Sun Devil snub: Cam Skattebo not named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy80jili 。

Dallas (5-8) at Carolina (3-10) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX. BetMGM Odds: Panthers by 3. Against the spread: Cowboys 4-9, Panthers 6-7. Series record: Cowboys lead 11-3. Last meeting: Cowboys beat Panthers 33-10 on Nov. 19, 2023 in Carolina. Last week: Cowboys lost to Bengals 27-20; Panthers lost to Eagles 22-16. Cowboys offense: overall (20), rush (28), pass (11), scoring (21) Cowboys defense: overall (25), rush (30), pass (22), scoring (31) Panthers offense: overall (30), rush (22), pass (27), scoring (28) Panthers defense: overall (31), rush (32), pass (12), scoring (32) Turnover differential: Cowboys minus-8; Panthers minus-5. Panthers edge rusher Micah Parsons vs. Panthers offensive line. Parsons seems to be getting better as the season progresses and will be a tough matchup for Carolina's offensive line regardless of where he lines up. Parsons has 3 1/2 sacks over his past three games. WR Adam Thielen. The veteran wide receiver was Bryce Young's favorite option last season and is finally developing into that again this season after battling back from a hamstring injury that left him on injured reserve. Thielen has 17 catches on 21 targets for 201 yards and a touchdown over the past two games. When the Panthers need a first down on fourth down, the pass is almost always going to Thielen. Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle vs. NFL's worst run defense. Dowdle has had the first two 100-yard outings of his career the past two weeks, resetting his career best both times. The undrafted fifth-year player on an expiring contract had 131 yards in the loss to the Bengals. Since taking over as the lead back at the start of November, Dowdle is averaging 16 carries and 81 yards with a touchdown rushing and another receiving. On Sunday, he will face the league’s 32nd-ranked run defense. Carolina allowed Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley to run for 124 yards last week and Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving to run for a career-high 152 yards the week before that. The Panthers are allowing more than 170 yards per game on the ground and 4.97 yards per carry. Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown was set for season-ending surgery on the right knee he injured in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Bengals. The second-year player from Texas missed all of his rookie season after tearing a ligament in his left knee in a preseason game. ... DE DeMarcus Lawrence, who hasn’t played since Week 4, is close to returning from a foot injury. With the playoff hopes all but gone, the question remains whether to press the 32-year-old into action. Lawrence is on an expiring contract. ... Rookie C Cooper Beebe sustained a concussion against Cincinnati.. ... The Panthers are hoping to get WR Jalen Coker back on the field this week after he has missed the past three games with a quad injury. ... Also, No. 1 CB Jaycee Horn has been playing with a groin injury, and that could be problematic against CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys are 7-2 against the Panthers since losing a wild-card game at Carolina 29-10 during the 2003 season, the first of Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells’ four years leading Dallas. The Cowboys are 4-2 on the road this season, including victories over playoff contenders Pittsburgh and Washington. ... QB Cooper Rush is 2-3 filling in for Dak Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. Assuming Rush starts, this will be his longest stint as Prescott’s replacement. He went 4-1 in 2022 after Prescott broke the thumb on his throwing hand in the opener. ... Dowdle’s 7.3-yard average per carry on 18 attempts against the Bengals was the highest for a Dallas back since Ezekiel Elliott averaged 7.9 per carry at Philadelphia in 2018. ... WR CeeDee Lamb has just one 100-yard receiving game this season after finishing with eight in his breakout 2023 All-Pro season. But Lamb has five other games with at least 89 yards. He has reached 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first five seasons, the fifth receiver to do that. ... S Malik Hooker’s interception of Joe Burrow was his second of the season. He has seven interceptions in his four Dallas seasons. He also had seven in four years with Indianapolis, where he spent four injury-filled years as a 2017 first-round draft pick. ... The Panthers have endured six straight seasons with at least 10 losses. ... Carolina’s past five games have come down to the last possession. ... Panthers 1,000-yard RB Chuba Hubbard needs one rushing touchdown to pass Stephen Davis for fifth in team history. He is also 9 rushing yards away from reaching 3,000 for his career. ... Rookie WR Xavier Legette had three drops last week vs. the Eagles, including one for a potential go-ahead score in the final minute. ... OLB Jadeveon Clowney is tied for 11th in sacks among active NFL players. ... The Panthers have 15 sacks in the past four games. Carolina’s improved pass rush has coincided with OLB D.J. Wonnum getting on the field after missing the first nine games of the season on injured reserve. Chuba Hubbard is expected to see the overwhelming majority of carries for the Panthers, who are now thin at the position. Miles Sanders and Jonathon Brooks are on injured reserve and Raheem Blackshear is working through a chest injury. That leaves Mike Boone as the Hubbard's backup. NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

NVIDIA Co. (NASDAQ:NVDA) Position Lessened by WealthPLAN Partners LLC

News Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Inner-city suburbs outperformed market expectations in 2024 as Cairns property prices climbed, but there are still bargains to be found heading into the new year, if you know where to look. Skyrocketing rents and low vacancy rates have pushed many buyers to enter the real estate market for the first time, according to agents, which has contributed to steady growth across the Far North. CoreLogic data shows the median house price in the Cairns local government area grew by 6.25 per cent in the year leading up to the end of the March quarter, with a median annual sales price of $595,000. Regional Queensland has also experienced the biggest net change in million-dollar suburbs across regional markets, according to the latest CoreLogic Million-Dollar Markets report, with Goldsborough ($1,067,791) and Palm Cove ($1,022,096) both making the list. But real estate agents say whether you’re renting, buying or selling there is still value to be found in the Far North. SELLERS Champions in Real Estate sales adviser and negotiator David Galloway-Penney said apartments in the previously overlooked inner-city suburbs had experienced a boom year. “If you’re a seller of an apartment, you’ve done very well in the last 12 months,” Mr Galloway-Penney said. “Some of the inner-city and surrounds such as Parramatta Park, Cairns North, Westcourt and Bungalow have seen over 30 per cent growth in their values in the last 12 months. “We’ve got such a constrained rental market that it’s just pushing people into buying as opposed to being able to rent.” House prices followed a similar trajectory with inner-city suburbs like Manunda, Mooroobool, and Westcourt all performing well. Mr Galloway-Penney said he would have his eyes set on these suburbs leading into 2025. “I would really be looking out for Bungalow and Westcourt next year, those really inner-city suburbs ... I think they are going to go nuts.” “I’ve got one property that I sold recently in Bungalow, which sold only 12 months ago for 605,000 and it’s back under contract for 699,000 in less than 12 months.” “They’ve done nothing to the property, but there’s such a strong demand.” Champions in Real Estate sales agent David Galloway-Penney, pictured at his Earlville home with his West Highland Terrier Cross Rev. Picture: Brendan Radke BUYERS For the past few years Cairns has been dealing with the hangover of a Covid property boom, during which high numbers of southern buyers looking for a sea change put pressure on supply and drove up prices. But the tide has turned somewhat and in 2024 agents say there was a larger proportion of locally-based buyers snapping up both family homes and investment properties. Twomey Schriber Property Group sales adviser Daniel Roser estimated four times as many clients were looking for an investment property compared to 2023. “A lot of people in Covid were looking to upgrade their lifestyle and move into bigger, nicer homes,” Mr Roser said. “This year, our big focus was a lot of investment properties ... I’d have to say about 40 per cent of my sales were to investors, which was a pretty large portion of the market.” South Cairns suburbs like Gordonvale are tipped to provide the best value for buyers heading into 2025. The pictured property is 29 Moller Street, Gordonvale available through Cairns Property Office. Despite competition from investors, Mr Roser said there was still great value on offer for families in the south of Cairns. “Bentley Park, Edmonton, Gordonvale, all went very well, just due to good entry and price points,” Mr Roser said. “You can still get brand new homes at around $500,000, which is just really good value for money.” Mr Galloway-Penney said those looking for an investment property should also consider broadening their scope. “Innisfail has been touted as one of the fastest-growing regional economies in Queensland from agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a big boom suburb for investors. “Next year I would be looking at potentially investing into Innisfail.” RENTERS For renters, 2024 was a grim year, with the region’s vacancy rates staying at less than 1 per cent and prices rising. But Mr Galloway-Penney was optimistic a shift away from holiday rentals could free up supply. “I feel the Airbnb market is starting to drop off a bit ... the owners that are currently owning Airbnb’s are transferring a lot of stock into permanent rentals,” Mr Galloway-Penney said. “I still think there’s good value from rents in the inner-city areas like Cairns North, even Cairns CBD, value for money-wise, you’re getting some beautiful units in the city that are renting out quite well. “Even Edge Hill and Whitfield are still quite affordable suburbs to rent in, you can still pick up a two-bedroom apartment in Edge Hill for $500 a week.” The Cairns rental market has become increasingly tight in recent years as low vacancy rates and increased Airbnb numbers have limited options. Despite the market some high end suburbs like Edge Hill still have affordable options for renters. The pictured property is 318 Pease Street, Edge Hill and is available to rent through Twomey Schriber Property Group. Despite the value in some suburbs Mr Galloway-Penney admitted the market was still tough and suggested renters be as organised as they could be to get ahead. “Look, it’s slim pickings ... we’re still under 1 per cent for vacancy rates at the moment,” Mr Galloway-Penney said. “Come ready to go with pre-written reference letters from previous landlords or property managers and come in with all your documentation .... and make sure you’re available to attend inspections. “It is really tough for a property manager to get a gauge on a viable tenant without being able to meet them.” Originally published as A year in review: Real estate agents share their thoughts on 2024 and top tips for next year More related stories News ‘Like coming to a friend’s house’: Hundreds enjoy community lunch More than 500 people from all walks of life gathered on to share a meal and a chat at the annual Cairns Community Christmas Lunch. Read more Cairns Mine worker sentenced for possession of ‘worst category’ of child abuse material A man who worked in The Cape Flattery sand mines as a cultural officer has been sentenced in Cairns District Court after he was caught multiple times with dozens of images of child sexual abuse on his phone, despite being previously convicted of the same offence. Read more

Everhart Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 8.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 182,853 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after buying an additional 14,868 shares during the period. NVIDIA makes up 4.9% of Everhart Financial Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd largest holding. Everhart Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $22,206,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in NVIDIA by 884.0% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 213,127,959 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $26,329,751,000 after acquiring an additional 191,469,114 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in NVIDIA by 854.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 182,622,629 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $22,561,200,000 after buying an additional 163,482,580 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in NVIDIA by 870.3% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 102,422,225 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $12,658,922,000 after buying an additional 91,867,031 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in NVIDIA by 1,123.2% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 92,039,713 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $11,371,255,000 after acquiring an additional 84,515,429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in shares of NVIDIA by 808.6% during the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 82,689,605 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $10,215,474,000 after acquiring an additional 73,589,208 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.27% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have issued reports on NVDA shares. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of NVIDIA in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of NVIDIA from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Melius Research raised their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of NVIDIA from $140.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $164.15. NVIDIA Stock Down 2.1 % NVDA opened at $137.01 on Friday. NVIDIA Co. has a 12 month low of $47.32 and a 12 month high of $152.89. The company has a current ratio of 4.10, a quick ratio of 3.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $139.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $127.90. The company has a market cap of $3.36 trillion, a P/E ratio of 53.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.64. NVIDIA ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $35.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.15 billion. NVIDIA had a net margin of 55.69% and a return on equity of 114.83%. The business’s revenue was up 93.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.38 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that NVIDIA Co. will post 2.78 EPS for the current year. NVIDIA Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 5th were paid a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 5th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.03%. NVIDIA’s payout ratio is presently 1.57%. Insider Activity at NVIDIA In other NVIDIA news, Director Tench Coxe sold 1,000,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.26, for a total value of $131,260,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 28,671,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,763,402,713.60. This represents a 3.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, Director Mark A. Stevens sold 125,000 shares of NVIDIA stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.61, for a total transaction of $15,326,250.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 8,255,117 shares in the company, valued at $1,012,159,895.37. The trade was a 1.49 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 1,351,886 shares of company stock worth $176,825,650 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 4.23% of the company’s stock. NVIDIA Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA The Significance of a Trillion-Dollar Market Cap Goes Beyond a Number S&P 500 ETFs: Expense Ratios That Can Boost Your Long-Term Gains What Do S&P 500 Stocks Tell Investors About the Market? How AI Implementation Could Help MongoDB Roar Back in 2025 Industrial Products Stocks Investing Hedge Funds Boost Oil Positions: Is a Major Rally on the Horizon? Receive News & Ratings for NVIDIA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVIDIA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Police say searchers in Pennsylvania don't expect to find woman in sinkhole aliveDrone operators worry that anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictionsBills Mailbag: Special teams blunders should land coordinator Matthew Smiley on the hot seat

Oregon's Gabriel, Colorado's Hunter, Boise State’s Jeanty, Miami's Ward are named Heisman finalists Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Miami’s Cam Ward have been announced as the Heisman Trophy finalists. The Heisman has been given to the nation’s most outstanding college football player since 1935. This year’s winner will be announced Saturday in New York. The top four top vote-getters determined by more than 900 voters are selected as finalists. The voting panel includes members of the media and former Heisman winners. $1 million per homer? $27,000 a point? $229 per second? Sports is loaded with money oddities If Juan Soto replicates his 2024 performance throughout his $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets, he'll make roughly $1.2 million for every home run he hits. He's hardly the only superstar athlete earning outrageous sums for each of his accomplishments. Some NFL quarterbacks make more than $3 million per game. Stephen Curry could make roughly $161,000 per 3-pointer. This past regular season, Lionel Messi earned $229 for every second he was on the field with Inter Miami. Is the College Football Playoff bracket fair? Here are some tweaks that would have changed things The committee that chose the 12 contenders for college football’s national title was only worried about ranking the teams. Where those teams landed in the bracket was based on a formula created by conference commissioners. That jumbled up the pairings and made a strong case for tinkering in the future. Some possible tweaks, like reseeding after the first round or not giving conference champions automatic byes, would have resulted in a vastly different tournament this year, Belichick says he's had 'good conversations' with UNC chancellor amid Tar Heels' coaching search Former New England Patriots coach and six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick says he had “a couple of good conversations” with North Carolina Chancellor Lee Roberts amid his discussions about the Tar Heels’ head-coaching job. Belichick appeared on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday. He said he had spent the 11 months since his departure from the Patriots taking a “longer look” at the college level. He said he had learned a lot and had “a couple of good conversations" with Roberts. UNC fired the program's all-time winningest coach in Mack Brown last month. Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The roof at the home of the Dallas Cowboys has opened without incident and will stay that way for a Monday night meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals. It will be the first game with the roof open at AT&T Stadium since Oct. 30, 2022. The roof was supposed to be open three weeks ago for Houston’s 34-10 victory on another Monday night. A large piece of metal and other debris fell roughly 300 feet to the field as the retractable roof was opening. The roof was then closed for that game. Tennessee grabs No. 1 in AP Top 25 after shakeup; No. 3 Iowa State has highest ranking since 1950s Tennessee is the new No. 1 in men's college basketball after a massive shakeup in the AP Top 25. The Vols are No. 1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Auburn remained No. 2 and No. 3 Iowa State has its highest ranking since 1956-57. Kentucky rounds out the top five. Tennessee is off to its best start since opening the 2000-01 season 9-0. Georgia QB Carson Beck's status for Sugar Bowl uncertain as he considers treatment options on elbow ATLANTA (AP) — Quarterback Carson Beck’s status for No. 2 Georgia’s Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal is uncertain after he suffered an elbow injury in Saturday’s Southeastern Conference championship game win over Texas. Georgia announced Monday there is no timetable on Beck’s return as he and his family explore treatment options. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Sunday the team was awaiting results of tests. The school did not announce details of the injury. Punter Brett Thorson will need season-ending surgery after injuring his non-kicking leg. Backup Gunner Stockton likely would start in the Sugar Bowl if Beck is unable to play. Another final-second victory puts the Chiefs in prime spot to secure AFC's No. 1 seed: Analysis A thunderous doink helped the Kansas City Chiefs gain some breathing room in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the Buffalo Bills fell short despite Josh Allen’s spectacular performance. The fight for the top spot in the NFC stayed close as the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles kept pace with the Detroit Lions. Four weeks remain in the NFL regular season to determine the playoff picture. There’s a clear leader in the fight for the AFC’s bye. The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 12-1 and in excellent position to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after a 19-17 win with a last-second field goal over the Los Angeles Chargers. No. 19 Tennessee back in women's AP Top 25 after year out of poll; UCLA, UConn remain 1-2 Tennessee is back in the AP Top 25 at No. 19, ending the school’s longest drought in the 48-year history of the women’s basketball poll. The Lady Vols (7-0) had not been ranked since Nov. 27, 2023, a span of 22 polls. Since the rankings began in 1976, Tennessee has been in the Top 25 in 779 of 870 total weeks. UCLA, UConn and South Carolina remain the top three teams and Oklahoma has cracked the top 10. Georgia Tech and N.C. State entered the rankings while Illinois, Louisville and Alabama fell out. College football transfer portal opens as Oklahoma's Arnold, other top players look for a move The college football transfer portal has opened a day after the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff field was released. The portal period closes on Dec. 28. Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, Texas State running back Ismail Mahdi, Miami (Ohio) wide receiver Reggie Virgil and Ohio State QB Devin Brown were among the first players who entered the portal. The sophomore Arnold passed for 1,984 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions and ran for 560 yards and four scores at Oklahoma. Mahdi led the nation with 2,169 all-purpose yards last season. Brown entered the transfer portal after three years as a backup.Dow Jones futures edged lower after hours, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. The stock market rally had a strong Wednesday, with all the major indexes hitting fresh highs on strong earnings from ( ), ( ) and other techs. Software in particular was strong. Stocks extended gains slightly as Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell reiterated his upbeat take on the economy and the Fed's independence. , saying the cryptocurrency is "digital gold." ( ) broke back above key resistance and a . Is the artificial intelligence leader ready for a new run? ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ) and ( ) all flashed buy signals. Nvidia stock is on , and the . Confluent was Wednesday's . Dow Jones Futures Today Dow Jones futures dipped 0.1% vs. fair value. S&P 500 futures edged lower. Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.1%. Remember that overnight action in and elsewhere doesn't necessarily translate into actual trading in the next regular session. Key Earnings ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ) and ( ) reported Wednesday night. All fell solidly to sharply in after-hours action. Synopsys, SentinelOne and nCino are set to undercut or at least test buy points. Stock Market Rally The stock market rally had a Nasdaq-led advance Wednesday, fueled by software and other tech earnings, weak economic data and an upbeat Fed chief Powell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7% in Wednesday's . The S&P 500 index gained 0.6%, with Salesforce stock leading the way with an 11% gain. The Nasdaq composite jumped 1.3%. All hit record highs intraday. The small-cap Russell 2000 climbed 0.4%, close to all-time levels. It was a strong day for tech growth stocks, while energy and commodity plays retreated. Homebuilders struggled even with Treasury yields falling. U.S. crude oil prices fell 2% to $68.54 a barrel. The 10-year Treasury yield fell four basis points to 4.18% after hitting 4.28% intraday. The ADP Employment Report and the ISM services index both came in light for November. Powell Boosts 'Digital Gold' Bitcoin Bitcoin jumped 3.45% to $98,972.09 as of 4 p.m. ET on Fed chief Powell's "digital gold" comments, back near the late November record of $99,768. He also said bitcoin isn't a real competitor to the dollar, suggesting little Fed concern with the digital asset. Earlier, President-elect Trump tapped former SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins to head up the financial markets watchdog. Atkins is seen as a pro-crypto pick. ETFs Among growth ETFs, the Innovator IBD 50 ETF ( ) popped 1.15%. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF ( ) jumped 3.9%. Salesforce stock is the No. 1 holding, with Confluent, HubSpot, SentinelOne and nCino also in IGV. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF ( ) gained 1.7%. Nvidia stock is the No. 1 component with Marvell also in the ETF. Chip-design software maker Synopsys is in both IGV and SMH. ARK Innovation ETF ( ) rallied 3.1% and ARK Genomics ETF ( ) advanced 1.7%. SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF ( ) fell 1.45%. The SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF ( ) sank 1.5%. The Energy Select SPDR ETF ( ) slumped 2.4% and the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund ( ) lost a fraction. The Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund ( ) rose 0.4%. The Financial Select SPDR ETF ( ) declined 0.4%. Nvidia Stock Ready To Run? Nvidia stock rose 3.5% to 145.14, regaining the 21-day moving average and a 140.76 buy point, according to . Investors could use the 150 level as an add-on entry above the bulk of the past few weeks of action. Additionally, Nvidia is likely benefiting from Marvell, which gapped up 23.2% Wednesday to a record high following earnings. NVDA stock, rebounding this week from the 10-week line, has been consolidating since late June. Despite its massive move since late 2022, Nvidia doesn't have a high valuation on a forward price-earnings basis, thanks to still-huge growth. So perhaps the AI leader is ready for another run. Of course, that was arguably true also back at the late October breakout. Getting above the trading range will be key. What To Do Now The stock market rally looks strong, with tech taking the lead once again. A number of stocks broke out or offered traditional entries Wednesday, including those cited above. Meanwhile, a number of leaders made bullish moves off the 21-day line or out of short consolidations, including ( ) and ( ). The advantage is that investors get a chance to buy or add to the market rally's real winners, with "heat" working. But the entries are higher risk, so be ready to exit. Definitely be working on watchlists, so you can identify setups. Stay engaged so you can take advantage. But if you're already heavily or fully invested, you don't have to jump on every stock flashing green. And if you do make new buys, you might make room by cutting laggards or choosing to bank profits in some highly extended winners. Read every day to stay in sync with the market direction and leading stocks and sectors.

