slot machine online real money By Matt O’brien | Ap Technology Writer CLONDALKIN, Ireland—Dozens of massive data centers humming at the outskirts of Dublin are consuming more electricity than all of the urban homes in Ireland and starting to wear out the warm welcome that brought them here. Now, a country that made itself a computing factory for Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok is wondering whether it was all worth it as tech giants look around the world to build even more data centers to fuel the next wave of artificial intelligence. Fears of rolling blackouts led Ireland’s grid operator to halt new data centers near Dublin until 2028. These huge buildings and their powerful computers last year consumed 21 percent of the nation’s electricity, according to official records. No other country has reported a higher burden to the International Energy Agency. Not only that, but Ireland is still heavily reliant on burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, despite a growing number of wind farms sprouting across the countryside. Further data center expansion threatens Ireland’s goals to sharply cut planet-warming emissions. Ireland is a “microcosm of what many countries could be facing over the next decade, particularly with the growth of AI,” said energy researcher Paul Deane of University College Cork. Twenty-six-year-old activist Darragh Adelaide lives in a working-class Dublin suburb just across a busy motorway from Grange Castle Business Park, one of Ireland’s biggest data center clusters. It could get even bigger were Adelaide not a thorn in the side of Google’s expansion plans. “It’s kind of an outrageous number of data centers,” Adelaide said. “People have started to make the connection between the amount of electricity they’re using and electricity prices going up.” Ireland has attracted global tech companies since the “Celtic Tiger” boom at the turn of the 21st century. Tax incentives, a highly skilled, English-speaking workforce and the country’s membership in the European Union have all contributed to making the tech sector a central part of the Irish economy. The island is also a node for undersea cables that extend to the US, Britain, Iceland and mainland Europe. Nearly all of the data centers sit on the edge of Dublin, where their proximity to the capital city facilitates online financial transactions and other activities that require fast connections. Data center computers run hot, but compared to other parts of the world, Ireland’s cool temperatures make it easier to keep them from overheating without drawing in as much water. Still, buildings that for years went mostly unnoticed have attracted unwanted attention as their power demands surged while Irish householders pay some of Europe’s highest electricity bills. Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency has also flagged concerns about nitrogen oxide pollution from data centers’ on-site generators—typically gas or diesel turbines—affecting areas near Dublin. A crackdown began in 2021, spurred by projections that data centers are on pace to take up one third of Ireland’s electricity in this decade. Regulators declared that Dublin had hit its limits and could no longer plug more data centers into its grid. The government urged tech companies to look outside the capital and find ways to supply their own power. “What’s happening in Ireland is the politics of basically what happens when you build too many of these things,” said University College Dublin researcher Patrick Brodie. “Even though people have recognized for a while that data centers are energy hogs, there hasn’t really been so many of these moments where, effectively, Ireland issued a red alert.” Adelaide was a child when Microsoft opened Grange Castle’s first data center in 2009, but enormous complexes built by Amazon, Google, Microsoft and other companies have since expanded around the ruined castle that anchors the business park. They have their own modern fortifications of high fences, surveillance cameras and guardhouses, and don’t display their corporate logos. In June, Adelaide’s campaign against data centers helped get him elected to a seat on the South Dublin County Council for the leftist People Not Profits Party. The council soon after rejected Google’s plan to build another data center. Google appealed the decision in September. “It was only going to employ around 50 people,” Adelaide said. “It would have been a massive cost to the local area and to Ireland in general with very little benefit, which is kind of how the tax haven system works.” The backlash from Dublin-area local planning authorities—combined with stricter, if sometimes contradictory, guidance from the national government—has frustrated data center developers. One fully built data center from Texas-based Digital Realty is sitting idle at Grange Castle while it awaits permission to connect to the electricity grid. The company sells space within its data centers for clients such as banks, e-mail providers and social media platforms. It says it lacks a grid connection despite contracting for enough renewable energy to power all of its Irish data centers. “When we look at artificial intelligence, when we look at new technologies coming along the line, the basic requirement for all of those is power infrastructure,” said Dermot Lahey, who directs Digital Realty’s data center implementation in Ireland, speaking inside a cavernous empty data hall. Ireland has all the elements to make it a “great home for AI expansion,” he said. “What’s preventing us from being able to leverage that is the fact that the power constraints that we have, or the power moratorium that we have, is greatly impacting our ability to provide space for customers,” Lahey said. Once colder weather sets in, the smoky fragrance of fireplaces burning briquettes of peat lingers over County Offaly, just over an hour’s drive west of Dublin in a region known as the Midlands. It’s places like this where some data center developers, thwarted by Dublin’s constraints, now see opportunity. A report commissioned by County Offaly’s government pitches the bog-dotted region as a place to “create thousands of green jobs” and rival “Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris in being an anchor for data centers powered by renewable energy.” Farmer and conservationist Brian Sheridan, 83, is doubtful. He’s seen this region transformed once before, from a vast wetland known as the Bog of Allen to barren pockets of brownfields as people cut away trenches of dense peat soil, or turf – first with spades and later with tractors at an industrial scale to create homegrown fuel. “The bog started disappearing and it wasn’t being replaced,” said Sheridan, walking along a boardwalk over carpets of moss and sedges in the now-protected Clara Bog Nature Reserve. Decades of rapid extraction fostered Ireland’s energy independence and employed scores of workers in turf-cutting, briquette factories and power plants. But it also polluted the air and devastated a delicate environment. Bogs that naturally trapped large amounts of carbon dioxide were stripped down to the bedrock, contributing to global warming. When burned, peat is dirtier than coal. Ireland has largely banned the sale of peat and shuttered the last remaining peat-fired power plants. But the state-supported company at the helm of peat extraction, Bord na Móna, still controls vast tracts of former bogland. It has refashioned itself as a renewable energy provider, laying down wind turbines and solar farms and partnering with Amazon to build a data center near the village of Rhode. Bord na Móna declined multiple interview requests about its plans, and some residents feel left in the dark. “Bord na Móna, as far as I’m concerned, are a law unto themselves,” Sheridan said. “Now that the turf-cutting is all finished, they should be gone. But it’s still the same Bord Na Móna and they won’t answer questions.” Amazon declined to talk about specific projects and has repeatedly signaled it may shift its new data center investments away from Ireland. But an executive said the company is still working closely with the Irish government and characterized Ireland’s challenges as mostly about transmission—building the infrastructure to get new clean energy where it needs to go. “Ireland has tremendous opportunity for additional renewable energy,” said Kevin Miller, Amazon Web Services’ vice president of global data centers. “However, they also need quite a bit more capacity on the grid to tap into that generation.” A tech-driven race is on to harness the region’s wind. Backed by a power purchase agreement with Microsoft, the Norwegian wind energy company Statkraft is building nine towering wind turbines in remote former boglands along County Offaly’s eastern edge. Statkraft’s managing director for Ireland, Kevin O’Donovan, said data centers are actually helping to accelerate Ireland’s clean energy transition. “For a lot of the mainland European countries, demand is going down and that’s actually leading to a challenge to roll out renewables,” O’Donovan said. “Whereas in Ireland we have demand that’s increasing because the country is growing economically and obviously a part of that is the data center growth.” On the other side of Offaly, a group of residents who live along the Lemanaghan Bog near the site of a 7th-century monastery are skeptical of such claims. They are opposed to what a proposed Bord Na Móna wind farm will do to its cultural heritage and ecology. KK Kenny took his concerns to Dublin this fall in a meeting with the country’s taoiseach, or prime minister, Simon Harris. Kenny wants to see the bog preserved for biodiversity. He’d be happy to see data center developers follow through with their pledge to look to other European countries. “They say, oh, they’re going to pull out,” Kenny said. “That would be a great thing. We can’t sustain them.” Some neighbors of Amazon’s proposed data center in Rhode are more open to the idea. One village resident already commutes all the way to Dublin to work at a data center. Another is hoping it will employ people who’d want to buy new homes. “We’re all for change,” said Gerard Whelan. “I’ll get work because I build houses. It’s a domino effect.” At a village pub, the Rhode Inn, Whelan points to a photograph of the old peat-burning power plant where his father worked the control room. Its cooling towers loomed over the village before their demolition two decades ago. Another nearby plant only stopped burning peat a year ago. What happens next for Ireland’s data centers could depend in part on the new national government coming into power early next year. Data centers were not a top issue for Irish voters who showed up to the polls on November 29. But analysts expect the two center-right parties forming a new coalition government to face industry pressure to ease limits on data center expansion. Ossian Smyth, an outgoing minister of state for the Irish government whose Green Party lost nearly all its parliamentary seats, said it would be a mistake to slow down Ireland’s climate commitments. But he also sees the limits on data center growth set by his outgoing government as having resolved most people’s concerns. What other countries can learn from Ireland’s experience, he added, is to carefully manage the effect of data centers on the stability of the electricity system—and make sure their benefits are much more than income or foreign investment. “Don’t see them as a necessary evil or something that you just have to put up with because it makes money and it gets taxes,” Smyth said.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pick your adjective to describe the Kansas City Chiefs this season — charmed, serendipitous, fortunate or just plain lucky — and it probably fits, and not just because they keep winning games that come down to the wire. Every time they need help at a position, they've found someone sitting on the couch, seemingly waiting for their call. First it was wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who returned to the Chiefs just before the season after Marquise Brown was lost to shoulder surgery. Then it was running back Kareem Hunt, who likewise returned to his former team when Isiah Pacheco broke his fibula. Left tackle D.J. Humphries came next when other options at the position were struggling, and this week it was Steven Nelson, who came out of retirement to help a secondary that has struggled for weeks. "Just got an opportunity, got a call. Was very excited about it," said Nelson, who spent his first four seasons in Kansas City before stints in Pittsburgh and Houston, and ultimately calling it quits in June so he could spend more time with his family. "I've got two daughters and been spending a lot of time with him," Nelson said, "but still trying to work out. It was kind of the perfect scenario, getting the call, especially where this team has been and this point in the season. Great opportunity." It's been a perfect opportunity for all of them. Perfect fits for the Chiefs, too. Each could have signed just about anywhere else and been able to contribute, yet they were still sitting around when Chiefs general manager Brett Veach reached out. In the case of Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Humphries, there were some concerns about injuries that had kept some teams away, but the Chiefs were willing to take a risk on them. Smith-Schuster, who has dealt with knee trouble for years, missed some time with a hamstring injury this season. But he still has 202 yards and a touchdown receiving, and has provided some veteran leadership in the locker room. Hunt was coming off a sports hernia surgery, a big reason why the Browns — whom the Chiefs visit Sunday — declined to bring him back after five years spent in a one-two punch with Nick Chubb. But when Pacheco went down, Hunt stepped in and their offense barely missed a beat; he has run for a team-leading 608 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games. Humphries was still rehabbing a torn ACL at the start of the season, but the former Pro Bowl tackle was cleared just before the Chiefs called him. Kingsley Suamataia and Wanya Morris had struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes' blind side, so they brought in Humphries to help out. And while he hurt his hamstring late in his debut last week against the Chargers, the Chiefs still hope he'll be recovered and fully up to speed in time for the stretch run and the playoffs. "I'm in Kansas City, bro. I'm pretty ecstatic. It don't get much better than this," Humphries said. "Everybody is excited for me to be here and that's a really good feeling. You're getting All-Pro guys' arms outstretched, like, 'We're so glad you're here.'" The providential signings don't stop at those four players, either. When the Chiefs lost kicker Harrison Butker to knee surgery, they signed Spencer Shrader off the Jets practice squad, and he promptly kicked a game-winner against Carolina. But then Shrader hurt his hamstring and landed on injured reserve. The 49ers had just waived Matthew Wright, and the Chiefs signed him up. He's gone 8 for 9 on field-goal tries, has been perfect on PATs, and banged the game-winner off the upright and through last week against Los Angeles. Just like Smith-Schuster, Hunt and Nelson, Wright had been with Kansas City a couple of years ago. "It definitely helps, him knowing how we do things, how we practice and what we expect," Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub said. "That all helped, for sure. And he's a veteran. He's been a lot of places. It wasn't like he was a rookie off the street." Or off the couch, for that matter. NOTES: Butker planned to kick again Thursday and could come off IR to face the Browns on Sunday. "He looked good," Toub said. "We have to see how he responds." ... Humphries (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. RT Jawaan Taylor (knee) was limited. ... SS Justin Reid will likely handle kickoffs against Cleveland. He has a stronger leg than Wright and also puts another athletic and adept tackler on the field on special teams. Get local news delivered to your inbox!New York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Aaron Rodgers “absolutely” will remain the team's starting quarterback and start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Rodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, has been hampered at times by various injuries to his left leg, including a sore knee, sprained ankle and balky hamstring. Ulbrich said Monday the quarterback came back from the team's bye-week break ready to go. “All I can say, and you'd have to ask Aaron if he's fully healthy, but he's better off today than he's been as of late,” Ulbrich said. "So he's definitely feeling healthier than he has probably for the past month. A healthy Aaron Rodgers is the Aaron Rodgers we all love. “So, I'm excited about what that looks like.” NFL Network reported on Sunday that Rodgers, who missed all but four snaps last season with a , has declined having medical scans on his injured leg so he can continue to play. “I have not been informed of that, either way,” Ulbrich said. Rodgers suffered what NFL Network reported was a “significant” hamstring injury against Denver in Week 4. He then sprained his left ankle against Minnesota in London a week later. The four-time MVP has not been able to consistently move around during games as he has in the past, when extending plays and making things happen on the run became such a big part of his game. Rodgers said leading into New York's 28-27 loss to Indianapolis last Sunday that it was the healthiest he felt in a while. But he struggled against the Colts, finishing 22 of 29 for 184 yards after a brutally slow start during which he went 9 of 13 for just 76 yards. The Athletic reported last week that owner Woody Johnson broached the idea during a meeting with the coaching staff of having the banged-up Rodgers sit after the Jets' loss to Denver in Week 4. With Rodgers' struggles and perhaps compromised health the past few games, a hot debate on social media and sports talk shows during the past week has been whether the quarterback should take a seat in favor of Tyrod Taylor. But when asked if there has been any talk of shutting down Rodgers, Ulbrich replied flatly: “There has not.” In a follow-up question, the interim coach was asked if Rodgers will, in fact, be the Jets' starting quarterback at home Sunday against the Seahawks. “Absolutely,” Ulbrich said. He added that he didn't feel the need to sit down with Rodgers and address all the reports and chatter outside the facility. “No, I feel like we are on the same page,” the coach said. Last week, Ulbrich said he and his staff after losing seven of its past eight and being on the verge of missing the postseason for the 14th consecutive year. Ulbrich opted not to make any changes to the coaching responsibilities of his staff and he will continue to run the defense as the coordinator. He also said there would not be any personnel changes coming out of the bye, barring injuries. “But definitely, we created a really clear vision of where we need to improve and found some things,” Ulbrich said. “Obviously, you find the things that you’re not doing well, you need to improve upon them, but then also found some some things that I think we can really build upon. So I was excited in both ways.” Johnson last Tuesday, six weeks after he also dismissed coach Robert Saleh. On Monday, the , a football media, analytics and consulting group founded by former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum, in its searches for a general manager and coach. Ulbrich insisted that isn't creating an awkward situation for him, in particular, as he and his staff focus on the present while the organization begins planning for the future. “In all honesty, it’s not at all,” Ulbrich said. “My singular focus is just finishing the season off the right way, playing a brand of football we’re all proud of, myself included. And that starts with Seattle.” LB C.J. Mosley said he's “progressing” in his return in his neck, but is still uncertain about his availability for Sunday. Mosley said Monday was the first time he put on a helmet since the injury occurred during pregame warmups against New England on Oct. 27. ... Ulbrich said the team is still evaluating LT Tyron Smith, who missed the game against Indianapolis with a neck ailment. AP NFL:

