table roulette When Russia launched its unprovoked attack on Ukraine in February 2022, one of the first energy resiliency cracks to emerge was the vulnerability of the Ukrainian nuclear fleet. Now, even as the war approaches its fourth year, energy planners in Ukraine are turning to wind power and other renewable resources for energy security, resilience, and integration with the European green hydrogen economy. Building new energy facilities in wartime can be a Sisyphean task. However, wind power is a special case. In a typical wind farm, turbines are scattered over long distances. Knocking one out with a missile is just a temporary setback. Putting every turbine in a wind farm out of commission is not worth the expense, time, and risk. In the case of Russia, the missile strategy has focused on breaking down willpower by attacking hospitals, schools, and other civilian targets, not taking down a wind turbine or two. Substations and transmission lines are still vulnerable, but the repair and replacement timeline is shorter for those types of infrastructure than repairing the significant damage to a fossil energy power plant, let alone a nuclear facility. “Despite all the cheerleading for nuclear energy over at the COP28 climate talks, national security risks have taken center stage ever since Russia launched its unprovoked attack on Ukraine,” CleanTechnica observed last year. Nuclear advocates have raised the tempo since then. However, as of last year, Ukraine was already well on its way to making a mark in the wind power field, with plans for building the largest onshore wind farm in Eastern Europe. Almost as a sort of test case for wind power resiliency, early in the war, the Ukrainian energy firm DTEK Renewables began building a 19-turbine, 114-megawatt wind farm just 60 miles from the front line, in the Mykolaiv region near the Black Sea. The wind farm went into operation last May as the Tyligulska Wind Power Plant, billed as the only facility of its kind to be completed in an active conflict zone. DTEK also signaled its intention to expand the wind farm to 500 megawatts with a commitment to order 64 additional turbines from its partner, Vestas. “ This wind farm has become a symbol of resilience and faith in the Ukrainian energy sector, as it was built by Ukrainians during a full-scale war just 100 km away from the front,” DTEK observed in an update on the project earlier this year. DTEK also noted that the new wind power plant incorporates new technologies aimed at increasing the capacity of Ukraine’s transmission connections with Europe. “Ukraine needs distributed generation, including wind power, more than ever,” DTEK emphasized. They did not let the grass grow under their feet. In 2023, the company also began planning for the 650-megawatt DTEK Poltavska Wind Power Plant, to be located on lands of the Hlobyne territorial community in Poltava Oblast. The wind farm, including environmental studies , is moving forward, with construction slated for 2025. Vestas is just one of the non-domestic energy stakeholders supporting Ukraine’s transition to wind power and other renewables. Another example is the UK firm Elementum Energy , which is focusing on operations in western Ukraine. Last year, the company added 60 megawatts of wind power to the Ukrainian grid with the completion of Phase 2 of the Dnistrovska Wind Farm. This year, the company took the final steps towards acquiring a group of wind power projects totaling 200 megawatts, described in an email to CleanTechnica earlier this week. “This project demonstrates the critical role of business in recovery and sustainable development during uncertain times,” explains the Elementum’s Managing Director, Olga Rybachuk. In addition to its own investment, Elementum expects funding from international development banks and credit agencies as well as local banks. The entire group of projects is on the fast track for construction-readiness by the end of next year. In a poke at nuclear advocates, Elementum also emphasizes that “wind farms also offer a practical and resilient solution to energy needs during crises” due to their study-to-commissioning development cycle of just three years. Wind power is just one element in Ukraine’s plans for a green recovery . Energy planners are leveraging biomass and other renewable energy resources , too, with the aim of joining the European Union as a strong contributor to decarbonization and economic development rather than coming hat in hand as a supplicant seeking aid. Considering the EU’s focus on building a new green hydrogen economy , it’s not surprising to find Ukraine focusing on green hydrogen as well. Aside from the potential for exporting green hydrogen to Europe, Ukraine will also need a robust green hydrogen industry to decarbonize its steel industry in accordance with EU standards. In a recent analysis posted by the World Economic Forum, energy analysts point out that pre-war Ukraine was the 14th largest producer of steel in the world, but it was “also one of the dirtiest in the world.” “In 2020, the Ukrainian steel industry was responsible for 48 Mt CO2, 15% of the country’s entire carbon dioxide emissions,” write Oxford University Associate Professor Vlad Mykhnenko and Alli Devlin, Senior Decarbonisation Advisor for the organization ResponsibleSteel . Mykhnenko and Devlin note that Ukraine has already developed a near zero emission roadmap to decarbonize its steel industry with the assumption that it will join the EU. “This makes Ukraine’s steel decarbonisation non-negotiable,” they emphasize. With EU accession in mind, the two analysts also make the case for shifting the primary location of the Ukrainian steel industry from the eastern part of the country to the west, taking advantage of both land and sea transportation routes to the EU. As one of several ripple effects, the new green steel industry will also propel the demand for both green hydrogen and green ammonia fuel for steelmaking. In that context, Elementum Energy’s investment in wind power across the western region of Ukraine is particularly significant. Another investor of note is the German firm NOTUS Energy, which unveiled a plan last year to repurpose the site of the notorious Chernobyl nuclear disaster for wind power and other renewables in partnership with the Ukrainian transmission stakeholder Ukrenergo. NOTUS’s initial studies yielded the potential for a 1-gigawatt wind power opportunity. “A wind farm of this size would make a substantial contribution to the expansion of renewable energies in Ukraine and strengthen the independence and decentralization of the Ukrainian energy supply,” explained the Ukrainian branch of the firm, NOTUS energo Ukraina. Next steps include radiation and environmental analyses as well as an assessment of the transmission infrastructure. That could take a while, so stay tuned for more on that. Despite the lessons of Chernobyl, Ukrainian energy planners have not entirely ditched the idea of expanding nuclear capacity. At COP28 last year, Ukraine joined the US and 20 or so other nations in endorsing a declaration calling for a tripling of nuclear energy globally . Nevertheless, the US and other members of the international community have raised grave concerns about nuclear power plant security in the face of Russia’s continued attacks on civilian infrastructure. Against this backdrop, wind power advocates and other renewable energy stakeholders have a strong case to make for transitioning to a low carbon economy without the risk of another nuclear disaster. Follow me via LinkTree , or @tinamcasey on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Photo (cropped): Wind power continues to add megawatts of clean power to the Ukrainian electricity grid, even as Russia continues its drive to demolish the country’s energy infrastructure (Dnistrovska wind power plant courtesy of Elementum Energy, via email). CleanTechnica's Comment Policy LinkedIn WhatsApp Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit

So, you went a little crazy during the recent Black Friday and bought too many items you don’t need. Or you want to discard items that no longer spark joy. Perhaps you’re strapped for cash but you still need to get some last-minute birthday gifts or Christmas shopping. Or you need some items and you know secondhand works just fine. Whatever situation you find yourself in, thrift stores can be the light at the end of the tunnel. They breathe new life into secondhand items – whether they’re impulse buys, gently used, or ready for a new chapter. Thrift stores are also treasure troves for those on a budget or eco-conscious shoppers looking to revive pre-loved items. What sets Thryft apart? Artificial intelligence (AI). Thryft leverages AI to handle the tedious administrative work that typically bogs down secondhand stores, such as pricing, cataloguing, and inventory management. This automation frees up resources and allows the Thryft team to focus on other matters requiring the human touch, such as strategising the growth of the brand and coming up with initiatives like item giveaways, book clubs, and themed promotions at their retail space located in Cendex Centre at Lower Delta Road. BUILDING ON A CIRCULAR ECONOMY ON CAMPUS Thryft’s journey began in 2019. Five schoolmates at Yale-NUS College recognised the value of secondhand items and wanted to expand on the secondhand market they observed on campus. “There was this group on Yale NUS’ Facebook called For Sale For Free, where students would give away stuff they didn’t need anymore, most of which were books,” said Eddie Lim, one co-founder and Thryft’s current chief executive officer. The 27-year-old added: “It was like Carousell or Olio for Yale NUS but so much better because we stayed so close to each other in dorms and we could give away or sell our stuff easily.” From his experiences in the Facebook group, Lim realised just how much “stuff” a lot of people owned but didn’t really use anymore. Another co-founder and Thryft’s current chief marketing officer, Choy Jia Yu, said that she too recognised the demand for secondhand items. “I’ve always been into secondhand items, and I was inspired by my mum who was often eco-conscious in her own way,” said the 25-year-old, who majored in Environmental Studies. “I liked to figure out ways to extend the life of an item beyond its single use.” In school, Choy and a few friends organised a few pop-up events where they collected old clothes and books, resold them, and donated the proceeds to a cause. However, when handling the operations of these events, Choy and her friends quickly realised how tiresome the process was: “It wasn’t straightforward at all, a lot of manual work had to be done.” She gave the example of reselling an old book. Before listing the item, the team needs to identify the publisher and genre, determine its retail price, assess its condition, look for defects, estimate a reselling price, and write a description of the book. “It was too much work to handle,” Choy said. “Even though the demand and supply for secondhand items were there, there was a huge operational and logistical gap in between.” Lim compared the secondhand market’s potential to large e-commerce platforms like the now-defunct Book Depository, which offered both competitive prices and convenient home deliveries. While secondhand items often come with attractive prices, the buying and selling experience often lacks convenience. “It’s quite leceh (troublesome) to individually list down or photograph the stuff you own but wanna give away, and this doesn’t count the hassle of negotiating or the need to travel somewhere inconvenient,” said Lim. “So people just keep their stuff and let it gather dust at home.” MAKING THE SECONDHAND MARKET MORE ACCESSIBLE Their experiences gave Lim an idea: “What if we could make the secondhand market more convenient and efficient, such that owners can easily give away their stuff at a value, and people looking for stuff can find them easily, too?” That’s when Lim, who majored in mathematical, computational and statistical sciences, was moved to build a tool to solve that. With a few peers, Lim coded a basic AI-powered tool that automated much of the manual work he and Choy struggled with when listing secondhand items. At this time, the name “Thryft” came to them and one of its early iterations included a campus drop-off point where students, staff members, and the public could leave their old books. Using the algorithmic tool Lim developed, the books were assigned a value in "points." These points allowed users to purchase other secondhand books that Thryft listed without spending any money. Lim refers to their AI-powered tool as the "Price Predictor", but it’s capable of much more than just pricing. Here’s how it works: Take a photo of an old book you’d like to sell and upload it into the app. The technology then processes the image and generates key details automatically, including: All this happens with just a photo and a few answered questions. If the system gets anything wrong, Lim can manually correct it. With items like vintage or rare books, a lot more input may be needed, but the tech will do the heavy lifting of the administrative work. The tool solved many of the problems Lim and Choy mentioned, and soon, the team managed to collect hundreds of books, catalogue them, and tag them with a reselling price using the tool they got. Since its founding in 2019, the original team of five—comprising Lim, Choy, a tech expert, a business developer, and an operations lead—along with a full-time worker and several Yale-NUS student interns, expanded Thryft while managing their studies. Initially, Thryft participated in pop-up events and collaborations with other organisations. In 2020, using their own savings and earnings from reselling books and clothes, the team rented a space to store their growing inventory of secondhand items. During the pandemic, they leveraged initiatives like startup loans from local banks, allowing them to scale further by renting more storage space to accommodate increasing donations. A RETAIL SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY In late 2021, Thryft gained traction through Instagram and word of mouth. This publicity helped them secure funding from angel investors, enabling the team to move to a larger warehouse and host pop-up events at venues like The Projector and Coronation Plaza throughout 2022. Over the years, Lim and the team enhanced the tool’s accuracy and automated additional functions. For example, once an item is photographed, it is automatically uploaded to Thryft’s backend system and added to the database without any manual input. After verification, the AI updates the data and lists the item on the Thryft website , making it ready for users to browse and purchase online By the end of that year, most of the founding team had graduated and moved on to other pursuits, leaving Lim and Choy as the remaining co-founders to lead Thryft’s growth. In 2023, after years of pop-ups, Thryft opened its first retail space at Peace Centre, which operated for five months until Jan 2024, when the mall closed down . While having an entirely online space may seem more economically sound and efficient, Lim and Choy emphasised the unique value of having a physical store where customers could experience the "vibes" of a secondhand shop. There, people need not wait for pop-up events. The space allows people to sift through various books, clothes and children’s items, and be surprised by the “treasures” they can find in another person’s “trash”. When Peace Centre closed in January 2024, knowing that they needed another retail space, Lim and Choy soon found another home at Lower Delta Road and opened in September. The space is expansive, with shelves brimming with books across various genres – from travel non-fiction and political memoirs to young adult fiction and children’s storybooks. There are also racks of jeans in various colours and sizes, alongside dresses, blouses, and tops suitable for both parties and workwear. Thryft has come a long way. Beyond the familiar shelves of books and racks of clothes seen at their pop-up events, the retail space features unique additions like a display wall showcasing secondhand vinyl records, a recent addition to their inventory. Visitors can even play these records on a turntable tucked in the corner. Another interactive feature of the space is a large set of tables with papers plastered onto them in the centre of the store. Here, visitors could pick up pens or markers to draw anything they’d like or respond to the questions written on the paper, like “Why do you shop secondhand?” or “What do you do for the environment?” There’s also a cosy corner featuring rare and vintage books, some dating back to the early 1900s. Next to them are vintage comic books, well-maintained and carefully restored for the next owner to marvel at. Throughout the store, there are also inviting nooks and seats that provide a space for visitors to slow down, pick up a book, and simply read or relax. People can also drop off their items at the store. Thryft accepts books, clothes, vinyl records, card and board games, console games, children's toys, selected sporting goods categories, and selected electronics, based on their guidelines . For those who'd like the convenience, you can opt for the courier pickup, where the Thryft team will collect your items from your house for $10 per box (up to 10kg), simply by filling up a form on their website . Using their AI tool, Thryft can identify the items and assign an estimated reselling price. In return, you’ll receive the equivalent dollar value of your items in Thryft credits via a gift card, which can be used to purchase other secondhand items in their online or physical store. “A lot of people say they want to buy secondhand for all kinds of reasons, whether it’s to save money or be more eco-conscious, but the problem was that people didn’t know where or how,” Lim said. “We hope Thryft can get people to shop secondhand without burning out with the laborious manual and administrative tasks," he added. "Instead, they can focus on the joy in finding pre-loved treasure."Chris Cenac Jr., the top center in the Class of 2025 according to the ESPN100, has committed to play for the Houston Cougars. The five-star recruit announced his decision Tuesday via the Bleacher Report's B/R App. Cenac previously said he wouldn't make his decision until the spring, but his stock soared over the summer after his impressive play on the Puma Pro 16 circuit with Dallas-based YGC, vaulting him into the national top-10 rankings. The 6-foot-10 New Orleans native was reportedly choosing between LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Tennessee and others before making the decision to join Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson's team. "I just like the coaching staff a lot, I like their plan to develop me and I like coming into a winning program," Cenac told 247Sports. "I'm looking forward to producing and just helping them win more. But the main thing was development and them being able to get me better so I can be ready for that next level." Cenac's rating of .9978 by 247Sports Composite makes him the Cougars' highest-rated commit in the modern era, according to multiple outlets. "They see me as a four who can kind of play all over the court and do everything," Cenac told 247Sports. "I can get rebounds, push the ball, shoot and play all over the floor." With Cenac joining other Houston commits like five-star shooting guard Isaiah Harwell, four-star point guard Kingston Flemings and three-star wing Bryce Jackson, Houston's Class of 2025 is ranked No. 2 in the nation by 247Sports and ESPN. --Field Level Media

Major poll puts Ireland’s lead parties near neck-and-neckStake, Predict, and Race: This Web3 Gaming Platform Combines AI with Meme Culture

The closer a Prince Rupert woman looked at the deer in her yard, the stranger things became for her. “It was the first time I’ve seen anything like that; it was pretty bizarre,” said Joan Dudoward. Dudoward is a senior residing on 11th Avenue East in Prince Rupert. A flash of movement caught her eye as she scrubbed her breakfast plates on a typical Wednesday morning. Peeking out the window above her sink, she gasped— a majestic buck with massive antlers stood gracefully in her yard. “As soon as I noticed the huge buck, I ran and grabbed my camera to photograph it. I’ve been taking photos since I was a teenager...I photograph everything,” she said. She says he cozied up to lie on the grass and stayed for about half an hour. “He was wiggling his ears so I zoomed in and noticed a tag clipped on him,” she said. “I thought, why is this dear clipped? I got very concerned.” Dudoward, driven by her curiosity, noted that one side of the clip was labelled “BC WILDLIFE 06-529,” while the other read “CALL RAP: 877-952-7227.” It was suspicious because the number displayed is very similar but different from the official number of B.C.’s Conservation Officer Service, which is 1-877-952-7277. Also, the legitimate acronym for their hotline, Report All Poachers and Polluters, is “RAPP,” not “RAP,” as indicated on the tag. She called the number on the neon green tag to inquire about the buck, but reached a woman who spoke to her very hurriedly, she said. The woman, who identified herself as Jessica, wanted to send Dudoward a “free medical alert device” that she could wear around her neck. “We’re very excited to tell you about a special promotion for select callers,” Dudoward recalls the woman saying. She was then asked questions such as her age to check eligibility. Jessica then explained that as a senior, the device would help her in emergencies, such as falls, by alerting her immediate contacts. To proceed with delivery, she said she needed some personal information from Dudoward, such as her address. Then, Dudoward was abruptly transferred to another agent who continued the call. But when she tried to ask her about the buck and why the agency had clipped its number on his ear, they wouldn’t respond but instead continued to promote their products “That’s just cruelty to animals. They are targeting seniors for sure, and hurting the deer in the process,” said Dudoward. She wondered how they must have handled the wild animal to dart him. She questioned, “Did they sedate him? What exactly happened there?” She was absolutely shocked. Dudoward couldn’t comprehend why B.C. Wildlife, a legitimate organization, would have put this company’s number on the buck’s ear. The incident reminded her of this continued pattern of companies attempting to target elderly and vulnerable individuals. “I also have my mother’s old number, and it gets scam calls all the time,” she said. “How can they do that? Especially to seniors. They are trying to decide if they should pay the rent or get medication,” said Dudoward in frustration. She proceeded to contact the legitimate conservation officer’s number, who, like the local RCMP, didn’t pay much heed to her situation, she said. The next day, Dudoward called the agency’s number on the tag again, and the conversation took a completely different turn. Now, the agent asked if she was 18 and was promoting products aimed at youth. They informed her that she needed to pay $3 through a call paywall to proceed to the next step, during which she would be directed to the free products for which she was eligible. “The message keeps changing; this is so strange,” said Dudoward. The Northern View investigated the call and found that it was an intricately designed AI automated voice call. The system guides the caller through different phases by detecting both their spoken responses and the number keys they press. Contrary to Dudoward’s initial belief, it wasn’t a live human speaking to her, but a pre-recorded one. In fact, similar cases of fraud involving medical alert devices have happened in the U.S. before, prompting the New York State Department of State and the Minnesota Attorney General to issue cautionary alerts for consumers regarding these “robocalls.” The authorities advised seniors to immediately hang up, not press any keys when prompted, and avoid sharing personal information. “Fraud is the number one crime against older Canadians. Though people of all ages can be victims of fraud, older people get targeted more than others,” states the Canadian Government on its website. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) says that there have been 40,623 reports of fraud this year up to Oct. 31, resulting in a loss of $503 million. Vishing is a social engineering technique that uses voice communication technology. It involves fraudulent phone calls to trick the victim into revealing personal data. The CAFC advises caution during phone calls. They urge people not to hesitate to say no if something feels off and not to feel pressured by urgency or time limits. They also encourage taking enough time to research before sharing personal information. The Northern View contacted the B.C. Wildlife Federation for a comment regarding the tag on the buck. “The Conservation Officer Service darted this deer Nov. 5 to remove wires wrapped around its antlers. The tag is legitimate, but unfortunately has the wrong number on it for RAPP. The new versions of the tag have the correct number and COS will stop using these older tags,” said Jesse Zeman, executive director at B.C. Wildlife Federation. Although the exact cause of this mistake is unclear, anyone who suspects fraud should contact CAFC at 1-888-495-8501 or their local police.Future of Brain Computer Interface Just a few years ago, it still looked like something out of a science fiction movie. But brain-computer interfaces (often abbreviated BCI) are the way of the future. It’s not just that we’ve been able to harness EEG and similar technologies to reveal what brain waves are doing, going along with thought input. It’s also that artificial intelligence has been able to help us decode the brain’s movement to a very granular level. A lot of modern work on this has been done by the Fluid Interfaces group at MIT. This lab is run by eminent scientist Patty Maes, who is also an award-winning author on the subject. “The question that we ask in our research group,” she explains in a video on the Fluid Interfaces web page “is whether our digital devices can help us with becoming the person we want to be.” Investigating Approaches to BCI Researching items like biofeedback glasses and headsets, the group is hoping to implement solutions that really do enhance our lives. And they’re getting closer. Nataliya Kosmyna works in the Fluid Interfaces group. Right now, she says in a recent TED talk, these kinds of brain computer interface are generally limited to serving people with motor difficulty or other disabilities. However, they may soon become as abundant as, say, biometric fingerprint technologies, because every person‘s thought is unique. Microsoft Warns 400 Million Windows Users—Do Not Update Your PC ‘Black Doves’ Dethroned In Netflix’s Top 10 List By A New Show Google’s Security Nightmare—Just 14 Days To Change Your Phone Deciphering Behavioral Input Kosmyna describes some of the behaviors that AI-related neuroscience can measure with EEG waves as training data. That includes a person‘s reaction when faced with a confusing statement, or their brain activity as they answer multiple science questions on a test. All of this, she suggests, can generate the kinds of training data sets that allow the technology to learn more about how we think. Then that gets applied to other personal data, and the result is a pretty good understanding of human brain activity. “We are getting more dimensions of data,” she says. “We are getting better and better.” Range of BCI readings Wearables for the Future As Kosmyna points out, part of our notion of cybernetic capabilities involves implants. We’ve often thought that when this technology comes online, powerful interests will want it embedded inside of our brains, or at least under the skin. However, the types of solutions being pioneered now are non-invasive, and some hope to keep it that way. “You can take it off,” Kosmyna explains of the headsets that are a less permanent way to test human brain activity. Governments, she says, are exploring creative uses for this. And then there’s a new means of controlling vehicles... “You can take it off anytime you want – you can control it, “she says of a device for driving drones. “No implant needed. You can even control a spacecraft if you want.” This sort of tech, she says, is being researched by NASA as simulators for flight launch. “Here on earth, it’s fight or flight response for each of us, every single day,” she adds, “and it takes this level of detail and the devices we build to understand the brain better.” How do we harness this technology for good? Keep an eye on what researchers at MIT and others are doing around the ability of digital tools to, in effect, read our minds.