Cabinet ministers have been warned they must find more savings in their departments as the Chancellor said “every pound” of Government spending will be scrutinised in a major budget review. Secretaries of State are being told that any outgoings which are not contributing towards one of Labour’s “priorities” must be cut as Rachel Reeves vows to wield “an iron fist against waste.” In letters sent by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, departments will be told to brace for “difficult” spending decisions in order to restore trust in the Government’s handling of the public finances. Every pound of departmental spending will be face a “line-by-line review” involving external finance experts from banks and think tanks in order to ensure it represents good value for money, the Treasury said. The Chancellor will on Tuesday launch the next round of Government spending, and is expected to warn departments that they “cannot operate in a business-as-usual way when reviewing their budgets for the coming years”. She will insist that areas focused on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s “plan for change”, which includes targets to improve living standards across the country and build 1.5 million homes, must be prioritised. Ms Reeves said: “By totally rewiring how the Government spends money we will be able to deliver our plan for change and focus on what matters for working people. “The previous government allowed millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to go to waste on poor value for money projects. We will not tolerate it; I said I would have an iron grip on the public finances and that means taking an iron fist against waste. “By reforming our public services, we will ensure they are up to scratch for modern day demands, saving money and delivering better services for people across the country. That’s why we will inspect every pound of Government spend, so that it goes to the right places and we put an end to all waste.” Under the Treasury’s plans, departments will ensure budgets are scrutinised by “challenge panels” of external experts including former senior management of Lloyd’s Banking Group, Barclays Bank and the Co-operative Group. These panels, which will also involve think tanks, academics and the private sector, will advise on which spending “is or isn’t necessary”, the ministry said. The Treasury said work has already begun, with an evaluation of the £6.5 million spent on a scheme that placed social workers in schools finding “no evidence of positive impact on social care outcomes”. “Departments will be advised that where spending is not contributing to a priority, it should be stopped,” it said. “Although some of these decisions will be difficult, the Chancellor is clear that the public must have trust in the Government that it is rooting out waste and that their taxes are being spent on their priorities.” Ms Reeves had already announced efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments in her autumn Budget as she seeks to put the public finances on a firmer footing. In a speech in east London, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden hinted at a further squeeze. “At the Budget the Chancellor demanded efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments – and there will be more to come,” he said. “As we launch the next phase of the spending review at its heart must be reform of the state in order to do a better job for the public.” The Liberal Democrats accused the Government of “missing opportunities and making self-defeating decisions” in the Budget, and urged it not to “make the same mistakes” in the spending review. The party’s Treasury spokeswoman, Daisy Cooper, said: “Leaving the social care sector in crisis is a false economy that will only put people at risk and damage the public finances. “The Government cannot afford to make the same mistakes in the spending review as they did with the Budget, missing opportunities and making self-defeating decisions. “The Government must use this Review to invest to save, taking into account the billions of pounds that could be saved in the NHS budget by investing.”Lara Trump will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee as she considers a number of potential options with her father-in-law, President-elect Donald Trump , set to return to the White House. Among those possibilities is replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio , whom Trump tapped to be the next secretary of state. If Rubio is confirmed, his replacement — who would be chosen by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — would serve for two years until the next regularly scheduled election in 2026, at which point the seat would be up for election again. “It is something I would seriously consider,” Lara Trump told The Associated Press in an interview. “If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like. And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that’s real for me. But yeah, I would 100% consider it.” Elected as RNC co-chair in March, Lara Trump was a key player in the Republicans retaking the White House and control of the Senate while maintaining a narrow House majority. What she does next could shape Republican politics, given her elevated political profile and her ties to the incoming president. The idea of placing a Trump family member in the Senate has been lauded in some Republican circles. Among the people pushing for her to replace Rubio is Maye Musk, mother of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk . “The Senate is an old man’s club. We desperately need a smart, young, outspoken woman who will reveal their secrets,” she posted on X. Lara Trump is 42. Elon Musk, who was with Lara Trump on election night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, responded to his mother’s post: “Lara Trump is genuinely great.” Led by chairman Michael Whatley and Lara Trump, the RNC invested heavily in recruiting roughly 230,000 volunteers and an army of lawyers for what it called its “election integrity” effort, four years after Donald Trump lost his reelection bid to Democrat Joe Biden, citing false or unproven theories about voter fraud. Outside groups such as Turning Point Action and Musk’s America PAC took a greater responsibility for advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts. While Whatley will remain RNC chairman, Lara Trump said she felt she had accomplished her goals in the co-chair role. “With that big win, I kind of feel like my time is up,” she said. “What I intended to do has been done.” President-elect Donald Trump endorsed RNC Treasurer KC Crosbie to replace Lara Trump as co-chair of the committee on Monday. “As Treasurer, she helped the RNC smash every fundraising record in History, and fortified our Party’s financial foundation. KC has been with me from the very beginning, helping REAL Republicans get elected across the Country, and would be a tremendous Co-Chair of the RNC!” President-elect Trump wrote on Truth Social. Lara Trump praised Musk’s new endeavor, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE , a nongovernmental task force headed by Musk and and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy . They’ve been tapped to fire federal workers , cut programs and slash federal regulations as part of Trump’s “Save America” agenda for his second term. “I really don’t think we’ve seen movement like this in our federal government since our country’s founding in many ways,” she said. “And I think if they are successful in what they plan to do, I think it is going to be transformative to America in a great way.” She said she expects a different presidency this time, beginning with the structure of the administration: While Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner served as White House advisers in his last administration, Lara Trump said she doesn’t see any family member taking any position in the White House this time around with her father-in-law. “He really wants to get in there and do a good job for the four years, and that’s all he wants to serve,” she said. “Four years, and he’s out.” Lara Trump also says she expects the Republican Party to be more unified than it has ever been. When she became co-chair in May, the Trump campaign and the RNC merged, with staffers fired and positions restructured. She said the result could spell trouble for GOP lawmakers who do not agree with Trump’s agenda. “The whole party has totally shifted and totally changed,” she said. “I think people are feeling a little more bold in coming out with their political views.” ___ This story has been corrected to clarify that Rubio’s Senate seat would be filled until 2026 when an election would be held for the seat. ___ Linderman reported from Baltimore and Mendoza from Santa Cruz, California. Juliet Linderman And Martha Mendoza, The Associated Press

The Latest: Suspect in United Healthcare CEO's killing charged with weapons, forgery, other chargesIndia's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies aged 92 NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. The hospital said Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to “sudden loss of consciousness at home." He was “being treated for age-related medical conditions,” the statement added. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and earned a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. 'Baby Driver' actor Hudson Meek, 16, dies in a fall from a moving vehicle VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say 16-year-old actor Hudson Meek has died after he fell out of a moving vehicle in Alabama. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office says Meek was hurt on Dec. 19 while on a street in Vestavia Hills, a suburb of Birmingham. He died two days later. The Vestavia Hills Police Department has not issued any public statements. Meek made his on-screen debut in 2014’s “The Santa Con,” and had roles in various TV series, including “MacGyver.” He was perhaps best known for his role in the 2017 film “Baby Driver,” in which he played a younger version of Ansel Elgort’s titular character. Bad Bunny announces a new album, 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny announced he will release a new album in early January. He announced Thursday that “Debí Tirar Más Fotos" arrives Jan. 5. It is his sixth studio album and follows in his tradition of releasing new music on unexpected dates. This time, it's a Sunday instead of the typical Friday album drop date. Bad Bunny announced the news on Instagram in a short video featuring Puerto Rican filmmaker Jacobo Morales. He also released a new single, “PIToRRO DE COCO.” His last release was 2023’s “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana.” Powerful thunderstorms rumble across Texas, delaying holiday travel DALLAS (AP) — Severe thunderstorms are firing up in parts of Texas and could trigger high winds, hail and potential tornadoes. More than 100 flights were delayed and dozens more were canceled Thursday at airports in Dallas and Houston. The National Weather Service says the greatest weather risk stretched from just east of Dallas, and between Houston and portions of southern Arkansas and western Louisiana. The risk includes the possibility of tornadoes and wind gusts between 60 and 80 miles per hour, and large hail. The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for several counties in southeast Texas, including the Houston area. Hwang Dong-hyuk on killing off his 'Squid Game' characters and wanting to work with Jake Gyllenhaal As season two of Netflix's hit series “Squid Game” returns Thursday, viewers can expect more untimely deaths for many of its characters. Its creator, writer and director, Hwang Dong-hyuk says whittling down the cast made him happy because less people were easier to manage on set. The show follows a deadly competition in South Korea that targets contestants who are heavily in debt and desperate for money. Hwang told the Associated Press in a Q&A that a third and final season has already filmed and it's better than season two. He also says his next project will be even darker in tone than “Squid Game.” NYC taxi driver was having a medical episode when he jumped the curb and hit people, police say NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police say a taxi driver who hit six pedestrians when he jumped a curb in Manhattan on Christmas Day was having a medical episode at the time. An NYPD spokesperson would not elaborate on the type of type of medical episode but said Thursday no criminality is suspected at this time. The 58-year-old was taken to a hospital in stable condition for further evaluation. Also hospitalized after the yellow taxi drove onto the sidewalk across the street from Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square were a 9-year-old boy with a laceration to his right thigh, a 49-year-old woman with a leg injury and a 41-year-old woman. All were in stable condition. Pizza deliverer in Florida charged with stabbing pregnant woman at motel after tip dispute KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — A pizza deliverer in Florida has been charged with pushing her way into a motel room and stabbing a pregnant woman after a dispute over a tip. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office says that Brianna Alvelo has been charged with stabbing a woman in her motel room in Kissimmee, Florida, a short time after delivering a pizza to her on Sunday. The woman gave Alvelo $50 on a $33.10 bill, expecting change back. When Alvelo started walking away, the woman asked for money back, and Alvelo told her they didn’t make change. The woman got a smaller dollar bill from her boyfriend, and Alvelo’s tip ended up being $2. Friday's Mega Millions drawing is worth an estimated $1.15 billion, one of the game's top jackpots Americans still dreaming of a really big Christmas present can keep that dream alive during Friday’s Mega Millions drawing for a jackpot worth an estimated $1.15 billion. Friday’s jackpot will potentially be the fifth largest in the game’s history. Mega Millions tickets are $2 a piece. But the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, and the odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24, according to lottery officials. Tickets for the game are sold in 45 states, along with Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Christmas shooting at Phoenix airport leaves 3 people wounded, 1 stabbed PHOENIX (AP) — Police are investigating a Christmas shooting at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix that left three people wounded by gunfire and another person stabbed. Phoenix police say the evening shooting was related to a family dispute that happened at a restaurant outside the security checkpoints in Terminal 4. An adult female and two adult males were shot, leaving the female with injuries police describe as life-threatening. Police say the two men were in stable condition. Police say the people involved knew each other. They had a physical fight that led to one of them pulling a gun. A man and a girl were detained in a nearby parking garage. Oregon house cat died after eating pet food that tested positive for bird flu PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon authorities say a house cat died after eating raw frozen pet food that tested positive for bird flu. The Oregon Department of Agriculture says the indoor cat contracted the H5N1 virus by eating the pet food. In response, Oregon-based pet food company Northwest Naturals has recalled one batch of its two-pound Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food. The company says the product was sold nationwide through distributors in a dozen states, and in Canada's British Columbia. Oregon authorities say no human cases of bird flu have been linked to this incident, but that those who were in contact with the cat are being monitored for flu symptoms.When baseball historian Bill Humber first heard about the golden at-bat idea that Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred floated on a recent podcast, he was a little taken aback. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * When baseball historian Bill Humber first heard about the golden at-bat idea that Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred floated on a recent podcast, he was a little taken aback. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? When baseball historian Bill Humber first heard about the golden at-bat idea that Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred floated on a recent podcast, he was a little taken aback. “I kind of laughed, actually,” Humber said Wednesday. “I thought it was one of the stupidest ideas I’d ever heard.” MLB has seen its share of change of late, but the thought of a team using one at-bat each game to send any hitter it wants to the plate — even if it’s not their turn in the batting order — was quite a curveball. “This can’t be real,” former Blue Jays pitcher and seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens posted on social media. Wild-card playoff tinkering, pitch clocks, shift rules and automatic runners are some of the more significant changes to the game in recent years. All had varying levels of detractors and the golden at-bat discussion is no different. Critics are eyeing it like a meatball thrown across the middle of the plate. “It doesn’t really fit within the logic of the game in my mind,” said Humber, a Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer. “I look upon it quite askance to be honest with you. I don’t see the point of it in a way. “I mean to some extent, the magic of baseball is those unheralded batters who arrive at a situation that one wouldn’t have thought that they would ever have been in, and allowing them to bat in place.” Humber cited a number of grand baseball moments that might not have happened if a golden at-bat rule were in effect. “One can imagine when Bobby Thomson hit his famous home run against the (Brooklyn) Dodgers in 1951, Willie Mays was on deck,” he said of the ‘Shot Heard ‘Round the World’ that gave the New York Giants the National League pennant. “What if they had a golden at-bat and put Mays at bat, maybe he would have struck out or popped up or hit into a double-play or who knows what. There’s lots of situations like that.” What about the two famous World Series-winning walkoffs? Would the skippers have used a golden at-bat to get their best pure hitter to the plate? Bill Mazeroski went deep to give Pittsburgh the Fall Classic in 1960 and Joe Carter’s walkoff blast in 1993 gave the Blue Jays their second straight World Series title. Mazeroski’s power numbers were middling while Carter, who led the Blue Jays in homers and RBIs that year, had a mediocre batting average. “I think the magic of the game are those moments that are unpredictable and yet kind of create some of the joy of the game in our memories,” Humber said. ” I think this kind of runs afoul of that tradition. “I’m not a fan, let me say that. But that’s not to say it won’t happen.” Manfred first mentioned the golden at-bat idea publicly in an interview with John Ourand on Puck’s “The Varsity” podcast. The commissioner said the subject came up at a recent owners’ meeting. Retired sportswriter Dave Perkins, who covered the Blue Jays for years over his long career at the Toronto Star, said use of a golden at-bat would be “a travesty.” “On the surface I say it’s absolutely stupid and ridiculous,” he said. “But a lot of other things I thought were stupid and ridiculous worked their way into the games and they’re even OK with me now.” The subject of potential rule changes like the golden at-bat came up when Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins met with the Toronto chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America earlier this week. “It’s interesting to me because we went through so much change over the last couple of years,” he said. “Getting to that change was a scratch and a claw and a climb. And then once the change happened, everyone — for the most part — thought, ‘OK, that went OK and it seems like there’s a better product on the field.’ Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. “So now the dialogue around change is with a much more open mind whether it be players, staff, the exchanges, the ideas, even if they seem very difficult to wrap your head around. They’re not getting stiff-armed as much as they were the first go-round.” Scott Crawford, operations director of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said he prefers a traditional setup where any player can be a hero at any time. “I like the team aspect of the game where you get your shot,” he said. “You can be a No. 8 hitter and you can come up with a big hit and win a World Series and (a superstar like Shohei) Ohtani can strike out.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2024. Follow @GregoryStrongCP on X. Advertisement Advertisement

5jili What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industry

Trump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pick

WASHINGTON (AP) — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members, a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who has drawn labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members, a key part of the Democratic base but gravitating in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests. “Lori’s strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our Agenda for unprecedented National Success - Making America Richer, Wealthier, Stronger and more Prosperous than ever before!” Trump said in a statement announcing his choice Friday night. For decades, labor unions have sided with Democrats and been greeted largely with hostility by Republicans. But with Trump's populist appeal, his working-class base saw a decent share of union rank-and-file voting for Republicans this year, even as major unions, including the AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers , endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris in the White House race. Trump sat down with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union leadership and members this year, and when he emerged from that meeting, he boasted that a significant chunk of union voters were backing him. Of a possible Teamsters endorsement, he said, “Stranger things have happened.” The Teamsters ultimately declined to endorse either Trump, the former president, or Harris, the vice president, though leader Sean O’Brien had a prominent speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. Kara Deniz, a Teamsters spokesperson, told the Associated Press that O’Brien met with more than a dozen House Republicans this past week to lobby on behalf of Chavez-DeRemer. “Chavez-DeRemer would be an excellent choice for labor secretary and has his backing,” Deniz said. The work of the Labor Department affects workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employers' rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. On Election Day, Trump deepened his support among voters without a college degree after running just slightly ahead of Democrat Joe Biden with noncollege voters in 2020. Trump made modest gains, earning a clear majority of this group, while only about 4 in 10 supported Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 120,000 voters nationwide. Roughly 18% of voters in this year's election were from union households, with Harris winning a majority of the group. But Trump's performance among union members kept him competitive and helped him win key states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Chavez-DeRemer was one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act, which would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The measure would weaken “right-to-work” laws that allow employees in more than half the states to avoid participating in or paying dues to unions that represent workers at their places of employment. Trump's first term saw firmly pro-business policies from his appointees across government, including those on the National Labor Relations Board. Trump, a real estate developer and businessman before winning the presidency, generally has backed policies that would make it harder for workers to unionize. During his recent campaign, Trump criticized union bosses, and at one point suggested that UAW members should not pay their dues. His first administration did expand overtime eligibility rules, but not nearly as much as Democrats wanted, and a Trump-appointed judge has since struck down the Biden administration’s more generous overtime rules. He has stacked his incoming administration with officials who worked on the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” blueprint, which includes a sharp swing away from Biden’s pro-union policies. “Chavez-DeRemer’s record suggests she understands the value of policies that strengthen workers’ rights and economic security,” said Rebecca Dixon, president and CEO of National Employment Law Project, which is backed my many of the country’s major labor unions. “But the Trump administration’s agenda is fundamentally at odds with these principles, threatening to roll back workplace protections, undermine collective bargaining, and prioritize corporate profits over the needs of working people. This is where her true commitment to workers will be tested.” Other union leaders also issued praise, but also sounded a note of caution. “Educators and working families across the nation will be watching ... as she moves through the confirmation process,” the president of the National Education Association, Becky Pringle, said in a statement, “and hope to hear a pledge from her to continue to stand up for workers and students as her record suggests, not blind loyalty to the Project 2025 agenda.” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler welcomed the choice while taking care to note Trump's history of opposing polices that support unions. "It remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” Shuler said.Forget FTSE 100 airlines! I think shares in this company offer better value to considerNasdaq surges above 20,000 after US inflation data matches estimates

AP Business SummaryBrief at 11:49 a.m. ESTThe AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Nico Galette scored 20 points as Youngstown State beat South Carolina Upstate 72-64 on Saturday. Galette also added three steals for the Penguins (8-5). EJ Farmer scored 11 points while shooting 3 for 9 and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line and added six rebounds. Ty Harper shot 3 for 6, including 1 for 3 from beyond the arc to finish with nine points. It was the sixth straight win for the Penguins. The Spartans (4-11) were led by Mister Dean, who posted 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Breylin Garcia added 16 points and six rebounds for South Carolina Upstate. Karmani Gregory had nine points, five assists and three steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Pastor Mb*ro Goes To Court With Cross Of Jesus

ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old. The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023 , spent most of their lives, The Carter Center said. “Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia,” the center said in posting about his death on the social media platform X. It added in a statement that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Carter once said. A moderate Democrat, Carter entered the 1976 presidential race as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad smile, outspoken Baptist mores and technocratic plans reflecting his education as an engineer. His no-frills campaign depended on public financing, and his promise not to 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 repeated before narrowly beating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, who had lost popularity pardoning Nixon. Carter governed amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over racism, women’s rights and America’s global role. His most acclaimed achievement in office was a Mideast peace deal that he brokered by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the bargaining table for 13 days in 1978. That Camp David experience inspired the post-presidential center where Carter would establish so much of his legacy. Yet Carter’s electoral coalition splintered under double-digit inflation, gasoline lines and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His bleakest hour came when eight Americans died in a failed hostage rescue in April 1980, helping to ensure his landslide defeat to Republican Ronald Reagan. Carter acknowledged in his 2020 “White House Diary” that he could be “micromanaging” and “excessively autocratic,” complicating dealings with Congress and the federal bureaucracy. He also turned a cold shoulder to Washington’s news media and lobbyists, not fully appreciating their influence on his political fortunes. “It didn’t take us long to realize that the underestimation existed, but by that time we were not able to repair the mistake,” Carter told historians in 1982, suggesting that he had “an inherent incompatibility” with Washington insiders. Carter insisted his overall approach was sound and that he achieved his primary objectives — to “protect our nation’s security and interests peacefully” and “enhance human rights here and abroad” — even if he fell spectacularly short of a second term. Ignominious defeat, though, allowed for renewal. The Carters founded The Carter Center in 1982 as a first-of-its-kind base of operations, asserting themselves as international peacemakers and champions of democracy, public health and human rights. “I was not interested in just building a museum or storing my White House records and memorabilia,” Carter wrote in a memoir published after his 90th birthday. “I wanted a place where we could work.” That work included easing nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, helping to avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiating cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, The Carter Center had declared at least 113 elections in Latin America, Asia and Africa to be free or fraudulent. Recently, the center began monitoring U.S. elections as well. Carter’s stubborn self-assuredness and even self-righteousness proved effective once he was unencumbered by the Washington order, sometimes to the point of frustrating his successors . He went “where others are not treading,” he said, to places like Ethiopia, Liberia and North Korea, where he secured the release of an American who had wandered across the border in 2010. “I can say what I like. I can meet whom I want. I can take on projects that please me and reject the ones that don’t,” Carter said. He announced an arms-reduction-for-aid deal with North Korea without clearing the details with Bill Clinton’s White House. He openly criticized President George W. Bush for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also criticized America’s approach to Israel with his 2006 book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.” And he repeatedly countered U.S. administrations by insisting North Korea should be included in international affairs, a position that most aligned Carter with Republican President Donald Trump. Among the center’s many public health initiatives, Carter vowed to eradicate the guinea worm parasite during his lifetime, and nearly achieved it: Cases dropped from millions in the 1980s to nearly a handful. With hardhats and hammers, the Carters also built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The Nobel committee’s 2002 Peace Prize cites his “untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” Carter should have won it alongside Sadat and Begin in 1978, the chairman added. Carter accepted the recognition saying there was more work to be done. “The world is now, in many ways, a more dangerous place,” he said. “The greater ease of travel and communication has not been matched by equal understanding and mutual respect.” Carter’s globetrotting took him to remote villages where he met little “Jimmy Carters,” so named by admiring parents. But he spent most of his days in the same one-story Plains house — expanded and guarded by Secret Service agents — where they lived before he became governor. He regularly taught Sunday School lessons at Maranatha Baptist Church until his mobility declined and the coronavirus pandemic raged. Those sessions drew visitors from around the world to the small sanctuary where Carter will receive his final send-off after a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral. The common assessment that he was a better ex-president than president rankled Carter and his allies. His prolific post-presidency gave him a brand above politics, particularly for Americans too young to witness him in office. But Carter also lived long enough to see biographers and historians reassess his White House years more generously. His record includes the deregulation of key industries, reduction of U.S. dependence on foreign oil, cautious management of the national debt and notable legislation on the environment, education and mental health. He focused on human rights in foreign policy, pressuring dictators to release thousands of political prisoners . He acknowledged America’s historical imperialism, pardoned Vietnam War draft evaders and relinquished control of the Panama Canal. He normalized relations with China. “I am not nominating Jimmy Carter for a place on Mount Rushmore,” Stuart Eizenstat, Carter’s domestic policy director, wrote in a 2018 book. “He was not a great president” but also not the “hapless and weak” caricature voters rejected in 1980, Eizenstat said. Rather, Carter was “good and productive” and “delivered results, many of which were realized only after he left office.” Madeleine Albright, a national security staffer for Carter and Clinton’s secretary of state, wrote in Eizenstat’s forward that Carter was “consequential and successful” and expressed hope that “perceptions will continue to evolve” about his presidency. “Our country was lucky to have him as our leader,” said Albright, who died in 2022. Jonathan Alter, who penned a comprehensive Carter biography published in 2020, said in an interview that Carter should be remembered for “an epic American life” spanning from a humble start in a home with no electricity or indoor plumbing through decades on the world stage across two centuries. “He will likely go down as one of the most misunderstood and underestimated figures in American history,” Alter told The Associated Press. James Earl Carter Jr. was born Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains and spent his early years in nearby Archery. His family was a minority in the mostly Black community, decades before the civil rights movement played out at the dawn of Carter’s political career. Carter, who campaigned as a moderate on race relations but governed more progressively, talked often of the influence of his Black caregivers and playmates but also noted his advantages: His land-owning father sat atop Archery’s tenant-farming system and owned a main street grocery. His mother, Lillian , would become a staple of his political campaigns. Seeking to broaden his world beyond Plains and its population of fewer than 1,000 — then and now — Carter won an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. That same year he married Rosalynn Smith, another Plains native, a decision he considered more important than any he made as head of state. She shared his desire to see the world, sacrificing college to support his Navy career. Carter climbed in rank to lieutenant, but then his father was diagnosed with cancer, so the submarine officer set aside his ambitions of admiralty and moved the family back to Plains. His decision angered Rosalynn, even as she dived into the peanut business alongside her husband. Carter again failed to talk with his wife before his first run for office — he later called it “inconceivable” not to have consulted her on such major life decisions — but this time, she was on board. “My wife is much more political,” Carter told the AP in 2021. He won a state Senate seat in 1962 but wasn’t long for the General Assembly and its back-slapping, deal-cutting ways. He ran for governor in 1966 — losing to arch-segregationist Lester Maddox — and then immediately focused on the next campaign. Carter had spoken out against church segregation as a Baptist deacon and opposed racist “Dixiecrats” as a state senator. Yet as a local school board leader in the 1950s he had not pushed to end school segregation even after the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision, despite his private support for integration. And in 1970, Carter ran for governor again as the more conservative Democrat against Carl Sanders, a wealthy businessman Carter mocked as “Cufflinks Carl.” Sanders never forgave him for anonymous, race-baiting flyers, which Carter disavowed. Ultimately, Carter won his races by attracting both Black voters and culturally conservative whites. Once in office, he was more direct. “I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over,” he declared in his 1971 inaugural address, setting a new standard for Southern governors that landed him on the cover of Time magazine. His statehouse initiatives included environmental protection, boosting rural education and overhauling antiquated executive branch structures. He proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the slain civil rights leader’s home state. And he decided, as he received presidential candidates in 1972, that they were no more talented than he was. In 1974, he ran Democrats’ national campaign arm. Then he declared his own candidacy for 1976. An Atlanta newspaper responded with the headline: “Jimmy Who?” The Carters and a “Peanut Brigade” of family members and Georgia supporters camped out in Iowa and New Hampshire, establishing both states as presidential proving grounds. His first Senate endorsement: a young first-termer from Delaware named Joe Biden. Yet it was Carter’s ability to navigate America’s complex racial and rural politics that cemented the nomination. He swept the Deep South that November, the last Democrat to do so, as many white Southerners shifted to Republicans in response to civil rights initiatives. A self-declared “born-again Christian,” Carter drew snickers by referring to Scripture in a Playboy magazine interview, saying he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” The remarks gave Ford a new foothold and television comedians pounced — including NBC’s new “Saturday Night Live” show. But voters weary of cynicism in politics found it endearing. Carter chose Minnesota Sen. Walter “Fritz” Mondale as his running mate on a “Grits and Fritz” ticket. In office, he elevated the vice presidency and the first lady’s office. Mondale’s governing partnership was a model for influential successors Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Biden. Rosalynn Carter was one of the most involved presidential spouses in history, welcomed into Cabinet meetings and huddles with lawmakers and top aides. The Carters presided with uncommon informality: He used his nickname “Jimmy” even when taking the oath of office, carried his own luggage and tried to silence the Marine Band’s “Hail to the Chief.” They bought their clothes off the rack. Carter wore a cardigan for a White House address, urging Americans to conserve energy by turning down their thermostats. Amy, the youngest of four children, attended District of Columbia public school. Washington’s social and media elite scorned their style. But the larger concern was that “he hated politics,” according to Eizenstat, leaving him nowhere to turn politically once economic turmoil and foreign policy challenges took their toll. Carter partially deregulated the airline, railroad and trucking industries and established the departments of Education and Energy, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He designated millions of acres of Alaska as national parks or wildlife refuges. He appointed a then-record number of women and nonwhite people to federal posts. He never had a Supreme Court nomination, but he elevated civil rights attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the nation’s second highest court, positioning her for a promotion in 1993. He appointed Paul Volker, the Federal Reserve chairman whose policies would help the economy boom in the 1980s — after Carter left office. He built on Nixon’s opening with China, and though he tolerated autocrats in Asia, pushed Latin America from dictatorships to democracy. But he couldn’t immediately tame inflation or the related energy crisis. And then came Iran. After he admitted the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979 by followers of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Negotiations to free the hostages broke down repeatedly ahead of the failed rescue attempt. The same year, Carter signed SALT II, the new strategic arms treaty with Leonid Brezhnev of the Soviet Union, only to pull it back, impose trade sanctions and order a U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Hoping to instill optimism, he delivered what the media dubbed his “malaise” speech, although he didn’t use that word. He declared the nation was suffering “a crisis of confidence.” By then, many Americans had lost confidence in the president, not themselves. Carter campaigned sparingly for reelection because of the hostage crisis, instead sending Rosalynn as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy challenged him for the Democratic nomination. Carter famously said he’d “kick his ass,” but was hobbled by Kennedy as Reagan rallied a broad coalition with “make America great again” appeals and asking voters whether they were “better off than you were four years ago.” Reagan further capitalized on Carter’s lecturing tone, eviscerating him in their lone fall debate with the quip: “There you go again.” Carter lost all but six states and Republicans rolled to a new Senate majority. Carter successfully negotiated the hostages’ freedom after the election, but in one final, bitter turn of events, Tehran waited until hours after Carter left office to let them walk free. At 56, Carter returned to Georgia with “no idea what I would do with the rest of my life.” Four decades after launching The Carter Center, he still talked of unfinished business. “I thought when we got into politics we would have resolved everything,” Carter told the AP in 2021. “But it’s turned out to be much more long-lasting and insidious than I had thought it was. I think in general, the world itself is much more divided than in previous years.” Still, he affirmed what he said when he underwent treatment for a cancer diagnosis in his 10th decade of life. “I’m perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” he said in 2015 . “I’ve had a wonderful life. I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” ----- By Bill Barrow for the Associated Press Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.NEW YORK (AP) — Top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen is headed back to the World Blitz Championship on Monday after its governing body agreed to loosen a dress code that got him fined and denied a late-round game in another tournament for refusing to change out of jeans . Lamenting the contretemps, International Chess Federation President Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement Sunday that he’d let World Blitz Championship tournament officials consider allowing “appropriate jeans” with a jacket, and other “elegant minor deviations” from the dress code. He said Carlsen’s stand — which culminated in his quitting the tournament Friday — highlighted a need for more discussion “to ensure that our rules and their application reflect the evolving nature of chess as a global and accessible sport.” Carlsen, meanwhile, said in a video posted Sunday on social media that he would play — and wear jeans — in the World Blitz Championship when it begins Monday. “I think the situation was badly mishandled on their side,” the 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster said. But he added that he loves playing blitz — a fast-paced form of chess — and wanted fans to be able to watch, and that he was encouraged by his discussions with the federation after Friday’s showdown. RELATED COVERAGE Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen quits a tournament in a dispute over jeans After 20 years at the top of chess, Magnus Carlsen is making his next move Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen quits a tournament in a dispute over jeans “I think we sort of all want the same thing,” he suggested in the video on his Take Take Take chess app’s YouTube channel. “We want the players to be comfortable, sure, but also relatively presentable.” The events began when Carlsen wore jeans and a sportcoat Friday to the Rapid World Championship, which is separate from but held in conjunction with the blitz event. The chess federation said Friday that longstanding rules prohibit jeans at those tournaments, and players are lodged nearby to make sartorial switch-ups easy if needed. An official fined Carlsen $200 and asked him to change pants, but he refused and wasn’t paired for a ninth-round game, the federation said at the time. The organization noted that another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, was fined earlier in the day for wearing sports shoes, changed and continued to play. Carlsen has said that he offered to wear something else the next day, but officials were unyielding. He said “it became a bit of a matter of principle,” so he quit the rapid and blitz championships. In the video posted Sunday, he questioned whether he had indeed broken a rule and said changing clothes would have needlessly interrupted his concentration between games. He called the punishment “unbelievably harsh.” “Of course, I could have changed. Obviously, I didn’t want to,” he said, and “I stand by that.”British Airways flight BA65 from London Heathrow to Nairobi Makes Emergency Landing at Jeddah King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Saudi Arabia

