By CLAIRE RUSH PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Googly eyes have been appearing on sculptures around the central Oregon city of Bend, delighting many residents and sparking a viral sensation covered widely by news outlets and featured on a popular late-night talk show. Related Articles National News | Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings National News | FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup National News | OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco apartment National News | Judge rejects an attempt by Trump campaign lawyer to invalidate guilty plea in Georgia election case National News | Texas’ abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine On social media, the city shared photos of googly eyes on installations in the middle of roundabouts that make up its so-called “Roundabout Art Route.” One photo shows googly eyes placed on a sculpture of two deer, while another shows them attached to a sphere. It’s not yet known who has been putting them on the sculptures. “While the googly eyes placed on the various art pieces around town might give you a chuckle, it costs money to remove them with care to not damage the art,” the city said in its posts. The Facebook post received hundreds of comments, with many users saying they liked the googly eyes. “My daughter and I went past the flaming chicken today and shared the biggest laugh,” one user said, using a nickname for the “Phoenix Rising” sculpture. “We love the googly eyes. This town is getting to be so stuffy. Let’s have fun!” Another Facebook user wrote: “I think the googly eyes on the deer specifically are a great look, and they should stay that way.” Others said the city should focus on addressing more important issues, such as homelessness, instead of spending time and money on removing the googly eyes. Over the years, the city’s sculptures have been adorned with other seasonal decorations, including Santa hats, wreaths, leis. The city doesn’t remove those, and views the googly eyes differently because of the adhesive, Bend’s communications director, Rene Mitchell, told The Associated Press. “We really encourage our community to engage with the art and have fun. We just need to make sure that we can protect it and that it doesn’t get damaged,” she said. The post and its comments were covered by news outlets, and even made it on a segment of CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert .” The city regrets that its post was misunderstood, Mitchell said. “There was no intent to be heavy-handed, and we certainly understand maybe how that was taken,” she said. “We own this large collection of public art and really want to bring awareness to the community that applying adhesives does harm the art. So as stewards of the collection, we wanted to share that on social media.” The city has so far spent $1,500 on removing googly eyes from seven of the eight sculptures impacted, Mitchell said, and has started treating some of the art pieces, which are made of different types of metal such as bronze and steel. The “Phoenix Rising” sculpture might need to be repainted entirely, she said. For some, the googly eyes — like the other holiday objects — provide a welcome boost of seasonal cheer. “I look forward to seeing the creativity of whoever it is that decorates the roundabouts during the holidays,” one social media commenter said. “Brings a smile to everyone to see silliness.”Cam Carter put LSU ahead for good with a jumper 1:08 into the third overtime and the Tigers came away with a wild 109-102 win over UCF on Sunday in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Carter's make sparked a 5-0 spurt for LSU (5-1), which mounted a ferocious second-half rally that began after Darius Johnson drilled a 3-pointer to put the Knights up 52-34 with 12:57 to play in regulation. UCF (4-2) got back within two in the third overtime, but it never found a way to draw even. Vyctorius Miller and Jordan Sears sealed the victory, combining for three buckets down low that gave the Tigers a 106-99 cushion with 17 seconds remaining. Carter was the late-game hero for LSU, scoring the final four points of regulation to forge a 70-70 tie. He also knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first extra session to give the Tigers a 76-75 advantage. Sears gave LSU a four-point edge with a triple of his own with 2:10 to go, but the Tigers failed to stay in front, and UCF's Keyshawn Hall kept the game going by sinking two free throws with six seconds remaining to make it 82-82. Neither team led by more than three in the second overtime, with Hall again coming to the Knights' rescue. He made two layups in the final 52 seconds of the frame to knot things at 93 and send the teams to a third OT. Few could have predicted 15 minutes of extra basketball after UCF put together a 25-3 first-half run that lifted it to a 38-18 advantage with 2:12 left until the break. LSU responded with seven unanswered points, but the Knights still led comfortably, 40-25, at intermission. Sears finished with a game-high-tying 25 points to go along with nine boards, while Jalen Reed recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Tigers. Carter netted 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey chipped in 14. Johnson collected 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals for UCF. Hall totaled 21 points and 10 boards, and Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 20 points. LSU outshot UCF 43.2 percent to 40.7 percent and had narrow advantages from behind the arc (12 made shots to 10) and the free-throw line (21-18). --Field Level Media
ATLANTA (AP) — Deliberations are underway in Atlanta after a year of testimony in the gang and racketeering trial that originally included the rapper Young Thug. Jurors are considering whether to convict Shannon Stillwell and Deamonte Kendrick, who raps as Yak Gotti, on gang, murder, drug and gun charges. The original indictment charged 28 people with conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Opening statements in the trial for six of those defendants happened a year ago . Four of them, including Young Thug, pleaded guilty last month. The rapper was freed on probation. Stillwell and Kendrick rejected plea deals after more than a week of negotiations, and their lawyers chose not to present evidence or witnesses. Both seemed to be in good spirits Tuesday morning after closings wrapped the previous night. Kendrick was chatting and laughing with Stillwell and his lawyers before the jury arrived for instructions. The jury started deliberating Tuesday afternoon and was dismissed at 5 p.m. Jurors are expected to resume deliberations Wednesday morning. If they don’t reach a verdict by 3 p.m. Wednesday, the judge will send them home for the Thanksgiving weekend and they will return Monday morning. Kendrick and Stillwell were charged in the 2015 killing of Donovan Thomas Jr., also known as “Big Nut,” in an Atlanta barbershop. Prosecutors painted Stillwell and Kendrick as members of a violent street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL, co-founded in 2012 by Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams. During closings on Monday, they pointed to tattoos, song lyrics and social media posts they said proved members, including Stillwell, admitted to killing people in rival gangs. Prosecutors say Thomas was in a rival gang. Stillwell was also charged in the 2022 killing of Shymel Drinks, which prosecutors said was in retaliation for the killing of two YSL associates days earlier. Defense attorneys Doug Weinstein and Max Schardt said the state presented unreliable witnesses, weak evidence and cherry-picked lyrics and social media posts to push a false narrative about Stillwell, Kendrick and the members of YSL. Schardt, Stillwell's attorney, reminded the jury that alleged YSL affiliates said during the trial that they had lied to police. Law enforcement played a “sick game” by promising they would escape long prison sentences if they said what police wanted them to say, Schardt said. He theorized that one of those witnesses could have killed Thomas. The truth is that their clients were just trying to escape poverty through music, Schardt said. “As a whole, we know the struggles that these communities have had,” Schardt said. “A sad, tacit acceptance that it’s either rap, prison or death.” Young Thug’s record label is also known as YSL, an acronym of Young Stoner Life. Kendrick was featured on two popular songs from the label’s compilation album Slime Language 2, “Take It to Trial" and “Slatty," which prosecutors presented as evidence in the trial. Weinstein, Kendrick’s defense attorney, said during closings it was wrong for prosecutors to target the defendants for their music and lyrics. Prosecutor Simone Hylton disagreed, and said surveillance footage and phone evidence supported her case. “They have the audacity to think they can just brag about killing somebody and nobody’s gonna hold them accountable,” Hylton said. The trial had more than its fair share of delays. Jury selection took nearly 10 months , and Stillwell was stabbed last year at the Fulton County jail, which paused trial proceedings. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker took over after Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville was removed from the case in July because he had a meeting with prosecutors and a state witness without defense attorneys present. Whitaker often lost patience with prosecutors over moves such as not sharing evidence with defense attorneys, once accusing them of “poor lawyering.” But the trial sped up under her watch. In October, four defendants, including Young Thug , pleaded guilty, with the rapper entering a non-negotiated or “blind” plea, meaning he didn't have a deal worked out with prosecutors. Nine people charged in the indictment, including rapper Gunna , accepted plea deals before the trial began. Charges against 12 others are pending. Prosecutors dropped charges against one defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case. Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon
Arciero, Eldridge secure $100K for Littleton Senior Center solar panels
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia's House of Representatives passes bill banning children younger than age 16 from social media.
LSU outlasts UCF 109-102 in triple-OT affairAutodesk earnings beat by $0.05, revenue topped estimatesGo Woke, Go BROKE: Jaguar Stock Prices Tumble After Backlash to Cringe Rebranding Ad
Texas' abortion pill lawsuit against New York doctor marks new challenge to interstate telemedicine Texas has sued a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas woman via telemedicine. It appears to be the first challenge in the U.S. to a state shield law that's intended to protect prescribers in Democratic-controlled states from being punished by states with abortion bans. Prescriptions like these, made online and over the phone, are a key reason that the number of abortions has increased across the U.S. even after state bans started taking effect. Most abortions in the U.S. involve pills rather than procedures. Anti-abortion groups are increasingly focusing on the rise of pills. Syrians cheer end of 50 years of Assad rule at first Friday prayers since government fell DAMASCUS (AP) — Exuberant Syrians observed the first Friday prayers since the ouster of President Bashar Assad, gathering in the capital’s historic main mosque, its largest square and around the country to celebrate the end of half a century of authoritarian rule. The newly installed interim prime minister delivered the sermon at the Umayyad Mosque, declaring that a new era of “freedom, dignity and justice” was dawning for Syria. The gatherings illustrated the dramatic changes that have swept over Syria less than a week after insurgents marched into Damascus and toppled Assad. Amid the jubilation, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with allies around the region and called for an “inclusive and non-sectarian” interim government. US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has brought an American who was imprisoned in Syria for seven months out of the country. That's according to two U.S. officials, who said Friday that Travis Timmerman has been flown to Jordan on a U.S. military helicopter. The 29-year-old Timmerman told The Associated Press earlier Friday he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence. He said he was freed by “the liberators who came into the prison and knocked the door down (of his cell) with a hammer.” New Jersey governor wants more federal resources for probe into drone sightings TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has asked the Biden administration to put more resources into the ongoing investigation of mysterious drone sightings being reported in the state and other parts of the region. Murphy, a Democrat, made the request in a letter Thursday, noting that state and local law enforcement remain “hamstrung” by existing laws and policies in their efforts to successfully counteract any nefarious drone activity. Murphy and other officials say there is no evidence that the drones pose a national security or a public safety threat. A state lawmaker says up to 180 aircraft have been reported to authorities since Nov. 18. Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she 'sustained an injury' from fall on official trip to Luxembourg WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman. Pelosi is 84. She was in Europe to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her spokesman, Ian Krager, did not describe the nature of her injury or give any additional details, but a person familiar with the incident said that Pelosi tripped and fell while at an event with the other members of Congress. The person requested anonymity to discuss the fall because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack by cruise missiles and drones KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia has launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia fired 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones in Friday's bombardments. He says it is one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. He says Ukrainian defenses shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year. Zelenskyy renewed his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital U.S. military support for Kyiv will continue. Trump’s lawyers rebuff DA's idea for upholding his hush money conviction, calling it 'absurd' NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers are again urging a judge to throw out his hush money conviction. In a court filing Friday, they balked at the prosecution’s “absurd” idea for preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies before sentencing. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump’s lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month asking for the case to be dismissed. Some in seafood industry see Trump as fishermen's friend, but tariffs could make for pricier fish PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump is likely to bring big changes to seafood, one of the oldest sectors of the U.S. economy. Some in the industry believe the returning president will be more responsive to its needs. Economic analysts paint a more complicated picture, as they fear Trump’s pending trade hostilities with major trading partners Canada and China could make an already pricy kind of protein more expensive. Conservationists also fear Trump’s emphasis on deregulation could jeopardize fish stocks already in peril. But many in the commercial fishing and seafood processing industries said they expect Trump to allow fishing in protected areas and crack down on offshore wind expansion. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. Paula Abdul settles lawsuit alleging sexual assault by 'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paula Abdul and former “American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe have agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show. Abdul filed a notice of settlement in a Los Angeles court Thursday. The lawsuit filed nearly a year ago had also accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left “American Idol” and became a judge on Lythgoe’s other show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Lythgoe said at the time that the allegations were “an appalling smear.” Both sides said in statements Friday that they were glad to put the case behind them.
Pinstripes Reports Fiscal 2025 Second Quarter ResultsNEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers urged a judge again Friday to throw out his hush money conviction, balking at the prosecution's suggestion of preserving the verdict by treating the case the way some courts do when a defendant dies. They called the idea "absurd." The Manhattan district attorney's office asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to "pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful," Trump's lawyers wrote in a 23-page response. In court papers made public Tuesday, District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office proposed an array of options for keeping the historic conviction on the books after Trump's lawyers filed paperwork this month asking for the case to be dismissed. They include freezing the case until Trump leaves office in 2029, agreeing that any future sentence won't include jail time, or closing the case by noting he was convicted but that he wasn't sentenced and his appeal wasn't resolved because of presidential immunity. Former President Donald Trump appears May 30 at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove reiterated Friday their position that the only acceptable option is overturning his conviction and dismissing his indictment, writing that anything less will interfere with the transition process and his ability to lead the country. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined comment. It's unclear how soon Merchan will decide. He could grant Trump's request for dismissal, go with one of the prosecution's suggestions, wait until a federal appeals court rules on Trump's parallel effort to get the case moved out of state court, or choose some other option. In their response Friday, Blanche and Bove ripped each of the prosecution's suggestions. Halting the case until Trump leaves office would force the incoming president to govern while facing the "ongoing threat" that he'll be sentenced to imprisonment, fines or other punishment as soon as his term ends, Blanche and Bove wrote. Trump, a Republican, takes office Jan. 20. The prosecution's suggestion that Merchan could mitigate those concerns by promising not to sentence Trump to jail time on presidential immunity grounds is also a non-starter, Blanche and Bove wrote. The immunity statute requires dropping the case, not merely limiting sentencing options, they contend. Attorney Todd Blanche listens May 30 as his client Donald Trump speaks at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York. Blanche and Bove, both of whom Trump tapped for high-ranking Justice Department positions, expressed outrage at the prosecution's novel suggestion that Merchan borrow from Alabama and other states and treat the case as if Trump died. Blanche and Bove accused prosecutors of ignoring New York precedent and attempting to "fabricate" a solution "based on an extremely troubling and irresponsible analogy between President Trump" who survived assassination attempts in Pennsylvania in July and Florida in September "and a hypothetical dead defendant." Such an option normally comes into play when a defendant dies after being convicted but before appeals are exhausted. It is unclear whether it is viable under New York law, but prosecutors suggested that Merchan could innovate in what's already a unique case. "This remedy would prevent defendant from being burdened during his presidency by an ongoing criminal proceeding," prosecutors wrote in their filing this week. But at the same time, it wouldn't "precipitously discard" the "meaningful fact that defendant was indicted and found guilty by a jury of his peers." Prosecutors acknowledged that "presidential immunity requires accommodation" during Trump's impending return to the White House but argued that his election to a second term should not upend the jury's verdict, which came when he was out of office. Longstanding Justice Department policy says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Other world leaders don't enjoy the same protection. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges even as he leads that nation's wars in Lebanon and Gaza. President-elect Donald Trump attends a Dec. 7 meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Trump has fought for months to reverse his May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors said he fudged the documents to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels to suppress her claim that they had sex a decade earlier, which Trump denies. Trump's hush money conviction was in state court, meaning a presidential pardon — issued by Biden or himself when he takes office — would not apply to the case. Presidential pardons only apply to federal crimes. Since the election, special counsel Jack Smith ended his two federal cases, which pertained to Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and allegations that he hoarded classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A separate state election interference case in Fulton County, Georgia, is largely on hold. Trump denies wrongdoing in each case. Trump was scheduled for sentencing in the hush money case in late November, but following Trump's Nov. 5 election win, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed the former and future president's sentencing so the defense and prosecution could weigh in on the future of the case. Trump is the first former president to be convicted of a crime and the first convicted criminal to be elected to the office. Among President-elect Donald Trump's picks are Susie Wiles for chief of staff, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Democratic House member Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general. Susie Wiles, 67, was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and its de facto manager. Trump named Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, making a former sharp critic his choice to be the new administration's top diplomat. Rubio, 53, is a noted hawk on China, Cuba and Iran, and was a finalist to be Trump's running mate on the Republican ticket last summer. Rubio is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said of Rubio in a statement. The announcement punctuates the hard pivot Rubio has made with Trump, whom the senator called a “con man" during his unsuccessful campaign for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination. Their relationship improved dramatically while Trump was in the White House. And as Trump campaigned for the presidency a third time, Rubio cheered his proposals. For instance, Rubio, who more than a decade ago helped craft immigration legislation that included a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally, now supports Trump's plan to use the U.S. military for mass deportations. Pete Hegseth, 44, is a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has been a contributor with the network since 2014, where he developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show. Hegseth lacks senior military or national security experience. If confirmed by the Senate, he would inherit the top job during a series of global crises — ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing attacks in the Middle East by Iranian proxies to the push for a cease-fire between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah and escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea. Hegseth is also the author of “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free,” published earlier this year. Trump tapped Pam Bondi, 59, to be attorney general after U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration. She was Florida's first female attorney general, serving between 2011 and 2019. She also was on Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment trial in 2020. Considered a loyalist, she served as part of a Trump-allied outside group that helped lay the groundwork for his future administration called the America First Policy Institute. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. A fierce defender of Trump, she also frequently appears on Fox News and has been a critic of the criminal cases against him. Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a well-known conservative who faced sharp criticism for telling a story in her memoir about shooting a rambunctious dog, to lead an agency crucial to the president-elect’s hardline immigration agenda. Noem used her two terms leading a tiny state to vault to a prominent position in Republican politics. South Dakota is usually a political afterthought. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noem did not order restrictions that other states had issued and instead declared her state “open for business.” Trump held a fireworks rally at Mount Rushmore in July 2020 in one of the first large gatherings of the pandemic. She takes over a department with a sprawling mission. In addition to key immigration agencies, the Department of Homeland Security oversees natural disaster response, the U.S. Secret Service, and Transportation Security Administration agents who work at airports. The governor of North Dakota, who was once little-known outside his state, Burgum is a former Republican presidential primary contender who endorsed Trump, and spent months traveling to drum up support for him, after dropping out of the race. Burgum was a serious contender to be Trump’s vice presidential choice this summer. The two-term governor was seen as a possible pick because of his executive experience and business savvy. Burgum also has close ties to deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs. Trump made the announcement about Burgum joining his incoming administration while addressing a gala at his Mar-a-Lago club, and said a formal statement would be coming the following day. In comments to reporters before Trump took the stage, Burgum said that, in recent years, the power grid is deteriorating in many parts of the country, which he said could raise national security concerns but also drive up prices enough to increase inflation. “There's just a sense of urgency, and a sense of understanding in the Trump administration,” Burgum said. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ran for president as a Democrat, than as an independent, and then endorsed Trump . He's the son of Democratic icon Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated during his own presidential campaign. The nomination of Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services alarmed people who are concerned about his record of spreading unfounded fears about vaccines . For example, he has long advanced the debunked idea that vaccines cause autism. Scott Bessent, 62, is a former George Soros money manager and an advocate for deficit reduction. He's the founder of hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, after having worked on-and-off for Soros Fund Management since 1991. If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the nation’s first openly gay treasury secretary. He told Bloomberg in August that he decided to join Trump’s campaign in part to attack the mounting U.S. national debt. That would include slashing government programs and other spending. “This election cycle is the last chance for the U.S. to grow our way out of this mountain of debt without becoming a sort of European-style socialist democracy,” he said then. Oregon Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her reelection bid this month, but received strong backing from union members in her district. As a potential labor secretary, she would oversee the Labor Department’s workforce, its budget and put forth priorities that impact workers’ wages, health and safety, ability to unionize, and employer’s rights to fire employers, among other responsibilities. Chavez-DeRemer is one of few House Republicans to endorse the “Protecting the Right to Organize” or PRO Act would allow more workers to conduct organizing campaigns and would add penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights. The act would also 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. Scott Turner is a former NFL player and White House aide. He ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office. Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities.” Sean Duffy is a former House member from Wisconsin who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, sitting on the Financial Services Committee and chairing the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 for a TV career and has been the host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. Before entering politics, Duffy was a reality TV star on MTV, where he met his wife, “Fox and Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. They have nine children. A campaign donor and CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, Write is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking — a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market. Wright also has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He said the climate movement around the world is “collapsing under its own weight.” The Energy Department is responsible for advancing energy, environmental and nuclear security of the United States. Wright also won support from influential conservatives, including oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm. Hamm, executive chairman of Oklahoma-based Continental Resources, a major shale oil company, is a longtime Trump supporter and adviser who played a key role on energy issues in Trump’s first term. President-elect Donald Trump tapped billionaire professional wrestling mogul Linda McMahon to be secretary of the Education Department, tasked with overseeing an agency Trump promised to dismantle. McMahon led the Small Business Administration during Trump’s initial term from 2017 to 2019 and twice ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut. She’s seen as a relative unknown in education circles, though she expressed support for charter schools and school choice. She served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009 and has spent years on the board of trustees for Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Brooke Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development, is a longtime Trump associate who served as White House domestic policy chief during his first presidency. The 52-year-old is president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group helping to lay the groundwork for a second Trump administration. She previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and ran a think tank, the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Trump chose Howard Lutnick, head of brokerage and investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and a cryptocurrency enthusiast, as his nominee for commerce secretary, a position in which he'd have a key role in carrying out Trump's plans to raise and enforce tariffs. Trump made the announcement Tuesday on his social media platform, Truth Social. Lutnick is a co-chair of Trump’s transition team, along with Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive who previously led Trump’s Small Business Administration. Both are tasked with putting forward candidates for key roles in the next administration. The nomination would put Lutnick in charge of a sprawling Cabinet agency that is involved in funding new computer chip factories, imposing trade restrictions, releasing economic data and monitoring the weather. It is also a position in which connections to CEOs and the wider business community are crucial. FILE - Former Rep. Doug Collins speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta. Karoline Leavitt, 27, was Trump's campaign press secretary and currently a spokesperson for his transition. She would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The White House press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has held daily briefings for the press corps. Leavitt, a New Hampshire native, was a spokesperson for MAGA Inc., a super PAC supporting Trump, before joining his 2024 campaign. In 2022, she ran for Congress in New Hampshire, winning a 10-way Republican primary before losing to Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas. Leavitt worked in the White House press office during Trump's first term before she became communications director for New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's choice for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has been tapped by Trump to be director of national intelligence, keeping with the trend to stock his Cabinet with loyal personalities rather than veteran professionals in their requisite fields. Gabbard, 43, was a Democratic House member who unsuccessfully sought the party's 2020 presidential nomination before leaving the party in 2022. She endorsed Trump in August and campaigned often with him this fall. “I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community,” Trump said in a statement. Gabbard, who has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades, deploying to Iraq and Kuwait, would come to the role as somewhat of an outsider compared to her predecessor. The current director, Avril Haines, was confirmed by the Senate in 2021 following several years in a number of top national security and intelligence positions. Trump has picked John Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman who served as director of national intelligence during his first administration, to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency in his next. Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during the final year and a half of Trump's first term, leading the U.S. government's spy agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement, calling him a “fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans” who would ensure “the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.” Kash Patel spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump administration’s attention as a staffer on Capitol Hill who helped investigate the Russia probe. Patel called for dramatically reducing the agency’s footprint, a perspective that sets him apart from earlier directors who sought additional resources for the bureau. Though the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing reporters’ phone records during leak investigations, Patel said he intends to aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters. Trump has chosen former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to serve as his pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency . Zeldin does not appear to have any experience in environmental issues, but is a longtime supporter of the former president. The 44-year-old former U.S. House member from New York wrote on X , “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI.” “We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water,” he added. During his campaign, Trump often attacked the Biden administration's promotion of electric vehicles, and incorrectly referring to a tax credit for EV purchases as a government mandate. Trump also often told his audiences during the campaign his administration would “Drill, baby, drill,” referring to his support for expanded petroleum exploration. In a statement, Trump said Zeldin “will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” Trump has named Brendan Carr, the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission, as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband. Carr is a longtime member of the commission and served previously as the FCC’s general counsel. He has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times and was nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden to the commission. Carr made past appearances on “Fox News Channel," including when he decried Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-Election Day appearance on “Saturday Night Live.” He wrote an op-ed last month defending a satellite company owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk. Trump said Atkins, the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner, was a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. “He believes in the promise of robust, innovative capital markets that are responsive to the needs of Investors, & that provide capital to make our Economy the best in the World. He also recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The commission oversees U.S. securities markets and investments and is currently led by Gary Gensler, who has been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Gensler, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, announced last month that he would be stepping down from his post on the day that Trump is inaugurated — Jan. 20, 2025. Atkins began his career as a lawyer and has a long history working in the financial markets sector, both in government and private practice. In the 1990s, he worked on the staffs of two former SEC chairmen, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt. Jared Isaacman, 41, is a tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk . He is the founder and CEO of a card-processing company and has collaborated closely with Musk ever since buying his first chartered SpaceX flight. He took contest winners on that 2021 trip and followed it in September with a mission where he briefly popped out the hatch to test SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits. Rep. Elise Stefanik is a representative from New York and one of Trump's staunchest defenders going back to his first impeachment. Elected to the House in 2014, Stefanik was selected by her GOP House colleagues as House Republican Conference chair in 2021, when former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney was removed from the post after publicly criticizing Trump for falsely claiming he won the 2020 election. Stefanik, 40, has served in that role ever since as the third-ranking member of House leadership. Stefanik’s questioning of university presidents over antisemitism on their campuses helped lead to two of those presidents resigning, further raising her national profile. If confirmed, she would represent American interests at the U.N. as Trump vows to end the war waged by Russia against Ukraine begun in 2022. He has also called for peace as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas in Gaza and its invasion of Lebanon to target Hezbollah. President-elect Donald Trump says he's chosen former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker to serve as U.S. ambassador to NATO. Trump has expressed skepticism about the Western military alliance for years. Trump said in a statement Wednesday that Whitaker is “a strong warrior and loyal Patriot” who “will ensure the United States’ interests are advanced and defended” and “strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.” The choice of Whitaker as the nation’s representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an unusual one, given his background is as a lawyer and not in foreign policy. President-elect Donald Trump tapped former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China, saying in a social media post that the former CEO “brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China.” Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for governor. Trump will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel and his intended nomination comes as Trump has promised to align U.S. foreign policy more closely with Israel's interests as it wages wars against the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah. “He loves Israel, and likewise the people of Israel love him,” Trump said in a statement. “Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.” Huckabee, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016, has been a popular figure among evangelical Christian conservatives, many of whom support Israel due to Old Testament writings that Jews are God’s chosen people and that Israel is their rightful homeland. Trump has been praised by some in this important Republican voting bloc for moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Guilfoyle is a former California prosecutor and television news personality who led the fundraising for Trump's 2020 campaign and became engaged to Don Jr. in 2020. Trump called her “a close friend and ally” and praised her “sharp intellect make her supremely qualified.” Guilfoyle was on stage with the family on election night. “I am so proud of Kimberly. She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First,” Don Jr. posted. The ambassador positions must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Guilfoyle said in a social media post that she was “honored to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next Ambassador to Greece and I look forward to earning the support of the U.S. Senate.” Trump on Tuesday named real estate investor Steven Witkoff to be special envoy to the Middle East. The 67-year-old Witkoff is the president-elect's golf partner and was golfing with him at Trump's club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 15, when the former president was the target of a second attempted assassination. Witkoff “is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy,” Trump said of Witkoff in a statement. “Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud." Trump also named Witkoff co-chair, with former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, of his inaugural committee. Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Gen. Keith Kellogg to serve as assistant to the president and special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, a retired Army lieutenant general who has long been Trump’s top adviser on defense issues, served as National Security Advisor to Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence. For the America First Policy Institute, one of several groups formed after Trump left office to help lay the groundwork for the next Republican administration, Kellogg in April wrote that “bringing the Russia-Ukraine war to a close will require strong, America First leadership to deliver a peace deal and immediately end the hostilities between the two warring parties.” (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) Trump asked Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army National Guard officer and war veteran, to be his national security adviser, Trump announced in a statement Tuesday. The move puts Waltz in the middle of national security crises, ranging from efforts to provide weapons to Ukraine and worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea to the persistent attacks in the Middle East by Iran proxies and the push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda,” Trump's statement said, "and will be a tremendous champion of our pursuit of Peace through Strength!” Waltz is a three-term GOP congressman from east-central Florida. He served multiple tours in Afghanistan and also worked in the Pentagon as a policy adviser when Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates were defense chiefs. He is considered hawkish on China, and called for a U.S. boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to its involvement in the origin of COVID-19 and its mistreatment of the minority Muslim Uighur population. Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner , was a vocal spokesperson during the presidential campaign for Trump's priority of mass deportations. The 39-year-old was a senior adviser during Trump's first administration. Miller has been a central figure in some of Trump's policy decisions, notably his move to separate thousands of immigrant families. Trump argued throughout the campaign that the nation's economic, national security and social priorities could be met by deporting people who are in the United States illegally. Since Trump left office in 2021, Miller has served as the president of America First Legal, an organization made up of former Trump advisers aimed at challenging the Biden administration, media companies, universities and others over issues such as free speech and national security. Thomas Homan, 62, has been tasked with Trump’s top priority of carrying out the largest deportation operation in the nation’s history. Homan, who served under Trump in his first administration leading U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was widely expected to be offered a position related to the border, an issue Trump made central to his campaign. Though Homan has insisted such a massive undertaking would be humane, he has long been a loyal supporter of Trump's policy proposals, suggesting at a July conference in Washington that he would be willing to "run the biggest deportation operation this country’s ever seen.” Democrats have criticized Homan for his defending Trump's “zero tolerance” policy on border crossings during his first administration, which led to the separation of thousands of parents and children seeking asylum at the border. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Rodney Scott led during Trump's first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country's borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump's policies. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump's hard-line immigration agenda. He appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He's also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Former Rep. Billy Long represented Missouri in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2023. Since leaving Congress, Trump said, Long “has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.” Former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler was appointed in January 2020 by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and then lost a runoff election a year later. She started a conservative voter registration organization and dived into GOP fundraising, becoming one of the top individual donors and bundlers to Trump’s 2024 comeback campaign. Even before nominating her for agriculture secretary, the president-elect already had tapped Loeffler as co-chair of his inaugural committee. Dr. Mehmet Oz, 64, is a former heart surgeon who hosted “The Dr. Oz Show,” a long-running daytime television talk show. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee in 2022 and is an outspoken supporter of Trump, who endorsed Oz's bid for elected office. Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy speak before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. Trump on Tuesday said Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Ramaswamy will lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency" — which is not, despite the name, a government agency. The acronym “DOGE” is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy will work from outside the government to offer the White House “advice and guidance” and will partner with the Office of Management and Budget to “drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” He added the move would shock government systems. It's not clear how the organization will operate. Musk, owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been a constant presence at Mar-a-Lago since Trump won the presidential election. Ramaswamy suspended his campaign in January and threw his support behind Trump. Trump said the two will “pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” Russell Vought held the position during Trump’s first presidency. After Trump’s initial term ended, Vought founded the Center for Renewing America, a think tank that describes its mission as “renew a consensus of America as a nation under God.” Vought was closely involved with Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for Trump’s second term that he tried to distance himself from during the campaign. Vought has also previously worked as the executive and budget director for the Republican Study Committee, a caucus for conservative House Republicans. He also worked at Heritage Action, the political group tied to The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Trump says he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake endeared herself to Trump through her dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump were the victims of election fraud. She has never acknowledged losing the gubernatorial race and called herself the “lawful governor” in her 2023 book, “Unafraid: Just Getting Started.” Dan Scavino, deputy chief of staff Scavino, whom Trump's transition referred to in a statement as one of “Trump's longest serving and most trusted aides,” was a senior adviser to Trump's 2024 campaign, as well as his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He will be deputy chief of staff and assistant to the president. Scavino had run Trump's social media profile in the White House during his first administration. He was also held in contempt of Congress in 2022 after a month-long refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House committee’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. James Blair, deputy chief of staff Blair was political director for Trump's 2024 campaign and for the Republican National Committee. He will be deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs and assistant to the president. Blair was key to Trump's economic messaging during his winning White House comeback campaign this year, a driving force behind the candidate's “Trump can fix it” slogan and his query to audiences this fall if they were better off than four years ago. Taylor Budowich, deputy chief of staff Budowich is a veteran Trump campaign aide who launched and directed Make America Great Again, Inc., a super PAC that supported Trump's 2024 campaign. He will be deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel and assistant to the president. Budowich also had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency. Jay Bhattacharya, National Institutes of Health Trump has chosen Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya is a physician and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a critic of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He promoted the idea of herd immunity during the pandemic, arguing that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection. The National Institutes of Health funds medical research through competitive grants to researchers at institutions throughout the nation. NIH also conducts its own research with thousands of scientists working at its labs in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration Makary is a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns. He routinely appeared on Fox News during the COVID-19 pandemic and wrote opinion articles questioning masks for children. He cast doubt on vaccine mandates but supported vaccines generally. Makary also cast doubt on whether booster shots worked, which was against federal recommendations on the vaccine. Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, Surgeon General Nesheiwat is a general practitioner who serves as medical director for CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. She has been a contributor to Fox News. Dr. Dave Weldon, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Weldon is a former Florida congressman who recently ran for a Florida state legislative seat and lost; Trump backed Weldon’s opponent. In Congress, Weldon weighed in on one of the nation’s most heated debates of the 1990s over quality of life and a right-to-die and whether Terri Schiavo, who was in a persistent vegetative state after cardiac arrest, should have been allowed to have her feeding tube removed. He sided with the parents who did not want it removed. Jamieson Greer, U.S. trade representative Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council Trump is turning to two officials with experience navigating not only Washington but the key issues of income taxes and tariffs as he fills out his economic team. He announced he has chosen international trade attorney Jamieson Greer to be his U.S. trade representative and Kevin Hassett as director of the White House National Economic Council. While Trump has in several cases nominated outsiders to key posts, these picks reflect a recognition that his reputation will likely hinge on restoring the public’s confidence in the economy. Trump said in a statement that Greer was instrumental in his first term in imposing tariffs on China and others and replacing the trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, “therefore making it much better for American Workers.” Hassett, 62, served in the first Trump term as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. He has a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute before joining the Trump White House in 2017. Ron Johnson, Ambassador to Mexico Johnson — not the Republican senator — served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump's first administration. His nomination comes as the president-elect has been threatening tariffs on Mexican imports and the mass deportation of migrants who have arrived to the U.S.-Mexico border. Johnson is also a former U.S. Army veteran and was in the Central Intelligence Agency. Tom Barrack, Ambassador to Turkey Barrack, a wealthy financier, met Trump in the 1980s while helping negotiate Trump’s purchase of the renowned Plaza Hotel. He was charged with using his personal access to the former president to secretly promote the interests of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted of all counts at a federal trial in 2022. Trump called him a “well-respected and experienced voice of reason.” Andrew Ferguson, Federal Trade Commission Ferguson, who is already one of the FTC's five commissioners, will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Jacob Helberg, undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment Dan Bishop, deputy director for budget at the Office of Budget and Management Leandro Rizzuto, Ambassador to the Washington-based Organization of American States Dan Newlin, Ambassador to Colombia Peter Lamelas, Ambassador to Argentina Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Brooks just released its big Black Friday deals and we’re shocked to see beloved sneakers for under $100 during this offer. Brooks Black Friday & Cyber Monday sale is marketed as up to 35% off top-loved products, but a number of items are actually up to 41% off during this sale. We’re seeing huge markdowns on running shoes including the Adrenaline GTS 23 , the Catamount 3 , and the Launch 10 – all of which are under $100 and anywhere between 9% to 41% off. Apparel is also included in this big Cyber Week sale, and we’re seeing 35% off the 3 Pocket Sports Bra , 35% off the Shield Hybrid Vest 2.0 (though very low in stock), and the Distance Short Sleeve 3.0 for 25% off. A few styles have already sold out, like Hyperion Elite running shoes , so if you see something you like on sale, you’ll want to snag it fast. We’re hoping Brooks continues to add new sale styles during Cyber Week. Currently, the Ghost 16 and Glycerin GTS 23 styles are not on sale – yet – but we’re holding out hope! Brooks Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals Shop these Brooks Black Friday & Cyber Monday deals and more now. The Best Black Friday Deals in 2024 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com . Dawn Magyar can be reached at dmagyar@njadvancemedia.com . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/ .
The Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers both have won four in a row and eight of their last 10 games. One Pacific Division power will continue its ascent at the other's expense on Saturday afternoon when they meet in Edmonton. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more. Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheerThe U.S. leads the world in developing artificial intelligence technology, surpassing China in research and other important measures of AI innovation, according to a newly released Stanford University index. There's no surefire way to rank global AI leadership but Stanford researchers have made an attempt by measuring the “vibrancy” of the AI industry across various dimensions, from how much research and investment is happening to how responsibly the technology is being pursued to prevent harm. “The gap is actually widening” between the U.S. and China, said computer scientist Ray Perrault, director of the steering committee that runs Stanford's AI Index. “The U.S. is investing a lot more, at least at the level of firm creation and firm funding.” The California-based university's Institute for Human-Centered AI — which has ties to Silicon Valley's tech industry — released the report Thursday as government AI officials from the U.S. and several allies met in San Francisco this week to compare notes on AI safety measures. Here's which countries made the top 10: The U.S. ranks No. 1 on Stanford's list and has consistently held that position since 2018 when it overtook China. It has far outpaced China in private AI investment, which hit $67.2 billion in the U.S. last year compared to $7.8 billion in China, according to the report. It also leads in publishing responsible AI research. It's no surprise that the home of commercial AI powerhouses such as Google and Meta, along with relative newcomers like OpenAI and Anthropic, has produced many notable AI models that have influenced how the technology is being developed and applied. The U.S. also gets some points for having a number of AI-related laws on the books, though Congress has yet to pass any broad AI regulations. China has requested far more patents than any other country regarding generative AI, the U.N. intellectual property agency said earlier this year. Stanford researchers counted that as one measure of China's strong growth in AI innovation but not enough to lead the pack. Still, the report says that "China’s focus on developing cutting-edge AI technologies and increasing its R&D investments has positioned it as a major AI powerhouse.” China's universities have produced a large number of AI-related research publications and it has commercial leaders developing notable AI models, such as Baidu and its chatbot Ernie. Coming in at No. 3 is the UK, which also ranked high in research and development, and educational infrastructure due to top computer science universities churning out a skilled AI workforce. It's also home to Google's AI subsidiary DeepMind, whose co-founder recently won a Nobel Prize; and “had more mentions of AI in parliamentary proceedings” than any other country. Last year, the UK hosted the world’s first international AI safety summit. Close behind the UK was India, thanks to a “strong AI research community,” improvements in economic investments tied to AI and a robust public discourse about AI on social media, according to the report. The UAE's deliberate focus on AI appears to have paid off in the Middle Eastern nation's fifth-place score. It was one of the top locations for AI investments. Microsoft earlier this year said it was investing $1.5 billion in UAE-based tech firm G42, which is overseen by the country’s powerful national security adviser. Based in Abu Dhabi, G42 runs data centers and has built what’s considered the world’s leading Arabic-language AI model, known as Jais. Rounding out the top 10 are France at No. 6, followed by South Korea, Germany, Japan and Singapore. France, home to the buzzy AI startup Mistral, ranked high in AI policy and governance. Both it and Germany are part of the European Union's sweeping new AI Act that places safeguards on a range of AI applications based on how risky they are. The EU also follows the U.S. in developing a plan to expand semiconductor production within the bloc.
California Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks is feeling a time crunch in California’s quest to combat climate change. So she’s trying to speed up renewable energy source construction and storage. “We do have to make it faster and better,” Wicks said recently. “Government has to work better for people.” Wicks, an Oakland Democrat, was speaking about a Legislative subcommittee field hearing on permitting reform that she held to discuss streamlining renewable energy permits last month. It was part of a statewide tour of several cities to explore permitting solutions for issues such as energy, housing and climate change. The first stop in the Coachella Valley hearing was the Desert Peak battery storage project in Palm Springs, by NextEra Energy Resources. It’s silhouetted against the San Bernardino Mountains, surrounded by a field of wind turbines and next to a Southern California Edison substation. The battery storage center draws power from the Palo Verde nuclear generating station in Arizona and renewable energy projects in the desert, said Pedro Villegas, executive director for political and regulatory affairs for NextEra. Rows of sheds house hundreds of lithium-ion batteries that store power and then feed it into the grid. At full capacity Desert Peak will produce 700 megawatts, enough to power about 140,000 homes. Facilities like this are key to California’s ambitious climate goals. The state aims to reach net carbon zero — the point at which the amount of greenhouse gasses that humans emit equals the amount removed from the atmosphere — by 2045. In 2022 the California Air Resources Board released a plan to get there. To do that, California has to cut red tape, Wicks said. Industry experts at the hearing said there has to be less duplication of paperwork, increased staffing at regulatory agencies and better coordination between them. Wind and solar farms can displace valuable ecosystems and farmland, while battery storage sites pose fire risks, so the state is facing pushback from rural communities that are Ground Zero for renewable energy development. Five years ago San Bernardino County restricted new large-scale wind and solar projects on more than a million acres of rural land after residents in some communities complained the projects threatened fragile natural environments and historic sites. “We need to be mindful of creating sacrifice zones in pursuing climate solutions,” Nataly Escobedo Garcia, policy coordinator for the Fresno-based Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, told the subcommittee. Converting traditional farms to solar farms also sparks opposition, Villegas said. “Especially in rural areas, some folks have a reaction to turning agricultural lands to solar energy,” he said. Battery storage has gotten bad press lately, with several high profile fires in San Diego County. An Escondido battery storage facility caught fire in September, prompting evacuations and closures of nearby schools. In May a blaze at a battery storage site in Otay Mesa burned for two and a half weeks, sparking worry about the safety of the high-powered batteries. In September 2023, a Valley Center energy storage facility caught fire . Energy experts said the industry has improved its fire safety protocols since those were built. “The facility in Escondido was installed in 2017,” said Scott Murtishaw, executive director of the California Energy Storage Alliance. “That’s ancient technology.” Despite advances in newer and potentially safer energy technology, lawmakers say efforts to wean Californians off fossil fuels aren’t moving fast enough to avert the effects of climate change. “There’s a huge chasm between the things we say are our priorities and what we are actually delivering in the state” in renewable energy and climate action, said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris , a Democrat from Irvine. “The No. 1 thing we need to do to accelerate the pace is permit reform.”More Scots business owners anticipate higher turnover in 2025, poll suggests
Seyond Announces Plan to Go Public via De-SPAC Transaction on Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Joe Burrow threw three touchdown passes to Tee Higgins, including a game-winning scoring strike with 1:07 left in overtime, to give the host Cincinnati Bengals an electrifying 30-24 win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday. Cade York could have given Cincinnati (8-8) the win with 2:43 to go in the extra session, but his 33-yard field-goal attempt hit the left upright. The Bengals' defense buckled down, though, forcing Denver to go three-and-out to get Burrow, Higgins and the rest of the offense back out on the field. Cincinnati proceeded to go 63 yards in five plays, with Higgins' 3-yard TD catch giving the Bengals their fourth straight victory. Higgins finished with 11 catches for 131 yards. Marvin Mims Jr. forced overtime by hauling in a 25-yard score on fourth-and-1 to draw the Broncos (9-7) even at 24 with eight seconds left in regulation. Burrow had put Cincinnati in front by plunging into the end zone from 1 yard out just 1:21 earlier. Burrow completed 39 of 49 passes for 412 yards and the three touchdowns while Ja'Marr Chase had nine catches for 102 yards and set a single-season franchise record for receptions. He now has 117. Tight end Mike Gesicki played a key role in the Cincinnati passing game, grabbing a season-high 10 catches for 86 yards. Rams 13, Cardinals 9 Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted a pass in the end zone with 37 seconds left to preserve Los Angeles' win over Arizona in Inglewood, Calif. Witherspoon made a diving catch after the ball bounced high off the helmet of Arizona tight end Trey McBride on the pass attempt by Kyler Murray. The Rams (10-6), who lead the NFC West by one game, have won five straight, while the Cardinals (7-9) have lost five of their last six. Los Angeles could clinch a playoff berth on Sunday depending on the outcome of other games. Matthew Stafford threw for 189 yards while completing 17 of 32 pass attempts without a touchdown or interception. Puka Nacua finished with 10 receptions for 129 yards. Murray was 33 of 48 for 321 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. McBride made 12 catches for 123 yards to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time in his three NFL seasons. Chargers 40, Patriots 7 Justin Herbert passed for 281 yards and a season-high three touchdowns and Los Angeles clinched an AFC playoff berth with a dominating victory over New England in Foxborough, Mass. Ladd McConkey caught eight passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns and Derwin James had two sacks and a fumble recovery for the Chargers (10-6), who are playoff-bound in Jim Harbaugh's first season as coach. Derius Davis also had a scoring catch, J.K. Dobbins rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Cameron Dicker booted four field goals.Herbert completed 26 of 38 passes as the Chargers improved to 3-12 all-time in Foxborough, including playoffs. Drake Maye completed 12 of 22 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown for New England (3-13), which lost its sixth consecutive game. DeMario Douglas caught a scoring pass for the Patriots. -Field Level Media
Mexico Congress Takes First Step to Scrap Regulatory BodiesWASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump called his meeting with Justin Trudeau productive and says the prime minister made a commitment to work with the United States to end the drug crisis amid the threat of stiff tariffs. “We discussed many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address, like the Fentanyl and Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration, Fair Trade Deals that do not jeopardize American Workers, and the massive Trade Deficit the U.S. has with Canada,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Saturday. Trudeau flew to Florida Friday evening to attend a dinner at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump’s transition team is based. The in-person meeting came at the end of a rocky week in which Trump threatened to impose stiff tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico, unless the two countries stop illegal border crossings and prevent illicit drugs from entering the United States. Trump said he and Trudeau discussed the drug crisis and the president-elect made it “very clear that the United States will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims” of the drug epidemic, which he attributed to cartels and fentanyl coming from China. “Prime Minister Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of U.S. Families,” Trump posted. Trump said the pair also discussed illegal immigration, as well as trade, energy and the Arctic. Trump’s post did not directly mention tariffs and it’s unclear whether the prime minister’s visit has alleviated his concerns about the border. Trudeau, in West Palm Beach Saturday morning, answered a reporter’s question about the dinner, calling it “an excellent conversation.” A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said the two leaders “shared a productive wide-ranging discussion over dinner.” It was centred on collaboration and strengthening the bilateral relationship. “As Canada’s closest friend and ally, the United States is our key partner, and we are committed to working together in the interests of Canadians and Americans,” the statement said. Trudeau had a notably rocky relationship with the Republican leader during the first Trump administration. However, the prime minister was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. Trump’s tariff threats are critical for Canada. More than 77 per cent of Canadian exports go to the United States. Trudeau said earlier Friday that he would resolve the issue by talking with Trump. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2024. Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian PressCabometyx is under clinical development by and currently in Phase II for Ureter Cancer. According to GlobalData, Phase II drugs for Ureter Cancer does not have sufficient historical data to build an indication benchmark PTSR for Phase II. GlobalData tracks drug-specific phase transition and likelihood of approval scores, in addition to indication benchmarks based off 18 years of historical drug development data. Attributes of the drug, company and its clinical trials play a fundamental role in drug-specific PTSR and likelihood of approval. Cabometyx overview Cabozantinib s-malate (Cabometyx, Aptimetyx) is a s-malate salt form of cabozantinib, acts as an anti-neoplastic agent. It is formulated as film-coated tablets for oral route of administration. Cabometyx is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) that has progressed following prior VEGFR-targeted therapy and who are radioactive iodine-refractory or ineligible. Cabometyx is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), refractory or not eligible to radioactive iodine (RAI) who have progressed during or after prior systemic therapy. Cabometxy is indicated for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in treatment-naïve adults with intermediate or poor risk and in adult patients who have received prior therapy. Exelixis overview is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the development and commercialization of small molecule therapies for the treatment of cancer. The company’s marketed products include, Cometriq (cabozantinib), an inhibitor of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases; Cabometyx (cabozantinib) developed for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The company’s major pipeline product candidates include zanzalintinib, XB002 and XL102 for the treatment of advanced or metastatic solid tumors, and CBX-12 for advanced metastatic refractory solid tumors. The company has collaborative partnerships with biopharmaceutical companies to advance the development of potential therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. is headquartered in Alameda, California, the US. For a complete picture of Cabometyx’s drug-specific PTSR and LoA scores, This content was updated on 12 April 2024 From Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors. , the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. GlobalData’s Likelihood of Approval analytics tool dynamically assesses and predicts how likely a drug will move to the next stage in clinical development (PTSR), as well as how likely the drug will be approved (LoA). This is based on a combination of machine learning and a proprietary algorithm to process data points from various databases found on GlobalData’s .
Universal Pictures has revealed that Christopher Nolan's next film will be The Odyssey, a 'mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology' that will be released in theaters on July 17, 2026. Nolan's The Odyssey will bring "Homer's foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time" and will be a retelling of the Ancient Greek epic poem that was first written in the 8th or 7th century BC. Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.— Universal Pictures (@UniversalPics) December 23, 2024 For those unfamiliar, The Odyssey follows the journey of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who travels the world for 10 years in an attempt to get home after the Trojan War. While Universal didn't reveal any further details on Nolan's The Odyssey, reports have already been painting a picture of the stacked cast the film will have. Matt Damon was the first person reported to be in talks to star in Nolan's next film, which marks his return to Universal after 2023's Oppenheimer, which won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Alongside Damon, reports state he may be joined by Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, and Robert Pattinson. We're obviously excited about Nolan's next film as we gave Oppenheimer a 10/10. In our review, we said, "A biopic in constant free fall, Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan’s most abstract yet most exacting work, with themes of guilt writ large through apocalyptic IMAX nightmares that grow both more enormous and more intimate as time ticks on. "A disturbing, mesmerizing vision of what humanity is capable of bringing upon itself, both through its innovation, and through its capacity to justify any atrocity." For more, read about Nolan's very public split with Warner Bros. and which movie we said was the best of 2024. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com . Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
Biden Mulls Tariff Break for Solar Modules From MexicoESSENTIAL LINKS Preseason Top 20 Can’t-miss games Player of the Year watch list FEATURED COVERAGE Saturday, Dec. 21 Brick City Showcase George (PA) (1-1) vs. University (0-2) at Weequahic, 10am East New York Family Academy (NY) vs. Morris Catholic (2-0) at Weequahic, 1pm Dr. Gerald E. Glisson Classic Hackensack (1-0) at Paterson Eastside (1-0), 12:30pm Blue Devil Holiday Tournament at Shore Regional Monmouth (1-1) vs. Manalapan (1-1), 10am Long Branch (1-0) vs. Shore (1-0), 11:45am Freehold Borough (1-0) vs. Sayreville (0-1) at Shore, 1:30pm Jackson Liberty (0-1) vs. Neptune (1-1), 3:15pm Ocean Township (0-2) vs. Raritan (1-1), 5pm Ocean City PBA Tipoff Wildwood Catholic (2-0) vs. Atlantic Tech (2-0), 1:45pm Egg Harbor (2-0) vs. Cinnaminson (2-0), 3:30pm Score at the Shore at Southern Mainland (1-1) at Southern (1-1), 10am Woodbury (1-2) vs. Trinity Hall (1-1), 11:45am Westampton Tech (1-0) vs. Pingry (2-0), 1:30pm Shore Games Ramapo (1-0) vs. Cherokee (0-1) at The Fort, 10am Germantown Academy (PA) vs. Ranney (0-3) at The Fort, 11:40am Gill St. Bernard's (2-1) vs. Virginia Academy (VA) (0-1) at St. John Vianney, 12:20pm Life Center vs. St. Laurent (Canada) at Sportika, 12:40pm Ewing (1-1) vs. Chatham (3-0) at The Fort, 1:20pm Lenape (2-0) vs. Montclair Immaculate (2-0) at St. John Vianney, 2pm Archbishop Molloy (NY) vs. Rutgers Prep (3-0) at St. John Vianney, 3:40pm Brooklyn Tech (NY) vs. Bishop Eustace (2-0) at Red Bank Catholic, 3:50pm Union City (1-1) vs. Holmdel (1-0) at The Fort, 4:40pm Franklin (1-1) vs. St. Mary's (Lancaster) (NY) at St. John Vianney, 5:20pm Archbishop Carroll (PA) vs. Thrive Charter (2-0) at Red Bank Catholic, 5:20pm Saddle River Day (1-0) vs. Rumson-Fair Haven (1-1) at Sportika, 5:40pm Penn Charter (PA) (1-0) vs. Pope John (1-0) at The Fort, 6:20pm Neumann Goretti (PA) vs. Manasquan (2-0) at St. John Vianney, 8:40pm Toys For Tots Showcase Belvidere (1-1) at Hackettstown (1-1), 2pm Regular Season Florence (1-0) at Princeton Day (1-1), 10am Paterson Kennedy at Wayne Hills (0-1), 11am DePaul (1-0) at Demarest (1-0), 11am Wayne Valley (0-1) at Clifton (0-1), 11:30am Passaic Valley (0-1) at Fort Lee (0-1), 12pm Dwight-Morrow (1-0) at Tenafly (1-0), 12pm Bergenfield (1-0) at Cliffside Park (0-1), 12pm Mahwah (0-1) at Lakeland (1-0), 12pm Passaic Tech (1-0) at Ridgewood, 1pm Indian Hills (0-1) at Dumont (0-1), 1pm Westwood (0-1) at West Milford (1-0), 1pm Ramsey (0-1) at Paramus Catholic (1-0), 1pm Pascack Valley (1-0) at River Dell (1-0), 1pm Fair Lawn (0-1) at Holy Angels (1-1), 1pm Ridgefield Park (1-0) at Pascack Hills (0-1), 4:15pm Paramus (1-0) at Old Tappan (1-0), 4:15pm Cumberland (1-2) at Bridgeton (1-0), 11:30am Haddonfield (1-1) at Our Lady of Mercy (0-2), 1pm Atlantic Tech (2-0) at Wildwood Catholic (2-0), 1:45pm Camden Tech (0-3) vs. Gloucester (2-0) at Gloucester City HS, 11:30am Haddon Township (2-0) at West Deptford (1-1), 11:30am Haddonfield (1-1) at Our Lady of Mercy (0-2), 1pm Robbinsville (1-1) at Matawan (1-1), 9am Florence (1-0) at Princeton Day (1-1), 10am Nottingham (0-3) at New Egypt (1-0), 10am Hamilton West (0-2) at Trenton (1-1), 11:30am Colts Neck (1-0) at West Windsor-Plainsboro North (1-1), 11:30am South Hunterdon (2-0) at Steinert (2-1), 11:30am Allentown (2-0) at Marlboro (0-1), 11:30am Middletown North (0-2) at Hightstown (2-1), 11:30am Immaculata (1-1) at Hopewell Valley (1-2), 1pm Colonia (0-1) at Monroe (0-1), 11am Edison (2-1) at South Plainfield (1-0), 11:30am Spotswood (1-1) at J.P. Stevens (0-1), 11:30am South Brunswick at East Brunswick (0-1), 11:30am Woodbridge (0-1) at Middlesex (0-1), 11:30am Old Bridge (0-1) at Piscataway (1-0), 11:30am Perth Amboy (0-1) at North Brunswick (1-0), 11:30am South River at Manville, 12pm New Brunswick (0-2) at South Amboy (1-1), 12pm St. Thomas Aquinas (2-1) at North Plainfield (1-1), 1pm Freehold Borough (1-0) vs. Sayreville (0-1) at Shore, 1:30pm North Bergen (2-0) at Hoboken (0-1), 10am St. Dominic (0-2) at Bayonne (2-0), 12pm Memorial (0-1) at Lincoln (0-2), 12pm Newark Global Studies (1-0) at McNair (3-0), 1pm Roxbury (1-0) at Hopatcong (0-2), 9:30am Morristown (1-1) at Sparta (1-1), 10am Morris Knolls (2-0) at Caldwell (2-0), 10:30am Morris Hills (1-1) at Jefferson (2-0), 11:30am Mount Olive (0-2) at Whippany Park (0-2), 11:30am Vernon (1-1) at Newton (2-0), 11:30am Mountain Lakes (2-0) at St. Elizabeth (1-1), 11:30am Madison (1-0) at Hillsborough (3-0), 11:30am Parsippany (1-1) at Pequannock (0-2), 12pm Mendham (2-1) at Morris Tech (1-2), 12pm American Christian (0-1) at High Point (1-1), 12:30pm West Morris (1-1) at Randolph (1-1), 1pm Montville (0-2) at West Essex (1-1), 1pm Hanover Park (2-0) at Parsippany Hills (0-1), 2:30pm Bernards (2-0) at Morristown-Beard (0-2), 4pm Saddle Brook (0-2) at Paterson Charter (1-1), 10am Ridgefield (0-2) at Palisades Park (0-2), 10am Midland Park (2-0) at Waldwick (2-0), 10am Cresskill (2-0) at Emerson Boro (2-0), 10am Hasbrouck Heights (0-2) at Becton (0-2), 10am Glen Rock (2-0) at Butler (2-0), 10am Leonia (0-2) at Bogota (0-2), 10am North Arlington (2-0) at Harrison (1-0), 10am Wood-Ridge (0-2) at Wallington (0-2), 10:30am Weehawken (2-0) at Secaucus (2-0), 11am Rutherford (2-0) at Lyndhurst (2-0), 11am Glassboro (0-1) at Cherry Hill West (2-0), 10am Camden Catholic (2-0) at Cherry Hill East (1-1), 11am Hunterdon Central (0-2) at Shawnee (1-0), 11:30am Nutley (1-1) at Mount St. Dominic (0-1), 10am East Orange (0-1) at Livingston (2-0), 10:30am Morris Knolls (2-0) at Caldwell (2-0), 10:30am Cedar Grove (0-2) at Millburn (1-1), 10:30am Montclair (2-1) at Newark Tech (1-1), 11am Weequahic (1-2) at Bard (2-0), 11:30am North Star Academy (0-2) at Newark Lab (0-2), 11:30am Belleville (1-1) at Technology (0-2), 1pm Glen Ridge (2-1) at Payne Tech (2-0), 1pm Bloomfield (2-0) at Montclair Kimberley (1-0), 1pm Irvington (1-2) at Golda Och (1-1), 1pm Montville (0-2) at West Essex (1-1), 1pm Robbinsville (1-1) at Matawan (1-1), 9am Nottingham (0-3) at New Egypt (1-0), 10am Brick Memorial (0-2) at Toms River North (1-0), 10am Donovan Catholic (0-1) at Freehold Township (0-1), 10am Colts Neck (1-0) at West Windsor-Plainsboro North (1-1), 11:30am Allentown (2-0) at Marlboro (0-1), 11:30am Middletown North (0-2) at Hightstown (2-1), 11:30am Toms River South (1-0) at Point Pleasant Boro, 11:45am Keyport (0-1) at Koinonia (0-2), 12:30pm Freehold Borough (1-0) vs. Sayreville (0-1) at Shore, 1:30pm Delaware Valley (2-0) at Ridge (0-2), 11:30am Hunterdon Central (0-2) at Shawnee (1-0), 11:30am South Hunterdon (2-0) at Steinert (2-1), 11:30am Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1) at Gov. Livingston (1-0), 11:30am Madison (1-0) at Hillsborough (3-0), 11:30am South River vs. Manville at Manville High School, 12pm Phillipsburg (0-2) at North Hunterdon (0-2), 12pm Linden (1-2) at Mount St. Mary (1-1), 1pm Somerville (1-1) at Central Jersey College Charter (0-1), 1pm Immaculata (1-1) at Hopewell Valley (1-2), 1pm Bernards (2-0) at Morristown-Beard (0-2), 4pm Glassboro (0-1) at Cherry Hill West (2-0), 10am Cumberland (1-2) at Bridgeton (1-0), 11:30am Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic, 1:30pm Rahway (1-0) at Brearley (0-1), 10am Oak Knoll (2-0) at Dayton, 10am Roselle at Union Catholic (0-1), 10:30am Roselle Catholic (1-0) at Elizabeth (0-1), 11am Hillside (0-1) at Union (0-1), 11:30am Bridgewater-Raritan (1-1) at Gov. Livingston (1-0), 11:30am Westfield (1-0) at Plainfield (2-2), 12pm Linden (1-2) at Mount St. Mary (1-1), 1pm Scotch Plains-Fanwood (0-1) at New Providence (1-0), 1pm Summit (0-1) at Johnson (0-1), 2:30pm Camden Tech (0-3) vs. Gloucester (2-0) at Gloucester City HS, 11:30am American Christian (0-1) at High Point (1-1), 12:30pm Keyport (0-1) at Koinonia (0-2), 12:30pm Gateway Academy at Koinonia (0-2), 12:30pm Newark Global Studies (1-0) at McNair (3-0), 1pm Somerville (1-1) at Central Jersey College Charter (0-1), 1pm Sunday, Dec. 22 Boardwalk Classic at Wildwood Convention Center Kingsway (1-0) vs. Cape May Tech (2-0), 12:30pm Timber Creek vs. Williamstown (1-1), 2:15pm Lower Moreland (PA) at Wildwood (1-0), 3:45pm Brick City Showcase at Weequahic George (PA) (1-1) vs. Plainfield (2-2), 10am St. Frances (MD) vs. Morris Catholic (2-0), 10:30am In-Season Tournament West Orange (2-0) at Old Tappan (1-0), 1:30pm Ocean City PBA Tipoff Red Bank Regional (2-0) vs. Atlantic City (0-2), 12pm Hammonton (1-1) vs. Absegami (1-1), 1:45pm Holy Spirit (1-1) at Ocean City (2-0), 5:15pm Shore Games Hudson Catholic (1-1) vs. Life Center at St. John Vianney, 9am Immaculate Heart (1-0) vs. Scranton Prep (Pa.) (1-0) at St. John Vianney, 12:20pm South Shore (NY) at Red Bank Catholic (1-0), 12:30pm Union City (1-1) vs. Teaneck (1-0) at St. John Vianney, 2pm Cheltenham (PA) vs. Paterson Eastside (1-0) at The Fort, 2pm St. Rose (1-0) at St. John Vianney (3-0), 3:40pm Grand Street Campus (NY) vs. Franklin (1-1) at The Fort, 3:40pm Bayonne (2-0) vs. Nazareth (NY) at Red Bank Catholic, 3:50pm Regular Season Mahwah (0-1) vs. Paterson Kennedy at Paramus Catholic, 5:30pm Ramapo (1-0) at Mount St. Mary (1-1), 5:30pm Park Ridge (2-0) at Paramus Catholic (1-0), 7:30pm Park Ridge (2-0) at Paramus Catholic (1-0), 7:30pm Red Bank Regional (2-0) vs. Atlantic City (0-2) at Ocean City, 12pm Ramapo (1-0) vs. Mount St. Mary (1-1) at Paramus Catholic, 3:30pmGovernments and banks once mocked Bitcoin. Now they want in on it
Lesabelimab by Dragonboat Biopharmaceutical (Shanghai) for Endometrial Cancer: Likelihood of Approval
International students urged to return to US before Trump inaugurationArcadium Lithium said on Monday its shareholders have voted in favor of a $6.7 billion sale to Australian mining giant Rio Tinto. Shares of Arcadium Lithium rose about 7% in extended trading after the company said that about 98% of its shareholders had voted in favor of the sale. The deal, expected to close in mid-2025, will catapult Rio Tinto to the world’s third-largest lithium miner position, just behind Albemarle and SQM. Arcadium is facing legal hurdles, as some shareholders have filed lawsuits against it alleging misrepresentation, concealment and negligence regarding the takeover deal, the company revealed in a regulatory filing earlier this month. Earlier this year, Rio Tinto said it would pay $5.85 per share in cash for Arcadium, nearly a 90% premium to the stock’s closing price on Oct. 4, the day Reuters exclusively reported a potential deal. The Australian miner will gain access to Arcadium’s lithium mines, processing facilities and deposits in Argentina, Australia, Canada and the United States as well as customers including Tesla, BMW and General Motors. (Reporting by Vallari Srivastava and Pooja Menon in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid, Vijay Kishore and Shinjini Ganguli)
