. For Democrats who agree with Raskin, no amount of calls for returning to normalcy will persuade them to attend Trump's swearing-in ceremony. They are making it a point to skip Trump's second inauguration for events that will underscore their values, such as celebrations around the holiday for slain civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which falls on the same Monday. "I won't pretend to normalize who or what he stands for," Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, said of Trump in an interview. Notably, however, are Democrats from the swing states Trump swept in November, who emphasized keeping with traditions, namely showcasing the country's peaceful transfer of power. "I'll be in attendance," said Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., who could face one of the toughest 2026 Senate battles. "And I think Georgians expect me to be." Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said he will also be at the January event, and that his attendance was never in question. "I think it’s a responsibility," said the former astronaut and to be Kamala Harris' 2024 vice-presidential running mate. And like any event, a handful haven't filled out their calendar, including prominent lawmakers and several of the former living presidents who served before Trump and after Trump. "That’s a good question," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said when asked if he would be there come January. "I haven’t thought about it." During the White House campaign, Trump's opponents warned that his return to power represented an existential threat to democracy that would upend the country. Currently, there are deepening concerns among liberals and other opponents that he will , which some of the returning president's conservative backers dismiss as overblown. Should Democrats skip the inauguration, as , or would it be wiser for them to attend and show that after a divisive contest, America's democratic norms remain secure? After all, Trump didn't attend Biden's inauguration after the now-president defeated him in 2020. "I've gotten sick and tired of red versus blue, Democrats versus Republicans," Donna Brazile, a longtime Democratic political strategist and former interim DNC chair, told USA TODAY. "This is individual choices and individual, you know, opportunities," she added. "...I'm not telling anybody what to do." As Trump returns to Washington, political observers and historians say the attendance list for his swearing-in ceremony could be a cheat sheet of how different factions of the opposition party and other foes plan to handle his second administration. Others think it shouldn't be looked at through a political lens at all. Biden, who in July, is his predecessor broke four years prior when he opted to leave Washington directly from the White House rather than attend the January 2021 inauguration for his Democratic rival. He last month, and will likely be front row when he watches the Republican take the oath. Likewise Harris, the incumbent vice president who Trump defeated in all seven battleground states, will preside over the Senate when it certifies his victory on Jan. 6, 2025. Political observers say it will be particularly noteworthy how the respond to their populist-minded fraternity brother, especially given to his inauguration in January. At the moment, it is unclear if Trump's predecessors, all of whom showed up in 2017, will be there next month. The offices for former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama said there were no scheduling announcements for either at the moment. Former President Bill Clinton's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Carter Center said the , who has been in hospice care for the past two years, will not be attending due to health reasons, but otherwise would go. "None of the other former presidents like or respect Donald Trump," said Douglas Brinkley, a renowned presidential historian and professor of history at Rice University. "They find him to be a demagogue and celebrity bore." Brinkley said former presidents have a higher calling than other elected officials, however, and if they do attend January's ceremony their attendance would be considered part of their larger public service to the country, as opposed to an endorsement. Inviting the Chinese president, he said, demonstrates as "has beens" politically. "He wants around him people that are powerful and kinetic at this moment, and the MAGA movement is not looking for sympathy or help from Obamas or Clintons or Bushes," Brinkley said. Trump's inauguration falls on MLK Day, honoring the legacy and achievements of the civil rights leader who gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. That alone is reason enough for some progressives to pass on joining what many will see as Trump's celebration. "To go and to celebrate the transition of power to someone who wants to decimate everything that Martin Luther King stood for on Martin Luther King Day as a civil rights lawyer seems a little absent minded to me, so I personally am not interested," said Crockett, who represents part of the Dallas area. Both Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Ohio, and Judy Chu, D-Calif., cited similar reasons for not attending. "I'll be in town with my constituents honoring Dr. King's legacy," said Pressley. "I don't think being there does that." There are several Washington, D.C.-based events scheduled for the holiday, which will mark its 30th anniversary next year, such as a , and the launching of the "Realize the Dream" initiative by Martin Luther King III, which looks to have communities to commit to 100 million hours of service before King's 100 birthday in 2029. Matthew Dallek, a historian and professor of political management at George Washington University, said attending or skipping the inauguration is one of the first markers of how different factions of the Democratic Party are dealing with the 2024 election gut punch. "Because if you're not attending, you're also saying that you're probably not going to find any space or common ground on any legislation or maybe any other issue," he said. Several other Democratic lawmakers in the Senate and House offered similarly noncommittal RSVP's, including Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Raskin, who represents a Maryland district bordering Washington, D.C., served on the House select committee investigating Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. He pointed to Trump's comments over the weekend suggesting committee members should be jailed, and said he's yet to make up his mind as well. "I had not gotten to that point yet," he said. "Blocked that out." It's a tougher calculation for Democrats in swing districts or those facing tough reelections, especially as many anticipate one of Trump's first actions on Inauguration Day will be . That act alone could make Democrats on the fence uneasy about personally taking part in the hand-off ceremony. Attending the inauguration, however, shouldn't be a litmus test for Democrats, said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. "He's the president, got elected the majority of electoral votes, being inaugurated. I'm a member of Congress. I'm going to the inauguration. That shouldn't be abnormal," said Moskowitz, who served in Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida's administration as his emergency management czar during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pressed further on what he thinks about colleagues boycotting, the Florida Democrat said: “You can ignore it all you want. He's still the president (for) the next four years.”Central ISD Superintendent Justin Risner said the school’s holiday fundraiser shows “compassion, kindness, sacrifice and love.” “Showing someone else they are loved and they matter is the best gift we can teach and give,” he said. Risner said the Empty Stocking Fund was created to ensure that less fortunate students at CISD can celebrate Christmas morning with presents under their trees. The fundraiser has been helping Central families for more than 30 years, and it is made possible by support from the school and the Central community, Risner said. “Each campus and department does fundraising, as well as local businesses and individuals of the Central community," Risner said. "These donations go to help all ages of students at Central in all grade levels." He added that many student groups and students create ways to fundraise each year, donating their time and money, because they support and enjoy the program. Celista Brown organizes the community program. “The Empty Stocking Fund is blessed to receive over $20,000 this year, which will all go back to the students and their siblings,” he said. Gifts will be picked up from the school Dec. 20, but Risner said money is accepted all year to help students with various needs. On Sunday, members of the Central ISD Student Council also helped the community by assisting with the annual Toys for Tots Drive. Students helped shop for gifts at the local Walmart. “I enjoy helping with Toys for Tots, because it makes me feel like I’m a part of the community and allows me to help people who are in need,” Central student Rachel Modisette said on the council’s Facebook page.Revenue grows 125% year over year Current hashrate surpasses 33.5 EH/s on track for 37 EH/s LAS VEGAS , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CleanSpark, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLSK) (the "Company"), America's Bitcoin Miner®, today reported financial results for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 . "Our performance this year reflects a sustained growth trajectory, solidifying our position as one of the top Bitcoin miners in the world, as we move into an anticipated new bull market," said CleanSpark CEO Zach Bradford . "Reflecting on the past year, our results in FY 2024 and the positioning of the company going into 2025 demonstrated the wisdom of our counter-cyclical growth and capital allocation strategy. We produce durable, high performing growth and have been since our earliest days in Bitcoin mining," Bradford said. "CleanSpark has prioritized owned infrastructure as its core foundation, putting us in the best position to optimize our portfolio of data centers to drive ROI to our shareholders as we continue to rapidly deploy additional hashrate on our path to 37 EH by year-end and 50 EH and beyond in 2025." "We anticipated that there would be prime opportunities for M&A paired with organic growth, and over the past year we capitalized by adding 423 MWs to our operating portfolio bringing us to 726 MW, as of today. As we continue focusing on scale in FY 2025 and beyond, we will develop the remaining hundreds of MW in the near-term pipeline while always staying opportunistic," said Bradford. "The team produced our strongest year of financial performance to date, solidifying a track record of effective execution and keeping commitments to shareholders. This fiscal year included the fourth halving event in Bitcoin 's history, and our organizational commitment to operational excellence has allowed us to weather it more successfully than many of our industry peers," said CleanSpark CFO Gary Vecchiarelli . "Even with the halving event impacting block rewards and a significant increase in difficulty, our production outpaced both, yielding approximately 7,100 BTC thanks to our growth in hashrate and the efficiency improvements to our fleet. "CleanSpark's financial strength continued to grow in fiscal 2024," said Vecchiarelli. "Heading into 2025, we have significant scale and size, a healthy balance sheet, industry leading operations and a strong liquidity position, and we are well positioned to pursue diverse capital raising strategies," Vecchiarelli said. Financial Highlights: Full Fiscal Year 2024 Financial Results for the Fiscal Year Ended September 30, 2024 . Balance Sheet Highlights as of September 30, 2024 Assets Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity The Company had working capital of $517.5 million and $66.0 million of loans payable as of September 30, 2024 . 1 See "Non-GAAP Measure" and the related reconciliation below Investor Conference Call and Webcast The Company will hold its fiscal year 2024 earnings presentation and business update for investors and analysts today, December 2, 2024 , at 1:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. ET . Webcast URL: https://investors.cleanspark.com The webcast will be accessible for at least 30 days on the Company's website and a transcript of the call will be available on the Company's website following the call. About CleanSpark CleanSpark (Nasdaq: CLSK), America's Bitcoin Miner ® , is a market-leading, pure play bitcoin miner with a proven track record of success. We own and operate a portfolio of mining facilities across the United States powered by globally competitive energy prices. Sitting at the intersection of Bitcoin , energy, operational excellence and capital stewardship, we optimize our mining facilities to deliver superior returns to our shareholders. Monetizing low-cost, high reliability energy by securing the most important finite, global asset – Bitcoin – positions us to prosper in an ever-changing world. Visit our website at www.cleanspark.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this press release, forward-looking statements include, but may not be limited to, statements regarding the Company's expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions, and strategies. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "could," "intends," "targets," "projects," "contemplates," "believes," "estimates," "forecasts," "predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the risk that the electrical power available to our facilities does not increase as expected; the success of its digital currency mining activities; the volatile and unpredictable cycles in the emerging and evolving industries in which we operate, including the volatility of BTC prices; increasing difficulty rates for bitcoin mining; bitcoin halving; new or additional governmental regulation; the anticipated delivery dates of new miners; the Company's ability to successfully completed acquisitions, including integration risks relating to completed and potential acquisitions, the ability to successfully deploy new miners; the dependency on utility rate structures and government incentive programs; dependency on third-party power providers for expansion efforts; the expectations of future revenue growth may not be realized; and other risks described in the Company's prior press releases and in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including under the heading "Risk Factors" in those filings. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as to the date of this press release, and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of any new information, changed circumstances or future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Non-GAAP Measure The Company presents adjusted EBITDA, which is not a measurement of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). The Company's non-GAAP "Adjusted EBITDA" excludes (i) impacts of interest, taxes, and depreciation; (ii) the Company's share-based compensation expense, unrealized gains/losses on securities, and, changes in the fair value of contingent consideration with respect to previously completed acquisitions, all of which are non-cash items that the Company believes are not reflective of the Company's general business performance, and for which the accounting requires management judgment, and the resulting expenses could vary significantly in comparison to other companies; (iii) non-cash impairment losses related to long-lived assets (including goodwill); (iv) realized gains and losses on sales of equity securities, the amounts of which are directly related to the unrealized gains and losses that are also excluded; (v) legal fees related to litigation and various transactions, which fees management does not believe are reflective of the Company's ongoing operating activities; (vi) gains and losses on disposal of assets, the majority of which are related to obsolete or unrepairable machines that are no longer deployed; (vii) gains and losses related to discontinued operations that would not be applicable to the Company's future business activities; and (viii) severance expenses. The Company previously excluded non-cash impairment losses related to digital assets and realized gains and losses on sales of bitcoin from its calculation of adjusted EBITDA, but has determined such items are part of the Company's normal ongoing operations and will no longer be excluding them from its calculation of adjusted EBITDA. Management believes that providing this non-GAAP financial measure that excludes these items allows for meaningful comparisons between the Company's core business operating results and those of other companies, and provides the Company with an important tool for financial and operational decision making and for evaluating its own core business operating results over different periods of time. In addition to management's internal use of non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, management believes that adjusted EBITDA is also useful to investors and analysts in comparing the Company's performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis. Management believes the foregoing to be the case even though some of the excluded items involve cash outlays and some of them recur on a regular basis (although management does not believe any of such items are normal operating expenses necessary to generate the Company's bitcoin related revenues). For example, the Company expects that share-based compensation expense, which is excluded from adjusted EBITDA, will continue to be a significant recurring expense over the coming years and is an important part of the compensation provided to certain employees, officers, and directors. Additionally, management does not consider any of the excluded items to be expenses necessary to generate the Company's bitcoin related revenue. The Company's adjusted EBITDA measure may not be directly comparable to similar measures provided by other companies in our industry, as other companies in the Company's industry may calculate non-GAAP financial results differently. The Company's adjusted EBITDA is not a measurement of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to operating (loss) income or any other measure of performance derived in accordance with GAAP. Although management utilizes internally and presents adjusted EBITDA, the Company only utilizes that measure supplementally and does not consider it to be a substitute for, or superior to, the information provided by GAAP financial results. Accordingly, adjusted EBITDA is not meant to be considered in isolation of, and should be read in conjunction with, the information contained in the Company's consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. CLEANSPARK, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except par value and share amounts) September 30, 2024 September 30, 2023 ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 121,222 $ 29,215 Restricted cash 3,056 — Receivable for equity offerings — 9,590 Prepaid expense and other current assets 7,995 3,258 Bitcoin (See Note 2 and Note 6) 431,661 56,241 Receivable for bitcoin collateral (See Note 2 and Note 12) 77,827 — Note receivable from GRIID (see Note 7) 60,919 — Derivative investments 1,832 2,697 Investment in debt security, AFS, at fair value 918 726 Current assets held for sale — 445 Total current assets $ 705,430 $ 102,172 Property and equipment, net $ 869,693 $ 564,395 Operating lease right of use asset 3,263 688 Intangible assets, net 3,040 4,603 Deposits on miners and mining equipment 359,862 75,959 Other long-term asset 13,331 5,718 Goodwill 8,043 8,043 Total assets $ 1,962,662 $ 761,578 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities Accounts payable $ 82,992 $ 39,900 Accrued liabilities 43,874 25,677 Other current liabilities 2,240 311 Current portion of loans payable 58,781 6,992 Current liabilities held for sale — 1,175 Total current liabilities $ 187,887 $ 74,055 Long-term liabilities Operating lease liability, net of current portion 997 519 Finance lease liability, net of current portion — 9 Loans payable, net of current portion 7,176 8,911 Deferred income taxes 5,761 2,416 Total liabilities $ 201,821 $ 85,910 Commitments and contingencies - Note 18 CLEANSPARK, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (continued) (in thousands, except par value and share amounts) September 30, 2024 September 30, 2023 Stockholders' equity Preferred stock; $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized; Series A shares; 2,000,000 authorized; 1,750,000 issued and outstanding (liquidation preference $0.02 per share) Series X shares; 1,000,000 and 0 authorized, issued and outstanding, respectively 3 2 Common stock; $0.001 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized; 270,897,784 and 160,184,921 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 271 160 Additional paid-in capital 2,239,367 1,009,482 Accumulated other comprehensive income 418 226 Accumulated deficit (479,218) (334,202) Total stockholders' equity 1,760,841 675,668 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,962,662 $ 761,578 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements. CLEANSPARK, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (in thousands, except per share and share amounts) For the year ended September 30, 2024 September 30, 2023 September 30, 2022 Revenues, net Bitcoin mining revenue, net $ 378,968 $ 168,121 $ 131,000 Other services revenue — 287 525 Total revenues, net $ 378,968 $ 168,408 $ 131,525 Costs and expenses Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below) 165,516 93,580 41,234ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras will be out for six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Zegras had surgery Thursday, the team announced. Zegras was injured last week on a fairly innocent-looking play during the Ducks' 4-1 loss to Vegas in Anaheim. Zegras and William Karlsson only briefly got their skates and stick blades entangled, but Zegras needed help to get off the ice after taking a fall. Zegras' torn meniscus is his third major injury in just over a year, although a torn meniscus is likely a fortunate outcome for a knee injury that could have been much worse. He was limited to 31 games last season by two injury setbacks, including a broken ankle that required surgery. Zegras has four goals and six assists in 24 games this season for Anaheim, which had lost four straight heading into its road game against Toronto on Thursday night. The Ducks surprisingly activated forward Robby Fabbri from injured reserve before they faced the Maple Leafs. Fabbri had arthroscopic knee surgery on Nov. 15 and is progressing much faster than his initial predicted timeline of six to eight weeks. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Kate Middleton reigns supreme when it comes to inspirational messages this holiday season. Ahead of hosting her annual Christmas carol service alongside husband Prince William at London’s Westminster Abbey Dec. 6, the Princess of Wales has embraced the holiday season as a time to show “love, not fear,” and to celebrate what she deems is the true spirit of Christmas. “Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year,” Kate wrote in a letter to those attending her annual celebration, per NBC News . “It is a time for celebration and joy, but it also gives us the opportunity to slow down and reflect on the deeper things that connect us all.” “It is when we stop and take ourselves away from the pressures of daily life, that we find the space to live our lives with an open heart, with love, kindness and forgiveness,” she continued, “so much of what the Christmas spirit is all about.” And even after announcing her cancer diagnosis in March, one month after her father-in-law King Charles III shared his own cancer diagnosis , Kate continued to spread hope and positivity amid a difficult year. “Love is the light that can shine bright,” she wrote, “even in our darkest times.” Indeed, the 42-year-old has never let her own struggles prevent her from being a beacon of light in difficult situations. After recently completing chemotherapy herself, Kate and William honored Liz Hatton —a 17-year-old British photographer who they met in October , fulfilling her bucket-list dream of photographing the Windsor Castle—after she passed away due to her fight with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. "We are so sorry to hear that Liz Hatton has sadly passed away," the pair shared in a message on their social media accounts Nov. 28. "It was an honour to have met such a brave and humble young woman." And just two months after sharing the completion of her own chemotherapy treatment, Kate, who stepped back from the public eye amid her health battle, eased her way back into public engagements by showing her support for their Armed Forces and veterans at the Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall in November, alongside Charles. As for William—with whom Kate shares Prince George , 11, Princess Charlotte , 9, and Prince Louis , 6—he couldn’t help but gush over his wife’s resilience and strength during these difficult times. "I'm so proud of my wife, I'm proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done," he told reporters Nov. 7, per the BBC . "But from a personal family point of view, it's been, yeah, it's been brutal." As the royals prepare for their holiday celebrations, keep reading for more royal news from around the world. (E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.) Queen Camilla Withdraws From Public Engagements Due to Chest Infection "Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection , for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest," the Buckingham Palace announced on Nov. 5. "With great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week, but she very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend's Remembrance events as normal. She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result." Princess Beatrice is Expecting Baby No. 2 The royal and her husband of four years Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are expecting their second child together , the Royal Family announced Oct. 1. “Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice and Mr Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are very pleased to announce that they are expecting their second child together early in the new year,” the caption of their Instagram post read. “His Majesty The King has been informed and both families are delighted with the news.” Kate Middleton Completes Chemotherapy On Sept. 9, the Princess of Wales shared that she had completed chemotherapy after being diagnose with an unspecified form of cancer earlier this year. "The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you," she said in a video statement. "With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything." The royal added, "Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes. I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can." Kate Middleton's First Formal Appearance Since Cancer Diagnosis The Princess of Wales returned to the spotlight on June 15—three months after sharing her cancer diagnosis—for the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London. She was joined by her husband Prince William and their three kids: Prince George , Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis . Princess Anne Is Released From Hospital The Princess Royal was discharged after a five-day stay at Southmead Hospital. Her husband, Tim Laurence , said in a statement June 28, "I would like to extend my warmest thanks to all the team at Southmead Hospital for their care, expertise and kindness during my wife’s short stay." Princess Anne is Hospitalized With Concussion The younger sister of King Charles III sustained minor injuries during an incident at her estate Gatcombe Park, Buckingham Palace has announced. "Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery," the June 24 statement , shared to X, read. "The King has been kept closely informed and joins the whole Royal Family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to The Princess for a speedy recovery." Kate Middleton Shares Chemotherapy Update Nearly three months after sharing her cancer diagnosis, the Princess of Wales said that she's "making good progress" with chemotherapy , though there are "good days and bad days" amid her health journey . "On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting," Kate wrote on Instagram June 14 . "But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well." She added, "My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home." New Role for Prince William On May 13, King Charles III bestowed the title of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to his oldest son, sparking controversy as many royal watchers believed the title would be more suited for Prince Harry , who trained and served in the military branch. Kin Charles III Returns to Public Duties On April 26, nearly three months after sharing his cancer diagnosis, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles will return to public-facing duties . Queen Camilla Attends Royal Maundy Service The queen consort attended the Royal Maundy Service on March 28 in place of King Charles III, making her the first spouse of the Monarch to continue the ancient tradition . Kate Middleton Shares Cancer Diagnosis In a March 22 video message, the Princess of Wales shared that she'd been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery in January. "It was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful," she said before noting that tests after the operation found cancer had been present. "My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment." Kate Middleton Apologizes for Edited Family Photo Controversy After photo agencies pulled the picture Kensington Palace shared of Kate since having her abdominal surgery on March 10, the Princess of Wales addressed claims the photo was doctored. "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," she tweeted on March 11. "I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C." Lady Kitty Spencer Privately Welcomes Baby Princess Diana 's niece celebrated Mother's Day in the U.K. by sharing she and her husband Michael Lewis privately welcomed their first baby. “It’s the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally," she captioned her March 10 Instagram post . "Happy Mother’s Day to those who celebrate today." Queen Camilla Takes a Break After keeping up her full slate of engagements in the wake of her husband's cancer diagnosis, the palace cleared Camilla's schedule. The Times pointed out March 2 that the 76-year-old didn't have any engagements on her calendar until March 11, when she'd be due at Westminster Abbey to observe Commonwealth Day. Thomas Kensington Dies at 45 The husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor and ex-boyfriend of Pippa Middleton , was found dead Feb. 25. Days later, a coroner's inquest found that he died by suicide. King Charles Diagnosed With Cancer While King Charles III was in the hospital for his benign prostate enlargement procedure, the royal family member was diagnosed with cancer . "His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties," Buckingham Palace said Feb. 5. "Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible." Sarah Ferguson Is Diagnosed With a Second Type of Cancer The Duchess of York's rep said in a statement on Jan. 21 that Sarah was recently diagnosed with malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Several months prior, she underwent a single mastectomy to treat breast cancer. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Abdicates the Throne On Jan. 14, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark made history as she officially abdicated the throne, handing the crown over to her son, now known as King Frederik the 10th . Kate Middleton Is Hospitalized Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Kate Middleton underwent planned abdominal surgery and was set to remain in the hospital for 10 to 14 days. "Based on the current medical advice," the Palace said, "she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter." Prince William Adjusting His Schedule Amid Kate's recovery, Prince William postponed a number of engagements as he supported his family, including the couple's three children, Prince George , Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis . King Charles III Undergoing Treatment Shortly after Kate's hospitalization was made public, Buckingham Palace shared that Charles "has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate." "His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure," the statement added. "The King’s public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation." Luxembourg Welcomes a New Baby Princess Claire and Prince Felix of Luxembourg welcomed son Balthazar Felix Karl on Jan. 7, the first royal baby of the New Year!Gold Reserve Reports on Results of Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and Announces Appointment of Additional Directors