NoneMetheny's 25 lead Liberty past UT Arlington 79-56

Qatar tribune Khalid Tawalbeh Doha A day of cultural celebration and visionary discourse unfolded as the Bangladesh Embassy in Qatar and the Omniverse Chamber of Commerce hosted an event highlighting the South Asian country’s ambitious Vision 2041. The evening brought together ambassadors, dignitaries, and members of the Bangladeshi community, with special guest La Toya Jackson adding star power to the occasion. The event underscored Bangladesh’s plans to achieve high-income status by 2041 while celebrating the country’s cultural heritage and growing international stature. Ambassador Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh’s envoy to Qatar, laid out the vision for a future driven by innovation and resilience. Vision 2041: A bold roadmap for growth Ambassador Islam detailed the blueprint for Vision 2041, a plan aimed at propelling Bangladesh to a per capita income of $12,500 by 2041. The strategy includes maintaining a 9% GDP growth rate, achieving $330 billion in export earnings, and raising the investment-to-GDP ratio to 47%. “Bangladesh is not just pursuing economic growth; it is building a foundation for global leadership in technology, industry, and human development,” Islam said. Highlighting milestones like the increase in exports from $52 billion in 2021-22 to $65 billion in 2022-23, the ambassador underscored the nation’s progress in diversifying its economy beyond the garment and textile sectors. Pillars of transformation The vision includes over $1 trillion in infrastructure investments targeting transport, energy, and digital connectivity. Key goals include providing universal health care to 75% of the population and raising life expectancy to 80 years. “Bangladesh is prioritizing education, sustainable infrastructure, and healthcare to ensure its people are at the core of its transformation,” Islam said. “Bangladesh’s focus on economic progress and cultural preservation is truly inspiring,” Jackson said during her address. Her presence underscored the growing global recognition of Bangladesh’s development efforts. Strengthening bilateralties The event highlighted the partnership between Qatar and Bangladesh, with Islam applauding Qatar’s support for the Bangladeshi diaspora and the contributions of Bangladeshi workers to Qatar’s economy. “Our bond with Qatar is built on shared goals and mutual respect, and the Bangladeshi community here plays a crucial role in strengthening this relationship,” he said. Discussions facilitated by the Omniverse Chamber of Commerce focused on expanding trade and investment opportunities between the two nations. Looking ahead As the event concluded, Ambassador Islam reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to achieving its Vision 2041 goals. “Bangladesh is a story of resilience and innovation. We are setting a global example for development,” he said. The event left attendees inspired, with cultural performances and Jackson’s presence underscoring the message that Bangladesh is firmly on the path to realizing its bold vision. Copy 22/12/2024 20

NGX Again Crosses The 100,000 Psychological Line On Buying Sentiment In Oil, Insurance SectorsMO SALAH helped send Liverpool eight points clear at the top of the Premier League before firing off another contract warning. The Egyptian King grabbed one goal and two assists as Arne Slot's men thumped five past West Ham. But Salah, who is out of contract in the summer and can start talking to overseas clubs about a move in two days time, revealed a new Reds deal is still "far away". He said: "No we are far away from that and I don't want to put anything in the media and people start saying stuff. "Now I am focused on the team. "The only thing in my mind is for Liverpool to win the league, I just want to be part of that. "That is the only thing I have been focusing on since the start of the season. "I will do my best for the team to win a trophy, we are in the right direction. There are a few other teams catching up with us and we need to stay focused and humble and go again." Luis Diaz opened the scoring before Salah teed up Cody Gakpo with a superb turn and then scored his own goal before the break. Trent Alexander-Arnold 's deflected goal made it four before Salah then laid on Diogo Jota's 84th-minute goal. BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER S Salah has scored at least 20 goals in all eight of his seasons at Liverpool and has now scored and assisted in eight separate league games this season - setting a new Premier League record. Slot said: "Mo and the word extraordinary is something I've heard a lot in the last six months and he truly deserves this and probably in the last eight years, but I'm involved in the last half year. "I don't think he keeps surprising us. We know what a player he is and we know he's able to do so. "But apart from that, he works really hard for the team also when the other team has the ball and yeah, we can only hope that he can keep bringing these performances in. "But I would like to add that if he scores, there's also a lead up to him scoring. "So there are also other players that bring him in these positions, but if you bring Mo in these positions, he's extraordinary." While Liverpool were rampant, West Ham offered little threat and no fight before being booed off at the London Stadium. Boss Julen Lopetegui said: "We are very sad for our fans. I am very sorry about this. It is true that they deserve more. It has been a bad day for us for sure. "The fans are always right and we understand them for sure. "We are trying to become competitive, sometimes we achieve this but we have to be better in these kind of matches at home in the second part of the season."

Tens of thousands of Spaniards protest housing crunch and high rents in BarcelonaFacebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save BANGKOK — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world's third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida, left, and Honda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe, center, and Takao Kato CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, right, arrive to attend a joint news conference Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) The ascent of Chinese automakers is rattling the industry at a time when manufacturers are struggling to shift from fossil fuel-driven vehicles to electrics. Relatively inexpensive EVs from China's BYD, Great Wall and Nio are eating into the market shares of U.S. and Japanese car companies in China and elsewhere. People are also reading... 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What data on student-caused injuries at GAPS reveals Corvallis high schoolers: We don't trust district to handle bias reports Oregon State rallies for an overtime win at Gonzaga Japanese automakers have lagged behind big rivals in EVs and are now trying to cut costs and make up for lost time. Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi announced in August that they will share components for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes in the auto industry centered around electrification. A preliminary agreement between Honda, Japan's second-largest automaker, and Nissan, third largest, was announced in March. A merger could result in a behemoth worth about $55 billion based on the market capitalization of all three automakers. Joining forces would help the smaller Japanese automakers add scale to compete with Japan's market leader Toyota Motor Corp. and with Germany's Volkswagen AG. Toyota itself has technology partnerships with Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida, left, Honda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe, center, and Takao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, right, pose for photographers during a joint news conference in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Nissan has truck-based body-on-frame large SUVs such as the Armada and Infiniti QX80 that Honda doesn't have, with large towing capacities and good off-road performance, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions. Nissan also has years of experience building batteries and electric vehicles, and gas-electric hybird powertrains that could help Honda in developing its own EVs and next generation of hybrids, he said. "Nissan does have some product segments where Honda doesn't currently play," that a merger or partnership could help, said Sam Abuelsamid, a Detroit-area automotive industry analsyt. While Nissan's electric Leaf and Ariya haven't sold well in the U.S., they're solid vehicles, Fiorani said. "They haven't been resting on their laurels, and they have been developing this technology," he said. "They have new products coming that could provide a good platform for Honda for its next generation." Nissan said last month that it was slashing 9,000 jobs, or about 6% of its global work force, and reducing global production capacity by 20% after reporting a quarterly loss of 9.3 billion yen ($61 million). Earlier this month it reshuffled its management and its chief executive, Makoto Uchida, took a 50% pay cut to take responsibility for the financial woes, saying Nissan needed to become more efficient and respond better to market tastes, rising costs and other global changes. Fitch Ratings recently downgraded Nissan's credit outlook to "negative," citing worsening profitability, partly due to price cuts in the North American market. But it noted that it has a strong financial structure and solid cash reserves that amounted to 1.44 trillion yen ($9.4 billion). Nissan's share price has fallen to the point where it is considered something of a bargain. A report in the Japanese financial magazine Diamond said talks with Honda gained urgency after the Taiwan maker of iPhones Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn, began exploring a possible acquisition of Nissan as part of its push into the EV sector. The company has struggled for years following a scandal that began with the arrest of its former chairman Carlos Ghosn in late 2018 on charges of fraud and misuse of company assets, allegations that he denies. He eventually was released on bail and fled to Lebanon. Honda reported its profits slipped nearly 20% in the first half of the April-March fiscal year from a year earlier, as sales suffered in China. Toyota made 11.5 million vehicles in 2023, while Honda rolled out 4 million and Nissan produced 3.4 million. Mitsubishi Motors made just over 1 million. Even after a merger Toyota would remain the leading Japanese automaker. All the global automakers are facing potential shocks if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on threats to raise or impose tariffs on imports of foreign products, even from allies like Japan and neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico. Nissan is among the major car companies that have adjusted their supply chains to include vehicles assembled in Mexico. Meanwhile, analysts say there is an "affordability shift" taking place across the industry, led by people who feel they cannot afford to pay nearly $50,000 for a new vehicle. In American, a vital market for companies like Nissan, Honda and Toyota, that's forcing automakers to consider lower pricing, which will eat further into industry profits. ____ AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher contributed to this report from Detroit. The safest cars in 2025 The safest cars in 2025 Airbags, advanced driver assistance features, and high-strength materials mean that the safest cars today are far better at protecting people from injuries than ever before. Although most new cars compare well to their predecessors, some stand above the rest. The safest cars for 2025 offer excellent occupant protection and also do a good job of preventing accidents from happening in the first place. Based on testing data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety , or IIHS, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , or NHTSA, these are some of the safest cars available today. Ranging from inexpensive compact cars and mainstream midsize sedans to stylish station wagons, posh luxury cars, and sporty coupes and convertibles, Edmunds shares a list that has something for just about everyone. For those who prefer a higher seating position and maybe some added practicality, Edmunds' list of safest SUVs is for you. Safest Small Cars 2025 Mazda 3 The stylish Mazda 3 has a lot to offer compact-car shoppers, including great looks, a composed driving experience, and reasonable fuel economy from its base 2.0-liter engine. It's also one of the safest cars in its class, earning a perfect five stars in NHTSA crash testing and sterling crashworthiness and collision avoidance scores from the IIHS. Its standard features are forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure prevention. Base price: $25,135 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 7.6 (out of 10) 2025 Honda Civic With mature styling, a premium interior, and an efficient hybrid powertrain option, the 2025 Honda Civic is a great option if safety is a concern since it aces almost all of the IIHS' crash tests and earns a five-star safety rating from the federal government. It also comes standard with adaptive cruise control, lane departure prevention, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. The Civic falls short slightly in the IIHS' updated moderate overlap front test, which now accounts for rear passenger safety, but even so, it's one of the safest cars in its class. Base price: $25,345 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 8.2 (out of 10) 2025 Mini Cooper Reflective of parent company BMW, today's Mini Cooper is well constructed and features premium safety features that belie its small size, including automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning. Although the Mini hasn't been tested by NHTSA, the IIHS gives the Cooper its highest score of Good in the original driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and side-impact tests. That said, the IIHS doesn't place the Cooper on its Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ lists since it hasn't been evaluated on the updated battery of passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, or side-impact tests. Expect the new-for-2025 Mini Cooper to earn decent crash ratings in those scenarios, especially since it shares its strong platform with the outgoing model. Base price: $33,195 NHTSA rating: not tested IIHS rating: not rated Edmunds Rating: 7.5 (out of 10) 2025 Toyota Prius With its recent redesign, the Toyota Prius transformed from a frumpy little caterpillar to a stylish and efficient butterfly. It also became a very safe hybrid hatchback. Perfect scores in all of its government and IIHS crash tests, as well as a sophisticated system of collision avoidance technology, earn it top marks. It's also one of our favorite cars on the market, period, as evidenced by its status as a 2024 Edmunds Top Rated vehicle. Base price (2024): $29,045 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 8.0 (out of 10) Safest Midsize Cars 2025 Honda Accord The Honda Accord is among the safest midsize sedans on the market today thanks to excellent crashworthiness scores and a competent standard collision prevention system. It's a Top Safety Pick+, beating out rivals like the Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5, and Subaru Legacy, and the Accord also earns a perfect five-star rating from NHTSA. Honda's hybrid-intensive product planning is on full display here—all but the two lowest Accord trims have a hybrid powertrain—and it's also among the most spacious cars in its class. Base price: $29,390 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 8.0 (out of 10) 2025 Toyota Camry Like its Honda Accord rival, the Toyota Camry is also an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with a five-star NHTSA rating. It also has a very impressive suite of driver assistance and safety technology, including lane departure prevention with active centering, full-speed adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking. The Camry edges out the Accord in IIHS testing thanks to a more effective collision avoidance system, but both cars are remarkably well matched otherwise. Base price: $29,495 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 8.1 (out of 10) 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 The fully electric Hyundai Ioniq 6 offers excellent safety and collision prevention, with excellent scores across the entire line of IIHS tests. The Ioniq 6 hasn't been tested for rollover resistance by NHTSA, but it earned a four-star front safety rating and a five-star side-impact rating in government tests. Like most EVs, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 comes standard with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure prevention. It also offers up to 342 miles of all-electric driving in its longest-range trim level. Base price: $38,900 NHTSA rating: not rated IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 8.1 (out of 10) Safest Luxury Cars 2025 Acura Integra The Acura Integra is a close mechanical cousin to the Honda Civic, so it's no surprise it does well in both the IIHS' and NHTSA's crash tests. The luxury hatchback is a Top Safety Pick+ and earns a perfect five stars in government testing. The AcuraWatch safety suite is standard on the Integra, bringing automatic emergency braking, lane centering, lane departure prevention, and adaptive cruise control. Base price: $34,195 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 7.4 (out of 10) 2025 Mercedes-Benz C-Class The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a safe option in the popular small luxury sedan segment thanks to its good scores in IIHS crash testing. Mercedes' best-selling sedan also comes standard with automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning, which helps it earn a Top Safety Pick award. However, it hasn't been tested by the NHTSA. Base price: $49,600 NHTSA rating: not rated IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick Edmunds Rating: 7.9 (out of 10) 2025 Genesis G80 Both the Genesis G80 and the fully electric Genesis Electrified G80 earn a Top Safety Pick+ score from the IIHS thanks to their good scores on the agency's crash tests, as well as a comprehensive suite of active safety features that avoided collisions with simulated pedestrians. The internal-combustion-engine G80 earned a perfect five-star safety rating from NHTSA, and although the Electrified G80 hasn't been tested by the feds just yet, it should likely excel in those tests too. Base price: $58,350 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 8.0 (out of 10) 2025 Genesis G90 The flagship Genesis G90 sedan competes with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series, and the South Korean automaker clearly hasn't skimped on safety in its fight against the establishment. Although it hasn't been subjected to the NHTSA array of tests, it aced almost all of its IIHS tests, and a long list of standard active safety and driver assistance features sets it apart from the stingy German makes that charge extra for them. Base price: $90,450 NHTSA rating: not rated IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 8.1 (out of 10) Safest Station Wagons 2025 Volvo V60 With handsome styling and a well-finished interior, the Volvo V60 is a very appealing station wagon for those looking for such a thing. It's also quite safe, with good crashworthiness scores in the IIHS' original moderate overlap front and side-impact scores. Unfortunately, since it hasn't been tested with the updated versions of those tests, it didn't earn this year's Top Safety Pick award, but it was called a Top Safety Pick+ in 2022. NHTSA also gives the V60 a five-star safety rating. Base price: $51,495 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: not rated Edmunds Rating: 7.9 (out of 10) 2025 Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain Although the Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain isn't a traditional wagon — it follows the lifted almost-crossover formula shared with the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country — we'll take what we can get in this dwindling category. The All-Terrain hasn't been tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, but a previous-generation E-Class earned a 2023 Top Safety Pick+ award, and Mercedes isn't the kind of company that goes backward when it comes to safety. The E 450 All-Terrain comes standard with automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning, though, at this price, Benz should just make other active safety features standard. Base price: $75,850 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: Top Safety Pick+ Edmunds Rating: 8.5 (out of 10) 2025 Audi A6 Allroad With a five-star NHTSA safety rating, standard forward collision warning and emergency braking, and excellent IIHS crashworthiness scores on its original tests, the Audi A6 Allroad does a good job protecting people (both passengers and pedestrians) from crashes. However, since the IIHS hasn't subjected the Allroad to its updated side and moderate front crash criteria, it lost its Top Safety Pick+ status in 2022. Still, it should be a fine option for luxury longroof shoppers. Base price: $70,395 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: not rated Edmunds Rating: 7.6 (out of 10) Safest Coupes and Convertibles 2025 Ford Mustang Both the Ford Mustang coupe and convertible perform well in crash testing. The coupe received a five-star safety rating from NHTSA, and both variants scored decently on all the IIHS tests they've undergone. They also come standard with forward collision warning, lane departure prevention, and automatic emergency braking. However, the IIHS needs to test both models on its updated criteria before it will rate them. Base price: $33,515 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: not rated Edmunds Rating: 7.9 (out of 10) 2025 Toyota GR86 Although the government hasn't tested it, the Toyota GR86 aced all of its IIHS crashworthiness tests when it was new for the 2022 model year. Unfortunately, since it hasn't been subjected to the IIHS' updated testing since then, it lost its Top Safety Pick+ status. Still, this is a fun-to-drive, sporty coupe that comes standard with a long list of active safety features, and it's reasonably priced to boot. Base price: $31,085 NHTSA rating: not rated IIHS rating: not rated Edmunds Rating: 8.2 (out of 10) 2025 Subaru BRZ Mechanically identical to the Toyota GR86, the 2025 Subaru BRZ achieves the same safety ratings—who would have thought? It likewise received a Top Safety Pick+ score in 2022 that lapsed when the IIHS updated its criteria for 2023, but like the Toyota, it has a long list of active safety features to go along with its lightweight, rip-roaring sports car attitude. Base price: $32,365 NHTSA rating: not rated IIHS rating: not rated Edmunds Rating: 8.3 (out of 10) 2025 Audi A5 The Audi A5 lost its traditional two-door coupe body style after 2024, but the five-door Sportback body style remains before it's replaced later in 2025. Although it hasn't seen the IIHS' more stringent test regimen, its original crashworthiness scores were good enough to earn it a Top Safety Pick award as recently as 2022. The Sportback is the only variant to be tested by the government, where it earned a five-star safety rating. Base price: $49,965 NHTSA rating: five stars IIHS rating: not rated Edmunds Rating: not rated This story was produced by Edmunds and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. 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80jili login The 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Asunción, Paraguay, on 2-7 December, decided to add the Myanmar Traditional Ata Thingyan Festival, also known as the Myanmar Traditional New Year Water Festival, to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture issued a press release on acknowledgement of active participation of the Myanmar cultural heritage preservation body, ethnic literature and culture groups from regions and states, Bagan heritage protection group, the Shwedagon Pagoda Board of Trustees, the Botahtaung Pagoda Board of Trustees, Bagan’s Ananda Temple Board of Trustees, Myanmar Inter-Faith Dialogue Group (Central), Botahtaung Township, Myanmar Music Association, Myanmar Theatrical Association, Myanmar Artists Association, Myanmar Sculptors Association, Withakha Foundation, TMW Enterprise Limited, Myanmar Women Entrepreneurs Network (Yangon), Myanmar Veda Research Group, Hninsigon Home for Aged Trusteeship Board (Bahan Township), Myanmar Restaurants Association, Myint Myat Thu Cetana Blood Donor Association, Bramaso Social Welfare Association and other associations, all contributors, the Ministry of Information and Living Myanmar Media Group which provided records on Thingyan festival and performed narration, the French Language Department of the Yangon University of Foreign Languages under the Ministry of Education for necessary translation in submitting the nomination file, the Myanmar Ambassador to France and embassy staff giving information and technological data for the dossiers, officers and staff from the Department of Archaeology and National Museum under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, entire people who have been preserving the Myanmar traditional Thingyan festival from the Bagan era to date, the organizations, persons and all contributors who were unintentionally omitted from the acknowledgement for adding Myanmar Traditional Ata Thingyan Festival to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage as the first-ever identification on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. — Ministry of Religious Affairs and CulturePowell Industries: Don't Chase This Rally - No Margin Of SafetyThe fifth season of ABC's "Shark Tank" was particularly long — 29 episodes deep. Episode 25 premiered on April 18, 2014, to 6.77 million viewers, according to ratings measured by Nielsen. The first of the week's four pitches was for Ilumi, a smart lightbulb company. Watching the segment is an exercise in how much has changed over a decade, if just how much the price of smart lightbulbs has dropped since the episode was shot. Ilumi's bulbs were close to $100 each, though the company was positioned more as a maker of lighting systems than a singular bulb company, aiming for the high-end market. Ultimately, the ilumi founders would make a deal with Mark Cuban after fielding offers from multiple sharks. This is a case where loyal viewers may be aware that the deal formally closed, as it was the subject of a "Shark Tank Update" segment two seasons later. However, there have been some twists and turns since then. The company still exists, but one of the two co-founders left. Both the name and the mission have changed. By all appearances, the Ilumi name looks like it's on life support, but the rebranded company, Meshtek, seems like it's still going strong after a pivot to specialized Bluetooth technology and other internet-of-things device manufacturers. Swapnil Bora and Corey Egan entered the tank seeking $250,000 for 15% of ilumi, their Bluetooth-connected smart lightbulb business. They demonstrated the smart lightbulb features that we have all become familiar with, from color options to custom routines, before describing how they met while pursuing their MBAs. During that time, they started working on ilumi, and, in the process, won the University of Texas at Dallas's Business Idea Competition, netting a $5,000 prize that they invested back into their business. After explaining that they hadn't hit the market yet, the price point of the bulbs was revealed: $289 for a three-pack of bulbs, with Bora claiming that the bulbs each last up to 20 years and Egan saying that they're aiming for more of a high-end market where the price wasn't an issue and their product was viewed more as a lighting system than a brand of lightbulbs. Barbara Corcoran opted out first, thinking people would not want to control their lights with smartphones or tablets and that the price was too high. Lori Greiner followed, feeling that there were too many competitors to invest without finalized patents. Robert Herjavec, though, offered $350,000 for 35 percent, while Mark Cuban undercut him at 25 percent, and Kevin O'Leary went for 15 percent of licensing deals. Cuban briefly pulled out when Egan wanted to hear the other Sharks' offers, but after Egan asked for a "24 second shot clock" reprieve, they made a deal. Usually, with Mark Cuban deals, the best source to use to determine if the deal closed after the post-shooting due diligence process is the listing of his "Shark Tank" investments on his official website , but Ilumi isn't listed on that page. However, we know that the deal closed because ilumi got an official Shark Tank Update segment during season seven in the episode that opened with the pitch for SmartPlate . In that segment, Cuban joined Swapnil Bora and Corey Egan at the January 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas , where they explained that since the production of their "Shark Tank" episode, ilumi had gone from pre-revenue to $2 million in sales with a pretty extensive network of retail partners. "This isn't a lightbulb company," explained Cuban during the recap segment. "This is a Bluetooth mesh networking company that will be able to control any type of device without having to use the internet." As 2016 rolled on, ilumi seemed intent on following through on what Cuban said in their update, focusing in press releases on their MeshTek branding. Eventually, in 2019, the company was renamed MeshTek Labs, marking its move into the larger "internet of things" market while leveraging its expertise in Bluetooth mesh networking. It's under that name that it's on Cuban's investment list, solving that mystery. When Bora was named Meshtek CEO in 2019, Cuban even lent a quote to the press release, saying MeshTek would "revolutionize how devices are controlled with edge computing and how connectivity will impact daily business activities." MeshTek is still alive and well as a Bluetooth mesh networking company specializing in "internet of things" devices, but the ilumi brand looks like it's more or less dead. As of this writing, there is nothing currently available to order from the ilumi website ; though the website still touts that ilumi products are now available in Best Buy, there are no relevant hits for a search for ilumi on BestBuy.com . Ilumi's official blog has also not been updated since September 2017 despite being updated on a regular basis up to that point. You can still get an ilumi lightbulb at Amazon for $49.99 , but that appears to be long-unsold stock and user reviews are mixed. On the other hand, MeshTek Labs appears to be doing fine. The most recent MeshTek press release in the Gale General OneFile news database (previously InfoTrac) is from November 2023 , and the official company blog is still up-to-date, albeit with less frequent posts than the ilumi blog had in its heyday. Going by the website and most recent press releases, it looks like the company turned into exactly what Mark Cuban predicted, with Meshtek now collaborating with companies that license its Bluetooth mesh technology. As far as the ilumi/MeshTek founders go, their LinkedIn pages indicate that one has left the company. Swapnil Bora is still the CEO of MeshTek, but he assumed that role because cofounder Corey Egan left that post in June 2018, eventually joining Meta in May 2020. Egan's still listed as a co-founder and a member of the board of directors, but he's exited entrepreneurship, working for Meta as a product manager. So far as Meshtek is concerned, if the company blog is any indication, then the company is continuing to make deals with other companies to push Bluetooth mesh networking forward for internet-of-things devices as an alternative to Wi-Fi. The most recent MeshTek press release, from November 2023 , dovetails with this, announcing a partnership with decorative lighting company Minleon USA to bring MeshTek's technology to Christmas lights and the like. "MeshTek's and Minleon's collaboration is leading to a rapid increase of transformative lighting installations that were once cost-prohibitive and complex," said Mark Cuban in the release. " The ability to control and manage hundreds and thousands of devices within millions of sqft area using Bluetooth is a milestone unsurpassed in an everchanging Technological World. The patented, long-range Bluetooth mesh is the brilliance behind the solution and the future of outdoor device connectivity."