PANAMA CITY/COPENHAGEN: Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino on Sunday dismissed recent threats made by US President-elect Donald Trump to retake control of the Panama Canal over complaints of “unfair” treatment of American ships. “Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas belongs to Panama and will continue belonging to Panama,” Mulino said in a video posted to X. Meanwhile, Greenland on Monday stressed that it was not for sale, after Trump again suggested he wanted the United States to take control of the strategic island that holds major mineral and oil reserves. Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede quickly sought to quash any chance of a deal. “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom,” Mute Egede said in a statement. Mulino’s public comments, though never mentioning Trump by name, come a day after the president-elect complained about the canal on his Truth Social platform. “Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous,” he said. Trump also complained of China’s growing influence around the canal, a worrying trend for American interests as US businesses depend on the channel to move goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. “It was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else,” Trump said. “We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!” “Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal?” Trump said at AmericaFest, an annual event organized by Turning Point, an allied conservative group. “Because we’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we’re being ripped off everywhere else.” After the event, he posted an image on Truth Social of an American flag flying over a narrow body of water, with the comment: “Welcome to the United States Canal!” The Panama Canal, which was completed by the United States in 1914, was returned to the Central American country under a 1977 deal signed by Democratic president Jimmy Carter. Panama took full control in 1999. Trump said that if Panama could not ensure “the secure, efficient and reliable operation” of the channel, “then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question.” Mulino rejected Trump’s claims in his video message, though he also said he hopes to have “a good and respectful relationship” with the incoming administration. “The canal has no direct or indirect control from China, nor the European Union, nor the United States or any other power,” Mulino said. “As a Panamanian, I reject any manifestation that misrepresents this reality.” Later on Sunday, Trump responded to Mulino’s dismissal, writing on Truth Social: “We’ll see about that!” China does not control or administer the canal, but a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has long managed two ports located on the canal’s Caribbean and Pacific entrances. Trump offered to buy the vast Danish territory of Greenland during his first term in office — receiving an abrupt refusal — and he revived his push over the weekend when naming his ambassador to Copenhagen for his incoming administration. Greenland, the world’s largest island, is an autonomous Danish territory with its own parliament, about 55,000 inhabitants, and a small pro-independence movement. It relies on Denmark to fund more than half of its public budget. Trump on Sunday posted that “for purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” As president, he canceled a state trip to Denmark in 2019 after the country said Greenland was not for sale. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the time labelled Trump’s offer as “absurd”, leading him to term her dismissal of the idea as “nasty”. Frederiksen remains in her role of Danish prime minister. Under President Joe Biden, the United States said it did not want a purchase but instead sought to strengthen ties. The Danish government must state in clear terms that control over Greenland is not up for discussion or negotiation, member of parliament Rasmus Jarlov of the opposition Conservative Party said on social media platform X. “To the extent that US activities aim to take control of Danish territory, it must be prohibited and countered. Then they can’t be there at all,” said Jarlov, who heads parliament’s defense committee. The island, whose capital Nuuk is closer to New York than the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth. But development has been slow, leaving its economy reliant on fishing and annual subsidies from Denmark. With its Pituffik air base, Greenland is strategically important for the US military and its ballistic missile early-warning system, since the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the island. Since 2009 Greenland has held the right to declare independence from Denmark. The island of some 56,000 inhabitants, which relies on significant budget transfers from Copenhagen each year, has so far refrained from doing so. This is not the first time Trump has openly considered territorial expansion. In recent weeks, he has repeatedly mused about turning Canada into a US state, though it is unclear how serious he is about the matter. – AgenciesMexico Congress Takes First Step to Scrap Regulatory Bodies
Australian economy still limping along, data may show
Who Is Making a Difference in Fresno? Explore This List of 2024’s Shining StarsThe Rams improved to 9-6 and took control of the NFC West on Sunday with their fourth straight victory since Thanksgiving. Their 19-9 win over the New York Jets in sub-freezing temperatures was not dominant — they trailed 9-6 entering the fourth quarter, and they were outgained by nearly 100 yards — but Los Angeles still matched its largest margin of victory this season and continued to look like a looming nightmare for any postseason opponent. The Rams have now won eight of 10 since their bye week, when they were 1-4 and the NFL world wondered whether they would trade Super Bowl MVP receiver Cooper Kupp or even quarterback Matthew Stafford to spur their roster reboot. Los Angeles decided not to punt its season, and Sean McVay's team has driven from last to first. “You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” McVay said Monday. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship. Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.” The Rams also have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay — an achievement that shouldn’t get lost in the recent successes of a franchise that had 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before it rolled the dice and hired a 30-year-old head coach back in 2017. After winning it all in February 2022 and then having the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history, the Rams have made the most of their time in between true powerhouse status and a major rebuild. They also started slowly last year, entering their bye at 3-6 before a 7-1 finish. The Rams can become the first team in NFL history to make back-to-back postseason appearances after being three games under .500 each year. These Rams don't stand out on either side of the ball, although their talent level appears to be higher on offense than defense. Instead, they've mastered a delicate balance of complementary football — the offense and defense covering each other's weaknesses and setting up their teammates for success. The Rams have scored more than 30 points just once all season, and they managed only 31 points in their last two games combined. Their defense has allowed only one touchdown in the past two games — but right before that, Josh Allen and the Bills racked up 42 points and 445 yards in the most recent of a few defensive stinkers from LA this season. The Rams keep winning anyway, and now they can clinch McVay's fourth NFC West title by beating Seattle in two weeks. “Fortunately, we’re in a position where you don’t necessarily have to rely on other things to happen if you just handle your business,” McVay said. What's working Kyren Williams and the offensive line are driving the Rams' offense. After a slow start caused partly by McVay being forced to abandon the running game when the Rams repeatedly fell behind early, the 2023 Pro Bowler has surged to career highs of 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with his 122-yard performance in New York. What needs help Stafford's 110 yards passing were his fewest with the Rams and the second-fewest in his 16-year career from a full game. Sunday's weather was a major factor, but the Rams must throw the ball effectively to somebody other than Puka Nacua. Kupp has just 193 yards receiving in his past five games combined. Stock up Defensive back Jaylen McCollough made a career-high nine tackles in only 31 snaps. The undrafted rookie continues to be a remarkable find, earning playing time alongside veteran safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl and fellow rookie Kam Kinchens. Stock down CB Cobie Durant didn't play for the second straight week despite being cleared to return from his bruised lung. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon got every snap in place of Durant, who started LA's first 13 games. McVay praised Witherspoon's recent play when asked why Durant didn't get on the field in New Jersey. Injuries The Rams' improved health, particularly on both lines, is the key to their surge. McVay reported no new injuries out of the road trip following Tyler Higbee's successful season debut. Key number 12-1 — The Rams’ record in December with Stafford as their starter over his four years in LA. Next steps The Rams need to win at least one of their final two games to wrap up their first NFC West crown since 2021. They host eliminated Arizona on Saturday night, but can't clinch the division unless the Seahawks lose to moribund Chicago. The Rams are currently the NFC's third seed, but that doesn't matter a whole lot because both the third and fourth seeds will have to play one of the NFC North's two powerful wild-card teams in the opening round.
Share Tweet Share Share Email In today’s digital landscape, maintaining a positive online reputation is crucial for the success of any medical practice. Patients often rely on online reviews, social media, and search engine rankings when choosing a healthcare provider. A strong online presence can set your practice apart from competitors and build trust with prospective patients. Whether you’re working with an agency for medical marketing in New York or a leading healthcare marketing agency in the UK, Leeds, following these tips can help elevate your medical practice’s online reputation. Build a User-Friendly Website A professional and user-friendly website is the cornerstone of your online reputation. Patients should be able to find important information such as contact details, office hours, and services offered with ease. Key features to include are: Mobile Responsiveness Ensure your website functions seamlessly on smartphones and tablets. Most users browse on mobile devices, and a poor mobile experience can deter potential patients. Clear Navigation Use simple menus and intuitive design to guide visitors to the information they need. Online Booking Options Streamline the patient experience by offering online appointment scheduling. Partnering with a professional agency, such as a healthcare marketing agency in Leeds, can help you create an optimised, engaging website that enhances your online presence. Leverage Online Reviews and Patient Testimonials Online reviews play a significant role in building trust with potential patients. Encourage satisfied patients to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades. Here’s how to do it effectively: Ask for Feedback Politely request reviews from happy patients via follow-up emails or text messages after appointments. Respond Professionally Address negative reviews with understanding and offer solutions to resolve issues. A thoughtful response can demonstrate your commitment to patient care. Showcase Testimonials Highlight positive patient feedback on your website and social media to showcase the quality of care you provide. Working with an agency for medical marketing in New York can help you create strategies to generate and manage online reviews effectively. Invest in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Search engine optimisation is key to ensuring that your medical practice appears at the top of search results. A well-optimised website can attract more visitors and improve your online reputation. Focus on: Local SEO Optimise your website for local searches by including your city and region in keywords, such as “paediatric clinic in Leeds” or “orthopaedic surgeon in New York.” Targeted Keywords Use relevant keywords related to your medical specialty to attract patients searching for specific services. Quality Content Publish informative and engaging blogs, articles, or videos to establish your expertise in the field. A leading healthcare marketing agency in Leeds can develop an SEO strategy tailored to your practice’s goals, ensuring you reach your target audience effectively. Maintain an Active Social Media Presence Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are powerful tools for connecting with patients and enhancing your practice’s online reputation. Here’s how to make the most of social media: Share Educational Content Post health tips, updates on services, and answers to common medical questions. Engage with Followers Respond to comments and messages promptly to build trust and foster patient relationships. Highlight Your Team Share photos and bios of your staff to create a personal connection with your audience. An agency for medical marketing in New York can help you create and execute a social media strategy tailored to your practice’s goals and audience. Monitor Your Online Reputation Regularly Staying aware of how your medical practice is perceived online is essential for maintaining a positive reputation. Regularly monitor reviews, comments, and mentions of your practice across all platforms. Tools like Google Alerts and reputation management software can help you stay informed. Collaborating with a leading healthcare marketing agency in Leeds can provide you with insights and tools to monitor and manage your online reputation proactively. Provide Exceptional Patient Experiences Your online reputation reflects the quality of care you provide in person. A satisfied patient is more likely to leave a positive review and recommend your services. To ensure excellent patient experiences: Improve Communication Be accessible to patients through phone, email, or online chat. Streamline Processes Reduce wait times and make administrative tasks, such as billing and appointments, hassle-free. Show Empathy Treat every patient with respect and empathy, ensuring their concerns are heard and addressed. Exceptional service leads to satisfied patients who can become ambassadors for your practice, enhancing your online reputation. Use Paid Advertising to Boost Visibility Paid advertising campaigns, such as Google Ads or social media promotions, can increase your online visibility and help you reach potential patients quickly. Focus on: Local Targeting Direct ads to people in your practice’s area to maximise relevance. Highlight Unique Selling Points Showcase what sets your practice apart, such as specialised services or advanced technology. Both an agency for medical marketing in New York and a leading healthcare marketing agency in Leeds can design and manage advertising campaigns to maximise your return on investment. Partner with Marketing Experts Managing a medical practice’s online reputation can be overwhelming, especially when juggling patient care and administrative duties. Partnering with a professional marketing agency can provide the expertise and resources needed to enhance your online presence. Agencies offer services such as: Website design and optimisation Content creation Reputation management Social media marketing Whether you work with an agency for medical marketing in New York or a leading healthcare marketing agency in Leeds, collaborating with experts ensures a strategic and effective approach to managing your online reputation. Conclusion A strong online reputation is essential for the growth and success of your medical practice. By focusing on website optimisation, leveraging online reviews, maintaining an active social media presence, and partnering with marketing professionals, you can attract more patients and build trust in your community. Whether you’re seeking local support from an agency for medical marketing in New York or working with a leading healthcare marketing agency in UK, Leeds , these strategies will help you improve your practice’s online reputation and stand out in a competitive healthcare market. Related Items: Medical Practice's Online , Medical Practice's Online Reputation Share Tweet Share Share Email CommentsOhio State, Michigan players involved in melee after Buckeyes loss, multiple people pepper sprayed
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In the first round of Croatia's presidential election, incumbent president Zoran Milanovic secured the highest vote percentage with 49.1%, just shy of the required majority. Consequently, Milanovic will face Dragan Primorac, who garnered 19.35% of the vote, in a second-round election set for January 12. Milanovic, representing the opposition Social Democrats, was outspoken against the current government led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). Nevertheless, he delivered a conciliatory message, pledging to support the government during uncertain times and emphasizing his vision for a Croatia with strong national interests. The HDZ-backed candidate, Primorac, sees the upcoming runoff as a pivotal opportunity to draw support from right-wing voters whose preferences were split among other candidates in the initial round. Around 3.8 million Croatians were eligible to vote, with a turnout of 46%, according to official data. (With inputs from agencies.)Genesis Bryant scores 27 and No. 19 Illinois women beat UMES 75-55 in Music City ClassicFurthermore, the introduction of a rapid delivery service like Amazon Express is expected to have a positive impact on small businesses and local sellers who use Amazon's platform to reach customers. By providing a quick and reliable delivery option, Amazon is empowering these sellers to compete on a level playing field with larger retailers and expand their customer base.
The passengers and crew on China Eastern Airlines flight MU583 were left shocked and saddened by the sudden turn of events, with many expressing gratitude for the professionalism and compassion demonstrated by the airline staff and emergency responders during the crisis. The airline has extended its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the passenger who tragically passed away and has offered support and assistance to those affected.As the new season of Overwatch approaches, players and fans alike are buzzing with excitement and anticipation for what the future holds in the popular multiplayer first-person shooter game. With the official Overwatch team reaching out to the community for feedback and suggestions on what they hope to see in the upcoming season, there is a sense of renewed energy and enthusiasm among players worldwide.
South Africa became the first team to book their place in the World Test Championship ( WTC ) Final after beating Pakistan in the first of two-match Test series. The hosts chased down a target of 148 runs in thrilling fashion, winning by two wickets on the fourth day. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for With the win, South Africa solidified their place at the top of the WTC standings, remaining top with 66.67 percentage points accumulated with seven wins from 11 matches played. Even if they lose the second Test against Pakistan, their points percentage will only drop to 61.11 per cent, which at least two of the three teams remaining in the WTC 2023-25 qualification race—Australia, India, and Sri Lanka—will fail to surpass, regardless of their remaining results. What South Africa qualifying means for India , Australia? India have played the first two finals. However, their journey to play a third consecutive title match looks bleak after being blanked 0-3 by New Zealand at home and then losing the day-night Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval. Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Basics of Generative AI: Unveiling Tomorrows Innovations By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Generative AI for Dynamic Java Web Applications with ChatGPT By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Mastering C++ Fundamentals with Generative AI: A Hands-On By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Performance Marketing for eCommerce Brands By - Zafer Mukeri, Founder- Inara Marketers View Program Office Productivity Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide 2024 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Money By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Marketing Modern Marketing Masterclass by Seth Godin By - Seth Godin, Former dot com Business Executive and Best Selling Author View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. 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World Test Championship (WTC) Points Table No. Teams M W L T D N/R PT PCT 1 South Africa 11 7 3 0 1 0 88 66.67 2 Australia 15 9 4 0 2 0 106 58.89 3 India 17 9 6 0 2 0 114 55.88 4 New Zealand 14 7 7 0 0 0 81 48.21 5 Sri Lanka 11 5 6 0 0 0 60 45.45 6 England 22 11 10 0 1 0 114 43.18 7 Bangladesh 12 4 8 0 0 0 45 31.25 8 Pakistan 11 4 7 0 0 0 40 30.30 9 West Indies 11 2 7 0 2 0 32 24.24 (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
DENVER , Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM ) today announces that its Board of Directors approved the quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share of common stock outstanding. The dividend will be paid on February 3, 2025 , to stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 24, 2025 . ABOUT THE COMPANY SM Energy Company is an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs in the states of Texas and Utah . SM Energy routinely posts important information about the Company on its website. For more information about SM Energy, please visit its website at www.sm-energy.com . SM ENERGY INVESTOR CONTACTS Jennifer Martin Samuels , [email protected] , 303-864-2507 Lindsay Miller , [email protected] , 303-830-5860 SOURCE SM Energy CompanyGabriel Martinelli enjoys redemption story as Arsenal put Sporting to the sword - 5 talking pointsFARGO — When Steve D. Scheel received the North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, he couldn’t help but thank the leaders and staff at Scheels. “If there was ever a Team Rough Rider Award, this would be it,” he said Tuesday, Nov. 26, at the Fargo store. The former Scheels board chairman, president and CEO became the 50th recipient of North Dakota’s highest citizen honor. Employees looked on from the second floor of the sporting goods retailer’s headquarters as state officials unveiled a portrait of Scheel. “Part of the joy that Theodore Roosevelt had was that he had found purpose in seeking new frontiers,” North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said. “Today, we’re celebrating another legendary North Dakota who found his frontier. Some might say that he found it in sporting goods. He might have found it in retail, but I think you know from the presentations this morning that the joy of his frontier was creating others and inspiring others to lead and creating opportunities for others.” Scheel became Scheels president, CEO and chairman in 1989. He is credited with taking the Scheels brand from a home and hardware store to a sporting goods chain. Scheel said he wanted to make his company not just about selling sporting goods. He wanted to create a customer experience for families. He added a number of attractions, including Ferris wheels in 16 stores and Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory in 19 stores. “Steve had the vision,” Scheels CEO Matt Hanson said. “Vision is part of Steve’s legacy.” Scheel said it took him too long to understand the value of entertainment and attractions in retail. He mentioned studying other stores such as Cabela’s and Toys R Us. He said he got strange looks as he brought the ideas up at board meetings, but the changes paid off. Over his 35 years as the Scheels leader, Scheel helped expand his company to 13,000 associates at 34 stores. Scheels went from having a presence in three to 16 states. Scheel also focused his time on “the culture of leadership,” Hanson said. In 2001, Scheel changed the title of manager to leaders, and he dubbed himself “head cheerleader.” Scheel is known for his philanthropy, from donating money for large sports complexes like the Scheels Arena in Fargo to creating a program for employees to donate $500 to a person in need. “It’s easy to look around Fargo-Moorhead and see all the good Steve has done,” Hanson said. “What you won’t see is all the other things he’s done anonymously. But even more important is how Steve has developed a culture of giving back in our 34 stores.” In an emotional moment, Burgum recalled going to Scheels as a child and dreaming about buying a Schwinn bicycle. He said he saved enough money for the purchase by working on his family farm and local grain elevator. “I remember the day I bought that bike,” Burgum said. “Take yourself back to the first time you walked into a Scheels store and had a dream about, if you worked hard, that you might be able to do something.” Scheel said he has been surrounded by talented people, and he is proud of his staff. “Mine hasn’t been a job, hasn’t been a career,” he said. “It’s been a love affair, a love affair with the retail business and our people at Scheels for over five decades”
The community's response to the Bu incident has been mixed, with some expressing shock and disbelief at the allegations against the seemingly ordinary postgraduate student. Others have raised concerns about the safety and security of individuals, particularly vulnerable populations such as female students and young professionals. The case has prompted discussions about the need for increased awareness and vigilance to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
In a rapidly evolving global economy, traditional trade practices such as barter have experienced a resurgence in popularity, providing new opportunities for businesses to exchange goods and services without the need for cash transactions. In China, the China International Barter Trade Center (CIBTC) stands out as a pioneering platform that facilitates easy and efficient barter trade transactions for businesses across various industries.
Defense is often described as the backbone of a successful basketball team. A strong defensive strategy can disrupt the opponent's offense, create turnovers, and generate fast-break opportunities. It requires discipline, communication, and a relentless pursuit of the ball. By encouraging Liu to be more aggressive on defense, the head coach is instilling a defensive mindset not only in him but also in the entire team. Liu's ability to pressure the opposing players, contest shots, and secure rebounds can make a significant difference in the team's defensive efficiency.Stock market today: Indexes close mixed as traders hold out hope for a Santa Claus rally
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Croatia’s incumbent president wins most votes at polls but still faces runoff5. **Zhai Xiaochuan**
In conclusion, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's decision to impose visa restrictions on US personnel behaving badly on Hong Kong issues reflects China's steadfast commitment to defending its sovereignty and safeguarding its national interests. This move serves as a clear warning to those who seek to undermine China's stability and security that their actions will not go unpunished. China remains open to constructive dialogue and cooperation with the United States, but it will not hesitate to take necessary measures to protect its core interests.