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In April, the UFC announced that for fighters that would offer more mobility and flexibility while reducing eye pokes and hand injuries. The new gloves, coined "3Eight/5Eight" (the 3Eight glove is for three-round fights, and the 5Eight gold glove for championship fights), premiered at UFC 301 in June. It marked the first time since fingerless gloves became mandatory for all fighters back in 1997 that the fight glove had evolved. "This redesign will truly be a game changer for the entire sport of MMA," UFC CEO and president Dana White said in the April statement. "These gloves will feel lighter, fit fighters' hands better, prevent injuries and provide maximum flexibility during the fights." But after five months -- 21 UFC events (pay-per-views and Fight Nights) and 10 "Dana White's Contender Series" cards -- and return to the original fingerless gloves. "The new gloves are now the old gloves," UFC CEO Dana White said in a surprise announcement ahead of UFC 309 last weekend. "You know what, there were good intentions with the new gloves. We spent a lot of time, energy and money on them. ... It didn't work out and it is what it is." The abrupt about-face came as a shocker.. Interestingly enough, the switch came just days after independent researcher and data scientist Nate Latshaw posted a detailed report demonstrating a significant drop in knockouts from when the new gloves were introduced. Comparing the knockout rate of the old gloves -- now referred to as "classic" by the UFC -- from Jan. 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024, to when the new gloves were in play from June 1 to Nov. 9, Latshaw's findings showed an 8.5% drop off in knockout rates. Between Latshaw's report gaining traction on social media and UFC heavyweight champion balking at the fit and feel of the new gloves ahead of his fight with at UFC 309, the timing of the announcement felt like a little more than a coincidence. "The shape, the curve in your hands, they're very uncomfortable for me," Jones said last week in New York. "I was actually really stressed thinking, 'How am I going to go into fight week wearing these gloves that I don't even really want to train in?'" When the switch was announced, several UFC fighters breathed a sigh of relief over the promotion reversing course. "When I first got the new gloves, I didn't like them," lightweight told ESPN. "I think they look and felt cheap. The material was not very good, and I didn't like the design." Moicano had one of his best performances with the new gloves, a decisive TKO victory over in September. The fight was stopped due to a doctor's intervention. "I was thinking to myself, 'This is a bad glove,' and then I had an awesome performance," Moicano said. "Maybe it actually was the glove? I don't know. But I don't think it affected my performance at all." Women's flyweight contender echoed Moicano's assessment of the gloves feeling "cheap." "I wasn't opposed to the new gloves when they announced they were coming, but when I saw them, I didn't like how they looked," Blanchfield said. "I didn't like the design, and the colors looked tacky and cheap. They looked like something you can buy from a sporting goods store." Blanchfield, who relies heavily on her wrestling and grappling, found that the gloves felt restrictive and affected her grip during her unanimous decision victory over earlier this month. "It felt harder to close my hands because the fingers were so tight," she said. While Blanchfield eventually broke in the new gloves during training, she was issued a new pair ahead of her fight. "I had my cornermen working on the gloves the entire time in the locker room," Blanchfield said. "Just pulling at them, stretching them out, really trying to loosen them up for me. They literally had to make a tool that everyone in the locker room passed around to loosen up the fingers." Strawweight , who lost a decision to in the new gloves in August, said they "felt like having memory foam wrapped around your fist." "I hated them at first," Hill said. "But after training in them for a while, I didn't mind them as much. They are way thinner and aren't formed at all. The old gloves had more of a natural curve to them." The restrictive feel that Hill and Blanchfield are referring to was originally installed to prevent fighters from extending their fingers and committing eye-poke fouls. But both said that the intent didn't match the outcome. "I don't think they did anything for eye pokes," Hill said. "Until you break them in, it's harder to make a closed fist." What about the decrease in knockouts? Latshaw, a data scientist with a focus on quantitative analysis in MMA, noted that the research didn't include the variety of ways to obtain a knockout. "I continue to caution against drawing any particularly strong conclusions from the data," Latshaw told ESPN. "I'm looking at all knockdowns and all knockouts, which is really not a good way to study the impact of the gloves because I'm including knockouts and knockdowns that come from head kicks, elbows, knees, things like that where the gloves aren't impactful." While the old gloves are now back in play, it doesn't mean the "new" gloves are gone forever...yet. A UFC spokesperson told ESPN that "some fighters may still be wearing the new gloves in upcoming events while UFC re-stocks its inventory of the classic gloves." According to White, fighters will use the "classic" gloves at UFC 310 on Dec. 7. "They tried a new idea, and it ended up being a mistake, so they decided to go back to the old gloves once they saw the gloves weren't working out," Moicano said. "That's better than to keep trying to push a glove on us that everyone hates. This is what was good for business. "I don't know if we'll ever get the perfect glove, but I hope they keep trying."