Lisa Simpson once said during an episode of “The Simpsons:” What could be more exciting than the savage ballet that is pro football? On Monday night, the entire Simpsons universe gets to experience it in a way not many could have imagined. The prime-time matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys will also take place at Springfield’s Atoms Stadium as part of “The Simpsons Funday Football” alternate broadcast. The altcast will be streamed on ESPN+, Disney+, and NFL+ (on mobile devices). ESPN and ABC have the main broadcast, while ESPN2 will carry the final “ManningCast” of the regular season. The replay will be available on Disney+ for 30 days. Globally, more than 145 countries will have access to either live or on replay. “We’re such huge football fans, and the Simpsons audience and the football audience, I feel, are like the same audience of just American families and football. And the Simpsons are so much a part of the DNA of the American family and culture that for us to, like, mush them together in this crazy video game, it’s so fun,” said Matt Selman, executive producer of “The Simpsons.” While the game is the focal point, the alternate broadcast, in some ways, will resemble a three-hour episode of “The Simpsons.” It starts with Homer eating too many hot dogs and having a dream while watching football. Homer joins the Cowboys in the dream while Bart teams up with the Bengals. Lisa and Marge will be sideline reporters. “That’s the beginning of the story, and the story continues through the entire game until Homer wakes up from his dream at the end of the game. It is like a complete story, and the NFL game will happen in between. It’s just going to be an amazing presentation with tons of surprises,” said Michael “Spike” Szykowny, ESPN’s VP of edit and animation. This is the second year ESPN has done an alternate broadcast for an NFL game. It used the characters from “Toy Story” for last year’s Sunday morning game from London between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. “The Simpsons” has featured many sports-themed episodes during its 35 seasons. Even though “Homer at the Bat” remains the consensus favorite sports episode for many Simpsons fans, there have been football ones such as “Bart Star” and “Lisa The Greek.” There also was a Super Bowl-themed one after Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl 33 between Denver and Atlanta in 1999. Even though “The Simpsons” remains a staple on Fox’s prime-time schedule, it is part of the Disney family after their acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. All 35 seasons are on Disney+. The show’s creators have worked with ESPN and the NFL to make sure the look and sound is definitely Simpsonsesque. The theme song is a mash-up of “The Simpsons” opening and “Monday Night Football’s” iconic “Heavy Action.” There have also been pre-recorded skits and bits to use during the broadcast featuring Simpson’s legendary voices Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, and Yeardley Smith. The telecast will be entirely animated, with the players’ movements in sync with what is happening in real-time on the field. That is done through player-tracking data enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats system and Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. While Next Gen Stats tracks where players are on the field with a tracking chip in the shoulder pads, there is skeletal data tracking and limb tracking data — which uses 29 points per player — to get closer to the player’s movements. The other data tracking will allow Beyond Sports and Disney to add special characters to the game. For example, there might be a play where Lisa catches the ball and goes 30 yards instead of Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins. “Lisa is much smaller than the rest of the players. So, in real life, the ball would go over her head, but now, with data processing, we can take the ball and make it go exactly into her hands. So for the viewer, it still looks believable, and it all makes sense,” said Beyond Sports co-founder Nicolaas Westerhof. The other major challenge is making “The Simpsons” two-dimensional cartoon characters into 3-D simulations. Szykowny and his team worked to make that a reality over the past couple of months. “That’s a big leap of faith for them to say, hey, we trust you to make our characters 3-D and work with it. Our ESPN creative studio team has done a wonderful job,” Szykowny said. Lisa, Krusty, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph will be with Bart and the Bengals; while Carl, Barney, Lenny and Moe join up with with Homer and the Cowboys. The broadcast will also feature ESPN personalities Stephen A. Smith, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning. ESPN’s Drew Carter, Mina Kimes and Dan Orlovsky will call the game from Bristol, Connecticut, and also be animated. They will wear Meta Quest Pro headsets to experience the game from Springfield using VR technology. For Kimes, being part of the broadcast and being an animated Simpsons character is a dream come true. She is a massive fan of the show and has a framed photo of Lisa Simpson — who she said is a personal hero and icon — as part of her backdrop when she makes appearances on ESPN NFL shows from her home in Los Angeles. “I didn’t have any input, and I didn’t see anything beforehand, so I wasn’t sure if it would look like me, but it kind of does, which is very funny,” said Kimes, who drew Simpsons characters when she was a kid. “To see the actual staff turn me into one was a dream.” Even though the Bengals (4-8) and Cowboys (5-7) have struggled this season, Selman thinks both teams have personalities that appeal to “The Simpsons” universe. “We were just so lucky also that the Cowboys are sort of like a Homer Simpson-type team, American team, and Mike McCarthy might be a Homer-type guy, one might imagine,” he said. ”And then you have Joe Burrow on the other side who is a cool young, spiky-haired, blonde bad boy -- he’s like Bart. And that fits our character archetypes so perfectly. “If Homer is mad at Bart and has a hot dog dream while watching ’Monday Night Football’, and then it’s basically McCarthy versus Burrow, Homer versus Bart, and that’s the simple father versus son strangling — Homer strangling Bart dynamic that has been part of the show for 35 years. I don’t know if that would have worked as well if it was like Titans versus Jacksonville. We would have found something. We would have made it work.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflPride, bragging rights and more than $115M at stake when final college playoff rankings come out

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ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Voting closed Saturday evening in most polling centers throughout Ghana, bringing to an end the presidential and legislative elections poised to be a litmus test for democracy in a region shaken by extremist violence and coups . The capital, Accra, was almost a ghost town for much of the day. Even vibrant Oxford Street, one of the city's commercial hubs, saw little activity on the day that Ghanaians went to the polls to elect a new president and 276 legislators. Some 18.7 million people are registered to vote in the West African country hit by one of the worst economic crises in a generation. However, the two main candidates offer little hope for change for the nation. Early results were expected late on Saturday. The first official results will be released by Tuesday. Ghana used to be a poster child for democracy in the region. At a time when coups threatened democracy in West Africa, Ghana emerged as a beacon of democratic stability with a history of peaceful elections. It had also been an economic powerhouse, priding itself on its development. But in recent years, it has struggled with a profound economic crisis, including surging inflation and a lack of jobs. According to an opinion poll released earlier this year by Afrobarometer, a research group, 82% of Ghanaians feel their country is headed in the wrong direction Although 12 candidates are running for president, Saturday’s election — like others since the return of multiparty politics in 1992 — has emerged as a two-horse race. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia is the candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party, or NPP, which has struggled to resolve the economic crisis. He faces off against former President John Dramani Mahama, the leader of the main opposition party National Democratic Congress, or NDC. He was voted out in 2016 after failing to deliver on promises for the economy. Opinion polls point to a potential comeback for Mahama. A local research company, Global InfoAnalytics says he is projected to get 52.2% of the vote, followed by Bawumia, with 41.4%. After voting in the town of Bole in northern Ghana, Mahama praised the smooth election process and expressed confidence in his own victory. “In other elections, it had not been clear," he told reporters. “But (during) this election everyone sees where it is heading.” Bawumia, who voted in his Walewale constituency, also in northern Ghana, also said he believed he had won. “By the grace of God, I’m very hopeful of winning this election," he said. “I think that we have done a lot of work. We have put our message to the people; I think the message has been well received.” The NDC prides itself as a social democratic party, while the ruling NPP tags itself as leaning to the right. But in fact, analysts and voters said, the programs of their presidential candidates do not differ in a significant way. Members of parliament will also be elected Saturday. The ruling NPP party and the main opposition NDC each have 137 members in the 275-member legislature, with one independent member who has been voting mostly along with the ruling party. One more constituency will be added in this election, bringing the number of deputies to 276. In their final campaign rallies Thursday, both candidates made a last push to pitch their political parties as the answer to Ghana’s economic woes. Bawumia, 61, an Oxford-educated economist and former deputy governor of the country’s central bank, promised to build on the outgoing administration’s efforts and stabilize the economy. Mahama, 65, on the other hand, restated his promise to “reset” the country on various fronts. “We need to reset our democracy, governance, economy, finances, agriculture, infrastructure, environment, health sector, and all that we hold dear as a people,” the former president said. Across the the capital, Accra, the mood for the election has been upbeat in posters and billboards with bikers displaying stunts, political rallies on the streets, election jingles and songs blasting from public speakers. But the concern for many is also palpable for the key thing at stake: The country’s ailing economy, which has been challenged on various fronts in recent years. The country defaulted on most of its foreign debt last year as it faced a worsening economic crisis that spiked the price of fuel, food and other essential items. The inflation rate had hit 54% by the end of last year and though it’s been coming down since then, not many Ghanaians can still tell the difference when they go to the market. Ebenezer Kotey Dsane, a 69-year-old driver said he voted for Mahama because “he is a good man” who “set up much infrastructure when he was in office.” “The current regime hasn't done much,” he said, pointing to the La General Hospital in Accra, one of the capital's main medical facilities, pulled down in July 2020 by the current government with a pledge to reconstruct it. “Until today, nothing has happened.” Some chose not to vote at all. Ruth Mensah, 42, an unemployed resident of Nima, a working-class suburb in Accra, said she decided not to cast a ballot. “I don’t see how voting will bring about a change to my life,” she said. Patricia Seyram Hagbevor, 20, a first-time voter and student at Accra Technical University said she wished for a change. She didn't disclose whom she voted for, but said she “hoped for a change for the better that will help develop our future.” The chronic challenge of illegal gold mining — known locally as galamsey — has also been a major issue in the campaign and a source of concern for voters, triggering protests and criticism against the outgoing government. Ghana is Africa’s top gold producer and the world’s sixth largest, but the commodity has been increasingly mined illegally as people become more desperate to find jobs in an economy that has been crumbling. The mining has polluted rivers and other parts of the environment despite government actions to clamp down on the practice. Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal.Former US President Jimmy Carter dies at 100

FARGO — True freshman Jackson Williams delivered a second-quarter lightning bolt that got No. 2-seeded North Dakota State rolling Saturday at the Fargodome. With the Bison facing a two-touchdown deficit, Williams returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score. That big play sparked a 51-31 victory against No. 15-seeded Abilene Christian in the second round of the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs before 10,373 fans. The Bison (11-2) advanced to the FCS quarterfinals and are slated to host No. 7-seeded Mercer next weekend. NDSU improved to 36-1 in the Fargodome during the FCS playoffs. Abilene Christian built a 14-point lead at Gate City Bank Field before Williams' kickoff return started a string of 31 unanswered NDSU points. Bison quarterback Cam Miller completed 20 of 29 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. The Bison defense started the second half with a momentum-building play. Junior linebacker Logan Kopp had a strip sack and then returned the fumble to the ACU 28-yard line with 12 minutes, 12 seconds to play in the third quarter. Moments later, Miller scored on a 1-yard TD run for a 27-17 lead with 10:38 remaining in the third. The Bison scored the final 17 points of the opening half and that surge continued after halftime. Bison running back TK Marshall caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Miller for a 34-17 lead with 6:08 remaining in the third quarter to end the run of 31 unanswered points. That capped a 60-yard drive in four plays. Abilene Christian running back Sam Hicks countered with a 3-yard TD run to cut the Bison lead to 34-24 with 3:23 to play in the third quarter and slow the NDSU momentum. Bison receiver Bryce Lance countered with a 36-yard TD catch for a 41-24 lead with 40 seconds to play in the third quarter. NDSU scored 21 points in the third quarter to build a double-digit cushion. ACU didn't relent. Running back Rovaughn Banks scored on a 2-yard TD run to cut the NDSU lead to 41-31 with 11:11 to play in the fourth quarter. Bison linebacker Marcus Gulley intercepted a pass he returned to the ACU 9-yard line. That set up a Griffin Crosa 23-yard field goal for a 44-31 lead with 3:34 remaining. Kopp slammed the door with a 31-yard interception return for a TD and a 51-31 lead with 3:24 to play in the fourth quarter. The Bison scored first. Crosa hit a 22-yard field goal to give the Bison a 3-0 lead with 8:52 remaining in the first quarter. NDSU had a first-and-goal at the ACU 6-yard line before the game's opening drive eventually stalled. The 72-yard drive took 12 plays. ACU answered with the next 17 points. J.J. Henry caught a 13-yard touchdown pass to give Abilene Christian a 7-3 lead with 2:45 remaining in the first quarter. The drive covered 75 yards in 12 plays. Hicks added a 90-yard touchdown run to give the Wildcats a 14-3 lead on the final play of the first quarter. ACU had 170 yards on 13 plays in the opening 15 minutes. Ritse Vaes hit a 29-yard field goal to give the Wildcats a 17-3 lead with 10:35 to play in the first half. That came after a Kaghen Roach interception gave the Wildcats the ball at the NDSU 13-yard line. Moments later, the 5-foot-11, 177-pound Williams delivered his 100-yard kickoff return for a TD to trim the ACU lead to 17-10 with 10:24 remaining in the second quarter. Crosa hit a 37-yard field goal to cut the ACU lead to 17-13 with 5:58 remaining in the first half. RaJa Nelson caught a 6-yard TD pass to give the Bison a 20-17 lead with 21 seconds to play in the second quarter. That capped a 66-yard drive in nine plays.Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100VIT Vellore hosts South Zone Inter-University Table Tennis tournament

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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a $2.38 per share dividend for the first quarter of 2025. The dividend will be paid on March 7, 2025 , to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 14, 2025 . About Amgen Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative medicines to help millions of patients in their fight against some of the world's toughest diseases. More than 40 years ago, Amgen helped to establish the biotechnology industry and remains on the cutting-edge of innovation, using technology and human genetic data to push beyond what's known today. Amgen is advancing a broad and deep pipeline that builds on its existing portfolio of medicines to treat cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases and rare diseases. In 2024, Amgen was named one of the "World's Most Innovative Companies" by Fast Company and one of "America's Best Large Employers" by Forbes, among other external recognitions . Amgen is one of the 30 companies that comprise the Dow Jones Industrial Average ® , and it is also part of the Nasdaq-100 Index ® , which includes the largest and most innovative non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. For more information, visit Amgen.com and follow Amgen on X , LinkedIn , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube and Threads . Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeiGene, Ltd. or Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.), the performance of Otezla® (apremilast) (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), our acquisitions of Teneobio, Inc., ChemoCentryx, Inc., or Horizon Therapeutics plc (including the prospective performance and outlook of Horizon's business, performance and opportunities, any potential strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities expected as a result of such acquisition, and any projected impacts from the Horizon acquisition on our acquisition-related expenses going forward), as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems on our business, outcomes, progress, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those we project. Our results may be affected by our ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing our products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of our products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, our research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. We or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with our products, including our devices, after they are on the market. Our business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, our business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If we fail to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between us and the U.S. government, we could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while we routinely obtain patents for our products and technology, the protection offered by our patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by our competitors, or we may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. We perform a substantial amount of our commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico , and also depend on third parties for a portion of our manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of our current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for our manufacturing activities, the distribution of our products, the commercialization of our product candidates, and our clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on our product development, product sales, business and results of operations. We rely on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of our product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of our commercial products. In addition, we compete with other companies with respect to many of our marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for our products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of our distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with us. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of our products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on our business and results of operations. Our efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology we have acquired, may not be successful. There can be no guarantee that we will be able to realize any of the strategic benefits, synergies or opportunities arising from the Horizon acquisition, and such benefits, synergies or opportunities may take longer to realize than expected. We may not be able to successfully integrate Horizon, and such integration may take longer, be more difficult or cost more than expected. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach of our information technology systems could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our systems and our data. Our stock price is volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Our business and operations may be negatively affected by the failure, or perceived failure, of achieving our environmental, social and governance objectives. The effects of global climate change and related natural disasters could negatively affect our business and operations. Global economic conditions may magnify certain risks that affect our business. Our business performance could affect or limit the ability of our Board of Directors to declare a dividend or our ability to pay a dividend or repurchase our common stock. We may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to us, or at all. CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks Elissa Snook , 609-251-1407 (media) Justin Claeys , 805-313-9775 (investors) View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-announces-2025-first-quarter-dividend-302328180.html SOURCE Amgen