Dec 27 (Reuters) - U.S. officials have added a ninth telecommunications company to the list of entities compromised by a sweeping Chinese-linked cyberespionage operation known as Salt Typhoon, a top White House official said Friday. Anne Neuberger, the U.S. deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, told reporters on a call that the unnamed telecom was added to the list after the U.S. government shared guidance on how to detect and defend against the operation. Officials have previously alleged that the attackers targeted Verizon, AT&T, Lumen and others. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Dec. 18 urged senior government and political figures to move mobile communications to end-to-end encrypted apps as a result of the Salt Typhoon campaign, which has targeted officials associated with the campaign of former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, according to reports. Officials have said "a large number of Americans' metadata was taken" as part of the campaign. Chinese officials have previously described the allegations as disinformation and said Beijing "firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms." Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, a Democrat from New Mexico, called Salt Typhoon the "largest telecommunications hack in our nation's history" during a Dec. 11 hearing, while Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz said the U.S. "must plug any vulnerabilities in communications networks." Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Dec. 5 her agency was proposing rules requiring telecommunications carriers to secure their networks in light of the Salt Typhoon revelations. Neuberger said Friday that the "Chinese gained access to networks and essentially had broad and full access," giving them the capability to "geolocate millions of individuals, to record phone calls at will," and that updated FCC rules could help limit the scope and impact of future intrusions. Sign up here. Editing by Chizu Nomiyama Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Thomson Reuters Cybersecurity correspondent covering cybercrime, nation-state threats, hacks, leaks and intelligence

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Game of the Year: Best PS5 RPG of 2024Both Simon Zebo and Stephen Ferris thought Leinster's third try in their victory over Munster at Thomond Park should have been looked at by the television match official. Leinster were leading 14-7 when Josh van der Flier touched down in the 53rd minute, taking the air out of a resurgent Munster who had been held scoreless in the first half. In the build-up, Leinster second row James Ryan popped a pass to Caelan Doris while laying on the ground after a ruck had been formed. "You see James Ryan carries the ball, there's a ruck, there's a clean, there's a counter ruck, he's still got his hands on the ball, and then all of a sudden, it's almost like he picks it back up again and throws it off the ground," former Ireland international Ferris told Premier Sports. "Even if he had still had full control of it, I'm not sure because there's a ruck already been formed, it's already been played, but he's allowed to throw the ball off the ground. "That was a big moment in the game, and if it was looked at, it could easily have been swung around and a penalty given to Munster." 'Munster would have been able to stay in the fight a bit longer' "150th cap present!" 🎙️ Josh van der Flier goes over and extends @leinsterrugby 's lead against Munster 🔵 pic.twitter.com/WkmBBQPeiX Zebo called the officiating "inconsistent". "That's what we were saying before the game about Mack Hansen's comments ," said Zebo. "So inconsistent, and they don't even have a look at it, Tadhg (Beirne) runs over to the ref straight away, flailing his arms... just have a look, or cue your TMO to have a look - you don't have to interrupt anything, you let the game keep going, if you think it's a try, OK, carry on, and let the TMO have a proper look at it. It's just inconsistent. "It was such a momentum shift when they scored that try, and it's so deflating for Munster, that defence, trying to keep them out, and if you commit a crime like that, then you should be punished. "Tadhg and Gavin Coombes, they both ran over trying to make their claims, but the ref didn't want to know, 'I have my full trust in the TMO'... Leinster still would have won the game, but I think Munster would have been able to stay in the fight a bit longer, without having these errors from the TMO and refs." Ferris added: "Ryle (Nugent) and Alan Quinlan both acknowledged it on commentary straight away, as soon as Josh went under the post for the try. "You'd think, sitting in the truck, the TMO would be able to listen in to different opinions as well because it's not just about exactly what you think, if there's somebody else in the periphery, commentators - I know they're maybe not supposed to listen to every word that they say - but that's an example where (maybe they should)." "They don't even have a look at it!" 🗣️ @SimonZebo and @StephenFerris6 on the decision to award Josh van der Flier's try without getting the TMO involved pic.twitter.com/sb6yGteUXKAptose Biosciences Inc. Announces Closing of $8 Million Public Offering

slot machine win Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new position in Golden Ocean Group Limited ( NASDAQ:GOGL – Free Report ) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 55,632 shares of the shipping company’s stock, valued at approximately $744,000. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of GOGL. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in Golden Ocean Group by 1,372.9% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,260,278 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $17,392,000 after buying an additional 1,174,716 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. bought a new stake in Golden Ocean Group in the first quarter valued at $677,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Golden Ocean Group by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 929,764 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $12,440,000 after purchasing an additional 47,302 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Golden Ocean Group by 273.9% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,190,885 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $67,274,000 after purchasing an additional 3,802,652 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Golden Ocean Group by 10,268.6% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 19,493 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $253,000 after purchasing an additional 19,305 shares during the period. 22.00% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Golden Ocean Group Trading Down 0.4 % NASDAQ:GOGL opened at $11.14 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.41 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Golden Ocean Group Limited has a one year low of $8.42 and a one year high of $15.77. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.67. Golden Ocean Group Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 11th were paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, September 11th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.77%. Golden Ocean Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 112.15%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Golden Ocean Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 5th. Pareto Securities restated a “hold” rating and issued a $12.50 target price on shares of Golden Ocean Group in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Golden Ocean Group from $15.50 to $14.50 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 28th. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Golden Ocean Group Golden Ocean Group Company Profile ( Free Report ) Golden Ocean Group Limited, a shipping company, owns and operates a fleet of dry bulk vessels worldwide. The company’s dry bulk vessels comprise Newcastlemax, Capesize, and Panamax vessels operating in the spot and time charter markets. It also transports a range of bulk commodities, including ores, coal, grains, and fertilizers. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GOGL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Golden Ocean Group Limited ( NASDAQ:GOGL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Golden Ocean Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Golden Ocean Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

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DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not be charged with a crime after he was found with a gun in a car driven by his brother, a prosecutor said Monday. The gun on the floor was registered to Williams, but he didn't have a concealed-carry permit. His brother did.Injured Bangladesh protesters get 'limbs'

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Adventures on special teams made the Washington-Dallas showdown a clumsy affair, yet Joe Davis and Greg Olsen saw to it that the broadcast of the chaotic finish was pure gold. After Terry McLaurin weaved his way past five defenders for an 86-yard touchdown catch from Jayden Daniels to cut the Cowboys lead to 27-26 with 21 seconds left, Fox's No. 2 broadcast crew captured the chaos before admonishing the audience not to count on anything as a certainty on this helter-skelter afternoon. "Lightning strikes twice in Washington!" Davis shouted in an homage to Daniels' 52-yard Hail Mary to Noah Brown that stunned the Bears last month. "They dropped 11 guys in coverage," Olsen marveled. "If they just tackle him inbounds the game is over. I don't even know what to say. I'm absolutely speechless." Not for long he wasn't. Olsen quickly cautioned the audience that "Automatic" Austin Siebert had already missed an extra point along with a field goal Sunday in his return from a right hip injury. "Before anyone in Washington gets too fired up, remember, we've seen a missed PAT already," Olsen said. "Yeah, you hold your breath with anything special teams-related on this day," Davis agreed. After all, this was the first game in NFL history to feature two kickoff returns for touchdowns, two errant extra points and a blocked punt. In the 41-point fourth quarter that erased the game's snoozer status, Washington allowed KaVontae Turpin's 99-yard kickoff return for a score. Earlier, the Cowboys missed a field goal and saw another one blocked along with a punt. Sure enough, the snap was low ... the hold was better ... "It is no good!" Davis hollered. "And the worst special teams day in history has a fitting finish!" Actually, no. More ruckus remained. Siebert's onside kick bounced twice in front of safety Juanyeh Thomas, who gathered it in and returned it 43 yards for Dallas' second kickoff return for a touchdown. If Thomas takes a knee short of the goal line, he effectively seals the Cowboys' win. Instead, the score, while pushing Dallas' lead to 34-26, also left enough time for Daniels and the Commanders for a shot at yet another miracle touchdown. Austin Ekeler returned the kickoff to the Washington 36 and after a short gain, Daniels' Hail Mary was intercepted by Israel Mukuamu as time expired. And that's how what Davis called the "worst special teams day in NFL history" came to an end. "What a wild special teams moment of blocked punts, kicks, kickoff returns, blocked field goals," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. In keeping with the not-so-special-teams theme, there were several foibles in the kicking game across the NFL in Week 12, where the Broncos gave up a 34-yard pass completion on a fake punt that Denver coach Sean Payton swore the team saw coming — and not as it was unfolding, either, but five days earlier. "We met Tuesday as a staff. It wasn't a matter of if, it was when they were going to run a fake punt," Payton said. "You're struggling as a team like this, we had it on the keys to victory, so credit them, they executed it." Thanks to AJ Cole's 34-yard pass to linebacker Divine Deablo that set up a second-quarter field goal, the reeling Raiders took a 13-9 advantage into the locker room, just their second halftime lead of the season. In the second half, the Raiders succumbed to surging rookie QB Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton in their 29-19 loss. That's seven straight losses for the Raiders, their longest skid in a decade. The Broncos (7-5), who blew a chance to beat the Chiefs in Week 10 when their 35-yard field goal try was blocked as time ran out, also allowed a 59-yard kickoff return that led to Las Vegas' only touchdown Sunday. The Texans (7-5) lost for the third time in four games after Ka'imi Fairbairn shanked a 28-yard field goal try that would have tied the Titans just after the two-minute warning. Like the Broncos, the Vikings (9-2) overcame a special teams blunder and escaped Soldier Field with a 30-27 overtime win against the Bears after allowing Chicago (4-7) to recover an onside kick with 21 seconds left. Caleb Williams followed with a 27-yard pass to D.J. Moore to set up Cairo Santos' tying 48-yard field goal as the fourth-quarter clock hit zeros. Get local news delivered to your inbox!NJ Benson recorded a first-half double-double, and finished with 22 points and 17 rebounds, as host DePaul rolled to an 84-65 victory over Loyola Maryland on Saturday in Chicago. With David Skogman out due to a lower-body injury, the 6-foot-8, Missouri State-transfer Benson made the most of his first start this season. Benson posted 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds in the first half, as DePaul (9-4) focused on its inside game and outscored Loyola Maryland 28-12 in the paint en route to a 44-26 halftime lead. Benson, who averaged 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds entering the game, matched a career high in scoring Saturday, while those boards are a personal best. Jacob Meyer added 12 points for the Blue Demons, one of the nation's top 3-point shooting teams that went just 5 of 24 from distance, but scored 52 points in the paint. DePaul bounced back following consecutive losses to St. John's and Northwestern by a combined 48 points. Jacob Theodosiou had 22 points and Milos Ilic scored 13 for the Greyhounds (5-6), who shot 38.5 percent in the first half and committed 15 overall turnovers while falling to 1-67 against major-conference opponents since February 1982. DePaul scored the game's first eight points, beginning with a Benson dunk. Loyola didn't record its first field goal until Ilic's bucket with 14:11 remaining in the opening half, but used a 9-0 run to get within 13-12. However, Benson and DePaul's dominance in the paint never allowed the Greyhounds to go ahead. The Blue Demons led 18-16, then scored the next seven points, highlighted by dunks from Benson and CJ Gunn (11 points). DePaul was ahead 32-23 with 3:20 left in the first half when it took control by scoring 12 straight points before Jordan Stiemke's 3 made it an 18-point game at the break. The Blue Demons were 1-of-11 from 3 through the first 20 minutes. In the second half, another Benson dunk and two free throws were featured during a 12-2 run that put the Blue Demons up 66-37 with roughly 12 minutes remaining in the contest. --Field Level Media