The suspect, whose name has not been disclosed by authorities, is described as a proficient engineer, with a sharp mind and a promising career ahead of him. However, on the fateful day of the shooting, he allegedly entered the CEO's office and opened fire, critically injuring the victim who is currently in stable condition.As the situation in Ukraine remains volatile, with the threat of further escalation looming large, Zelensky's bold move to disclose the military casualty data serves as a reminder of the human cost of war. It also highlights the importance of truth and transparency in conflict-affected regions, where misinformation and propaganda can distort public perception and hinder efforts towards peace and reconciliation.
The decision sparked a wave of controversy and debate within the tennis community. Fans took to social media to express their disappointment and frustration, questioning the criteria used to determine the winner of the award. Some argued that Zheng Qinyu's consistent performance and undeniable talent should have been enough to secure her the title, while others pointed to Sabalenka's formidable presence and undeniable skills as justification for her win.The case of Tang Renjian is a stark reminder of the risks of corruption in the agricultural sector and the need for robust anti-corruption measures. Corruption not only undermines public trust but also hampers the efficient allocation of resources and impedes economic development. It is imperative that the government takes swift and decisive action to root out corruption and promote integrity in the agricultural sector.
Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon told Fox News that creating satirical content is becoming more difficult in a world where true news stories read like parody. The conservative satire outlet the Babylon Bee is calling out X’s rival platform Bluesky for repeatedly censoring its posts and arbitrarily labeling them "intolerance." Babylon Bee editor-in-chief Kyle Mann told Fox News Digital that Bluesky’s decision to censor their content is a "chilling reminder" of what the social media landscape would look like if Elon Musk had not bought Twitter. The Babylon Bee was suspended from Twitter in 2022 for posting a satirical article calling Adm. Rachel Levine, a Biden administration Cabinet member and a transgender woman, the "man of the year." Twitter flagged the post as violating its rules regarding "hateful conduct" and suspended the Babylon Bee’s account until they deleted their tweet, which the outlet refused to do. The Babylon Bee’s account remained suspended by Twitter until Musk reinstated it after he gained control . JOE ROGAN ASKS TO TAKE RACHEL MADDOW'S JOB IF ELON MUSK BUYS MSNBC SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on Oct. 26, 2024, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Now, two years later, the Babylon Bee is facing a similar dilemma on Bluesky, which was created by Twitter’s co-founder Jack Dorsey and is widely seen as a direct competitor to X. Bluesky has a similar layout to X but operates on an "authenticated transfer protocol" that creators say allows users more control over what content they access than platforms that operate on a single algorithm. Bluesky’s website states that "our online experience doesn’t have to depend on billionaires unilaterally making decisions over what we see" and "on an open social network like Bluesky, you can shape your experience for yourself." The platform has seen a significant increase in users in the last several weeks , with 8 million people, many of whom are former X users, joining since Election Day. There are currently 22 million users on Bluesky, which is still considerably lower than X’s user base of over 500 million. ‘PATHETIC’: TOP 10 MEDIA MELTDOWNS FOLLOWING TRUMP'S ELECTION WIN, FROM ON-AIR TEARS TO CLAIMS OF ‘MISOGYNY’ This illustration photograph taken on Nov. 12, 2024, shows the logo of social media platform Bluesky displayed on a mobile telephone and tablet, in Paris. (Ian Langsdon/AFP via Getty Images) The Babylon Bee made its first post on Bluesky on Nov. 18. It posted the same Rachel Levine article that had gotten them suspended in 2022. The post was quickly flagged and hidden by Bluesky’s moderation service, which labeled it "intolerance." Users can still see the post by clicking past the intolerance label. The satire site’s creators have now tried reposting the article four times, with each attempt having a similar result. According to Bluesky’s community guidelines, the platform bans "gender identity-based harassment" and anything "promoting hate or extremist conduct that targets people or groups based on their race, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability, or sexual orientation." Rachel Levine "Summer of Pride" (Screenshot: HHS/Instagram) Mann, however, said that "it's ironic that the platform championing tolerance and freedom from Musk's influence is itself so intolerant of differing views." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He explained that the outlet "thought it was only fitting to debut the Bee's account on Bluesky with the article that famously got us banned from Twitter" and that the result highlights the need for Musk’s prioritization of free speech on X. "Bluesky's censorship policies are eerily reminiscent of the status quo on Twitter before Elon Musk took over," he said. "It's chilling to think about what freedom of speech might look like right now in the United States if Musk hadn't stepped up and freed us from the Twitter tyrants." Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.Elon Musk winds up Brits and calls for new UK election as two million sign petitionNoneDuring the Singapore FinTech Festival, I had a chance to visit the National Library of Singapore and explore the Generative AI-powered ChatBook featuring one of the founders of modern Singapore S. Rajaratnam. The showcase was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Singapore Lawrence Wong while launching the second volume of the biography of S. Rajaratnam, “The Lion’s Roar”, authored by Irene Ng. Singapore’s Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who graced the showcase, noted: “Raja belonged to the core group of Founding Fathers who shared fierce conviction of what Singapore should be, and defied the odds to build a united, successful, and confident nation. It is befitting that NLB has made this ChatBook prototype publicly available with Raja’s materials.” Rajaratnam was born on 25 February 1915 in Jaffna, Ceylon, and at the age of six months, his mother brought him to join his father in Malaya. His mother had taken the precaution of giving birth to him in her hometown Jaffna because of her traumatic experience at a hospital in Malaya a few years earlier. Rajaratnam spent his childhood in Malaya and later went to London to study at King’s College but had to return to Malaya before completing his studies due to World War II. Eventually, he settled in Singapore, where he became a prominent journalist, political leader, and one of the Founding Fathers of independent Singapore. Rajaratnam was close to Lee Kuan Yew, and they shared a strong working relationship as part of Singapore’s founding leadership. Both were core members of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and worked together to guide Singapore through its early years of independence. Rajaratnam served as Singapore’s first Foreign Minister, while Lee was the first Prime Minister, and their shared vision for the country’s future helped them build a solid and effective partnership. As the Foreign Minister, Rajaratnam was skilled in diplomacy and worked to establish Singapore’s presence on the global stage, especially during a time when Singapore was a small, newly independent country. He advocated for principles of non-alignment, peaceful coexistence, and cooperation, which allowed Singapore to build strong relationships with both Eastern and Western nations. His influence also extended domestically. He played a key role in promoting multiculturalism and social cohesion, particularly through the drafting of the Singapore National Pledge, which emphasised unity across racial and religious lines. His ideals of harmony, meritocracy, and national unity continue to shape Singapore’s identity today. Rajaratnam’s contributions to the nation’s broader development had a significant impact on Singapore’s emergence as a global financial hub. As Foreign Minister, he played a key role in shaping Singapore’s international image and establishing diplomatic ties with countries and organisations that would later facilitate global trade and investment. His efforts in building strong foreign relations and advocating for Singapore’s strategic location as a neutral and stable nation created an environment conducive to economic growth, including in the financial sector. Additionally, Rajaratnam’s emphasis on national stability, meritocracy, and social cohesion helped to create the social and political foundation that made the country an attractive destination for global businesses and investors. Singapore’s reputation as a stable, efficient, and transparent country, with policies that encouraged foreign investment, was crucial to its success as a powerful financial hub in the world today. (The writer is the Founding President of Fintech Association of Sri Lanka and a relative of Late S. Rajaratnam)
( MENAFN - Pajhwok Afghan News) MEHTARLAM (Pajhwok): Residents of Sao Valley in Alingar district of eastern Laghman province say they have long been struggling with serious problems in the absence of Telecom services. But officials say telecommunication services will be extended to Sao Valley in near future. Malik Afzal Khan Fazli, a resident of Mandapal area of the valley, said the residents of this area face various challenges due to lack of telecommunication services. “We have shared this issue several times with local government officials, but in vain,” Fazli complained. A tribal leader Malik Khan Jan of Bailum area said, we walk for hours to reach a mountain top, catch signal and make a telephone call. He also said they had shared the issue with Pajhwok Afghan News in the past as well, but government officials did nothing to solve it. Malik Sarbaz, another tribal leader from Khoji Qala area, said:“The number of families in Mir Gul Kala, Sami Kala, Khoji Kala, Mandapal, Shakmosh Ulia, Shakmosh Sufla, Kontagul Kala, Setan Kala, Kala Taka and Bailum Kala is about 10,000. The valley still has no telecommunication antenna at all.” Meanwhile, local officials accept telecom services do not exist in the area, but assure the issue will be addressed soon. Maulvi Azizullah Haqqani, head of Telecommunication and Information Technology department, told Pajhwok, the issue had already been shared with the Afghanistan Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (ATRA). He said ten antennas will be installed in this area by Salaam Company under the Telecom Development Fund (TDF) program. The survey of all areas including Sao Valley that lack telecom services has been completed and practical and technical work on extension of such services will be launched in near future, Haqqani said. Pajhwok shared the issue of telecom services in this area with government officials two months ago and residents of Sao Valley say it remains unsolved. aw/ma MENAFN23122024000174011037ID1109025667 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.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) — Victims’ families and others affected by crimes that resulted in federal death row convictions shared a range of emotions on Monday, from relief to anger, after President Joe Biden commuted dozens of the sentences . Biden converted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The inmates include people convicted in the slayings of police and military officers, as well as federal prisoners and guards. Others were involved in deadly robberies and drug deals. Three inmates will remain on federal death row: Dylann Roof , convicted of the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the 2013 Boston Marathon Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev , and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of life Synagogue in 2018 , the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S history. Opponents of the death penalty lauded Biden for a decision they’d long sought. Supporters of Donald Trump , a vocal advocate of expanding capital punishment, criticized the move weeks before the president-elect takes office. Victims’ families and former colleagues share relief and anger Donnie Oliverio, a retired Ohio police officer whose partner, Bryan Hurst, was killed by an inmate whose death sentence was commuted, said the killer’s execution “would have brought me no peace.” “The president has done what is right here,” Oliverio said in a statement also issued by the White House. But Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden’s move distressing and a “complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system,” in a statement to The Columbus Dispatch . Tim Timmerman, whose daughter, Rachel, was thrown into a Michigan lake in 1997 to keep her from testifying in a rape trial, said Biden’s decision to commute the killer’s sentence offered families “only pain.” “Where’s the justice in just giving him a prison bed to die comfortably in?” Timmerman said on WOOD-TV. Heather Turner, whose mother, Donna Major, was killed in a 2017 South Carolina bank robbery, called the commutation of the killer’s sentence a “clear gross abuse of power” in a Facebook post. “At no point did the president consider the victims,” Turner wrote. “He, and his supporters, have blood on their hands.” Corey Groves, whose mother, Kim Groves, was murdered in a 1994 plot by a New Orleans police officer after she filed a complaint against him, said the family has been living with the “nightmare” of her killer for three decades. “I have always wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison and have to wake up every morning and think about what he did when he took our mother from us,” Groves said in a statement through his attorney. Decision to leave Roof on death row met with conflicting emotions Families of the nine people killed and the survivors of the massacre at the Mother Emanuel AME Church have long had a broad range of opinions on Roof’s punishment. Many forgave him, but some say they can’t forget and their forgiveness doesn’t mean they don’t want to see him put to death for what he did. Felicia Sanders survived the shooting shielding her granddaughter while watching Roof kill her son, Tywanza, and her aunt, Susie Jackson. Sanders brought her bullet-torn bloodstained Bible to his sentencing. In a text message to her lawyer, Andy Savage, Sanders called Biden’s decision to not spare Roof’s life a wonderful Christmas gift. Michael Graham, whose sister, Cynthia Hurd, was killed, told The Associated Press that Roof’s lack of remorse and simmering white nationalism in the country means he is the kind of dangerous and evil person the death penalty is intended for. “This was a crime against a race of people,” Graham said. “It didn’t matter who was there, only that they were Black.” But the Rev. Sharon Risher, who was Tywanza Sanders’ cousin and whose mother, Ethel Lance, was killed, criticized Biden for not sparing Roof and clearing out federal death row. “I need the President to understand that when you put a killer on death row, you also put their victims’ families in limbo with the false promise that we must wait until there is an execution before we can begin to heal,” Risher said in a statement. Risher, a board member of Death Penalty Action, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, said during a Zoom news conference that families “are left to be hostages for the years and years of appeals that are to come.” Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action’s executive director, said Biden was giving more attention to the three inmates he chose not to spare, something they all wanted as a part of their political motivations to kill. “When Donald Trump gets to execute them what will really be happening is they will be given a global platform for their agenda of hatred,” Bonowitz said. Politicians and advocacy groups speak up Biden had faced pressure from advocacy organizations to commute federal death sentences, and several praised him for taking action in his final month in office. Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement that Biden has shown “the brutal and inhumane policies of our past do not belong in our future.” Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, criticized the move — and argued its moral ground was shaky given the three exceptions. “Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order, and common decency,” Cotton wrote on X. “Democrats can’t even defend Biden’s outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty since he didn’t commute the three most politically toxic cases.” One inmate’s attorney expresses thanks — and his remorse Two men whose sentences were commuted were Norris Holder and Billie Jerome Allen, on death row for opening fire during a 1997 bank robbery in St. Louis, killing a guard, 46-year-old Richard Heflin. Holder’s attorney, Madeline Cohen, said in an email that Holder, who is Black, was sentenced to death by an all-white jury. “Norris’ case exemplifies the racial bias and arbitrariness that led the President to commute federal death sentences,” Cohen said. “Norris has always been deeply remorseful for the pain his actions caused, and we hope this decision brings some measure of closure to Richard Heflin’s family.” But Ed Dowd Jr., the U.S. attorney in St. Louis at the time of the robbery and now a private attorney, criticized Biden’s move. “This case was a message to people who wanted to go out and shoot people for the hell of it, that you’re going to get the death penalty,” Dowd said. Now, “Biden is sending a message that you can do whatever you want and you won’t get the death penalty.” This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Rev. Sharon Risher’s name. Swenson reported from Seattle. Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jim Salter in O’Fallon, Missouri; Stephen Smith in New Orleans, and Corey Williams in Detroit contributed.Prosecutor moves to drop federal cases against Trump
Donald Trump’s cabinet picks showcase diverse ideologiesDonald Trump will ring the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time's Person of the Year
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WASHINGTON — When Elon Musk first suggested a new effort to cut the size of government, Donald Trump didn’t seem to take it seriously. His eventual name for the idea sounded like a joke, too. It would be called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a reference to an online meme featuring a surprised-looking dog from Japan. But now that Trump has won the election, Musk’s fantasy is becoming reality, with the potential to spark a constitutional clash over the balance of power in Washington. Trump put Musk, the world’s richest man, and Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate, in charge of the new department, which is really an outside advisory committee that will work with people inside the government to reduce spending and regulations. Last week, Musk and Ramaswamy said they would encourage Trump to make cuts by refusing to spend money allocated by Congress, a process known as impounding. The proposal goes against a 1974 law intended to prevent future presidents from following in the footsteps of Richard Nixon, who held back funding that he didn’t like. “We are prepared for the onslaught from entrenched interests in Washington,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal. “We expect to prevail. Now is the moment for decisive action.” Trump has already suggested taking such a big step, saying last year that he would “use the president’s long-recognized impoundment power to squeeze the bloated federal bureaucracy for massive savings.” It would be a dramatic attempt to expand his powers, when he already will have the benefit of a sympathetic Republican-controlled Congress and a conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court, and it could swiftly become one of the most closely watched legal fights of his second administration. “He might get away with it,” said William Galston, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank. “Congress’ power of the purse will turn into an advisory opinion.” Right now, plans for the Department of Government Efficiency are still coming into focus. The nascent organization has put out a call for “super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.” Applicants are encouraged to submit their resumes through X, the social media company that Musk owns. In the Wall Street Journal, Musk and Ramaswamy provided the most detailed look yet at how they would operate and where they could cut. Some are longtime Republican targets, such as $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Other plans are more ambitious and could reshape the federal government. The two wrote that they would “identify the minimum number of employees required at an agency for it to perform its constitutionally permissible and statutorily mandated functions,” leading to “mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy.” Civil service protections wouldn’t apply, they argue, because they wouldn’t be targeting specific people for political purposes. Some employees could choose “voluntary severance payments to facilitate a graceful exit.” But others would be encouraged to quit by mandating that they show up at the office five days a week, ending pandemic-era flexibility about remote work. The requirement “would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.” Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said such cutbacks would harm services for Americans who rely on the federal government, and he suggested that Musk and Ramaswamy were in over their heads. “I don’t think they’re even remotely qualified to perform those duties,” he said. “That’s my main concern.” Kelley said his union, which represents 750,000 employees for the federal government and the city of Washington, D.C., was ready to fight attempts to slash the workforce. “We’ve been here, we’ve heard this kind of rhetoric before,” he said. “And we are prepared.” There was no mention in the Wall Street Journal of Musk’s previously stated goal of cutting $2 trillion from the budget, which is nearly a third of total annual spending. Nor did they write about “Schedule F,” a potential plan to reclassify federal employees to make them easier to fire. Ramaswamy once described the idea as the “mass deportation of federal bureaucrats out of Washington, D.C.” However, Musk and Ramaswamy said they would reduce regulations that they describe as excessive. They wrote that their department “will work with legal experts embedded in government agencies, aided by advanced technology,” to review regulations that run counter to two recent Supreme Court decisions that were intended to limit federal rulemaking authority. Musk and Ramaswamy said Trump could “immediately pause the enforcement of those regulations and initiate the process for review and rescission.” Chris Edwards, an expert on budget issues at the Cato Institute, said many Republicans have promised to reduce the size and role of government over the years, often to little effect. Sometimes it feels like every budget item and tax provision, no matter how obscure, has people dedicated to its preservation, turning attempts at cuts into political battles of attrition. “Presidents always seem to have higher priorities,” he said. “A lot of it falls to the wayside.” Although DOGE is scheduled to finish its work by July 4, 2026, Edwards said Musk and Ramaswamy should move faster to capitalize on momentum from Trump’s election victory. “Will it just collect dust on a shelf, or will it be put into effect?” Edwards said. “That all depends on Trump and where he is at that point in time.” Ramaswamy said in an online video that they’re planning regular “Dogecasts” to keep the public updated on their work, which he described as “a once-in-a-generation project” to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse.” “However bad you think it is, it’s probably worse,” he said. House Republicans are expected to put Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump ally from Georgia, in charge of a subcommittee to work with DOGE, according to two people with knowledge of the plans who were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Greene and Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, have already met with Ramaswamy, the two people said. Musk brought up the idea for DOGE while broadcasting a conversation with Trump on X during the campaign. “I think we need a government efficiency commission to say like, ‘Hey, where are we spending money that’s sensible. Where is it not sensible?’” Musk said. Musk returned to the topic twice, volunteering his services by saying “I’d be happy to help out on such a commission.” “I’d love it,” Trump replied, describing Musk as “the greatest cutter.” Musk has his own incentives to push this initiative forward. His companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, have billions of dollars in government contracts and face oversight from government regulators. After spending an estimated $200 million to support Trump’s candidacy, he’s poised to have expansive influence over the next administration. Trump even went to Texas last week to watch SpaceX test its largest rocket. DOGE will have an ally in Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who has railed against federal spending for years. He recently told Fox News that he sent “2,000 pages of waste that can be cut” to Musk and Ramaswamy. “I’m all in and will do anything I can to help them,” Paul said.