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Fresh momentum in India-European Union (EU) free trade negotiations has emerged against the backdrop of global uncertainties and shifting geopolitical equations after the US presidential elections, as top negotiators from both sides met in Brussels recently to prepare for the 10th round of talks. The 27-member European bloc sees India, with its democratic values and robust economy, as a natural trade partner to ensure trusted supply chains amid turbulent global conditions, according to officials familiar with the matter. “India is the go-to country for most of the developed world amid an expected change in trade dynamics after President Trump assumes power in January. EU would not like to miss the bus after investing over two years in negotiating an FTA with India since June 2022,” said a person close to the negotiations. Sustainability regulations like labour standards, deforestation rules and carbon tax have been key stumbling blocks despite nine rounds of talks, with the Europeans insisting these be seen as trade matters. “India is not averse to the idea of environment protection. In fact, it is committed to fulfil the obligation by 2070. But, clubbing these in the free trade deal would amount to putting non-tariff barriers in a sly, which was not acceptable,” the official said, and added that “it seems that some convergence on this matter is seen recently, which is indeed a positive sign”. A second person aware of the matter said that “things have changed after the outcome of the US presidential election in early November. The eagerness and positive signs were visible during commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal’s recent meeting with senior EU officials and European diplomats.” Commerce secretary Barthwal met EU director general Sabine Weyand in Brussels on November 21, where both sides showed renewed eagerness. They discussed FTA negotiations progress, cooperation under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council, and market access issues. While EU seeks zero-duty market access for its goods in India with reciprocal benefits, inclusion of sustainability measures like carbon tax could potentially nullify trade advantages for Indian exporters. Key concerns include the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and EU deforestation regulation (EUDR). The carbon tax burden for India is estimated at 0.05% of GDP, according to a July report by the Centre for Science and Environment. The EU is India’s second-largest export destination, receiving merchandise exports worth $76 billion in 2023-24, while India imported goods valued at over $59 billion. CBAM could lead to tariffs of up to 35% on carbon-intensive Indian exports like cement, aluminium, fertilisers, chemicals, iron and steel. The tax, being implemented in phases from October 2023, becomes fully effective January 2026. Meanwhile, EUDR’s implementation deadline for deforestation-free certification of products like cattle, wood, cocoa and derived goods has been extended by a year to December 30, 2025.Democrats are trying to figure out how they lost massive numbers of working class voters in historically blue areas across the country — but the evidence shows that the party simply left them behind. USA Today interviewed multiple former Democrats in the liberal enclave of Massachusetts who cast their votes for President-elect Donald Trump in the recent election, and their main reason was the economy. Mark Callahan, a 67-year-old from Lynn, a suburb of Boston, voted Democrat in nearly every presidential election prior to this year. Now, he said he hopes that Trump will “make a change.” “Everything was too expensive. What we had wasn’t working,” Callahan told the outlet. “The working-class people. They just forgot about us,” Jim Gigliello, a 48-year-old from Revere, said. “It just didn’t seem like any of the politicians had anything that would benefit us,” Curran Bennett, 28, said. Gigliello pointed to the fatigue that voters got with the focus on social justice issues instead of “larger issues like the economy.” Massachusetts, which is so blue that it was the only U.S. state to vote for 1972 Democrat candidate George McGovern over then-President Richard Nixon (R), experienced “one of the most profound rightward shifts of any state” this year, according to USA Today . Despite Vice President Kamala Harris winning the state, diverse communities of working class people became new Trump voters in droves. Garrett Dash Nelson, head curator at the Leventhal Map & Education Center at Boston Public Library and a historical geographer who analyzes political ideologies, used the election results and census data to study the state’s shift. “No matter what method he used to define class, the results were similar,” USA Today reported. His analysis found that communities where more people work in the service industry, have lower median incomes, and have less higher education “generally saw a larger uptick in votes for Trump than more wealthy, white-collar areas.” “Massachusetts saw a pattern that happened all across the country,” Dash Nelson said. “The reality is that the pattern of Republican gains being concentrated primarily in working class, oftentimes diverse working-class municipalities, holds up.” Lawrence, a town that is 80 percent Latino and has a median household income of $53,977 — about half of the state’s overall average of around $100,000 — saw a staggering 46-percent rise in votes for Trump. Springfield, where over a quarter of residents work blue-collar jobs, experienced a 16-percent rise in Trump votes. Lynn, where just 15 percent of residents have a college degree compared to nearly half of Massachusetts residents overall, saw an 11-percent jump for Trump. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), whose district encompasses Lynn, recently came under fire from his own party and is facing calls to resign after telling the New York Times that Democrats have made a mistake by championing transgender athletes in women’s sports. “The feeling is that Republicans are focused more on the urgent challenges people face,” Moulton told USA Today . Arguing that the attempts to cancel him over his opinion that males should not compete against females proves his point, he said, “A lot of Democrats have taken on an incredibly condescending tone and treated everybody who disagrees with them ... as not only wrong, but as bad people.” “We’ve got to do a lot less preaching and a lot more listening,” Moulton added. “There is a simmering distrust among many Americans of the Democratic Party. Even if they like our policies better, they just don’t trust us to take America’s challenges seriously enough.”80jili.ph 。

India, EU gear up for 10th round of FTA negotiationsTrump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems

SIOUX CITY — Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller told the City Council Monday that the new design for a sculpture outside the police department's headquarters will represent the "bond" between the community and his department. The Sioux City Council heard a presentation about Brodin Studios' proposal for a custom bronze statute that would feature a turn of the century patrol officer and a child. The sculpture would be placed on the sidewalk right outside the front doors of the police department on Douglas Street. Mueller Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal "I think this is just a positive change. I think it'll be much more well-accepted. Any public art that we can have downtown will be positive," Mueller said. The project would be primarily financed by the Gilchrist Foundation and several private donors. There would be no financial impact on the city, as the Friends of the Sioux City Police Department, a nonprofit, would maintain funds to clean, maintain and repair the sculpture. In 2020, the Friends of the Sioux City Police Department received a Gilchrist Foundation grant for a public art sculpture to be placed on the sidewalk in front of the department's headquarters. Although the council approved the initial design, which was abstract and created by a local artist, it didn't receive much support from the community, according to city documents. "I was happy to see this resurrected," Councilman Matthew O'Kane said of the sculpture project. Mueller said the department wanted "representational art" from the beginning, but that the local artist the department was initially working with "wanted to take it in a different direction." "It was a very interesting piece -- very, very abstract. I thought with the explanation, it was very, very neat, but I just don't think that it had the public support. I think going in this direction is going to be more acceptable to the public, and we've got a nice spot for it," Mueller said. The Sioux City Police and Fire Headquarters building, 601 Douglas St., is shown. Jesse Brothers, Sioux City Journal Brodin Studios, of Kimball, Minnesota, would create a "completely original custom sculpt" with vintage images and scans of actual badges and equipment from the department. The life-size bronze sculpture would be mounted on a cement base topped with a black marble base with the department's mission statement etched into the supporting structure, along with a dedication plaque. "This is going to be a custom item that will actually be made to look exactly like officers and their equipment did, for instance, back in the day," said Mueller, who said the department will send some items from its museum to Brodin Studios to serve as references. "This will be a late 19th-century officer. The whole point being that back before automobiles, the guy that walked the beat and knew everybody in his neighborhood." Mayor Bob Scott asked if there would be room outside the building for another sculpture in the future, if the fire department wanted to do a similar project. The Douglas Street police department also serves as Sioux City Fire Rescue's headquarters. "This is going to have a limited footprint," Mueller said. "That's a pretty good plot of space. If they would ever want to do something, I think there's plenty of room to do so." The council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing an annual contribution of more than $321,000 to the Sioux City Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCRCVB), which does business as Explore Siouxland. The council also green-lighted a letter of understanding between the SCRCVB and the city. The contribution, which totals $321,621, will commence Dec. 16, 2024 and end June 30, 2025. The SCRCVB focuses on bringing in new events and marketing Sioux City as a destination for tourists, conventions and sporting events. Explore Siouxland Executive Director Kristi Franz gives a report to the Sioux City Council on Dec. 2. The council approved a commitment of a minimum of $100,000 and 50% of any hotel/motel taxes collected beyond $2.4 million. Since $2,843,241.80 was collected in hotel/motel taxes in 2024, the SCRCVB will receive $221,620.90 of the hotel/motel taxes. "This Letter of Understanding will be funded using FY 2025 Tourism operating funds; however, a budget add of $112,877.90 will be necessary to ensure available budget," city documents stated. Local leaders refocused their tourism efforts after Sioux City eliminated the city department that oversaw not only tourism, but also the Tyson Events Center and the Convention Center. The change occurred after the city hired OVG360, formerly Spectra, a Philadelphia-based venue management firm, to run the Tyson. The Convention & Visitors Bureau Board manages the new CVB, while the Events Facilities Advisory Board continues to oversee the city-owned venues. The Journal’s Jared McNett shows how to download and browse the Sioux City Journal's app. Jesse BrothersATLANTA — As she checked into a recent flight to Mexico for vacation, Teja Smith chuckled at the idea of joining another Women’s March on Washington. As a Black woman, she just couldn’t see herself helping to replicate the largest act of resistance against then-President Donald Trump’s first term in January 2017. Even in an election this year where Trump questioned his opponent’s race, held rallies featuring racist insults and falsely claimed Black migrants in Ohio were eating their neighbors’ pets, he didn't just win a second term. He became the first Republican in two decades to clinch the popular vote, although by a small margin. Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris hold their fists in the air after she delivered a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election Nov. 6 on the campus of Howard University in Washington. “It’s like the people have spoken and this is what America looks like,” said Smith, the Los Angeles-based founder of the advocacy social media agency, Get Social. “And there’s not too much more fighting that you’re going to be able to do without losing your own sanity.” After Trump was declared the winner over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, many politically engaged Black women said they were so dismayed by the outcome that they were reassessing — but not completely abandoning — their enthusiasm for electoral politics and movement organizing. Black women often carry much of the work of getting out the vote in their communities. They had vigorously supported the historic candidacy of Harris, who would have been the first woman of Black and South Asian descent to win the presidency. Harris' loss spurred a wave of Black women across social media resolving to prioritize themselves, before giving so much to a country that over and over has shown its indifference to their concerns. AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters, found that 6 in 10 Black women said the future of democracy in the United States was the single most important factor for their vote this year, a higher share than for other demographic groups. But now, with Trump set to return to office in two months, some Black women are renewing calls to emphasize rest, focus on mental health and become more selective about what fight they lend their organizing power to. “America is going to have to save herself,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the national voting rights group Black Voters Matter. She compared Black women’s presence in social justice movements as “core strategists and core organizers” to the North Star, known as the most consistent and dependable star in the galaxy because of its seemingly fixed position in the sky. People can rely on Black women to lead change, Brown said, but the next four years will look different. “That’s not a herculean task that’s for us. We don’t want that title. ... I have no goals to be a martyr for a nation that cares nothing about me,” she said. Supporters cheer during a community rally with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris on Oct. 27 in Philadelphia. AP VoteCast paints a clear picture of Black women's concerns. Black female voters were most likely to say that democracy was the single most important factor for their vote, compared to other motivators such as high prices or abortion. More than 7 in 10 Black female voters said they were “very concerned” that electing Trump would lead the nation toward authoritarianism, while only about 2 in 10 said this about Harris. About 9 in 10 Black female voters supported Harris in 2024, according to AP VoteCast, similar to the share that backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Trump received support from more than half of white voters, who made up the vast majority of his coalition in both years. Like voters overall, Black women were most likely to say the economy and jobs were the most important issues facing the country, with about one-third saying that. But they were more likely than many other groups to say that abortion and racism were the top issues, and much less likely than other groups to say immigration was the top issue. Despite those concerns, which were well-voiced by Black women throughout the campaign, increased support from young men of color and white women helped expand Trump’s lead and secured his victory. Politically engaged Black women said they don’t plan to continue positioning themselves in the vertebrae of the “backbone” of America’s democracy. The growing movement prompting Black women to withdraw is a shift from history, where they are often present and at the forefront of political and social change. One of the earliest examples is the women’s suffrage movement that led to ratification in 1920 of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Black women, however, were prevented from voting for decades afterward because of Jim Crow-era literacy tests, poll taxes and laws that blocked the grandchildren of slaves from voting. Most Black women couldn’t vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black women were among the organizers and counted among the marchers brutalized on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, during the historic march in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery that preceded federal legislation. Decades later, Black women were prominent organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the deaths of Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes. In his 2024 campaign, Trump called for leveraging federal money to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in government and discussions of race, gender or sexual orientation in schools. His rhetoric on immigration, including false claims that Black Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating cats and dogs, drove support for his plan to deport millions of people. Tenita Taylor, a Black resident of Atlanta who supported Trump this year, said she was initially excited about Harris’ candidacy. But after thinking about how high her grocery bills have been, she feels that voting for Trump in hopes of finally getting lower prices was a form of self-prioritization. “People say, ‘Well, that’s selfish, it was gonna be better for the greater good,''' she said. “I’m a mother of five kids. ... The things that (Democrats) do either affect the rich or the poor.” Where can Black women feel supported and flourish financially? When posed that question, Dr. Lori Martin, a professor of African and African American studies and sociology at Louisiana State University, had this to say: "A livable place for Black women is safe, and for women with children, it is home to schools where all students have access to an excellent education. It would also be diverse, with a visible and thriving Black community, including Black businesses." While the socioeconomic realities of our current time touch all corners of the country, there are pockets of the U.S. where the wealth gap narrows and Black women have more opportunities. MoneyGeek analyzed data on income, the cost of crime , homeownership , and poverty levels from 164 cities across the United States to rank the best — and worst — cities for Black women to live and financially flourish in. MoneyGeek ranked 164 cities with populations greater than 65,000 from the best to the worst for Black women. The ranking includes analysis of income, poverty rate, homeownership, educational attainment and health insurance gaps between Black women and the entire population nationally and locally. The size of the local Black population and the cost of crime in the area were included in the ranking to reflect the presence of the Black community and safety, respectively. Southfield — a suburb of Detroit — and Pearland — a Houston suburb — ranked as the top two cities in the analysis. Notably, Southern cities make up the majority of cities in the top 25, with 13 located in this region. In contrast, Minneapolis, Minnesota, ranked as the worst city for Black women. In Minneapolis, Black women face high poverty rates in absolute and relative terms and have low rates of health insurance coverage compared to the cities analyzed. Meanwhile, Miami ranks as the second least favorable city, with a significant local income gap — there, white men earn almost triple the income of Black women. Income disparity is a key measure of how well Black women are doing today. For each city in the analysis, we calculated the local Equal Pay Day — the day in the following year when Black women would make an equivalent amount as white men — using the median income of Black women working full time and the median income of white men working full time in each locality. In Carson, California, the median pay of Black women is higher than the median pay of white men. However, in Evanston, Illinois, Black women make just over a third of white men's earnings, meaning they would need to work until September 24, 2024, to earn the equivalent of a white man's 2022 pay. Economic challenges faced by Black women include restricted career advancement opportunities, insufficient health insurance, and inadequate retirement savings. Survey data from Goldman Sachs indicates that 42% of Black women perceive limited career growth opportunities compared to 35% of U.S. adults, and merely 43% are able to obtain health insurance through their employer, in contrast to 53% nationwide. Additionally, 71% of Black women feel they are living paycheck to paycheck, compared to 63% of the general population. The intersection of racial and gender bias contributes to these challenges, resulting in low-wage jobs and a considerable wealth gap. Our analysis validates this, demonstrating that Black women who work full-time, year-round, earn 64 cents for every dollar white men earn working full-time, year-round. Less access to economic opportunities puts Black women at a disadvantage in building wealth. The FDIC's National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households found that 11.3% of Black households were unbanked compared to just 2.1% of white households. Unbanked households are credit invisible — that is, they don't have a credit history and, therefore, can't build credit. Having no credit history makes it difficult to utilize credit cards to manage cash needs and mortgages to buy homes. Advocating for economic opportunities for Black women The struggle for economic equity remains a persistent challenge for Black women in America, who have historically faced systemic wage disparities and employment obstacles. However, there are tools and resources that can provide Black women with economic opportunities and empowerment. Dr. Ukanwa shares additional solutions, such as: 1. Invest in education: Research has already shown that degrees increase lifetime earnings, close some societal gaps, and increase job security. But if degrees are not your path, it also means continuing to build that knowledge and expertise in something you can be the best at. Figure out your expertise and what you bring to the table. 2. After building your expertise in a field, build your reputation and personal brand: With an excellent reputation and personal brand, people will start to seek you out rather than the other way around. This increases the worth of your expertise. 3. Find out what your expertise is worth: Educate yourself on how to negotiate . Negotiate to be paid what you are worth. 4. Get into the habit of ownership: Build your own equity, which decreases the dependence on someone else for your income. For example, this could be your own business, stocks , or real estate. To rank the best cities for Black women, MoneyGeek analyzed data from the American Community Survey , MoneyGeek's Safest Cities and Safest Small Cities and Towns studies, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The analysis started with over 500 places in America with populations of 65,000 or more. Places without granular data about Black women or lacking other data points for the analysis were removed to get to the final set of 164 cities. The ranking of the best cities for Black women was based on eight factors: safety, Black population, educational attainment, poverty rates, income, employment, health insurance, and homeownership. Each factor was weighted equally and scaled to a score between 0 and 1. The factors were calculated as follows: Safety (full weight): This metric equally comprises two metrics. Percent of local population that is Black (full weight): This percentage represents the proportion of Black individuals within a city's total population, as reported by the United States Census Bureau's five-year American Community Survey (ACS) from 2021, the most recent data available. Educational attainment (full weight): This metric equally comprises two metrics. Poverty rate (full weight): The percentage point difference between the city's rate of Black women earning at or above the poverty level and the rate of all women living above the poverty level nationally. This finding comes from the 2021 Census ACS five-year data, the latest available source covering over 200 cities. Income (full weight): This factor equally comprises two metrics. Employment (full weight): The difference in percentage points between the Black female employment rate and the white male employment rate in the locality. Health insurance (full weight): This metric reveals the percentage point difference between Black women (ages 19-64) and white men (ages 19-64) with health insurance. This information comes from the Census ACS five-year data from 2021, the most recent data source available. Black female homeownership (full weight): This factor comprises three metrics. The full data set can be found here . This story was produced by MoneyGeek and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

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A range of independent TDs are contemplating the prospect of entering Ireland’s next coalition government as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael consider ways to secure a solid majority. Three long days of counting in the General Election finished late on Monday night when the final two seats were declared in the constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. Fianna Fail was the clear winner of the election, securing 48 of the Dail parliament’s 174 seats. Sinn Fein took 39 and Fine Gael 38. Labour and the Social Democrats both won 11 seats; People Before Profit-Solidarity took three; Aontu secured two; and the Green Party retained only one of its 12 seats. Independents and others accounted for 21 seats. The return of a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael-led coalition is now highly likely. However, their combined seat total of 86 leaves them just short of the 88 needed for a majority in the Dail. While the two centrist parties that have dominated Irish politics for a century could look to strike a deal with one of the Dail’s smaller centre-left parties, such as the Social Democrats or Labour, a more straightforward route to a majority could be achieved by securing the support of several independent TDs. For Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and current taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris, wooing like-minded independents would be likely to involve fewer policy concessions, and financial commitments, than would be required to convince another party to join the government benches. Longford-Westmeath independent TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran, who served in a Fine Gael-led minority government between 2017 and 2020, expressed his willingness to listen to offers to join the new coalition in Dublin. “Look, my door’s open,” he told RTE. “Someone knocks, I’m always there to open it.” Marian Harkin, an independent TD for Sligo-Leitrim, expressed her desire to participate in government as she noted that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael were within “shouting distance” of an overall majority. “That means they will be looking for support, and I certainly will be one of those people who will be speaking to them and talking to them and negotiating with them, and I’m looking forward to doing that, because that was the reason that I ran in the first place,” she said. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party both appear cautious about the prospect of an alliance with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They will no doubt be mindful of the experience of the Green Party, the junior partner in the last mandate. The Greens experienced near wipeout in the election, retaining only one of their 12 seats. Sinn Fein appears to currently have no realistic route to government, given Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s ongoing refusal to share power with the party. Despite the odds being stacked against her party, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald contacted the leaders of the Social Democrats and Labour on Monday to discuss options. Earlier, Fianna Fail deputy leader and outgoing Finance Minister Jack Chambers predicted that a new coalition government would not be in place before Christmas. Mr Chambers said planned talks about forming an administration required “time and space” to ensure that any new government will be “coherent and stable”. After an inconclusive outcome to the 2020 election, it took five months for Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens to strike the last coalition deal. Mr Chambers said he did not believe it would take that long this time, as he noted the Covid-19 pandemic was a factor in 2020, but he also made clear it would not be a swift process. He said he agreed with analysis that there was no prospect of a deal before Christmas. “I don’t expect a government to be formed in mid-December, when the Dail is due to meet on December 18, probably a Ceann Comhairle (speaker) can be elected, and there’ll have to be time and space taken to make sure we can form a coherent, stable government,” he told RTE. “I don’t think it should take five months like it did the last time – Covid obviously complicated that. But I think all political parties need to take the time to see what’s possible and try and form a stable government for the Irish people.” Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke said members of his parliamentary party would have to meet to consider their options before giving Mr Harris a mandate to negotiate a new programme for government with Fianna Fail. “It’s important that we have a strong, stable, viable government, whatever form that may be, to ensure that we can meet the challenges of our society, meet the challenges in terms of the economic changes that are potentially going to happen,” he told RTE. Despite being set to emerge with the most seats, it has not been all good news for Fianna Fail. The party’s outgoing Health Minister Stephen Donnelly became one of the biggest casualties of the election when he lost his seat in Wicklow in the early hours of Monday morning. Mr Donnelly was always predicted to face a fight in the constituency after boundary changes saw it reduced from five to four seats. If it is to be a reprise of the Fianna Fail/Fine Gael governing partnership of the last mandate, one of the major questions is around the position of taoiseach and whether the parties will once again take turns to hold the Irish premiership during the lifetime of the new government. The outcome in 2020 saw the parties enter a coalition on the basis that the holder of the premier position would be exchanged midway through the term. Fianna Fail leader Mr Martin took the role for the first half of the mandate, with Leo Varadkar taking over in December 2022. Current Fine Gael leader Mr Harris succeeded Mr Varadkar as taoiseach when he resigned from the role earlier this year. However, this time Fianna Fail has significantly increased its seat lead over Fine Gael, compared with the last election when there were only three seats between the parties. The size of the disparity in party numbers is likely to draw focus on the rotating taoiseach arrangement, raising questions as to whether it will be re-run in the next coalition and, if it is, on what terms. On Sunday, Simon Coveney, a former deputy leader of Fine Gael, said a coalition that did not repeat the rotating taoiseach arrangement in some fashion would be a “difficult proposition” for his party. Meanwhile, Fine Gael minister Paschal Donohoe said he would be making the case for Mr Harris to have another opportunity to serve as taoiseach. On Monday, Mr Chambers said while his party would expect to lead the government it would approach the issue of rotating the taoiseach’s role on the basis of “mutual respect” with Fine Gael. “I think the context of discussions and negotiations will be driven by mutual respect, and that’s the glue that will drive a programme for government and that’s the context in which we’ll engage,” he said. On Monday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik reiterated her party’s determination to forge an alliance with fellow centre-left parties with the intention of having a unified approach to the prospect of entering government. Asked if Labour was prepared to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on its own, she told RTE: “No, not at this stage. We are absolutely not willing to do that. “We want to ensure there’s the largest number of TDs who share our vision and our values who want to deliver change on the same basis that we do.” The Social Democrats have been non-committal about any potential arrangement with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and have restated a series of red lines they would need to achieve before considering taking a place in government. Leader Holly Cairns, who gave birth to a daughter on polling day on Friday, said in a statement: “The party is in a very strong position to play an important role in the next Dail. In what position, government or opposition, remains to be seen.” Fianna Fail secured the most first preference votes in Friday’s proportional representation election, taking 21.9% to Fine Gael’s 20.8%. Sinn Fein came in third on 19%. While Sinn Fein’s vote share represented a marked improvement on its disappointing showing in June’s local elections in Ireland, it is still significantly down on the 24.5% poll-topping share it secured in the 2020 general election. The final breakdown of first preferences also flipped the result of Friday night’s exit poll, which suggested Sinn Fein was in front on 21.1%, with Fine Gael on 21% and Fianna Fail on 19.5%.