NEW YORK , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with market evolution powered by AI - The global alzheimer's disease therapeutics market size is estimated to grow by USD 5.41 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.03% during the forecast period. Availability, research, and development of novel biomarkers is driving market growth, with a trend towards emergence of regenerative therapies. However, high cost of therapeutics development poses a challenge. Key market players include AB Science SA, AbbVie Inc., AgeneBio Inc., Biogen Inc., Cipla Ltd., Curasia Medilab, Denali Therapeutics Inc., Eisai Co. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Co., Grifols SA, H Lundbeck AS, Johnson and Johnson, Lifecare Neuro Products Ltd., Lupin Ltd., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., Psycogen Captab, Solco Healthcare, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Aurobindo Pharma Ltd.. AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Key Market Trends Fueling Growth Alzheimer's disease, a leading cause of dementia among older adults, continues to be a major health concern. According to NCBI, over 6 million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer's and related dementias, leading to significant disability and increased deaths. The Alzheimer's disease therapeutics market is witnessing advancements in treatment with the introduction of drug classes like cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne) and Amyloid beta inhibitors (Crenezumab). Biological therapies, such as Tau antibody, are also in the pipeline. Cognitive assessment systems and smartphones aid in early diagnosis. Distribution channels, including hospitals, hospital pharmacies, online pharmacies, and e-commerce platforms, facilitate access to these drugs. Men and women, especially Medicare beneficiaries, are the primary consumers. Memantine, another drug class, targets memory impairment and thinking skills. Life expectancy and disability are significant factors driving market growth. Everyday tasks and social skills are also affected, making these therapies essential. Drug discovery techniques continue to evolve, increasing the prescription rate. Alzheimer's disease is a significant health concern for the elderly population, characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. The disease is marked by the presence of amyloid B-peptide plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles. Despite extensive research, no disease-modifying treatments have been discovered. Neuronal death, synaptic failure, dendritic and axonal atrophy are some of the disease's progressive symptoms. Researchers continue their efforts to find curative therapies, focusing on understanding the underlying mechanisms of neuronal damage and cognitive impairment. The Alzheimer's disease therapeutics market is currently in search of effective treatments to address this unmet medical need. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! • Alzheimer's disease, a leading cause of dementia, affects over 6 million Americans, with numbers projected to triple by 2050. The Alzheimer's disease therapeutics market faces challenges in advancing treatment, with current options including cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept and Exelon, and NMDA receptor antagonist Memantine. Amyloid beta inhibitors, such as Crenezumab, are in the pipeline. Behavioral skills and thinking impairments impact everyday tasks, leading to disability and increased healthcare costs for diagnosed patients. Biological therapies, like Tau antibody, show promise. Distribution channels, including hospitals, hospital pharmacies, e-commerce platforms, and online pharmacies, aim to improve access. Drug discovery techniques and cognitive assessment systems aid diagnosis among Medicare beneficiaries, mostly women. Life expectancy and memory impairment drive high prescription rates. Smartphones and the Internet facilitate access to e-commerce services, enabling easier access to these essential medications. • The Alzheimer's disease therapeutics market is significant due to the growing number of patients requiring symptomatic relief. Currently, available treatments only manage the symptoms of the disease. The pressing need for disease-modifying therapeutics arises from the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers are actively working on developing such treatments, but the high development costs and challenges in clinical trials pose obstacles to market expansion. The estimated cost of an Alzheimer's disease therapeutics development program is approximately USD5.6 billion , and the process takes around 13 years, from preclinical studies to US FDA approval. Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report This alzheimer's disease therapeutics market report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Hospital pharmacy 1.2 Retail pharmacy 1.3 E-commerce pharmacy 2.1 Cholinesterase inhibitors 2.2 N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist 2.3 Others 3.1 North America 3.2 Europe 3.3 Asia 3.4 Rest of World (ROW) 1.1 Hospital pharmacy- The hospital pharmacy segment of the Alzheimer's disease therapeutics market is experiencing significant growth due to the large-scale demand for these drugs in hospitals. This trend is driven by several factors, including increasing government investments in healthcare infrastructure in countries like India and China , the expansion of hospital facilities in developing nations, and the rising number of Alzheimer's disease cases worldwide. As a result, hospitals are becoming major distribution channels for Alzheimer's disease therapeutics. These factors collectively are expected to boost the growth of the hospital segment of the Alzheimer's disease therapeutics market during the forecast period. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) The Alzheimer's disease therapeutics market encompasses innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, primarily Alzheimer's and dementias. Two major categories include Amyloid beta inhibitors and biological therapies. These treatments aim to slow down the progression of these conditions by targeting the buildup of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain. Both men and women are affected, with women making up two-thirds of the estimated 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease. Life expectancy plays a significant role, as the majority of Medicare beneficiaries, who are aged 65 and above, are at increased risk. The prescription rate for these therapies is growing as more clinics and hospitals integrate cognitive assessment systems into their routine patient care. Memory impairment, thinking, behavioral skills, and social skills are common symptoms, affecting everyday tasks and quality of life. Alzheimer's disease, a leading cause of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, affects memory impairment, thinking, and social skills in older adults. The Alzheimer's disease therapeutics market is witnessing significant advancements in treatment with the development of various drug classes, including cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne) and Amyloid beta inhibitors (Crenezumab). Biological therapies, such as Tau antibody, are also under investigation. Cognitive assessment systems aid in diagnosis, while distribution channels, including hospitals, hospital pharmacies, online pharmacies, and e-commerce platforms, facilitate access to these essential medications. With an increasing number of diagnosed patients, particularly among older adults, life expectancy, and Medicare beneficiaries, the prescription rate for Alzheimer's disease therapeutics continues to rise. The use of drug discovery techniques and technological advancements, such as smartphones and the Internet, are revolutionizing the way these therapies are administered and monitored. Despite these advancements, Alzheimer's disease remains a significant cause of disability and deaths, with a disproportionate impact on Men and Women. The pipeline drugs offer hope for future treatments, aiming to slow down the progression of the disease and improve the quality of life for those affected. 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Distribution Channel Hospital Pharmacy Retail Pharmacy E-commerce Pharmacy Drug Class Cholinesterase Inhibitors N-methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Antagonist Others Geography North America Europe Asia Rest Of World (ROW) 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio

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Dana Announces Leadership Transition and Actions to Accelerate Value Creation

Appoints Current Dana Director R. Bruce McDonald as Chairman and CEO Announces Plan to Sell Off-Highway Business Initiates $200 Million Cost Reduction Plan Confirms 2024 Full-Year Guidance Ranges for Sales, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow MAUMEE, Ohio , Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) today announced the appointment of R. Bruce McDonald , a member of the Dana Board of Directors, as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. McDonald's appointment follows the retirement of James Kamsickas as Chief Executive Officer and his departure from the Board. Mr. Kamsickas will remain as an advisor to the Company through March 2025 to support the transition. The Board has retained a leading executive search firm to identify the Company's next permanent CEO. Keith Wandell , Dana's Lead Independent Director, said, "Jim is an exceptional leader with more than 18 years as a CEO in the industry. He led Dana through one of the industry's most challenging periods while successfully building a high-performance culture, enabling a world-class manufacturing company and assembling a portfolio of leading products and technologies. The Board and Jim agreed that now is the right time to transition the leadership of Dana, and we thank Jim for his many contributions over his nine years leading the Company and wish him all the best." Mr. Kamsickas said, "I am proud of the work the Dana team has done over the past decade to grow revenues and successfully enhance the technology to serve all mobility markets no matter what type of propulsion they may use. It has been an honor to lead this talented global team during that time and I am confident the Company is well positioned for the future." Mr. Wandell continued, "We continue to have confidence in the long-term opportunity in the mobility industry, however it is undergoing a significant transformation, including protracted cost pressures and demand uncertainty. To address these challenges and deliver more value to customers and shareholders, Dana is taking action to streamline the business, unlock the value of its Off-Highway business and further reduce costs. Bruce is an experienced public company CEO in our industry with significant M&A expertise, and we are confident that he is the right person to oversee this transformation while the Board conducts a search for a permanent successor." Plan to Sell Off-Highway Business Dana today also announced it has engaged financial advisors Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC to sell its Off-Highway business, which the Board believes will unlock substantial value for shareholders. The Off-Highway business provides drive and motion systems for heavy-duty vehicles in markets such as agriculture, materials handling, mining, construction and forestry. A sale will position Dana with a streamlined go-to-market approach focused on serving its light and commercial vehicle customers, with traditional and electrified products that are largely shared across the remaining portfolio. Proceeds from a potential sale will enable Dana to strengthen its balance sheet through substantially reduced leverage, and to return capital to shareholders. While the Company and its advisors believe there is strong interest in the Off-Highway business, there can be no assurance that the sale process for Off-Highway will result in a transaction. There is no timeframe for the conclusion of the process, and the Company does not intend to comment further regarding this matter unless and until further disclosure is determined to be appropriate. Cost Reduction Actions While Dana continues to improve its profitability in a challenging operating environment, the Company announced further actions to support sustained long-term profitability and enhanced cash flow generation. This includes substantial reductions in selling, general & administrative costs across all the Company's businesses and engineering expenses to match current industry dynamics, including the ongoing delay in the adoption of electric vehicles. The Company expects to deliver annualized savings of approximately $200 million by 2026. Furthermore, the Company plans to reduce capital spending to reflect the revised market demand for electric vehicles. Bruce McDonald , Chief Executive Officer said, "Dana is committed to a strategy that accelerates value creation and has taken action to flex its cost structure and generate efficiencies by leveraging its core strengths through current market conditions. It is clear that further actions are needed, and I am confident that the new incremental cost reductions, paired with the benefits of a potential Off-Highway sale, will enhance shareholder value. Following the Off-Highway business sale, we believe Dana will have an adjusted EBITDA margin and free cash flow margin in excess of current levels." Mr. McDonald continued, "Dana is differentiated by leading technology innovation and a track record of continuous improvement. My conviction in our businesses, the team and the opportunities to capitalize on the EV transition over the long term remain strong. I look forward to stepping into my new role as CEO at such an important time for Dana and will work diligently alongside the Board and management team to deliver on these actions and drive value for Dana shareholders." Reaffirms 2024 Full-Year Guidance Ranges Dana is also reaffirming its previously announced guidance ranges for sales of $10.2 to $10.4 billion , Adjusted EBITDA of $855 to $895 million and free cash flow of $90 to $110 million for full year 2024, as outlined in the Company's third quarter 2024 earnings announcement on October 30, 2024 . About R. Bruce McDonald R. Bruce McDonald is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in the automotive and manufacturing industries and significant expertise. Mr. McDonald has been a member of the Dana Board of Directors since 2014. He is also the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Adient plc., a global mobility supplier. He previously served as executive vice president and vice chairman of Johnson Controls, Inc., a global manufacturer of automotive, power and building solutions from 2014 to 2016. Mr. McDonald also served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Johnson Controls from 2005 to September 2014 . Before joining Johnson Controls as vice president and corporate controller in 2001, he was vice president for finance at TRW Automotive. Prior to his appointment as Chairman of the Board, Mr. McDonald served on Dana's Audit Committee and as chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and projections contained in this news release are, by their nature, forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates, and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," and similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Dana's Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss important risk factors that could affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of this date. Dana does not undertake any obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason. About Dana Incorporated Dana is a leader in the design and manufacture of highly efficient propulsion and energy-management solutions that power vehicles and machines in all mobility markets across the globe. The company is shaping sustainable progress through its conventional and clean-energy solutions that support nearly every vehicle manufacturer with drive and motion systems; electrodynamic technologies, including software and controls; and thermal, sealing, and digital solutions. Based in Maumee, Ohio , USA, the company reported sales of $10.6 billion in 2023 with 42,000 people in 31 countries across six continents. With a history dating to 1904, Dana was named among the "World's Most Ethical Companies" for 2023 and 2024 by Ethisphere and as one of "America's Most Responsible Companies 2023" by Newsweek. The company is driven by a high-performance culture that focuses on valuing others, inspiring innovation, growing responsibly, and winning together, earning it global recognition as a top employer. Learn more at dana.com . Craig Barber , +1-419-699-4990, craig.barber@dana.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dana-announces-leadership-transition-and-actions-to-accelerate-value-creation-302315797.html SOURCE Dana IncorporatedEASTON, Pa. (AP) — Louie Semona scored 15 points off of the bench to lead Stonehill over Lafayette 70-65 on Sunday. Semona had six rebounds for the Skyhawks (8-7). Hermann Koffi scored 13 points, shooting 4 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Josh Morgan had 13 points and shot 4 of 9 from the field, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the line. The Leopards (5-8) were led by Caleb Williams, who recorded 15 points. Lafayette also got 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks from Justin Vander Baan. Alex Chaikin also recorded 12 points, two steals and two blocks. Stonehill went into the half leading Lafayette 28-27. Semona put up seven points in the half. Stonehill used a 7-0 second-half run erase a five-point deficit and take the lead at 47-45 with 11:20 remaining in the half before finishing off the victory. Todd Brogna scored nine second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

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Russia has a stock of powerful new missiles "ready to be used", President Vladimir Putin has said, a day after his country fired a new ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. In an unscheduled TV address, the Russian leader said the Oreshnik missile could not be intercepted and promised to carry out more tests, including in "combat conditions". Russia's use of the Oreshnik capped a week of escalation in the war that also saw Ukraine fire US and British missiles into Russia for the first time. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for world leaders to give a "serious response" so that Putin "feels the real consequences of his actions". His country was asking Western partners for updated air defence systems, he added. According to news agency Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv is seeking to obtain the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), or to upgrade its Patriot anti-ballistic missile defence systems. In Friday's address Putin said the Oreshnik hypersonic missiles flew at 10 times the speed of sound and ordered them to be put into production. He had earlier said that use of the missile was a response to Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow and Atacms missiles. Thursday's strike on Dnipro was described as unusual by eyewitnesses and triggered explosions which went on for three hours. The attack included a strike by a missile so powerful that in the aftermath Ukrainian officials said it resembled an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Justin Crump, CEO and founder of the risk advisory company Sibylline, told the BBC that Moscow likely used the strike as a warning, noting that the missile - which is faster and more advanced that others in its arsenal - has the capacity to seriously challenge Ukraine's air defences. This week's escalation has also prompted several warnings from other world leaders about the direction of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the war was entering a decisive stage - with a real risk of global conflict. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban meanwhile said the West should take Vladimir Putin's warnings "at face value" because Russia "bases its policies primarily on military power". And North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un warned "never before" had the threat of a nuclear war been greater and accused the US of having an "aggressive and hostile" policy towards Pyongyang. North Korea has sent thousands of troops to fight on Russia's side and Ukrainian forces have reported clashes with them in Russia's Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops are occupying some territory. US President Biden has said he gave Ukraine permission to use longer-range Atacms missiles against targets inside Russia as a response to Moscow's use of North Korean troops. Both Russia and Ukraine are trying to secure a battlefield advantage before Donald Trump becomes US president in January. Trump has vowed to end the war within hours but has not provided details as to how. In his nightly address, Zelensky also criticised China for its response to Moscow's new missile after China's foreign ministry said all parties should "remain calm and exercise restraint". "From Russia, this is a mockery of the position of states such as China, states of the Global South, some leaders who call for restraint every time," he said. He also criticised the Ukrainian parliament for postponing a session on Friday over security concerns following the attack on Dnipro. In a post on Telegram, he said unless an air raid signal sounded everyone should work as normal - and not take Russian threats as "permission to have a day off". "The siren sounds - we go to shelter. When there is no siren - we work and serve. There is no other way in war," he said.Simone Biles is rocking with a new ‘do. “I cut my hair,” Biles, 27, captioned a Saturday, November 30, Instagram Story mirror selfie. In the snap, the Olympian posed for a pic with husband Jonathan Owens , as they both dressed casually in neutral-colored sweatpants and long-sleeved shirts. Biles, for her part, showed off her hair transformation. She wore her locks down in a bob chopped to her chin and curled at the edges. Days earlier, Biles wore her long tresses in a high pony for Owens’ Thanksgiving Day football game between his Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions. After the Bears lost 20-23, the 29-year-old NFL safety and Biles traveled home to Chicago for a belated Thanksgiving meal. “Holidays are revolving around sports right now, especially in the football world with them sometimes playing,” Biles exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month. “We’ll just have a chef come and cook. I think some of his teammates will come through and grab a plate, especially if they don’t have family in the area. It is a little bit more difficult, but it is kind of nice that we can just relax. It will be prepared by the time we get home.” You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Biles has been a staple at Owens’ Bears games throughout the 2024-2025 season, often wearing her hair down in braids or in a tight ponytail. No matter which hairstyle Biles chose, she’s learned to accept the way it looked. “I used to worry about [my hair being considered] not professional,” she told Elle earlier this year. But I’m not embarrassed about it anymore. Most of the backlash we get is from our own community, which is unfortunate. I don’t really care if my edges aren’t smooth.” She added, “We’ve been able to take care of our hair better and take care of our beauty routines better. ... I understand and realize I have to take care of my physical appearance as well as my mental. I’m finally learning to love my hair and the texture that I have and the styles that I can do.”