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Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week

Spoiler alert for Dune: Prophecy finale A new HBO show is giving Game of Thrones a run for its money after it's bloody finale. Dune: Prophecy is a prequel show to the blockbuster Dune movies starring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya. The HBO Max show takes place 10,000 years before Timothee's character, Paul Atreides, "ascends" and follows "two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit." The Bene Gesserit is a powerful group whose members are able to have superhuman powers after years of intense aphysical and mental conditioning. They have power among the social, religious, and political spheres. Netflix show's season two trailer has fans 'sobbing' as huge twist confirmed Netflix drops chilling teaser for Robert De Niro thriller about deadly cyberattack The finale of the show ended with the death of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong) was killed, along with others. Fans were left shocked and took to social media to share their thoughts. "These girls are wild. This was a bloodbath... #DuneProphecy," one wrote. Another added: "That #DuneProphecy finale was absolutely insaneeee! What a show, 10/10 recommend." A third added: "I hope other shows will leave aside the fireworks show and focus more on the script and acting like Dune Prophecy. Great final season! #DuneProphecy." Many compared the show to Game of Thrones, which also aired on HBO. "I expected House of the Dragon to bring back the Game of Thrones type of tension, but #DuneProphecy was the one to do it," someone said. "#DuneProphecy is basically Game of Thrones in space and I love it," another added. Game of Thrones had a shock penultimate episode in season three known as The Red Wedding that had fans caught off guard. While those who read the books by George R R Martin knew the bloodbath to come, many first time viewers were shocked as Robb Stark (Richard Madden), his pregnant wife Talisa Stark (Oona Chaplin), and his mother Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) were all killed on the order of the Lannister family. The medieval fantasy show lasted eight seasons and, even though the final season was panned and criticized by fans. Meanwhile, this is only Dune: Prophecy's first season. The show has been renewed for a second season, set to hit our screens either in 2025 or 2026. Click here to follow the Mirror US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest news, sport and entertainment stories. DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.NATO and Ukraine to hold emergency talks after Russian attack with hypersonic missile

777 casino slot machine Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh died at AIIMS Delhi on Thursday evening. He breathed his last at 9:51 pm at the age of 92. This came hours after he was admitted to the emergency department of the hospital. The veteran leader, who had faced health issues in the past, was taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention. The news of his demise was first confirmed by Robert Vadra who posted it on social media. Later, a medical bulletin was also released by AIIMS, confirming Singh's (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); death. Dr Singh retired from the Rajya Sabha in April this year, marking the conclusion of a distinguished parliamentary career. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had lauded Singh's contributions and outlined his key role in shaping modern India's economic landscape. As the finance minister in the PV Narasimha Rao-led government from 1991-1996, Singh spearheaded transformative economic reforms, steering India away from socialist-era policies toward a liberalized economy.Sutton scores 23, Omaha knocks off Sacramento State 70-60

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — If anybody can slow down Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase, it's Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Denver Broncos' Pat Surtain II reacts after breaking up a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. He did it before when both were rookies in 2021 and Surtain held Chase to a single catch for 3 yards on four targets on a day Joe Burrow threw for just 157 yards. "That was early in my career. Rookie year? Yeah, it was a good game," Surtain said. "They came in with a high-striking offense and we knew that we had to eliminate the explosives, eliminate their top threat. Ja'Marr, he's a great player, one of, if not the best, receivers in the league." Surtain and Denver's defense gets some help this weekend with the expected return of second-year cornerback Riley Moss, who has been out for a month with a sprained MCL. Moss's return to the lineup would allow defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to go back to playing primarily man coverage instead of zone, meaning Surtain could stick to Chase (108 catches for 1,510 yards and 16 TDs) while Moss defends Tee Higgins (58 receptions for 727 yards and seven TDs). "They got a lot going on with themselves on the offensive side of the ball, so it's gonna be a good challenge," Surtain said. "Trying to eliminate them like how we did that time would be great." Eliminating Chase as a game-breaking threat could go a long way toward the Broncos (9-6) eliminating the Bengals (7-8) from the AFC playoff chase. Cincinnati needs to beat Denver to stay alive and the Broncos can clinch their first playoff berth since 2015 with a win or a tie Saturday. Although ... Back in '21, the Bengals and Broncos were both 7-6 when Surtain and Chase squared off for the first time. Despite Chase having the worst statistical day of his career, the Bengals escaped Denver with a 15-10 triumph that they parlayed into a Super Bowl run. The Broncos lost their last three to finish on a four-game slide and a 7-10 record, one in a string of seven straight losing seasons, a skid they only snapped this year. The Broncos missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot last Thursday when they frittered away a double-digit second-half lead in a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Although coach Sean Payton had written "Run It!!" in thick letters across the top of his play sheet, he only called for 14 hand-offs after the Broncos drove down the field for a TD on their opening drive in which four running backs carried seven times for 43 yards, capped by Audric Estime's 3-yard TD. The Broncos likely will look to run it more Sunday with rain in the forecast and Chase and Burrow waiting on the opposite sideline. Sent weekly directly to your inbox!Oil prices were slightly higher on Friday as Israeli strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels triggered what Tom Essaye, founder and president of Sevens Report Research described as a "fear bid" for the commodity. "This is a geopolitics-driven market," Melek said. "We're a little worried about events around the Red Sea and potentially getting shipments interrupted in the broader region," he added. U.S. crude oil inventories fell by more than expected last week and product stocks were mixed as refineries raised their capacity use, according to official data released (on a delay due to the holiday) from DOE. Crude -4.24mm Cushing -320k Gasoline +1.63mm Distillates -1.69mm This is the 5th straight week of crude stock drawdowns and sixth straight week of gasoline builds... Source: Bloomberg Cushing stocks fell back near 'tank bottoms' once again (lowest since Oct 2023)... Source: Bloomberg WTI extended the day's gains on the crude draw, holding solidly above $70... Source: Bloomberg Crude is on track for a modest annual loss, with trading confined in a narrow band since mid-October. There are widespread concerns the market may be oversupplied next year as China’s demand slows and global production expands, although traders remain cautious about potentially tighter US sanctions against flows from Iran under Donald Trump. The prompt spread on WTI futs - with the nearby contract trading at a premium of more than 40 cents a barrel to the next in line - points to near-term supply tightness.