The Liberal candidate in a federal byelection in British Columbia says she is applying for Métis membership after a local group questioned her claims of Indigenous identity. Madison Fleischer says in a written statement that she self-identifies as Métis based on what she knows about her great-grandmother’s heritage and is “collecting the necessary documentation to go through the application process” for citizenship with B.C.‘s Métis Nation. In the meantime, Fleischer, who is the candidate in the Dec. 16 byelection in Cloverdale-Langley City, says she has removed “Métis” from her social media profile descriptions to ensure there is “no confusion” about her Indigenous status. Her response comes after the Waceya Métis Society — which describes itself as a chartered community representing Métis people in the Langley and White Rock regions of B.C.‘s Lower Mainland — said in a release that it “wishes to distance itself from Madison’s claims of Métis identity.” The society says it met with Fleischer over the weekend to discuss her claims of Métis identity but was “disappointed that she could not provide any evidence to support her Métis heritage.” The attention on Fleischer comes after Edmonton Centre Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault left cabinet last week amid questions about his shifting claims of Indigenous heritage and his business dealings. In her statement, Fleischer says she has “always been vocal about not yet holding Métis Nation British Columbia citizenship.” The Waceya Métis Society says it has asked Fleischer to “properly research and verify her Indigenous heritage before making any further public assertions.” “In this meeting, Madison was unable to substantiate her claims with any documentation or historical connections to Métis communities,” the society says about their Nov. 23 meeting with Fleischer. “The integrity of Métis identity is not to be taken lightly, especially in public office, where the representation of our community must be accurate, respectful, and legitimate.” Cloverdale-Langley City was previously held by Liberal John Aldag, who resigned to run for MLA with the B.C. New Democrats. Aldag was defeated by B.C. Conservative candidate Harman Bhangu in the Langley-Abbotsford seat in the Oct. 19 provincial election. Fleischer, whose Liberal party biography calls her a small-business owner who operates a public relations firm in Langley, is going up against candidates including federal Conservative Tamara Jansen, who held the seat from 2019 to 2021 before losing a close race to Aldag. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.St. Luke’s Miners’ nurse celebrates 50-year milestoneBy LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — In an angry outburst in a New York courtroom, Rudy Giuliani accused a judge Tuesday of making wrong assumptions about him as he tries to comply with an order requiring him to turn over most of his assets to two election poll workers who won a libel case against him. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman responded by saying he’s not going to let the former New York City mayor and onetime presidential candidate blurt things out anymore in court unless he’s a sworn witness. The interruption to an otherwise routine pretrial hearing in Manhattan came as the judge questioned Giuliani’s lawyer about why Giuliani has not yet provided the title to a car he has relinquished in his effort to satisfy a $148 million defamation judgment won by two former Georgia election workers. “Your client was the U.S. attorney for this district,” the judge said, referring to Giuliani’s years in the 1980s as the head of the federal prosecutor’s office in the Southern District of New York, as he suggested it was hard to believe that Giuliani was incapable of getting a duplicate title to the car. Giuliani learned forward and began speaking into a microphone, telling the judge he had applied for a duplicate copy of the car’s title but that it had not yet arrived. “The implication I’ve been not diligent about it is totally incorrect,” Giuliani said in a scolding tone. “The implication you make is against me and every implication against me is wrong.” Giuliani went on: “I’m not impoverished. Everything I have is tied up. I don’t have a car. I don’t have a credit card. I don’t have cash. I can’t get to bank accounts that truly would be mine because they have put ... stop orders on, for example, my Social Security account, which they have no right to do.” Liman responded by warning defense lawyers that the next time Giuliani interrupts a hearing, “he’s not going to be permitted to speak and the court will take action.” The judge said Giuliani could either choose to represent himself or let lawyers do so, but “you can’t have hybrid representation.” If Giuliani wants to speak in court again, he can be put on the witness stand and be sworn as a witness, Liman added. The exchange came at a hearing in which the judge refused to delay a Jan. 16 trial over the disposition of Giuliani’s Florida residence and World Series rings. Those are two sets of assets that Giuliani is trying to shield from confiscation as part of Liman’s order to turn over many prized possessions to the poll workers. Earlier in the proceeding, defense attorney Joseph M. Cammarata asked Liman to delay the trial, which will be heard without a jury, for a month because of Giuliani’s “involvement” in inauguration planning for President-elect Donald Trump. “My client regularly consults and deals directly with President-elect Trump on issues that are taking place as the incoming administration is afoot as well as (the) inauguration,” Cammarata said. “My client wants to exercise his political right to be there.” The judge turned down the request, saying Giuliani’s “social calendar” was not a reason to postpone the trial. Giuliani, who once served as Trump’s personal attorney, was found liable last year for defaming two Georgia poll workers by falsely accusing them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election. The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they sneaked in ballots in suitcases, counted ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines.

Oaxaca de Juárez, México, Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dickey’s Barbecue Pit , the world’s largest barbecue concept, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its first location in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. The new store, led by local entrepreneur and franchisee Jonathan Rosas Blanco, marks a pivotal milestone in Dickey’s international expansion, bringing authentic, slow-smoked barbecue to a new audience of food lovers. This opening is part of an ambitious plan to continue growing the brand’s footprint in key Mexican markets, including CDMX and Monterrey. To celebrate the launch, Dickey’s pulled out all the stops with a three-day grand opening event, delighting the community with their legendary flavors and famous hospitality. The celebration featured a special Grand Opening (G.O.) offer, with guests enjoying one of Dickey’s Classic Pulled Pork or Marinated Chicken Breast Sandwiches for only 99 pesos, available through November 24th. Excitement reached new heights as 83 lucky adults received Big Yellow Tickets, granting them the opportunity to enjoy Dickey’s barbecue for the next year. “We are beyond excited to bring our beloved Texas-style barbecue to Oaxaca de Juárez, with more expansion planned in the coming months,” said Jonathan Rosas Blanco, local franchisee and visionary behind the Mexico expansion. “It is a privilege to introduce the community to Dickey’s rich history, quality food, and warm hospitality. This is just the beginning of our journey in Mexico.” Dickey’s leadership expressed their enthusiasm for this new chapter in international growth. “We’re honored to bring authentic barbecue to Oaxaca de Juárez and support passionate entrepreneurs like Jonathan as he spearheads our expansion into Mexico,” said Roland Dickey , Jr., CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group. “The energy and excitement around this opening show that there is a real appetite for our brand’s flavors and traditions.” Laura Rea Dickey , CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., added, “We’re incredibly proud to continue sharing our pit-smoked heritage with the world, and this new location in Oaxaca de Juárez is a testament to the strong demand for Dickey’s experience internationally. We look forward to building lasting connections in Mexico.” Jim Perkins, Executive Vice President of International Development for Dickey’s, commented on the significance of this launch. “This store represents an important step in our international strategy, and it showcases our ability to adapt and thrive in new markets with the help of dedicated franchisees like Jonathan.” The Oaxaca de Juárez opening is the first of many planned locations for Mexico, with additional stores expected in CDMX and Monterrey in the near future. Dickey’s continues to bring its signature blend of authentic, pit-smoked barbecue and exceptional service to communities worldwide. About Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Founded in 1941 by The Dickey Family, Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. is the world’s largest barbecue concept and continues as a third-generation family-run business. For over 80 years, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has served millions with its signature Legit. Texas. Barbecue.TM Slow-smoked over hickory wood-burning pits, Dickey’s barbecued meats are paired with a variety of southern sides. Committed to authentic barbecue, Dickey’s never takes shortcuts—because real barbecue can’t be rushed. With over 866 restaurants across eight concepts in the U.S. and several countries, Dickey’s Barbecue Franchise and Dickey’s Restaurant Brands continues to grow under the leadership of Roland Dickey, Jr ., CEO of Dickey’s Capital Group, and Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Inc. Dickey’s has been recognized on Newsweek’s 2022 "America’s Favorite Restaurant Chains" list, Nation’s Restaurant News 2024 top fast-casual brands for value, and USA Today’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. The brand has also ranked in the Top 20 of Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers and Shakers” for four of the past five years. Additional accolades include Entrepreneur's Top 500 Franchise and Hospitality Technology’s Industry Heroes list. The brand has been featured by Fox News, Forbes, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine . For more information, visit www.dickeys.com . For information about becoming a franchise partner, visit www.dickeysfranchise.com. Attachment Jonathan Rosas Blanco and AbrilSANTA CLARA, Calif. — Building the current crop of artificial intelligence chatbots has relied on specialized computer chips pioneered by Nvidia, which dominates the market and made itself the poster child of the AI boom. But the same qualities that make those graphics processor chips, or GPUs, so effective at creating powerful AI systems from scratch make them less efficient at putting AI products to work. That’s opened up the AI chip industry to rivals who think they can compete with Nvidia in selling so-called AI inference chips that are more attuned to the day-to-day running of AI tools and designed to reduce some of the huge computing costs of generative AI. “These companies are seeing opportunity for that kind of specialized hardware,” said Jacob Feldgoise, an analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology. “The broader the adoption of these models, the more compute will be needed for inference and the more demand there will be for inference chips.” It takes a lot of computing power to make an AI chatbot. It starts with a process called training or pretraining — the “P” in ChatGPT — that involves AI systems “learning” from the patterns of huge troves of data. GPUs are good at doing that work because they can run many calculations at a time on a network of devices in communication with each other. However, once trained, a generative AI tool still needs chips to do the work — such as when you ask a chatbot to compose a document or generate an image. That’s where inferencing comes in. A trained AI model must take in new information and make inferences from what it already knows to produce a response. GPUs can do that work, too. But it can be a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. “With training, you’re doing a lot heavier, a lot more work. With inferencing, that’s a lighter weight,” said Forrester analyst Alvin Nguyen. That’s led startups like Cerebras, Groq and d-Matrix as well as Nvidia’s traditional chipmaking rivals — such as AMD and Intel — to pitch more inference-friendly chips as Nvidia focuses on meeting the huge demand from bigger tech companies for its higher-end hardware. D-Matrix was founded in 2019 — a bit late to the AI chip game, as CEO Sid Sheth explained during a recent interview at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California, the same Silicon Valley city that’s also home to AMD, Intel and Nvidia. “There were already 100-plus companies. So when we went out there, the first reaction we got was ‘you’re too late,’” he said. The pandemic’s arrival six months later didn’t help as the tech industry pivoted to focus on software to serve remote work. Now, however, Sheth sees a big market in AI inferencing, comparing that later stage of machine learning to how human beings apply the knowledge they acquired in school. “We spent the first 20 years of our lives going to school, educating ourselves. That’s training, right?” he said. “And then the next 40 years of your life, you kind of go out there and apply that knowledge — and then you get rewarded for being efficient.” The product, called Corsair, consists of two chips with four chiplets each, made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. — the same manufacturer of most of Nvidia’s chips — and packaged together in a way that helps to keep them cool. The chips are designed in Santa Clara, assembled in Taiwan and then tested back in California. Testing is a long process and can take six months — if anything is off, it can be sent back to Taiwan. D-Matrix workers were doing final testing on the chips during a recent visit to a laboratory with blue metal desks covered with cables, motherboards and computers, with a cold server room next door. While tech giants like Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft have been gobbling up the supply of costly GPUs in a race to outdo each other in AI development, makers of AI inference chips are aiming for a broader clientele. Forrester’s Nguyen said that could include Fortune 500 companies that want to make use of new generative AI technology without having to build their own AI infrastructure. Sheth said he expects a strong interest in AI video generation. “The dream of AI for a lot of these enterprise companies is you can use your own enterprise data,” Nguyen said. “Buying (AI inference chips) should be cheaper than buying the ultimate GPUs from Nvidia and others. But I think there’s going to be a learning curve in terms of integrating it.” Feldgoise said that, unlike training-focused chips, AI inference work prioritizes how fast a person will get a chatbot’s response. He said another whole set of companies is developing AI hardware for inference that can run not just in big data centers but locally on desktop computers, laptops and phones. Better-designed chips could bring down the huge costs of running AI to businesses. That could also affect the environmental and energy costs for everyone else. Sheth says the big concern right now is, “are we going to burn the planet down in our quest for what people call AGI — human-like intelligence?” It’s still fuzzy when AI might get to the point of artificial general intelligence — predictions range from a few years to decades. But, Sheth notes, only a handful of tech giants are on that quest. “But then what about the rest?” he said. “They cannot be put on the same path.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Prior to this week's installment of "Monday Night Football," ESPN personality Jason Kelce talked about his experiences going up against Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs. This wasn't just a random topic to spark conversation about the Kelce family. ESPN's Scott Van Pelt wanted to hear Jason's perspective on sibling rivalries because Monday night's game featured the Harbaugh brothers, Jim and John. They have their respective teams, the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens, in playoff contention. Even though Kelce has a ton of respect for his younger brother, he admit on national TV that it was "annoying" competing against Travis. "It's annoying is what it is," Jason said. "Because he's so good, that's why. I was only fortunate to be Trav once. When you're out there on the field getting ready to play your brother, there's something about seeing your brother there that you get these flashbacks to being out in the backyard playing football again." "It's annoying. ... They were very good." — @JasonKelce on playing against Travis Kelce and the Chiefs 🤣 pic.twitter.com/poANNqEdgQ Unfortunately for Jason, his squad fell short to Travis and the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. The Philadelphia Eagles had a 24-14 lead at halftime before ultimately crumbling in the final quarter of the big game. Travis Kelce had six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl LVII. Immediately after capturing the Lombardi Trophy, he embraced his older brother on the field. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Last year, Travis talked about defeating Jason in the Super Bowl and how it was such a bittersweet moment. "It was weird, man. It was weird," Travis said . "It was a weird feeling, it was like ... getting the second one was like, 'This is me! I am him! I do this! This is what I [expletive] do!' And then you see your brother and you're like, '[Expletive] I just took that opportunity away from him.' You know how he feels. Because I lost a [expletive] Super Bowl, and that [expletive] sucks. Going into the Tampa Bay Super Bowl, that [expletive] was the worst feeling ever." Despite all the jokes they've made in public, it's clear the Kelce brothers have nothing but love for each other. Related: Congratulations Are Pouring In For Kylie Kelce On Her Business AnnouncementMeet The Parents 4 slammed by fans as Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller reunite for sequel: 'Nobody needs this'

Silicon Beach Programme aims to make coastal K’taka next tech hub

Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — In an angry outburst in a New York courtroom, Rudy Giuliani accused a judge Tuesday of making wrong assumptions about him as he tries to comply with an order requiring him to turn over most of his assets to two election poll workers who won a libel case against him. U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman responded by saying he’s not going to let the former New York City mayor and onetime presidential candidate blurt things out anymore in court unless he’s a sworn witness. The interruption to an otherwise routine pretrial hearing in Manhattan came as the judge questioned Giuliani’s lawyer about why Giuliani has not yet provided the title to a car he has relinquished in his effort to satisfy a $148 million defamation judgment won by two former Georgia election workers. “Your client was the U.S. attorney for this district,” the judge said, referring to Giuliani’s years in the 1980s as the head of the federal prosecutor’s office in the Southern District of New York, as he suggested it was hard to believe that Giuliani was incapable of getting a duplicate title to the car. Giuliani learned forward and began speaking into a microphone, telling the judge he had applied for a duplicate copy of the car’s title but that it had not yet arrived. “The implication I’ve been not diligent about it is totally incorrect,” Giuliani said in a scolding tone. “The implication you make is against me and every implication against me is wrong.” Giuliani went on: “I’m not impoverished. Everything I have is tied up. I don’t have a car. I don’t have a credit card. I don’t have cash. I can’t get to bank accounts that truly would be mine because they have put ... stop orders on, for example, my Social Security account, which they have no right to do.” Liman responded by warning defense lawyers that the next time Giuliani interrupts a hearing, “he’s not going to be permitted to speak and the court will take action.” The judge said Giuliani could either choose to represent himself or let lawyers do so, but “you can’t have hybrid representation.” If Giuliani wants to speak in court again, he can be put on the witness stand and be sworn as a witness, Liman added. The exchange came at a hearing in which the judge refused to delay a Jan. 16 trial over the disposition of Giuliani’s Florida residence and World Series rings. Those are two sets of assets that Giuliani is trying to shield from confiscation as part of Liman’s order to turn over many prized possessions to the poll workers. Earlier in the proceeding, defense attorney Joseph M. Cammarata asked Liman to delay the trial, which will be heard without a jury, for a month because of Giuliani’s “involvement” in inauguration planning for President-elect Donald Trump. “My client regularly consults and deals directly with President-elect Trump on issues that are taking place as the incoming administration is afoot as well as (the) inauguration,” Cammarata said. “My client wants to exercise his political right to be there.” The judge turned down the request, saying Giuliani’s “social calendar” was not a reason to postpone the trial. Giuliani, who once served as Trump’s personal attorney, was found liable last year for defaming two Georgia poll workers by falsely accusing them of tampering with ballots during the 2020 presidential election. The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani falsely claimed they sneaked in ballots in suitcases, counted ballots multiple times and tampered with voting machines.