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President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president’s extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes – and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense — but Biden’s team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exacting “retribution,” could launch investigations that would be reputationally and financially costly for their targets even if they don’t result in prosecutions. While the president’s pardon power is absolute, Biden’s use in this fashion would mark a significant expansion of how they are deployed, and some Biden aides fear it could lay the groundwork for an even more drastic usage by Trump. They also worry that issuing pardons would feed into claims by Trump and his allies that the individuals committed acts that necessitated immunity. Recipients could include infectious-disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was instrumental in combating the coronavirus pandemic and who has become a pariah to conservatives angry about mask mandates and vaccines. Others include witnesses in Trump’s criminal or civil trials and Biden administration officials who have drawn the ire of the incoming president and his allies. Some fearful former officials have reached out to the Biden White House preemptively seeking some sort of protection from the future Trump administration, one of the people said. It follows Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter — not just for his convictions on federal gun and tax violations, but for any potential federal offense committed over an 11-year period, as the president feared that Trump allies would seek to prosecute his son for other offenses. That could serve as a model for other pardons Biden might issue to those who could find themselves in legal jeopardy under Trump. Biden is not the first to consider such pardons — Trump aides considered them for him and his supporters involved in his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election that culminated in a violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But he could be the first to issue them since Trump’s pardons never materialized before he left office nearly four years ago. Gerald Ford granted a “full, free, and absolute pardon” in 1974 to his predecessor, Richard Nixon, over the Watergate scandal. He believed a potential trial would “cause prolonged and divisive debate over the propriety of exposing to further punishment and degradation a man who has already paid the unprecedented penalty of relinquishing the highest elective office of the United States,” as written in the pardon proclamation. Politico was first to report that Biden was studying the use of preemptive pardons. On the campaign trail, Trump made no secret of his desire to seek revenge on those who prosecuted him or crossed him. Trump has talked about “enemies from within” and circulated social media posts that call for the jailing of Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer. He also zeroed in on former Rep. Liz Cheney, a conservative Republican who campaigned for Harris and helped investigate Jan. 6, and he promoted a social media post that suggested he wanted military tribunals for supposed treason. Kash Patel, whom Trump has announced as his nominee to be director of the FBI, has listed dozens of former government officials he wanted to “come after.” Richard Painter, a Trump critic who served as the top White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said he was reluctantly in support of having Biden issue sweeping pardons to people who could be targeted by Trump’s administration. He said he hoped that would “clean the slate” for the incoming president and encourage him to focus on governing, not on punishing his political allies. “It’s not an ideal situation at all,” Painter said. “We have a whole lot of bad options confronting us at this point.” While the Supreme Court this year ruled that the president enjoys broad immunity from prosecution for what could be considered official acts, his aides and allies enjoy no such shield. Some fear that Trump could use the promise of a blanket pardon to encourage his allies to take actions they might otherwise resist for fear of running afoul of the law. “There could be blatant illegal conduct over the next four years, and he can go out and pardon his people before he leaves office,” Painter said. “But if he’s going to do that, he’s going to do that anyway regardless of what Biden does.” More conventional pardons from Biden, such as those for sentencing disparities for people convicted of federal crimes, are expected before the end of the year, the White House said.

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Social media has changed the way we live our lives. All sorts of information, including personal data, are available with one computer or mobile device click. While this is good because news can be spread as fast as possible, it's a double-edged sword because personal things that should be kept private are sometimes outed without a filter. For stars, this information could be potentially damaging to their careers. While that is true, Philadelphia 76ers Hall of Famer says the social media era has enhanced the players' earning capacity. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Israeli-Moldovan rabbi living in the United Arab Emirates has gone missing, with Israeli authorities raising the suspicion Saturday he may have been kidnapped as tensions remain high with Iran . Israeli media citing unnamed security sources reported that Zvi Kogan, who has been missing since noon Thursday, may have been kidnapped. The Israeli prime minister’s office on Saturday night acknowledged Kogan’s disappearance, without elaborating. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after it launched a strike in October hitting sensitive military bases in the country . Tehran twice has launched missile attacks on Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli ground offensive in Lebanon. “Since (Kogan’s) disappearance, and against the backdrop of information that this was a terrorist incident, an extensive investigation has been opened in the country,” the prime minister’s office said. “Israeli intelligence and security agencies are working continuously out of concern for the well-being and safety of Zvi Kogan.” Israeli media described the rabbi as a veteran of the Israeli military’s 84th Givati Brigade. RELATED COVERAGE As airlines avoid Israel, UAE’s FlyDubai and Etihad keep up flights for both diplomacy and dollars French weapons system found in Sudan is likely violation of U.N. arms embargo, says Amnesty The UAE opens its annual oil-and-gas summit as industry weathers Mideast wars and awaits US election The Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of Orthodox Judaism, said Kogan was last seen in Dubai. A video circulating on social media showed him earlier in the week at a Kosher grocery store in the city-state. The Chabad Lubavitch movement also described Kogan as being an emissary of the branch, which is based in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood in New York. “Our emissaries are working closely with authorities as they investigate his disappearance,” the movement’s chairman, Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, said in a statement. Early Sunday, the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency acknowledged Kogan’s disappearance but pointedly did not acknowledge he held Israeli citizenship, referring to him only as being Moldovan. The Emirati Interior Ministry described Kogan as being “missing and out of contact.” “Specialized authorities immediately began search and investigation operations upon receiving the report,” the Interior Ministry said. The Emirati Foreign Ministry separately described the Interior Ministry search as involving “extensive measures.” The Foreign Ministry “is in close contact with his family to provide them with all means of necessary support,” it added. The UAE is an autocratic federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula and is also home to Abu Dhabi. Local Jewish officials in the UAE declined to comment. While the Israeli statement did not mention Iran, Iranian intelligence services have carried out past kidnappings in the UAE. Western officials believe Iran runs intelligence operations in the UAE and keeps tabs on the hundreds of thousands of Iranians living across the country. Iran is suspected of kidnapping and later killing British Iranian national Abbas Yazdi in Dubai in 2013, though Tehran has denied involvement. Iran also kidnapped Iranian German national Jamshid Sharmahd in 2020 from Dubai, taking him back to Tehran, where he was executed in October . Iranian state media later acknowledged Kogan’s disappearance, without elaborating. The UAE diplomatically recognized Israel in 2020 . Since then, Israelis have come to the UAE to set up businesses and vacation. Emirati airlines have been a key link for Israel to the rest of the world as other carriers have stopped flying to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv amid the wars. The UAE also has a burgeoning Jewish community, with synagogues and businesses catering to kosher diners. However, the Mideast wars have sparked deep anger among Emiratis, Arab nationals from other states and others living in the UAE. ___ Reich reported from New York.

The incident served as a wake-up call for both the beauty salon industry and consumers alike. It highlighted the importance of conducting thorough research and choosing reputable establishments when seeking beauty treatments such as Botox injections. It also underscored the critical need for trained and qualified professionals to perform such procedures to avoid potential health risks.

With the official start of winter only a couple weeks away, a December heat wave has struck San Luis Obispo County. On Friday, San Luis Obispo was expected to reach a high temperature of 75 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday will be nearly as hot in SLO with a high of 73 degrees, the forecast said, with above-average temperatures and some wind expected throughout the weekend. “Locally, gusty winds are expected (Friday) and Saturday, mostly for mountain and foothill locations,” the National Weather Service said on its website. “Moderate Santa Ana winds are expected Monday night through Wednesday along with a drying trend.” According to local meteorologist John Lindsey, the warm, downslope winds go by several different names — Santa Ana winds in Southern California, Diablo winds in Northern California and the Santa Lucia winds on the Central Coast — but they’re basically the same thing. Whether you live in SLO County, you’re likely feeling those wild winds drifting down from higher ground. What causes this windy weather phenomenon? And how does it stoke dramatic upticks in temperature? Here’s what to know: What are Santa Ana winds? The blustery breezes known as the Santa Ana winds are dry, warm winds originating from the Great Basin in Southern California, according to Robert Fovell, an emeritus professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at UCLA. The winds pick up when high-pressure desert air flows toward low-pressure air off of the coast. The interaction of the two air systems causes hot, dry winds, the weather service said. “High pressure at the surface basically shoots these winds towards the coast where there’s lower pressure, so we get that driving force of that pressure gradient,” said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist for the weather service. “That’s where those winds generate from.” “(The winds) bring those warmer temperatures when they (go) down slope, down mountains and hills,” Lewis said. The force of gravity pulls air down from higher elevations, such as the nearby Santa Lucia Mountains, toward the Pacific Ocean, Lindsey said. The technical term for these downslope air currents is called katabatic winds. The name translates to “going downhill” in Greek, Lindsey said. Are Santa Lucia winds different? Santa Lucia and Santa Ana winds are essentially the same type of gusts, according to Lindsey. “Every area has their own name for the winds,” but the names all apply to the same kind of warm, downhill blusters, he said. What time of year do warm winds occur? Warm winds can occur anytime of the year but are most common from September through May, the National Weather Service said. The cooler months of the year provide better conditions for the Santa Ana winds, and are most likely to arise in October, November and December, Lewis said. Are the winds dangerous? This story was originally published December 6, 2024, 2:04 PM.The ongoing shift towards what can be termed as "new productivity" is characterized by a focus on leveraging cutting-edge technologies, fostering creativity and collaboration, and embracing a culture of continuous improvement. This paradigm shift is not simply about doing things faster or more efficiently; it is about reimagining the very essence of productivity in a rapidly changing world.

Dina Boluarte Congreso Dólar en Perú Interbank Bono 200 soles Armonía 10 Javier Milei Feriados Estado de emergencia Minedu Gratificación Horóscopo ÚLTIMAS NOTICIAS POLÍTICA ECONOMÍA SOCIEDAD MUNDO PERÚ DEPORTES ESPECTÁCULOS DATEC DÓLAR NEWSLETTERS Últimas Noticias These Christmas songs by Slade, Wizzard, and Mariah Carey continue to generate impressive earnings annually, showcasing the lasting appeal and profitability of festive music hits. The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and festive music that fills the air. Christmas songs , with their timeless melodies and cheerful lyrics, have become a staple in homes, stores, and media worldwide. Beyond spreading holiday cheer, these songs also bring in significant revenue for the artists who created them. Certain Christmas classics have proven to be particularly lucrative, continuing to generate substantial earnings year after year. These songs have not only stood the test of time but have also become synonymous with the holiday season itself. The Timeless Appeal of Classic Christmas Songs Noddy Holder of Slade continues to earn over £1 million annually from "Merry Xmas Everybody," a song released in 1973. This festive tune has become a staple during the holiday season, played in various settings from radio stations to shopping malls. Similarly, Roy Wood of Wizzard benefits from his hit "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday," earning around £200,000 each year . The song's cheerful melody and nostalgic lyrics resonate with audiences, ensuring its place in the holiday music rotation. These earnings highlight the enduring appeal of these classic Christmas songs. Mariah Carey's Christmas Reign When it comes to modern Christmas music , Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is an undeniable leader. Released in 1994, this song has become a holiday anthem, bringing in approximately £376,000 annually for Carey. Its popularity spans across generations, making it a go-to track for festive celebrations. The song's success is not limited to airplay; it is featured in advertisements, movies, and TV shows, further boosting its earnings. Mariah Carey's timeless hit exemplifies how a well-crafted Christmas song can become an essential part of the holiday experience, creating a significant financial boon for the artist. Carlincatura de hoy lunes 02 de diciembre de 2024 Edición Impresa - La Republica | Lima - Lunes 02 de Diciembre del 2024 CINEPLANET: 2 entradas 2D + 2 bebidas grandes + Pop corn gigante. Lunes a Domingo La República us Estados Unidos Navidad Terribles noticias para inmigrantes en EE. UU.: las 5 razones que te harán perder tu ciudadanía americana Malas noticias para inmigrantes: estas son las 3 reformas migratorias que Trump aplicará como presidente de EE. UU. ¿Comenzaron las deportaciones masivas en EE. UU.? Expulsaron a inmigrantes de 5 países de América Latina Últimas Noticias Terribles noticias para inmigrantes en EE. UU.: las 5 razones que te harán perder tu ciudadanía americana Malas noticias para inmigrantes: estas son las 3 reformas migratorias que Trump aplicará como presidente de EE. UU. ¿Comenzaron las deportaciones masivas en EE. UU.? Expulsaron a inmigrantes de 5 países de América Latina Alerta, inmigrantes en Estados Unidos: desde esta fecha de 2025 serán deportados por el nuevo gobierno de Trump Empleada de Walmart se vuelve millonaria tras ser llamada a trabajar en su día libre en Estados Unidos Salario mínimo en California para 2025: nuevo monto revelado tras el rechazo de la Proposición 32 en Estados Unidos Atención, inmigrantes indocumentados: conoce los derechos que nadie te puede negar en Estados Unidos La curiosa pronunciación de 'dulce de leche' por estadounidenses que desató risas en redes sociales Licencia de conducir para inmigrantes en Chicago: 3 únicos requisitos para obtener la Real ID en 2025 Carlincatura de hoy lunes 02 de diciembre de 2024 Edición Impresa FIFA quitó puntos a Venezuela tras caer goleado ante Chile de Gareca: así quedó la tabla Melgar sorprende en el mercado tras contratar a ex Alianza Lima: "Nos complace anunciar" Fiestas de Año Nuevo 2025 en Perú: los mejores shows y conciertos para despedir el 2024 Confirman los feriados largos oficiales 2025: ¿cuándo caen y cuantos fin de semana largo son? Consulta con tu DNI si estás en EsSalud y cobra el bono de S/820 para diciembre 2024 DESCUENTOS en Tottus con hasta el 50% en electrodomésticos desde el 28 de noviembre ¿El arroz recalentado es más saludable? CINEPLANET: 2 entradas 2D + 2 bebidas grandes + Pop corn gigante. Lunes a Domingo CINEMARK: 2 Entradas + 2 gaseosas + cancha mediana o grande (validación ONLINE o física) PERULANDIA: Full day + Piscinas + s/ 30 de vale de consumo incluido + Perusaurus y más ALMUERZO O CENA BUFFET + Postre + 1 Ice tea de Hierba luisa en sus 4 LOCALES LA FABULOSA CASA DE PAPÁ NOEL: Casona Mágica de Miraflores y Jockey Plaza del 7 al 23 de DICIEMBRE REVISION TECNICA VEHICULAR FARENET. Locales a elegir. Lunes a Domingo. Últimas noticias Política Economía Sociedad Deportes Espectáculos Cine & Series Mundo Tendencias Tecnología Cultura Asiática Loterías y sorteos Datos LR Columnistas Verificador Argentina México Venezuela Horóscopo chino Visita también larepublica.pe podcast.larepublica.pe elpopular.pe libero.pe libero.pe/esports wapa.pe lol.larepublica.pe buenazo.pe larepublica.pe/verificador perulegal.larepublica.pe lrmas.larepublica.pe perubazar.pe cuponidad.pe ©TODOS LOS DERECHOS RESERVADOS - 2024

Tractor Supply Co. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitorsLeh: Shri Manohar Lal, Hon’ble Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, today flagged-off the fleet of green hydrogen buses of NTPC at Leh in the presence of senior officials of Ministry of Power, Leh Administration and NTPC. After the flag-off, Hon’ble Minister travelled 12 km in one of the H2 buses from the H2 filling station to the Leh airport. Minister congratulated NTPC for its unique contribution to the energy security and decarbonisation efforts of the country through adoption of hydrogen technologies at various fronts like mobility, blending with PNG, green methanol and its overall thrust on RE. The Green Hydrogen Mobility Project at Leh comprises in-situ 1.7 MW solar plant, Green hydrogen filling station of capacity 80 kg/day and 5 hydrogen intra-city buses. Each bus can cover 300 km per single filling of hydrogen of 25 kg. This is also the world’s highest altitude (3650m MSL) Green Hydrogen Mobility Project that is designed to operate in low density air, sub-zero temperature and can fill hydrogen at 350 bar pressure. This station shall mitigate the carbon emissions of approx. 350 MT/year and contribute 230 MT/year of pure oxygen into the atmosphere which is equal to planting of approx. 13000 trees. Potential of green hydrogen mobility solution in Ladakh is very strong considering the high solar irradiance with low temperature, a sweet spot for producing the solar power and green hydrogen efficiently. Production and utilisation of this green fuel at these locations would avoid the fossil fuel logistics and make the locations self-sufficient in terms of energy requirement. NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated power utility under the Ministry of Power, has been a crusader in making efforts to meet the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of achieving Net Zero Target by 2070. It is setting up more hydrogen mobility projects across India in addition to deployment of various green hydrogen technologies, rapidly scaling up of RE capacity including setting up of hydrogen hub in Andhra Pradesh.

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WINNIPEG - Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand told a ceremony for a new treaty that recognizes his organization as the government for the Red River Métis that the moment was 154 years in the making. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * WINNIPEG - Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand told a ceremony for a new treaty that recognizes his organization as the government for the Red River Métis that the moment was 154 years in the making. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? WINNIPEG – Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand told a ceremony for a new treaty that recognizes his organization as the government for the Red River Métis that the moment was 154 years in the making. “We will pursue something that’s rightfully ours, and no matter how long it takes, we will never give up.We will try and try and try,” Chartrand told the ceremony in Winnipeg on Saturday. The federation is the first Métis group to sign a modern treaty with the federal government, and the ceremony came after its members voted overwhelmingly in favour of the agreement last year during an assembly. It recognizes the Red River Métis have an inherent right to self-government and law-making powers over their own citizenship, elections and other operations. While the treaty doesn’t lay out specific rights around health care, harvesting or land, Chartrand has said those aspects will likely be negotiated later with the federal government on a nation-to-nation basis. It is subject to legislation passing in Parliament, and Chartrand has said the NDP, Bloc Quebecois and Greens have promised to support the Liberal government. Métis leader Louis Riel negotiated a treaty with Canada some 150 years ago, which led to Manitoba joining Confederation, a development that was supposed to reserve 1.4 million acres of land for Métis residents in the province. But Ottawa did not follow through with the promises of that agreement and Riel was eventually executed for high treason in 1885 for resisting Canada’s encroachment on Métis lands. Chartrand told the crowd gathered for Saturday’s signing ceremony, which included federal ministers, MPs and Premier Wab Kinew, that the injustices against Métis aren’t ancient history. When COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Canada, the federation’s leader fought to get Métis prioritized with other Indigenous groups to receive them, arguing that they, too, faced higher health risks. But he said that never happened because Métis didn’t have constitutional protection, and he said the federal and provincial governments argued over who had jurisdiction over them. “I still, to this day, will hold a grudge, and I’m one that doesn’t, but I’ll never forget what they did to us then. And that’s now, not 1800,” he said. Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree called the day “long overdue” and said he hopes to advance the necessary legislation to enable the treaty in the coming days. “I call upon all parliamentarians to support this initiative and ensure we have swift passage of this bill,” he said Saturday. Anandasangaree said once the treaty comes into effect, it will apply to the Manitoba Métis Federation’s approximately 42,500 Red River Métis citizens. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Chartrand has said he has not heard whether the Conservatives will back it. He noted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had intended to be at Saturday’s signing ceremony, but was pulled away Friday to fly to Florida for a dinner meeting with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. “He’s doing his part and we clearly accept his regrets, because he personally wanted to be here,” Chartrand said. — By Rob Drinkwater in Edmonton, with files from Alessia Passafiume in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement

63.jili KSPI INVESTOR ALERT: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC Announces that Joint Stock Company Kaspi.kz Investors with Substantial Losses Have Opportunity to Lead Class Action LawsuitBaijiayun was honored with the title of "Exclusive Member Unit" by the Beijing Educational Informationization Industry Alliance.

Majority of Thais plan New Year travel, Seek cash handouts from government to boost tourismHeavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights

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Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu got engaged to Hyderabad-based Venkata Datta Sai, an Executive Director at Posidex Technologies. The badminton star on Saturday shared the picture from the ceremony that is going viral on social media. In the surfaced photo, Sindhu and Venkata could be seen having a ring on their hands and sharing a laugh together. Notably, the couple is set to tie the knot on December 22 in Udaipur. The wedding festivities will begin on December 20, and there will be a reception in Hyderabad. Afterward, Sindhu will resume her training for an important upcoming season. A post shared by PV Sindhu (@pvsindhu1) According to Sindhu's father, the two families are well acquainted with each other, but the wedding plans came together within a month. The couple chose this date since Sindhu will be busy with training and competitions starting next year. Sindhu is the first and only Indian to win the gold medal at the BWF World Championships in 2019. She is only the second Indian individual athlete to win two consecutive Olympic medals: In 2016 Rio Olympics, she won silver medal, becoming the first Indian badminton player to reach an Olympic final. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she won Bronze medal. In badminton world championships, Sindhu have five medals to her name, making her one of only two women (alongside China's Zhang Ning) to achieve this feat in singles. Her fiance, Venkata Datta Sai has a Diploma in Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies from Foundation of Liberal and Management Education. He completed his BBA Accounting and Finance from Flame University Bachelor of Business Administration in 2018 and then did his Master's degree in Data Science and Machine Learning from International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore. He started working with JSW both as a summer intern as well as an In-House Consultant. Since 2019, he has been working as Managing Director for Sour Apple Asset Management while also serving as the Executive Director in Posidex. "The loan that you get in 12 seconds or the credit card that you have thanks to the instant credit score matching? Just some of the most complex problems I solve using a proprietary entity resolution search engine. My solutions and products are deployed for critical operations at some of the biggest banks from HDFC to ICICI," he wrote on his LinkedIn profile. (With PTI Inputs)Models Attempt To 'Streak' in Risqué Santa-Themed Outfits At 49ers Game

NEW YORK (AP) — If anybody knows Deion Sanders' mind, it might be Travis Hunter. And the two-way Colorado star says Coach Prime is indeed staying put with the Buffaloes. “I got a lot of insight. He ain’t going nowhere. He’s going to be right where he's at right now,” Hunter said Friday in Manhattan, where he's a heavy favorite to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. In his second season at the school, Sanders coached No. 20 Colorado to a 9-3 record this year and its first bowl bid since 2020. Hunter, Sanders and the Buffaloes will face No. 17 BYU (10-2) in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28. Sanders' success and popularity in Boulder has led to speculation the flashy and outspoken former NFL star might seek or accept a coaching job elsewhere this offseason. Sanders, however, has dismissed such talk himself. Hunter followed Sanders from Jackson State, an HBCU that plays in the lower level FCS, to the Rocky Mountains and has already racked up a staggering string of individual accolades this week, including The Associated Press player of the year. The junior wide receiver and cornerback plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft and is expected to be a top-five pick — perhaps even No. 1 overall. But he backed up assertions from Sanders and his son, star Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, that both will play in the Alamo Bowl rather than skip the game to prepare for the draft and prevent any possible injury. “It's definitely important because, you know, I started this thing with Coach Prime and Shedeur and most of the coaches on the coaching staff, so I want to finish it off right,” Hunter said. "I didn't give them a full season my first year (because of injury), so I'm going to go ahead and end this thing off right. It's going to be our last game together, so I'm going to go out there and dominate and show the loyalty that I have for him. “Definitely looking forward to it. I'm just excited to go out there and play football one more time before the offseason.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballHeavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flightsAgilent Technologies Inc. stock rises Monday, outperforms market

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3 outstanding ASX dividend shares to buy next week - The Motley Fool AustraliaA forecaster says ripe avalanche conditions are expected to persist across much of British Columbia for the rest of the week. Large swaths of the province, stretching from the coast to the Alberta boundary, are under “considerable” or “moderate” avalanche danger warnings. Tyson Rettie with Avalanche Canada says the conditions are largely a result of a series of storms that have lead to temperature fluctuations and significant amounts of snow at high elevation points. “We’ve seen a pattern of a storm every 18 hours or so on the coast for over a week now,” Rettie said in an interview Tuesday. “Every time the storm comes through, it deposits significant amounts of snow, often with strong or extreme winds.” He said storms like these deposit wind and storm slabs, or layers of snow, on mountains. These deposits bond together on top of existing layers of snow, Rettie said, and when the top slab is stronger than the layer beneath it, the greater the risk for an avalanche. “We’re seeing formation of both storm and wind slabs that are large enough to justify a ‘considerable hazard’ (warning),” he said. “Even just the new snow itself can form what we call a storm slab problem or a wind slab problem.” As of Tuesday afternoon, Avalanche Canada had a “considerable hazard” warning covering Vancouver Island, a stretch of coastal B.C. from Powell River to Pemberton in the east, and more areas. There were also significant areas of the province covered under “moderate hazard” avalanche warnings. One of these moderate areas is east of Pemberton towards Lillooet, and Rettie noted a few avalanches have been reported in the area over the past week. On Monday, four backcountry skiers were buried in an avalanche on Ipsoot Mountain north of Whistler, B.C., and a fifth was partially buried. All were rescued. B.C. Emergency Health Services said in a statement that three of the skiers were transported to hospital in stable condition, while the other two didn’t require hospitalization. Premier David Eby shared his appreciation for the first responders in a social media post, calling it “an incredible rescue.” Const. Antoine Graebling with the Whistler RCMP detachment said the avalanche was a 2.5 on a five-point scale, which means it was large enough to seriously injure or kill people. Graebling said his detachment hasn’t been notified of any other avalanches. But he and Rettie both said conditions can change daily. “Each of these storms is bringing a significant amount of precipitation, often warmer temperatures and strong or extreme wind speeds,” Rettie said. “The more intense the storm, the higher the danger.” He said the storm pattern is expected to continue near the coast for the rest of this week. “The timing and intensity of it is a bit uncertain. But at least over the next three days, we’re expecting a couple of significant storms to impact the coast,” he said. He encouraged backcountry skiers to check the Avalanche Canada forecasts, which are updated daily, before they hit the slopes.