Syrian opposition fighters have reached the suburbs of the capital, Damascus, and government forces are withdrawing from the strategic city of Homs as the rebels' surprising offensive picks up speed and President Bashar Assad's whereabouts are unknown. Homs is an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces that are the Syrian leader’s base of support. In Damascus, residents described a city on edge, with security forces on the streets and many shops running out of staple foods. The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Eight key countries gathered with the U.N. special envoy on Syria on the sidelines of the Doha Summit for two hours of discussions Saturday night, and more will follow. The U.N. envoy seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Here's the Latest: Two officials with Iran-backed Iraqi militias in Syria say the militias are monitoring the situation and have not made a decision to enter in support of Iran’s ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. One of the officials said Iranian militias had withdrawn to Iraq from their positions in Syria. “All the militias are waiting to see what Bashar Assad will do in Damascus. If he resists and does not allow Damascus to fall, it is possible that the Iraqi factions will intervene for the purpose of support,” he said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter. -- Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad Multi-country discussions on Syria have ended on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein says the countries will issue a statement, and there will be follow-up talks “taking into consideration the practical and real situation on the ground.” He said the talks, which lasted over two hours Saturday evening, focused on how to stop the fighting. Eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran gathered with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen. When asked where Syrian President Bashar Assad is, Iraq's foreign minister replied, “I don’t know.” He declined to speculate on whether Assad would be overthrown. Opposition fighters have reached the Damascus suburbs. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says two Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday killed six people and wounded five others. The ministry said an airstrike on the village of Beit Leif killed five people and wounded five, while a drone strike on the village of Deir Serian killed one person. Israel’s military said it was looking into the report. Despite a ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 to end the 14-month fighting between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants that had escalated into all-out war, violations of the truce have continued. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza says the facility came under heavy Israeli bombardment again on Saturday and three medical staff were killed. Dr. Hussam Abu Safia in a statement posted by Gaza’s Health Ministry said the hospital was hit by over 100 projectiles and bombs, and electricity was cut off. He said the surgery department and neonatal unit were hit, and he pleaded for “immediate coordination for repair operations.” Kamal Adwan is one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza. Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military said it wasn’t aware of any attack Saturday. The hospital director on Friday said Israeli strikes had killed at least 29 people including four medical staff. Israeli Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the military is monitoring the Syrian border to make sure that “local factions do not direct actions towards us,” adding that Israel is not intervening in the events in Syria. Israel’s military has said it is reinforcing its deployment along the border with Syria. Halevi said if “confusion” arises and actions are directed toward Israel by “local factions” taking control of parts of Syria, Israel has a strong “offensive response.” The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Syria says the U.N. is relocating non-critical staff outside the country. Adam Abdelmoula in a statement Saturday called it a precautionary measure to protect U.N. teams. “Let me emphasize—this is not an evacuation and our dedication to supporting the people of Syria remains unwavering,” Abdelmoula said. The statement did not say how many U.N. staffers were leaving Syria as opposition fighters reached the suburbs of Syria’s capital, Damascus. The statement said the fighting in Syria has displaced over 370,000 people as the humanitarian situation deteriorates, “with many seeking refuge in the northeast and others trapped in frontline areas, unable to escape.” Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran have gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit along with the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, to discuss the situation in Syria. The talks continued late Saturday and no details were immediately available. Qatar, Jordan and Iraq also were part of the discussions as opposition fighters closed in on the Syrian capital, Damascus. BAGHDAD — An Iraqi government spokesperson says about 2,000 Syrian army soldiers have crossed into Iraq seeking refuge as opposition forces advance in Syria. Bassem al-Awadi said the soldiers’ equipment and weapons were registered and taken into custody by the Iraqi army. “We dealt with them according to the principle of good neighborliness and humanity,” he said Saturday. Al-Awadi also said Iraqi officials are concerned about the security of the al-Hol camp and other facilities in northeast Syria where suspected Islamic State group members and their families are detained. The facilities are guarded by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Al-Awadi said there is “high security coordination” between Iraqi officials and those forces to “prevent the prisoners from escaping.” Syria's army says it is fortifying its positions in the suburbs of Damascus and in the country’s south, as opposition fighters close in on the capital. The army statement on Saturday also asserted that Syria is being subjected to a “terrorist” and propaganda campaign aiming to destabilize and spread chaos. The statement also said the military is continuing with operations in areas including the central provinces of Hama and Homs, and that it has killed and wounded hundreds of opposition fighters. At least two people were wounded in a car-ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday, according to the Israeli army and rescue services. The army said the attack took place in the area of the Fawwar refugee camp, near the city of Hebron. It said a soldier was severely wounded, and security forces were looking for the attacker. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said another man in his 40s suffered light injuries from shrapnel. The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack out of Gaza sparked the war there. Israel has intensified its military raids in the West Bank, targeting what it says are militants planning attacks, and there has also been a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis. The Israeli military says it is helping United Nations forces to head off an attack on a U.N. position in Syria close to the Israeli border. The army said in a statement Saturday that an attack was carried out by “armed individuals” on a U.N. post near the Syrian town of Hader and it was “assisting U.N. forces in repelling the attack.” On Friday, Israel’s military said it would reinforce its forces in the Golan Heights and near the border with Syria, where civil war has reignited between the government and opposition fighters. Hamas has released a video showing Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker making an emotional plea for his release and describing the conditions he and other hostages face in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. His mother, Einav, has become a symbol of the fight to bring back the hostages and is an outspoken critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Matan Zangauker, speaking under duress, appealed to the public to protest in front of Netanyahu’s home and “not let him sleep even for a minute.” Zangauker also referred to 420 days of being held by Hamas militants. “We want to return before we go crazy. Isolation is killing us, and the darkness here is frightening,” he said, describing having little food and medicine and “undrinkable” water. President-elect Donald Trump has made his first extensive comments on dramatic advances by opposition fighters in Syria, saying the besieged President Bashar Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on the Truth Social platform on Saturday. Syrian opposition activists and regional officials have been watching closely for any indication from both the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration of how the U.S. would handle the sudden advances against Syria’s Russian- and Iranian-allied leader. Trump condemned the overall U.S. handling of the 13-year civil war in Syria, but spoke favorably of the routing of Assad and Russian forces. ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that there was “now a new reality in Syria” following the rapid advance of rebel forces. Speaking in Gaziantep, a city less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Syrian border, Erdogan said that “increasing attacks on civilians” in Syria’s northwest Idlib province “triggered the latest events like the straw that broke the camel’s back.” It was not possible for Turkey to ignore developments in a country with which it shares a lengthy border and it would not allow any threats to its national security, he added in a televised speech. “Our wish is for our neighbor Syria to attain the peace and tranquility it has been longing for for 13 years,” he told a rally of supporters. “We want to see a Syria where different identities live side by side in peace. We hope to see such a Syria in the very near future.” Erdogan claimed President Bashar Assad had erred in rebuffing Turkey’s previous efforts to establish relations, saying Damascus “could not appreciate the value of the hand Turkey extended.” Ankara has supported anti-Assad rebel groups since the early months of the conflict and hosts 3 million refugees dislodged by the fighting. While Turkey lists HTS, the group leading the latest offensive, as a terrorist organization, the Turkey-backed Syrian National Army has worked alongside it. BEIRUT — A resident of the Syrian capital of Damascus says the city is very tense as troops and members of security agencies are deployed on main streets and intersections. The resident told The Associated Press that many shops are closed and those that are open have run out of main commodities such as sugar. He added that if food products are available, some shops are selling them for a price three times higher than usual. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said on condition of anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” — Bassem Mroue in Beirut DOHA, Qatar — Russia’s foreign minister says he has met his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Doha and that all three countries were calling for an “immediate end to hostile activities” in Syria. Russia and Iran are the chief supporters of Syria’s government, while Turkey backs opposition fighters trying to remove President Bashar Assad from power. Speaking at the annual Doha Forum, Sergey Lavrov said Russia continues to help the Syrian army confront insurgents, military via airstrikes. Asked whether Assad’s rule is threatened by the fast-moving rebel offensive, he said, “We are not in the business of guessing what’s gong to happen.” He blamed the United States and the West for the events in Syria and said, “We are very sorry for the Syrian people who became a subject of another geopolitical experiment. “We are doing everything we can not to make terrorists prevail, even if they say they are not terrorists,” Lavrov said, referring to the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgents, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who says he has cut links with al-Qaida. His group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and United Nations. He said Russia, Iran and Turkey want the full implementation of a U.N. resolution, which endorsed a road map to peace in Syria. Resolution 2254 was adopted unanimously in December 2015. The measure called for a Syrian-led political process, starting with the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Lavrov also downplayed reports that Moscow had withdrawn ships from Russia’s base in Syrian city of Tartus, saying that the vessels had left to take part in naval exercises in the Mediterranean. DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. envoy who brokered the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah says the deal has created a new opportunity for Lebanon to reshape itself. Amos Hochstein told the Doha Forum that the weakness of Hezbollah after nearly 14 months of fighting along, along with blows to its Syrian and Iranian allies, give the Lebanese military and government a chance to reassert itself. “Now is the moment with this ceasefire to rebuild Lebanon again for a much more prosperous future and stronger state institutions,” Hochstein told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the conference. He said Lebanon needs “to do its part” by rebuilding its economy, choosing a president after years of delays and strengthening its central government to attract investors. “And the international community has a requirement and a responsibility to support Lebanon after this devastating conflict and after years of Hezbollah control,” he said. Hochstein told the conference that the turning point in ceasefire efforts was Hezbollah dropping its pledge to keep fighting as long as the war in Gaza continues. He said the change in position was the result of the heavy losses inflicted on Hezbollah, and Lebanese public opinion in favor of delinking the two conflicts. He said key tests for the ceasefire will be whether Israel carries out its promised phased withdrawal from southern Lebanon over the coming two months and whether the Lebanese army is able to move into those areas. BEIRUT — Insurgents and a war monitor say opposition fighters are taking over military posts evacuated by Syrian government forces in the country’s south, bringing them closer to the capital, Damascus. An insurgent official known as Maj. Hassan Abdul-Ghani posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition fighters are now in the town of Sanamein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the southern outskirts of Damascus, President Bashar Assad’s seat of power. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said insurgents have entered the town of Artouz, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Damascus. Opposition fighters have captured wide parts of Syria, including several provincial capitals, since they began their offensive on Nov. 27. BEIRUT — Lebanon’s government has approved a plan to deploy more troops along the border with Israel, part of the ceasefire deal that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. In a rare Cabinet meeting outside of Beirut, held Saturday at a military base in the southern port city of Tyre, the government also approved a draft law to reconstruct buildings destroyed during the Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out in October 2023 and ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last week. Information Minister Ziad Makary told reporters after the meeting that the committee whose job is to monitor the ceasefire that went into effect on Nov. 27 will hold its first meeting on Monday. The committee is made up of military officials from the U.S., France, Israel and Lebanon as well as the U.N. peacekeeping force deployed along the border. As part of the ceasefire deal, during the first 60 days Israeli troops will have to withdraw from Lebanon, while Hezbollah will have to pull its heavy weapons away from the border area to north of the Litani river. The Lebanese army said this week it will begin recruiting more soldiers, apparently to deploy them along the border with Israel. BEIRUT — The Syrian army withdrew from much of southern Syria on Saturday, leaving more areas of the country, including two provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters, the military and an opposition war monitor said. The redeployment away from the provinces of Daraa and Sweida came as Syria’s military sent large numbers of reinforcements to defend the key central city of Homs, Syria’s third largest, as insurgents approached its outskirts. The rapid advances by insurgents are a stunning reversal of fortunes for Syria’s President Bashar Assad , who appears to be largely on his own, with erstwhile allies preoccupied with other conflicts. His chief international backer, Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up his forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran, meanwhile, has seen its proxies across the region degraded by Israeli regular airstrikes. JERUSALEM — Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man after he attacked them at a border crossing in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Saturday morning, police said. The man shot firecrackers at security forces at the checkpoint and threatened them with a knife, the police statement said. The man wore a t-shirt emblazoned with a symbol of the Islamic State militant group, according to an Associated Press reporter Israeli fire has killed at least 700 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began last year, Palestinian health officials said. In that time, Palestinian militants have launched a number of attacks on soldiers at checkpoints and within Israel. DOHA, Qatar — The prime minister of Qatar says he has seen new momentum in Gaza ceasefire efforts since the U.S. presidential election, with the incoming Trump administration seeking an end to the conflict before it takes office. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a key mediator in the ceasefire efforts, declined to give specifics of the negotiations but told an international conference in Doha that the gaps between the sides are not large. Qatar, which has served as a mediator throughout the 14-month war, suspended its efforts last month in frustration over the lack of progress. But Sheikh Mohammed said his government has re-engaged in recent days after determining a new willingness by both parties to reach a deal. ’We have sensed after the election that the momentum is coming back,” he told the Doha Forum on Saturday. He said has been in touch with both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration and found that while there are some differences in approach, both are committed to the same goal of ending the war. ’We have seen a lot of encouragement from the incoming administration in order to achieve a deal, even before the president comes to the office,” Sheikh Mohammed said. He declined to discuss details, saying he wanted to “protect the process,” but expressed hope for a deal “as soon as possible.” ’If you look at the gaps and the disagreements, they are not something substantial that really affects the agreement,” he said. CAIRO — At least 29 people were killed, including four medical staff, when Israeli strikes pummeled the area around one of the last remaining hospitals in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said. The situation in and around the Kamal Adwan hospital is “catastrophic,” according to Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, the director of the hospital. The dead included five children and five women, according to the hospital casualty list, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Friday’s strikes also wounded 55 people including six children and the five women, according to the hospital. Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya is one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the Gaza’s northernmost province , where Israeli forces are pressing an offensive that has almost completely sealed off the area from humanitarian aid for two months. Israel’s military denied that its forces had struck the hospital or operated inside it. The army said that in the past few weeks, “coordinated efforts with international organizations have been underway in order to transfer patients, companions, and medical staff to other hospitals.” An Indonesian medical team which had been assisting in Kamal Adwan for the past week was forced to evacuate on foot after the area was surrounded by Israeli soldiers, according to a statement from the team. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the medical team’s expulsion. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories, said an Israeli tank approached the hospital at around 4 a.m. Friday. Although no official Israeli evacuation order was issued, “people started to climb the wall to escape, and this panic attracted IDF (Israeli) fire,” he said. He spoke by video from Gaza to journalists in Geneva. Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months since Israel launched a fierce military operation in northern Gaza against Hamas militants. In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff. Hospital officials denied the claim. MANAMA, Bahrain — Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has reiterated the kingdom’s call for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. Prince Faisal bin Farhan described Israel as acting with “impunity and is getting away without punishment” in its war on Hamas there. The prince said that any permanent solution requires a two-state solution, with the Palestinians having east Jerusalem as their capital. After the speech, Prince Turki al-Faisal, a prominent royal in the kingdom who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the U.S. and Britain, took the stage. He harshly criticized Israel’s conduct in the wars. “Israel has become an apartheid, colonial and genocidal state,” Prince Turki said. “It is about time for the world to address that issue and take the necessary steps to bring those who are thus charged by the International Criminal Court to justice.” Israeli officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Prince Turki’s remarks. The Saudis spoke at the International Institute for Security Studies’ Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