As TikTok bill steams forward, online influencers put on their lobbying hats to visit Washington
(BPT) - Tech gifts are consistently some of the most popular presents to give and receive during the holidays. In fact, according to the annual , a record 233 million U.S. adults (89%) will buy tech products during the 2024 holiday season. But with so many devices out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect option for the loved one on your list. A tablet like the new Fire HD 8 from Amazon offers the versatility of an all-in-one device, with access to streaming, gaming, video chatting, reading or writing all at your fingertips. also features a vibrant 8-inch HD display and lightweight, portable design, for high-quality entertainment on the go. Plus, comes with three new AI features that can help you get the most out of your tablet experience. Check them out below and learn how they can help you with daily tasks this holiday season and beyond. Do you struggle with writing a heartfelt message or finessing a tricky email? Fear not! Writing Assist is here to help. Writing Assist works as part of your Fire tablet's device keyboard and compatible apps, including email, Word documents and social media. In just a few taps, you can transform your writing from good to great. Try Writing Assist's pre-set styles to turn a simple email into a professionally written note. Or, you can ask Writing Assist for grammar suggestions to make your writing more concise, or elaborate on your ideas. You can even "emojify" your writing to add more fun and personality. Say goodbye to scrolling through pages of information. The new Webpage Summaries feature allows you to learn pertinent information as quickly as possible. Available on the Silk browser on Fire tablets, Webpage Summaries provides quick insights on web articles. In a matter of seconds, this feature will distill the key points in an article or on a webpage into a clear, concise summary of what you need to know. With Wallpaper Creator, you can easily add a touch of creative flair and customization to your tablet's home screen. You can choose from one of the curated prompts to get started on creating a unique background. Or, if you're ready to let your imagination run wild, type a description of what you'd like to see. For example, you can ask for an image of a tiger swimming underwater or a watercolor-style image of a desert landscape in space. Wallpaper Creator will then turn your vision into a reality, delivering a high-resolution image that you can use as your tablet's wallpaper. Writing Assist, Webpage Summaries, and Wallpaper Creator are now available on Amazon's new and other compatible Fire tablet devices, including the latest and tablets. To learn more, or to order a new Fire tablet this gift-giving season, visit .3D-printed earhole covers for football helmets are helping players hear better
Why releasing Aaron Rodgers now may not be New York Jets' best option | Sporting News
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he's also named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time's 2024 Person of the Year , according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who at times has treated the stock market as a measure of public approval and has long-prized signifiers of his success in New York's business world and his appearances on the covers of magazines — especially Time. Trump was named the magazine's Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He had already been listed as a finalist for this year's award alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales. Time declined to confirm the selection ahead of Thursday morning's announcement. “Time does not comment on its annual choice for Person of the Year prior to publication,” a spokesperson for the magazine said Wednesday. The ringing of the bell is a powerful symbol of U.S. capitalism — and a good New York photo opportunity at that. Despite his decades as a New York businessman, Trump has never done it before. It was unclear whether Trump, a Republican, would meet with New York's embattled mayor, Democrat Eric Adams , who has warmed to Trump and has not ruled out changing his political party. Adams has been charged with federal corruption crimes and accused of selling influence to foreign nationals; he has denied wrongdoing. Trump himself was once a symbol of New York, but he gave up living full-time in his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and moved to Florida after leaving the White House. CNN first reported Wednesday Trump’s visit to the stock exchange and Politico reported that Trump was expected to be unveiled as Time's Person of the Year. The stock exchange regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the ceremonial opening and closing of trading. During Trump’s first term, his wife, Melania Trump, rang the bell to promote her “Be Best” initiative on children’s well-being. Last year, Time CEO Jessica Sibley rang the opening bell to unveil the magazine's 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift . After the Nov. 5 election, the S&P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks. The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean. Trump has long courted the business community based on his own status as a wealthy real estate developer who gained additional fame as the star of the TV show “The Apprentice” in which competitors tried to impress him with their business skills. He won the election in part by tapping into Americans' deep anxieties about an economy that seemed unable to meet the needs of the middle class. The larger business community has applauded his promises to reduce corporate taxes and cut regulations. But there are also concerns about his stated plans to impose broad tariffs and possibly target companies that he sees as not aligning with his own political interests. Trump spends the bulk of his time at his Florida home but was in New York for weeks this spring during his hush money trial there. He was convicted, but his lawyers are pushing for the case to be thrown out in light of his election. While he spent hours in a Manhattan courthouse every day during his criminal trial, Trump took his presidential campaign to the streets of the heavily Democratic city, holding a rally in the Bronx and popping up at settings for working-class New Yorkers: a bodega, a construction site and a firehouse. Trump returned to the city in September to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Manhattan tower and again in the final stretch of the presidential campaign when he held a rally at Madison Square Garden that drew immediate blowback as speakers made rude and racist insults and incendiary remarks . At the stock exchange, the ringing of the bell has been a tradition since the 1800s. The first guest to do it was a 10-year-old boy named Leonard Ross, in 1956, who won a quiz show answering questions about the stock market. Many times, companies listing on the exchange would ring the bell at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate their initial offerings as trading began. But the appearances have become an important marker of culture and politics -- something that Trump hopes to seize as he’s promised historic levels of economic growth. The anti-apartheid advocate and South African President Nelson Mandela rang the bell, as has Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone with his castmates from the film “The Expendables.” So, too, have the actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner for an “Avengers” movie and the Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. president to ring the bell. “With tax reform and budget control, our economy will be free to expand to its full potential, driving the bears back into permanent hibernation,” Reagan said at the time. “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” The crowd of traders on the floor chanted, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed in 1985 and 1986, but it suffered a decline in October 1987 in an event known as “Black Monday.” Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.American car manufacturer Cadillac will become the eleventh team on the Formula One grid in 2026 after the sport’s owners announced on Tuesday morning (AEDT) they had given their backing to the plan. Formula 1 said it had reached “an agreement in principle” with General Motors (GM), which owns Cadillac, to support bringing a team into the paddock. Every qualifying session and race from the 2024 FIA Formula One World ChampionshipTM LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” Formula One said in its statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the eleventh team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time.” The cars are expected to be powered by Ferrari before it develops its own engines. The move comes after Formula 1 rejected the bid which was headed up by Andretti — owned by Michael Andretti, son of 1978 world champion Mario Andretti — earlier this year. Cadillac has announced its intention to enter F1 from 2026. Picture: Supplied 1978 F1 world champion Mario Andretti will be involved with the new team. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Nearly a fortnight ago, GM announced it had registered with the FIA to become a Formula One engine manufacturer from 2028, offering support to Andretti’s bid to join the F1 grid. The Andretti name has since been dropped from the proposal with Michael no longer involved, although Mario is understood to be taking on an ambassadorial role. “It’s an honour for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world,” said GM president Mark Reuss. I feel very lucky that I've been able to stick around for this long and do what I love for so long. And the idea that the Cadillac F1 Team wants me around....I'll help where I can, a non-executive role with the team, not involved in day-to-day operations (because I don't want a⦠— Mario Andretti (@MarioAndretti) November 25, 2024 The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team. Iâm very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you! — Michael Andretti (@michaelandretti) November 25, 2024 The US has become an increasingly important stop on the F1 tour. This announcement comes less than 48 hours after the Las Vegas Grand Prix which, after Miami and Austin, is the third US race on the calendar. The Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’ has also boosted the sport’s profile in the US. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who had been in favour of the original Andretti bid, said he was “fully supportive” of the arrival of the GM/Cadillac team. “All parties, including the FIA, will continue to work together to ensure the process progresses smoothly,” he said. Stefano Domenicali, the president and CEO of Formula 1, described the news as “an important and positive demonstration of the evolution of our sport”. “We look forward to seeing the progress and growth of this entry, certain of the full collaboration and support of all the parties involved.” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali welcomed the 11th team. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) Who will be Cadillac’s drivers in 2026? Discussion will immediately turn to which two drivers will join the grid with Cadillac in 2026. Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo would be 36 years old by the time the 2026 season starts. Ricciardo is living his best life in the US after being unceremoniously axed by VCARB following the Singapore Grand Prix. But if he still has the hunger to race in F1, Cadillac could do far worse that the Aussie who is already beloved in America. Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas is another veteran option after he was let go by Kick Sauber . The new team will be keen to have an American driver. Andretti IndyCar drivers Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward have previously been linked to a move to F1. Spain’s three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou is another IndyCar driver who could make the switch to F1. Who will drive for Cadillac in 2026? Logan Sargeant was the last American driver on the grid but he was sacked by Williams mid-season and replaced by Argentina’s Franco Colapinto , who has impressed but finds himself without a seat for 2025 with Alex Albon and Carlons Sainz already locked in with Williams. Colapinto is certain to find himself back in the grid in the future — the 21-year-old is extremely popular and could prompt F1 to bring a race to Argentina given the sport’s strong heritage in South America. Michael Schumacher’s son Mick Schumacher is another driver who has regularly been linked with a return to F1 since he departed Haas in 2022 after two seasons. Brazil’s Felipe Drugovich will be also looking for an F1 seat after being one of the few Formula 2 champions not to be given an immediate promotion. The F1 grid will look very different next year, with up to five drivers (Kimi Antonelli, Jack Doohan, Ollie Bearman, Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto) starting their first full season. 2025 F1 driver line-up McLaren: Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri Red Bull: Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez Ferrari: Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton Mercedes: George Russell, Kimi Antonelli Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll Alpine: Pierre Gasly, Jack Doohan Sauber: Gabriel Bortoleto, Nico Hulkenberg Haas: Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman Williams: Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz VCARB: Yuki Tsunoda, TBC (expected to be Liam Lawson) More Coverage Star wins title, drops retirement bombshell James McKern Haka drama erupts, divides New Zealand Andrew McMurtry Originally published as F1 announces new American team to join 2026 grid, sparks driver speculation F1 Don't miss out on the headlines from F1. Followed categories will be added to My News. Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories F1 Star wins title, drops retirement bombshell Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen has poured fuel on the fire of retirement speculation after clinching his fourth straight F1 crown. Read more F1 F1 star’s nuclear outburst goes viral Ferrari star Charles Leclerc was left seeing red as he unleashed a visceral tirade over the team radio following the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Read more
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IAS-USA Updates HIV Treatment and Prevention Recommendations - POZ(BPT) - The holidays bring a whirlwind of excitement, sales, and unfortunately also scams. Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Week mean increased online transactions, e-commerce traffic, and a heightened focus on fulfilling customer orders — all of which make small businesses, especially micro-businesses, prime targets for cybercriminals. According to Bank of America's Small Business Owner's Report , more than half of small business owners said cybersecurity threats have impacted their business. Unlike larger corporations with dedicated IT departments, many small and micro businesses lack proper security infrastructure, leaving them more vulnerable to and harmed by threats. A single scam or breach can be costly and can put a business behind during the busy holiday season. Scammers know how to exploit the season's hustle and bustle. But don't let the Grinch steal your seasonal success — arm yourself with these tips from the pros at Norton Small Business to stay protected and keep the holiday cheer intact. The Naughty List: Common Holiday Cyber Scams In today's digital-first world, cybersecurity is no longer optional — it's a necessity. With cyber threats evolving constantly, safeguarding your business requires vigilance, informed employees, and robust practices. Investing in cybersecurity tools is a simple way to address these concerns. The Nice List: 7 Cyber Safety Tips for the Holidays In a world where scams are harder to detect it is good to have extra help. Owners and employees can check in real time if something might be a scam with the free Norton Genie app . With a simple screen shot, this AI-powered scam detection tool can tell you if a text message, social media post, email or website message is likely to be a scam, what makes the content suspicious, and what to do next. Beyond just protecting your systems, it's essential to build trust with your customers by showing them that your business takes cybersecurity seriously. Displaying security badges on your website, being transparent about how customer data is protected, and offering secure payment options can go a long way in fostering customer confidence and retention. The holidays are a time of opportunity for both small businesses and scammers. By adopting these best practices, you can protect your business, your customers, and your peace of mind this season. Think of Norton Small Business as your holiday helper, protecting your devices and data while you focus on operating your business. With easy setup and robust features, it's your always-on IT department working 24/7 to protect your business and employees. Visit https://us.norton.com/products/small-business for more information.
Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Camila Cabello to perform at College Football National ChampionshipSaints Star Tyrann Mathieu Makes Decision On NFL FutureIt is important to consider the socio-economic factors at play when discussing the disdain for fast-food dinners. For many individuals, the choice between a pre-made meal and cooking from scratch may not be a matter of preference but rather a necessity dictated by time constraints, budget limitations, or access to fresh ingredients. In this context, the criticism of fast-food dinners can come across as elitist or out of touch with the realities faced by many consumers.
Toll Brothers Announces Cash Dividend
( MENAFN - EIN Presswire) A Delaware Court has rejected Tesla's attempt to reinstate Elon Musk's court-rescinded options despite Tesla's shareholders“ratification” of the options. Tesla and Musk could appeal the latest court decision or the earlier decision which initially struck down the Musk option grant. Separately, the Court approved record-setting attorney fees in the amount of $345 million, down from the initial fee request of $5.6 billion. The saga of Elon Musk's option mega-grant continues. shareholders first approved the multi-billion-dollar option grant in 2018. A Delaware court judge rescinded the grant on January 30, 2024, followed by a shareholder vote ratifying the rescinded option grant on June 13, 2024. On June 30, 2024, Tesla filed a motion with the Delaware court seeking reinstatement of the option grant on the basis of this shareholder ratification. On December 2, 2024, the Delaware court rejected Tesla's motion and let stand its decision to rescind the grant. Against this backdrop, Tesla's market capitalization has increased from approximately $50 billion to an extraordinary $1 trillion+ over the same time period. This increase in market capitalization has driven the in-the-money value of these options to approximately $100 billion! After the January 2024 court decision rescinding Musk's option grants, Tesla executed what appears to be a novel legal strategy with the goal of persuading the Delaware court to reverse its decision. This strategy was premised on the legal theory that a post-judgment shareholder ratification of the Musk options would“cure” wrongs found by the Delaware court in connection with the grant of the options (including disclosure deficiencies, procedural deficiencies and breaches of fiduciary duty). In its proxy disclosure to shareholders, Tesla contended that the curing of these wrongs through shareholder ratification would result in the reinstatement of Musk's options. In addition, Tesla contended that the restoration of the option grants would undermine the rationale supporting plaintiffs' attorney's $5 billion+ fee request and would justify a substantial reduction by the Court of such requested fees. On June 13, 2024, 76% of Tesla shareholders approved the ratification of the Musk options. On June 28, 2024, Tesla petitioned the Delaware Court to reverse its decision to rescind the Musk grants. On December 2, 2024, the Delaware court minced no words in its wholesale rejection of Tesla's motion to reverse the court's decision rescinding Musk's option grants. At the outset of its decision, the court acknowledges that“the large and talented group of defense firms got creative with the ratification argument.” The pleasantries ended there with the court finding that defense counsels'“unprecedented theories” underlying the ratification argument“go against multiple strains of settled law.” In particular, the court noted that counsels' theories were defective in the following ways: . The defendants have no procedural ground for flipping the outcome of an adverse post-trial decision based on evidence they created after trial and noting that“[w]ere the court to condone the practice of allowing defeated parties to create new facts for the purpose of revising judgments, lawsuits would become interminable”. . Common-law ratification is an affirmative defense that must be timely raised, which means that, at a minimum, it cannot be raised for the first time after the decision. . What the defendants call“common law ratification” has no basis in the common law, a stockholder vote standing alone cannot ratify a conflicted-controller transaction. . Even if a stockholder vote could have a ratifying effect, it could not do so here due to multiple, material misstatements in the proxy statement seeking shareholder ratification. The court noted that each of these defects standing alone defeats Tesla's motion to reverse the court's prior holding. Tesla has already indicated that it will appeal the court's decision to the Delaware Supreme Court. When the appeal will be heard, and a decision rendered is not known at this time. The Delaware Court also ruled on plaintiffs' counsel fee request. In an epic display of understatement, the court noted the following: “The plaintiff's attorneys asked for $5.6 billion in freely tradeable Tesla shares. In a case about excessive compensation, that was a bold ask.” The court found the methodology used to calculate the requested fees was“sound” (i.e., based on a percentage of the“value of the benefit achieved” by counsel i.e., $56 billion) but would result in an unjustifiable“windfall” for plaintiffs' counsel. As suggested by defense counsel, the court determined that the value of the benefit achieved should reflect the reversal of the accounting expense associated with the rescission of Musk's options, which equaled the options' grant date fair value of $2.3 billion. The court then applied a“conservative” 15% fee percentage to arrive at a fee award of $345 million, which the court opined was“an appropriate sum to reward a total victory.” The fee award is a record by a Delaware court. Tesla may pay the approved attorney fees in either stock or cash. Meridian comments. Many legal observers predicted the Delaware court's decision to rebuff Tesla's attempt to reinstate Musk's options given the unprecedented nature of Tesla's legal gambit. The decision itself does not cover any new ground on corporate governance relative to the setting and approval of executive compensation. Further, as we noted in an earlier Client Update, [1] the initial decision rescinding the Musk option grant does not have widespread application to corporate board pay decisions, due to the relatively unique fact pattern underlying the Musk case. The cornerstone of the case was Musk's status as a“controlling shareholder.” Only a handful of public company CEOs could plausibly be labeled a controlling shareholder under the court's analysis. However, the court's decision serves as an important reminder that Boards and compensation committees should maintain sound procedures and practices when developing executive pay packages. Early opinion among legal writers is that the Delaware Supreme Court is unlikely to overturn the lower court's decision on the recission of Musk's option grants. If that turns out to be the case, then the Tesla board could approve a replacement equity grant with a value approximating the current in-the-money value of the rescinded option grants (i.e., $100 billion). However, unlike the 2018 option grants, the Board could conclude that the replacement grant should be subject solely to time-based vesting since Tesla achieved and exceeded the performance goals under the rescinded grant. Without regard to the merits of the Delaware Court's initial decision to rescind Musk's grants, the facts and circumstances surrounding the option grant are likely to confound a non-legal observer as to how the grant harmed shareholders. Shareholders clearly understood the economics of the option grant at the time of its approval. The supposed conflicted and controlled board and compensation committee did not approve a sweetheart grant. Tesla could have granted Mr. Musk a mega grant of time-based restricted stock with a relatively short vesting period (and precedent exists for such grants at other public companies). Instead, Tesla's board and compensation committee approved a grant with fantastical and unprecedented performance goals that at the time of grant had an extremely low probability of achievement. The fact that these performance goals were achieved and exceeded does not demonstrate that such goals were not requiring at the time they were set. 1See Meridian Client Update Delaware Court Strikes Down Musk's $56 Billion Pay Package , February 16, 2024.(go back) Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. 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The United States, as a key ally of Israel, has consistently supported Israel's right to defend itself against threats from hostile forces. However, the U.S. has also called for restraint and de-escalation in the region to avoid further violence and instability. The U.S. has reiterated its commitment to working with regional partners to address security challenges in a constructive and peaceful manner.Bendigo's Andy Buchanan eyeing personal best in Valencia Marathon
For players of "Black Myth: Wukong", the announcement of the boss challenge means more opportunities to test their skills, discover new strategies, and showcase their mastery of the game. Whether they are facing a colossal beast or a cunning adversary, players are eager to step into the arena, face the challenge head-on, and emerge victorious. The thrill of the battle, the satisfaction of overcoming a formidable foe, and the camaraderie of the gaming community all come together in this epic update.
Speculation surrounding a possible continuation of The Witcher franchise has been rampant ever since the release of the last game in 2015. Rumors and leaks have occasionally surfaced, fueling the excitement of fans who are eager to dive back into the rich lore and engaging gameplay that have made The Witcher series a standout in the realm of RPGs.