Maryland vs. Bucknell in men’s bsketball | PHOTOS

From Maui to the Caribbean, Thanksgiving tournaments a beloved part of college basketballKUWAIT CITY, Dec 14: According to a recent report from the Ministry of Health, the Sabah Specialized Medical Zone accounts for approximately 21 percent of the total healthcare personnel working in the ministry. These personnel are distributed throughout the Sabah General Hospital and other specialized centers and hospitals in the zone, which includes 14 centers and specialized hospitals, reports Al-Jarida daily. It revealed that the total number of physicians working in the ministry exceeds 12,000, and the number of nurses, both male and female, is around 23,000. In a related development, Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi said the health and well-being of children and newborns is a top priority for the ministry, stressing that the ministry is constantly working to enhance health services for children through various initiatives. In a speech delivered by the Assistant Undersecretary of Health for Supportive Medical Services Dr. Abdullah Al-Fars on his behalf at the opening of the 8th Kuwait Conference on Pediatric Neurology, which will run for two days, he highlighted initiatives such as the establishment of specialized health facilities and efforts to increase awareness of children’s diseases. He explained that these initiatives include raising awareness about children’s neurological diseases and ways to combat them. The ministry is focused on supporting modern medical research, attracting qualified medical professionals in the field of pediatrics, and providing the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies, such as epilepsy monitoring devices. He affirmed the ministry’s commitment to developing pediatric neurology in various hospitals by equipping them with the latest medical devices and supplies, all under the supervision of a distinguished group of qualified Kuwaiti professionals

Crossing the Uncanny Valley: Breakthrough in technology for lifelike facial expressions in androidsRelief, defiance, anger: Families and advocates react to Biden's death row commutationscast of no way out the roulette 。

Romanian politicians have voted in favour of a new pro-European coalition government led by incumbent Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. The move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania’s 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL), the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a parliamentary election on December 1 a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Mr Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis,” he said. “It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romania’s 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It is widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. Mr Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. After parliament’s approval, President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government and warned the new Cabinet that it is entering a “difficult new period” in which “for many Romanians, there are major concerns”. Romania was plunged into turmoil after Mr Georgescu’s surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the December 8 run-off, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Mr Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we’ll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Mr Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organise the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said that the new government made up of the same political parties will likely embrace “soft populist” rhetoric such as economic patriotism, anti-austerity, and a peace solution in neighbouring Ukraine to counter the rise of far-right populism. “This will be a way to answer the concerns of many Romanians who voted for populists... but will not solve the fundamental problem of trust,” he said. “The only decisive factor now will be who and how convincing the pro-European candidates will be against this popular revolt.” George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all politicians from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Hurts remained in the NFL's concussion protocol on Monday, limiting his ability to practice this week for the Philadelphia Eagles and casting doubt on his availability for Sunday's game against Dallas. If Hurts can't play, the Eagles would turn to backup Kenny Pickett — who suffered a rib injury and couldn't protect a big lead in a 36-33 loss to Washington — with third-stringer Tanner McKee on deck. The Eagles (12-3) need to win one more game over the final two to clinch an NFC East title and one of the conference's top two seeds. Coach Nick Sirianni gave no additional health update on Hurts but did say the QB who led the Eagles to 10 straight wins before he was forced out with the head injury wouldn't need much time this week to get ready against the Cowboys, if he was cleared. “Jalen knows how to prepare,” Sirianni said. “He knows how to get himself ready. He's a true pro." The Eagles are 9 1/2-point favorites over the division rival Cowboys (7-8), per BetMGM Sportsbook. Sirianni said the Eagles would lean on the medical staff on a daily basis to know where Hurts — who threw two touchdown passes and ran for a pair of scores in the first meeting against Dallas in November — was in his recovery from the head injury. Hurts was ruled out early at Washington after his head slammed against the ground on one run and he was hit in the helmet by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu at the end of another. “He's always done a good job of protecting himself both as a passer and a runner,” Sirianni said. “Any time you lose one of your best players, you wish they'd do something else or not take that hit." Hurts shook off a sluggish start over the first four games and has thrown 18 touchdowns against just five interceptions to turn the Eagles into Super Bowl contenders. “Every time there's a player out,” Sirianni said, “there's an adjustment to be made.” What’s working Saquon Barkley and the running game. Barkley was held to 41 yards after the first quarter but 150 yards is 150 yards and he still has a shot at NFL history. Barkley leads the NFL with 1,838 yards rushing and is 268 yards away from passing Eric Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984 for the season mark. Barkley is 162 yards shy of becoming the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 yards rushing in a season. What needs help Backup QB. Pickett was 14 of 24 for 143 yards in relief, throwing a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and an interception. Pickett played his first meaningful football in a year. The Eagles use McKee as the emergency QB, but the sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft could be in the mix if Hurts sat out against Dallas. Pickett is from New Jersey and said when he was acquired from Pittsburgh that he had “great memories” of going to games at Lincoln Financial Field with his dad and grandfather since he was 5. The chance to run out of the home team tunnel — which he could get Sunday if he's the starting QB — left him absolutely delighted. Pickett, a first-round pick out of Pitt in 2022, went 14-10 as a starter for the Steelers. “I was impressed by Pickett, honestly," Washington coach Dan Quinn said Monday. "I thought he threw the ball with good accuracy to the right spots. He’s a nice athlete (who can) move, so I can see why they would want him in that system. I thought he got outside and had good scramble ability. Wasn’t surprised they didn’t run the sneaks to go through that.” Stock up Zack Baun. The linebacker barely caused a ripple on the transactions wire in March but has been arguably the MVP of the defense. He forced a fumble in the third quarter that set up a score, one of five turnovers for the Eagles. He also had two tackles for losses. Stock down The No. 1 seed. The Eagles all but cost themselves a shot at the top spot in the NFC and a bye with the late-game collapse in Washington. The Eagles will clinch the division with a victory over the Cowboys or Giants and most likely will finish with the No. 2 seed. They are one game behind both the Detroit Lions (13-2) and the Minnesota Vikings (13-2) in the NFC standings. Eagles fans can still chant, “We're No. 1!” but it's a long shot. To clinch the No. 1 seed, the Eagles need to beat Dallas and the Giants. And the Lions need to lose their last two games against San Francisco (6-9) and Minnesota. And the Vikings needs to lose to Green Bay (10-4) and beat the Lions in Week 18. Should the status quo remain, the Eagles would host Washington in a playoff game. Injuries Beyond Hurts, edge rusher Josh Sweat left with an ankle injury and defensive tackle Jordan Davis limped off in the second quarter. ... Pickett said he had his ribs X-rayed and would undergo further testing. Sirianni had no update Monday on Pickett's condition. Key number 1,000 — Brown became the first Eagles receiver to top 1,000 yards in three straight seasons since Mike Quick from 1983-85. Next steps The Eagles can clinch the division and a home playoff game with two lightweights left on the schedule, both at home. The Eagles play Dallas on Sunday in a game bumped to a 1 p.m. kickoff and end the season against the New York Giants. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Running a startup can be expensive, requiring a multitude of different subscriptions. Cap table management software, which helps founders organize their funding, can cost thousands of dollars a year. San Francisco-based Carta is the market leader in this industry. But some startup founders say Carta is making it too hard to cancel their subscriptions. The issue first surfaced on X after founder Sudarshan Sridharan of Pipeline posted about his struggles trying to cancel, writing that “I’m speechless at how anti-founder @cartainc is. They make it impossible to cancel your subscription or speak to a human support agent.” Carta required a “cancellation request” meeting with a customer success manager to end his subscription, he wrote. But slots were only available starting December 26th, well past his December 17th renewal date, the founder posted: Adam Ryan, the CEO of startup WorkWeek, also posted about only being able to schedule a cancellation request well past his renewal date. “A calendar pops up after you check a box to cancel. The next available date is 26th of December. Our renewal date is [December] 17th,” Ryan told TechCrunch. “I never completed the process. I just emailed them and told Amex it’s not approved and showed the screenshots so they can deny the vendor.” Carta told TechCrunch these issues booking a meeting to cancel were due to a “one-time staffing challenge.” “This was a one-time staffing challenge that resulted in a calendar availability issue that is currently getting addressed,” a Carta spokesperson said. “Customers who need support during this time can connect with our live Support Team via chat or phone during extended business hours.” But several of Carta’s competitors told TechCrunch that they don’t have meetings to cancel service. “Customers can fully cancel their subscription directly in the software by clicking a few buttons or by sending us an email,” said AngelList’s Sumukh Sridhara, the Founder Products Lead. “In my opinion, there is no good reason for a cap table vendor to force you to get on a call.” Pulley, another competitor, said the same thing. “At Pulley, our cancellation process is straightforward. Customers can cancel their subscription by emailing support@pulley.com. There is no requirement to book an appointment or attend a cancellation meeting (that is not a standard industry practice),” Alison Gonzalez, VP of Marketing at Pulley, said. “The cancellation request is processed upon receipt of the email, and we handle these requests as quickly as possible to ensure customers can cancel before their renewal dates.” Requiring these types of meetings runs the risk of staffing shortages delaying when a founder can cancel. In a video on Carta’s website , such meetings are shown as available the next day. But two screenshots shared by founders show such appointments as only being available in 17 days’ time for this month. Another screenshot shared exclusively with TechCrunch shows a meeting about renewal pricing (not cancelling) being available only at one highly inconvenient time this month: 6:00AM on the day after Christmas, December 26th. Carta says its appointments system is made to ensure its customers fully understand the process and migrate securities data as smoothly as possible. “We offer appointments to ensure our customers have a clear understanding of the cancellation process, best practices to mitigate impact on their shareholders and investors, and initiate for the secure and proper transfer of securities data (as customers lose Carta platform access once they no longer contract with Carta for services),” it told TechCrunch. “We understand that some customers might prefer a less tailored approach. As such, we are always open to feedback and will take feedback into account going forward.” Carta also said that its equity administration is “not solely a SaaS product” and as an SEC transfer agent , there are “different steps required than for a typical SaaS company.” But Pulley, which doesn’t use cancellation appointments, is also an SEC transfer agent, according to its own website. Lots of founders still use Carta, and the original viral post has comments from people praising the company’s product. “We switched from Carta to Diligent to try to reduce cost and it was a disaster. Switched back to Carta and will never leave again. It’s a 100x better product and keeps getting better,” posted Bill Smith, founder of Landing. Katie Jacobs Stanton, whose firm is a “small investor” in Carta and who also uses the software, posted “Gotta be a bug! They’ve been really great to our teams (and us).” Carta’s practices have come under scrutiny before. In January 2024, coding startup Linear’s founder, Karri Saarinan, accused Carta of sharing private cap table data, claiming that a Carta employee contacted one of his angel investors claiming to have an offer for his shares without notifying Saarinen first. Carta ended up exiting the secondary stock trading market, selling it this August to stock trading startup Public.

( ) stock retreated Tuesday after the company reported third quarter earnings and revenue that topped Wall Street consensus estimates. The enterprise software maker's updated fiscal 2025 revenue outlook fell short of views. Pleasanton, Calif.-based Workday reported financial results after the market close. For the quarter ending Oct. 31, Workday earnings rose 21% to $1.89 per share from a year earlier on an adjusted basis. Revenue climbed 16% to $2.16 billion, including acquisitions, slightly above views. Analysts expected Workday earnings of $1.76 a share on revenue of $2.13 billion. Workday Stock: Updated Fiscal 2025 Guidance On the , Workday stock retreated more than 7% to 249.90 in extended trading. Also, the software maker updated fiscal 2025 guidance. Workday forecast subscription revenue of $7.703 billion at the midpoint of guidance versus estimates of $7.714 billion. The company sells software for human resources management, such as payroll tools. About 70% of revenue comes from human capital management products. Also, it has expanded into financial software. Heading into the Workday earnings report, shares were down 3% in 2024. Also, WDAY stock holds a Relative Strength Rating of 54 out of a best-possible 99, according to .ATLANTA , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cousins Properties Incorporated (the "Company" or "Cousins") (NYSE:CUZ) announced today that its operating partnership, Cousins Properties LP (the "Operating Partnership"), has priced an offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of 5.375% senior unsecured notes due 2032 at 99.463% of the principal amount. The offering is expected to close on December 17, 2024 , subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Cousins intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund a portion of the purchase price of 601 West 2nd Street, also known as Sail Tower, an 804,000 square foot trophy lifestyle office property in Austin (the "Sail Tower Acquisition"), and the remainder to repay borrowings under its credit facility and for general corporate purposes. In the event the Sail Tower Acquisition is not completed, Cousins will use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition and development of office properties, other opportunistic investments and the repayment of debt. The notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the Company. J.P. Morgan, Truist Securities, US Bancorp, BofA Securities, Morgan Stanley, PNC Capital Markets LLC, TD Securities and Wells Fargo Securities are acting as joint book-running managers. A shelf registration statement relating to these securities is effective with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The offering may be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. Copies of these documents may be obtained by contacting J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York , 10179, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, 3rd Floor, telephone collect at 1-212-834-4533; Truist Securities, Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, 303 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308, telephone: 800-685-4786, or e-mail: TruistSecurities.prospectus@Truist.com ; or U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., Attention: High Grade Syndicate, 214 North Tryon Street, 26th Floor, Charlotte, NC 28202, or by telephone at: (877) 558-2607. Electronic copies of these documents are also available from the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov . This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell the notes, nor shall it constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. About Cousins Properties Cousins Properties is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT"). The Company, based in Atlanta, GA and acting through the Operating Partnership, primarily invests in Class A office buildings located in high growth Sun Belt markets. Founded in 1958, Cousins creates shareholder value through its extensive expertise in the development, acquisition, leasing, and management of high-quality real estate assets. The Company has a comprehensive strategy in place based on a simple platform, trophy assets, and opportunistic investments. Forward-Looking Statements Certain matters contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws and are subject to uncertainties and risks, as itemized in Item 1A included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024 . These forward-looking statements include information about the Company's possible or assumed future results of the business and the Company's financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans, and objectives. They also include, among other things, statements regarding subjects that are forward-looking by their nature, such as: guidance and underlying assumptions; business and financial strategy; future debt financings; future acquisitions and dispositions of operating assets or joint venture interests; future acquisitions and dispositions of land, including ground leases; future acquisitions of investments in real estate debt; future development and redevelopment opportunities; future issuances and repurchases of common stock, limited partnership units, or preferred stock; future distributions; projected capital expenditures; market and industry trends; future occupancy or volume and velocity of leasing activity; entry into new markets, changes in existing market concentrations, or exits from existing markets; future changes in interest rates and liquidity of capital markets; and all statements that address operating performance, events, investments, or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future — including statements relating to creating value for stockholders. Any forward-looking statements are based upon management's beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of our future performance, taking into account information that is currently available. These beliefs, assumptions, and expectations may change as a result of possible events or factors, not all of which are known. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary from forward-looking statements due to, but not limited to, the following: the availability and terms of capital and our ability to obtain and maintain financing arrangements on terms favorable to us or at all; the ability to refinance or repay indebtedness as it matures; any changes to our credit rating; the failure of purchase, sale, or other contracts to ultimately close; the failure to achieve anticipated benefits from acquisitions, developments, investments, or dispositions; the effect of common stock or operating partnership unit issuances, including those undertaken on a forward basis, which may negatively affect the market price of our common stock; the availability of buyers and pricing with respect to the disposition of assets; changes in national and local economic conditions, the real estate industry, and the commercial real estate markets in which we operate (including supply and demand changes), particularly in Atlanta , Austin , Tampa , Charlotte , Phoenix , Dallas , and Nashville , including the impact of high unemployment, volatility in the public equity and debt markets, and international economic and other conditions; threatened terrorist attacks or sociopolitical unrest such as political instability, civil unrest, armed hostilities, or political activism, which may result in a disruption of day-to-day building operations; changes to our strategy in regard to our real estate assets may require impairment to be recognized; leasing risks, including the ability to obtain new tenants or renew expiring tenants, the ability to lease newly-developed and/or recently acquired space, the failure of a tenant to commence or complete tenant improvements on schedule or to occupy leased space, and the risk of declining leasing rates; changes in the preferences of our tenants brought about by the desire for co-working arrangements, trends toward utilizing less office space per employee, and the effect of employees working remotely; any adverse change in the financial condition or liquidity of one or more of our tenants or borrowers under our real estate debt investments; volatility in interest rates (including the impact upon the effectiveness of forward interest rate contract arrangements) and insurance rates; inflation; competition from other developers or investors; the risks associated with real estate developments (such as zoning approval, receipt of required permits, construction delays, cost overruns, and leasing risk); supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and increased construction costs; risks associated with security breaches through cyberattacks, cyber intrusions or otherwise, as well as other significant disruptions of our information technology networks and related systems, which support our operations and our buildings; changes in senior management, changes in the Company's board of directors, and the loss of key personnel; the potential liability for uninsured losses, condemnation, or environmental issues; the potential liability for a failure to meet regulatory requirements, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar laws or the impact of any investigation regarding the same; the financial condition and liquidity of, or disputes with, joint venture partners; any failure to comply with debt covenants under debt instruments and credit agreements; any failure to continue to qualify for taxation as a real estate investment trust or meet regulatory requirements; potential changes to state, local, or federal regulations applicable to our business; material changes in dividend rates on common shares or other securities or the ability to pay those dividends; potential changes to the tax laws impacting real estate investment trusts and real estate in general; risks associated with climate change and severe weather events, as well as the regulatory efforts intended to reduce the effects of climate changes and investor and public perception of our efforts to respond to the same; the impact of newly adopted accounting principles on our accounting policies and on period-to-period comparisons of financial results; risks associated with possible federal, state, local, or property tax audits; and those additional risks and environmental or other factors discussed in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company cannot guarantee the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements contained in this press release, and the Company does not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contacts Roni Imbeaux Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations 404-407-1104 rimbeaux@cousins.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cousins-properties-announces-pricing-of-senior-notes-offering-302330787.html SOURCE Cousins Properties

Apple recently issued a critical security warning to iPhone users about sophisticated spyware capable of compromising devices without any user interaction. This revelation has sent shockwaves through the tech community, raising concerns about the vulnerability of even the most secure smartphones. This spyware, identified as Pegasus, developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group, can potentially grant attackers complete access to your iPhone, including your personal data, messages, calls, and even your camera and microphone. This isn’t the first time Pegasus has made headlines. It has been allegedly used in various targeted attacks against journalists, activists, and political figures worldwide. What makes this recent warning particularly alarming is the discovery of a new “zero-click” exploit, meaning the spyware can infect your device without you even clicking a malicious link or downloading a compromised file. This invisible threat has raised the stakes significantly, making it crucial for iPhone users to understand the risks and take necessary precautions. What is Pegasus and how does it work? Pegasus is a highly sophisticated spyware program that can infiltrate iPhones and other devices, turning them into surveillance tools. It exploits vulnerabilities in the device’s software to gain access to a treasure trove of personal information: The recent discovery of the “zero-click” exploit signifies a new level of sophistication. Previously, Pegasus relied on social engineering tactics, tricking users into clicking malicious links or downloading infected attachments. This new method bypasses any user interaction, making it incredibly difficult to detect and prevent. Who is at risk? While anyone with an iPhone can potentially be targeted by Pegasus, the primary targets tend to be: However, it’s important to remember that anyone can become a target, especially with the rise of “zero-click” exploits. What can you do to protect yourself? While the threat of “zero-click” spyware is daunting, there are steps you can take to mitigate the risk: What is Apple doing about it? Apple is actively working to address the threat of spyware like Pegasus. They have a dedicated security team that investigates and patches vulnerabilities. They also collaborate with security researchers and organizations to stay ahead of emerging threats. In response to the recent Pegasus attacks, Apple has released security updates and is actively suing NSO Group to prevent further abuse of their technology. My personal experience: As a tech enthusiast, I’ve always been mindful of online security. However, the news of “zero-click” spyware was a wake-up call. It made me realize that even the most secure devices can be vulnerable. I immediately updated my iPhone and reviewed all my app permissions. I also started using a VPN for added security. While these measures may not guarantee complete protection, they certainly provide an extra layer of defense. What does the future hold? The battle between security researchers and spyware developers is an ongoing arms race. As security measures improve, attackers find new ways to exploit vulnerabilities. It’s crucial to stay informed about the latest threats and take proactive steps to protect yourself. The threat of spyware like Pegasus highlights the importance of digital security awareness. By staying informed and taking precautions, you can significantly reduce your risk of becoming a victim. Key takeaways: Remember, staying vigilant and informed is your best defense against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.Trinasolar US says the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to institute an investigation into Trina’s patent infringement complaint against a number of Canadian Solar Inc. entities. Having considered Trina’s complaint, filed in October, the U.S. government ordered an investigation of whether Canadian Solar is in violation of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. In particular, the investigation will examine whether Canadian Solar infringed Trina’s TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) solar cell technology patents. Trina has requested that the ITC issue a Limited Exclusion Order to bar importation and Cease and Desist Orders to bar further sales and marketing in the United States, of solar cells, modules, panels and components that infringe Trina’s patents. “Trina appreciates the ITC’s decision to investigate the unauthorized use of our patented technology,” says Steven Zhu, president of Trinasolar US. “We are pleased our patent infringement complaint is being taken seriously, and we look forward to the final determination by the ITC.” In addition to this action at the ITC, Trinasolar has filed a separate patent infringement suit relating to TOPCon technology pending against Canadian Solar in the District of Delaware. Trinasolar is also seeking injunctive relief in a separate ITC investigation as to patent infringement of TOPCon technology that was instituted in November against a number of Runergy and Adani entities.Walmart's DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump's election victory