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally, Russian media said Sunday, hours after a stunning rebel advance seized control of Damascus and ended his family’s 50 years of iron rule . Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire and waved the revolutionary flag in scenes that recalled the early days of the Arab Spring uprising, before a brutal crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a nearly 14-year civil war. The swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. “Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East," President Joe Biden said , crediting action by the U.S. and its allies for weakening Syria’s backers — Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He called the fall of Assad a “fundamental act of justice” but also a “moment of risk and uncertainty,” and said rebel groups are “saying the right things now” but the U.S. would assess their actions. Russia requested an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council to discuss Syria, according to Dmitry Polyansky, its deputy ambassador to the U.N., in a post on Telegram. The arrival of Assad and his family in Moscow was reported by Russian agencies Tass and RIA, citing an unidentified source at the Kremlin. A spokesman there didn't immediately respond to questions. RIA also said Syrian insurgents had guaranteed the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. Earlier, Russia said Assad left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups and that he had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. The leader of Syria's biggest rebel faction, Abu Mohammed al-Golani , is poised to chart the country’s future. The former al-Qaida commander cut ties with the group years ago and says he embraces pluralism and religious tolerance. His Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the U.N. In his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, al-Golani visited the Umayyad Mosque and described Assad's fall as “a victory to the Islamic nation.” Calling himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and not his nom de guerre, he said Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country ravaged by war and split among armed factions. Turkey-backed opposition fighters are battling U.S.-allied Kurdish forces in the north, and the Islamic State group is still active in remote areas. Syrian state television broadcast a rebel statement saying Assad had been overthrown and all prisoners had been released. They urged people to preserve the institutions of “the free Syrian state,” and announced a curfew in Damascus from 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. An online video purported to show rebels freeing dozens of women at the notorious Saydnaya prison, where rights groups say thousands were tortured and killed . At least one small child was seen among them. “This happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of prison and know where is he,” said one relative, Bassam Masr. "I have been searching for him for two hours. He has been detained for 13 years.” Rebel commander Anas Salkhadi appeared on state TV and sought to reassure religious and ethnic minorities, saying: “Syria is for everyone, no exceptions. Syria is for Druze, Sunnis, Alawites, and all sects.” “We will not deal with people the way the Assad family did," he added. Damascus residents prayed in mosques and celebrated in squares, calling, “God is great.” People chanted anti-Assad slogans and honked car horns. Teenage boys picked up weapons apparently discarded by security forces and fired into the air. Soldiers and police fled their posts and looters broke into the Defense Ministry. Families wandered the presidential palace, walking by damaged portraits of Assad. Other parts of the capital were empty and shops were closed. “It’s like a dream. I need someone to wake me up," said opposition fighter Abu Laith, adding the rebels were welcomed in Damascus with “love.” Rebels stood guard at the Justice Ministry, where Judge Khitam Haddad said he and colleagues were protecting documents. Outside, residents sought information about relatives who disappeared under Assad. The rebels “have felt the pain of the people,” said one woman, giving only her first name, Heba. She worried about possible revenge killings by the rebels, many of whom appeared to be underage. Syria’s historically pro-government newspaper al-Watan called it “a new page for Syria. We thank God for not shedding more blood.” It added that media workers should not be blamed for publishing past government statements ordered from above. A statement from the Alawite sect that formed the core of Assad's base called on young Syrians to be “calm, rational and prudent and not to be dragged into what tears apart the unity of our country.” The rebels mainly come from the Sunni Muslim majority in Syria, which also has sizable Druze, Christian and Kurdish communities. In Qamishli in the northeast, a Kurdish man slapped a statue of the late leader Hafez Assad with his shoe. The rebel advances since Nov. 27 were the largest in recent years, and saw the cities of Aleppo, Hama and Homs fall within days as the Syrian army melted away. The road to Damascus from the Lebanese border was littered with military uniforms and charred armored vehicles. Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, which provided crucial support to Assad, abandoned him as they reeled from other conflicts. The end of Assad’s rule was a major blow to Iran and its proxies, already weakened by conflict with Israel . Iran said Syrians should decide their future “without destructive, coercive, foreign intervention.” The Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked after apparently having been abandoned. Hossein Akbari, Iran’s ambassador to Syria, said it was “effectively impossible” to help the Syrian government after it admitted the insurgents' military superiority. Speaking on Iranian state media from an undisclosed location, he said Syria's government decided Saturday night to hand over power peacefully. “When the army and the people could not resist, it was a good decision to let go to prevent bloodshed and destruction,” Akbari said, adding that some of his colleagues left Syria before sunrise. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking on state TV, said there were concerns about the “possibility of civil war, disintegration of Syria, total collapse and turning Syria into a shelter for terrorists.” Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali has said the government was ready to “extend its hand” to the opposition and turn its functions over to a transitional government. A video on Syrian opposition media showed armed men escorting him from his office to a hotel. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” The Gulf nation of Qatar, a key regional mediator, hosted an emergency meeting of foreign ministers and top officials from eight countries with interests in Syria late Saturday, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey. Majed al-Ansari, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said they agreed on the need “to engage all parties on the ground," including the HTS, and that the main concern is “stability and safe transition.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned positions. Israel’s military later warned residents of five southern Syria communities to stay home for their safety, and didn’t respond to questions. Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the U.S., views it as occupied, and the Arab League on Sunday condemned what it called Israel’s efforts to take advantage of Assad’s downfall to occupy more territory. Sewell reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue, Sarah El Deeb and Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Samar Kassaballi, Omar Sanadiki and Ghaith Alsayed in Damascus; Jon Gambrell in Manama, Bahrain; Josef Federman in Doha, Qatar; and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, contributed.

HUNTSVILLE, Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Serina Therapeutics, Inc. (“Serina”) (NYSE American: SER), a clinical-stage biotechnology company, today announced a $10 million equity financing with strategic shareholder JuvVentures (UK) Limited. The transaction provides Serina with funding to continue advancing SER-252 (POZ-apomorphine), enabled by its proprietary POZ Platform TM drug optimization technology, into a Phase 1 clinical trial in advanced Parkinson's disease patients in the second half of 2025. Under the terms of the funding agreement, Serina will issue one million shares of common stock at $10 per share, a 120% premium to the closing price on November 26, 2024. The financing will be delivered in two tranches: the first $5.0 million tranche was received November 27, 2024, and the second $5.0 million tranche by January 31, 2025. Serina filed a Form 8-K with the SEC on December 2, 2024 that provides additional information regarding this transaction. About SER-252 (POZ-apomorphine) SER 252 is an investigational apomorphine therapy developed with Serina’s POZ platform and designed to provide continuous dopaminergic stimulation (CDS). CDS has been shown to reduce the severity of levodopa-related motor complications (dyskinesia) and enable greater on time, with reduced off time, in advanced Parkinson’s patients. SER-252 leverages strategic partner Enable Injections’ enFuse TM wearable drug delivery platform to enhance patient comfort and convenience, providing CDS to patients via an easy-to-administer, long-acting subcutaneous injection without skin reactions. About the POZ Platform TM Serina’s proprietary POZ technology is based on a synthetic, water soluble, low viscosity polymer called poly(2-oxazoline). Serina’s POZ technology is engineered to provide greater control in drug loading and more precision in the rate of release of attached drugs delivered via subcutaneous injection. The therapeutic agents in Serina’s product candidates are typically well-understood and marketed drugs that are effective but are limited by pharmacokinetic profiles that can include toxicity, side effects and short half-life. Serina believes that by using POZ technology, drugs with narrow therapeutic windows can be designed to maintain more desirable and stable levels in the blood. Serina’s POZ platform delivery technology has potential for use across a broad range of payloads and indications. Serina intends to advance additional applications of the POZ platform via out-licensing, co-development, or other partnership arrangements, including the non-exclusive license agreement with Pfizer, Inc. to use Serina’s POZ polymer technology for use in lipid nanoparticle drug (LNP) delivery formulations. About Serina Therapeutics Serina is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of wholly owned drug product candidates to treat neurological diseases and other indications. Serina’s POZ Platform TM provides the potential to improve the integrated efficacy and safety profile of multiple modalities including small molecules, RNA-based therapeutics and antibody-based drug conjugates (ADCs). Serina is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama on the campus of the HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology. For more information, please visit https://serinatherapeutics.com . Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statement This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. These statements are based on management’s current expectations, plans, beliefs or forecasts for the future, and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Any express or implied statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about the potential of Serina’s POZ polymer technology, are forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from our clinical studies; whether and when any applications may be filed for any drug or vaccine candidates in any jurisdictions; whether and when regulatory authorities may approve any potential applications that may be filed for any drug or vaccine candidates in any jurisdictions, which will depend on a myriad of factors, including making a determination as to whether the product’s benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product’s efficacy and, if approved, whether any such drug or vaccine candidates will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of any drug or vaccine candidates; and competitive developments. These risks as well as other risks are more fully discussed in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, the company’s Current Report on Form 8-K that was filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024, and the company’s other periodic reports and documents filed from time to time with the SEC. The information contained in this release is as of the date hereof, and Serina assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments. For inquiries, please contact: Investor.relations@serinatherapeutics.com (256) 327-9630JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Saudi Arabia's decades-long cinema ban. Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different — and the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at the Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday. The award — and the glitzy festival itself — is a sign of Saudi Arabia's commitment to shaping a new film industry. “My heart is attached to cinema and art; I have always dreamed of a moment like this,” Dakheelallah, who still works a 9-5 job, told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “I used to work in voluntary films and help my friends in the field, but this is my first big role in a film.” The reopening of cinemas in 2018 marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that had instituted the ban 35 years before, under the influence of ultraconservative religious authorities. It has since invested heavily in a native film industry by building theaters and launching programs to support local filmmakers through grants and training. The Red Sea International Film Festival was launched just a year later, part of an attempt to expand Saudi influence into films, gaming, sports and other cultural fields. Activists have decried the investments as whitewashing the kingdom’s human rights record as it tightly controls speech and remains one of the world’s top executioners. With FIFA awarding the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia this week, Lina al-Hathloul, a Saudi activist with the London-based rights group ALQST, said Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “has really managed to create this bubble where people only see entertainment and they don’t see the reality on the ground.” These efforts are part of Vision 2030, an ambitious reform plan unveiled in 2016 to ease the economy's dependence on oil. As part of it, Saudi Arabia plans to construct 350 cinemas with over 2,500 movie screens — by this past April, across 22 cities, it already had 66 cinemas showing movies from the local film industry, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood. (The Red Sea International Film Festival attracts a host of talent from the latter industries, with Viola Davis and Priyanka Chopra Jonas also picking up awards Thursday.) The country's General Entertainment Authority last month opened Al Hisn Studios on the outskirts of Riyadh. As one of the largest such production hubs in the Middle East, it not only includes several film studios but also a production village with workshops for carpentry, blacksmithing and fashion tailoring. “These facilities, when they exist, will stimulate filmmakers,” said Saudi actor Mohammed Elshehri. “Today, no writer or director has an excuse to imagine and say, ‘I cannot implement my imagination.’” The facilities are one part of the equation — the content itself is another. One of the major players in transforming Saudi filmmaking has been Telfaz11, a media company founded in 2011 that began as a YouTube channel and quickly became a trailblazer. Producing high-quality digital content such as short films, comedy sketches and series, Telfaz11 offered fresh perspectives on Saudi and regional issues. In 2020, Telfaz11 signed a partnership with Netflix to produce original content for the streaming giant. The result has been movies that demonstrate an evolution on the storytelling level, tackling topics that were once off-limits and sensitive to the public like secret nightlife in “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) and changing social norms in “Naga.” “I think we tell our stories in a very simple way, and that’s what reaches the world,” Elshehri says of the changing shift. “When you tell your story in a natural way without any affectation, it will reach every person.” But the films were not without their critics, drawing mixed reaction. Social media discoursed ranged from pleasure that Saudi film were tackling such topics to anger over how the films reflected conservative society. As Hana Al-Omair, a Saudi writer and director, points out, there are still many stories left untold. “We certainly have a long time ahead of us before we can tell the Saudi narrative as it should be,” she said, acknowledging that there are still barriers and rampant censorship. “The Goat Life,” a Malayalam-language movie about an Indian man forced to work without pay in Saudi Arabia, is not available on Netflix's platform in the country. Movies that explore political topics or LGBTQ+ stories are essentially out of the question. Even “My Driver and I,” featured at the Red Sea festival alongside 11 other Saudi feature-length films, was initially too controversial. It centers on a Sudanese man in Jeddah, living away from his own daughter, who feels responsible for the girl he drives as her parents are absent. It was initially blocked from being made because of the relationship between the girl and the driver, filmmaker Ahd Kamel has said, even though it's not a romantic relationship. Now in 2024, the film is a success story — a symbol of the Saudi film industry's evolution as well as the growing role of women like Kamel behind the camera and Dakheelallah in front of it. “I see the change in Saudi cinema, a very beautiful change and it is moving at a wonderful speed. In my opinion, we do not need to rush,” Dakheelallah said. “We need to guide the truth of the artistic movement that is happening in Saudi Arabia.”N.C. State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson was named head coach at Marshall on Sunday, shortly after Thundering Herd coach Charles Huff's hiring was announced at Southern Miss. Gibson, 52, will take his first head-coaching job in college and return to his home state, where he served two stints at West Virginia over the past two decades. The terms of Gibson's deal were not immediately disclosed. “We could not be happier to welcome Tony Gibson home as our 32nd head coach at Marshall University,” school President Brad Smith said in a statement. “Coach Gibson has led some of the top programs on the national level, but in the end, his heart desired to return to the mountains from which he came." Gibson's hiring was announced less than an hour after Huff was named coach at Southern Miss. Huff coached Marshall to a 31-3 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette in the Sun Belt championship game on Saturday night. Marshall (10-3) won seven straight games for its first 10-win season since 2015. Gibson coached defensive backs at West Virginia under Rich Rodriguez from 2001 to 2007. He returned in 2013 under Dana Holgorsen as safeties coach, then became defensive coordinator a year later and stayed until Holgorsen left at the end of the 2018 season. Gibson spent six seasons at N.C. State. He had other assistant coaching stints at Pitt and under Rodriguez at Michigan and Arizona. N.C. State’s defense ranked near the bottom of the ACC this season, allowing 30.5 points and 385 yards per game. The Wolfpack’s best season under Gibson was in 2022, when it tied with Louisville for the fewest points allowed at 19.2 per game and was second in yards allowed at 327. “My family and I are excited to start this journey, but we all thank you for your support and the wonderful memories,” Gibson wrote to the N.C. State community in a post Sunday on the social media platform X. Gibson, who is from Van, West Virginia, graduated in 1994 from Glenville State, where he played defensive back. “We have recruited a proven coach that aspires to be at Marshall and to sustain the success we have come to appreciate and expect,” athletic director Christian Spears said in the statement. "We can’t wait to get started with him and his staff.” Marshall associate head coach Telly Lockette will serve as interim coach in the Independence Bowl against No. 19 Army (11-1) on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. One of Gibson’s first tasks will be replenishing Marshall’s roster. The Thundering Herd signed only 11 recruits in the recent early signing period. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

WASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. An American Airlines employee wearing looks toward quiet check-in counters Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. People are also reading... Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights departed within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — arrived at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 3,712 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 55 flights canceled. It did not show any flights from American Airlines. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York's Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Travelers wait in line for security checks Tuesday at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms developed in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. Any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have "interline agreements" that let them put stranded customers on another carrier's flights. An American Airlines employee wearing a Santa Claus hat walks through the American terminal Tuesday at Miami International Airport in Miami. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. Finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. American Airlines employees check in travelers Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. "Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation's highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. Flight nightmare? Here's how to get compensated Flight nightmare? Here's how to get compensated "It's not the destination, it's the journey," said American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ralph clearly was not among the travellers on one of more than 350 cancelled or 1,400 delayed flights after a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to Crowdstrike's "Falcon Sensor" software in July of 2023. U.S. airlines carried nearly 863 million travellers in 2023, with Canadian carriers accounting for another 150 million, many of whom experienced lost luggage, flight delays, cancellations, or were bumped off their flights. It's unclear how many of them were compensated for these inconveniences. Suffice it to say, posting a crabby rant on social media might temporarily soothe anger, but it won't put wasted money back in pockets. Money.ca shares what to know in order to be compensated for the three most common air travel headaches. Lost Luggage Bags elected to go on a vacay without you? Check off the following: If you expect a large payout, think again. Tariffs (air carrier contracts) limit the compensation amounts for "loss of, damage to, or the delay in delivery of baggage or other personal property." In the case of Air Canada, the maximum payout is $1,500 per passenger in the currency of the country where the baggage was processed. To raise that limit, purchase a Declaration of Higher Value for each leg of the trip. The charge is $0.50 for each $100, in which case the payout limit is $2,500. For Delta Air Lines, passengers are entitled to up to $3,800 in baggage compensation, though how much you'll receive depends on your flight. Delta will pay up to $2,080 for delayed, lost, and damaged baggage for international travellers, almost half of what U.S. domestic passengers can claim. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. Delayed/Cancelled Flights Different air carriers and jurisdictions have their own compensation policies when flights are delayed or cancelled. For example, under European Union rules, passengers may receive up to 600 Euros, even when travelling on a non-EU carrier. Similarly, the DOT states that travellers are entitled to a refund "if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel." However, US rules regarding delays are complicated. Some air carriers, such as Air Canada, do not guarantee their flight schedules. They're also not liable for cancellations or changes due to "force majeure" such as weather conditions or labour disruptions. If the delay is overnight, only out-of-town passengers will be offered hotel accommodation. Nevertheless, many airlines do offer some compensation for the inconvenience. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. Flight Compensation in the U.S. In terms of cash compensation, what you'll get can differ significantly based on things like departure location, time, carrier, and ticket class. The DOT offers a helpful delay and cancellations dashboard designed to keep travellers informed about their compensation rights. The dashboard is particularly helpful because, as the DOT states on its website, "whether you are entitled to a refund depends on a lot of factors—such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances." Flight Compensation in Canada The Canadian Transportation Agency is proposing air passenger protection regulations that guarantee financial compensation to travellers experiencing flight delays and cancellations, with the level of compensation varying depending on the situation and how much control the air carrier had. The proposed regulations include the following: The airline is obligated to complete the passenger's itinerary. If the new ticket is for a lower class of service, the air carrier would have to refund the cost difference; if the booking is in a higher class of service, passengers cannot be charged extra. If the passenger declines the ticket, the airline must give a full refund, in addition to the prescribed compensation. For overnight delays, the air carrier needs to provide hotel accommodation and transportation free-of-charge. Again, if you are unsatisfied, the Canadian Transportation Agency or Department of Transportation may advocate on your behalf. Bumped Off the Flight Passengers get bumped because airlines overbook. When this happens, the air carrier must compensate you. For international flights in the US, the rate is 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $675 maximum. If the airline does not make travel arrangements for you, the payout is 400% of your one-way fare to a maximum of $1,350. To qualify, you must check-in by the stated deadline, which on international flights can be up to 3 hours ahead. Keep in mind that if you accept the cash, you are no longer entitled to any further compensation, nor are you guaranteed to be rebooked on a direct flight or similar type of seat. Don't be too quick to give up your boarding pass. Negotiate for the best compensation deal that would include cash, food and hotel vouchers, flight upgrade, lounge passes, as well as mileage points. But avoid being too greedy—if the gate attendant is requesting volunteers and you wait too long, you'll miss the offer. According to Air Canada's tariff, if a passenger is involuntarily bumped, they'll receive $200, in cash or bank draft, for up to a two-hour delay; $400 for a 2-6 hours delay; and $800 if the delay is over six hours. (Air Canada was forced to raise its payouts in 2013 due to passenger complaints.) The new rules would raise the payout significantly: $900 for up to six hours; $1,800 for 6-9; and $2,400 for more than nine hours, all to be paid within 48 hours. Statistically speaking, Delta Airlines is the carrier most likely to bump. A few years ago, Delta raised its payout maximum to $9,950, while United Airlines tops out at $10,000. This story was produced by Money.ca and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. 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80jili net CAMAS — The Camas City Council approved Mayor Steve Hogan’s 2025-26 biennial budget, which includes new revenue sources and dips into reserves to fund business as usual in the city. The council voted 4-2 Dec. 2 in favor of the $322 million “hold steady” biennial budget funded by $284 million in revenues and $38 million from the city’s reserves. Councilor members Leslie Lewallen and Jennifer Senescu cast the two no votes. “This budget is stagnant, holding expenses flat despite city growth, with restrictions to limit spending,” Finance Director Cathy Huber Nickerson said. The budget for the previous biennium was $250 million. Huber Nickerson said Hogan worked with city staff to restrict city expenses by keeping open 16 positions created in 2023 that were never filled. Hogan and the city also restructured the city’s general fund to move information technology and facilities into internal service funds and keep budget increases to critical needs for public safety, among other cost-saving measures. The 2025-26 budget will readopt the city’s 2 percent utility tax, take the state-allowed 1 percent property tax increase, increase city fees, form a transportation benefit district funded by $20 annual car-tab fees and impose a 0.1 percent sales tax increase to help fund the city’s streets. The budget also authorizes a ballot proposition to increase utility taxes — which would bump the tax rate to 6 percent — to fund police staff, equipment and training, Huber Nickerson said. Camas voters will weigh in on the utility tax increase in February. If approved, the new money would go to the Camas Police Department to hire new supervisors and provide “overhires” to cover what could be an onslaught of police department retirements in the next five years. Camas Police Chief Tina Jones has said the department does not have enough supervisors and that she does not believe the department is prepared for the number of retirements that could come in the next few years. Jones had asked the mayor to include funding for two lieutenants, two patrol sergeants, one administrative supervisor and two police officers in his proposed 2025-26 budget. If the levy is approved, it would raise $1 million per year to fund the new positions, as well as purchase the vehicles and equipment those officers would require.Taytay, Rizal Vice Mayor Sophia "Pia" Cabral wanted to become a doctor, but God has other plans for her — and that's to serve other people through public service. She now feels that her calling and the desire to help people have converged. Cabral, in an interview on DAILY TRIBUNE's digital show Straight Talk over the weekend, said that she never thought about ending up in public service despite being the chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan at 15 and a councilor at 18. "I started in 2010 as SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) chairman in our barangay," the 29-year-old vice mayor recalled. "My priority or goal is to become a doctor, not to go into politics full-time," she added. Cabral took examinations from several universities for pre-med courses but her parents convinced her to enter the University of the Philippines (UP) after passing the College Admission Test but for a different course. "My parents urged me to try UP since I am an SK chairman which made me eligible to become a scholar in a public or state university," Cabral said. "The family subjected it to a vote and UP was the pick of the majority but I was then intent on pursuing a medical degree, so I cried. What will I do at UP studying another course?" she added. Cabral said she took up an associate degree program at the University of the Philippines Open University and later she took up public administration. "I prayed that if public service is my destiny and I would not be a doctor, I would still be able to help people with their health needs through endorsement, which I am now providing through medical assistance programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development or the Department of Health," she said. Passion, fulfillment "So, there is a sense of fulfillment. So, I'm very passionate about what I am doing now," the talented politician added. Cabral said she enjoys serving other people, particularly her fellow Taytayeños. She said that pandering to her sense of empathy gives her satisfaction as a Vice Mayor. "Sometimes there is a lot of stress in my work but the relief that comes after, seeing tears of joy from people who received assistance encourages me to go on," she said. Cabral said that sometimes she is mistaken for being snobbish because of her natural attribute of having a thick eyebrow. “Sometimes there are certain angles when people look at me and think that I’m actually glaring at them. Thus, I always look in the mirror to give my best impression to other people. There should always be a smile that other people can see,” Cabral mused. During her first term as municipal councilor, Cabral said that she amended the ordinances on scholarship. "We included financial assistance not only for bright students but also the needy. We wanted to help those who depend on the government for education. What happens when they fail to meet academic requirements, should they be forced to discontinue their education?" she asked. She said that the ordinance on free education now states that once students are accepted as scholars, the local government must support them until they graduate. She also shared that Taytay now has a sports complex built on 13 hectares lot that was once a dump site. "Before the end of my term as a councilor, it was very timely that I was able to talk to President Duterte and then I asked for government’s help for Taytay to have a sports facility within 13 hectares of a former dump site," she said. Sports complex on a dump site "I came up with a resolution to convert the vacant lot to a sports complex. And then I eventually told Senator Bong Go and I even went to Davao City to hand over the proposal. I told myself then that it was a long shot, and many had ridiculed the proposal of a sports complex inside a dump site. Many have said that it will not happen," she added. She said a lot of work then followed. It was a huge site development. "The place needed to be rebuilt and chemicals will have to be applied to remove the foul smell." She said the first phase of the sports was completed, with a track and field oval. "We are opening the Palarong Panlalawigan. Before, we have to go to the nearby Marikina Sports Complex for our activities," she said. The sports complex was funded by the national government during the Duterte administration, Cabral said. "It's a project from the national government that was directly allotted to Taytay. No funds were shelled out from the local government. So, it's a blessing po for us," she said. "Next project hopefully would be a coliseum so that indoor sports like basketball and volleyball can be held there," the vice mayor added. Cabral is proud to help Taytay maintain its distinction as the garment capital of the Philippines. Cabral said that many investors, including Chinese, have been putting up textile warehouses and factories in the town. "All textiles now come from Taytay. Before, it was in Manila where these are sourced. When businesses require ready-to-wear clothes (RTWs), textiles and garments, they all go to Taytay," she said. Cabral added that the town's tiangge business boomed before the pandemic and provided jobs for local residents. "Well, before the pandemic the garments industry was booming. But we have this challenge every Christmas season when illegal vendors and used clothing converge in Taytay. So, those are our competitions," she said. "It's not allowed, but it depends on the local chief executive on the implementation as those people are hard to control," the vice mayor added. Cabral said that the tiangge business in their town was so strong before the pandemic. "Before the pandemic, the tiangge was so strong. With this challenge every Christmas season, vendors compete with ukay-ukay hawkers who are the real rival of the local textile industry," she said. "It's not allowed, but it depends on the local chief executive regarding the implementation of the ban since at times, they can't control those people who suddenly appear," the vice mayor added. Cabral said that the municipal council has passed resolutions or ordinances to prevent this and to help the local textile industry. Cabral also shared that there were clamors for her to run for a higher position in the 2025 local and national elections, instead, she just focused on her job as a vice mayor. Cabral said that traffic and flooding are two big problems that badly affect the local economy but help is on the way as the youthful energy of the official is boundless.WNBA star Caitlin Clark has joined Cincinnati’s bid for a National Women’s Soccer League expansion team. Major League Soccer’s FC Cincinnati heads the group trying to bring a women’s pro team to the city. The club issued a statement confirming that Clark, a rookie for the Indiana Fever this season, had joined in the effort. “The NWSL Cincinnati bid team is thrilled that Caitlin Clark has joined our ownership group in pursuit of bringing women’s professional soccer to our city,” a team statement said. “Her passion for the sport, commitment to elevating women’s sports in and around the Greater Cincinnati region and influence as an athlete and a role model for women and girls around the world, make her a vital part of our compelling bid to become the 16th team in the NWSL.” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has said the league plans to announce the 16th team by the end of the year. She announced Friday there are three finalists: Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver. The league’s 15th team will begin play in 2026 in Boston. The Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit play Saturday for this season’s NWSL championship at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. Clark, who earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors, averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and a league-best 8.4 assists this season for the Fever, who finished 20-20 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. “Her accomplishments and contributions to women’s sports is incredible, historic. It’s changed the game for everyone and she’s amazing,” Berman said. “Having her interest in the NWSL is an honor. We couldn’t be more excited about her, having shared her own personal story about having been a young soccer player and loving the game, and her messaging around being a multisport athlete, is so important for young kids who aspire to be just like her.”