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Bowls miss out in 4 CFP teams in latest postseason twistNEW YORK (AP) — Kaapo Kaako scored a power-play goal with 24 seconds left, and the New York Rangers stopped a five-game slide by topping the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Saturday. Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad also scored for the Rangers, who got their first win since a 4-3 victory at Vancouver on Nov. 19. Adam Fox had two assists, and Jonathan Quick made 25 saves. With Montreal’s Kirby Dach serving a four-minute, high-sticking penalty, Kaako got his fourth goal of the season. The Canadiens trailed 3-1 after two periods. But Cole Caufield scored his 14th goal 4:16 into the third and Nick Suzuki tied it at 14:07. Trocheck tipped the puck past Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault at 19:56 to put New York ahead after Panarin and Montreal’s Mike Matheson scored earlier in the first. Panarin put the Rangers ahead at 9:02, scoring on a 5-on-3 for New York’s first power-play goal since Nov. 12 at home against Winnipeg. Matheson tied it at 11:47. Montembault made 24 saves for Montreal. Canadiens: dropped to 3-7-1 on the road. Rangers: Forwards Chris Kreider and Filip Chytil returned to the lineup. Kreider missed three games with an upper-body injury while Chytil was out for seven after colliding with teammate K’Andre Miller on Nov. 14. Reilly Smith and Jonny Brodzinski were scratched. Seeking an early spark, New York captain Jacob Trouba fought Montreal’s Josh Anderson 1:58 into the contest. It appeared to give the Rangers a collective jolt that was missing in recent games. The Rangers are 11-1-0 when scoring first. It was the 1,700th home win in franchise history. The Canadiens visit the Boston Bruins on Sunday. The Rangers host the New Jersey Devils on Monday. AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHLNone

Raashii Khanna treats fans with glimpses of her spiritual birthday celebrations at the sacred Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Raashii Khanna's special birthday celebration Pan-India star Raashii Khanna recently celebrated her birthday at the sacred and renowned Kashi Vishwanath Temple, located in the sacred city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Choosing to mark the occasion in a serene and meaningful way, Raashii celebrated her birthday surrounded by the tranquillity of this holy city, reflecting on gratitude and blessings as she embraced another year. Taking to social media, Raashii shared glimpses of her visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, offering fans a peek into her special day. Her caption read, “Celebrating my birthday, immersed in the divine, in the eternal city of Kashi where time stand still and souls find solace.! So grateful हर हर महादेव ” She shared a series of photos capturing her in peaceful solitude at the temple, as well as participating in a pooja there along with her family. On professional front Raashii Khanna is basking in the success of her recently released The Sabarmati Report, where she portrayed a fearless journalist. Her powerful performance has been widely praised by audiences and critics alike. Looking ahead, Raashii will soon be seen in her upcoming film Talakhon Mein Ek and she also has an exciting Telugu project, Telusu Kada in the works. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Bollywood, Entertainment News and around the world.Lea Miller-Tooley hopped off a call to welcome the Baylor women’s basketball team to the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, where 80-degree temperatures made it easy for the Bears to settle in on Paradise Island a week before Thanksgiving. About 5,000 miles west of the Caribbean nation, similar climes awaited Maui Invitational men's teams in Hawaii. They’ve often been greeted with leis, the traditional Hawaiian welcome of friendship. College basketball teams and fans look forward to this time of the year. The holiday week tournaments feature buzzworthy matchups and all-day TV coverage, sure, but there is a familiarity about them as they help ward off the November chill. For four decades, these sandy-beach getaways filled with basketball have become a beloved mainstay of the sport itself. “When you see (ESPN’s) ‘Feast Week’ of college basketball on TV, when you see the Battle 4 Atlantis on TV, you know college basketball is back,” said Miller-Tooley, the founder and organizer of the Battle 4 Atlantis men's and women's tournaments. “Because it’s a saturated time of the year with the NFL, college football and the NBA. But when you see these gorgeous events in these beautiful places, you realize, ‘Wow, hoops are back, let’s get excited.’” People are also reading... MTE Madness The Great Alaska Shootout was the trend-setting multiple-team event (MTE) nearly five decades ago. The brainchild of late Alaska-Anchorage coach Bob Rachal sought to raise his program’s profile by bringing in national-power programs, which could take advantage of NCAA rules allowing them to exceed the maximum allotment of regular-season games if they played the three-game tournament outside the contiguous 48 states. The first edition, named the Sea Wolf Classic, saw N.C. State beat Louisville 72-66 for the title on Nov. 26, 1978. The Maui Invitational followed in November 1984, borne from the buzz of NAIA program Chaminade’s shocking upset of top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 star Ralph Sampson in Hawaii two years earlier. Events kept coming, with warm-weather locales getting in on the action. The Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cancun Challenge in Mexico. The Cayman Islands Classic. The Jamaica Classic. The Myrtle Beach Invitational joining the Charleston Classic in South Carolina. Numerous tournaments in Florida. Some events have faded away like the Puerto Rico Tipoff and the Great Alaska Shootout, the latter in 2017 amid event competition and schools opting for warm-weather locales. Notre Dame takes on Chaminade during the first half of a 2017 game in Lahaina, Hawaii. Marco Garcia, AP File Atlantis rising Miller-Tooley’s push to build an MTE for Atlantis began as a December 2010 doubleheader with Georgia Tech beating Richmond and Virginia Tech beating Mississippi State in a prove-it moment for a tournament’s viability. It also required changing NCAA legislation to permit MTEs in the Bahamas. Approval came in March 2011; the first eight-team Atlantis men’s tournament followed in November. That tournament quickly earned marquee status with big-name fields, with Atlantis champions Villanova (2017) and Virginia (2018) later winning that season’s NCAA title. Games run in a ballroom-turned-arena at the resort, where players also check out massive swimming pools, water slides and inner-tube rapids surrounded by palm trees and the Atlantic Ocean. “It’s just the value of getting your passport stamped, that will never get old,” Miller-Tooley said. “Watching some of these kids, this may be their first and last time – and staff and families – that they ever travel outside the United States. ... You can see through these kids’ eyes that it’s really an unbelievable experience.” ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock knows that firsthand. His Louisville team finished second at Atlantis in 2012 and won that year’s later-vacated NCAA title, with Hancock as the Final Four's most outstanding player. “I remember (then-coach Rick Pitino) saying something to the effect of: ‘Some of you guys might never get this opportunity again. We’re staying in this unbelievable place, you’re doing it with people you love,’” Hancock said. “It was a business trip for us there at Thanksgiving, but he definitely had a tone of ‘We’ve got to enjoy this as well.’” Popular demand Maui offers similar vibes, though 2024 could be a little different as Lahaina recovers from deadly 2023 wildfires that forced the event's relocation last year. North Carolina assistant coach Sean May played for the Tar Heels’ Maui winner in 2004 and was part of UNC’s staff for the 2016 champion, with both teams later winning the NCAA title. May said “you just feel the peacefulness” of the area — even while focusing on games — and savors memories of the team taking a boat out on the Pacific Ocean after title runs under now-retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams. “Teams like us, Dukes, UConns – you want to go to places that are very well-run,” May said. “Maui, Lea Miller with her group at the Battle 4 Atlantis, that’s what drives teams to come back because you know you’re going to get standard A-quality of not only the preparation but the tournament with the way it’s run. Everything is top-notch. And I think that brings guys back year after year.” That’s why Colorado coach Tad Boyle is so excited for the Buffaloes’ first Maui appearance since 2009. “We’ve been trying to get in the tournament since I got here,” said Boyle, now in his 15th season. And of course, that warm-weather setting sure doesn’t hurt. “If you talk about the Marquettes of the world, St. John’s, Providence – they don’t want that cold weather,” said NBA and college TV analyst Terrence Oglesby, who played for Clemson in the 2007 San Juan Invitational in Puerto Rico. “They’re going to have to deal with that all January and February. You might as well get a taste of what the sun feels like.” Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo argues a call during the first half of a Nov. 16 game against Bowling Green in East Lansing, Michigan. Mi zzo is making his fourth trip to Maui. Carlos Osorio, Associated Press Packed schedule The men’s Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, got things rolling last week with No. 11 Tennessee routing No. 13 Baylor for the title. The week ahead could boast matchups befitting the Final Four, with teams having two weeks of action since any opening-night hiccups. “It’s a special kickoff to the college basketball season,” Oglesby said. “It’s just without the rust.” On the women’s side, Atlantis began its fourth eight-team women’s tournament Saturday with No. 16 North Carolina and No. 18 Baylor, while the nearby Baha Mar resort follows with two four-team women’s brackets that include No. 2 UConn, No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Mississippi and No. 20 N.C. State. Then come the men’s headliners. The Maui Invitational turns 40 as it opens Monday back in Lahaina. It features second-ranked and two-time reigning national champion UConn, No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 10 North Carolina. The Battle 4 Atlantis opens its 13th men’s tournament Wednesday, topped by No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 16 Indiana and No. 17 Arizona. Michigan State Hall of Famer Tom Izzo is making his fourth trip to Maui, where he debuted as Jud Heathcote’s successor at the 1995 tournament. Izzo's Spartans have twice competed at Atlantis, last in 2021. “They’re important because they give you something in November or December that is exciting,” Izzo said. Any drawbacks? “It’s a 10-hour flight,” he said of Hawaii. Sports Week in Photos: Tyson vs. Paul, Nadal, and more Mike Tyson, left, slaps Jake Paul during a weigh-in ahead of their heavyweight bout, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Irving, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, Spain's tennis player Rafael Nadal serves during a training session at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, in Malaga, southern Spain, on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Manu Fernandez A fan takes a picture of the moon prior to a qualifying soccer match for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Uruguay and Colombia in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Santiago Mazzarovich) Santiago Mazzarovich Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark reacts after missing a shot on the 18th hole in the final round of World Tour Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Altaf Qadri Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during the final match of the ATP World Tour Finals against Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Inalpi Arena, in Turin, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) Antonio Calanni Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert (1) fails to pull in a pass against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Brynn Anderson) Brynn Anderson Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, top right, scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Nam Y. Huh India's Tilak Varma jumps in the air as he celebrates after scoring a century during the third T20 International cricket match between South Africa and India, at Centurion Park in Centurion, South Africa, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Themba Hadebe Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski warms up before facing the Seattle Kraken in an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Lindsey Wasson Kansas State players run onto the field before an NCAA college football game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Charlie Riedel A fan rapped in an Uruguay flag arrives to the stands for a qualifying soccer match against Colombia for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Montevideo, Uruguay, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) Matilde Campodonico People practice folding a giant United States flag before an NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Julia Demaree Nikhinson Brazil's Marquinhos attempts to stop the sprinklers that were turned on during a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match against Venezuela at Monumental stadium in Maturin, Venezuela, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos) Ariana Cubillos Georgia's Georges Mikautadze celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the UEFA Nations League, group B1 soccer match between Georgia and Ukraine at the AdjaraBet Arena in Batumi, Georgia, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Tamuna Kulumbegashvili) Tamuna Kulumbegashvili Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque, right, attempts to score while Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman (38) and Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) keep the puck out of the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt) Ellen Schmidt Mike Tyson, left, fights Jake Paul during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario misses the third goal during the Nations League soccer match between Italy and France, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Luca Bruno Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Carolyn Kaster President-elect Donald Trump attends UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Evan Vucci Fans argue in stands during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Israel at the Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, Thursday Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) Thibault Camus Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova hits a return against Danielle Collins, of the United States, during a tennis match at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Malaga, southern Spain. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Manu Fernandez St. John's guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) falls after driving to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against New Mexico, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith) Pamela Smith England's Anthony Gordon celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between England and the Republic of Ireland at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) Kin Cheung Katie Taylor, left, lands a right to Amanda Serrano during their undisputed super lightweight title bout, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver DJ Turner, right, tackles Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington, left, on a punt return during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Lynne Sladky UConn's Paige Bueckers (5) battles North Carolina's Laila Hull, right, for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) Ben McKeown Be the first to know

Taxpayers are footing a £6 billion bill to fund “nonsense” research projects despite Rachel Reeves pledging a crackdown on government waste. Public cash will be spent on studies about the “literary decolonisation” of Africa, LGBT rights in China and the marketing of vegan meat products. The amount of money spent on bankrolling such projects has soared by 25 per cent in the past four years, according to analysis by the Taxpayers’ Alliance. The Chancellor has vowed to wield an “iron fist” on government spending and cut programmes that do not contribute to Labour’s core missions. In a speech last week, she ordered all Whitehall departments to find efficiency savings of at least 5 per cent by the end of this parliament in 2029. Cabinet ministers will have to submit a line-by-line breakdown of their spending to the Treasury to root out “wasteful” costs, the Chancellor said. Campaigners said the axe should fall on the enormous budget the Science Department currently spends subsidising academic research projects. This year almost £6 billion worth of grants has been doled out to universities by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a government quango. The money is administered by nine “councils” covering different areas such as arts and humanities, engineering, and medical research. One of the projects, funded to the tune of £1.7 million, is titled “Decolonisation, Appropriation and the Materials of Literature in Africa and its Diaspora”. The project, run by King’s College London, will examine the “literary decolonisation in Africa and its diaspora from the 1940s to the 1960s”. Another academic was given almost £40,000 to conduct research into “anglophone queer cinema and the Chinese LGBT+ movement. The scheme at the University of Exeter will “analyse the use of Anglophone queer cinema as a means of developing LGBT+ culture and rights in China”. A third project at the University of Surrey was allocated £240,000 to look into “cultural entrepreneurship in vegan meat markets”. The cases, compiled in analysis by the Taxpayers’ Alliance, are just some of the examples of spending on research that has come to light. The Telegraph has previously revealed how £200,000 of taxpayers’ cash was spent on a study into the environmental impact of Star Wars. Another £811,000 was splurged on research into how the “sustainable” lifestyle of Romani Gypsy communities can help combat the environmental crisis. Joanna Marchong, the investigations campaign manager at the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers will begin to question the value of UKRI and its research projects. “UKRI has received bigger budgets year on year in hopes of fuelling cutting-edge research and innovative technologies, but instead, they have wasted millions of pounds on nonsense projects. “If research budgets are going to continue to expand, ministers must ensure that they are allocated to effective projects and focus on worthwhile project outcomes.” The £6 billion allocated for UKRI grants this year is up from £4.8 billion in 2021-22, representing an increase of almost 25pc. It is the equivalent of four years’ worth of savings from cutting the winter fuel allowance, or 12 years of takings from the tax raid on farmers. A spokesman for UKRI said: “From blue skies research to business-led innovation, UKRI’s dynamic portfolio of investments underpins the UK’s world-class research and innovation system. “The research we fund helps drive sustainable economic growth, creates high-quality jobs, and improves public services for people across the UK. “UKRI invests in a diverse research and innovation portfolio. Decisions to fund the research projects we support are made via a rigorous peer review process by relevant independent experts from across academia and business.”Rainbow-laden revelers hit Copacabana beach for Rio de Janeiro’s pride parade