HUMBOLDT, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man was convicted Thursday of killing two men and wounding a third in a shooting at a high school basketball game three years ago. Jadon Hardiman, 21, was found guilty in Gibson County of charges including second-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses, district attorney Frederick Agee said in a statement. He faces up to 76 years in prison at sentencing in April. Hardiman, of Jackson, attended a basketball game between Humboldt and North Side high schools on Nov. 30, 2021. Then 18, Hardiman entered the Humboldt gymnasium’s crowded concession area and pulled a semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun, prosecutors said. He fired three shots at Justin Pankey, a 21-year-old former Humboldt basketball player. Pankey was hit one time and died within seconds, Agee said. A second bullet hit Xavier Clifton, a former North Side student and basketball player, who was standing in the concession line. Clifton was shot in the neck and paralyzed. He died in March 2022. A third shot struck another man in the back of the head. He survived. “Many people were placed in fear of imminent bodily injury by Hardiman’s shooting, as shown by video footage of their fleeing into the gym, into bathrooms, and other areas of the school,” Agee said. RELATED COVERAGE Ex-sheriff indicted on murder charge in the slaying of a judge in Kentucky Father of teen accused in Georgia school shooting pleads not guilty to charges against him Gunmen fire on vehicles carrying Shiites in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 42 Hardiman ran away and drove to Jackson, disposing of the murder weapon along the way, the district attorney said. The U.S. Marshals Service contacted his family, and he was arrested the next day. Agee said the shooting “frightened every adult, student, and child present, who were only there to support their team and enjoy a good game.” Hardiman’s lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Steph Curry singles out one Golden State Warriors star that can ‘change the game’ for sideTORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 12, 2024-- Sierra Metals Inc . (TSX: SMT | OTCQX: SMTSF | BVL: SMT) (“Sierra Metals” or the “Company”) announces that it will hold a special meeting of shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) on January 31, 2025. The Company has set a record date for the Special Meeting of December 30, 2024. The purpose of the Special Meeting is to seek authorization from the Company’s shareholders to enable the Board of Directors (the “Board”) to consider a consolidation of all of the Company’s issued and outstanding common shares (“Common Shares”) at a ratio of one post‐consolidation share for up to every twenty pre‐consolidation shares (the “Consolidation”). Shareholders will be requested at the Special Meeting or any adjournment thereof, to consider and, if thought fit, pass, with or without amendment, a special resolution approving the Consolidation. Following the Special Meeting, the Board expects to exercise its discretion to implement the Consolidation on such a date and time as the Board may determine. Additional details in respect of the proposed Consolidation will be included in a management information circular which is being mailed to shareholders in compliance with applicable laws and will be available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ ( www.sedarplus.ca ). The Board believes it is in the best interests of the Company to be in a position to complete the Consolidation to provide the Company with greater flexibility for future corporate activities, enhance the marketability of the Common Shares as an investment and lead to increased interest by a broader spectrum of potential investors, thereby increasing the Company’s ability to secure additional financing for operational and growth initiatives. Over the past 24 months, Sierra Metals has successfully stabilized, optimized and improved its operations, resulting in a lower cost structure, increased efficiencies and profitability across the Company. During this period, the Company, among its many achievements, has safely delivered the following: Ernesto Balarezo, CEO of Sierra Metals, comments, “ Over the past two years, Sierra Metals has been diligently delivering strong operating and financial results in a safe and responsible manner. Our strong financial position has us well positioned to focus on a period of organic growth at our two mines. The momentum we have generated across our business is poised to continue in 2025. As we embark on our next phase of growth, we believe the proposed share consolidation will provide an attractive entry point for potential new institutional investors and retail shareholders.” The implementation of any Consolidation is subject to Sierra Metals receiving all required approvals, including support from shareholders at the upcoming Special Meeting, and the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. If the approvals required for the Consolidation are obtained and the Board decides to implement the Consolidation, the Consolidation will occur at a time determined by the Board and additional information in respect of the Consolidation will be announced by the Company. About Sierra Metals Sierra Metals is a Canadian mining company focused on copper production with additional base and precious metals by-product credits at its Yauricocha Mine in Peru and Bolivar Mine in Mexico. The Company is intent on safely increasing production volume and growing mineral resources. Sierra Metals has recently had several new key discoveries and still has many more exciting brownfield exploration opportunities in Peru and Mexico that are within close proximity to the existing mines. Additionally, the Company has large land packages at each of its mines with several prospective regional targets providing longer-term exploration upside and mineral resource growth potential. For further information regarding Sierra Metals, please visit www.SierraMetals.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information relates to future events or the anticipated performance of Sierra and reflect management's expectations or beliefs regarding such future events and anticipated performance based on an assumed set of economic conditions and courses of action. In certain cases, statements that contain forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative of these words or comparable terminology. By its very nature forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual performance of Sierra to be materially different from any anticipated performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, the risks described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated March 15, 2024 for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and other risks identified in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available at www.sedarplus.ca . The risk factors referred to above are not an exhaustive list of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking information. Forward-looking information includes statements about the future and is inherently uncertain, and the Company's actual achievements or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. The Company's statements containing forward-looking information are based on the beliefs, expectations, and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, one should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212228164/en/ CONTACT: Investor Relations Sierra Metals Inc. +1 (866) 721-7437 info@sierrametals.com KEYWORD: NORTH AMERICA CANADA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MINING/MINERALS NATURAL RESOURCES SOURCE: Sierra Metals Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/12/2024 05:00 PM/DISC: 12/12/2024 04:58 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241212228164/en

'Unbelievable' Odegaard transforms Arsenal and gets Saka smiling again

ALL-HUNTERDON/WARREN COUNTY TEAMS, 2024 NOTE: These teams were put together by coaches from Hunterdon and Warren Counties, not members of NJ Advance Media. FIRST TEAM D-Katie Compton, Warren Hills, Jr. D-Shivya Desai, Warren Hills, Sr. M/F-Nadia DiRe, Voorhees, So. M-Emerson Gaitan, Blair Academy F-Annika Hoyer, North Hunterdon, Sr. G-Casey Kozelnik, Blair Academy, Jr. M/F-Jillian Labar, Belvidere, Jr. D-Jackie Miller, Phillipsburg, So. G-Jordan Nonnemacher, Phillispburg, Jr. M-Emma Olsen, Hackettstown, Jr. M/D-Samantha Pinelli, Delaware Valley, Sr. D-Madeline Ridge, Hackettstown, Sr. M/D-Libby Russell, Blair Academy, Sr. D/M-Katie Sampson, North Hunterdon, So. F-Paisley Testa, North Hunterdon, So. SECOND TEAM D/M-Mia Beneducci, North Hunterdon, Jr. F-Kate Brameyer, Hackettstown, Sr. F-Emma Butler, Phillipsburg, Fr. D-Brooke Cahill, North Hunterdon, Sr. M-Addison Ehasz, Belvidere, Jr. M/D-Madeline Kardos, Belvidere, Jr. F/M-CeCe Kirkwood, Blair Academy M/D-Sophia Remian, Phillipsburg, Sr. F-Isabella Settembrini, Voorhees, Sr. M-Rylie Wyckoff, Warren Hills, Jr. F/M-Maggie Scally, Hunterdon Central, Sr. F/M-Jocelyn Sponzo, Hunterdon Central, Sr. RECOMMENDED • nj .com Field Hockey: Skyland Conference All-Division Teams, 2024 Nov. 26, 2024, 5:34 p.m. Field Hockey: Cape-Atlantic League All-Division Teams, 2024 Nov. 25, 2024, 1:36 p.m. Brian Bobal may be reached at bbobal@njadvancemedia.com . Follow him on X at @BrianBobal . The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appears in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now! Follow us on social: Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter )

Equity investment can be a fun game, but identifying which stocks to purchase can be daunting. Given the vast array of different types out there, it becomes increasingly important to examine the various forms and what they may offer. Here is some insight on the most popular stocks to watch based on experience level, from new to investing to intermediate to advanced. High-growth stocks are popular among investors looking to capitalize on explosive returns. These companies are poised to outpace their industry peers and the broader market, driven by innovative products, strategic expansions, and disruptive business models. According to a report by Morningstar, growth stocks have historically offered higher long-term returns, but also come with higher volatility. For instance, in 2020, growth stocks on the S&P 500 surged over 20%, outperforming the broader index. Notable examples of high-growth stocks include tech giants like Amazon (up 76% in 2020) and Microsoft (up 41% in 2020), as well as newer players like Shopify (up 185% in 2020) and Zoom Video Communications (up 355% in 2020). However, it's essential to note that high-growth stocks often reinvest their capital to fuel further growth, which means they may not distribute dividends. As such, investors should be prepared for potential fluctuations and have a long-term perspective to ride out market volatility. Investors seeking regular income and relatively lower risk often turn to Dividend stocks . These shares, issued by established companies, distribute a portion of their profits to shareholders at regular intervals, typically in the form of cash dividends. According to a study by J.P. Morgan , dividend-paying stocks have contributed approximately 40% of the total stock market returns over the past 90 years, underscoring their appeal. Notably, since 1970, the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, which tracks dividend-paying stocks with a history of consistent dividend growth, has outperformed the broader S&P 500 Index. Dividend stocks are particularly attractive to income-seeking investors, such as retirees, as they provide a regular stream of income. Key sectors that tend to offer attractive dividend yields include utilities, consumer goods, and healthcare. Companies like Exelon, with a 4.1% dividend yield, and Duke Energy, with a 3.8% dividend yield, offer stable and predictable income in the utilities sector. Established brands like Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola have a history of consistent dividend payments, offering yields of 2.5% and 3.1%, respectively. Pharmaceutical giants like Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer offer a combination of dividend income and growth potential, with yields of 2.7% and 3.8%, respectively. Value stocks offer a compelling investment opportunity, as they represent companies whose intrinsic worth exceeds their current market value. These undervalued stocks, often overlooked or temporarily underperforming, have the potential for significant capital appreciation, making them attractive to investors willing to take on some risk. According to a study by Fidelity Investments, value stocks have historically outperformed growth stocks during market downturns, with a return differential of up to 5% per annum. For instance, during the 2008 financial crisis, the Russell 1000 Value Index declined by 36.1%, compared to a 38.5% decline for the Russell 1000 Growth Index. Notable examples of successful value investing include Warren Buffett's acquisition of Coca-Cola in the 1980s, when the stock was trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of around 15, significantly lower than its historical average. Similarly, investors who bought into Microsoft during the 2008 financial crisis, when its stock price had declined by over 40%, were rewarded with returns of over 500% in the subsequent decade. By identifying and investing in undervalued companies with strong fundamentals, investors can potentially reap significant rewards, making value stocks an attractive addition to a diversified investment portfolio. Another way to categorize stocks is by their market capitalization (market cap), which is the total value of a company's outstanding shares. Small-cap stocks have a market cap of under $2 billion and often have higher growth potential. They can offer substantial rewards but also come with more risk. Mid-cap stocks have a market cap between $2 billion and $10 billion and often represent companies in a growth phase. Large-cap stocks are companies worth over $10 billion. They tend to be more stable and have a long growth history, making them a popular choice for risk-averse investors. Investing in the stock market requires a thoughtful approach, balancing potential returns with risk tolerance. By understanding the diverse range of stock types, from dividend-paying stalwarts like Johnson & Johnson, which has increased its dividend for 59 consecutive years, to growth stocks like Amazon, which has delivered a 10-year annualized return of over 20%, investors can craft a portfolio tailored to their goals and risk appetite. Historically, a diversified portfolio with a mix of stock types has yielded impressive results, with the S&P 500 Index delivering an average annual return of around 10% over the past decade. By studying the various types of stocks and their characteristics, investors can make informed decisions, navigate market volatility, and increase their potential for long-term success.Today, December 25, is a very special day for all of us. Our nation marks the 100th jayanti of our beloved former Prime Minister (PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji. He stands tall as a statesman who continues to inspire countless people. Our nation will always be grateful to Atal ji for being the architect of India’s transition into the 21st century. When he took oath as PM in 1998, our nation had passed through a period of political instability. In about nine years, we had seen four Lok Sabha elections. The people of India were getting impatient and also sceptical about governments being able to deliver. It was Atal ji who turned this tide by providing stable and effective governance. Coming from humble roots, he realised the struggles of the common citizen and the transformative power of effective governance. One can see the long-term impact of Atal ji ’s leadership in so many sectors around us. His era marked a gigantic leap in the world of information technology, telecom, and communications. This was particularly important for a nation like ours, which is also blessed with very dynamic yuva shakti . The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government under Atal ji made the first serious attempt to make technology accessible to the common citizens. At the same time, there was foresight in connecting India. Even today, most people recall the Golden Quadrilateral Project, which connected the length and breadth of India. Equally notable were the Vajpayee government’s efforts to enhance local connectivity as well through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Similarly, his government gave a push to metro connectivity by doing extensive work for the Delhi Metro, which stands out as a world-class infrastructure project. Thus, the Vajpayee government not only boosted economic growth but also brought distant regions closer, fostering unity and integration. When it comes to the social sector, an initiative like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan highlights how Atal ji dreamt of building an India where modern education is accessible to people across the nation, particularly for the poor and marginalised sections. At the same time, his government presided over many economic reforms that set the stage for India’s economic surge after several decades of following an economic philosophy that encouraged cronyism and stagnation. A wonderful example of Atal ji ’s leadership can be seen in the summer of 1998. His government had just assumed office, and on May 11, India conducted the Pokhran tests, known as Operation Shakti. These tests exemplified the prowess of India’s scientific community. The world was stunned that India had done the tests and expressed its anger in no uncertain terms. Any ordinary leader would have buckled, but Atal j i was made differently. And what happened? India stood firm and resolute, with the government calling for another set of tests two days later, on May 13. If the tests of May 11 showed scientific skill, the ones on May 13 showed true leadership. It was a message to the world that gone were the days when India would buckle under threats or pressure. Despite facing international sanctions, the then NDA government of Atal ji stood firm, articulating India’s right to safeguard its sovereignty while simultaneously being the strongest proponent of world peace. Atal ji understood Indian democracy and the need to make it stronger. He presided over the creation of the NDA, which redefined coalitions in Indian politics. He brought people together and made the NDA a force for development, national progress, and regional ambitions. His parliamentary brilliance was seen throughout his political journey. He belonged to a party with a handful of MPs, but his words were enough to rattle the might of the all-powerful Congress party at the time. As PM, he blunted the criticisms of the Opposition with style and substance. His was a career spent largely on the Opposition benches, but he never carried any trace of bitterness against anyone, even though the Congress party stooped to new lows by calling him a traitor! He was also not one to cling to power through opportunistic means. He preferred to resign in 1996 instead of following the path of horse-trading and dirty politics. In 1999, his government was defeated by one vote. Many people told him to challenge the immoral politics happening then, but he preferred to go by the rules. Eventually, he came back with another resounding mandate from the people. When it comes to commitment to protecting our Constitution too, Atalji stands tall. He was deeply impacted by the martyrdom of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Years later, he was a pillar of the anti-Emergency movement. In the run-up to the 1977 elections after the Emergency, he agreed to the merger of his own party (Jan Sangh) into the Janata Party. I am sure it would have been a painful decision for him and the others, but safeguarding the Constitution was all that mattered to him. It is also noteworthy how deeply rooted Atal ji was in Indian culture. Upon becoming India’s external affairs minister, he became the first Indian leader to speak in Hindi at the United Nations. This one gesture showcased his immense pride in India’s heritage and identity, leaving an indelible mark on the global stage. Atal ji’ s persona was magnetic and his life was enriched by his love for literature and expression. A prolific writer and poet, he used words to inspire, provoke thought, and even offer solace. His poetry, often reflective of his inner struggles and hopes for the nation, continues to resonate with people across age groups. For so many Bharatiya Janata Party karyakartas like me, it is our privilege that we were able to learn and interact with a person like Atal ji . His contribution to the BJP was foundational. In those days, spearheading an alternative narrative to the dominant Congress showed his greatness. Alongside stalwarts like LK Advani ji and Murli Manohar Joshi ji , he nurtured the party in its formative years, and guided it through challenges, setbacks, and triumphs. Whenever the choice arose between ideology and power, he always chose the former. He was able to convince the nation that an alternative worldview from the Congress was possible and such a worldview could deliver. On his 100th jayanti , let us rededicate ourselves to realising his ideals and fulfilling his vision for India. Let us strive to build an India that embodies his principles of good governance, unity, and progress. Atal ji ’s unwavering belief in the potential of our nation continues to inspire us to aim higher and work harder. Narendra Modi is Prime Minister of India

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The goals are flying in again for Arsenal — and it just happens to coincide with the return from injury of Martin Odegaard. Make that eight goals in two games since the international break for Arsenal after its 5-1 hammering of Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday, tying the English team’s heaviest ever away win in the competition. Odegaard is back in Arsenal’s team after missing two months with an ankle injury . In that time, Mikel Arteta’s attack stuttered, with a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth and a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle dropping the Gunners well off the pace in the Premier League. There was also a 0-0 draw at Atalanta in the Champions League as well as a 1-0 loss to Inter Milan last month, when Odegaard made his comeback from injury as an 89th-minute substitute. Since then, Arsenal hasn’t lost and the goals have returned. After a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday came the cruise in Lisbon — and Odegaard was at the heart of everything as Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end. “He’s an unbelievable player,” Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka said of Odegaard. “The day he returned, there was a big smile on my face. You can see the chemistry we have. I hope he stays fit for the rest of the season.” RELATED COVERAGE Julián Álvarez picking up the scoring pace with Atletico Madrid Messi’s son debuts at Argentina youth tournament as grandparents watch Man City blows 3-goal lead and gets booed by fans in draw with Feyenoord in Champions League Odegaard was involved in the build-up to Arsenal’s first two goals against Sporting — scored by Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz — and was fouled to win the penalty converted by Saka in the 65th to restore Arsenal’s three-goal lead at 4-1. Odegaard was seen flexing his leg after that but continued untroubled and was substituted in the 78th minute. The last thing Arteta would want now is another injury to Odegaard as Arsenal attempts to reel in first-place Liverpool in the Premier League. Liverpool is already nine points ahead of fourth-place Arsenal after 12 games. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerPresident-elect John Mahama Plans to Pursue Full-Time Farming After Politics

STOCK MARKET SNAPSHOT FOR 13/12/2024AP Business SummaryBrief at 2:31 p.m. EST

Vladimir Putin’s message for TrumpAmerica has become unacceptably reliant on foreign competitors for critical materials and manufacturing processes. Post-Cold War assumptions about peace, trade, and eventual liberalizations led the US government and businesses to rely heavily on China – for manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and raw materials. Today, the foreign reliance that brought down costs by shipping domestic industrial capacity abroad has become one of America’s most acute weaknesses, particularly in the case of critical minerals. America uses minerals for a range of strategic military and commercial applications, some of which the US relies substantially or wholly on imports to provide. Among the fifty critical minerals that the Department of Energy identified in its 2023 DOE Critical Minerals List , lithium best represents both the threat of American foreign overreliance as well as an opportunity for the US to decrease its critical mineral vulnerability. Lithium’s light weight and high energy density make it an essential component of battery production. According to the US Geological Survey, 87% of the world’s supply goes towards battery manufacturing – with over 60% of the total supply just for electric vehicles (EVs). Despite its vital usage for military and commercial applications, the US is heavily reliant on Chinese refineries for lithium. In the last several years, lithium prices have undergone dramatic fluctuation. Demand grew by 30% in 2023 , largely fueled by EV production. Yet a slowdown in the Chinese EV market and subsequent overproduction caused prices to crater by 75% . This price crash in 2023 followed a sharp increase the year prior, with prices jumping 123% between January and November . This lack of stability has negative consequences for American miners and refiners, and more acutely, disrupts strategic efforts to grow a domestic lithium refining industry. Albemarle, a major player in lithium markets, paused construction of a lithium processing plant in South Carolina as a result of price instability. In his second term, President Trump has the opportunity to capitalize on America’s abundant supply of raw lithium. A newly discovered lithium deposit in southwest Arkansas could contain up to 19 million tons of lithium – enough to meet projected global demand for car batteries nine times over. Already, companies such as ExxonMobil have expressed interest in extracting this new resource, which could lead to new production as soon as 2027. Promoting these partnerships by expediting permitting requests and expanding tax credit eligibility could be a first step to securing our lithium supply chain. But it would not be the only step; the U.S. is even more reliant on China for refining lithium, a process that Elon Musk described as “ much more of a choke point ” than mining. China produces only 8% of the world’s raw lithium, but has 72% of the world’s processing capacity . Even if American companies overcome the technical obstacles of extracting lithium from the Arkansas deposit, more action is necessary to support domestic refineries. For example, policy makers could set higher tariffs on finished lithium than raw lithium products in order to encourage domestic manufacturers to create facilities in the US. In addition, regulators could consider expediting environmental review for new lithium refineries, especially given the enormous EPA backlog . In addition, investments such as Albemarle’s South Carolina factory could be made eligible for additional clean energy tax credits. Finally, regulators may pursue more loan programs like Lithium Americas Corp ’s $2.9 billion guarantee through the DOE Loan Programs Office to build a lithium refinery in Nevada. The Trump administration also needs to find a way to counter Chinese overproduction and state subsidies, particularly in the EV supply chain. Currently, America imports $13.2 billion annually in EV batteries from China’s automotive industry, which is fueled by nearly ​​ $100 billion in state subsidies that aim to forcibly deindustrialize China’s strategic competitors through unfair trade practices. This represents a major national security threat, as well as enabling China to erode traditional American advantages in the auto market, particularly in cost-sensitive third world markets. For example, China’s BYD Seagull has a base price of only around $10,000 , compared to over $40,000 for Tesla’s Model 3. Overall, China produced over 30 million cars last year, twice America’s production while growing at a faster rate. This subsidy-driven production in the Chinese market accompanied weakening domestic demand. Through increased domestication of supply chains and a more resilient manufacturing base, an incoming administration has the opportunity to combat this overproduction and protect America’s automotive industry from destabilizing trade practices. Promoting the domestic mining industry provides a key opportunity to stabilize American manufacturing and combat Chinese influence abroad, particularly through the utilization of tariffs and price floors. The extent to which President Trump will use tariffs is unclear, but when it comes to critical minerals, they could be an essential component of a broader strategy to grow America’s mining and refining capacity. On the other hand, price floors, which were allegedly under consideration in the Biden DOE , could set a minimum price for lithium that would help domestic producers weather price shocks from abroad. In the coming years, national security imperatives will force America to reorient its lithium supply chain. The incoming Trump administration has the opportunity to initiate a forward-looking set of policies that fortify America’s critical mineral supply chains before it’s too late. Building an alternative network of lithium mines and refineries – either domestically or in an allied nation – will force shifts in behavior for American manufacturers and consumers. These policies will be costly – but continued reliance on our competitors for a mineral so essential for automotive and military applications has the potential to be far costlier. _________________ Farrell Gregory is research assistant at the Yorktown Institute. He is currently a visiting student at Mansfield College, Oxford, studying politics, philosophy, and economics. Sasha Gordon is a junior studying economics at the University of Michigan.Lazio are guaranteed a place in at least the Europa League play-offs as they are , while Roma boost their chances of getting into the top 24. The Biancocelesti put in a dominant performance in Amsterdam to with goals from Loum Tchaouna, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and veteran Pedro. It puts them on 16 points from six games in the Europa League, joint top with Athletic Club, but ahead on a superior goal difference of +11. This guarantees them a place in the top 24 places, which is worth a spot in at least the play-offs, although the top eight is what allows teams to go directly into the Round of 16. at the Stadio Olimpico to bolster their position to 14 on nine points. As things stand, it would still be enough to qualify the Giallorossi for a seeded spot in the play-offs draw. The top eight go directly into the Round of 16, teams from 9-16 are seeded in the play-offs, facing a side from 17-24. The sides from 25 place onwards are eliminated from Europe altogether when this phase concludes in January.Relief, defiance, anger: Families and advocates react to Biden's death row commutations

game roulette A timeline of the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the search for his killer NEW YORK (AP) — The search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer has stretched into a fifth day — and beyond New York City. Police say it appears the man left the city on a bus soon after Wednesday's shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. The suspect is seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Police believe that words found written on ammunition at the shooting scene, including “deny," “defend” and "depose,” suggest a motive driven by anger toward the healthcare company. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” Europe's economy needs help. Political chaos in France and Germany means it may be slower in coming BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe's economy has enough difficulties, from tepid growth to trade tensions with the U.S. Dealing with those woes is only getting harder due to the political chaos in the two biggest European countries, France and Germany. Neither has a government backed by a functioning majority, and France could take a while yet to sort things out. But some problems aren't going to wait, such as what to do about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's America First stance on trade and how to fund stronger defense against Putin's Russia. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Federal appeals court upholds law requiring sale or ban of TikTok in the US A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January — is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Executive of Tyler Perry Studios dies when plane he was piloting crashes in Florida ATLANTA (AP) — The president of Atlanta-based Tyler Perry Studios has died when the small plane he was piloting crashed on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The studio confirmed on Saturday that Steve Mensch, its 62-year-old president and general manager, had died Friday. The crash happened in Homosassa, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photos from the scene show the plane having come to rest upside down on a road. Mensch helped advocate for Georgia’s film tax credit of more than $1 billion a year. Perry hired Mensch to run his namesake studio in 2016. Mensch died as Perry released his war drama, “The Six Triple Eight." The film was shot at the Atlanta studio. US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 climbed 0.2%, just enough top the all-time high set on Wednesday, as it closed a third straight winning week in what looks to be one of its best years since the 2000 dot-com bust. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8% to set its own record. Treasury yields eased after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Days after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO, police push to ID him and FBI offers reward NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly four days after the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, police still do not know the gunman’s name or whereabouts or have a motive for the killing. But they have made some progress in their investigation into Wednesday's killing of the leader of the largest U.S. health insurer, including that the gunman likely left New York City on a bus soon after fleeing the scene. The also found that the gunman left something behind: a backpack that was discovered in Central Park. Police are working with the FBI, which on Friday night announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Liquid Logics Announces Integration with Sekady