ATLANTA — 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 president from Plains 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. And then, the world 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.'' ‘An epic American life' 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. A small-town start 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. 'Jimmy Who?' 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. Accomplishments, and ‘malaise' 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. 'A wonderful life' 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.'' ___ Former Associated Press journalist Alex Sanz contributed to this report.How Washington outsider Jimmy Carter wooed voters tired of Vietnam and Watergate
Aston Villa denied last-gasp winner in Juventus stalemateNone
AP News Summary at 5:20 p.m. EST
Judge hears closing arguments on whether Google's advertising tech constitutes a monopoly ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The Justice Department and Google have made their closing arguments in a trial alleging Google’s online advertising technology constitutes an illegal monopoly. The arguments in federal court Monday in northern Virginia came as Google already faces a possible breakup of the company over its ubiquitous search engine. The Justice Department says it will seek the breakup of Google to remedy its search engine monopoly. The case in Virginia focuses not on the search engine but on technology that matches online advertisers to consumers on the internet. A judge is expected to rule by the end of the year. ‘Busiest Thanksgiving ever’: How the TSA plans to handle record air travel DALLAS (AP) — The Thanksgiving travel rush is expected to be bigger than ever this year. AAA predicts that nearly 80 million people in the U.S. will venture at least 50 miles from home between Tuesday and next Monday — most of them by car. Thanksgiving Day falling so late this year has altered traditional travel patterns. At airports, the Transportation Security Administration says it could screen a record number of U.S. air travelers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration says a shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays. Transportation analytics company INRIX says roads could be congested on Monday with both commuters and returning holiday travelers. Macy’s says employee hid up to $154 million in expenses, delaying Q3 earnings Macy’s says it’s delaying the release of its fiscal third-quarter earnings results after it discovered an up to $154 million accounting-related issue. The company did provide some preliminary results for its third quarter, including that net sales fell 2.4% to $4.74 billion. It anticipates reporting its full third-quarter financial results by Dec. 11. Newsom says California could offer electric vehicle rebates if Trump eliminates federal tax credit SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could offer state tax rebates for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. Gov. Gavin Newsom says Monday he'll propose creating a new version of the state’s successful Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which was phased out in 2023 after funding nearly 600,000 new cars and trucks. Officials didn’t say how much the program would cost or how the rebates would work. Newsom’s proposal is part of his plan to protect California’s progressive policies ahead of Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. But a budget shortfall could complicate California’s resistance efforts. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Workers at Charlotte airport, an American Airlines hub, go on strike during Thanksgiving travel week CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — American Airlines says it doesn’t expect significant disruptions to flights this week as a result of a labor strike at its hub in Charlotte, North Carolina. Service workers there walked out Monday during a busy week of Thanksgiving travel to protest what they say are unlivable wages. Employees of ABM and Prospect Airport Services authorized the work stoppage. Union spokesperson Sean Keady says the strike is expected to last 24 hours. The companies contract with American Airlines to provide services such as cleaning airplane interiors, removing trash and escorting passengers in wheelchairs. The companies have acknowledged the seriousness of a strike during the holiday travel season. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Eggs are available -- but pricier -- as the holiday baking season begins Egg prices are on the rise again as a lingering outbreak of bird flu coincides with high demand during the holiday baking season. The average price for a dozen eggs in U.S. cities was $3.37 in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That was up 63% from October 2023, when a dozen eggs cost an average of $2.07. Avian influenza is the main culprit. The current bird flu outbreak that began in February 2022 has led to the slaughter of more than 111 million birds, mostly egg-laying chickens. But the American Egg Board says egg shortages at grocery stores have been isolated and temporary so far. ‘Buy now, pay later’ is more popular than ever. It can cost more than you think NEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers are using ‘buy now, pay later’ plans heading into Black Friday and the holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. Experts say the short-term loans can lead consumers to overextend themselves and warn that those who use credit cards for the service face higher interest expenses. The data firm Adobe Analytics predicts shoppers will spend 11.4% more this holiday season using buy now, pay later than they did a year ago. Commerce Department to reduce Intel's funding on semiconductors LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Biden administration plans on reducing part of Intel’s $8.5 billion in federal funding for computer chip plants around the country, according to three people familiar with the grant who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. The reduction is largely a byproduct of the $3 billion that Intel is also receiving to provide computer chips to the military. President Joe Biden announced the agreement to provide Intel with up to $8.5 billion in direct funding and $11 billion in loans in March. The changes to Intel’s funding are not related to the company’s financial record or milestones.Gangs of teens with machetes target Christmas carols event in Brighton, Melbourne
By Tony Leys | KFF Health News GLENWOOD, Iowa — Hundreds of people who were separated from society because they had disabilities are buried in a nondescript field at the former state institution here. Disability rights advocates hope Iowa will honor them by preventing the kind of neglect that has plagued similar cemeteries at other shuttered facilities around the U.S. The southwest Iowa institution, called the Glenwood Resource Center, was closed this summer in the wake of allegations of poor care . The last of its living residents were moved elsewhere in June. But the remains of about 1,300 people will stay where they were buried on the grounds. The graveyard, which dates to the 1800s, covers several acres of sloping ground near the campus’s brick buildings. A 6-foot-tall, weathered-concrete cross stands on the hillside, providing the most visible clue to the field’s purpose. On a recent afternoon, dried grass clippings obscured row after row of small stone grave markers set flat in the ground. Most of the stones are engraved with only a first initial, a last name, and a number. “If somebody who’s never been to Glenwood drove by, they wouldn’t even know there was a cemetery there,” said Brady Werger, a former resident of the facility. During more than a century of operation, the institution housed thousands of people with intellectual disabilities. Its population declined as society turned away from the practice of sequestering people with disabilities and mental illness in large facilities for decades at a time. The cemetery is filled with residents who died and weren’t returned to their hometowns for burial with their families. State and local leaders are working out arrangements to maintain the cemetery and the rest of the 380-acre campus. Local officials, who are expected to take control of the grounds next June, say they’ll need extensive state support for upkeep and redevelopment, especially with the town of about 5,000 people reeling from the loss of jobs at the institution. Hundreds of such places were constructed throughout the U.S. starting in the 1800s. Some, like the one in Glenwood, served people with disabilities, such as those caused by autism or seizure disorders. Others housed people with mental illness. Most of the facilities were built in rural areas, which were seen as providing a wholesome environment. States began shrinking or closing these institutions more than 50 years ago. The shifts were a response to complaints about people being removed from their communities and subjected to inhumane conditions, including the use of isolation and restraints. In the past decade, Iowa has closed two of its four mental hospitals and one of its two state institutions for people with intellectual disabilities. After closures in some other states, institutions’ cemeteries were abandoned and became overgrown with weeds and brush. The neglect drew protests and sparked efforts to respectfully memorialize people who lived and died at the facilities. “At some level, the restoration of institutions’ cemeteries is about the restoration of humanity,” said Pat Deegan, a Massachusetts mental health advocate who works on the issue nationally . Deegan, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, sees the neglected graveyards as symbolic of how people with disabilities or mental illness can feel as if their individual identities are buried beneath the labels of their conditions. Deegan, 70, helped lead efforts to rehabilitate a pair of overgrown cemeteries at the Danvers State Hospital near Boston, which housed people with mental illness before it closed in 1992. More than 700 former residents were buried there, with many graves originally marked only with a number. The Massachusetts hospital’s grounds were redeveloped into a condominium complex. The rehabilitated cemeteries now have individual gravestones and a large historical marker, explaining what the facility was and who lived there. The sign notes that some past methods of caring for psychiatric patients seem “barbarous” by today’s standards, but the text portrays the staff as well-meaning. It says the institution “attempted to alleviate the problems of many of its members with care and empathy that, although not always successful, was nobly attempted.” Deegan has helped other groups across the country organize renovations of similar cemeteries. She urges communities to include former residents of the facilities in their efforts. Iowa’s Glenwood Resource Center started as a home for orphans of Civil War soldiers. It grew into a large institution for people with disabilities, many of whom lived there for decades. Its population peaked at more than 1,900 in the 1950s, then dwindled to about 150 before state officials decided to close it. Werger, 32, said some criticisms of the institution were valid, but he remains grateful for the support the staff gave him until he was stable enough to move into community housing in 2018. “They helped change my life incredibly,” he said. He thinks the state should have fixed problems at the facility instead of shutting it. He said he hopes officials preserve historical parts of the campus, including stately brick buildings and the cemetery. He wishes the graves had more extensive headstones, with information about the residents buried there. He would also like to see signs installed explaining the place’s history. Two former employees of the Glenwood facility recently raised concerns that some of the graves may be mismarked . But officials with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which ran the institution, said they have extensive, accurate records and recently placed stones on three graves that were unmarked. Department leaders declined to be interviewed about the cemetery’s future. Spokesperson Alex Murphy wrote in an email that while no decisions have been made about the campus, the agency “remains committed to ensuring the cemetery is protected and treated with dignity and respect for those who have been laid to rest there.” Glenwood civic leaders have formed a nonprofit corporation that is negotiating with the state over development plans for the former institution. “We’re trying to make the best of a tough situation,” said Larry Winum, a local banker who serves on the new organization’s board. Tentative plans include tearing down some of the existing buildings and creating up to 900 houses and apartments. Winum said redevelopment should include some kind of memorial sign about the institution and the people buried in the cemetery. “It will be important to us that those folks be remembered,” he said. Activists in other states said properly honoring such places takes sustained commitment and money. Jennifer Walton helped lead efforts in the 1990s to properly mark graves and improve cemetery upkeep at state institutions in Minnesota . Some of the cemeteries are deteriorating again, she said. Activists plan to ask Minnesota legislators to designate permanent funding to maintain them and to place explanatory markers at the sites. “I think it’s important, because it’s a way to demonstrate that these spaces represent human beings who at the time were very much hidden away,” Walton said. “No human being should be pushed aside and ignored.” Related Articles Health | A stroke changed a teacher’s life. How a new electrical device is helping her move Health | Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too Health | CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes Health | New rule allows HIV-positive organ transplants Health | Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans On a recent day, just one of the Glenwood graves had flowers on it. Retired managers of the institution said few people visit the cemetery, but amateur genealogists sometimes show up after learning that a long-forgotten ancestor was institutionalized at Glenwood and buried there. Former grounds supervisor Max Cupp said burials had become relatively rare over the years, with more families arranging to have deceased residents’ remains transported to their hometown cemeteries. One of the last people buried in the Glenwood cemetery was Kenneth Rummells, who died in 2022 at age 71 after living many years at the institution and then at a nearby group home overseen by the state. His guardian was Kenny Jacobsen, a retired employee of the facility who had known him for decades. Rummells couldn’t speak, but he could communicate by grunting, Jacobsen said. He enjoyed sitting outside. “He was kind of quiet, kind of a touch-me-not guy.” Jacobsen helped arrange for a gravestone that is more detailed than most others in the cemetery. The marker includes Rummells’ full name, the dates of his birth and death, a drawing of a porch swing, and the inscription “Forever swinging in the breeze.” Jacobsen hopes officials figure out how to maintain the cemetery. He would like to see a permanent sign erected, explaining who is buried there and how they came to live in Glenwood. “They were people too,” he said.B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG Makes New $902,000 Investment in Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALNY)
Most say they'll try to avoid political talk at post-election Thanksgiving — CBS News poll
Quarterback Brock Purdy threw without pain Monday and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will wait until midweek to evaluate the progress of edge rusher Nick Bosa and left tackle Trent Williams as the team determines whether they’ll play next weekend in Buffalo. It remains to be seen who will and won’t be available when the 49ers embark on a cross-country trip to face the AFC East-leading Bills, currently 9-2 and the No, 2 seed in the conference. The 49ers are expected to get a practice lift with the activation of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who will begin his 21-day window off injured reserve after offseason Achilles surgery after being injured in the Super Bowl. Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who worked with the scout team last week as he works through his grief following the loss of his 23-month-old daughter, may also begin getting work again with the first team. Are things actually looking up for the 49ers? One thing for sure is that the 49ers are looking up at everybody else in the AFC West but are still only a game out of first place with Seattle and Arizona at 6-5 and the 49ers and Rams at 5-6. It’s clear to Shanahan that any pathway to the playoffs would be as a division title rather than as a wild card, where Washington holds the final spot at 7-5. “You look at the whole NFC picture and if you don’t win the division, 10-7 is not guaranteed to get in as a wild card by any means this year,” Shanahan told reporters during his weekly conference call. “That is why the Seattle game was so tough, and that’s why last night was even worse. “We know exactly what the playoff situation is, but really all that matters is this week when you do need to go on a run and put a lot of wins to even think of that, then you’d better be thinking of only one thing – and that’s Buffalo.” Should Purdy be unable to go, Shanahan said Brandon Allen would get a second start at quarterback after he played Sunday in Green Bay. SNAP JUDGEMENTS 72: Safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha and middle linebacker Fred Warner played every defensive snap. 49: When Allen at quarterback and Jaylon Moore at left tackle play every snap (along with Colton McKivitz, Dominick Puni and Jake Brendel) then you know there’s a problem with injuries. And Allen and Moore were the least of their problems. 44: Leonard Floyd played 61 percent — about his usual number — even without Nick Bosa in the lineup. With 3 1/2 sacks in his last two games, he’s a half-sack behind Bosa for the team lead. 33: Rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall Jr. played 67 percent of the snaps — the same as Deebo Samuel — and did not have a pass thrown his way. 21: Robert Beal Jr. played a season-high number of snaps in Bosa’s absence at defensive end and did not appear on the stat sheet for having a tackle or an assist. 9: Running back Jordan Mason has played 14 snaps in three games since McCaffrey’s return and has six carries for 26 yards. 4: Tashaun Gipson was promoted to the 53-man roster but still hasn’t played on defense in three games at safety. He had four special teams snaps against Green Bay. More to come on this breaking story . . .By Tony Leys | KFF Health News GLENWOOD, Iowa — Hundreds of people who were separated from society because they had disabilities are buried in a nondescript field at the former state institution here. Disability rights advocates hope Iowa will honor them by preventing the kind of neglect that has plagued similar cemeteries at other shuttered facilities around the U.S. The southwest Iowa institution, called the Glenwood Resource Center, was closed this summer in the wake of allegations of poor care . The last of its living residents were moved elsewhere in June. But the remains of about 1,300 people will stay where they were buried on the grounds. The graveyard, which dates to the 1800s, covers several acres of sloping ground near the campus’s brick buildings. A 6-foot-tall, weathered-concrete cross stands on the hillside, providing the most visible clue to the field’s purpose. On a recent afternoon, dried grass clippings obscured row after row of small stone grave markers set flat in the ground. Most of the stones are engraved with only a first initial, a last name, and a number. “If somebody who’s never been to Glenwood drove by, they wouldn’t even know there was a cemetery there,” said Brady Werger, a former resident of the facility. During more than a century of operation, the institution housed thousands of people with intellectual disabilities. Its population declined as society turned away from the practice of sequestering people with disabilities and mental illness in large facilities for decades at a time. The cemetery is filled with residents who died and weren’t returned to their hometowns for burial with their families. State and local leaders are working out arrangements to maintain the cemetery and the rest of the 380-acre campus. Local officials, who are expected to take control of the grounds next June, say they’ll need extensive state support for upkeep and redevelopment, especially with the town of about 5,000 people reeling from the loss of jobs at the institution. Hundreds of such places were constructed throughout the U.S. starting in the 1800s. Some, like the one in Glenwood, served people with disabilities, such as those caused by autism or seizure disorders. Others housed people with mental illness. Most of the facilities were built in rural areas, which were seen as providing a wholesome environment. States began shrinking or closing these institutions more than 50 years ago. The shifts were a response to complaints about people being removed from their communities and subjected to inhumane conditions, including the use of isolation and restraints. In the past decade, Iowa has closed two of its four mental hospitals and one of its two state institutions for people with intellectual disabilities. After closures in some other states, institutions’ cemeteries were abandoned and became overgrown with weeds and brush. The neglect drew protests and sparked efforts to respectfully memorialize people who lived and died at the facilities. “At some level, the restoration of institutions’ cemeteries is about the restoration of humanity,” said Pat Deegan, a Massachusetts mental health advocate who works on the issue nationally . Deegan, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, sees the neglected graveyards as symbolic of how people with disabilities or mental illness can feel as if their individual identities are buried beneath the labels of their conditions. Deegan, 70, helped lead efforts to rehabilitate a pair of overgrown cemeteries at the Danvers State Hospital near Boston, which housed people with mental illness before it closed in 1992. More than 700 former residents were buried there, with many graves originally marked only with a number. The Massachusetts hospital’s grounds were redeveloped into a condominium complex. The rehabilitated cemeteries now have individual gravestones and a large historical marker, explaining what the facility was and who lived there. The sign notes that some past methods of caring for psychiatric patients seem “barbarous” by today’s standards, but the text portrays the staff as well-meaning. It says the institution “attempted to alleviate the problems of many of its members with care and empathy that, although not always successful, was nobly attempted.” Deegan has helped other groups across the country organize renovations of similar cemeteries. She urges communities to include former residents of the facilities in their efforts. Iowa’s Glenwood Resource Center started as a home for orphans of Civil War soldiers. It grew into a large institution for people with disabilities, many of whom lived there for decades. Its population peaked at more than 1,900 in the 1950s, then dwindled to about 150 before state officials decided to close it. Werger, 32, said some criticisms of the institution were valid, but he remains grateful for the support the staff gave him until he was stable enough to move into community housing in 2018. “They helped change my life incredibly,” he said. He thinks the state should have fixed problems at the facility instead of shutting it. He said he hopes officials preserve historical parts of the campus, including stately brick buildings and the cemetery. He wishes the graves had more extensive headstones, with information about the residents buried there. He would also like to see signs installed explaining the place’s history. Two former employees of the Glenwood facility recently raised concerns that some of the graves may be mismarked . But officials with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which ran the institution, said they have extensive, accurate records and recently placed stones on three graves that were unmarked. Department leaders declined to be interviewed about the cemetery’s future. Spokesperson Alex Murphy wrote in an email that while no decisions have been made about the campus, the agency “remains committed to ensuring the cemetery is protected and treated with dignity and respect for those who have been laid to rest there.” Glenwood civic leaders have formed a nonprofit corporation that is negotiating with the state over development plans for the former institution. “We’re trying to make the best of a tough situation,” said Larry Winum, a local banker who serves on the new organization’s board. Tentative plans include tearing down some of the existing buildings and creating up to 900 houses and apartments. Winum said redevelopment should include some kind of memorial sign about the institution and the people buried in the cemetery. “It will be important to us that those folks be remembered,” he said. Activists in other states said properly honoring such places takes sustained commitment and money. Jennifer Walton helped lead efforts in the 1990s to properly mark graves and improve cemetery upkeep at state institutions in Minnesota . Some of the cemeteries are deteriorating again, she said. Activists plan to ask Minnesota legislators to designate permanent funding to maintain them and to place explanatory markers at the sites. “I think it’s important, because it’s a way to demonstrate that these spaces represent human beings who at the time were very much hidden away,” Walton said. “No human being should be pushed aside and ignored.” Related Articles A stroke changed a teacher’s life. How a new electrical device is helping her move Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes New rule allows HIV-positive organ transplants Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans On a recent day, just one of the Glenwood graves had flowers on it. Retired managers of the institution said few people visit the cemetery, but amateur genealogists sometimes show up after learning that a long-forgotten ancestor was institutionalized at Glenwood and buried there. Former grounds supervisor Max Cupp said burials had become relatively rare over the years, with more families arranging to have deceased residents’ remains transported to their hometown cemeteries. One of the last people buried in the Glenwood cemetery was Kenneth Rummells, who died in 2022 at age 71 after living many years at the institution and then at a nearby group home overseen by the state. His guardian was Kenny Jacobsen, a retired employee of the facility who had known him for decades. Rummells couldn’t speak, but he could communicate by grunting, Jacobsen said. He enjoyed sitting outside. “He was kind of quiet, kind of a touch-me-not guy.” Jacobsen helped arrange for a gravestone that is more detailed than most others in the cemetery. The marker includes Rummells’ full name, the dates of his birth and death, a drawing of a porch swing, and the inscription “Forever swinging in the breeze.” Jacobsen hopes officials figure out how to maintain the cemetery. He would like to see a permanent sign erected, explaining who is buried there and how they came to live in Glenwood. “They were people too,” he said.
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Big Ten could place four teams in playoff, thanks to IU's risePUNE The Vikhe-Patil family, a prominent name in Maharashtra politics, made a dramatic comeback in the recent state assembly elections, avenging their previous defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and ensuring their opponents faced significant setbacks. In the assembly election, the Mahayuti alliance clinched 10 out of 12 assembly seats in Ahmednagar district. This was a major reversal from 2019 elections when the Congress-Nationalisy Congress Party (NCP) alliance had won eight seats, an independent secured one, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena bagged three seats. The political stakes were particularly high for the Vikhe-Patil family after Sujay Vikhe-Patil’s loss to NCP (SP) candidate Nilesh Lanke in the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha constituency. Sujay’s defeat had raised questions about the family’s political future. At that time, Balasaheb Thorat and other local Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders played a key role in securing Lanke’s victory, with Lanke emerging as a giant killer. The tide turned in the recent assembly polls, with the Vikhe-Patils leading a calculated campaign to unseat their political adversaries. Sujay’s father, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, retained the Shirdi seat he has held since 1995, defeating Congress’s Prabhavati Ghogare by a margin of over 70,000 votes, despite an intense campaign by MVA leaders. This time, the Vikhe-Patil family orchestrated a counter-attack, ensuring the defeat of major MVA figures. Eight-time MLA and Congress stalwart Balasaheb Thorat was unseated in Sangamner, a constituency dominated by Thorat’s institutions and influence. Similarly, Nilesh Lanke’s wife, Rani, faced defeat in Parner at the hands of a fresh face Kashinath Date from NCP. It was a tough time for the Vikhe-Patil family after the Lok Sabha loss, said Sujay. “Our political foes made numerous allegations. We waited patiently and, when the opportunity arose, delivered a fitting response in Parner and Sangamner,” he said. Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Sujay reportedly worked behind the scenes to script these key defeats in Ahmednagar district. In Sangamner, Radhakrishna ensured that his loyalist, BJP worker Amol Khatal, received the Shiv Sena ticket to contest against Thorat. In Parner, they persuaded NCP rebel Vijay Auti to back official NCP candidate Kashinath Date, preventing a split in NCP’s vote base and facilitating Date’s narrow victory over Rani Lanke. Khatal defeated Thorat by over 10,000 votes, while Date edged out Lanke by a slender margin of 1,500 votes. Thorat, who had been winning Sangamner for eight consecutive terms, had been confident of victory. Similarly, Parner, the Lankes’ stronghold since Nilesh became an MLA in 2019, witnessed an unexpected outcome. There are also rumours within Ahmednagar district that BJP leader Ram Shinde’s defeat to NCP’s Rohit Pawar in the Karjat Jamkhed constituency may have been influenced by the Vikhe-Patil faction. Shinde had distanced himself from Sujay’s Lok Sabha campaign, which reportedly led to strained relations. A close associate of the Vikhe-Patil family commented, “In Ahmednagar, whoever opposes Balasaheb Thorat is on our side, irrespective of party affiliations. This time, we conducted our own surveys, identified promising candidates, and planned meticulously to take revenge. The results speak for themselves.” Addressing victory rallies in Ahmednagar, Sujay openly acknowledged their role in defeating their rivals, cementing the Vikhe-Patil family’s resurgence in Maharashtra politics.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs left his team’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday because of a concussion. Doubs’ injury came on a third-quarter play in the end zone that resulted in a pass interference penalty against San Francisco’s Renardo Green. Doubs stayed down briefly after the play, then got up slowly before heading to the sideline. He went into the injury tent before walking to the locker room. The Packers then announced Doubs was out for the rest of the game because of a concussion. He had three catches for 54 yards before leaving. San Francisco defensive tackle Jordan Elliott left in the first half of the game to get evaluated for a concussion and was ruled out at halftime. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL2,919 Shares in Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALGN) Acquired by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG
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SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash., Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Key Tronic Corporation (Nasdaq: KTCC), a provider of electronic manufacturing services (EMS), today announced that it entered into a new financing arrangement with the Bank of Montreal and Callodine Commercial Finance which extends and increases its access to working capital through December 2029. The combined financing agreement provides up to $143 million in availability, subject to the Company’s borrowing base and other limitations. The new credit agreements replace Key Tronic’s asset-based line of credit with Bank of America, which was set to expire in December 2025. In connection with these agreements, the Company expects to write off approximately $0.9 million in unamortized capitalized loan fees. “We are excited to update our financing arrangements as we prepare for growth in coming years,” said Tony Voorhees, Chief Financial Officer. “We believe the new financing significantly enhances our access to working capital over the next five years and address liquidity to support our long-term growth plans. Additionally, we anticipate these new facilities will lower our interest expense and provide greater financial flexibility moving forward.” About Key Tronic Key Tronic is a leading contract manufacturer offering value-added design and manufacturing services from its facilities in the United States, Mexico, China and Vietnam. The Company provides its customers with full engineering services, materials management, worldwide manufacturing facilities, assembly services, in-house testing, and worldwide distribution. Its customers include some of the world’s leading original equipment manufacturers. For more information about Key Tronic visit: www.keytronic.com. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to those including such words as anticipates, believes, expects, will, and similar verbs, or nouns corresponding to such verbs, which may be forward looking. Forward-looking statements also include other passages that are relevant to expected future events, performances, and actions or that can only be fully evaluated by events that will occur in the future. Forward-looking statements in this release include, without limitation, the Company’s statements regarding its expectations with respect to anticipated growth and the availability of financing, reduced interest expense, and financial flexibility under the new financing arrangements. There are many factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted or projected in forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the future of the global economic environment and its impact on our customers and suppliers; the availability of components from the supply chain; the availability of a healthy workforce; the accuracy of suppliers’ and customers’ forecasts; development and success of customers’ programs and products; timing and effectiveness of ramping of new programs; success of new-product introductions; the risk of legal proceedings or governmental investigations relating to the previously reported financial statement restatements and related material weaknesses, the May 2024 cybersecurity incident, and the subject of the internal investigation by the Company’s Audit Committee and related or other unrelated matters; acquisitions or divestitures of operations or facilities; technology advances; changes in pricing policies by the Company, its competitors, customers or suppliers; impact of new governmental legislation and regulation, including tax reform, tariffs and related activities, such trade negotiations and other risks; and other factors, risks, and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s SEC filings.