Bristol Motor Speedway team members, with help from their mischievous mascots Bump and Run, unveiled the official MLB Speedway Classic countdown clock that is clicking down the days, hours and minutes until the ceremonial first pitch is thrown out on August, 2, 2025 and play gets started in the historic Major League Baseball game featuring the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at BMS. For social media enthusiasts, baseball fans and ticketholders who would like to grab a selfie with the new clock, The MLB Speedway Classic Countdown Clock is located at BMS Entrance 1 just off Volunteer Parkway next to the It’s Bristol Baby! monument. Sports fans will need to hustle on over to MLB.com/SpeedwayClassic if they want to be a part of the historic national regular season game between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds that will be played at iconic Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 7 p.m. (ET). The game at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile will be the first American or National League game ever played in the Volunteer state. Tennessee becomes the fifth different state across the United States to host an MLB game for the first time since 2016. General public tickets for the MLB Speedway Classic presented by BuildSubmarines.com are available for purchase by visiting MLB.com/SpeedwayClassic. A maximum of eight tickets are allowed per order and all ticket sales will be conducted online. All tickets will be delivered digitally and available on mobile devices through the MLB Ballpark app and the Ticketmaster app. *** The NAPA AUTO PARTS Atlantic City Indoor Race is more than just a race, it’s an event. This January 31 and February 1, the connection between the racing and the after party, will be stronger than ever. Thanks to support from The West at Caesars Atlantic City (formerly Wild Wild West) and the Atlantic City Sports Commission, the TQ Midget winner’s share on both Friday and Saturday night will be increased by $1,500. “The Atlantic City races are special, everytime I walk into the arena on race weekend I get goosebumps, the building has so much history and over the past 20 years we have made history of our own,” stated event promoter Len Sammons. The Atlantic City Indoor Races, are held annually the last weekend in January, inside famous Boardwalk Hall, located right on the inconic boardwalk and steps away from the casinos and resorts that have made the town famous. In 2025, the ‘Race Hard, Play Hard’ post-event parties will help to raise the stakes for the winner of Friday and Saturday night’s TQ Midget A-Main. Should a driver sweep the weekend, the winner’s will exceed $10,000. “Starting in 2025, the race winner of Friday and Saturday night will not only go on stage at The West, but they will both be presented with a $1,500 bonus check as well.” The lively hub of nightlife during race weekend is only a two minute walk away at Caesars Atlantic City. The West at Caesars features live music, casino gaming, beer pong, sports betting, bull riding, arcade games, and much more. Tickets for the event are on sale now via Ticketmaster and the Boardwalk Hall box office.In addition to the high-speed TQ Midgets—purpose-built race cars powered by 750cc motorcycle engines—three support divisions will also race: Slingshots, Champ Karts and Dirt 600 Micro Sprints. Family-Friendly Pricing: Tickets start at just $20 for adults, with general admission for children available for only $5 on the day of the event. Premium front-row seating and reserved seats are also available for an additional fee. Pricing excludes facility and ticketing fees. Fans can enjoy an exclusive pre-race FanFest on the arena floor, where lower-level reserved ticket holders can walk the track and meet their favorite drivers before Saturday night’s race. The 2005 Indoor Auto Racing Series opens with a two-day show inside Allentown, PA’s PPL Center on Friday and Saturday, January 4th and 5th. The stars will then head to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. The series will conclude its season on a clay oval at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ, on February 21 and 22. For more information about the Indoor Auto Racing Series, including hotel deals at nearby casinos and hotels, racer rules, and entry forms, visit IndoorAutoRacing.com. *** Driving 101, which operates the NASCAR Racing Experience, the leader in authentic NASCAR driving experiences, is thrilled to unveil its highly anticipated 2025 schedule. Race fans across the country can now plan their NASCAR dream experience with the release of dates at 17 premier speedways nationwide, including iconic tracks like Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 2025 schedule kicks off in January and runs through December, offering fans more opportunities than ever before to take the wheel of a real NASCAR race car. Whether fans are looking to fulfill a lifelong racing dream or searching for the perfect gift for the adrenaline junkie in their life, this experience puts fans in the driver’s seat to feel the thrill of NASCAR firsthand. With 17 locations on the calendar, NASCAR Racing Experience continues to expand its reach, giving fans coast to coast the opportunity to drive on the same tracks where NASCAR legends have raced. Spots are limited at each speedway, so early booking is highly encouraged. For the full 2025 schedule, pricing, and booking details, visit www.NASCARRacingExperience.com. About NASCAR Racing Experience: NASCAR Racing Experience is the leading experiential racing company in North America, offering the most realistic racing programs available to motorsports fans nationwide. There’s no lead car to follow and drivers race without an instructor alongside. The drivers compete in real NASCAR race cars driven by NASCAR drivers including Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Michael McDowell, Ty Gibbs and Corey Lajoie, among others. Reservations can be made at www.NASCARRacingExperience.com. Gift Cards are available for any amount and never expire. The customer service department is available seven days a week. NASCAR Racing Experience programs are conducted at 17 race tracks across the United States and offer a vast array of corporate outings and motorsports themed events. For more information call 704-886-2400 or visit www.NASCARRacingExperience.com *** Following a successful meeting with its race teams, the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars are poised to continue bringing the excitement and thrills of non-wing sprint car competition to race tracks in the Northeastern United States for the 2025 season...and beyond. A solid turnout of competitors and their car owners and crews were in place for a recent meeting that focused on the series structure and rules, and now the focus of attention shifts to off-season motorsports shows and the building of a 2025 season schedule. “We’re very close to completing the 2025 season schedule,” said USAC East Coast Sprint Cars President Ed Aikin. “We’re anticipating somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 races for the season, and based on what we heard at our first competitor meeting, we’re expecting a solid field of cars to follow the series next season. Our race teams gave us some great feedback at the competitor meeting, and cars are already being prepared for racing. It’s good to see this level of excitement before the first green flag flies for 2025!” The series schedule is expected to be released prior to the Motorsports 2025 event in Oaks, PA on January 24th and 25th, where the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars will have a booth and display as one of a few scheduled motorsports show appearances for the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars in the off-season. “Motorsports is always one of the biggest gatherings for race fans and racers during the winter months, and we’re happy to be able to be a part of it,” stated Aikin. “We’re also going to be a part of the annual Racing Xtravaganza show in York, PA and may make some other appearances in the region during the off-season months.” The series has retained the services of motorsports announcer and PR person “Cowboy” Paul Szmal for the 2025 season. “I had a chance to call some USAC non-wing shows when I lived in the Midwest and I was hooked,” said Szmal. “I’m looking forward to calling the action in 2025 for the series, as well as introducing fans to the drivers in a way that they’ll be more than just a person wearing a firesuit and helmet.” The USAC East Coast Sprint Cars official web site (http://usaceastcoastsprintcars.myracepass.com) will continue to serve as a source of information for fans and racers alike. For further information on the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars for 2025, please contact Paul Szmal at (315) 759-0176 or via email at drwho941@yahoo.com *** The 2025 Kubota High Limit Racing schedule has been finalized with 61 events planned at 36 unique facilities across 20 states for the second-year national sprint car series. The 2025 campaign is once again headlined by a trio of six-figure paydays between the Joker’s Jackpot at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio on July 16-17, the 71st Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California on August 21-23, and the Skagit Nationals at Skagit Speedway in Burlington, Washington on August 28-30. Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway, AKA “The Speed Palace,” will remain a staple on the Kubota High Limit Racing calendar with the Bob Weikert Memorial expanding to a three-day event on May 23-25 and the 58th edition of the famed Tuscarora 50 continuing on September 4-6. New in 2025 – in fitting fashion – Kubota High Limit Racing will shift the season-opening event to “The Entertainment Capital of the World,” bringing Sprint Cars back to The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on NASCAR weekend. The Nevada 1/2-mile will host races on Thursday, March 13 and Saturday, March 15, culminating in a $25,000-to-win finale.Fundus Cameras Market Set for Exceptional Growth in the Forecast 2024-2032 12-14-2024 01:54 PM CET | Health & Medicine Press release from: Cognate Insights Latest Market Overview The global fundus cameras market is anticipated to experience robust growth, with a projected market size of USD 1.5 billion in 2024, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% from 2024 to 2032. Fundus cameras are essential diagnostic tools for ophthalmic conditions, offering high-quality retinal imaging for the diagnosis and management of eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As the prevalence of these diseases increases globally, demand for fundus cameras is expected to rise steadily. Additionally, advancements in camera technology, such as wide-field imaging and improved image resolution, are expected to enhance their diagnostic capabilities, driving further market expansion. The Fundus Cameras Market has experienced steady growth in recent years and is expected to continue expanding at a strong pace from 2024 to 2032. This analysis offers a comprehensive overview, providing valuable insights into key trends and developments within the Fundus Cameras industry. These findings equip business leaders with the necessary knowledge to devise more effective strategies and enhance profitability. Furthermore, the report serves as a useful resource for new and emerging businesses, helping them make informed decisions as they navigate the market and seek growth opportunities. Major Players of Fundus Cameras Market are: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Germany): USD 1.9 billion in revenue (2023). Topcon Corporation (Japan): USD 1.3 billion in revenue (2023). NIDEK Co., Ltd. (Japan): USD 670 million in revenue (2023). Canon Inc. (Japan): USD 28 billion in revenue (2023). Optovue, Inc. (USA): USD 150 million in revenue (2023). Get Latest PDF Sample Report @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/request-sample/fundus-cameras-market Our Report covers global as well as regional markets and provides an in-depth analysis of the overall growth prospects of the market. Global market trend analysis including historical data, estimates to 2024, and compound annual growth rate (CAGR) forecast to 2032 is given based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market segments involving economic and non-economic factors. Furthermore, it reveals the comprehensive competitive landscape of the global market, the current and future market prospects of the industry, and the growth opportunities and drivers as well as challenges and constraints in emerging and emerging markets. Global Fundus Cameras Market Landscape and Future Pathways: North America: United States Canada Europe: Germany France U.K. Italy Russia Asia-Pacific: China Japan South Korea India Australia China Taiwan Indonesia Thailand Malaysia Latin America: Mexico Brazil Argentina Korea Colombia Middle East & Africa: Turkey Saudi Arabia UAE Korea Speak to Our Analyst for A Discussion on The Above Findings, And Ask for A Discount on The Report @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/check-discount/fundus-cameras-market Key drivers and challenges influencing the Fundus Cameras market: Regional Analysis: The report involves examining the Fundus Cameras market at a regional or national level. 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For In-Depth Competitive Analysis - Purchase this Report now at @ https://www.cognateinsights.com/purchase-report/fundus-cameras-market Contact Us: Cognate Insights Web: www.cognateinsights.com Email: info@cognateinsights.com Phone: +91 8424946476 About Us: We are leaders in market analytics, business research, and consulting services for Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, financial & government institutions. Since we understand the criticality of data and insights, we have associated with the top publishers and research firms all specialized in specific domains, ensuring you will receive the most reliable and up to date research data available. To be at our client's disposal whenever they need help on market research and consulting services. We also aim to be their business partners when it comes to making critical business decisions around new market entry, M&A, competitive Intelligence and strategy. This release was published on openPR.

The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization. The bill passed by a vote of 281-140 and next moves to the Senate, where lawmakers sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows. Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term. Lawmakers said service member pay failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing. "No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "This bill goes a long way to fixing that." The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation's borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators wanted to increase defense spending about $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a "tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions in the bill. "We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it," Wicker said. House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many nondefense programs. They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, proved effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression. "These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives," Smith said. "And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar service members' children from having access to that." Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted on the ban and said the provision "taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation." Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, "I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates." Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, "and yet, here it is in this bill." Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team did not tell Democrats how to vote on the bill. "There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well," Jeffries said. The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration requested about $10 billion. On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas. The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January.A Sweet Revolution: How Vine to Bar Is Redefining Chocolate

Stock market today: Wall Street rises with Nvidia as bitcoin bursts above $99,000‘You Don’t Need to Be a Politician to Make Change’: PJ Sin Suela Refuses to Lose Hope

Should you buy Telstra and this ASX dividend stock in December?

Canadiens in action against the Rangers following overtime victory

Cam Carter put LSU ahead for good with a jumper 1:08 into the third overtime and the Tigers came away with a wild 109-102 win over UCF on Sunday in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Carter's make sparked a 5-0 spurt for LSU (5-1), which mounted a ferocious second-half rally that began after Darius Johnson drilled a 3-pointer to put the Knights up 52-34 with 12:57 to play in regulation. UCF (4-2) got back within two in the third overtime, but it never found a way to draw even. Vyctorius Miller and Jordan Sears sealed the victory, combining for three buckets down low that gave the Tigers a 106-99 cushion with 17 seconds remaining. Carter was the late-game hero for LSU, scoring the final four points of regulation to forge a 70-70 tie. He also knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first extra session to give the Tigers a 76-75 advantage. Sears gave LSU a four-point edge with a triple of his own with 2:10 to go, but the Tigers failed to stay in front, and UCF's Keyshawn Hall kept the game going by sinking two free throws with six seconds remaining to make it 82-82. Neither team led by more than three in the second overtime, with Hall again coming to the Knights' rescue. He made two layups in the final 52 seconds of the frame to knot things at 93 and send the teams to a third OT. Few could have predicted 15 minutes of extra basketball after UCF put together a 25-3 first-half run that lifted it to a 38-18 advantage with 2:12 left until the break. LSU responded with seven unanswered points, but the Knights still led comfortably, 40-25, at intermission. Sears finished with a game-high-tying 25 points to go along with nine boards, while Jalen Reed recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Tigers. Carter netted 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey chipped in 14. Johnson collected 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals for UCF. Hall totaled 21 points and 10 boards, and Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 20 points. LSU outshot UCF 43.2 percent to 40.7 percent and had narrow advantages from behind the arc (12 made shots to 10) and the free-throw line (21-18). --Field Level MediaLas Vegas resident birdies the last hole to claim 1st PGA Tour win

Election 2024 key race alerts: We analyse the count contests that matter most

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season, as Mike Tomlin's squad is 8-3 and atop the AFC North through 12 weeks. After a 24-19 defeat to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, Pittsburgh will look to get back in the win column in Week 13 versus the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. One of the primary reasons for the Steelers' success in 2024 has been the play of the offense. Though Arthur Smith's unit has struggled over the last two games, the group has found an identity centered around running back Najee Harris and the rushing attack. Harris is having another solid campaign in 2024, totaling 944 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. The former Alabama standout is the engine of Pittsburgh's offense and is setting himself up for a lucrative payday in free agency this offseason. The Steelers declined Harris' fifth-year option worth $6.79 million in May , setting the stage for the 26-year-old to hit unrestricted free agency in 2025. Though the Steelers could look to re-sign Harris, the 2021 No.24 overall pick will have a competitive market. A plethora of teams will be interested in Harris' services, but during an appearance on the Joe Starkey Show on 93.7 The Fan , The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Brian Batko stated that he believes the Las Vegas Raiders will be a team to look out for in the Najee Harris sweepstakes in the spring. "I think he (Harris), too, wouldn’t mind a fresh start,” Batko said. “The team that I mentioned in my chat the other day when someone asked about him was the Las Vegas Raiders. We all know Marshawn Lynch was his mentor, another Oakland guy. They still have the same agent and stuff like that. They’ll be in the position, I think, to draft a rookie and probably pay a running back. So I think that would be pretty cool if Najee ends up in Vegas next year, I just don’t see him back here." The Raiders would be an intriguing landing spot for Harris, as Las Vegas has one of the worst running back rooms in the NFL and desperately needs a dynamic playmaker at the position. The Raiders will likely select a quarterback in the draft, and providing their presumed young signal-caller with a potent rushing attack would be a logical move from the franchise. Harris isn't an elite player but is a physical, downhill runner who has never missed a game. The Steelers would love to have Harris back, but the team has an adequate replacement for the 2021 Pro Bowler in Jaylen Warren. Pittsburgh could also look to use a Day 2 or Day 3 pick on a running back, so they have a ton of options at their disposal to replace Harris if the two-time National Champion departs the Steel City in the offseason. MORE PITTSBURGH STEELERS NEWS Steelers share thoughts on Hard Knocks: 'I'd rather stay in the shadows' Steelers vs. Bengals injury report has 2 ruled out, 2 questionable, 2 doubtful Will T.J. Watt apologize to Myles Garrett for DPOY tweet? Here's what Steelers star said