Alabama players react to Crimson Tide being left out of 12-team College Football Playoff

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC trimmed its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. ( NYSE:BR – Free Report ) by 3.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,375 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 533 shares during the period. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions were worth $3,091,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 3,197.8% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 204,366 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $43,945,000 after buying an additional 198,169 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Broadridge Financial Solutions in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $274,650,000. Earnest Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 25.9% in the 1st quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 364,195 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $74,609,000 after purchasing an additional 75,006 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 941,125 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $185,417,000 after purchasing an additional 72,018 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board increased its holdings in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 97.2% in the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 105,871 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $21,689,000 after purchasing an additional 52,171 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.03% of the company’s stock. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 5,739 shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.05, for a total value of $1,205,476.95. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 77,318 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,240,645.90. The trade was a 6.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . Also, Director Maura A. Markus sold 3,880 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.02, for a total transaction of $880,837.60. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 27,788 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,308,431.76. The trade was a 12.25 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 84,033 shares of company stock valued at $18,149,572 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Get Our Latest Report on Broadridge Financial Solutions Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Up 1.2 % Shares of NYSE BR opened at $230.24 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.83 and a beta of 1.05. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a one year low of $185.30 and a one year high of $230.30. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $217.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $208.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.39. Broadridge Financial Solutions ( NYSE:BR – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The business services provider reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.03. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 10.57% and a return on equity of 41.79%. The business had revenue of $1.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 8.53 EPS for the current fiscal year. Broadridge Financial Solutions Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.88 per share. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. Broadridge Financial Solutions’s dividend payout ratio is presently 60.90%. Broadridge Financial Solutions Company Profile ( Free Report ) Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

ROME (AP) — Robert Lewandowski joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the only players in Champions League history with 100 or more goals. But Erling Haaland is on a faster pace than anyone by boosting his total to 46 goals at age 24 on Tuesday. Still, Haaland's brace wasn't enough for Manchester City in a 3-3 draw with Feyenoord that extended the Premier League champion's winless streak to six matches. Lewandowski’s early penalty kick started Barcelona off to a 3-0 win over previously unbeaten Brest to move into second place in the new single-league format. The Poland striker added goal No. 101 in second-half stoppage time. Ronaldo leads the all-time scoring list with 140 goals and Messi is next with 129. But neither Ronaldo nor Messi play in the Champions League anymore following moves to Saudi Arabia and the United States, respectively. “It’s a nice number,” Lewandowski said. “In the past I didn’t think I could score more than 100 goals in the Champions League. I’m in good company alongside Cristiano and Messi.” The 36-year-old Lewandowski required 125 matches to reach the century mark, two more than Messi (123) and 12 fewer than Ronaldo (137). Barcelona also got a second-half score from Dani Olmo. The top eight finishers in the standings advance directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a knockout playoffs round in February, while the bottom 12 teams are eliminated. Haaland converted a first-half penalty to eclipse Messi as the youngest player to reach 45 goals then scored City's third after the break to raise his total to 46 goals in 44 games. Ilkay Gundogan had City's second. But then Feyenoord struck back with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko. Inter Milan beat Leipzig 1-0 with an own goal to move atop the standings with 13 points, one more than Barcelona and Liverpool, which faces Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Serie A champion is the only club that hasn't conceded a goal. Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 — the same score from the 2020 final between the two teams. PSG ended with 10 men and remained in the elimination zone. The French powerhouse has struggled in Europe after Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid. Kim Min-jae’s first-half header was enough for Bayern, especially after Ousmane Dembelé was sent off in the 56th with his second yellow. Atalanta moved within two points of the lead with a 6-1 win at Young Boys. Charles De Ketelaere scored two and assisted on three other goals for Atalanta. Also, Arsenal kept red-hot striker Viktor Gyokeres quiet in a 5-1 win over Sporting Lisbon; and Germany star Florian Wirtz scored two goals and was involved in two more as Bayer Leverkusen boosted its chances of finishing in the top eight with a 5-0 rout of Salzburg. AC Milan followed up its win at Real Madrid with a 3-2 victory at last-place Slovan Bratislava in an early match. Christian Pulisic put the seven-time champion ahead midway through the first half by finishing off a counterattack. Then Rafael Leao restored the Rossoneri’s advantage after Tigran Barseghyan had equalized for Bratislava and Tammy Abraham quickly added another. Nino Marcelli scored with a long-range strike in the 88th for Bratislava, which ended with 10 men. Bratislava has lost all five of its matches. Argentina World Cup winner Julian Alvarez scored twice and Atletico Madrid routed Sparta Prague 6-0 in the other early game. Alvarez scored with a free kick 15 minutes in and Marcos Llorente added a long-range strike before the break. Alvarez finished off a counterattack early in the second half after being set up by substitute Antoine Griezmann, who then marked his 100th Champions League game by getting on the scoresheet himself. Angel Correa added a late brace for Atletico, which earned its biggest away win in Europe. Atletico beat Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round and extended its winning streak across all competitions to six matches. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerFirst 12-team CFP set: Oregon seeded No. 1, SMU edges Alabama for final spot

Conor McGregor dropped by whiskey company as disgraced superstar reveals appeal plans

roulette chat Unless you happen to be an average-size person with perfectly balanced proportions, the clothing you buy may or may not fit perfectly. A skilled tailor can make a wardrobe seem almost custom-made by taking up a hem, adjusting a cuff, or making a few nips and tucks here and there. The same applies to your portfolio. A standard asset-allocation mix (such as a model portfolio ) may work well for the “average” investor, but one size doesn’t always fit all. Here are some of the situations in which you might want to consider adjusting your portfolio for a better fit. The “bucket approach” is a great way to tailor your asset allocation to better fit your specific needs. The general idea is to keep one to two years’ worth of expenses in highly liquid securities to help meet short-term cash needs (plus an additional five years’ or more worth of living expenses in high-quality fixed-income securities to provide income and stability). That way you won’t have to scramble to sell securities to meet your ongoing expenses. In effect, this approach is a way of building a tailored asset allocation from the bottom up. Similarly, make sure your asset allocation accounts for both longer- and shorter-term goals. If you have upcoming events on the horizon such as a home purchase, college tuition, a wedding, or a big vacation, make sure you have enough of your portfolio in moderate-risk assets (such as high-quality short- or intermediate-term bond funds ) to fund these goals. You have a big chunk of your wealth in company stock It’s far more likely for a single stock to have large losses than a diversified mutual fund, so it’s wise to prune any stock holdings so they make up less than 10% of your portfolio. If you’ve received significant equity awards as part of your total compensation, though, consider how to do so without realizing hefty capital gains. If your spouse is more than five years older or younger than you, your portfolios should probably look a bit different. The younger spouse can afford to have a higher equity weighting and a more aggressive risk profile, while the older one will want to dial back risk. If you hold assets jointly, consider using a blended approach based on the average of your two ages. If you’re fortunate enough to have relatives who lived into their 90s or beyond, it makes sense to plan for a longer-than-usual life expectancy. You can probably afford to take on more risk with more exposure to equities and high-risk assets. From an actuarial perspective, each year you live means your life expectancy gets longer. Some experts (such as Michael Kitces and Wade Pfau) even argue for a “ reverse glide path,” which increases equity exposure as you get older instead of the reverse. On the flip side, if you’re dealing with a terminal illness, make sure to keep your portfolio conservative enough to meet higher-than-expected health care expenses and provide yourself with whatever you might need to make your remaining months and years a little more comfortable. You might want to leave a legacy to your children and grandchildren, but keep in mind that the gift of your time—not money—will probably be the most meaningful. So, don’t feel guilty about spending down your assets if you find yourself in a situation where you need to. You’re worried about not having enough assets to last throughout your lifetime If you weren’t able to save and invest early in your career, your portfolio balance might be relatively low. Taking a hard look at your spending is the most important step you can take in this situation. But while it might be tempting to ramp up your equity exposure to try to make up lost ground, it’s more prudent to take the opposite approach because a small portfolio has less room to absorb market losses. You’re fortunate enough to have a pension or other stable income streams Because a pension is literally a fixed income, it functions like a bond position in a portfolio, so you can afford to increase the equity weighting with your other assets. Social Security works the same way: Your monthly benefits won’t grow beyond a small cost of living increase, but it’s effectively a bond like income stream. Amy Arnott is a portfolio strategist at Morningstar.

Nearly 75 children and adults who had reached the Kerala State Science and Technology Museum (KSSTM) at PMG here to see the planet Jupiter at its biggest and brightest during what is called ‘opposition’ on Saturday evening had to return disappointed when rain played spoilsport. The children, some of them young but still old enough to be enamoured by the vast sky and its views, and the adults had been hoping to see a Jupiter at a distance closest to the Earth using the two computerised reflective telescopes at the KSSTM. But that was not to be for rain ruled out any sky observation. However, the visit did not go in vain entirely for in the hall that houses the museum’s Science on a Sphere display system, they got to see how Jupiter and its four largest moons looked on a six-foot diameter sphere, courtesy four projectors in the hall. Sarath Prabhav, a science communicator who is also into astro photography, led the session on the opposition when Jupiter will be aligned with Earth and the sun. In simple language he explained what Jupiter being in opposition meant using the sphere. Earth, he said, would be positioned between Earth and the sun. Since Jupiter rises opposite the sun from the east when the sun sets, the arrangement is called opposition. The closest that Jupiter will come to the Earth will be around 5 a.m. on Sunday, but a change of a few hours or even a couple of days will not make much difference, he said. Since it will be closest to the Earth, it will seem bigger and brighter, he pointed out. During the interactive session, he also explained Jupiter’s features and those of its moons. He talked about Jupiter’s size, its diameter compared to that of the earth, its mass, its distance from the sun, the ball of gas it is, its atmosphere and what gives the planet its colour, its denser core, rotation and revolution, magnetic field, and the red spot that can be seen on its surface. He also showed how Jupiter’s moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto – looked, their surfaces, how they were discovered by Galileo Galilei, and the possibility of life (or its lack) on them. Every now and then, he asked questions which the children tried to answer. A few adults also shared information and asked questions about the link between astronomy and astrology. Sarath said the visitors could visit the museum again the coming Thursday and Friday to see the Jupiter opposition using telescope without much change from the alignment this weekend. Published - December 07, 2024 11:30 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp RedditAlkermes SVP Nichols sells $151,813 in stock

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Sydneysiders who want to live in a suburb along the Metro line for the convenient commute will have to pay top dollar to either rent or buy. The fast-rail system stretches from Sydenham to the CBD, lower north shore, Hills district and Tallawong, with a journey from North Sydney to Barangaroo in just three minutes. Castle Hill residents can get to Martin Place in 35 minutes. But convenience comes at a premium. Bella Vista residents can get to the CBD in 41 minutes, but face a median house price of $2,477,500, while a house will set renters back around $975 per week. Waterloo’s median unit price is $925,500, and median unit rent $935, for a commute of just six minutes to Martin Place. Rents are also high at $780 for a unit in Chatswood (11 minutes to Martin Place) and $720 for Castle Hill (35 minutes). Castle Hill house buyers would pay a median of $2,312,500. Loading Ray White agent Peter Iann said the Metro had driven greater demand for Bella Vista and that he could not limit the buyer pool to one specific region of Sydney. “We are now seeing interest from all over Sydney,” he said. “There is not enough stock for the demand and sellers now have higher price expectations.” Geoffrey Clinton, senior lecturer in transport and logistics management at the University of Sydney Business School, said that while the Metro had a significant impact on social cohesion, it was just one piece of the puzzle. “Just building train lines alone is not going to create nirvana for Sydneysiders,” he said. “In the next five to ten years we will see mini CBDs pop up. People will be living in fairly small apartments, and they’ll be more likely to dine and go out, similar to what happens in other high-density areas like Singapore.” Sydneysiders who want to live along the Metro line in suburbs such as Bella Vista, pictured, will need to pay top dollar. Credit: Nick Moir Clinton said that while people wanted to live near public transport, pricing came down to the timing of developments. “If apartments are built ahead of demand, prices may be softer. But if they’re slow to be built, then prices will be higher.” He suggested the Metro and its surrounding high-rises are part of the solution to the housing crisis, but that we also need standalone houses and townhouses. “By opening up transport opportunities, it makes it easier to develop density around these areas.” Professor of civil engineering at the University of Technology Sydney, Buddhima Indraratna, said that while he would like to see young professionals living closer to the Metro, there was a lot of wishful thinking about how much the train line could improve housing affordability. Loading “With the high cost of living, people are living further away from the CBD because they can’t afford it. Even a two-bedroom [CBD] apartment can cost up to $3 million,” he said. “Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world. We might not see the advantages of the Metro yet, but they will be there for the next generation.” Marriott Lane Crows Nest agent Stephen O’Sullivan said that while the Metro has enhanced the appeal of the suburb, it hasn’t changed the buyer pool. “There’s more appetite, but the buyers tend to be locals or downsizers from the upper north shore that are seeking convenience to the CBD,” he said. O’Sullivan said buyers are limited by price. However, the Metro allows for more choice when priced out of Crows Nest, as residents of nearby St Leonards and Wollstonecraft can walk to the station. O’Sullivan said we are yet to see an uptick in prices for Crows Nest since the introduction of the Metro, as there are few homes for sale and prices are high. An extension from Sydenham to Marrickville, Lakemba and Bankstown, will open in 2025, further connecting Sydney’s suburbs. BresicWhitney Lower North Shore agent Louise Barton said buyers from the eastern suburbs have moved to North Sydney in the past few months, but not because they’re priced out. “They’re just interested to explore North Sydney, and it makes a lot of sense as you’re just over the other side of the bridge,” she said. Barton said sellers are not driving up their prices due to the Metro. “Sellers remain realistic about the market. But given how the Metro has impacted other suburbs such as North Ryde, we’ve seen prices increase over time. Sellers are excited about what it means for them.” North Ryde’s median house price rose 10.9 per cent to $2,495,000 in the year to September on Domain data. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Sydney house prices Infrastructure Property prices NSW residential property Renting First-home buyers Property market Kristy Johnson – Kristy is a property reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald. Most Viewed in Property LoadingWalking Barcode Market Analysis By Top Keyplayers - PayPal Holdings Inc., Square Inc., Ingenico Group S.A., NCR Corp., Samsung ElectronicsCo.Ltd., Panasonic Corp., Verifone Systems Inc., PAX Technology Inc., Toshiba Teccorp., First Data Corp.Soaring Magic shoot to knock off Pistons

Alyssa Nakken, the first woman coach in Major League Baseball history, is leaving the Giants to join the Cleveland Guardians as an assistant in player development, as first reported by 95.7 The Game’s Steven Rissotto. Nakken is the latest member of last year’s coaching staff to depart from the team, joining Justin Viele (Rangers), Pedro Guerrero (Marlins) and Bryan Price (stepped down). Additionally, Pete Putila, the team’s general manager in 2023 and 2024, and Michael Schwartze, the team’s former director of baseball analytics, have joined the Braves. In Cleveland, Nakken will be reunited with a pair of former Giants coaches in Craig Albernaz and Kai Correa. Under Stephen Vogt, the 2024 American League Manager of the Year, Albernaz is an associate manager while Correa is a field instructor. Nakken, 34, made no shortage of history during her five seasons with the team. On April 12, 2022, Nakken became the first woman to appear in an on-field role, coaching first base after former first base coach Antoan Richardson was ejected. Last offseason, the Giants interviewed Nakken for their vacant manager opening after firing Gabe Kapler, becoming the first woman to interview for the position. The jersey that Nakken wore during her first major league game on July 23, 2020 was sent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Earlier this year, Nakken gave birth to her first child, Austyn. A standout softball player at Sacramento State, Nakken first joined the Giants in 2014 as a baseball operations intern, serving various front-office roles before joining the major-league coaching staff. ©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at mercurynews.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A federal jury has awarded a Levittown woman $2 million after finding Nassau police officers falsely arrested her at her home in 2019, according to lawyers for the plaintiff and the defendants. The verdict, reached in Central Islip on Friday, comes nearly six years after Donna Cipley said officers forcibly removed her from her house on March 12, 2019, wearing nothing but a pajama bottom and a tank top despite the cold. In a news release at the time, police said officers went to her home because she was wanted for criminal contempt and that she hit one with a door and bent back a detective's thumb. She was charged with second-degree assault and resisting arrest. Those charges were later dropped, her attorney said. “This is a long-awaited vindication of this grandmother’s rights," said Cipley's attorney, Frederick K. Brewington. "Finally, after attacking her in her own home, parading her before cameras in handcuffs and charging her with crimes she did not commit, she has seen just a small bit of justice.” Oscar Michelen, the lead attorney for the county and the police officers, said the defendants had done nothing wrong and that the county would fight the verdict. The biggest news, politics and crime stories in Nassau County, in your inbox every Friday at noon. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . "We believe that the amount awarded for the false arrest was excessive, and that even the false arrest finding will eventually be overturned on appeal," he told Newsday. Nassau County spokesman Chris Boyle did not respond to a request for comment Saturday. Cipley, who was in her early 60s at the time of the arrest, claimed in her suit that Nassau officers had started harassing her family after her son, who had been hospitalized for a drug overdose in 2018, refused to become a police informant. She alleged that detectives visited her home, shining lights in the windows and ringing the doorbell. She also said in her suit that "at no point" was she ever "the subject of a criminal contempt charge." After her charges were dimissed in October 2019, Cipley filed her civil rights lawsuit in 2020 . She accused six officers of abuse, but Brewington and Michelen confirmed that the jury on Friday found only two officers, Det. Michael Mazzara and Det. Basil Gomez, liable. Cipley's original complaint accused the defendants of allegations including assault, battery, false arrest and malicious prosecution. The jury found the officers liable only for the false arrest, according to the attorneys. In October, a federal jury in Brooklyn awarded more than $2.3 million dollars to Robert Besedin Sr. , an Air Force veteran from Baldwin who alleged two Nassau County police officers threw him down concrete stairs during an encounter at his home in 2017. Newsday previously reported that there were 75 settlements or jury awards for lawsuits alleging police or prosecutorial misconduct between 2000 and January 2023 on Long Island, costing taxpayers at least $165 million.RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. , Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Charles & Colvard, Ltd. ("Charles & Colvard" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CTHR) today announced that on November 21, 2024 , it received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq") notifying the Company that it was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires the timely filing of all required periodic reports (the "Listing Rule"), as a result of not having timely filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the "Form 10-Q"), and because the Company remains delinquent in filing its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 (the "Form 10-K"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The Form 10-Q was due on November 14, 2024. The Company filed a Notification of Late Filing on Form 12b-25 with the SEC on November 15, 2024. The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company's common stock on Nasdaq. Under Nasdaq rules, the Company has until December 17, 2024 , to regain compliance with the Listing Rule or to submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Listing Rule (the "Plan"). If Nasdaq accepts the Company's Plan, then Nasdaq may grant the Company up to 180 calendar days from the Form 10-K filing due date, or until April 14, 2025 to file its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and regain compliance. If Nasdaq does not accept the Company's Plan, then the Company will have the opportunity to appeal that decision to a Nasdaq Hearings Panel. The Company is working diligently to complete its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and plans to file its Form 10-K and Form 10-Q as promptly as practicable to regain compliance with the Listing Rule. About Charles & Colvard, Ltd. Charles & Colvard, Ltd. (Nasdaq: CTHR) believes that fine jewelry should be as ethical as it is exquisite. Charles & Colvard is the original creator of lab grown moissanite (a rare gemstone formed from silicon carbide). The Company brings revolutionary gems and fine jewelry to market by using exclusively Made, not MinedTM above ground gemstones and a dedication to 100% recycled precious metals. The Company's Forever OneTM moissanite and Caydia ® lab grown diamond brands provide exceptional quality, incredible value and a conscious approach to bridal, high fashion, and everyday jewelry. Charles & Colvard was founded in 1995 and is based in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park region. For more information, please visit https://www.charlesandcolvard.com/ . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains a number of forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Words such as "plan," "expect," "will," "working," and variations of such words and similar future or conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the expected filing of its Form 10-K and ability to regain compliance under the Nasdaq listing rule. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and beyond our control. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks and uncertainties described in more detail in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 and subsequent reports filed with the SEC. For example, there can be no assurance that the Company will regain compliance with the Listing Rule during any compliance period or in the future, or otherwise meet Nasdaq compliance standards. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. The Company disclaims and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by applicable law or regulation and you are urged to review and consider disclosures that we make in the reports that we file with the SEC that discuss other factors relevant to our business. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/charles--colvard-ltd-receives-non-compliance-letter-from-nasdaq-302317543.html SOURCE Charles & Colvard, Ltd.// NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES // VANCOUVER, BC , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BioVaxys Technology Corp. (CSE: BIOV) (FRA: 5LB) (" BioVaxys " or the " Company ") is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche (the " First Tranche ") of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the " Private Placement ") with the issuance of 2,200,000 units (the " Units ") of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $110,000 . Each Unit consist of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each, a " Share ") and one (1) whole Share purchase warrant (each, a " Warrant "), whereby each Warrant is convertible into one additional Share at an exercise price of $0.15 until December 13, 2026 , being the date that is 24 months from the date of issue. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the First Tranche for working capital. No finder's fees were paid in connection with the First Tranche. All securities issued pursuant to the First Tranche are subject to a statutory hold period expiring April 14, 2025 , being the date that is four months and one day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation In addition, the Company announces that it has entered into a debt settlement agreement with an arm's-length consultant of the Company to settle an aggregate of $500,000 in debt owed to the consultant by issuing 5,000,000 Shares at a deemed price of $0.10 per Share (the " Debt Settlement "). The board of directors of the Company has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company to settle the outstanding debt through the issuance of Shares in order to preserve the Company's cash for working capital purposes. All securities proposed to be issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation. Closing of the Debt Settlement is conditional upon a number of conditions, including receipt of all applicable corporate and regulatory approvals, including the acceptance of the Canadian Securities Exchange. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy of any securities in the United States . The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 , as amended (the " U.S. Securities Act "), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to available exemptions therefrom. About BioVaxys Technology Corp. BioVaxys Technology Corp. ( www.biovaxys.com ), a company registered in British Columbia, Canada , is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving patient lives with novel immunotherapies based on the DPXTM immune-educating technology platform and it's HapTenix© 'neoantigen' tumor cell construct platform, for treating cancers, infectious disease, antigen desensitization, and other immunological fields. DPXTM is a patented antigen delivery platform that can incorporate a range of bioactive molecules to produce targeted, long-lasting immune responses enabled by various formulated components. The DPX platform facilitates antigen delivery to regional lymph nodes and has been demonstrated to induce robust and durable T cell and B cell responses in pre-clinical and clinical studies for both cancer and infectious disease. BioVaxys' common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the stock symbol "BIOV", on the Frankfurt Bourse (FRA: 5LB), and quoted in the US on the OTC Markets. For more information, visit www.biovaxys.com and connect with us on X and LinkedIn. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed " James Passin " James Passin , Chief Executive Officer Phone: +1 740 358 0555 Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively " forward-looking statements ") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, the statements relating to the Private Placement and the Debt Settlement, including the expected use of proceeds from the Private Placement and related issuance of the Shares for the Debt Settlement, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates, primarily the assumption that BioVaxys will be successful in developing and testing vaccines, that, while considered reasonable by BioVaxys, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the impact of any changes that may affect the anticipated use of proceeds from the Private Placement and the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary approvals to proceed with the Debt Settlement. BioVaxys does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2415135/5078410/BioVaxys_Technology_Corp_Logo.jpg SOURCE BioVaxys Technology Corp.