By ERIC TUCKER WASHINGTON (AP) — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies , as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China’s hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of “a limited number of individuals.” Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but a “large number” were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are “primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking.Chuck Woolery Dies: Former ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Love Connection’ Host Was 83

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NoneCitizens Coalition for Change Statement on 2025 budget statement The recent national budget proposal exposes the Zanu-PF government's obnoxious penchant to compulsorily expropriate people's money to the last cent to fund the honchos lavish lifestyle. As Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) we are of the conviction that the fundamental error in the budget statement was failure to understand what makes a nation succeed. Our success must move from a government that is just a tax collector to one that enables economic growth and create jobs. Our people are suffering idleness. A CCC government will implement the following budget policies: 1. Ensure job creation by funding youth and women innovation funnels and entrepreneurial development 2. Cut off middlemen often called "buyers" in the mineral value chain by enhancing capacity of the Minerals Marketing Authority to Zimbabwe and Fidelity Printers. This will prevent pilferage and haemorrhage of precious minerals for the benefit of the select few. 3. Empower communities through revenue share of mineral wealth through community ownership schemes run by trusts. 4. Drive innovation, partnerships and good governance to have part of mineral wealth exploited fully by exclusive mining by Zimbabwe Mining Development Fund. 5. Fund rural value addition in agriculture, organise communities and offer export incentives. Develop and deploy rural industrial hubs and access to market schemes. 6. Have robust fiscal regime that curtail non-value adding imports whilst growing local capacity. 7. Invest in science and technology including innovation hubs that go beyond the familiar of copying and pasting already existing ideas. 8. Re-invent the idea of growth points as centres of economic success stories and as places to live and thrive for the youth. 9. Increase tax collection by simplifying the tax code and offer tax breaks for Small Micro and medium enterprises. 10. Reform, fund and refine technical college training to enable massive export of labour on a government to government agreement. 11. Negotiate taxations agreement that enable additional tax benefit from the Zimbabwe trained diaspora benefitting foreign governments. 12. Simplify license, permits and tax payments to simplify the cost of doing business so as to attract investment and prevent underground economy. As CCC we believe in the importance of health for all. Taxes should not be used to punish citizens and corporates. A CCC government will do the following: 1. Establish a lean collecting agent for lifestyle taxes including but not limited to sugar tax, airtime and data tax, tobacco and cigarette surtax, and other health related tax collections 2. Ensure a 100% free tax regime for health service firms and PAYE exemption of health service workers. 3. Initiate a council that encompass Aids, TB, Cancer, Diabetes and Hypertension instead of just one that cares for HIV and AIDS.The education budget allocation greatness is that it exceeds the Maputo Declaration albeit that 16% of nothing is nothing. A one size fits all model causes inordinate tax burdens. As a CCC government we shall cover 100% of rural schools' budget, 70% for high- density schools, 50% of low-densityschools and 0% of private schools. Presenting a budget on the mantra of "Building Resilience for Sustained Economic Transformation" is a loud sounding nothing when in the statement the anchor remains agriculture and mining. A CCC government will drive economic diversification as a strategic imperative. Further we shall ensure the entire Zimbabwe is a special economic zone for 5 years to attract and retain investment then create jobs. The country's economy is largely formal. Introducing corporate tax as a panacea solves nothing in our view. A CCC government will drive a program to simplify the tax code including licensing and permit codes. We shall liaise with professional bodies to further simplify reporting standards of small enterprises. This will enable easy and cost-effectivecompliance. A decentralised area-based Zimra booth is a simple idea but effective. Capturing the formal into informal shall be done with massive reduction of tax heads and tax amounts. As a CCC government our intention is to collapse ministries with insignificant allocations and or make them departments. Allocations should be alive to value creation ministries more. We shall discard incremental budgets and implement value and activity-based budgeting. It is sad that civil servants welfare was largely ignored in this budget. As CCC government we shall benchmark salaries to regional standards with a first-year premium of a higher cost of living in the country. The budget is based on a ZiG conversion that is sub optimal and false. It's a lie. As CCC government in our first year of office we shall base our budget on US dollar, discard the ZiG and then deploy a mono currency in the second year. The diaspora rights particularly the right to vote could increase diaspora remittances and promotion of import substitution to help the balance of payments and the current account. The budget is anti-people, anti-business and anti-Zimbabwe. It must be rejected. Willias Madzimure Party Spokesperson Citizens Coalition for Change

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( MENAFN - GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XION , the first walletless layer one blockchain, and Thrive Protocol, the industry leader in ROI-positive capital allocations today announced the launch of a one-of-a-kind 12.6 million dollar funding program aimed at accelerating mainstream adoption of Web3 through comprehensive builder support. The program, named the "Anti-Grant-Grant Program," seeks to address the limitations of traditional blockchain grant models by prioritizing sustainable builder growth, utility development, and innovation within the XION ecosystem. The initiative is designed to incentivize developers to create practical, real-world applications leveraging XION's blockchain technology. Unlike conventional grant systems, the program adopts a structured approach to ensure accountability. Mercenary developers who accept funds without delivering on their intention to build will be featured on XION's Wall of Shame – a deterrent to others who plan to do the same. "We hate crypto grants. It's simple. Said Burnt Bansky, Core Contributer to XION. The industry has given them a terrible connotation, and it's hurt promising builders the most. Through this initiative, we're excited to work with Thrive to support talented entrepreneurs as they take their first step into the XION ecosystem." Thrive Protocol, which has successfully collaborated with platforms such as Arbitrum, Polygon, and Hedera, will bring its proven proof-of-value (POV) mechanism to the program. This methodology leverages a decentralized network of expert reviewers to evaluate the impact and feasibility of projects, ensuring efficient capital allocation. “At Thrive, we make sure builders get paid for creating enormous value-and we help well managed treasuries deploy funds even more efficiently. Our partnership with XION delivers upfront funding for builders, proof-of-value for XION, and clear ROI for everyone. Builders win. XION wins. Crypto levels up,” Daniel Jacobs, Founder, Thrive Protocol. The program launches on December 13, 2024, and invites developers to apply via thrivexion.com . Applications will be evaluated based on criteria including their potential to drive Web3 adoption, technical feasibility, and alignment with XION's mission of simplifying blockchain technology for everyday users. This initiative builds on the success of XION's mainnet launch and underscores the platform's commitment to supporting a thriving ecosystem of builders and applications that contribute to genuine user engagement. About XION XION is the first walletless layer one blockchain purpose-built for consumer adoption through crypto abstraction. Utilizing protocol-level implementations related to abstracted accounts, signatures, fees, interoperability, and more, XION enables secure, intuitive, and seamless user experiences. The project has previously raised over $36M from top-tier investors, including Animoca, Circle Ventures, Multicoin, Draper Dragon, Spartan, and more. About Thrive Protocol Thrive is the first protocol for proof of value (POV), a pioneering consensus mechanism that streamlines the crypto funding process. Thrive's decentralized network of expert reviewers validate when value is actually created at key milestones, helping to make grant and capital allocations more efficient. Thrive partners with leading chains like Polygon, Abritrum, XION, ApeCoin, and Hedera to fund builders who are delivering real impact in crypto. Contact M Group on Behalf of Burnt ... A photo accompanying this announcement is available at MENAFN14122024004107003653ID1108993057 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.‘Well-planned conspiracy by UP CM Adityanath, BJP-RSS’: Cong on Sambhal violence

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What is NYT’s ‘Connections’ game? NYT Connections hints for December 14 NYT Connections answers December 14 How to play NYT Connections Strategies for tackling NYT Connections puzzles Other NYT games to sharpen your skills The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk’s news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity. Read More Latest Mobiles Lava O3 Pro ₹6,999 Vivo X200 5G ₹65,999 Lava Yuva 4 ₹6,999 Tecno POP 9 4G ₹6,499 Itel Color Pro 5G ₹9,199 Vivo Y18T ₹9,499 Lava Blaze 3 5G ₹10,999 Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G ₹26,999 Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G ₹32,999 Vivo Y300 5G ₹21,539Govinda reveals Shilpa Shetty mistakenly thought his wife shot him after accident

“Community-held land in Odisha generates annual economic benefits and socio-cultural value amounting to ₹36,890 crore,” says a study conducted by organisations drawn from various sectors. The study ‘Odisha State Brief on Economic Valuation of Land Commons’ carried out by Foundation for Ecological Security, Common Ground, Federation University and International Food Policy Research Institute says Odisha has approximately five million hectares of land commons, including forests, permanent pastures, culturable wastelands, and barren lands. As the commons are essential for providing various ecosystem services that contribute to the State’s economic and ecological well-being, the researchers have called for framing of laws and procedures that recognise and protect the economic and social importance of commons, ensuring their sustainable use and management, and incorporating their valuation into policy and decision-making processes. The study says land commons face numerous threats including overuse, degradation, encroachment, and inadequate governance. “These threats lead to the loss of valuable ecosystem services, impacting the livelihoods of millions who depend on these resources. Degradation of land commons also results in reduced biodiversity, increased soil erosion and diminished water quality, exacerbating environmental challenges,” it says. Valuation matrix developed by various academic bodies provides formula for calculation of ecosystem services. There are four types of ecosystem services – provisioning, support, regulating and cultural. There is also stock service of land commons. The gene pool on existing on land commons have to be managed in wake of climate change threats. Provisioning services include tangible products obtained from ecosystems such as food, water and raw materials. In Odisha, these include non-timber forest products (NTFPs), fuel-wood, fodder, and water. The services are valued at ₹65,411 per hectare annually. Similarly, the study says, regulating services are benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes, such as climate regulation, soil fertility and water purification which gives a value worth ₹60,698 per hectare annually. The supporting services (soil formation, habitat provision and gene pool preservation) and cultural services (spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation, and aesthetic experiences) generate values worth ₹24,078 and ₹4,456 per hectare annually. Published - November 30, 2024 03:10 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Orissa / Bhubaneswar / state politics / politics / politics (general) / forests / forestry and timber / land resources

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun has disclosed that the country’s decision to remove the petrol subsidy and adopt market-based pricing for foreign exchange has saved the nation an estimated $20 billion. Edun revealed this at an event in Abuja marking the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. He said the subsidies used to cost five per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP), noting that things jave now changed. “Between them, they were costing five per cent of GDP,” Edun explained. He emphasised the significance of these savings, breaking down their potential impact. “If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion, we all know what five per cent of that is – $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education.” Edun also said that these funds, which had previously been drained through subsidies, are now being redirected into the government’s coffers for critical developmental sectors. On the transformative nature of these economic reforms, Edun added: “The real change that has happened with the measures of Mr President is that nobody can wake up and their target for the day or for the week or the month or the year is to get access to cheap funding, cheap funding exchange from the central bank, which they can now flip. And overnight, they become wealthy from no value added for doing virtually nothing, except you know the right people.” The minister also said that inefficiencies in the petrol subsidy system, which previously allowed individuals to profit significantly with minimal contribution to the economy. “Similarly, they can no longer try and be part of a new peak market and very inefficient petrol subsidy regime as a way of making money overnight,” Edun added. ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Nigeria’s inflation made worse by import dependency, large informal economy — Edun Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel nowThe Future of Scottish Cyber Security with Jera IT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Dominic Zvada kicked a 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds left and Michigan stunned No. 2 Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday, likely ending the Buckeyes ’ hopes of returning to the Big Ten title game. Kalel Mullings broke away for a 27-yard run, setting up the Wolverines (7-5, 5-4) at Ohio State's 17-yard line with two minutes remaining in the game. The drive stalled at the 3, and Zvada came on for the chip shot. Ohio State (10-2, 7-2, No. 2 CFP) got the ball back but couldn't move it, with Will Howard throwing incomplete on fourth down to seal the Wolverines' fourth straight win over their bitter rival. “You come to Michigan to play this game,” Zvada said. “So, it's the biggest one of the year. It's the one that everyone looks forward to, and to be able to come in here and take the win, it's amazing.” This Ohio State loss in the “The Game” might have been the toughest of the past four because Michigan was unranked and wrapping up a disappointing season. The Wolverines were also playing without a couple of top players: tight end Colston Loveland and cornerback Will Johnson. The Buckeyes were favored by 21 points, the widest point spread for this rivalry since 1978, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Records — and point spreads, for that matter — rarely mean much when these two teams meet. “Our defense played outstanding," Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. "We held a high-powered offense to 10 points, 77 rushing yards.” The Buckeyes were off all afternoon. Howard was 19 for 33 for 175 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and Jayden Fielding missed two field-goal attempts. The run game was hardly there. “It's hard, man,” an emotional Howard said. “I really don’t have much right now. I do know we're a two-loss team. We're going to get into the playoffs and make a run. But, I mean, this one hurts.” Mullings was Michigan's primary weapon. He rushed for 116 yards and the Wolverines only touchdown of the game in the first half as neither team could get much going offensively on the frigid afternoon. “They made plays, we made plays, so as the game wore on you could definitely, slowly feel them starting to lose confidence, lose that energy and lose that faith,” Mullings said. Howard was clunky all day. In the first half he threw an interception from deep in his own territory that led to Michigan's touchdown. He went out for a play in the second quarter to be checked for a head injury. After the game, he said he was fine. “We're very disappointed, and never thought this would happen right here,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “We expected to win this game and go play in the Big Ten championship game.” After the game, Michigan players attempted to plant their flag at midfield and were confronted by Ohio State players. A skirmish ensued as both teams pushed and shoved before being separated. Michigan: Did just enough and caught Ohio State on an off day. Ohio State: It's inexplicable how badly the Buckeyes played in their biggest game of the season. They would need No. 4 Penn State and No. 10 Indiana to lose later Saturday in order to make it into the Big Ten title game next week. The Buckeyes will fall. There has been talk all season about how many of the Ohio State team leaders, including receiver Emeka Egbuka, running back TreVeyon Henderson and defensive end Jack Sawyer, chose to return for another year instead of entering the NFL draft because they wanted to beat Michigan at least once. Those players were inconsolable after the game. One of them, linebacker Cody Simon, was asked how he felt. “I just can't speak that right now,” Simon said. “I feel like we let the whole Buckeye nation down.” Michigan will wait for a minor bowl game. Ohio State, assuming either Penn State or Indiana wins on Saturday, will see how the final College Football Playoff rankings shakeout on Dec. 8. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

Billy Ray Cyrus has shared a rare social media message to his daughter Miley Cyrus for her 32nd birthday. The 63-year-old singer posted a tribute to his daughter on Instagram on Saturday (November 23), including a series of throwback photos of the pair. “Happy Birthday Mile !!! Hope it’s the best one ever ! (I know I dropped the “y”. That’s what I called @mileycyrus most of her life.),” he wrote in the caption . Along with two photos of Billy holding his daughter as a baby, the post included another snap of them at the 2009 premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie , based on the TV show of the same name. He shared another picture of them onstage at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival and a fifth photo of them on the set of the 2021 concert special, Miley Cyrus Presents Stand By You. While Miley didn’t publicly respond to her father’s tribute, she did send her gratitude to all her fans on her Instagram Story. “Thank you all for the birthday wishes...My gift to my fans is celebrating my six billion plaques with you,” she wrote, referring to how six of her songs recently reached over one billion streams on Spotify . The “Flowers” singer is the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus, who officially divorced in 2022 after 29 years of marriage. That same year, the “Achy Breaky Heart” artist got engaged to Firerose, whom he split from earlier this year after seven months of marriage . In 2023, Tish got engaged to her now-husband, Dominic Purcell. Along with Miley, Billy Ray and Tish share four other children: Brandi, 37, Trace, 35, Braison, 30, and Noah, 24. The country singer also shares his 32-year-old son, Christopher Cody, with ex-girlfriend Kristin Luckey. When Miley and a few of her other siblings missed her dad’s nuptials, family riff rumors spurred, especially since the “Used To Be Young” vocalist was the maid of honor at her mom’s ceremony to Purcell. Bill Ray’s birthday tribute to Miley also comes months after fans speculated that she snubbed him at the Grammy Awards earlier this year. When accepting the award for “Record of the Year” for her song “Flowers,” Miley sweetly mentioned some members of her family, but not her. “I want to thank everyone that’s standing on this stage right now Tom, Tyler, Michael, and Greg,” she said, before quipping about about not missing anyone’s name in her speech, which fans believed was shade towards her father. “I don’t think I forgot anyone,” the “Wrecking Ball” singer said. “But I may have forgotten underwear. Bye!” In June, Miley also made a subtle dig at her father, after David Letterman asked her if she’d consider her dad to be her hero, during his Netflix special, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction . “I mean, honestly, my mom is my hero,” she confessed, before noting how much she still cares for Billy Ray. “Um, so I think a lot of, like, his... perspective on reality and on life, I’ve inherited from him more so than the way that I was raised, which really my mom raised me.” However, Miley still acknowledged that her father shaped who she is and that if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have the career she does today. “Without my dad, who I am as a person wouldn’t exist because my dad as a creative, and like, as an artist, and the way his brain works has always made me feel safer in my mind,” the “Malibu” singer said. “He also has a relationship and a foot on the ground to nature and to the real. And he always did, even when he was super famous. I’m grateful for being able to watch him ahead of me. He’s almost, like, given me this map – there is a map of what to do and what not to do – and he’s guided me on both.”Chuck Woolery , whose game-show hosting career included tenures at Wheel of Fortune and Love Connection , has died at age 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s friend and podcast cohost, shared the news on X on Saturday. “It is with a broken heart that I tell you that my dear brother @chuckwoolery has just passed away,” Young wrote. “Life will not be the same without him. RIP, brother.” Young told TMZ he was at Woolery’s home in Texas when the former TV host reported not feeling well and went to lie down. When Young checked in later, Woolery was having trouble breathing, and despite a 911 call, Woolery died shortly thereafter. Woolery was born on March 16, 1941, in Ashland, Kentucky, to a business owner and a homemaker, according to The Hollywood Reporter . After stints at the University of Kentucky, in the U.S. Navy, and at Morehead State University, Woolery moved to Nashville to start a music career. He and singer Elkin “Bubba” Fowler formed the psychedelic pop duo The Avant-Garde, and their song “Naturally Stoned” peaked at No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. Lorimar Television/ Everett Collection A singing performance on The Merv Griffin Show led Woolery to audition for a new game show, originally titled Shopper’s Bazaar , that Merv Griffin was developing at the time. After some tinkering, Wheel of Fortune debuted on NBC on January 6, 1975. Griffin earned a Daytime Emmy for his Wheel work and hosted the show until 1981, when a salary dispute led producers to replace him with Pat Sajak . Woolery moved on with a job hosting the syndicated dating game show Love Connection from 1983 to 1994, pulling in 4.5 million viewers a day at one point. He also emceed the game show Scrabble from 1984 to 1990, and between the two shows, he was earning $1 million a year by 1986, as People reported at the time. Woolery also hosted the game show Greed on Fox from 1999 to 2000 and Lingo on Game Show Network from 2002 to 2007. In recent years, Woolery stoked controversy with his political views, posting a tweet that sparked antisemitism accusations in 2017 and then claiming in 2020 that “everyone [was] lying” about the coronavirus pandemic , as Newsweek reported. He also argued that minorities didn’t need civil rights, according to the Associated Press . Woolery was married four times, and his ex-wives included actor Jo Ann Pflug. He had eight children and stepchildren, per THR . More Headlines:

Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers?