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Ranked teams are on Monday’s college basketball schedule in five games, including the Auburn Tigers taking on the Iowa State Cyclones. Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Memphis Tigers at No. 2 UConn Huskies Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks at No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks No. 4 Auburn Tigers at No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones Little Rock Trojans at No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini Dayton Flyers at No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels Catch tons of live college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.Vietnam signs $286 million in defense contracts at 2024 international expoFrance’s new premier Francois Bayrou vowed to sharply narrow the nation’s deficit to close to 5% of GDP, a plan that threatens a repeat of the stand-off which toppled the last government. Bayrou, who presented his new cabinet on Monday, will lay out his new policy agenda to parliament on Jan. 14 and has pledged to have a 2025 budget by mid-February. A fragmented National Assembly means the new government made up mostly of centrists will need to placate opposition lawmakers from across the political spectrum. And there are early indications that key parties aren’t pleased with the composition of the new administration or its direction, risking another no-confidence motion. Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally, called the new administration a “coalition of failure.” And on the left, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure called the casting of the new government a “provocation.” France has been in political turmoil since June, when President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called early elections. The ballot returned a lower house split roughly among three feuding blocs: the leftist New Popular Front alliance, Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and a smaller group of centrists that support the president. The first two joined together to force out Prime Minister Michel Barnier in early December. France has long been out of compliance with European Union rules that require member states’ debt to be below 60% of GDP and a deficit under 3%. Next year’s budget will need to chip away at France’s current deficit, which has ballooned to 6.1% of economic output. Bayrou has recruited a new cabinet stuffed with heavyweights and veteran figures to attempt the urgent budget tightening that lead to his predecessor’s eviction. The premier brought two former prime ministers back to government and tapped Eric Lombard, a seasoned investment professional with ties to left, to run the finance ministry. Finding support for a 2025 budget will be difficult in the National Assembly, where Macron’s lawmakers are in the minority and opposition forces have shown little desire for compromise. Because France doesn’t yet have a budget law for 2025, the state will be reliant from January on emergency legislation that took effect on Saturday and permits only vital spending. France’s political and budget difficulties have sparked a sell-off in the country’s debt in recent months, driving up the country’s borrowing costs compared to European peers. The spread between the yields on France and Germany’s 10-year debt closed at 81 basis points on Monday, the highest level since Dec. 4. While the deficit target may be similar as the one sought by the previous cabinet, Bayrou said that the implications of his government’s budget, particularly regarding businesses, would be different. “I’m for protecting companies,” Bayrou said. “I’m not saying that we can’t find some some short-term efforts to make, but I think it’s necessary for everyone to know where the national treasure is. The national treasure is companies. They create wealth. They create jobs.” Lombard also signaled a slight change of approach to the budget from Barnier’s proposal of €60 billion ($62.4 billion) in taxes and spending cuts — an unusually large adjustment for France. “We must reduce the deficit without killing growth,” Lombard said at a handover ceremony at the finance ministry late Monday. “It’s this balance we must look for and that’s the meaning of the 2025 budget.” Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Thursday that to remain credible France must still deliver a significant improvement that brings the deficit closer to 5% next year than 6%. “We are at risk of gradually sinking little by little as we lose weight in Europe and the world and we lose our margin for maneuver,” he said on France 5 television. Earlier this month, Moody’s Ratings cut France’s credit grade in an unscheduled change, warning that the country’s finances will be weakened over the coming years and that there is a “low probability” that the next government will be able to sustainably reduce the size of fiscal deficits beyond next year. Bayrou is counting on Lombard’s credentials in helping get the 2025 budget over the line. “He’s someone who’s had a very long career in business, insurance and banking, and is respected, I think, by everyone,” the premier said on Monday. Lombard, 66, has a long experience of finance, most recently as chief executive of the Caisse des Depots Group, a two-century-old financial institution that reports to parliament. The institution is designed to serve public interests, combining asset management, financing of social housing and management of the state’s strategic holdings. Lombard has spent most of his career before that in the financial sector, with stints at BNP Paribas and Generali France. In the early 1990s, he briefly served as an adviser to Socialist Finance Minister Michel Sapin, who himself returned to the same post for part of Francois Hollande’s 2012-2017 presidency. But his biggest hurdle will be finding a compromise among opposition lawmakers. The Ecologist party leader Marine Tondelier said on Monday that the new government was “imbalanced” with too much influence given to the right. “The same causes will have the same effects and Bayrou is following the same path as Barnier and it’s unlikely he doesn’t share the same destiny,” she said on BFM TV. Faure, whose Socialist party could prove decisive in a no-confidence motion, said on Tuesday that none of the conditions are met for a “no-censure” pact with the new government, but that he will wait until the Jan. 14 policy speech to decide what action to take. ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.By DEVNA BOSE 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. “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.