roulette game This guest essay reflects the views of Sara Forman, executive director of the New York Solidarity Network, which works to support state and local candidates for public office who value the American alliance with Israel. A bill to give the president unprecedented power to shut down any nonprofit organization aligned with federally designated terror-supporting organizations passed in the House of Representatives last week on its second attempt, and now moves on to the U.S. Senate. The bill deserves to die, but it already has exposed the hypocrisy with which New York's left fringe views pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups. The crux of the legislation known as HR 9495 focuses on organizations with federal tax-exempt (nonprofit) status, and could encompass political nonprofits, media, colleges and universities, and civil liberties organizations. It would provide the Treasury Department with the authority to strip nonprofit status from any organization that falls into this category, without taking them to court first. There are already legal mechanisms in place to ensure organizations that provide material support to terrorist organizations are subject to scrutiny and sanctions. Last month, the Treasury Department sanctioned Samidoun, one of the most aggressive groups involved in campus protests, and listed it as a terrorist group for supporting Hamas. HR 9495 would go further, giving the Treasury broad power to shut down any tax-exempt organization on the basis of an ambiguous "supporting." While rules around nonprofits need tightening, and HR 9495 seems like the ideal avenue to clamp down on nonprofits like the Westchester-based People’s Action Coalition Foundation, which funds pro-Hamas and pro-”globalize the intifada" organizations, the expansiveness when it comes to speech and political activity leaves these proposed statutory changes vulnerable to abuse and exploitation for political agendas. As awful as it can be to experience, hate speech is protected speech. From our Editorial Board, get inside the local, city and state political scenes. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . The far left in New York vehemently opposes HR 9495, calling it authoritarian and saying it's aimed at Palestinian groups. But when it comes to Jewish groups, they’ve been singing a different tune. In 2023, socialist Assemb. Zohran Mamdani, now a New York City mayoral candidate, proposed similar legislation targeting Jewish organizations in New York. Mamdani’s Not on Our Dime Act would strip funding for New York charities found to be "providing unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity" and would allow the state attorney general to impose civil penalties for violations. Again, ambiguity is present. "Settlement activity" can be broadly defined to include anything related to support of the State of Israel. For example, if a synagogue sent care packages to an Israeli Defense Forces unit that patrols the border of the West Bank, or held an ambulance fundraiser for the emergency medical service provider Hatzolah United, which coordinates with the IDF, would they be at risk of legal liability? Under this expansive legalese, where the definition of a settlement is vague and open-ended, the answer, of course, is yes. Local socialists were unified and forceful in their support for Mamdani’s bill, and even brought Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a news conference to encourage members to support this legislation in the State Legislature. Their need to highlight certain Jewish charities as being "exempt" was less than reassuring regarding their intent. If progressives believe HR 9495 is a dangerous policing of speech and assembly, supporting the equally ambiguously worded Not on Our Dime Act is shamefully hypocritical. Even after a crushing electoral refutation of progressive ideology, the far left is still doubling down on prioritizing ways to single out and malign the Jewish community. This guest essay reflects the views of Sara Forman, executive director of the New York Solidarity Network, which works to support state and local candidates for public office who value the American alliance with Israel.Lynch Carpenter Investigates Claims in Data Breach of Center for Vein Restoration

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Hiroshi Watanabe Thesis Cardiff Oncology ( NASDAQ: CRDF ) has just announced initial data from its Phase 2 trial in metastatic colorectal cancer, confirming dose-related outperformance of standard of care. At the same time, Cardiff has announced a $2.6 pricing Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of CRDF either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

December 10, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Rice University A team of Rice University scientists has solved a long-standing problem in thermal imaging, making it possible to capture clear images of objects through hot windows. Imaging applications in a range of fields—such as security, surveillance, industrial research and diagnostics—could benefit from the research findings , which were reported in the journal Communications Engineering. "Say you want to use thermal imaging to monitor chemical reactions in a high-temperature reactor chamber," said Gururaj Naik, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice and corresponding author on the study. "The problem you'd be facing is that the thermal radiation emitted by the window itself overwhelms the camera, obscuring the view of objects on the other side." A possible solution could involve coating the window in a material that suppresses thermal light emission toward the camera, but this would also render the window opaque. To get around this issue, the researchers developed a coating that relies on an engineered asymmetry to filter out the thermal noise of a hot window, doubling the contrast of thermal imaging compared to conventional methods. The core of this breakthrough lies in the design of nanoscale resonators, which function like miniature tuning forks trapping and enhancing electromagnetic waves within specific frequencies. The resonators are made from silicon and organized in a precise array that allows fine control over how the window emits and transmits thermal radiation. "The intriguing question for us was whether it would be possible to suppress the window's thermal emission toward the camera while maintaining good transmission from the side of the object to be visualized," Naik said. "Information theory dictates a 'no' for an answer in any passive system. However, there is a loophole—in actuality, the camera operates in a finite bandwidth. We took advantage of this loophole and created a coating that suppresses thermal emission from the window toward the camera in a broad band but only diminishes transmission from the imaged object in a narrow band." This was achieved by designing a metamaterial comprised of two layers of different types of resonators separated by a spacer layer. The design allows the coating to suppress thermal emissions directed toward the camera while remaining transparent enough to capture thermal radiation from objects behind the window. "Our solution to the problem takes inspiration from quantum mechanics and non-Hermitian optics," said Ciril Samuel Prasad, a Rice doctoral engineering alum and first author on the study. The result is a revolutionary asymmetric metawindow capable of clear thermal imaging at temperatures as high as 873 K (approximately 600 C). The implications of this breakthrough are significant. One immediate application is in chemical processing, where monitoring reactions inside high-temperature chambers is critical. Beyond industrial uses, this approach may revolutionize hyperspectral thermal imaging by addressing the long-standing "Narcissus effect," where thermal emissions from the camera itself interfere with imaging. The researchers envision applications in energy conservation , radiative cooling and even defense systems, where accurate thermal imaging is essential. "This is a disruptive innovation," the researchers noted. "We've not only solved a long-standing problem but opened new doors for imaging in extreme conditions. The use of metasurfaces and resonators as design tools will likely transform many fields beyond thermal imaging from energy harvesting to advanced sensing technologies." Henry Everitt, senior scientist at the United States Army Research Laboratory and adjunct faculty at Rice, is also an author on the study. More information: Ciril Samuel Prasad et al, Thermal imaging through hot emissive windows, Communications Engineering (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44172-024-00316-y Journal information: Communications Engineering Provided by Rice University

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New On The Block Dental supply maker Patterson Companies Inc PDCO announced Thursday that it is exploring strategic options, including a sale or merger, to boost shareholder value. The company disclosed the deal process as part of its second-quarter financial report . Updates From The Block EasyHotel is close to being sold. A billionaire-backed firm called London & Regional Properties is bidding against a fund managed by Tristan Capital Partners . The auction process is in its final stages, according to Bloomberg . Ubisoft Entertainment SA UBSFF is in talks with Tencent Holdings ADR TCEHY over a potential buyout . According to Reuters, the deal would allow Ubisoft’s founders, the Guillemot family, to retain control if the company goes private. This development follows a difficult year for Ubisoft , marked by staff layoffs, disappointing sales, and the closure of several studios. Ubisoft’s stock jumped 14% after news of the buyout discussions emerged, as per Benzinga Pro. Lightspeed Commerce Inc. LSPD is reorganizing. A majority of the restructuring charges will be incurred in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The focus remains on “reducing the complexity of our business,” said Lightspeed founder and CEO Dax Dasilva said . An analyst told Payments Dive that the intent is to set Lightspeed up for a sale. JPMorgan and RBC are advising the process, according to Bloomberg . See Also: NASA Mission To Land Humans On Moon Delayed – Artemis 3 Now Slated For... Off The Block Novavax, Inc. NVAX agreed to sell its Bohumil, Czech Republic manufacturing facility to Novo Nordisk A/S NVO for $200 million . The deal includes transferring assets, including a 150,000-square-foot factory and the existing workforce . Schneider National, Inc. SNDR disclosed that it has agreed to acquire Cowan Systems, LLC and its affiliates for approximately $390 million in cash, subject to adjustments . The deal also includes a separate purchase of related real estate assets for $31 million . Renewi , a London-listed waste management company, agreed to a preliminary takeover offer from Macquarie Asset Management that values it at 700.9 million pounds ($888.8 million). Renewi had been exploring the sale of certain assets (i.e. its UK Municipal division ) in order to reduce debt and focus on its core recycling business in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Portugal. Bankruptcy Block Eegee's , a beloved drive-through restaurant chain founded in Tucson in 1971, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed five locations—four in Tucson and one in Phoenix. Despite challenges, Eegee's continues to operate over 20 locations in Tucson and Phoenix. Local media reported that the company owes significant debts, including over $1.2 million to Sysco and hundreds of thousands more to other vendors, with total liabilities ranging between $10 million and $50 million. CEO Chris Westcott cited various pressures as reasons for the restructuring, but local residents blamed 39 North Capital , Eegee's owner since 2018. Trucking company Kal Freight filed for bankruptcy protection, saying its financial condition has been hurt by unprofitable efforts to become a vertically integrated business and a now-questionable investment in additional vehicles during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The closely held company also faces litigation, including foreclosure actions, according to the Wall Street Journal citing a filing Thursday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston. Proma Group has acquired Germany’s Recaro Automotive GmbH , enabling the company to exit bankruptcy and resume operations across Europe starting January 2025. Recaro's aftermarket seats will return to the market in January, with OEM production shifting to Italy where Proma is based. Several employees from Recaro’s Sales and Technology departments will remain in the Stuttgart area to ensure a smooth transition and customer support. Recaro’s operations in North America and Japan remain unaffected. Proma Group CEO Luca Pino praised the partnership as a blend of German industrial and Italian manufacturing excellence. Notes From The Block Bain & Company did a swell job putting M&A telecom trends into perspective this week. Here’s what we learned: Global deal value “surged” from about $24 billion in the first three quarters of 2023 to $90 billion in the same period in 2024, the firm noted. The Americas accounted for 63% of the global total. Financial investors are acquiring tower and fixed assets. This trend underscores confidence in digital infrastructure's business fundamentals despite headwinds. The $20.3 billion deal between Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. FYBR and Verizon Communications Inc. VZ is the year's largest transaction so far. Scale deals accounted for nearly half of global deal value year to date; infrastructure divestments accounted for 22% of deal value through the first nine months of 2024 (36% of all deal value over the past five years); mobile and fixed divestments made up about 20% during that period. For the full report, click here . For last week’s Deal Dispatch , click here . Now Read : Bitcoin Flash Crash: Classic Bull Market Shakeout? © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.NoneNone

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The best way to understand the findings of social surveys is to look up the exact questions addressed to the survey respondents. Wordings of survey questions might not be reported by the mass media, for lack of space or journalistic interest, but should be in the technical reports of the survey doer, in line with standard codes of professional ethics for opinion research. Thus, to clearly understand the recent crime victimization report of Social Weather Stations (SWS), see the technical report, “Families victimized by crime rise to 6.1 percent in Sept. 2024; victimization by cybercrimes rises to 7.2 percent; neighborhood fears stay high,” (www.sws.org.ph, 11/9/2024). It shows that the SWS numbers are not mere “perceptions” of crime, but actual instances of being burglarized at home, robbed on the street, having a motor vehicle stolen, being hurt by physical violence, or victimized by cybercrime, in the past six months, by a member of a statistically representative national sample of families. The SWS survey question-wordings have been very carefully maintained from the start—Feb. 1989 for (1) street robbery, (2) home burglary, and (3) physical violence, April 1993 for (4) carnapping, and June 2023 for (5) cybercrime—to the present, since the SWS intent is to monitor well-being over time. The SWS surveys have been quarterly since 1992, with no break except for the 2020 pandemic. All the raw data, and all the questions asked, are in the SWS archives. Incidentally, the latest incidence of victimization by cybercrime is higher than the combined sum of the other crimes listed. Cybercrime is the new scourge. The fears of crime in the neighborhood, on the other hand, are perceptions indeed, but SWS has separate numbers for them. The victimizations experienced by the people are much higher than those they report to the police—we know this because of past SWS surveys, sponsored by the Philippine National Police itself. (Reports of commissioned SWS surveys are open to research, after temporary embargo. The main reason for non-reporting of crime is the expectation that nothing will come of it anyway.) Survey researchers control only the questions, not the answers. I remember from the 1990s that the American Association for Public Opinion Research held a contest for the best slogan for its annual conference. The one I liked most was: “We may not have all the answers; but we have all the questions.” If one is already sure about the answer, then there’s no need to ask the question. The rationale for exposing a survey questionnaire is to demonstrate that it has no leading questions. If a survey sponsor asks that some leading questions be asked, the survey doer may reject the request, and cite the code of professional ethics as justification. Ethical research engenders respect, and repeat business. The answers to a multiple-choice question are part of the question. A survey question starts with its introduction, if any, and ends with the full listing of answers to choose from. If the research is seeking to explain some belief, attitude, intention, or behavior, then it is impractical to simply ask “Why?” This will easily result in as many one- or two-liners as respondents, i.e. hundreds, even thousands of lines to read through and try to classify. As a general rule, it’s more efficient for the researcher to group the possible answers according to the competing hypotheses: Reason A, Reason B, Reason C, etc. It’s alright to allow a few (say, up to three) multiple answers. Catch-alls like “none of the above,” and “other” are alright, if they are expected to get only single-digit results; be ready for some “no response” and “refused to answer” too. How about the “who will you vote for” question? As a general rule, a pre-election pollster should present the candidates’ names in exactly the same way as in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) protocol on election day: with correct spelling, nickname, party affiliation, and so forth, in alphabetical order (for senators) or in numerical order (for party list), as pertinent. Note that assignment of random numbers to the party lists has been introduced by the Comelec in recognition that mere location on the candidates list can affect the choice of voters. (Suppose that, at the end of the Comelec list, there is an empty box without a name? I wouldn’t be surprised if some voters shade the unnamed box, thinking it might be for a mystery candidate!) If dissatisfied with the questions of a survey, there’s the recourse of designing and implementing one’s own questions, and then comparing the answers. Competition is welcome; it is the means of validating science. —————- 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 . Contact: [email protected] .AP News Summary at 5:36 p.m. EST11 Nordstrom Beauty Deals That Make Stunning Gifts

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Scott Bessent: The Finance Maven Set to Navigate U.S. TreasuryFirst Horizon Names New Head of Investor RelationsHealthcare Company Shifts In-Person Conference to a Virtual Event Following UnitedHealthcare CEO MurderAUDI has unveiled its new logo with major changes a mere few days after Jaguar was slammed over the "woke" EV rebrand. The car brand has divided drivers through its launch of a new sub-brand which gets rid of the iconic four rings logo. Advertisement 2 The Audi E Concept is on display during the 2024 Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition Credit: Getty 2 Audi's are renowned for their four rings Credit: Alamy The German premium vehicle manufacturer has announced a new partnership with SAIC - a Chinese motoring giant. This collaboration is to sell a separate range of Audi models within the market. The sub-brands first reveal shows the model featuring a brand new logo - not with four rings. China has the largest new car market worldwide with around 26 million models sold in 2023 - and Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi, has shared his excitement for the sub-brand. Advertisement read more in motors LIVING LUX Five luxury cars you can pick up for bargain prices in 2024 to 'look rich' ‘LITERALLY RIDICULOUS’ Top 5 luxury cars you can buy for under £5,000 He said: "The automotive industry is undergoing the largest transformation in its history. "With our partnerships in China, we are playing a decisive role in this transformation." Audi are very familiar with the car market in China, having sold its cars there since 1988 after beginning a contract with First Automobile Works (FAW). Here they became the first company to import luxury cars to the brand. Advertisement Most read in Motors DIG DOWN Two major tunnels used by 100k a day WILL be tolled with drivers forced to pay £4 MOTOR ON Hollywood A-lister’s £2MILLION motorhome with 30-person cinema & sauna bathroom GEARING UP Speed limits could be cut across Scotland as government unveils new plans ROAD BLOCK Repairs on major Scots motorway still haven't started after 3 years of delays Now the new Audi sub-brand looks to sell unique models with its design to younger motorists. The company pointed out the additional driver-assistance technology in comparison to models in Europe as China is currently enforcing fewer restrictions on autonomous vehicles. Harry Kane and Bayern Munich team mates take the Audi Q6 e-tron for a drive But the new models are missing the iconic four ring logo that first popped up in 1932 and instead have 'Audi' written across the front. The rings were originally used by Auto Union and were to represent the four German car brands Audi, Chemnitz, DKW and Horch who were all in an alliance at the time. Advertisement Users took to Reddit to express their thoughts on the new Audi look in China. One user said: "Honestly? This is hilarious. It's one of those things that make you believe the simulation is real and the creator is going for maximum silliness. "Next week: Mercedes launches 'MERCEDES'." Another commented: "China is a different market. There's an Audi A7 L there. I guess Audi China knows what it is doing. Advertisement "In my opinion, it looks exactly like one of those new Chinese electric car brands without personality in their designs." Meanwhile a 'new' classic Jaguar has been unveiled with a roaring petrol engine - just days after the British firm's controversial re-brand ahead of its electric revolution. A monstrous version of Jag's iconic XJS model has been revealed for the first time, although the marque won't be the ones making it. Indeed, Berkshire-based car maker Tom Walkinshaw Racing, known as TWR, is the brains behind this very cool looking XJS Supercat. Advertisement The limited-edition beast is a modernised take on the classic sports car, which Jaguar originally produced between 1975 and 1996. Widely considered one of the most famous Jags, some 115,413 XJS models rolled off production lines in that time - and today it's considered a mainstay at classic car shows. "Available to commission" now, the timing of the arrival of TWR's XJS Supercat couldn't have come at a more curious period in Jaguar's 102-year history, as the manufacturer is in the midst of one of motoring history’s most outrageous rebrands. This month, they began the first phase of their transition by putting a stop to all of their current models being sold in dealerships , with only the F-Pace to be carried over into 2025. Advertisement Read more on the Scottish Sun LOOKING UP I'm a four-time world champ but my eyesight is going so I've made crucial change ISLE SAY Stunning home with panoramic views for sale for just £135k - but there's a catch This is because the firm is fully committed to going all-electric by next year, with a handful of brand new models to be released - including a four-door GT that's to be fully unveiled in concept form next week. They then sent ripples through the motoring world when they released a new logo along with a bizarre teaser video that received backlash on social media. What is the FCA investigating and who is eligible for compensation? By Jacob Jaffa, Motors Reporter What is being investigated? The FCA announced in January that it would investigate allegations of "widespread misconduct" related to discretionary commission agreements (DCAs) on car loans. When you buy a car on finance, you are effectively loaned the value of the car while you pay it off. These loans have interest payments charged on top of them and are often organised on behalf of lenders by brokers - usually the finance arm of a dealership . These brokers earn money in the form of commission - a percentage of the interest payments on the loan. DCAs allowed brokers to, to a certain extent, increase the interest rate on a loan, which in turn increased the amount of commission they received. The practice was banned by the FCA in 2021. Who is eligible for compensation? The FCA estimates that around 40% of car deals may have been affected before 2021. There are two criteria you must meet to have a chance at receiving compensation. First, you must be complaining in relation to a finance deal on a motor vehicle (including cars, vans, motorbikes and motorhomes) that was agreed before January 28 2021. Second, you must have bought the vehicle through a mechanism like Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) or Hire Purchase (HP), which make up the majority of finance deals and mean you own the vehicle at the end of the agreement. Drivers who leased a car through something like a Personal Contract Hire, where you give the car back at the end of the lease, are not eligible.

No sooner had Storm Bert dwindled before Storm Conall began brewing. Storm Conall, which has been named by the Dutch Met Service, is tracking close to Irish shores, bringing with it a "deepening low pressure" system. While the storm is not expected to directly impact Ireland, its effects are already being felt across the UK and the Netherlands. A Met Office spokesperson said: "Storm Conall has been named by the Dutch Weather Service, @KNMI . This area of low pressure brings rain to southern Britain Tuesday night, and deepens further after crossing the UK to bring strong winds across the Netherlands later on Wednesday and into Thursday." Read more: What cost of living benefits will be paid and what bills are going up in December Read more: Social welfare Ireland: Date for cost-of-living Christmas bonus and who will get it Luckily, the storm has already passed south of Ireland and brought heavy rainfall to the UK overnight. At the moment it's continuing its journey eastward and is expected to bring strong and potentially disruptive winds to the Netherlands today and tomorrow. But in quite a curveball, instead of causing the usual stormy weather, Storm Conall will bring an unexpected rise in temperatures for Ireland. As the low-pressure system deepens, it is expected to create conditions that pull in milder air from the southwest and the Atlantic Ocean. Check out the full forecast below: Thursday: Thursday morning, there will be some hazy sunshine in the north and east with any remaining frost and fog here clearing quickly, but it will be a cloudy and damp start in the south and west with outbreaks of rain. Rain and drizzle will spread across most of the country through the afternoon but rainfall totals will be small in the east and northeast. Highest temperatures of 8 to 13 degrees in fresh or strong and gusty southeast winds, reaching near gale or gale along coasts. Thursday night: Breezy on Thursday night with outbreaks of rain and drizzle across the western half of the country with some heavy falls. It looks set to stay largely dry further east apart from the odd spot of rain or drizzle. A mild night with lowest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in fresh and gusty southerly winds. Friday: It looks set to be a cloudy and rather damp day on Friday with outbreaks of rain pushing northwards over the country. A clearance to scattered showers will follow from the Atlantic to southern and western counties during the evening. Highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees in fresh and gusty southerly winds. Mostly cloudy on Friday night with a few patches of rain, drizzle and mist but overall plenty of dry weather. Lowest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in moderate to fresh southerly winds. Saturday: Breezy on Saturday with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. More persistent rain will develop in Atlantic coastal counties during Saturday afternoon. A mild day with highest temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees in fresh and gusty southerly winds. Further outbreaks of rain on Saturday night, turning heavy in places with the chance of spot flooding. Lowest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in moderate southwest winds.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Alabama faces a tougher roadblock than it might appear in its quest to maintain positioning for the College Football Playoff. Sure, Oklahoma has struggled in its first Southeastern Conference season. The Sooners (5-5, 1-5 SEC) have lost four straight conference games. The Sooners have fired their offensive coordinator and they have the worst offense in the league. But they have a tough defense, too. Linebacker Danny Stutsman, a midseason AP All-American, anchors a nasty unit that has kept the Sooners competitive in losses at Ole Miss and Missouri. He ranks second in the SEC with 96 tackles. Defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. has scored four defensive touchdowns since the start of the 2023 season, tied for the most nationally. Defensive end R Mason Thomas has seven sacks, with six coming in the fourth quarter of close games. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is paying attention. “It’s going to take a great week of preparation,” DeBoer said. “A physical football team all around. Their defense is, I think, an extremely tough defense in all ways — just what they do with their scheme and then with their personnel, the way they fly around.” Plus, Oklahoma is motivated. It’s Senior Day for a program that would become bowl eligible with a win. Beating the seventh-ranked Crimson Tide could cure a lot of ills for the Sooners. “I think they know they could be a great example for what fight and what belief and what finishing and what improving and what proving people wrong looks like,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said. “And I think this is a group of guys that are committed to doing that.” Alabama (8-2, 4-2) has more answers than most. Jalen Milroe has passed for 15 touchdowns and rushed for 17. Freshman receiver Ryan Williams has 40 catches for 767 yards and eight touchdowns. “Yeah, incredibly explosive, and they have great playmakers everywhere," Venables said. “Certainly, it starts — everything goes through the quarterback.” There has been much talk about what a third loss would do to Alabama's playoff hopes. DeBoer said his team isn't focused on that. “I think we're really honed in and the guys really believe on and have understood the significance of really focusing on where we’re at right now,” he said. “We talk about the next play is the most important play, the next game is the most important game. We haven’t thought about anything beyond Oklahoma.” Milroe is only the fourth SEC quarterback since 2007 to have at least 15 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing touchdowns in a single season. The others won the Heisman Trophy during their seasons — Florida's Tim Tebow in 2007, Auburn's Cam Newton in 2010 and Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel in 2012. “I think it just starts with doing what’s best for the team, and that’s what Jalen is all about," DeBoer said. Since returning to the lineup early against South Carolina four games ago, Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold has completed 70 of 112 passes for 705 yards with five touchdowns with no interceptions. Still, his fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the final minute against Missouri was the difference in a 30-23 loss. Arnold has dealt with significant criticism all season. “That goes along with that position at a place like the University of Oklahoma,” Venables said. “That’s a position that’s a little bit ... it’s a bit like the head coach position. There’s a different type of microscope and there’s a different type of focus and that’s okay he’s got broad shoulders to handle that.” Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes ran for career highs of 203 yards and three touchdowns against Maine two weeks ago, then he sat out last week's loss to Missouri. He's listed as questionable on this week's injury report. He leads the Sooners with 577 yards rushing this season. Venables is impressed with what DeBoer has done in his first year at Alabama since taking over for Nick Saban. “One of Kalen’s strengths as a football coach — a very successful coach — is he takes a group of players that he has, and their staff figures out what they can do,” Venables said. “They major in that, put them in position to be successful based on the players’ strengths. They’ve done a nice job of doing that throughout the course of the season.” Oklahoma beat heavily favored Alabama 45-31 in the Sugar Bowl to cap the 2013 season, a game that helped pump energy into the Sooner program under Bob Stoops. Alabama got revenge in 2018, beating the Sooners 45-34 in the College Football Playoff. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-footballWalker & Dunlop Finances $245 Million for Jersey City DevelopmentVivek Ramaswamy got quite a strong reaction from conservativeswhen he tried to explain hiring trends across the tech sector in a culturally-charged social media post on Thursday. In an extended post shared on X , the tech entrepreneur wrote about how “top companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ‘native’ Americans,” claiming the imbalance “isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation)” but rather because of differences on the societal level. “A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture,” Ramaswamy continued, before telling readers, “Tough questions demand tough answers & if we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH.” The CEO-turned-politician’s assessment? That “American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.” Ramaswamy suggested that entertainment has had an outsized impact on shaping mainstream American values “at least since the 90s and likely longer.” “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers,” he claimed. The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if... — Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024 Comparing and contrasting characters from several popular ’90s sitcoms, Ramaswamy went on to say, “A culture that venerates Cory from ‘Boy Meets World,’ or Zach & Slater over Screech in ‘Saved by the Bell,’ or ‘Stefan’ over Steve Urkel in ‘Family Matters,’ will not produce the best engineers.” His solution? “More math tutoring, fewer sleepovers. More weekend science competitions, fewer Saturday morning cartoons. More books, less TV. More creating, less ‘chillin.’ More extracurriculars, less ‘hanging out at the mall.’” While Ramaswamy’s point about pop culture seemed reasonable enough, the entrepreneur’s diagnosis veered into problematic overgeneralizations when he claimed the difference boiled down to families’ cultural and geographic backgrounds. “Most normal American parents look skeptically at ‘those kinds of parents,’” he wrote. “More normal American kids view such ‘those kinds of kids’ with scorn. If you grow up aspiring to normalcy, normalcy is what you will achieve.” “Now close your eyes & visualize which families you knew in the 90s (or even now) who raise their kids according to one model versus the other,” Ramaswamy goaded. “Be brutally honest.” Turning back to America’s supposed inclination toward the average, he said, “‘Normalcy’ doesn’t cut it in a hyper-competitive global market for technical talent” and that “if we pretend like it does, we’ll have our asses handed to us by China.” Ramaswamy then tried to rally readers to help shift the status quo by envisioning a future where America “once again prioritizes achievement over normalcy; excellence over mediocrity; nerdiness over conformity; hard work over laziness.” While he pinned demographic disparities across the tech world on supposed cultural differences, the imbalance is more likely about dollars and cents. In 2020, a study by the Economic Policy Institute found that employers that rely on America’s H-1B visa program to recruit temporary employees with “highly specialized” skills and technical education often pay those workers well below the market wages. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Walmart, Google, Apple and Facebook have all made robust use of the program to fill job shortages. With President-elect Donald Trump preparing to implement a draconian deportation strategy when he assumes office next month, conservatives still seem to be at odds over how to approach the labor shortages troubling many of America’s biggest and most profitable businesses. Though Tesla CEO Elon Musk, like Ramaswamy, has vowed to be behind Trump’s harsh immigration policies, on Wednesday he posted that “the number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low,” and the country needs “to recruit top talent wherever they may be.” But Ramaswamy and Musk’s reasoning really seemed to rub some of their conservative peers the wrong way. Trump’s former rival for the 2024 Republican presidential candidacy, Nikki Haley, reposted Ramaswamy’s message saying, “There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture. All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have. We should be investing and prioritizing in Americans, not foreign workers.” Far-right firebrand Laura Loomer invoked the racist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory in her criticism, where she claimed, “It’s not racist against Indians to want the original MAGA policies I voted for. I voted for a reduction in H1B visas. Not an extension.” Social Media Calls B.S. On Vivek Ramaswamy's Supposed Convo With Govt. Worker Vivek Ramaswamy Pledges To ‘Delete’ Entire Government Agencies Alongside Elon Musk Never-Trump Pundit Laughs At Idea Of Musk And Ramaswamy's 'Department of Government Efficiency'

Reality star turned actress Kim Kardashian doesn’t seem to be getting any better at editing her photos. The SKIMS founder’s social media is almost always under some type of scrutiny. She was recently slammed for mocking Catholic prayer with a “wild” rosary lingerie shoot . Just a week before that, she received backlash for the seductive snaps she took with her new $30k Tesla robot . Her critics’ latest comments come after she posted a sneak peek into her latest project . Kim is once again joining one of Ryan Murphy’s drama series. The television personality will be starring in the upcoming Hulu show All’s Fair. The series follows a successful divorce lawyer as she owns an all-female firm in Los Angeles. She will work alongside a star-studded cast that includes Naomi Watts, Sarah Paulson and Teyana Taylor. Along with her mother Kris Jenner , Kim also acts as an executive producer on the series. Considering the show won’t be released until sometime next year, the reality star decided to share a sneak peek into the new drama on her Instagram . Kim posed against a wall wearing a white blazer with a matching lace-up pencil skirt. She completed the look with red accessories including a leather handbag, a pair of fishnet stockings and pointed-toe pumps. Although she seemed eager to bring some attention to the new show, the main thing her fans seemed to be focused on was the mirror behind her. It turns out many picked up on an apparent distortion in the reflective glass. In one of the photos, her backside looked different in the camera than it did in the mirror. Her few critics took to Reddit to point out the photo-editing blunder. DON'T MISS: Kim Kardashian unbothered out with pals after Taylor Swift’s TTPD 'diss track' Kourt Kardashian slams bodyshamer after troll claims she won't like Kim for snap Kylie Jenner 'shuts out' pals as she focuses all on beau Timothee Chalamet One person said: "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Oops! She forgot to photoshop the mirror." Another mentioned: "Her a-- is HUGE here and she’s clearly photoshopped thinner, so imagine how big it must really be now...." A third added: “The mirror doesn’t lie." Someone else believed the mistake was intentional. "She didn't forget and we're falling for it. Bad photoshop and rage-bait is all that they have left for attention and headlines,” the person responded.Missouri ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors to continue after judge’s rulingroulette wheel game 。

Great ExpectationsFOX 11's Elex Michaelson explains the controversial Prop. 36 that would increase the punishment for certain theft and drug crimes. SEAL BEACH, Calif. - An alleged shoplifter got quite the surprise when she found out some shoplifting offenses are now considered a felony in California. "It's a felony?" video shows one of the women saying. "B*tch new laws!" the suspect next to her replies as they sit handcuffed in the back of a patrol car. "Stealing is a felony and this Orange County b*tch. They don’t play." Surveillance video shared Sunday by the Seal Beach Police Department shows three women walking into an Ulta Beauty store, perusing the shelves, then nonchalantly leaving with around $648 worth of stolen merchandise. SUGGESTED: Business owners support Prop 36 amid lootings Another video allegedly shows the same three women going inside a Kohl's store where they allegedly left with around $1,000 worth of merchandise. Surveillance video shared Sunday by the Seal Beach Police Department shows three women walking into an Ulta Beauty store, perusing the shelves, then nonchalantly leaving with around $648 worth of stolen merchandise. Bodycam video shows police officers chasing the women and ultimately arresting them. "A friendly reminder that Proposition 36, which increases punishments for some retail theft and drug possession offenses, went into effect Wednesday morning in California," the Seal Beach PD wrote on Instagram. "Don't steal in Seal!" SUGGESTED: The debate over Prop 36 in California Prop. 36 was a rightward swing of the California political pendulum – a decade ago, voters eased criminal penalties for certain crimes under 2014’s Proposition 47, which was pitched as both a cost-saving measure and a more effective way to combat crime by focusing dollars on treatment instead of incarceration. Then, during the pandemic, the rate of shoplifting and commercial burglaries skyrocketed, especially in Los Angeles, Alameda, San Mateo and Sacramento counties. Statewide, reported shoplifting of merchandise worth up to $950 soared 28% over the past five years , according to the Public Policy Institute of California. That’s the highest observed level since 2000. SUGGESTED: Explaining California's Prop. 36 Combining shoplifting with commercial burglaries, the institute’s researchers found that total reported thefts were 18% higher than in 2019. Now, certain drug offenses and thefts under $950 can be classified as felonies rather than misdemeanors if the suspected perpetrator has two or more past convictions for theft crimes. SUGGESTED: California Prop 36 explained: Increasing penalties for theft and drug trafficking Proponents said the initiative is necessary to close legal loopholes that have made it challenging for law enforcement to punish shoplifters and drug dealers. Opponents, including Democratic state leaders and social justice groups, said it will disproportionately imprison poor people and those with substance-use issues rather than target ringleaders who hire large groups of people to steal goods for resale online. The initiative will also take away drug and mental health funding that comes from savings from incarcerating fewer people. Californians for Safety and Justice, a nonprofit that seeks to reduce prison and jail spending, estimated that Prop. 36 will add 130,000 more people to California jails each year, about 100,000 of them held in jail before trial and about 30,000 serving one-year sentences after their convictions. The Source: This story was reported with information from the Seal Beach Police Department and the Associated Press.

If I were President Joe Biden, I would have done the same thing. I would have pardoned a son who faced possible federal prison time — not because of the crimes he committed but because of me. The president’s decision to absolve his son Hunter reneges on a campaign promise and can certainly be described as hypocritical. It creates a political problem for the Democratic Party and will be seen by many as a stain on Biden’s legacy. Obviously, Biden is prepared to accept those consequences. I would be, too. In his statement, Biden got to the heart of things “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong.” This is clearly true. If a son of mine were being subjected to selective prosecution, and I had the power to make it all go away, that’s what I would do. This isn’t about lying on a gun permit form or delinquency in paying taxes, which are the crimes Hunter has admitted committing. It’s about fatherhood. The word “troubled” appears in almost anything written about Hunter. Joe Biden watched his second son recover from injuries suffered in a 1972 automobile accident that killed Hunter’s mother and sister, fractured Hunter’s skull and injured his older brother, Beau. The president, then a senator, took pride in Hunter’s early promise. Hunter graduated from Yale Law School, then embarked on a career in finance. But over the years, Joe Biden also witnessed Hunter’s restlessness as he briefly went into government, then complicated his father’s life by becoming a lobbyist, then went back into finance. And the elder Biden watched Hunter try to live up to the impossibly high standard set by Beau: Syracuse University Law School, a Justice Department career, experience as a federal prosecutor, election to two terms as attorney general of Delaware and concurrent service in the Delaware Army National Guard, which included a 2008 combat deployment in Iraq. Many people predicted Beau would be president someday. No one predicted the same about Hunter. Then, in 2013, Beau was diagnosed with a deadly form of brain cancer. As Joe Biden watched his older son struggle with his illness, he watched his younger son struggle with his own demons — and could do nothing to help either. By the time Beau died nine years ago, Hunter’s life was a mess. He was deep in the throes of addiction to cocaine and alcohol. The most telling episode came in 2013, when, at age 42, he emulated Beau by joining the Navy Reserve. He was sworn in by his father, then vice president, at the White House — and then discharged when a urine test detected the presence of cocaine. Hunter was making money — often trading on his father’s name — but spending it like a fire hose on drugs and an extravagant lifestyle. His personal relationships were chaotic, toxic and sordid. And his father was helpless to save him. We all know what happened next. When Donald Trump became president in 2016, and it became clear that Joe Biden could be his opponent in 2020, Republicans launched a campaign to destroy Biden politically through his association with his surviving son. A Justice Department special prosecutor and an endless congressional investigation produced clouds of smoke, at the heart of which was no fire: No evidence showed Joe Biden acted as senator or vice president to benefit Hunter’s interests. The only money Republicans ever proved Joe Biden accepted from Hunter was $4,140 in repayment for a car that Hunter didn’t qualify to purchase because of his low credit rating. Hunter did commit crimes, though, to which he has pleaded guilty in federal court. But his were not the kinds of crimes that usually get prosecuted. He was given this harsh treatment because he is Joe Biden’s son. He might not have been sentenced to prison time. But with Trump returning to the White House and pledging to punish his political enemies, he faced new peril. It was not inconceivable that Trump would find an attorney general willing to conjure the smoke surrounding Hunter’s dealings with the Ukrainian firm Burisma — already dispelled by years of fruitless investigation — into some kind of new criminal indictment. When Joe Biden promised not to pardon Hunter, he thought he’d never have to. Things have changed. I can’t argue that pardoning Hunter was politically the right thing to do. I’m not even sure it was morally the right thing to do. But if my son were in Hunter’s position and I had the power to save him and give him a fresh start, I’d do it. I believe many fathers would agree. Robinson writes for The Washington Post. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Tweet Facebook Mail Sam Kerr touched down in Perth on Saturday, after her grandmother Coral Kerr was hit by a car in Palmyra on Friday . The Matildas' captain was celebrating a teammate's wedding yesterday in the Hunter Valley when she received the news about her grandmother. "She's a bit shocked," Sam's father Roger Kerr said of his daughter at Perth Airport. READ MORE: WA Police officer hospitalised after alleged assault by teens Sam Kerr touched down in Perth on Saturday, after her grandmother Coral Kerr was hit by a car in Palmyra on Friday. (9News) "She's gone straight there to see her grandmother now and we'll follow." Sam's brother Daniel picked them up from the airport as the family rushed to be by the 89-year-old's bedside at Royal Perth Hospital. In a heartbreaking coincidence for the family - Coral's accident took place at the very intersection her husband Denzil Kerr, Sam's grandfather, was hit by a car and killed at 20 years ago. "She was one side of the road and he was the other, so it's really a tragic set of circumstances," neighbour Mary Ivey said. READ MORE: Woman dies in holiday road tragedy in South Australia Sam Kerr's grandmother hit by car at same intersection her grandfather was killed at 20 years ago (9News) Witnesses say a ute was trying to overtake a bus at the intersection of Marmion Street and Justinian Street in Palmyra just before 11am on Friday, when it mounted the footpath, knocking a power pole and allegedly hitting Coral as she got off the bus.  The 89-year-old was just metres away from her Marmion Street home, with neighbours rushing to her aid. "She started to come to and recognised me," Ivey said. "And was able to talk to us and let us know, you know, that she was in pain." Coral is in a serious but stable condition and is undergoing surgery for a broken ankle, femur, and hip. She also suffered concussion during the crash. The driver, a 63-year-old man from Willagee, has since been charged with one count of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm. He told 9News the crash was unintentional. He's now facing up to seven years in jail and will face court in the new year. DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP : Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play .After Trump’s win, Black women are rethinking their role as America’s reliable political organizers