The Philadelphia Eagles might have just given a key hint as to Jalen Hurts' status for Sunday's matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback Ian Book was signed to the team's practice squad on Thursday, the team announced. Practice Squad: We have signed QB Ian Book and RB Lew Nichols and we have released DB Tariq Castro-Fields. pic.twitter.com/FQNtz8s7JA If Hurts is forced to miss Week 17's matchup due to a concussion, Kenny Pickett would be next in line to start. However, the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback sustained a rib injury after replacing Hurts in the Eagles' loss to the Commanders last week. NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark posted a video on X showing Pickett at practice, and it appeared he was wearing additional padding. Kenny Pickett seems to be ok moving around with his ribs issue. Looks like he is wearing extra padding. pic.twitter.com/lH3QilRoGf As for Hurts, he was not out there with the team. So, behind Pickett, it would be Tanner McKee and Book up next. Book has been in the league since 2021, being drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round. After only one year, he was released and the Eagles picked him up off waivers. Following a full year in Philadelphia, he was waived once again. In 2023, Book spent five days with the New England Patriots practice squad, and was with the Kansas City Chiefs all throughout training camp this past year before being waived in final roster cuts. He has appeared in only one game, which was with the Saints in 2021. There he went 12-of-20 with 135 passing yards and two interceptions along with eight sacks. On the rushing side, he had three carries for six yards. It's another stint for Book with a team he has experience with. So, let's see who is in the pocket for the Eagles on Sunday. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.PETALING JAYA: Two factors appear to be on the top of most investors’ minds pertaining to the local market at the moment. These are whether the key 1,600-point support level on the benchmark FBM KLCI would be able to hold, and if net buying by foreign investors would soon return to the local bourse. It is notable that after a period of strong sustained buying by foreign investors for most of the year up till the third quarter or so, this group of investors have just turned into net sellers in the year-to-date (y-t-d) period as of the end of last week. The strong net buying by foreign investors that was seen earlier in the year was unable to sustain following the recent re-election of Donald Trump as the incoming US president, who will be installed on Jan 20. “The trend of foreign net selling started following Trump’s re-election and this continues until today. “From an earlier figure of net foreign inflows of RM1.5bil at its y-t-d peak, we are now recording about RM1.6bil of net foreign outflows in the y-t-d period,” chief executive officer and founder of Tradeview Capital Ng Zhu Hann told StarBiz. “Trump’s recent rhetoric, which points to a stronger US dollar, has seen funds leaving emerging markets and this includes Malaysia back to the United States,” Ng added. The FBM KLCI climbed higher at its close yesterday by 11.48 points or 0.72% to 1,606.96. Gainers outnumbered losers 683 to 432 while 483 counters remained unchanged. Some 3.32 billion shares worth RM3.31bil changed hands. Fund outflows were also apparent in China, for example, as Bloomberg reported yesterday that exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track Chinese stocks had seen record outflows last month. The US$7.2bil iShares China Large-Cap ETF saw about US$2.3bil in outflows last month, while investors pulled more than US$1bil from the KraneShares CSI China Internet Fund – the largest monthly redemption for both funds on record. Back home, Ng said the market would require broad-based buying support from all parties including foreign investors and retailers if the FBM KLCI is to be supported above 1,600 points in the longer term. “As of now, we are seeing net outflows by retailers and the only one supporting are the local institutions that have recorded some RM6bil of net buying this year. “Local funds are supporting the market,” Ng said. Tradeview Capital’s year-end target for the FBM KLCI is 1,650. “We have not revised this target. We think the market will be able to hold above this level until the end of this year from ample support by local institutions and some return in foreign investors. “Coupled with this is that our market valuations here are still reasonable,” Ng noted. He said key factors to look out for in the near term that would potentially affect market movements include any further interest rate cuts before Christmas and any major actions by other key central banks. “For the Bank of Japan – there is a likelihood it will raise its interest rates to 0.5% from 0.25%, which would be the biggest hike since 2008 for Japan. “This could mean big outflows of funds if it happens. “But if the United States continues its cut and Japan maintains there could be some inflows into emerging markets,” he said. Meanwhile, Fortress Capital Asset Management’s founder and chief executive officer Datuk Thomas Yong said some foreign investments would usually have a short-term investment horizon. “However, foreign participation remains small compared to local institutional funds. Foreign shareholding is currently below 20% and a large part of these remaining holdings are strategic investments with a longer-term investment horizon,” Yong said. “Hence, if further values emerge from any foreign selldown, local participation will absorb some of this selling. “As we move towards the year-end festive season, institutional market activities will likely slow down,” Yong noted. Moving forward, he expects investors will closely monitor political developments in the United States and headline announcements apart from business fundamentals. “Historically, the FBM KLCI usually sees positive performance in the final month of the year,” Yong added. Meanwhile, CIMB Research noted in its report that even as they net sold the broader market, foreign investors were the top net buyers in property sector stocks last week with Sime Darby Property Bhd , Tanco Holdings Bhd and YNH Property Bhd as their top net buy stocks. “Foreign investors continued as net buyers in the sector for the 12th straight week, but reduced their net buy value by 58% from the previous week to RM18.5mil,” it said. It also pointed out that real estate investment trusts (REITs) were foreign investors’ second-largest net buy sector last week, with IGB-REIT, Pavilion-REIT and Sunway-REIT as their top net buy stocks in this segment. “Foreign investors remained net buyers for the fifth week, but their net buy value fell slightly to RM4.7mil,” it added.

By Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. Related Articles In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.New sunscreen can reduce heat by 6 C: Chinese scientists

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Trenton McLaughlin scored 23 points as Northern Arizona beat South Dakota 95-82 on Saturday. McLaughlin shot 6 of 14 from the field, including 2 for 7 from 3-point range, and went 9 for 12 from the line for the Lumberjacks (7-3). Jayden Jackson scored 20 points while going 6 of 9 and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line and added seven assists. Monty Bowser had 14 points and shot 6 for 7, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc. Isaac Bruns led the way for the Coyotes (7-4) with 22 points and seven rebounds. Chase Forte added 15 points, five assists and four steals for South Dakota. Paul Bruns also had nine points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .None

In their final fixture of 2024, Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game midway through the opening period. Arsenal’s victory takes them back to within six points of leaders Liverpool, having played one match more than the Reds, and a point clear of Chelsea following their Boxing Day defeat to Fulham. Ipswich, although much improved in the second half, have now lost five of their last six games, and remain just one place off the bottom of the table, three points away from safety. Mikel Arteta’s men have been rocked by Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury which could keep the England winger, who has nine goals and 13 assists this season, out of action for the next two months. Gabriel Martinelli was handed the unenviable task of filling Saka’s shoes on Arsenal’s right-hand side and the Brazilian was involved in the only goal of the evening. The Ipswich defence failed to deal with Martinelli’s cross, with the ball falling to Leandro Trossard on the opposite side of the area. Trossard fought his way to the byline before fizzing his cross into the box for Havertz to convert from a matter of yards. It was Havertz’s third goal in four matches, his 12th of the season, and no less than the hosts, who at that stage of the match had enjoyed a staggering 91.4 per cent of the possession, deserved. Heading into Friday’s fixture, Arsenal had lost only one of their last 75 Premier League games when they had opened the scoring, and their triumph here rarely looked in doubt following Havertz’s strike. Havertz thought he had doubled Arsenal’s lead with 34 minutes gone when he converted Gabriel Jesus’ cross. But Jesus – handed his third successive start for the first time in a year – strayed into an offside position in the build-up. When referee Darren England blew for half-time, Ipswich had failed to touch the ball in Arsenal’s box, becoming just the second side to do so in the Premier League this season. Nottingham Forest were the other, away at Liverpool, before they went on to inflict Arne Slot’s sole defeat of his tenure so far. And for all of Arsenal’s possession, while they held just a one-goal advantage, Ipswich knew they were still in the game. An encouraging start to the second half for the Tractor Boys ensued, albeit without testing David Raya in the Arsenal goal. Shortly after the hour mark, Gabriel should have settled any growing Emirates nerves when he arrived unmarked to Declan Rice’s corner, but the defender headed wide of Arijanet Muric’s post when it looked easier to score. Martin Odegaard then forced a fine fingertip save from Muric at his near post after a mazy run and shot from the Arsenal skipper. Rice’s stinging goal-bound volley from the following corner was blocked by Dara O’Shea as Arsenal pushed for a game-killing second. Havertz should have tapped home Trossard’s header but he fluffed his lines. And moments later, substitute Mikel Merino’s effort was diverted from danger by a diving Muric. Ipswich looked to catch Arsenal on the counter, but the match ended without them registering a single effort on Raya’s goal. Ipswich fans goaded their opponents with chants of “boring, boring Arsenal”, but it was the Gunners who enjoyed the last laugh as they saw out 2024 with a win which keeps the pressure on Liverpool.Suits L.A. First Teaser Means Court Is Officially Back in Session

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One of the top wide receivers in the NFL is shutting it down for the rest of the season. The have announced that star wide receiver will be out for the . The team put out the following statement Thursday about the decision: "Additional examinations and scans this week on CeeDee Lamb’s shoulder have determined that his injury has now progressed to a point that he will be listed as 'Out' for the remaining two games of the season. He will undergo a process of treatment and rehabilitation for his shoulder, is not currently expected to require surgery and is projected to make a full recovery." Lamb had been dealing with an AC joint injury in his shoulder since . He did not practice Wednesday before the against the Philadelphia Eagles. Lamb had played well through the injury, especially in the last two weeks. The ' leading receiver had 314 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games. The Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs before their Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on " ." They close out the regular season on the road against the Eagles in Week 17 and at home in Week 18. Lamb's been one of the most prolific wide receivers in the NFL this year. Here's his stats and how they rank league-wide entering Week 17: 152 (2nd) 101 (tied for 2nd) 1,194 (3rd) : 6 (tied for 21st) Tight end is next behind Lamb in receptions with 54 and wide receiver is second to Lamb in receiving yards with 482 and tied with six receiving touchdowns. With Lamb out, here's how the rest of the depth chart looks for Dallas: Jalen Tolbert The team also has wide receivers , , and signed to the practice squad.