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Georgetown ventures out of D.C. for first time to face West VirginiaNEW YORK and AMSTERDAM , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), the world's leading index provider, today announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) rebalancing and reconstitution. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indices that measure the performance of companies selected using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks. As a result of this year's review, the following top three largest companies based on free-float market capitalization have been added to and deleted from the DJSI World. All changes are effective on Monday, December 23, 2024 . Additions: Airbus SE, Schlumberger Ltd, BAE Systems Plc Deletions: Alphabet Inc 1 , UnitedHealth Group Inc, ASML Holding NV 2 The full results and list of DJSI constituents will be available as of Monday, December 23 2024 , at https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/djsi-annual-review S&P Dow Jones Indices will be renaming a number of its sustainability and ESG-related indices (see Index Announcement ). As part of this update, the family of Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) will be renamed Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices. The changes will become effective on Monday, February 10, 2025 . The S&P Global CSA Scores will continue to be a key factor in selecting constituents for the DJSI when they are renamed Dow Jones Best-in-Class Indices in February 2025 . For more information about the DJSI methodology, please visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji . ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit: www.spglobal.com/spdji . 1 Still member of DJSI World Enlarged and DJSI North America 2 Still member of DJSI World Enlarged S&P DJI MEDIA CONTACTS: spdji.comms@spglobal.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sp-dow-jones-indices-announces-dow-jones-sustainability-indices-2024-review-results-302331745.html SOURCE S&P Dow Jones IndicesWhy Utilities Are Struggling To Meet AI Data Centers’ Need For Electricity
In response to these inquiries, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement addressing the issue of whether China had any contact or engagement with the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad. The official response emphasized China's consistent stance on promoting peace, stability, and dialogue in the region. The Ministry reaffirmed China's commitment to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, including Syria, while also advocating for a political resolution to the conflict through peaceful negotiations and dialogue.Colts QB Anthony Richardson ruled out for Week 17 matchup against Giants
WITNESS TO HISTORY The United States Ambassador’s Residence at Camp John Hay in Baguio City, shown in this 2014 photo, witnessed the end of World War II in 1945 after Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita signed the surrender documents in this building. —EV Espiritu BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The historic Ambassador’s Residence at Camp John Hay would be the major focus of next year’s 80th anniversary of the surrender of Japanese Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita that ended the Pacific conflict during World War II, US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said here on Tuesday. During the holiday gathering that Carlson hosted for the media and other guests, Carlson said she had been discussing with Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya and his Deputy Chief of Mission Matsuda Kenichi about a jazz performance collaboration for next year’s commemoration at the Ambassador’s Residence, which she described as “steeped in history.” READ: World War II in PH started, ended in Baguio Carlson said these plans with the Philippines and Japan would advocate for “the power of reconciliation” among nations that fought each other for four years that left an estimated 25 million casualties, including Japanese civilians who died in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The Pacific War began in Baguio City on Dec. 8, 1941, when Japanese bombers attacked Camp John Hay a day after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. It also ended in the summer capital when Yamashita signed the surrender documents at the US Ambassador’s Residence on Sept. 3, 1945. Yamashita was taken to Camp John Hay after he surrendered in Ifugao province on Sept. 2, 1945. The Imperial Japanese Army had retreated to Baguio and further into the Cordillera mountains from advancing Allied Forces. In her speech at the gathering here on Tuesday, Carlson said: “It’s fitting to close the year with a celebration, as the last 12 months of US-Philippine relations have given us much to celebrate. I can confidently say that 2024 was [our] banner year ... as friends, partners and allies.” “I expect this incredible positive momentum—a relationship on hyperdrive, as some of our Department of Foreign Affairs friends have said—to continue in 2025,” she said. Carlson did not directly address the assumption on Jan. 6 next year of President-elect Donald Trump, following a contentious political campaign in her country. But she stressed: “During numerous visits to the Philippines in the last year, leaders from our executive and legislative branches, representing both sides of the political spectrum, have been unequivocal in expressing their support for the Philippines. I am confident that the strong bipartisan support the Philippines enjoys will continue through our presidential transition and well into the future.” At her media briefing earlier, Carlson pointed out that more visas have been issued to Filipinos visiting, studying, or migrating to the United States in the past years, while the number of Americans who have been working, living or who have retired in the Philippines has grown to 700,000. The ambassador also said American companies are studying how to invest in clean energy projects for the Philippines. The visits to the Philippines by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III reflected how “our relationship is in good shape,” she said. “During Secretary Austin’s second visit, just two weeks ago, we broke ground on a new command and control fusion center at Camp Aguinaldo, which will allow our forces to coordinate on exercises and operations in person and in real time, a significant step forward in our alliance,” Carlson said. “There is no better place to celebrate this year’s achievements and look with hope to the future than here in beautiful Baguio, a city that uniquely represents the depth and the strength of the US-Philippine bilateral relationship,” she said in her speech. Baguio was designed, built and opened in 1909 by the American colonial government. “Next year, we will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. .. right here in this Residence when, on Sept. 3, 1945, General Yamashita signed the instrument of surrender in front of Gen. Jonathan Wainwright—on the very table that still graces the dining room. I think Gen. Wainwright would be more than pleased by how far the US-Philippine relationship has come in the 80 years since that historic day,” she said. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . A rendering of Yamashita’s surrender by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo hangs above the Residence’s fireplace.Another widely circulated myth is that frozen steamed buns, also known as frozen mantou, should not be consumed due to health risks. However, freezing food, including steamed buns, is a common preservation method that does not inherently make the food unsafe to eat. When prepared and stored correctly, frozen steamed buns can be a convenient and safe option for a quick meal or snack.
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PITTSBURGH — “Where is Rutger?” “Where is Rutger?” Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * PITTSBURGH — “Where is Rutger?” “Where is Rutger?” Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? PITTSBURGH — “Where is Rutger?” “Where is Rutger?” Certainly not here in Pittsburgh, where the NHL’s Penguins hosted the Winnipeg Jets — the team that drafted him 14th-overall in 2022 — on Friday night inside PPG Paints Arena. Too bad. That would have been fun. Speaking of which, 20-year-old Rutger McGroarty sure did hear those pointed chants about his whereabouts from Winnipeg fans last month at Canada Life Centre. “It was funny,” he told Chris Peters of during a recent interview. “It’s hockey. They’re a passionate fan base. It gave me a little chuckle, for sure.” McGroarty will have to wait until at least next season for the first chance to face his old squad, as he was lacing up his skates on Friday 450 km away from Pittsburgh in the city of Wilkes-Barre, preparing to play his 12th game with the American Hockey League team that, at least for now, represents his hockey home. After looking overwhelmed and overmatched in his first three big-league games to start his rookie pro season, Pittsburgh sent him to the minors for seasoning. The University of Michigan Wolverines standout hasn’t exactly torn it up across state, with three points (1G, 2A) in his first 11 games and a minus-five rating. When McGroarty made it clear he was not going to sign with the Jets — for reasons that still are murkier than the Red River — general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff swung a trade that brought 19-year-old Brayden Yager (14th-overall in 2023) to Winnipeg. Gene J. Puskar / The Associated Press files Jets prospect Brayden Yager is tearing it up with the Moose Jaw Warriors, while the player traded to acquire him, Rutger McGroarty hasn’t made much of an impact in the AHL. Yager had a great first camp with the Jets and is off to a great start in the Western Hockey League this season, with 24 points (10G, 14A) in 18 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors. He’s expected to play a big role for Team Canada’s World Juniors team next month, possibly as its captain. All of which has made McGroarty public enemy No. 1 in Winnipeg — in addition to an easy target, especially since there were rumblings part of his hestitation with Winnipeg was the idea of not immediately getting a path to full-time NHL work. Now parked in the AHL to work on his game, McGroarty told Peters that Penguins prospect Owen Pickering, who is from St. Adolphe, has been in his ear about the Winnipeg backlash. “He’s been my best friend here. He is the best guy ever. He’s kind of chirping me about it,” he said. If we know hockey players, there’s a good chance those verbal volleys are every bit as vicious as the ones Jets fans dished out. Speaking of Pickering, he was in the lineup against the Jets on Friday, having been called up from Wilkes-Barre a week ago. The 20-year-old mobile, puck-moving defenceman, who was selected 21st-overall in 2022, had an assist in his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks last Saturday and played 17:39 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in his second game on Tuesday. This, after beginning his pro career in the AHL and scoring his first goal on Nov. 13 against Lehigh-Valley. Have yourself a month, kid. Pickering spoke following Friday’s morning skate in Pittsburgh, reflecting how he was seven years old when the Jets came back to Winnipeg in 2011. “They were just like Gods,” he said of seeing the world’s best players suddenly in his backyard. Now Pickering is rubbing shoulders and sharing ice with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson, just months after finishing up a terrific WHL career with the Swift Current Broncos. Oh, and getting to play against some of those hometown hockey idols, such as Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey. “It’ll be pretty cool, but I think really quickly it will just change into (another) hockey game,” said Pickering, noting the struggling Penguins have to find a way to start piling up the points. “I think it’s something I can see is pretty special, but I think it might be after the game I feel that a bit more. Right now I’m just trying to win.” Pickering has also become good friends and workout partners with Cody Glass. The 25-year-old Winnipegger, who was the first draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights (sixth-overall in 2017), is in his first year with the Penguins and has four assists through 14 games. Glass is currently sidelined with a concussion but participated in Friday’s morning skate. On the subject of Manitoba hockey players, Friday was a memorable one for Brett Howden. The pride of Oakbank signed a five-year contract extension with the Golden Knights worth US$12.5 million, or US$2.5 million per season. Howden, selected 27th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2016, has really found his stride in Sin City and has proven to be a valuable piece of the perennial contenders’ bottom six. Now in his fourth season, the 26-year-old forward already has eight goals through 20 games. That ties his production over 72 contests last year and is just one off his career-high of nine. Howden is now up to 371 career NHL games, with 110 points (37G, 63A). Sometimes, a change of scenery is needed to spark a player. Howden would be a prime example of that. Sometimes, several changes are needed. Former Jets forward Jack Roslovic might just be Exhibit A. Now with his fourth NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes, the 27-year-old winger is among the league’s top producers so far with 11 goals through 19 games. To put that in perspective, Roslovic has only ever exceeded 12 once in his career, potting 22 (in 81 games) for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2021-22. Roslovic, drafted 25th-overall by the Jets in 2015, was included in the Patrik Laine for Pierre-Luc Dubois swap but never really got going with his hometown Blue Jackets, who shipped the pending unrestricted free agent to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline last year. He had eight points (3G, 5A) in 19 regular-season games with the Rangers, then another eight points (2G, 6A) in 16 playoff contests before signing a one-year deal worth US$2.8 million last July. Now, it appears, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour has unlocked the secret formula for more consistent play, something that has been a big issue in Roslovic’s career. “Obviously signing that one-year deal there was, not like a prove-me deal, but you want to hit the ground running on something like that,” said Jets forward Mason Appleton, a longtime teammate of Roslovic (and linemate with the Manitoba Moose) who was taken in the sixth round of the same draft. “I’m happy for him. He’s a very smart player, very fast, very good with his stick. I wouldn’t describe him as a goal scorer — he can score, but that’s not the best part of his game — but obviously a heck of a start for him. Whatever it is in that system that’s working great for him, hopefully he can keep that up.” mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca X: @mikemcintyrewpg ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca X: @WiebesWorld Raised in the booming metropolis of Altona, Man., Ken Wiebe grew up wanting to play in the NHL, but after realizing his hands were more adept at typing than scoring, he shifted his attention to cover his favourite sport as a writer. Mike McIntyre grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. But when that dream fizzled, he put all his brawn into becoming a professional writer. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Raised in the booming metropolis of Altona, Man., Ken Wiebe grew up wanting to play in the NHL, but after realizing his hands were more adept at typing than scoring, he shifted his attention to cover his favourite sport as a writer. Mike McIntyre grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. But when that dream fizzled, he put all his brawn into becoming a professional writer. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement AdvertisementLooking ahead, the enforcement proceedings against Nezha Motors serve as a cautionary tale for businesses operating in a competitive and increasingly complex environment. Financial transparency, accountability, and risk management are key factors in ensuring long-term sustainability and resilience in the face of unforeseen challenges. The case of Nezha Motors underscores the importance of proactive financial management and strategic planning in mitigating risks and safeguarding business interests.
"Tottenham Hotspur Defender Serge Aurier Deactivates Social Media Accounts After Facing Negative Comments From Fans"U.S. stocks slipped below their records in the runup to a big jobs report due on Friday. The S&P 500 edged down 0.2% Thursday after setting an all-time high for the 56th time this year the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%. The crypto market had much more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before falling back toward $99,000. It’s climbed dramatically since Election Day on hopes President-elect Donald Trump will be more friendly to crypto. Airline stocks were strong, while Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. On Thursday: The S&P 500 fell 11.38 points, or 0.2%, to 6,075.11. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 248.33 points, or 0.6%, to 44,765.71. The Nasdaq composite fell 34.86 points, or 0.2%, to 19,700.26. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 30.39 points, or 1.3%, to 2,396.17. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 42.73 points, or 0.7%. The Dow is down 144.94 points, or 0.3%. The Nasdaq is up 482.09 points, or 2.5%. The Russell 2000 is down 38.56 points, or 1.6%. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,305.28 points, or 27.4%. The Dow is up 7,076.17 points, or 18.8%. The Nasdaq is up 4,688.91 points, or 31.2%. The Russell 2000 is up 369.10 points, or 18.2%.As the countdown to the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics begins, anticipation is growing for the unforgettable moments and exciting matchups that lie ahead. With the schedule now announced and the four major competition areas set to host a wide range of winter sports events, fans can start planning their viewing schedule and prepare to witness history in the making at the world's premier winter sporting event. Let the games begin!
One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted from “significant widespread misinformation” about the policy. Recommended Videos “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services,” the statement said. “The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield would have used "physician work time values," which is published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as the metric for anesthesia limits; maternity patients and patients under the age of 22 were exempt. But Dr. Jonathan Gal, economics committee chair of the American Society for Anesthesiologists, said it's unclear how CMS derives those values. In mid-November, the American Society for Anesthesiologists called on Anthem to “reverse the proposal immediately,” saying in a news release that the policy would have taken effect in February in New York, Connecticut and Missouri. It's not clear how many states in total would have been affected, as notices also were posted in Virginia and Colorado . People across the country registered their concerns and complaints on social media, and encouraged people in affected states to call their legislators. Some people noted that the policy could prevent patients from getting overcharged. Gal said the policy change would have been unprecedented, ignored the “nuanced, unpredictable human element” of surgery and was a clear “money grab.” “It’s incomprehensible how a health insurance company could so blatantly continue to prioritize their profits over safe patient care,” he said. "If Anthem is, in fact, rescinding the policy, we’re delighted that they came to their senses.” Prior to Anthem's announcement Thursday, Connecticut comptroller Sean Scanlon said the “concerning” policy wouldn't affect the state after conversations with the insurance company. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in an emailed statement Thursday that her office had also successfully intervened. The insurance giant’s policy change came one day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare , another major insurance company, was shot and killed in New York City. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.Title: Once Fat, Always Fat? The Secret to Weight Rebound: Obesity Has "Memory" and Your Body RemembersChargers WR Ladd McConkey sets franchise rookie records in rout of Patriots
Zoominfo CTO Ali Dasdan sells $53,911 in company stock
Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, 45, Remains Positive About AgingAs "Feast of Devouring" makes its debut on screens around the world, anticipation is running high for what promises to be a groundbreaking and unforgettable viewing experience. With its compelling storyline, stellar cast, and impeccable production quality, the series is poised to become a cultural phenomenon, captivating audiences with its powerful message of love, resilience, and the enduring human spirit.The intersection of popular culture, animated series, and consumer brands in collaborations like the one between "Dark Mythology" and Pepsi highlights the growing trend of cross-promotional activities in the entertainment industry. By leveraging the established fan base of a beloved series and the wide reach of a global brand like Pepsi, these collaborations have the potential to create unique and memorable experiences for fans while expanding the visibility of both parties involved.
In the dynamic world of gaming, having access to sufficient game credits and virtual currency is essential for fueling your gaming adventures and unlocking new horizons. With Gamers Coin Gift Cards and Steam Top-up Vouchers, you can restock your gaming resources with ease and embark on new gaming endeavors with confidence. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or a newcomer to the gaming scene, these indispensable tools offer a gateway to limitless gaming opportunities. Visit Gamers Coin today to explore the latest replenishment options and elevate your gaming experience to new heights. Happy gaming!
Deal on Elgin Marbles ‘still some distance’ away, says George OsbornePrincipal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in American Airlines Group Inc. ( NASDAQ:AAL – Free Report ) by 107.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,519,904 shares of the airline’s stock after buying an additional 787,671 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of American Airlines Group worth $17,084,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Primecap Management Co. CA grew its holdings in shares of American Airlines Group by 34.4% in the 2nd quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 56,881,356 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $644,466,000 after acquiring an additional 14,549,310 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of American Airlines Group by 75.5% in the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,240,659 shares of the airline’s stock valued at $48,047,000 after buying an additional 1,823,928 shares during the last quarter. Point72 DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of American Airlines Group in the third quarter valued at $16,490,000. Toronto Dominion Bank raised its position in American Airlines Group by 379.6% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 1,667,539 shares of the airline’s stock worth $18,743,000 after acquiring an additional 1,319,859 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in American Airlines Group by 10,997.9% during the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,167,056 shares of the airline’s stock worth $13,118,000 after purchasing an additional 1,156,540 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 52.44% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AAL. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $15.00 target price on shares of American Airlines Group in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Seaport Res Ptn upgraded shares of American Airlines Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Barclays upped their target price on American Airlines Group from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 6th. Scotiabank raised shares of American Airlines Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on American Airlines Group from $18.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $15.99. American Airlines Group Stock Performance Shares of AAL stock opened at $17.35 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $14.94 and a 200-day moving average of $12.28. American Airlines Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.07 and a 1-year high of $18.20. The stock has a market cap of $11.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.58, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.41. American Airlines Group ( NASDAQ:AAL – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The airline reported $0.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $13.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.50 billion. American Airlines Group had a net margin of 0.51% and a negative return on equity of 18.62%. American Airlines Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.38 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that American Airlines Group Inc. will post 1.62 earnings per share for the current year. American Airlines Group Profile ( Free Report ) American Airlines Group Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a network air carrier. The company provides scheduled air transportation services for passengers and cargo through its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, DC, as well as through partner gateways in London, Doha, Madrid, Seattle/Tacoma, Sydney, and Tokyo. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Airlines Group Inc. ( NASDAQ:AAL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for American Airlines Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Airlines Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