Why zoning reform won’t solve the housing crisis

You know the drill. It's time to shop for internet , but you only have one or two options, and neither sounds very appealing. You've heard the woes from friends who signed up with Spectrum and were surprised by two price increases within the same year -- and there's a good chance that Spectrum is one of the two options available at your address. So what can you do? First, let's do a little research Type your address into the Federal Communication Commission's broadband map . That way, you can find a list of seven to 10 internet providers, each an alternative to Spectrum if that's a provider you're trying to avoid. But let's say you're trying to stick to a high-speed internet option. Maybe you have a smart TV you use for streaming in crisp 4K , a roommate who games religiously in their room or you're a student who uses Zoom pretty regularly. Whatever the reason, a good rule of thumb is to aim for speeds of 300 megabits per second or higher for average internet usage. You can use the FCC broadband map to find a list of internet providers that service your address. The FCC defines " broadband " as an internet connection with speeds of 100Mbps down and 20Mbps up . Using that definition, go back to the FCC broadband map and rule out each provider with advertised speeds of 100Mbps or less. Why? Even though an ISP advertises that speed, you probably won't get it consistently because of how your router and Wi-Fi work . Locating local internet providers For most people, at this stage in internet shopping, there are only one to three decent options left, and if one of them isn't Spectrum, it's most likely AT&T , Cox , T-Mobile Home Internet or Xfinity . While I don’t personally have anything against Spectrum (and CNET ranks it as one of the better cable ISPs out there), there are some people who do . The leading cause of those frustrations is usually price increases . It’s frustrating not only because your bill increases while your speeds remain the same, but also because not having another internet option means you can’t switch . Locating local internet providers According to the FCC, there are only seven internet providers available at my address. If I eliminate ISPs with speeds of 300Mbps or lower, there are only two. At this point, your head is probably spinning. Why is shopping for internet providers such a headache? Will those other internet options be any good? Why can’t you get more than one decent option at your address? Internet monopolies are far too common Just 10 years ago, our definition of broadband vastly differed from the FCC's take today (it was previously just 4Mbps down and 1Mbps up ). Our conversations about home internet needing to be more accessible, affordable and sustainably fast for average household needs are a relatively recent development. "The amount of money the average American is spending [on internet] relative to their income is about the same [compared to 10 years ago]," said Blair Levin, a policy analyst from New Street Research and former executive director at the FCC. "In that sense, we have a much faster, better product at about the same price point. Sure, you could say that's good. Does that mean it's affordable? Not for a lot of Americans, it is not affordable, and affordability is a key problem." According to data collected by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in 2020, approximately 83 million Americans have access to the internet through a single internet provider. Only 14 major ISPs have a national availability equal to or greater than 2% of households nationwide, according to June 2024 data from the FCC . Of these 14, Spectrum ranks fourth, with about 30% coverage, making it the second-largest cable provider in the country after Xfinity. Due to various factors, including geographically diverse terrain, high infrastructure costs and the daunting task of competing with prices from a much bigger ISP, it can be costly for smaller businesses to get a foot in the door without significant funding. What does that mean for you? Since you likely have only one or two options for internet at your address, your internet provider can keep inflating your monthly bill and you can’t really do anything about it. "Because of the way that we classify broadband service providers, the FCC has very little authority over prices, which means that [ISPs] can pretty much do whatever they want," Christopher Ali, a telecommunications professor at Penn State, told CNET. Although there are thousands of local internet providers, our options often boil down to one or two of the ISP giants in the country. Admittedly, CNET often reviews those top providers and may recommend several of them as viable internet options. And it's true, those ISP giants aren't necessarily always bad options: They offer an efficient cost per Mbps especially compared with plans from local ISPs, which are typically DSL or fixed wireless options with much slower speeds targeted to rural homes. In rural areas that may not have a big ISP presence, internet options are sorely limited and people usually have to fall back on the slow speeds and high costs of satellite internet . Although satellite internet offers extensive availability, it tends to average less than 100Mbps in download speeds, not quite fast enough for average to above-average internet usage. According to data from the FCC, Xfinity (red) and Spectrum (purple) are the two largest cable internet providers in the country. Although competition among ISPs is often limited, there are pockets of regions where competition -- and fast, cost-efficient internet options -- thrive. In some cases, municipal broadband networks (like the community-owned fiber networks in Wilson, North Carolina or Chattanooga, Tennessee) and public middle-mile networks offer much faster speeds for lower prices than a private-owned ISP. This effectively creates what Ali calls a "Swiss cheese pattern of broadband availability" throughout the country. Still, those success stories aren't ubiquitous, and all too often, people face high price increases, limited high-speed options and inconsistent connectivity with home internet. Even in urban areas, which typically have higher concentrations of internet serviceability, some neighborhoods may see much slower speeds and fewer options at their address than a neighborhood across town . A study conducted by the University of Chicago in 2022 zeroed in on the trend of inequitable internet access across neighborhoods with marginalized or low-income communities, raising questions about "digital redlining" by ISPs. Why the difference in the US? You may find it surprising that the high cost of the internet in the US isn’t necessarily replicated in other countries. According to a study by the New America Foundation , US consumers pay the highest average costs for broadband compared across all studied regions. The average cost of internet service in the UK sits at around £27 ($34) a month, while the US averages $63 in monthly internet costs -- not including hidden fees , equipment costs and those yearly price hikes. Some researchers point to the concentration of US markets compared to the UK, noting that the concentrated telecommunication industry warrants high internet costs and low capital expenditures from both a consumer and investor perspective. Others point to the tendency of US policy to favor larger ISPs, limiting competition and driving up prices. “According to the New America Foundation, Americans pay the most for broadband in any country in the OECD," Dr Ali told CNET. "We’re averaging somewhere between $74 and $84 a month – and there is no technological reason why costs are this high. Zero. It is entirely price-gouging.” The size of internet companies like AT&T, Google , Verizon and T-Mobile is staggering when you consider not only how sizable their footprints are but also how much of the infrastructure (from undersea cables to vast middle-mile fiber networks) they own. Although there are countless other local providers, many have to pay network fees to larger providers to use parts of the "middle mile" for internet services. Plus, it's often easier for those bigger companies to buy out another company and merge their networks than to build out a new network. For example, Verizon purchased Frontier Fiber earlier this year in an attempt to expand its Verizon Fios fiber internet brand. Brightspeed edged into the playing field by buying parts of CenturyLink’s DSL network in 2022, and Charter (Spectrum) bought Time Warner Cable in 2016. Fixed wireless internet services might make a difference So far, we’ve mostly discussed wired internet services, which are tricky networks to establish because of zoning, equipment and labor costs. What about other internet connection types , like satellite or 5G home internet ? Although a fixed wireless internet service is generally touted as a solution to broadband accessibility, since it’s easier to establish than a wired network, there are only a handful of big companies that dominate the fixed wireless internet market, namely, Starlink , T-Mobile and Verizon. Starlink, which edged into the satellite internet market in 2020, established itself as a top name in satellite internet by deploying roughly 6,000 low-Earth-orbit satellites and offering speeds up to 220Mbps and relatively low latency (the time it takes for data to get to the server and back). In contrast, competitors Hughesnet and Viasat fall behind with speeds that top out at 100 and 150Mbps, respectively. T-Mobile presents a popular alternative to rural internet with its network of high-powered cell sites and licensed 5G frequencies. To date, T-Mobile has the largest footprint of any single US internet provider, thanks to the reach of those frequencies. The catch? Starlink costs roughly $120 a month, not including the hefty up-front cost of satellite equipment, which runs $349 for the basic package. By comparison, T-Mobile offers a much more competitive price. For $50 monthly, you can get speeds typically around 72 to 245Mbps. There’s no equipment rental charge, just the $35 activation fee you pay when you start service. But although both Starlink and T-Mobile are popular choices for people with limited internet access, neither provider can offer a consistent speed of 300Mbps over a fixed wireless internet connection, which is why, though neither provider enforces a data cap , your speeds will likely be throttled during peak congestion periods. You won’t see the quick, consistent gigabit speeds that you’d get from a cable or fiber internet provider ( or at least, not yet ). Additionally, over 1 million people are on a waitlist for T-Mobile services, delayed due to network capacity. The internet services offered by Starlink and T-Mobile are an attractive alternative to solving internet accessibility in underserved or hard-to-reach areas, but the quality of those internet connections and the affordability of monthly prices, equipment and additional fees, are an imperative consideration. What does this all mean for you and me? So, what’s being done to ease internet connectivity and affordability? How can we ensure that people have more than one or two options for internet service and that the costs of that internet stay low? No one really has the answers yet. Since the ILSR published its findings on telecom and cable internet monopolies, Congress portioned $90 billion towards bridging the digital divide. That money was split among various groups, including the Tribal Connectivity Program , but most of it has been funneled into the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program -- the largest investment that the federal government has made in internet accessibility. The Affordable Connectivity Program , which offered over 23 million low-income Americans a monthly discount between $30 to $75 monthly, was perhaps the most significant attempt at ensuring accessible, high-speed internet nationwide. After the ACP ended in May 2024, policymakers disagreed over how to ensure ISPs offer low-cost plans to their customers. So far, BEAD funding has become tangled with competing interests about how best to use it -- including disagreements with the organization tasked with administering BEAD funding, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration . The NTIA set guidelines for ensuring a low-cost plan with a baseline cost of $30 monthly, but many states have already planned a price increase for that baseline . Besides, with the incoming Trump presidency, many Republican lawmakers have urged the FCC to halt new BEAD work, while others still have promised to overhaul program efforts entirely . Plus, Musk's unique position as a satellite internet company owner and incumbent governmental advisor presents Starlink with an obvious advantage going forward. “Elon Musk will be the most important force in telecom regulation," Levin told CNET. "He owns a satellite company. So what is it that the satellite company wants out of the BEAD program?” While a new administration prepares to take the reins, the plight of internet monopolies, high monthly internet costs and lack of adequate connectivity still hangs in the balance. In the meantime, the most you can do to trim down your monthly internet costs is to either reduce your monthly data consumption or switch internet providers entirely, if you can.

roulette wheel simulator NKGen Biotech Selected as Stalking Horse Bidder for NKMaxEarlier today (December 24) on Good Morning Britain (GMB) Kate Garraway opened up to her co-hosts Ranvir Singh and Ed Balls about her first Christmas without husband Derek Draper. Derek who was a former lobbyist and political adviser, died in January aged 56 after suffering long-lasting damage to his organs from coronavirus. On Tuesday’s GMB programme, Kate spoke about how this Christmas will be a “tough one” for their family. Kate Garraway opens up about first Christmas without Derek on GMB The said: “I think this one will be particularly hard, I’m lucky I’ve got family around me.” added: “But I think you do feel grief because that’s the point where you have the memories of previous years. “We were lucky enough to still have him [Derek] over the last four or five years even though there were times when he was very ill.” Kate recalled how this time last year Derek was in intensive care and she did “fear” for the worst but their two children didn’t and were still “very hopeful”. “Yeah, it’s a tough one this year,” she continued. “I think anyone experiencing grief, it does hit you when you feel something which is full of tradition, where you have memories, it comes back. “I’m thinking about everybody else, who’s feeling it this time.” 'It's a tough one this year.' talks to and about her first Christmas without her husband Derek. Speaking about her plans for New Year, Kate said she “isn’t planning on anything”. She added: “I think it will just be a little moment of thought, I think we’ll all probably go to the grave and have a little bit of time and welcome the New Year.” This year, Kate won her third National Television Award (NTA) in the best authored documentary category for a film which followed the final year before her husband died. It followed on from two other programmes about Derek’s battle with covid and her struggles navigating the care system, which picked up NTA gongs in the category in 2021 and 2022.Factbox-What would a UniCredit-Banco BPM combination look like?

No. 5 Alabama has a reputation as 3-point gunners, but it's defense and rebounding that have become a focus as the Tide welcome South Dakota State to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to end the 2024 calendar year. Alabama (10-2) is frequently thought of as an offensive 3-point shooting free-for-all program, but Nate Oats' 2024-25 squad has thrived largely on the basis of inside play. The Tide are shooting 62.2 percent on their two-point attempts and grab 45 rebounds per game, each figure placing the team among the national leaders in those categories. Alabama does still shoot an average of 31 3-point shots per game, again one of the nation's highest totals. But so far, Alabama's 31.2 percent connection rate is very ordinary. But connecting inside and owning the glass has held benefits for Alabama. Meanwhile, defense has concerned Oats, particularly coming off a 97-90 win over North Dakota on Dec. 18. Oats issued warnings about players losing spots in the rotation if defensive execution didn't improve. Alabama passed the first post-North Dakota test in an 81-54 win over Kent State on Sunday. "We did make a big point of emphasis on defense, especially after that debacle up in North Dakota," said Oats after the Kent State victory. "It was a much better defensive effort, so it will be a lot better Christmas break for us." Alabama won the rebounding battle over Kent State 60-40, although Oats contended that the Tide "gave up too many second-chance points." Alabama made 72 percent of its two-point attempts even as just 9 of 35 3-point attempts connected. Alabama has battled personnel uncertainty early in the season. An Achilles injury ended the season of guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. just as transfer Chris Youngblood was preparing to return from an ankle injury. The Tide have 11 players averaging double-digit minutes and eight averaging 7.4 points per game or better, led by super senior guard Mark Sears with 17.8 ppg. Super senior forward Grant Nelson remains a key player, leading the Tide with 8.7 rebounds per game while adding 12.8 ppg. Meanwhile, South Dakota State (9-5) will pin its upset hopes largely on Aussie transfer Oscar Cluff. A 6-foot-11 senior who transferred in from Washington State, Cluff has averaged 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Cluff is connecting on 71.4 percent of his shot attempts. He's also shooting 79.2 percent at the foul line and has stabilized a young Jackrabbits team with four freshmen among the top seven scorers. "Oscar's just built the right way," said coach Eric Henderson. "We have probably played through the post more than any other team in the country the last five years and we just felt like we needed a big man that had some experience and boy does he ever." Cluff had a streak of five straight double-doubles, but that ended in recent losses to Nevada and Colorado. The Jackrabbits won 87-72 over Chadron State in their last game on Dec. 19. --Field Level MediaTaylor Swift, Travis Kelce hosted Jason Kelce’s family for Thanksgiving, report says

GMB's Kate Garraway opens up about 'tough' first Christmas without husband Derek

The richest city in North America with 60 billionaires and more money than PolandANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's defense of the national championship has fallen woefully short. The Wolverines started the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25 , making them the third college football team since 1991 to be ranked worse than seventh in the preseason poll after winning a national title. Michigan (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) failed to meet those modest expectations, barely becoming eligible to play in a bowl and putting the program in danger of losing six or seven games for the first time since the Brady Hoke era ended a decade ago. The Wolverines potentially can ease some of the pain with a win against rival and second-ranked Ohio State (10-1, 7-1, No. 2 CFP) on Saturday in the Horseshoe, but that would be a stunning upset. Ohio State is a 21 1/2-point favorite, according to the BetMGM Sportsbook, and that marks just the third time this century that there has been a spread of at least 20 1/2 points in what is known as “The Game.” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore doesn't sound like someone who is motivating players with an underdog mentality. “I don’t think none of that matters in this game,” Moore said Monday. “It doesn’t matter the records. It doesn’t matter anything. The spread, that doesn’t matter.” How did Michigan end up with a relative mess of a season on the field, coming off its first national title since 1997? Winning it all with a coach and star player contemplating being in the NFL for the 2024 season seemed to have unintended consequences for the current squad. The Wolverines closed the College Football Playoff with a win over Washington on Jan. 8; several days later quarterback J.J. McCarthy announced he was skipping his senior season; and it took more than another week for Jim Harbaugh to bolt to coach the Los Angeles Chargers. In the meantime, most quality quarterbacks wanting to transfer had already enrolled at other schools and Moore was left with lackluster options. Davis Warren beat out Alex Orji to be the team's quarterback for the opener and later lost the job to Orji only to get it back again. No matter who was under center, however, would've likely struggled this year behind an offensive line that sent six players to the NFL. The Wolverines lost one of their top players on defense, safety Rod Moore, to a season-ending injury last spring and another one, preseason All-America cornerback Will Johnson, hasn't played in more than a month because of an injury. The Buckeyes are not planning to show any mercy after losing three straight in the series. “We’re going to attack them," Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer said. “We know they’re going to come in here swinging, too, and they’ve still got a good team even though the record doesn’t indicate it. This game, it never matters what the records are." While a win would not suddenly make the Wolverines' season a success, it could help Moore build some momentum a week after top-rated freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood flipped his commitment from LSU to Michigan. “You come to Michigan to beat Ohio,” said defensive back Quinten Johnson, intentionally leaving the word State out when referring to the rival. "That's one of the pillars of the Michigan football program. “It doesn’t necessarily change the fact of where we are in the season, but it definitely is one of the defining moments of your career here at Michigan.” AP Sports Writer Mitch Stacy in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report. Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

While the idea may seem unlikely, Meulensteen reminds us that in football, surprises are always possible. Currently playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, the 39-year-old Portuguese icon continues to perform at an elite level, registering 10 goals and three assists in 15 appearances across all competitions this season. Although Ronaldo’s contract is set to expire next summer, many anticipate he will sign an extension. However, Meulensteen envisions a scenario where Wrexham could become an intriguing option for Ronaldo later in his career. Meulensteen, who worked with Ronaldo during his first stint at Manchester United, emphasised the unique appeal Wrexham might offer. Owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the club represents more than just football—it’s a gateway to global recognition. Meulensteen believes this could align with Ronaldo’s broader ambitions, particularly as the player has been expanding his brand, including launching his YouTube channel, UR Cristiano, which has amassed over 68 million subscribers. A move to Wrexham might provide Ronaldo with opportunities to delve into acting or media ventures while contributing to the club’s remarkable journey. Speaking to . , Meulensteen said: “Cristiano Ronaldo to Wrexham? Anything can happen in football. “The main things he would consider are could he be successful in that environment and could he be a success there. “It’s an intriguing idea and with his new profile on social media it might help that stretch into Hollywood with the Ryan Reynolds connection. “Who knows, he might end up being the next James Bond. If he wants to go down the film and celebrity route then in terms of Wrexham I say go for it.” Despite competing in League Two, Wrexham’s meteoric rise under its celebrity ownership has garnered worldwide attention. The club’s inspiring story, driven by ambition and investment, offers a unique platform for a player of Ronaldo’s magnitude to leave a lasting legacy, both on and off the pitch. That said, the likelihood of Ronaldo joining Wrexham remains slim, especially while the club is outside the Premier League. Even if this transfer never comes to fruition, the association of Wrexham with one of football’s all-time greats highlights the club’s rapidly growing global reputation.

NoneCINCINNATI -- The Denver Broncos finally leaned on their running attack and it paid off with their first touchdown drive of the game against the Bengals on Saturday. After wrestling with their offensive rhythm for well over a half, the Broncos ran eight times for 47 yards in a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive in the third quarter -- exactly half of their rushing yards at that point. They finished the march with a 6-yard toss from Bo Nix to Courtland Sutton in the back right corner of the end zone. Sutton Special. @SuttonCourtland | 📺: NFLN pic.twitter.com/23sDS6cAzp It tied the score at 10 with 3:10 left in the third quarter. It was Sutton's seventh touchdown reception of the season and gave him 941 yards receiving as he searches for his second career 1,000-yard campaign. The Broncos' passing game had struggled, as Nix was 13-of-16 passing for 91 yards and the score.

Gilbert makes clutch layup, steal as No. 7 LSU beats Washington 68-67 in the Bahamas

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Jets' Rodgers insists he'll play despite knee issue, rookie Fashanu placed on IR with foot injuryHONEYWELL AND BOMBARDIER SIGN LANDMARK AGREEMENT TO DELIVER THE NEXT GENERATION OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY; HONEYWELL UPDATES 2024 OUTLOOK