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slot machine demo GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — DJ Lagway threw two touchdown passes, Montrell Johnson ran for 127 yards and a score, and Florida upset No. 9 Mississippi 24-17 on Saturday to knock the Rebels out of College Football Playoff contention. The Gators (6-5, 4-4 Southeastern Conference), who topped LSU last week, beat ranked teams in consecutive weeks for the first time since 2008 and became bowl eligible. The late-season spurt provided another vote of confidence for coach Billy Napier, who is expected back for a fourth season. Ole Miss (8-3, 4-3), which entered the day as a 10-point favorite, lost for the first time in four games and surely will drop out of the 12-team playoff picture. The Rebels ranked ninth in the latest CFP and needed only to avoid stumbling down the stretch against Florida and lowly Mississippi State to clinch a spot in the playoff field. But coach Lane Kiffin’s team failed to score in three trips inside the red zone and dropped countless passes in perfect weather. No. 2 OHIO ST. 38, No. 5 INDIANA 15 COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Will Howard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a score and No. 2 Ohio State beat previously undefeated No. 5 Indiana. All Ohio State (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten, CFP No. 2) has to do now is beat Michigan at home next Saturday and it will earn a return to the Big Ten championship game for the first time since 2020 and get a rematch with No. 1 Oregon. The Ducks beat Ohio State 32-31 in a wild one back on Oct. 12. The Hoosiers (10-1, 7-1, No. 5 CFP) had their best chance to beat the Buckeyes for the first time since 1988 but were hurt by special teams mistakes and disrupted by an Ohio State defense that sacked quarterback Kurtis Rourke five times. Howard finished 22 for 26 for 201 yards. Emeka Egbuka had seven catches for 80 yards and a TD. No. 8 GEORGIA 59, UMass 21 ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Carson Beck threw four touchdown passes, Nate Frazier ran for 136 yards with three scores and No. 8 Georgia overwhelmed Massachusetts as the Bulldogs tried to protect their College Football Playoff hopes. Georgia (9-2, No. 10 CFP) needed the big offense from Beck and Frazier to rescue a defense that gave up 226 rushing yards. UMass (2-9) played its first game under interim coach Shane Montgomery, the offensive coordinator who retained his play-calling duties after replacing fired coach Don Brown on Monday. Jalen John led the Minutemen with 107 rushing yards and a touchdown. Georgia extended its streak of consecutive home wins to 30, the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision. No. 10 TENNESSEE 56, UTEP 0 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nico Iamaleava threw for 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 10 Tennessee to a victory over UTEP. The Volunteers (9-2) overcame a sluggish start to roll up the impressive win. Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter, but Tennessee found its rhythm. Grad student receiver Bru McCoy, who hadn’t caught a touchdown pass this season, had two. Peyton Lewis also ran for two scores. Tennessee’s defensive line, which had no sacks in last week’s loss to Georgia, had three against the Miners. UTEP (2-9) struggled with two missed field goals and three turnovers. Tennessee’s offense came alive with 28 points in the second quarter. In the final four drives of the quarter, Iamaleava completed 11 of 12 passes for 146 yards and touchdowns to Squirrel White, Ethan Davis and McCoy. No. 11 MIAMI 42, WAKE FOREST 14 MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Cam Ward passed for 280 yards and threw two touchdowns to Jacolby George on another record-breaking day, Mishael Powell ran an interception back 76 yards for a touchdown and No. 11 Miami pulled away late to beat Wake Forest. The Hurricanes (10-1, 6-1 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 8 College Football Playoff) can clinch a berth in the ACC title game with a win at Syracuse next weekend. Ward completed 27 of 38 passes, plus ran for a score. He broke two more single-season Miami records, both of which had been held for 40 years by Bernie Kosar — most passing yards in a season and most completions in a season. Ward now has 3,774 yards on 268 completions this season. Kosar threw for 3,642 yards on 262 completions in 1984. Demond Claiborne had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for Wake Forest (4-7, 2-5). Claiborne also rushed for 62 yards for the Demon Deacons, and starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier was 8 of 14 passing for 86 yards and a touchdown. No. 13 SMU 33, VIRGINIA 7 CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kevin Jennings threw for a career-high 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and No. 13 SMU clinched a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by routing Virginia. Isaiah Smith and Jared Harrison-Hunte each had two sacks to help the Mustangs (10-1, 7-0, No. 13 CFP) extend their winning streak to eight. They would earn an automatic bid into the expanded College Football Playoff by beating 11th-ranked Miami or 17th-ranked Clemson in the ACC title game on Dec. 7 in Charlotte, North Carolina. SMU had to get there first, and Jennings led the way again, bouncing back from an interception and a fumble to complete 25 of 33 passes to six different receivers, including TD tosses to Jordan Hudson and Matthew Hibner. Brashard Smith provided a little balance on offense, running for 63 yards and his 13th touchdown of the season. SMU’s defense overwhelmed UVa’s offensive line, sacking Anthony Colandrea nine times and allowing the Cavaliers (5-6, 3-4) just 173 yards. Special teams contributed, too, with Roderick Daniels Jr. returning a punt 48 yards and Collin Rogers making two field goals. No. 24 ILLINOIS 38, RUTGERS 31 PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild victory over Rutgers. Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched in a game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown. Altmyer was 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant finished with seven receptions for 197 yards.NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $100,000 for the first time this week as a massive rally in the world's most popular cryptocurrency, largely accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, rolls on. The cryptocurrency officially to rose six figures Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitcoin has soared since Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The asset climbed from $69,374 on Election Day, hitting as high as $103,713 Wednesday, according to CoinDesk. And the latest all-time high arrives just two years after bitcoin dropped below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX . Bitcoin fell back below the $100,000 by Thursday afternoon, sitting above $99,000 by 4 p.m. ET. Even amid a massive rally that has more than doubled the value of bitcoin this year, some experts continue to warn of investment risks around the asset, which has quite a volatile history. Here’s what you need to know. Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But chances are you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years. In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain. Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, XRP, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money, but most daily financial transactions are still conducted using fiat currencies such as the dollar. Also, bitcoin can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions. A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, has pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies. On Thursday morning, hours after bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark, Trump congratulated “BITCOINERS” on his social media platform Truth Social. He also appeared to take credit for the recent rally, writing, “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” Top crypto players welcomed Trump’s election victory last month, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape. And the industry has made sizeable investments along the way. Back in August, Public Citizen, a left-leaning consumer rights advocacy nonprofit, reported finding that crypto-sector corporations spent more than $119 million in 2024 to back pro-crypto candidates across federal elections. Trump made his latest pro-crypto move when he announced his plans Wednesday to nominate Atkins to chair the SEC. Atkins was an SEC commissioner during the presidency of George W. Bush. In the years since leaving the agency, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. He joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization, in 2017. Under current chair Gary Gensler, who will step down when Trump takes office, the SEC has cracked down on the crypto industry — penalizing a number of companies for violating securities laws. Gensler has also faced ample criticism from industry players in the process. One crypto-friendly move the SEC did make under Gensler was the approval in January of spot bitcoin ETFs, or exchange trade funds, which allow investors to have a stake in bitcoin without directly buying it. The spot ETFs were the dominant driver of bitcoin's price before Trump's win — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. Bitcoin surpassing the coveted $100,000 mark has left much of the crypto world buzzing. “What we’re seeing isn’t just a rally — it’s a fundamental transformation of bitcoin’s place in the financial system,” Nathan McCauley, CEO and co-founder of crypto custodian Anchorage Digital, said in a statement — while pointing to the growth of who's entering the market, particularly with rising institutional adoption. Still, others note that the new heights of bitcoin's price don't necessarily mean the asset is going mainstream. The $100,000 level is “merely a psychological factor and ultimately just a number,” Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at British investment company AJ Bell, wrote in a Thursday commentary . That being said, bitcoin could keep climbing to more and more all-time highs, particularly if Trump makes good on his promises for more crypto-friendly regulation once in office. If Trump actually makes a bitcoin reserve, for example, supply changes could also propel the price forward. “It is hard to overstate the magnitude of the change in Washington’s attitude towards crypto post-election,” Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise Asset Management, said via email Thursday, reiterating that prices could keep rising if trends persist. “There is a lot more demand than there is supply, and that’s usually a pretty good recipe for success.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is never promised. Worldwide regulatory uncertainties and environmental concerns around bitcoin “mining" — the creation of new bitcoin, which consumes a lot of energy — are among factors that analysts like Coatsworth note could hamper future growth. And, as still a relatively young asset with a history of volatility, longer-term adoption has yet to be seen through. Today’s excitement around bitcoin may make many who aren’t already in the space want to get in on the action. For those in a position to invest, Hougan says it's not too late — noting that bitcoin is still early in its development and most institutional investors “still have zero exposure.” At the same time, Hougan and others maintain that it's important to tread cautiously and not bite off more than you can chew. Experts continue to stress caution around getting carried away with crypto “FOMO,” or the fear of missing out, especially for small-pocketed investors. “A lot of people have got rich from the cryptocurrency soaring in value this year, but this high-risk asset isn’t suitable for everyone,” Coatsworth noted Thursday. “It’s volatile, unpredictable and is driven by speculation, none of which makes for a sleep-at-night investment.” In short, history shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day. Coatsworth points to recent research from the Bank for International Settlements, a Switzerland-based global organization of central banks, which found that about three-quarters of retail buyers on crypto exchange apps likely lost money on their bitcoin investments between 2015 and 2022. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. And the late-2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000. Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs, and again, now the post-election frenzy. But lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could also mean less guardrails. This story has been corrected to refer to Anchorage Digital as a crypto custodian, not a crypto asset manager.What will a Trump-led peace deal with Russia look like?

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The guy on the Philly sports talk radio station had something to say, and he started to vent about the perceived strained relationship between star quarterback Jalen Hurts and standout wide receiver A.J. Brown. Why weren’t these two Pro Bowl Eagles on the same page? Why had their personal and professional relationship changed even with Philadelphia enjoying tremendous success? Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Rahul Jagetia's Strategic Approach To Building Robust Risk Management Frameworks

Atlanta Probate Attorney Trace Brooks Releases Article Explaining the Probate Process in Atlanta, Georgia 11-21-2024 10:38 PM CET | Politics, Law & Society Press release from: ABNewswire Atlanta probate attorney Trace Brooks ( https://www.tracebrookslaw.com/atlanta-probate-lawyer/ ), of Trace Brooks Law, recently published an informative piece offering guidance for families tackling probate law in Atlanta and managing the process. Probate is often an essential but complex part of handling an estate after someone passes away. Probate helps ensure that the deceased's property is distributed to the appropriate beneficiaries, debts are resolved, and any potential disputes are handled according to Georgia law. For those in Atlanta facing the probate process, Trace Brooks emphasizes the importance of understanding probate's many stages and potential challenges. "Probate can be an emotionally challenging process," explains Atlanta probate attorney Trace Brooks, "but with guidance, we can help make it a manageable one. Our role is to help ensure that the deceased's assets are properly distributed, and that loved ones have the support they need every step of the way." According to Trace Brooks, the probate process begins with verifying the will's validity. When a valid will is in place, it names an executor, who is responsible for overseeing the distribution of the deceased's assets and fulfilling their wishes. Without a will, the process may become more complex, and Georgia's intestate succession laws are applied, which can add a layer of uncertainty. For those unfamiliar with probate law, Atlanta probate attorneys can assist executors and beneficiaries in understanding their rights and responsibilities, minimizing potential conflicts, and guiding them through each phase of the process. Probate typically starts with the executor or personal representative filing the necessary paperwork to open the estate with the court. Atlanta probate attorney Trace Brooks outlines the critical duties that follow this filing, which include notifying heirs, inventorying the assets, settling outstanding debts, and preparing for the distribution of assets to beneficiaries. If the deceased did not leave a will, the court would appoint an administrator, often a family member, to handle these tasks. According to Brooks, "With or without a will, Georgia law requires certain steps to be followed. Maintaining compliance is essential for both honoring the deceased's wishes and upholding the rights of the beneficiaries." In Atlanta, probate law requires that all interested parties-such as heirs and creditors-be formally notified of the probate proceedings. This step helps secure the interests of beneficiaries and allows creditors an opportunity to submit claims against the estate. The appointed executor or administrator is tasked with reviewing these claims and determining their validity before settling the estate's debts. Atlanta probate attorneys such as Trace Brooks can help executors manage these often-sensitive issues, meeting the financial obligations of the estate without unnecessary legal disputes or delays. When a dispute arises, such as questions over the validity of the will or disagreements among heirs, Atlanta probate attorney Trace Brooks advises mediation or court intervention to resolve the matter effectively. Disputes may arise due to ambiguity in the will's terms, varying interpretations among family members, or even challenges related to undue influence. "Resolving these disputes fairly and in a timely manner is a critical aspect of the probate process," Brooks states. "The probate court offers a structured environment for addressing these issues so that the estate can be settled according to the law." A unique aspect of probate in Georgia is that it requires the filing of state and federal tax returns if the estate's value meets certain thresholds. The role of the Atlanta probate attorney includes helping ensure that all financial obligations, such as income and estate taxes, are accurately calculated and submitted. This aspect of probate can be particularly complex for those unfamiliar with tax obligations, and seeking legal guidance can improve accuracy in handling these financial responsibilities. Proper management of taxes and expenses is vital in preventing potential liabilities for the estate's beneficiaries. Additionally, Trace Brooks advises that probate can be minimized or even bypassed through proactive estate planning measures, such as setting up trusts or using beneficiary designations for financial accounts and life insurance policies. Probate avoidance strategies, such as lifetime gifting or revocable living trusts, enable individuals to manage asset distribution outside of court. These approaches can simplify asset transfer upon death, reducing legal costs and administrative burdens for beneficiaries. Brooks notes that for Atlanta residents, such strategies can save time and resources, helping ensure that more of the estate reaches its intended recipients. The probate process, particularly for those new to it, can be a challenging endeavor. Atlanta probate attorney Trace Brooks emphasizes the importance of knowledgeable legal support, offering the resources and guidance necessary for executors, beneficiaries, and families to fulfill their roles and responsibilities without unnecessary stress or delay. "A structured approach to probate can help families manage this challenging time, allowing them to honor their loved one's wishes while meeting legal requirements," Brooks states. For individuals or families facing probate in Atlanta, consulting with an experienced probate attorney can help them handle the process with confidence. Probate law encompasses both administrative and legal challenges, and assistance from a qualified attorney can prevent mistakes, avoid costly delays, and help ensure that the probate process upholds Georgia's legal standards. About Trace Brooks Law: Trace Brooks Law is a law firm in Atlanta, GA, offering comprehensive probate and estate administration services. Led by experienced probate attorney Trace Brooks, the firm is committed to assisting clients in tackling Georgia probate law with compassionate guidance and attention to detail. Trace Brooks Law can handle a range of probate matters, including estate administration, asset management, and will validation, while also providing estate planning services to minimize probate. Embeds: Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OeExv6QKSA GMB: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=16944830140697754407 Email and website Email: trace@tracebrookslaw.com Website: https://www.tracebrookslaw.com/ Media Contact Company Name: Trace Brooks Law Contact Person: Trace Brooks Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=atlanta-probate-attorney-trace-brooks-releases-article-explaining-the-probate-process-in-atlanta-georgia ] Phone: (404) 492-9559 Address:1275 Peachtree St NE #525 City: Atlanta State: Georgia 30309 Country: United States Website: https://www.tracebrookslaw.com/ This release was published on openPR.A pastor in a secretive and extreme Pentecostal church has advocated corporal punishment of children as a way to prevent school shootings and gender dysphoria. The leaked recording of the pastor advocating a “rod of correction” policy emerged as Victoria’s child safety watchdog expressed concern about practices at the Geelong Revival Centre. Liana Buchanan, Victoria’s Commissioner for Children and Young People. Credit: Justin McManus Liana Buchanan, principal commissioner for children and young people, said the experiences and allegations recently revealed by former Geelong Revival Centre members were “extremely concerning”, and described some “unacceptable institutional responses”. “Children deserve to be safe and protected by the organisations they participate in,” Buchanan said. “Our recently tabled annual report notes that some religious organisations continue to struggle with identifying and managing risks to children. That risk is certainly amplified where there is a culture of silence and adults and children are afraid to speak out. “We know that ‘closed institutions’ carry more risks of child abuse than other types of institutions. These institutions need to be aware of these heightened risks and have legal responsibilities to take action to keep children safe, prevent child abuse and respond to allegations of child abuse.” The latest annual report from the Commission for Young People and Children, tabled in state parliament last month, included data indicating a higher proportion of sexual offence allegations in religious bodies than any other sector. Buchanan encouraged people with experience or knowledge of abuse within the centre’s network of churches to contact her agency, which has statutory powers to investigate breaches of child safety laws. After decades of operating with minimal external scrutiny, the GRC and its affiliate churches across Australia are examined in a new investigative podcast, LiSTNR’s Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder , and reports by this masthead. This masthead has obtained a recording of a sermon given by a Tasmanian pastor of a GRC-affiliated church in which members are warned that society did not understand the need to physically punish children to ensure obedience. “As far as the world is concerned, well. They would be very critical of us for preaching and teaching these things,” Tasmanian pastor Neil Griggs says in the recording. “Let’s not go over the top about this word ‘beating’. It just means to smack. It doesn’t mean to be brutal. ‘Thou shalt beat him with the rod or smack him and shalt deliver his soul from hell.’ Well, isn’t that worth doing? Deliver his soul from hell. “If we don’t teach children obedience, it won’t be well with them ... if we don’t correct them and chasten them, and reprove them, and rebuke them when they need it, it will not be well with them.” The leaked sermon from Griggs provides an example of how the church leadership persuades adult members that children without discipline could face disastrous outcomes later in life. “And here we are now, the children. The scourge of social media has twisted them all up. Unrestrained. Unchecked. Spoilt ... everything that their heart could desire had wealth lavished upon them, and they’re not happy,” he said. “And they grow up, and they go and get a gun, and they go into a school and they shoot people. And they’re all upset. No, we’re telling them. Well, you’ve got some problems. Not because you weren’t smacked as a child. Is everybody else’s fault? Maybe. Maybe think about it. Maybe you should be a girl instead of a boy or a boy instead of a girl.” As part of the investigation, former members have revealed alleged cover-ups of child sexual abuse, the violent physical punishment of children, pressure on church members to forgo medical treatment, homophobic and racist teachings and harsh restrictions placed on the freedoms of women and girls. There is no suggestion Neil Griggs has been responsible for any abuse or for failing to report child safety issues. Griggs did not respond to requests for comment. The GRC leadership has also repeatedly declined to answer questions from this masthead. Dozens more former members have come forward since the release of the podcast to detail harrowing accounts of their alleged sexual, physical and emotional abuse while growing up inside a church that controls almost every aspect of its members’ lives. In August, 38-year-old GRC member Todd Hubers van Assenraad pleaded guilty to 16 child sexual abuse charges involving nine children aged under 16. The Age is not suggesting his victims were from families associated with the church. The use of corporal punishment on children is legal in Victoria. However, the use of excessive force is illegal. As is the exposure of children to emotional harm through constant abuse or use of threats to frighten them. Griggs, in his sermon, encouraged mothers, who the church prefers to stay at home rather than work, to question their children about what they were taught at school each day and to remind them what the Bible says. “Find out what happened at school today when they’re amongst all those unsaved people, or with all those perhaps well-meaning, unsaved teachers, with all their worldly ideas ... parents are the ones who say what’s going to happen and when it’s going to happen.” Despite the pastor’s call for moderate physical punishment, more than a dozen former church members have given accounts of their violent childhood beatings with belts, fists and rods. The Geelong Revival Centre. Credit: Simon Schluter A single mother described a male member of the church repeatedly hitting her autistic toddler son, causing what she claimed were life-changing injuries. The woman has sought legal advice over this incident, which allegedly happened a few years ago. A former pastor at a GRC-linked overseas assembly also detailed his knowledge of deafness in one boy growing up in the church due to repeated blows to his head by his father. Former members also claimed the church’s empowerment of men led to domestic violence within households and situations where children were physically punished by adults who were not their parents or guardians. Former church members said the “cult-like” nature of the GRC and the constant “doomsday” predictions had children constantly in fear about the end of their world and the possibility that they and their families could burn in hell if they had fallen out with their pastor. If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (see lifeline.org.au ), Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 (see beyondblue.org.au ) or 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