Americans have been appalled by thousands of illegal immigrants — those granted temporary legal status or who crossed the border undetected — exacerbating homelessness and straining shelters, schools and social services budgets. President-elect Donald Trump promised aggressive deportations during his campaign, but he hardly has a mandate. He won the popular vote by 1.5 percentage points, and Republicans enjoy a House majority of only three seats. President Biden muffed the immigration issue by reversing most of Mr. Trump’s tough border policies — including requiring many migrants to wait in Mexico while their asylum claims could be heard. The Biden policy coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and economic disorder in much of Latin America, and the number of immigrants in the U.S. illegally surpassed 13 million. Hardly all deadbeats, many found work and proved vital to sustaining the robust 2.5% pace of economic growth we enjoyed in the Trump and Biden years, compared with the 1.9% accomplished during the Bush-Obama era. After the pandemic shutdowns, the economy rapidly recovered and was at full employment in the summer of 2023. Over the next year, it added 195,000 jobs a month, when indigenous population growth and legal immigration could support only about 80,000 a month. Illegal immigrants made up the difference, account for half of agricultural workers and are prominently represented in the building trades, hospitality and day care for children and older adults. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance argues that these workers could be replaced by offering Americans higher wages, but that’s silly. In an economy with just 7 million job-seekers, it’s highly problematic to visualize how more than 1 million Americans could be motivated to take backbreaking jobs picking avocados and lettuce in the Central Valley of California, packing meat in Iowa or milking cows in Wisconsin. The combination of workers deported, fleeing to Canada or going into hiding would create significant food shortages and the kind of grocery price inflation suffered during and after the COVID shutdowns. It would force many women to quit the workforce for lack of child care. Familiar faces would disappear at supermarkets, restaurants and dry cleaners, while the pace of inflation, which appears to be settling at about 2.5%, would jump to 4.5%. Economic growth would slow dramatically and retirement security impaired by an anemic stock market. Workers in immigrant-dominated occupations would get pay raises that exceed the rate of inflation. But for Americans employed in other industries, moribund or nonexistent growth would spell more joblessness and wages lagging inflation like the years following the COVID shutdowns. The cost of mass deportation could reach $900 billion — enough to build nearly 3 million homes or 43,450 elementary schools. The incoming Trump administration is misreading its mandate. Americans may want the border and immigration laws tightly enforced, but according to a recent Pew Trust poll, 64% of Americans favor letting illegal immigrants who are already here stay if they meet conditions such as passing a background check. Seeing real incomes fall, shortages of basic services such as child care, elder care, home and office cleaners and counter help at fast-food places — and draconian images of the National Guard and sheriff’s deputies dragging immigrants from their workplaces and homes — would surely make the latter statistic rocket and permit Mr. Trump’s critics to paint him as a fascist. With only a slim Republican majority in the House, prospects for a good deal of his other economic and foreign policy priorities would be impaired. In the propaganda competition with China and Russia for influence in emerging nations, the American brand of champion of human rights would be severely damaged. Our current system permits too few legal immigrants, creating worker shortages, including in the tech sector. It is too biased toward family reunification, which can be abused through chain immigration and a diversity lottery. Instead, we should increase quotas enough to ensure 1 million to 1.5 million more workers a year. Like Canada, we should screen applicants primarily on the basis of their prospective contribution to the economy — prioritize those applicants filling needed employment categories. Let employers sponsor workers but pay a significant fee to be set by auction — the proceeds could be used to assist local governments with resettlement costs. Employers should be required to guarantee work for a minimum period of perhaps a year or two, subject to safeguards to prevent churning. It’s not just blue-collar and low-wage occupations that suffer shortages, and bigger quotas for engineers and other technology workers would likely accelerate growth in ways we have not calculated. Raising the cost to employers of immigrant workers through auctioned licenses would greatly reduce their incentive to turn to immigrants to avoid paying native-born Americans and green card holders higher wages. Stronger growth would raise real incomes for most everyone and help create more secure retirements through a higher worker-to-reitree ratio and a stronger stock market. . Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. .None
Core Scientific's director Yadin Rozov sells $1.9 million in stock
Spot the Station Frequently Asked QuestionsBy DEVNA BOSE 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. “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.Tottenham joins list of top Premier League teams to lose at Bournemouth as fans jeer Postecoglou
ATLANTA — On Jan. 18 and 19 the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will be held at State Farm Arena in advance of the College Football Playoff national championship on Jan. 20. The star-studded lineup was announced Thursday at a news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Performances will include Lil Wayne and GloRilla on Saturday; and Camila Cabello, Myles Smith and Knox on Sunday. On game day, the Allstate Championship Tailgate, taking place just outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the Home Depot Backyard, will feature country acts on the Capital One Music Stage, including global superstar Kane Brown and iHeartCountry “On The Verge” artist Ashley Cooke. The concerts are just two of the festivities visiting fans can enjoy in the days leading up to the big game. The fan experience for both ticket holders and the general public has been a focus for event planners. All weekend long, an estimated 100,000 people from across the country are expected to attend fan events preceding kickoff. “It will be an opportunity for fans of all ages to come together to sample what college football is all about, and you don’t have to have a ticket to the game to be a part of it,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP in a press release. “We’ve worked closely with the Atlanta Football Host Committee to develop fan-friendly events that thousands will enjoy come January.” On Saturday, Jan. 18, Playoff Fan Central will open at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. The free, family-friendly experience will include games, clinics, pep rallies, special guest appearances, autograph signings and exhibits celebrating college football and its history. That day, fans can also attend Media Day, presented by Great Clips, which will feature one-hour sessions with student-athletes and coaches from each of the College Football Playoff national championship participating teams. ESPN and social media giants X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be taping live broadcasts from the event. On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Trophy Trot, both a 5K and 10K race, will wind its way through the streets of downtown Atlanta. Each Trophy Trot participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher’s medal. Participants can register at atlantatrackclub.org . On Sunday evening, the Georgia Aquarium will host the Taste of the Championship dining event, which offers attendees the opportunity to indulge in food and drink prepared by local Atlanta chefs. This premium experience serves as an elevated exploration of local cuisine on the eve of the national championship. Tickets to the Taste of the Championship event are available on etix.com . Atlanta is the first city ever to repeat as host for the CFP national championship. The playoff was previously held in Atlanta in 2018. “We are honored to be the first city to repeat as host for the CFP national championship and look forward to welcoming college football fans from around the country in January,” said Dan Corso, president of the Atlanta Sports Council and Atlanta Football Host Committee. “This event gives us another opportunity to showcase our incredible city.” The College Football Playoff is the event that crowns the national champion in college football. The quarterfinals and semifinals rotate annually among six bowl games — the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. This year’s quarterfinals will take place on Dec. 31, 2024 and Jan. 1, 2025, while the semifinals will be Jan. 9-10, 2025. The CFP national championship will be Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For additional information on the College Football Playoff, visit CollegeFootballPlayoff.com . Get local news delivered to your inbox!Amanda Owen has confessed there is “no romance” in her relationship with ex-husband Clive Owen – despite their close bond as they co-parent their nine children. Amanda and Clive announced their separation in June 2022 after 22 years of marriage. But in a shock move, the pair teamed up again in 2024 for a new programme on More4 – Our Farm Next Door . Amanda and Clive are filmed renovating a derelict farmhouse in the Yorkshire Dales together. But in a new interview with The Times , Our Yorkshire Farm star Amanda was candid about their relationship off-screen. She explained: “We’re just getting on with it. We bicker. We argue. There’s no romance. But we’re all right with each other, and that’s a blessing. “If you’ve gone through a separation, there’s a reason you separated. And it’s usually because you’re not getting on. Who wants that? We’re here and we’ve got a joint mission. It’s about securing the future of the farm, the children.” Amanda explained that their kids run between their family home at Ravenseat farm and the holiday rental next door, which isn’t currently being rented out. She admitted: “[Clive] is not very separated.” In one episode of the series, she admitted: “I do his head in, he does my head in. But we’re both basically on the same side.” In 2022, Amanda publicly announced their decision to split, writing on her social media: “This hasn't been easy, but we both believe it's the right choice for the future of our family. "Although we are no longer a couple, we continue to work on the farm and co-parent together, with our number one priority the happiness and well-being of our children." She insisted to MailOnline: “There was nobody involved in the break-up with Clive and I don’t understand why this is being suggested. I'm just getting on with my life as an independent woman, looking after the kids and my sheep." Clive, meanwhile, confessed: “If I’m honest about it, I didn’t want to accept that I was no longer the breadwinner for our family. It was especially hard knowing that Amanda, who is a very beautiful woman, would be going out all dressed up to launches and events and meeting other people."Jefferson keeps seeing double as Vikings aim to stay focused on overall offensive production