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria falloutTheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. Sure, Black Friday sales are a great time to cross people off your holiday shopping list, but it's also a good time to stock up on home essentials for yourself. After all, these are some of the year's best deals and don't happen very often. Take advantage of Amazon's massive Black Friday sale until Nov. 29 at 11:59 PST. You still have plenty of time to shop thousands of incredible deals, but one item you should consider shopping sooner rather than later is the Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier , which is currently 50% off. That means you can add it to your cart for only $150 as opposed to $300 and it's backed by tons of five-star reviews from shoppers who rave about its performance. "I have a better quality of life now," one person wrote. "This is by far the best filter that I have ever had! It's worth the money you pay for it. I have major allergies which often leave me with headaches and congestion. After purchasing this filter my headaches and congestion are significantly reduced." Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier, $150 (was $300) at Amazon Amazon This air purifier accommodates large areas up to 2,340 square feet, making it a stellar choice for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, mudrooms, and basements. It cleans up to 1,170 square feet in just 30 minutes and up to 710 square feet in only 18 minutes, according to the brand. You can adjust the settings manually as needed, or, you can opt for auto mode that automatically selects the proper settings for you depending on the air quality. It uses PM 2.5 monitoring and a laser sensor to provide you with real-time updates on the quality of the air in your home. Related: Amazon is selling an 'amazingly fast' $100 space heater that warms rooms within 'minutes' for only $50 Aside from its quick and efficient functionality, it offers a plethora of other features like 360-degree air circulation, sleep mode, and a 12-hour timer. It uses a powerful filtration system to filter out even the smallest particles in the air including dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke, and other allergens. Among the 1,200 shoppers who have given this machine a five-star rating is one shopper who left a glowing review. "I looked at a lot of air purifiers and read tons of reviews before deciding on this Levoit. It was very easy to set up, directions for use are easy to understand and I love that it's on rollers which makes it very easy to move," they said. "It operates so quietly that you forget it's even running. I suffer from severe allergies and have noticed a dramatic change since running this air purifier! I've had to take allergy medication for years and I've been able to stop taking the medicine and can breathe! It's made a huge difference for me!" With such a big discount, we won't be shocked if the Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier becomes a popular pick that sells out rather quickly. Now is your chance to grab one at only $150.crown89 net slot game 。

What we know about Luigi Mangione, person of interest in UnitedHealthcare CEO's murderCeylinco Holdings announces two new appointments to Board from January

Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI's flagship large language model and a basis for the company's famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji . He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI's willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier , which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn't think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji's family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. —————- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —————-- The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.Making 2024 count economically After years of economic turmoil, Pakistan’s stabilisation efforts began yielding tangible results A man counts dollars and other currency notes. — AFP/File A pivotal year which may become a turning point for Pakistan’s economy, 2024 saw significant progress in achieving macroeconomic stabilisation. The country made strides in controlling inflation, reducing interest rates, and achieving a historic current account surplus. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); These achievements were bolstered by a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrangement that averted a financial crisis and stabilised the balance of payments. However, systemic and structural flaws – excessive taxation, high energy costs, mismanagement in key sectors like agriculture, poor governance of social services, and government-imposed restrictions on the digital economy – continued to undermine sustainable growth and investment. After years of economic turmoil, Pakistan’s stabilization efforts began yielding tangible results. Inflation, which had peaked at 29 per cent in FY 22-23 and 20 per cent in FY 23-24, dropped below 5.0 per cent by November 2024, surpassing the government’s target of 12 per cent. This decline provided significant relief for businesses and consumers. Complementing these improvements, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) implemented aggressive monetary easing, reducing the policy rate from 22 per cent to 13 per cent and lowering interest rates to 12 per cent. These measures are expected to save the government over Rs1.2 trillion in interest costs, easing fiscal pressures and creating space for development initiatives. A noteworthy achievement in 2024 was the government’s decision to avoid budgetary borrowing in the first half of the fiscal year, instead retiring Rs2.03 trillion in debt. This unprecedented step, supported by the SBP’s record profit of Rs3.42 trillion, eased fiscal pressures and unleashed excess liquidity into the banking system. This liquidity, combined with lower interest rates, has created an opportunity to channel funds into productive sectors such as industry, agriculture, and infrastructure. However, realising the potential of this progress depends on decisive government policies and actions to drive job creation and sustainable economic momentum. The current account surplus reached over $730 million in November, marking the fourth consecutive month of surpluses and the largest in nearly a decade. Projections for FY24-25 suggest the surplus could exceed $2 billion, fueled by rising remittances, improved exports, and a stable rupee. These developments spurred significant investment in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the KSE index surging by 80 per cent during the year and market capitalisation expanding substantially. Despite these positive developments, several systemic challenges persist. Excessive taxation remains a significant obstacle. Instead of broadening the tax base or improving compliance, the FY25 budget further increased tax rates, disproportionately burdening businesses and households. This approach discourages investment in the formal sector, stifles economic activity, and fails to address underlying inefficiencies in the revenue system. Similarly, Pakistan’s energy costs remain among the highest globally, making the cost of doing business prohibitively expensive. This undermines the competitiveness of Pakistani goods in international markets and deters foreign and domestic investment. Repeated coercive renegotiations of power purchase agreements have further eroded investor confidence, discouraging the long-term investments needed to address circular debt and energy insecurity. Agriculture, a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economy, also faced significant challenges. Early in 2024, increased wheat production was initially a positive development. However, poor procurement policies (more specifically federal and Punjab governments reluctance to purchase at price they had guaranteed to the farmer) led to a collapse in wheat prices, falling below Rs3000 per maund against the committed minimum price of Rs3900. This caused substantial losses for farmers, many of whom are now expected to shift to alternative crops. Such failures highlight the urgent need for better planning, fair procurement practices, and investments in agricultural technology to ensure food security and protect the livelihoods of rural communities. The digital economy, a vital driver of innovation and growth, was hindered by government-imposed restrictions on internet access and social media platforms. These measures disrupted entrepreneurial activity, discouraged investment, and weakened Pakistan’s position in the global digital economy. In an era defined by technological transformation, such actions have significantly limited the country’s potential to harness digital tools for economic resilience and innovation. Poor governance in social sectors like education, healthcare, and skill development further undermines Pakistan’s long-term growth potential. A lack of investment in these areas has left the country with a workforce ill-equipped to meet the demands of a globalised economy. Education, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, lags behind, restricting opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship. In the same way, inadequate healthcare and insufficient vocational training programmes exacerbate inequality and limit productivity. Political instability and security challenges compound these economic issues. Post-election disputes, allegations of rigging, and controversial constitutional amendments eroded public trust in democratic institutions, creating an environment of uncertainty unattractive to investors. Security concerns, including insurgent violence and militant activities, further disrupt economic activity, particularly in vulnerable regions, and deter foreign direct investment. To transition from stabilisation to sustainable growth, Pakistan must implement bold and comprehensive reforms. Governance reform is crucial for improving efficiency, reducing bureaucracy, and fostering transparency. Streamlining government operations, cutting redundant departments, and ensuring accountability for outcomes will create a more business-friendly environment and restore investor confidence. The tax system must be overhauled to broaden the base, improve compliance, and reduce reliance on high tax rates. Expanding the tax net to include under-taxed sectors and addressing exemptions for influential groups can create a fairer and more effective revenue system. The energy sector requires immediate reform, including major privatisation of generation, transmission and distribution sub-sectors to reduce the role of the public sector, and enhance efficiency and productivity through competition. Transparent, long-term policies must replace ad-hoc measures, encouraging investments in renewable energy and domestic resources like coal. Modernising the power grid and privatising utilities to enhance competition will reduce costs and improve efficiency. Investing in human capital is essential. Prioritising education, vocational training and healthcare will equip Pakistan’s population with the skills needed to compete in a global economy. Special emphasis on STEM education can foster innovation and entrepreneurship, preparing the workforce for the digital transformation of industries. The digital economy offers immense potential for growth. Removing restrictions on internet access and social media platforms is a necessary first step. Beyond this, the government must invest in digital infrastructure and foster public-private partnerships to create a thriving ecosystem for tech-enabled entrepreneurship. Supporting startups with seed funding, incubators, and reduced regulatory hurdles will stimulate innovation and diversify the economy. A strategic focus on adopting artificial intelligence (AI) can further enhance productivity and competitiveness. Agricultural modernisation is also critical. Policies ensuring fair prices to the farmer mainly through market mechanisms, investing in technology, and improving supply chain logistics can stabilise the sector and maximise its potential. Addressing inefficiencies in agriculture will enhance food security and contribute to rural development. While the IMF programme has helped Pakistan in achieving much needed stabilisation, it is important to appreciate that such programmes address immediate crises but fail to tackle systemic issues in governance, taxation, energy policy, and human capital development. Without meaningful structural reforms, the progress achieved in 2024 risks being short-lived. By fostering innovation, investing in its people, and embracing structural reforms, Pakistan can transition from stabilisation to enduring growth. The choices made today will determine whether 2024 becomes a fleeting moment of relief or a foundation for long-term resilience. The stakes have never been higher. The writer is a former managing partner of a leading professional services firm and has done extensive work on governance in the public and private sectors. He tweets/posts @Asad_Ashah

US budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. Bitcoin ticks closer to $100,000 in extended surge following US elections NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, setting another new high above $99,000. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Supreme Court steps into fight over FCC's $8 billion subsidies for internet and phone services WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has stepped into a major legal fight over the $8 billion a year the federal government spends to subsidize phone and internet services in schools, libraries and rural areas, in a new test of federal regulatory power. The justices on Friday agreed to review an appellate ruling that struck down as unconstitutional the Universal Service Fund. The Federal Communications Commission collects money from telecommunications providers, who then pass the cost on to their customers. The Biden administration appealed the lower court ruling, but the case probably won’t be argued until late March. At that point, the Trump administration will be in place and it is not clear whether it will take a different view of the issue. Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, giving the market its fifth gain in a row and notching another record high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Friday. The Dow added 1%, and the Nasdaq composite tacked on 0.2%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts' estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called off its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. European markets closed mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. Australia rejects Elon Musk's claim that it plans to control access to the internet MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian Cabinet minister has rejected X Corp. owner Elon Musk’s allegation that the government intends to control all Australians' access to the internet through legislation that would ban young children from social media. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Friday that Musk’s criticism was “unsurprising” after the government introduced legislation to Parliament that would fine platforms including X up to $133 million for allowing children under 16 to hold social media accounts. The spat continues months of open hostility between the Australian government and the tech billionaire over regulators’ efforts to reduce public harm from social media. Parliament could pass the legislation as soon as next week. Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oil company Phillips 66 has been federally indicted in connection with alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in California. The Texas-based company is accused of discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater containing excessive amounts of oil and grease. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment on Thursday. Phillips is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. An arraignment date has not been set. A spokesperson for the company said it was cooperating with prosecutors. US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. New York judge rejects state efforts to shutter bitcoin mine over climate concerns NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge has rejected an effort by state regulators to shutter a bitcoin mine over concerns about its greenhouse gas emissions. The decision will allow the Greenidge power plant to continue operating in the Finger Lakes region of the state. The state had previously found the gas-powered crypto mine ran afoul of a climate law intended to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But on Thursday, a state Supreme Court judge found Greenidge was entitled to a process to defend its continued operation. Environmental groups have protested the facility, which they allege is pumping emissions into the air while contaminating the nearby Seneca Lake. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. Apple and Google face UK investigation into mobile browser dominance LONDON (AP) — A British watchdog says Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers. The watchdog's report Friday recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year. The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker’s tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. The CMA’s report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers “the clearest or easiest option.” Apple said it disagreed with the findings.By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several private meetings with senators who are being asked to confirm Trump’s unusual nominees . Related Articles National Politics | Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? National Politics | Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next National Politics | In promising to shake up Washington, Trump is in a class of his own National Politics | Election Day has long passed. In some states, legislatures are working to undermine the results National Politics | Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president But the Democrat-turned-Republican Army National Reserve lieutenant colonel delivered a statement in which she reiterated her support for Trump’s America First approach to national security and a more limited U.S. military footprint overseas. “I want to address the issue that’s in the headlines right now: I stand in full support and wholeheartedly agree with the statements that President Trump has made over these last few days with regards to the developments in Syria,” Gabbard said exiting a Senate meeting. The incoming president’s Cabinet and top administrative choices are dividing his Republican allies and drawing concern , if not full opposition, from Democrats and others. Not just Gabbard, but other Trump nominees including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth, were back at the Capitol ahead of what is expected to be volatile confirmation hearings next year. The incoming president is working to put his team in place for an ambitious agenda of mass immigrant deportations, firing federal workers and rollbacks of U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO allies. “We’re going to sit down and visit, that’s what this is all about,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., as he welcomed Gabbard into his office. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary pick Hegseth appeared to be picking up support from once-skeptical senators, the former Army National Guard major denying sexual misconduct allegations and pledging not to drink alcohol if he is confirmed. The president-elect’s choice to lead the FBI, Kash Patel , who has written extensively about locking up Trump’s foes and proposed dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation, launched his first visits with senators Monday. “I expect our Republican Senate is going to confirm all of President Trump’s nominees,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on social media. Despite widespread concern about the nominees’ qualifications and demeanors for the jobs that are among the highest positions in the U.S. government, Trump’s team is portraying the criticism against them as nothing more than political smears and innuendo. Showing that concern, nearly 100 former senior U.S. diplomats and intelligence and national security officials have urged Senate leaders to schedule closed-door hearings to allow for a full review of the government’s files on Gabbard. Trump’s allies have described the criticisms of Hegseth in particular as similar to those lodged against Brett Kavanaugh, the former president’s Supreme Court nominee who denied a sexual assault allegation and went on to be confirmed during Trump’s first term in office. Said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about Hegseth: “Anonymous accusations are trying to destroy reputations again. We saw this with Kavanaugh. I won’t stand for it.” One widely watched Republican, Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, herself a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel and sexual assault survivor who had been criticized by Trump allies for her cool reception to Hegseth, appeared more open to him after their follow-up meeting Monday. “I appreciate Pete Hegseth’s responsiveness and respect for the process,” Ernst said in a statement. Ernst said that following “encouraging conversations,” he had committed to selecting a senior official who will “prioritize and strengthen my work to prevent sexual assault within the ranks. As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.” Ernst also had praise for Patel — “He shares my passion for shaking up federal agencies” — and for Gabbard. Once a rising Democratic star, Gabbard, who represented Hawaii in Congress, arrived a decade ago in Washington, her surfboard in tow, a new generation of potential leaders. She ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020. But Gabbard abruptly left the party and briefly became an independent before joining with Trump’s 2024 campaign as one of his enthusiasts, in large part over his disdain for U.S. involvement overseas and opposition to helping Ukraine battle Russia. Her visit to Syria to meet with then-President Bashar Assad around the time of Trump’s first inauguration during the country’s bloody civil war stunned her former colleagues and the Washington national security establishment. The U.S. had severed diplomatic relations with Syria. Her visit was seen by some as legitimizing a brutal leader who was accused of war crimes. Gabbard has defended the trip, saying it’s important to open dialogue, but critics hear in her commentary echoes of Russia-fueled talking points. Assad fled to Moscow over the weekend after Islamist rebels overtook Syria in a surprise attack, ending his family’s five decades of rule. She said her own views have been shaped by “my multiple deployments and seeing firsthand the cost of war and the threat of Islamist terrorism.” Gabbard said, “It’s one of the many reasons why I appreciate President Trump’s leadership and his election, where he is fully committed, as he has said over and over, to bring about an end to wars.” Last week, the nearly 100 former officials, who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, said in the letter to Senate leaders they were “alarmed” by the choice of Gabbard to oversee all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies. They said her past actions “call into question her ability to deliver unbiased intelligence briefings to the President, Congress, and to the entire national security apparatus.” The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to coordinate the nation’s intelligence agencies and act as the president’s main intelligence adviser. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Octave also added five rebounds for the Seawolves (4-8). Ben Wight shot 4 of 7 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to add 11 points. CJ Luster II shot 3 for 8 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-6) with 15 points, four assists, four steals and two blocks. Jaden Clayton added 15 points, four assists and three steals for Maine. AJ Lopez finished with 13 points and four assists. Stony Brook went into halftime leading Maine 34-30. Octave put up 10 points in the half. Octave led Stony Brook with 14 points in the second half as his team was outscored by two points over the final half but held on for the victory. Both teams next play Sunday. Stony Brook visits Albany (NY) and Maine plays Boston University at home. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary said on Friday on Fox News Channel’s “The Story” that President-elect Donald Trump would take on China with tariffs. O’Leary said, “I think what he’s being concerned about is the goods and services he imports from China. There is going to be tariffs on China that are very aggressive and that’s because we’re in a trade war with China, an economic war with them. The rest of the world is going to be just fine because we have reciprocal tariff agreements. We’ve already negotiated the Canadian and Mexican one and some European countries. We’re at a tilting point, a crossing point with China. And I think Trump is going to take them on as he started to. Remember, Biden didn’t remove the Chinese tariffs. China needs to be dealt with. They are not playing fair. We’re not getting access to their markets. And this is going to be temporary. They’re not sales taxes in perpetuity. They’re not inflationary in perpetuity. You basically raise them very high so the Supreme Leader gets worried about his job. If people start getting unemployed because we’ve not given them access to their markets and tariffs, his head gets squeezed.” He added, “And that’s a good thing because the only way you can save the Supreme Leader is to make sure everybody gets employed. Are they rioting in the streets? That is not a democracy over there and they’re a little weak right now. So I say squeeze them hard and Trump’s gonna do it. I’m okay with all this. I’m not worried about Walmart right now or Target. They’ll live with it. They’ve done it before. We’ve got to get this thing worked out with China now.” Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN

Resettlement of TTP militants: Nation, army paying in blood for one man's errorBALTIMORE (AP) — Toby Nnadozie had 20 points in Coppin State's 68-60 victory against Navy on Saturday. Nnadozie added three steals for the Eagles (1-12). Jonathan Dunn scored 13 points while going 4 of 13 from the floor, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and 4 for 6 from the line and added eight rebounds. Julius Ellerbe had 11 points and shot 3 for 9 (1 for 4 from 3-point range) and 4 of 6 from the free-throw line. The Eagles snapped a 12-game skid. The Midshipmen (3-9) were led in scoring by Austin Benigni, who finished with 23 points. Jinwoo Kim added 13 points and three steals for Navy. Jordan Pennick finished with 10 points. Coppin State took the lead with 3:38 to go in the first half and never looked back. The score was 28-22 at halftime, with Dunn racking up eight points. Coppin State outscored Navy in the second half by two points, with Nnadozie scoring a team-high 13 points after halftime. Coppin State plays Saturday against Georgetown on the road, and Navy visits William & Mary on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Trump threatens BRICS countries of 100% tariff if they drop dollar as currency

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WALLACE & Gromit master-mind Nick Park describes his new film as “Cape Fear with penguins” – and only created it so he could share a fun joke about artificial intelligence. His much-loved animation movie series about the loveable Plasticine pair makes an eagerly awaited Christmas Day return on BBC One after a 16-year hiatus. Sixth film Vengeance Most Fowl will include fun nods to 1991 psychological thriller Cape Fear, starring Robert De Niro , as well as the release from captivity of a former Wallace & Gromit penguin baddie now hell-bent on revenge. But Nick, 66, reveals the inspiration for his festive comeback — featuring eccentric inventor Wallace’s latest creation, AI -generated robotic gnome Norbot — began with a two-word gag. The whole film beganwith a joke...the AI robot was an excuse to have Wallace saying ‘AI, lad!’ to him He explained: “I’ve got too many ideas, although the idea for this one came about accidentally. “It often starts with a joke, a doodle or a sketch — and this time was no different. Creating an AI-generated robot was an excuse to have Wallace saying, ‘AI, lad!’ and we built the whole film around that.” READ MORE FILM NEWS It is 35 years since his movie saga’s first instalment, 1989 short Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out , and Nick added of the latest film: “It is also a kind of love letter to the fans and to the legacy of Wallace and Gromit.” Viewers will see Wallace and Norbot become prime suspects for a crimewave and, while Wallace pleads his innocence, it is up to his loyal beagle Gromit to battle their dastardly penguin nemesis Feathers McGraw. Eureka moment Feathers, confined behind zoo bars for 30 years after Wallace and Gromit turned him over to police in the 1993 Oscar-winning short Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, is now free and plotting to settle a score with the popular pair. Most read in Film Nick revealed Feathers — another of his Plasticine figures, who disguises himself as a chicken by wearing a red rubber glove on his head — was brought back in a eureka moment as the film’s creative aces brainstormed for a new storyline. He said: “It sounds crazy, but it was a lightning strike — there was Feathers McGraw on the shelf. We had a wonderfully motivated villain, someone who was put away by Wallace and Gromit. So it became like Cape Fear with penguins.” “I could never find a good reason or context to bring Feathers back before.” Nick added: “He’s been in the zoo plotting his revenge for years — that’s what made him such a good villain. There’s a real personal edge to it. “You’ve got to love your villains, otherwise you can’t tell their story. “Feathers is that silent, cold, sinister character. I guess it’s the art of minimalism and nuance, and achieving a lot by doing very little. “You just believe in what he’s thinking, that he’s a totally alive, sinister, enigmatic, mysterious villain. “Feathers is perfect for what we needed, he answers all the story problems. That’s what we’ve played on big-time with this film.” Nick also tells how he wanted to bring to kids his own childhood experience of being thrilled watching TV shows such as Doctor Who while hiding nervously behind the sofa. But he added: “Feathers is a fun villain. We never go to very dark places — it’s cartoon level. I used to love being scared as a child, watching Doctor Who while hiding behind the sofa, so this film is a bit scary but hopefully in a way that’s fun.” No character has ever died in the Wallace & Gromit films. Nick said: “We have thought about killing characters off but I try not to go there, so there’s always a chance of redemption.” And the genius movie-maker does not shy away from the issues of the day, including AI. Nick said of his introduction of Norbot: “Wallace and Gromit are still quaintly old-fashioned, with the modern thread of up-to-date tech, but they won’t get totally up to date, ever. “If it’s got any kind of serious message it’s really just a question of, ‘Is technology actually taking something away from our human experience or is it enhancing?’.” Following a hugely successful promotional tour of the US, globally renowned Nick has returned home to Preston, Lancs , where he was born to a seamstress mum and architectural photographer dad. He insists he has never forgotten his roots nor been seduced by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood . Nick said: “I never thought playing with Plasticine would lead to going to Tinseltown.” And he added of his animation characters: “I sometimes have to pinch myself when I hear people on TV reeling off their names, thinking, ‘I just thought of those as a stupid idea as a student, but now they’re like a household name and people quote them all the time’. The warmth for these characters is incredible.” Nick will watch the Christmas Day special at home with his family in Preston, over a glass of wine and a hot mince pie with cream — like so many of us. He said: “It’s very much part of my Christmas tradition. I’ll be with my wife and stepson, and we’ll be sitting down to watch it. After that, I’ll have a long lie down.” He cannot wait to see on screen the results of an 18-month labour of love for him and a team that includes 35 animators. He said: “People often say, ‘You must need a lot of patience for animation’ . . . which is true. ‘Sad loss of Peter’ “If we had a good week, we’d film about a minute of the film. “I always think it’s more your loved ones and your friends that need the patience, because they kind of lose you for a while.” He added of the sure-fire ratings sensation: “Watching when it’s going out live, you feel like you’re watching along with everyone else. “It’s important, going back to the days when we all watched the same things on telly and talked about them. Wallace & Gromit appeals to such an age range. Grandparents and children can watch it together. I love the idea that it brings families together.” But it will not be the only TV he will look out for this Christmas. Nick said: “I’ll also be watching Gavin & Stacey , Doctor Who, and Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing — one of my favourite programmes, as I love the banter.” Poignantly, the new film will also feature the new voice of cheese-loving Wallace, Ben Whitehead, as he replaces veteran actor Peter Sallis who died in 2017 aged 96. Peter had played the role since Nick wrote to him while a student in 1983, and the star agreed to work on A Grand Day Out in return for a £50 charity donation. He went on to appear in all the other Wallace & Gromit films — The Wrong Trousers, 1995’s A Close Shave, 2005’s The Curse of The Were-Rabbit and 2008’s A Matter Of Loaf And Death, as well as video games and ads. But when Peter’s eyesight began to make it hard to read his words, he sometimes asked Ben to step in. Nick said: “We’ve been so blessed, since the sad loss of Peter, that the character can live on. It’s very much a tribute — and his were very big shoes to step into. “We’ve known Ben for years — he started off playing a background villager in The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, and we discovered he could do a fantastic mimic of Wallace.” He added of filming the latest movie: “Ben is so attentive to the way Peter did everything, so it was the most eerie feeling, as he would start chatting in character, just the way Peter did. “He’d studied him so much and has it down to a tee. I wonder if audiences will tell the difference.” Nick also hopes fans will enjoy new creations including Norbot, voiced by Reece Shearsmith. Nick also persuaded Peter Kay to reprise the part he played in Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, as PC Albert Mackintosh. Laughing, Nick said of Peter’s screen character, “He’s been promoted, he’s Chief Inspector now,” and added: “Peter has been brilliant He’s a comic legend and to have him say yes is such an honour.” The film also features cameos from Philomena Cunk comic Diane Morgan and Sir Lenny Henry , and Nick said: “At the end of the day I just want to entertain people, make people laugh and to feel they’ve had a really great time with the characters.” So can we also expect another film after Vengeance Most Fowl? Well, Nick has no plans to call time. He said: “If you’ve got that creative impulse you can’t just put your feet up. READ MORE SUN STORIES “You want to keep trying new things, and Wallace and Gromit keep offering new opportunities so I’ve got no intention of retiring just yet.” Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is on Christmas Day at 6.10pm, BBC OneGuest Column | Dowry deaths: The desensitisation of society to silent suffering

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Toward the end of the second session of the Synod on Synodality, Pope Francis released his fourth encyclical titled Dilexit Nos (DN), or He Loved Us in English. The encyclical is centered on the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ. “The heart of Christ, as the symbol of the deepest and most personal source of his love for us, is the very core of the initial preaching of the Gospel. It stands at the origin of our faith, as the wellspring that refreshes and enlivens our Christian beliefs.” (DN 32) During the presentation of the document, Italian theologian Archbishop Bruno Forte explained that the encyclical expresses “in a profound way the heart and the inspiring motive of the whole ministry and magisterium of Pope Francis.” Furthermore, he adds that the text is “the key to understanding this Pope’s magisterium.” The encyclical is not merely another spiritual treatise unrelated to the magisterial teachings of the Pope. The Pope himself states in the encyclical that “the present document can help us see that the teaching of the social encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Fratelli Tutti is not unrelated to our encounter with the love of Jesus Christ.” (DN 217) Love, mercy, and works for ecological and social justice are all intrinsically intertwined. The Pope laments the contemporary situation wherein there seems to be no room for the heart. The heart is devalued in today’s “ liquid world ,” meaning a fluid, dynamic, and unchanging world, an expression first coined by the sociologist Zygmunt Baumann. Citing Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis observes that men and women today “find themselves confused and torn apart, almost bereft of an inner principle that can create unity and harmony in their lives and actions.” (DN 9) But the heart can unite our fragmentary world. Even in anthropology and philosophy, with its concepts of rationalism and of materialism, the tendency is to value human intellect, will, and freedom over the heart due to its imprecision. “Many people feel safer constructing their systems of thought in the more readily controllable domain of intelligence and will.” (DN 10) It’s easier to rationalize than to embrace and be attuned to one’s feelings — an interior experience. Didn’t the prophet Jeremiah proclaim, “More tortuous than anything is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NABRE) On the ‘Gold-Crowned Jesus’ Applying this to our relationship with Jesus Christ, our religious attitudes can reify Jesus Christ. If our relationship with Jesus is highly doctrinal and dogmatic, our Christian faith becomes fragmented as we separate Jesus Christ from our humanity. As a result, our image of Jesus becomes that of the “Gold-Crowned Jesus,” first depicted by the Korean Christian writer Kim Chi Ha in her play of the same title. Jesus becomes impersonal and too abstract for us. This distorted image of Jesus “seems to understand the misery of the people but does not seem to be affected by it. He is beyond the history of the people. It makes no difference whether God had once entered human history or not, if this history does not continue to be a part of his divine life,” elaborates the Indian theologian Jacob Parappally, MSFS . Criticizing a frozen religion lacking in personal religiosity, Parappally considers the “Gold-Crowned Jesus” as “the Christ of religion” for “he is just another god. He is not the real suffering Jesus of the poor.” Therefore, Jesus Christ is confined to the academic speculations and discourses of theologians and the institutional Church distancing him from human realities. The Pope doesn’t see the rejection of the humanity of Jesus by trapping him inside our conceptual and sophisticated categories as a problem in the past and concerning theologians only. As he states in the same encyclical, “in our societies, we are also seeing a proliferation of varied forms of religiosity that have nothing to do with a personal relationship with the God of love, but are new manifestations of a disembodied spirituality.” (DN 87) What is urgently needed as an antidote to this “disembodied spirituality” manifested in the image of the “Gold-Crowned Jesus” is no other than “The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.” Jesus in his full humanity and divinity has a heart. The Pope beautifully writes: “ The eternal Son of God, in his utter transcendence, chose to love each of us with a human heart. His human emotions became the sacrament of that infinite and endless love. His heart, then, is not merely a symbol for some disembodied spiritual truth. In gazing upon the Lord’s heart, we contemplate a physical reality, his human flesh, which enables him to possess genuine human emotions and feelings, like ourselves, albeit fully transformed by his divine love. ” (DN 60) Almost six decades ago before the publication of this encyclical, Vatican II’s pastoral document titled Gaudium et Spes affirmed with poetic language the real and tangible humanity of Jesus Christ: “ For by His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every man. He worked with human hands, He thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, He has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin. ” Rediscovering the Sacred Heart Lest we neglect and forget the human love of Jesus Christ, Pope Francis is calling us to rediscover and return to the richness and centrality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “ We must never forget that the image of the heart speaks to us of the flesh and of earthly realities. In this way, it points us to the God who wished to become one of us, a part of our history, and a companion on our earthly journey .” (DN 58) God’s love in Jesus is not abstract. In a fragmentary world, the Sacred Heart of Jesus is capable of uniting unnecessary dichotomies such as sacred and profane, spirituality and world, and most importantly, God and humans. In promoting the theology and spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Francis is drinking from the wells of Ignatian spirituality which is fondly called a “spirituality of the heart.” “ The spirituality of the Society of Jesus has always proposed an ‘interior knowledge of the Lord in order to love and follow him more fully .’” (DN 144) The grace of the Second Week of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola is to know Jesus Christ interiorly or, in other words, to gain an intimate “heart knowledge” of Jesus Christ. At the beginning of the Spiritual Exercises, Saint Ignatius writes this essential principle as a guide in cultivating a Christ-centered spirituality: “ It is not much knowing that fills and satisfies the soul, but feeling [sentir] and savoring things internally .” Dean Brackley, SJ , unpacks the nuances and multidimensionality of Ignatius’ use of the Spanish verb sentir : “... sentir means both feeling and understanding. Interior knowledge is experiential knowledge, involving intellect, imagination, will, the ‘affections,’ even action.” To know Jesus Christ for Ignatius is not just to know facts about him, not just the intellectual study of Christology, but a personal and heart-felt knowledge which transforms one to be a disciple of Jesus after feeling his deep human and divine love. “The theology underlying the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola is based on ‘affection’ ( affectus ). The structure of the Exercises assumes a firm and heartfelt desire to ‘rearrange’ one’s life, a desire that in turn provides the strength and the wherewithal to achieve that goal. The rules and the compositions of place that Ignatius furnishes are in the service of something much more important, namely, the mystery of the human heart.” (DN 24) Encountering Jesus When I did my Spiritual Exercises during my novitiate at Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, my retreat master asked me during the Second Week (contemplating the life and mission of Jesus Christ) to pray for the grace to appreciate Jesus’ humanity – to encounter him with my heart. For so long, I’ve been primarily relating with Jesus Christ through reading theology books and articles. I mistakenly equated “ knowing about Christ ” with “ knowing Christ .” Until I realized in my prayers and reflection that it is not enough to study Jesus Christ who is also fully human. Echoing Pope Francis, I am reminded that “it is essential to realize that our relationship to the Person of Jesus Christ is one of friendship and adoration, drawn by the love represented under the image of his heart.” (DN 49) Let me end by mentioning the six Jesuit priests of the University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador, Ignacio Ellacuría, Ignacio Martín-Baró, Segundo Montes, Juan Ramón Moreno, Joaquín López y López, and Amando López, who were brutally assassinated by the military government together with their domestic worker Elba Ramos and her 16 year-old daughter Celina Ramos on November 16, 1989. This year is the 35th anniversary of their martyrdom for the cause of the Reign of God. These Jesuit witnesses who worked in the academe exemplified what it means to know Jesus from the depths of the heart. In spite of their intellectual mission in the university that is indeed heady, they immersed themselves in society, in suffering humanity, touching the hearts of people and bringing the liberating mission of the Gospel. For the Jesuit theologian Jon Sobrino, in his memoir Theology Without Deception , and a fellow Jesuit of UCA who was saved from the assassination since he was out of the country, their fundamental legacy is “they allowed themselves to be drawn and carried strongly by Jesus and by the poor.” In our world today which devalues the heart, we are all invited to be “drawn and carried strongly” by the divine and human love of Jesus Christ so that we can finally “turn... to the heart of Christ, that core of his being, which is a blazing furnace of divine and human love and the most sublime fulfilment to which humanity can aspire. There, in that heart, we truly come at last to know ourselves and we learn how to love.” (DN 30) – Rappler.com Kevin Stephon Centeno is a Jesuit scholastic. Born in Oriental Mindoro, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and spent five years of seminary formation at Saint Augustine Seminary in Calapan City. His views do not represent the position of the entire Society of Jesus.Packed meeting discusses next steps to defend the CFMEU

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have signed closer Jordan Romano to a one-year contract, making a short-term bet that the right-hander can return to form following a right elbow injury. The Phillies announced the deal on Monday. They did not provide the terms of the agreement, but it is reportedly worth $8.5 million. An All-Star in 2022 and 2023, Romano spent the first six seasons of his major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays. He has 105 career saves and a 2.90 ERA in 231 relief appearances. Of the 17 pitchers in the majors with at least 100 save opportunities since 2019, Romano’s 88.98% save percentage ranks second, trailing only Josh Hader (187 for 210, 89.04%). Among all pitchers in baseball since 2019, Romano’s 105 saves rank ninth. The 31-year-old Romano was limited to just eight saves in 15 games last season. He had arthroscopic surgery on his elbow in July. Romano's arrival could lead to the departures of one or both of Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman from Philadelphia. The former All-Star relievers both closed games for the Phillies last season but each suffered epic meltdowns in the postseason. Both pitchers are free agents. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlbANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Johnny Zuagar said he tried to hide his worries about a potential government shutdown from his three boys as he weighed how much to spend on Christmas presents. “I’ve got to keep a poker face,” Zuagar, a statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau, said when thinking about his boys, ages 14, 12 and 6. “You’re just trying to take that worry off of your family.” Like thousands of federal workers, Zuagar had been navigating the holidays with the spirit of the season overtaken by an air of gloom and uncertainty. The efforts in Congress to reach an agreement on keeping the government open had cast a cloud over the holidays for many federal workers facing the prospect of furloughs in the days before Christmas. But Congress passed a three-month spending bill early Saturday, just after the midnight deadline, and President Joe Biden signed it into law hours later. There was no shutdown. Many federal workers were already anxious about the possibility of future workforce reductions under the incoming Trump administration. Zuagar, who is president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2782, which represents federal workers at the census, has lived through shutdowns before. This time, the uncertainty came as Trump and his allies have promised sweeping cuts in the federal workforce. “We really don’t know anymore," Zuagar said during a telephone interview Friday. “Again, the rhetoric out there is that federal employees are the problem.” The contentiousness of the current debate has left him wondering: "Are we the scapegoat for every ill and grievance in America?" He said federal workers are also worried about what will happen after Trump takes office. “They’re fearful of what’s to come, like this is the beginning of something, or they don’t care about us," Zuagar said. Jesus Soriano, president of the AFGE Local 3403 representing workers at the National Science Foundation and several other agencies, also said the budget clash felt different this time around. “Americans need to decide what type of services the government should provide, whether we are talking about national security, the safety of our borders, the safety of our food, Social Security or others," Soriano said in an interview in Chevy Chase, Maryland.In the current session, Universal Display Inc. OLED is trading at $150.69, after a 0.10% drop. Over the past month, the stock fell by 10.11% , and in the past year, by 20.74% . With performance like this, long-term shareholders are more likely to start looking into the company's price-to-earnings ratio. A Look at Universal Display P/E Relative to Its Competitors The P/E ratio measures the current share price to the company's EPS. It is used by long-term investors to analyze the company's current performance against it's past earnings, historical data and aggregate market data for the industry or the indices, such as S&P 500. A higher P/E indicates that investors expect the company to perform better in the future, and the stock is probably overvalued, but not necessarily. It also could indicate that investors are willing to pay a higher share price currently, because they expect the company to perform better in the upcoming quarters. This leads investors to also remain optimistic about rising dividends in the future. Compared to the aggregate P/E ratio of the 59.02 in the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry, Universal Display Inc. has a lower P/E ratio of 30.29 . Shareholders might be inclined to think that the stock might perform worse than it's industry peers. It's also possible that the stock is undervalued. In conclusion, the price-to-earnings ratio is a useful metric for analyzing a company's market performance, but it has its limitations. While a lower P/E can indicate that a company is undervalued, it can also suggest that shareholders do not expect future growth. Additionally, the P/E ratio should not be used in isolation, as other factors such as industry trends and business cycles can also impact a company's stock price. Therefore, investors should use the P/E ratio in conjunction with other financial metrics and qualitative analysis to make informed investment decisions. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Ruby Edwards, Chairwoman of the OCSD Board of Trustees, has once again gifted students in District 6. On Dec. 17, she surprised students at Edisto Primary, Mellichamp, and Sheridan Elementary Schools with Christmas presents. Edwards and her community partners—Paragon Builders, Bowleggin Consulting LLC, Accent Consulting Group, Paragon Development, and Orangeburg County Councilwoman Deloris Frazier— treated OCSD students to gift cards. Mellichamp Elementary School Principal, Dr. Latoya Glen, expressed appreciation for the kindness shown to Mellichamp. "We are incredibly thankful to Chair Edwards and her generous partners for bringing such joy to our students during this magical season,” she said. “We are truly blessed to have dedicated leaders and community partners who give so selflessly to uplift our Champions at Mellichamp." During the presentations, Edwards encouraged the students and celebrated the role of community partners in the event. “We feel incredibly lucky to bring happiness to some of OCSD's children during this wonderful time of year,” Chair Edwards exclaimed. “This is my seventh annual Christmas celebration in District Six, and just the look of joy on one student’s face makes all the effort worthwhile!” Meanwhile, during their Dec. 17 holiday celebration, the Orangeburg County School District’s (OCSD) Communication and Technology Division members donated coats, hats, socks, and toys to the Orangeburg Salvation Army. Rather than exchanging gifts among colleagues, members of the department were encouraged to purchase items that could bring comfort and joy to local families in need. “Our work as a school district doesn’t stop at the classroom,” said Dr. Erica S. Taylor, Assistant Superintendent of Communications, Business & Community Partnerships. “This initiative reminds us all that it’s better to give than to receive. By stepping outside of ourselves and giving to others, we not only bring smiles to families but strengthen the bond between our district and the community we proudly serve.” Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.Western Executives Think The NBA Will Eliminate Conferences After The Next ExpansionShare Tweet Share Share Email The crypto world is always full of innovation, and the opportunities for early investors seem endless. Every now and then, a project redefines how we think about blockchain technology, creating a ripple effect across the industry. While projects like Tron and Cronos have made significant strides in building robust ecosystems, there’s a rising star in the blockchain world that’s turning heads— Qubetics ($TICS). With a visionary approach to interoperability and a presale that’s breaking records, Qubetics is setting itself apart as the best crypto to buy now for investors. This article dives into the game-changing potential of Qubetics alongside insights into Tron and Cronos, giving you a well-rounded perspective on the future of blockchain. Qubetics: Unlocking Blockchain’s Full Potential In today’s blockchain space, most networks feel like isolated islands. You’ve got Ethereum doing its thing, Binance Smart Chain over here, and other blockchains all operating separately. Sure, they’re powerful, but this fragmentation creates real issues—especially for developers and businesses trying to connect the dots. Cross-chain transactions? Painfully slow. Data sharing? Even worse. Qubetics changes the game by becoming a Web3-aggregated chain that unifies these siloed networks into one powerful, interoperable framework. Imagine a world where assets move seamlessly between blockchains, data flows without friction, and decentralised apps actually talk to each other. That’s what Qubetics is building—a system that enhances interoperability, fosters collaboration, and unlocks the true potential of decentralised technology. For developers, enterprises, and users alike, this is the bridge the blockchain world has been waiting for. Tron: The Blockchain for Decentralized Entertainment Tron has carved a niche for itself by focusing on the entertainment and content-sharing sectors of blockchain. Its high throughput and low fees make it a popular choice for developers building decentralised apps (dApps). Tron eliminates middlemen by enabling direct transactions between content creators and consumers, fostering a more equitable ecosystem. Tron stands out in the crowded crypto landscape with its scalable infrastructure and innovative features. Cronos: Bridging DeFi and Payments Cronos has positioned itself as a blockchain that seamlessly bridges the gap between decentralised finance (DeFi) and traditional payments. It’s built to support scalable, fast, and affordable transactions, making it a favourite for both developers and enterprises. With its unique integration with the Crypto.com ecosystem, Cronos brings the convenience of everyday crypto payments to life while also powering cutting-edge DeFi applications. Qubetics Presale: The Numbers Speak for Themselves Here’s where it gets exciting. Qubetics is currently in Presale Phase 10, and it’s nothing short of thrilling. Each phase brings a 10% price hike, culminating in a whopping 20% increase in the final stage. Right now, $TICS tokens are a steal at just $0.025. Over $3.8 million has already been raised, with 4600+ holders and 239 million tokens sold. The best part? The post-presale target price is $0.25 per token, meaning early adopters are looking at a jaw-dropping 900% ROI. But wait—it gets crazier. Analysts are buzzing with predictions: If $TICS hits $10, a modest $100 investment could explode to $40,000—that’s a 39,000% ROI. If the token climbs to $15, that same $100 could skyrocket to $60,000, delivering an incredible 59,900% ROI. Think about it. Could this be the best crypto to buy now? With presale momentum like this, it sure feels like a no-brainer. But time’s ticking, and with the next phase right around the corner, prices won’t stay this low for long. Don’t miss your chance to be part of a project that’s rewriting blockchain history. Conclusion As the crypto market continues to evolve, picking the best crypto to buy now becomes both an art and a science. Tron and Cronos have proven themselves as innovative platforms with strong use cases, but the buzz around Qubetics is impossible to ignore. Its visionary approach to interoperability, combined with an explosive presale offering unparalleled ROI potential, makes it a standout opportunity for early adopters. Analysts predict life-changing gains for Qubetics, with some envisioning a future where modest investments turn into fortunes. The presale momentum, groundbreaking technology, and sheer excitement surrounding $TICS tokens make it clear: Qubetics isn’t just another crypto—it’s the one everyone will be talking about. Don’t wait. Get in on the presale now and be part of something truly transformative. For More Information: Qubetics: https://qubetics.com Telegram: https://t.me/qubetics Twitter: https://x.com/qubetics Related Items: Blockchain , Qubetics Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Is Lightchain Protocol AI the Next PEPE Coin? How This New Blockchain Could Rival Meme Coins Like “Just a Chill Guy” Why BTFD Coin’s Presale Boom Is the Top Choice Among the Best Meme Coin Presales to Buy for 2025 With Popcat and Dogs BlockDAG (BDAG) or Flockerz (FLOCK): Find Your Top Presale Opportunity for Black Friday Gains Comments

Gaetz saga moves toward final act in HouseNoneTheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. Sure, Black Friday sales are a great time to cross people off your holiday shopping list, but it's also a good time to stock up on home essentials for yourself. After all, these are some of the year's best deals and don't happen very often. Take advantage of Amazon's massive Black Friday sale until Nov. 29 at 11:59 PST. You still have plenty of time to shop thousands of incredible deals, but one item you should consider shopping sooner rather than later is the Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier , which is currently 50% off. That means you can add it to your cart for only $150 as opposed to $300 and it's backed by tons of five-star reviews from shoppers who rave about its performance. "I have a better quality of life now," one person wrote. "This is by far the best filter that I have ever had! It's worth the money you pay for it. I have major allergies which often leave me with headaches and congestion. After purchasing this filter my headaches and congestion are significantly reduced." Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier, $150 (was $300) at Amazon Amazon This air purifier accommodates large areas up to 2,340 square feet, making it a stellar choice for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, mudrooms, and basements. It cleans up to 1,170 square feet in just 30 minutes and up to 710 square feet in only 18 minutes, according to the brand. You can adjust the settings manually as needed, or, you can opt for auto mode that automatically selects the proper settings for you depending on the air quality. It uses PM 2.5 monitoring and a laser sensor to provide you with real-time updates on the quality of the air in your home. Related: Amazon is selling an 'amazingly fast' $100 space heater that warms rooms within 'minutes' for only $50 Aside from its quick and efficient functionality, it offers a plethora of other features like 360-degree air circulation, sleep mode, and a 12-hour timer. It uses a powerful filtration system to filter out even the smallest particles in the air including dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke, and other allergens. Among the 1,200 shoppers who have given this machine a five-star rating is one shopper who left a glowing review. "I looked at a lot of air purifiers and read tons of reviews before deciding on this Levoit. It was very easy to set up, directions for use are easy to understand and I love that it's on rollers which makes it very easy to move," they said. "It operates so quietly that you forget it's even running. I suffer from severe allergies and have noticed a dramatic change since running this air purifier! I've had to take allergy medication for years and I've been able to stop taking the medicine and can breathe! It's made a huge difference for me!" With such a big discount, we won't be shocked if the Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier becomes a popular pick that sells out rather quickly. Now is your chance to grab one at only $150.Ancient Roman home — and luxurious decorations — uncovered in France. See elite finds

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have signed closer Jordan Romano to a one-year contract, making a short-term bet that the right-hander can return to form following a right elbow injury. The Phillies announced the deal on Monday. They did not provide the terms of the agreement, but it is reportedly worth $8.5 million. An All-Star in 2022 and 2023, Romano spent the first six seasons of his major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays. He has 105 career saves and a 2.90 ERA in 231 relief appearances. Of the 17 pitchers in the majors with at least 100 save opportunities since 2019, Romano’s 88.98% save percentage ranks second, trailing only Josh Hader (187 for 210, 89.04%). Among all pitchers in baseball since 2019, Romano’s 105 saves rank ninth. The 31-year-old Romano was limited to just eight saves in 15 games last season. He had arthroscopic surgery on his elbow in July. Romano's arrival could lead to the departures of one or both of Carlos Estévez and Jeff Hoffman from Philadelphia. The former All-Star relievers both closed games for the Phillies last season but each suffered epic meltdowns in the postseason. Both pitchers are free agents. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlbAndrew Luck returns to Stanford as the GM of the football programSydney Thomas reveals Jake Paul's four-word message to her during Mike Tyson fight