US senator says mysterious drones spotted in New Jersey should be 'shot down, if necessary' (copy)Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Acquires New Shares in The Chemours Company (NYSE:CC)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Luke Altmyer found Pat Bryant for a catch-and-run, 40-yard touchdown pass with 4 seconds left, sending No. 24 Illinois to a wild 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday. Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) was down 31-30 when it sent long kicker Ethan Moczulski out for a desperation 58-yard field goal with 14 seconds to go. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called for a timeout right before Moczulski’s attempt was wide left and about 15 yards short. After the missed field goal was waved off by the timeout, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent his offense back on the field. Altmyer hit Bryant on an in cut on the left side at the 22, and he continued across the field and scored untouched in a game that featured three lead changes in the final 3:07. Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) gave up a safety on the final kickoff return, throwing a ball out of bounds in the end zone as players passed it around hoping for a miracle touchdown. Altmyer was 12-of-26 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant finished with seven receptions for 197 yards. Altmeyer put Illinois in front with a 30-yard TD run with 3:07 to go. He passed to Josh McCray on the 2-point conversion, making it 30-24. Rutgers responded with a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Athan Kaliakmanis had a 15-yard run on fourth down. He passed to running back Kyle Manangai for a 13-yard TD with 1:08 remaining. Illinois then drove 75 yards in eight plays for the unexpected win. Kaliakmanis was 18 for 36 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 13 carries for 84 yards and two TDs. Monangai had a career-high 28 carries for 122 yards. Kaliakmanis found Ian Strong for a 2-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the first half, and he scored on a 1-yard run to lift Rutgers to a 24-15 lead early in the fourth quarter. Illinois responded with Aidan Laughery’s 8-yard TD run, setting up the roller-coaster finish. The start of the second half was delayed because of a scrum between the teams. There were no punches thrown and the officials called penalties on both schools. Monangai become the third player in Rutgers history to rush for 3,000 yards when he picked up 4 on a third-and-1 carry early in the second quarter. The defending conference rushing champion joins Ray Rice and Terrell Willis in hitting the mark. Illinois: The great finish keeps the Illini in line for its first nine-win season since 2007 and a prestigious bowl game this season. Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights were seconds away from their first in-conference three-game win streak since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Illinois: At Northwestern next Saturday. Rutgers: At Michigan State next Saturday. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-pollNEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin topped $100,000 for the first time as a massive rally in the world's most popular cryptocurrency, largely accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, rolls on. The cryptocurrency officially to rose six figures Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitcoin has soared since Trump won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The asset climbed from $69,374 on Election Day, hitting as high as $103,713 Wednesday, according to CoinDesk. And the latest all-time high arrives just two years after bitcoin dropped below $17,000 following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX . Bitcoin fell below $102,000 by midday Thursday, but its price is still up nearly 7% over the last day. Even amid a massive rally that has more than doubled the value of bitcoin this year, some experts continue to warn of investment risks around the asset, which has quite a volatile history. Here’s what you need to know. Back up. What is cryptocurrency again? Cryptocurrency has been around for a while now. But chances are you’ve heard about it more and more over the last few years. In basic terms, cryptocurrency is digital money. This kind of currency is designed to work through an online network without a central authority — meaning it’s typically not backed by any government or banking institution — and transactions get recorded with technology called a blockchain. Bitcoin is the largest and oldest cryptocurrency, although other assets like ethereum, XRP, tether and dogecoin have also gained popularity over the years. Some investors see cryptocurrency as a “digital alternative” to traditional money, but the large majority of daily financial transactions are still conducted using fiat currencies such as the dollar. Also, bitcoin can be very volatile, with its price reliant on larger market conditions. Why is bitcoin soaring? A lot of the recent action has to do with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Trump, who was once a crypto skeptic, has pledged to make the U.S. “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin. His campaign accepted donations in cryptocurrency and he courted fans at a bitcoin conference in July. He also launched World Liberty Financial, a new venture with family members to trade cryptocurrencies. On Thursday morning, hours after bitcoin surpassed the $100,000 mark, Trump congratulated “BITCOINERS” on his social media platform Truth Social. He also appeared to take credit for the recent rally, writing, “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” Top crypto players welcomed Trump’s election victory last month, in hopes that he would be able to push through legislative and regulatory changes that they’ve long lobbied for — which, generally speaking, aim for an increased sense of legitimacy without too much red tape. Trump made a move in that direction Wednesday when he said he intends to nominate Atkins to chair the SEC. Atkins was an SEC commissioner during the presidency of George W. Bush. In the years since leaving the agency, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. He joined the Token Alliance, a cryptocurrency advocacy organization, in 2017. Under current chair Gary Gensler, who will step down when Trump takes office, the SEC has cracked down on the crypto industry — penalizing a number of companies for violating securities laws. Gensler has also faced ample criticism from industry players in the process. One crypto-friendly move the SEC did make under Gensler was the approval in January of spot bitcoin ETFs, or exchange trade funds, which allow investors to have a stake in bitcoin without directly buying it. The spot ETFs were the dominant driver of bitcoin's price before Trump's win — but, like much of the crypto’s recent momentum, saw record inflows postelection. What does bitcoin hitting the $100k mark mean? Could it keep climbing? Bitcoin surpassing the coveted $100,000 mark has left much of the crypto world buzzing. “What we’re seeing isn’t just a rally — it’s a fundamental transformation of bitcoin’s place in the financial system,” Nathan McCauley, CEO and co-founder of crypto asset manager Anchorage Digital, said in a statement — while pointing to the growth of who's entering the market, particularly with rising institutional adoption. Still, others note that the new heights of bitcoin's price don't necessarily mean the asset is going mainstream. The $100,000 level is “merely a psychological factor and ultimately just a number,” Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at British investment company AJ Bell, wrote in a Thursday commentary . That being said, bitcoin could keep climbing to more and more all-time highs — particularly if Trump makes good on his promises for more crypto-friendly regulation once in office. If Trump actually makes a bitcoin reserve, for example, supply changes could also propel the price forward. Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is never promised. Worldwide regulatory uncertainties and environmental concerns around bitcoin “mining" — the creation of new bitcoin, which consumes a lot of energy — are among factors that analysts like Coatsworth note could hamper future growth. And, as still a relatively-young asset with a history of volatility, longer-term adoption has yet to be seen through. Is it too late to invest? What are the risks? Today's excitement around bitcoin may make many who aren't already in the space want to get in on the action, but experts continue to stress caution around crypto “FOMO," or the fear of missing out, especially for small-pocketed investors. “A lot of people have got rich from the cryptocurrency soaring in value this year, but this high-risk asset isn’t suitable for everyone,” Coatsworth noted Thursday. “It’s volatile, unpredictable and is driven by speculation, none of which makes for a sleep-at-night investment.” In short, history shows you can lose money in crypto as quickly as you’ve made it. Long-term price behavior relies on larger market conditions. Trading continues at all hours, every day. Coatsworth points to recent research from the Bank for International Settlements, a Switzerland-based global organization of central banks, which found that about three-quarters of retail buyers on crypto exchange apps likely lost money on their bitcoin investments between 2015 and 2022. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, bitcoin stood at just over $5,000. Its price climbed to nearly $69,000 by November 2021, during high demand for technology assets, but later crashed during an aggressive series of rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. And the late-2022 collapse of FTX significantly undermined confidence in crypto overall, with bitcoin falling below $17,000. Investors began returning in large numbers as inflation started to cool — and gains skyrocketed on the anticipation and then early success of spot ETFs, and again, now the post-election frenzy. But lighter regulation from the coming Trump administration could also mean less guardrails. “I would say, keep it simple. And don’t take on more risk than you can afford to,” Adam Morgan McCarthy, a research analyst at Kaiko, previously told The Associated Press — adding that there isn’t a “magic eight ball” to know for certain what comes next. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today's theme — "A visit from Santa" — is appropriately Christmas themed, so maybe you can draw inspiration from what's around you. Below, we've compiled some useful hints for Strands #297, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We'll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #297, so read on if you need a little help. Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #297. Today's NYT Strands answer — Today's theme and hints The official theme for NYT Strands #297 is... "A visit from Santa". And here's an unofficial hint from me: "Small gifts to wake up to." If you're still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens: Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with S and ends with G. Scroll down to find out what it is... It's STOCKING. Today's Strands answers So, what are today's Strands answers for game #297? Drumroll, please... ...and the spangram was NATURENAMES. Strands #297 “A visit from Santa” 🔵🔵🟡🔵 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵 Hi Strands fans, and happy Christmas! Today's puzzle is appropriately themed for those who find time to play it, and it's simple enough that it shouldn't divert you from the joys of the day for too long. When I found ORANGE in the bottom-left corner, it immediately clicked that this was about stocking fillers, but before connecting the spangram of STOCKING, I went searching for the classic naughty-child gift. Sure enough, I found a lump of COAL on the right-hand side. The spangram then divided the grid in two, which made cleaning up pretty seamless. I found SOCKS in the top-right corner, with SCARF directly below it. I then noticed TOYS in the top-left corner, with PLUSHIE below to complete that side of the board. Two answers were left to find on the other side. CANDY was spelt backwards from the bottom upwards, and that just left PENS spelt downwards to finish the puzzle in time to return to some well-earned Christmas trash TV. Yesterday's Strands answers Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday's Strands answers for game #296 right here .

During her arrest for DUI in Chicago earlier this month, a Democratic member of the obscure but influential Cook County Board of Review made sure that cops at the scene of a crash she caused knew they were dealing with a politician. In police body-camera videos from the incident in Andersonville on Nov. 11 that WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times obtained this week, Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele repeatedly refused to cooperate with officers who responded, including requests from cops to get out of the smashed car she was driving. One officer told her, “Ma’am, if you don’t exit the vehicle ... I’m going to help you to exit, and you don’t want that.” “ You don’t want that! I’m an elected official,” Steele shot back. “Elected official of what?” the officer asked. “Cook County,” Steele told him. When the officer asked for her name, Steele held out her hand and said, “I’m Sam.” The cop replied, “Sam who?” But Steele did not give the police her full name at that point. The officer told other cops, “She’s saying she’s an elected official of Cook County.” Steele then said, “I don’t want to be on the video.” But police told her she was indeed on video and they continued to record the interaction with Steele. Despite several requests, Steele would not initially provide officers with her driver’s license or get out of the car. Sitting in the driver’s seat, she drank from what seemed to be a water bottle and used her cellphone to call the person she described many times as her attorney — Democratic Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton of Glenview. She only gave her driver’s license to police and exited the car after Britton advised her over the phone to do so. After Britton arrived at the scene in the 5000 block of North Ashland Avenue, Steele said she was not drinking the wine from the bottle in the car. Britton interjected: “Don’t say anything. Don’t say anything.” Two days after the arrest, Britton said he was not a defense attorney and would not be representing Steele in her case. Britton said Steele had an attorney but he would not identify the lawyer. The three-member Board of Review has the power to rule on property tax appeals, effectively reducing tax bills. Steele lives in Evanston, and she represents the Board of Review’s district covering much of the North Side of Chicago and northern suburbs. The video from her arrest also shows the moment when police searched the car Steele was driving and discovered what records indicate was a half-empty bottle of red wine near the front passenger seat. In the video, officers joke that the cabernet sauvignon was “good stuff” and that breath mints they also found “didn’t help” — an apparent reference to the strong smell of alcohol that officers allege they detected on Steele’s breath. After at first refusing to do a field sobriety test, Steele agreed to do it, but then Steele said she had hit her head in the crash and wanted to take an ambulance to be treated. She was handcuffed again and placed in an ambulance, which took her to the hospital, according to police reports. Steele soon was transported to Chicago’s Lincoln police district, where she allegedly made lewd comments to an officer, records show. The cop wrote in his report that Steele “repeatedly said, ‘Is your penis that small’ ” to him. But the newly released video does not include Steele making those comments, which allegedly were said at the hospital. None of these recordings include footage from the hospital. Police charged Steele with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol. She has not commented publicly on the case. Her court date is Dec. 27, records show. The next Board of Review meeting is scheduled for Dec. 2. Steele, 45, was first elected to the Board of Review in 2022, after being an elected county official in Indiana. The Democrat and her chief of staff are facing a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed recently by former aide Frank Calabrese, who obtained the body-camera footage of the arrest through an open-records request to police and shared it with WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. Earlier in the year, Steele defended giving a job at the Board of Review to a former northwest Indiana politician who had pleaded guilty in a federal case. And she also has found herself at the center of the high-stakes dispute over the Chicago Bears’ property tax bill for the old Arlington Park racecourse property, where the football team has considered building a new stadium. Dan Mihalopoulos is an investigative reporter on WBEZ’s Government & Politics Team. Tom Schuba is a criminal justice editor for the Sun-Times.Article content Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and politicians of all stripes are condemning the violence that broke out as part of an anti-NATO protest in downtown Montreal late Friday. Three people were arrested after pro-Palestinian, anti-NATO protesters smashed windows, clashed with police officers and set vehicles ablaze on Friday evening. “What we saw on the streets of Montreal last night was appalling. Acts of antisemitism, intimidation, and violence must be condemned wherever we see them. The RCMP are in communication with local police. There must be consequences, and rioters held accountable,” Trudeau wrote on X late Saturday morning. The protest coincided with the arrival of about 300 delegates from NATO member states and partner countries attending a high-level summit, running from Nov. 22 to 25 in Montreal, focused on Ukraine, climate change and the alliance’s future. It was the second day of a wave of student-wide pro-Palestinian protests across Montreal. While the demonstration was underway, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was attending the Taylor Swift concert in Toronto, La Presse Canadienne reported Saturday. Trudeau’s office confirmed he was attending the concert with members of his family, and a videos were shared online of him dancing at the show. Trudeau’s presence at the concert, juxtaposed with the escalating violence in Montreal, was condemned widely on social media, including by leader of the opposition Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre. “Violent mobs riot and rampage through beautiful Montreal, typifying the chaos that is engulfing our once-peaceful country after 9 years of Trudeau’s radical, divisive agenda. Trudeau fiddles while Montreal burns,” he wrote, alluding to the concert. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante spoke out against in the violence in a statement posted on X early Saturday. “The (outbreak of violence) during the demonstration yesterday is shocking and has no place in a peaceful metropolis like Montreal,” Plante wrote. “Neither chaos, nor violence nor vandalism towards merchants are tolerated and I thank (Montreal police) who made several arrests yesterday.” Plante’s comments echoed those made by interim opposition leader Aref Salem 11 hours earlier. “These intolerable acts have no purpose,” Salem wrote. “The silence of the Plante administration is resonating.” Late Friday afternoon, an initial group of protesters had gathered at Émilie-Gamelin Parc downtown before marching toward the Quartier des Spectacles, according to Manuel Couture, a spokesperson for the Montreal police. By 5:30 p.m., another group had converged at Place des Arts, and the two demonstrations merged. The protesters then marched down St-Urbain St. At 6:10 p.m., tensions escalated as demonstrators set an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on fire in the middle of the crowd. As the march continued, objects — including small explosive devices and metal items — were hurled into the street, targeting police officers. By 6:40 p.m., protesters had smashed shop windows near St-Urbain and René-Lévesque Blvd., and set two vehicles ablaze. Couture said police deployed chemical irritants and conducted crowd-dispersal manoeuvres to regain control. Three protesters were arrested for allegedly assaulting police officers and obstructing police work. Federal ministers condemned the violence carried out by rioters during a demonstration against NATO which took place on Friday in Montreal, denouncing in particular acts of anti-Semitism. The Montreal Police Service (SPVM) indicated it had arrested three people during the demonstration. Two men, age 22 and 28 respectively, and a 22-year-old woman were arrested for obstructing the work of police officers, said Véronique Dubuc, spokesperson for the SPVM. The woman will also be charged with assault. All were identified and released at the scene. They will eventually have to appear in court to answer the charges. Authorities reported vehicles were set on fire and windows were smashed. Smoke bombs were deployed and metal barriers were then thrown into the street in order to hinder the work of the police, added the SPVM. The organizers of the protest, Divest for Palestine and the Convergence of Anti-Capitalist Struggles, did not respond to an interview request. Speaking to reporters at the Halifax International Security Forum, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly and Defence Minister Bill Blair said the protesters’ actions were unacceptable.” Couture said the protesters had dispersed by 7 p.m. The protests come amid heightened tensions following Thursday’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Concordia University , where protesters flooded the Hall Building and clashed with pro-Israel counter-demonstrators outside. Quebec Premier François Legault and Public Security Minister François Bonnardel also issued harsh statements against Friday night’s violence. “The violent and hateful scenes we witnessed last night in the streets of Montreal, with attacks specifically targeting the Jewish community, are unacceptable. Burning cars and smashing windows is not sending a message, it is causing chaos. Such acts have no place in a peaceful society like Quebec,” Legault said. “This is not a way to express (opposition). We have to denounce these acts high and low,” Bonnardel wrote. Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly wrote on X: “Those who spread hate and antisemitism, use violence, loot and destroy property must be condemned and held accountable. Rioting is not peaceful protest and has no place in Montreal or anywhere in Canada.”

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos' usually stout defense has been rocked ever since losing second-year cornerback Riley Moss to an MCL injury against Las Vegas in Week 12. Without Moss there to capitalize on opponents shying away from star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos (9-6) have had to largely abandon their preferred man coverage in favor of zone strategies and the results haven't been pretty. They allowed 32 points to the Cleveland Browns when former teammate Jerry Jeudy caught nine passes for a career-best 235 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown. Only Jonathan Taylor's fumble at the goal line as he was about to score a 41-yard touchdown and give Indianapolis a 20-3 lead saved the Broncos in Week 15 and allowed Denver to seize momentum and get the victory. They couldn't stop Justin Herbert , who led the Los Angeles Chargers back from a double-digit third-quarter deficit for a 34-27 win last week that prevented the Broncos from ending their eight-year playoff drought. It also put more pressure on the Broncos to win Saturday at Cincinnati, where the Bengals (7-8) cling to hopes of catching the Broncos and deny Denver a wild-card berth. Moss has enjoyed a breakout season in Denver with 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception in 12 starts. He played in 14 games as a rotation player his rookie season after recovering from core muscle surgery that relegated him to special teams and spot duty in 2023. “We were and have been super excited" about the third-round pick out of Iowa, coach Sean Payton said. "Obviously, the guy that plays opposite of Patrick is going to get a lot of business. All throughout training camp, he really rose to the occasion, battled, competed and throughout really a good portion of the season. “He’s a big reason why we were playing so well defensively,” Payton added. "The sooner the better when we can get him back in the lineup. Hopefully it can happen this weekend.” In Moss' dozen starts, the Broncos allowed 16.8 points per game. Without him, they've been allowing 26.3 points a game. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase pose a bigger challenge to the Broncos than Jeudy and Jameis Wiston did for Cleveland or Herbert and Ladd McConkey did for the Chargers. Moss returned to practice last week and the Broncos will determine this week whether he's ready to return to the field or if it's better to keep him out until their season finale against Kansas City. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside of the knee that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone. It’s one of four major ligaments that stabilize the knee and allow it to rotate. It typically takes a month to recover from an MCL sprain and the Broncos had their bye week earlier this month, meaning Moss might only have to miss three games. If the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 in Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's last start, they'll likely need to have a healthy Moss opposite Surtain to have any realistic hopes of avoiding a one-and-done appearance. The Broncos got a scare when Surtain injured an ankle against Indianapolis two weeks ago and limped off the field in the closing minutes. However, he was a full-go at practice last week and had no issues against the Chargers. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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Pay first, deliver later: Some women are being asked to prepay for their babyMariam watches over her new born girl in the safety of her recently moved into rental home after a harrowing few years where she escaped an abusive ex-husband who beat her when she was previously pregnant and had a miscarriage. or signup to continue reading The 25-year-old Hazara Afghan woman grew up as a refugee in Pakistan and settled in Australia in 2016 as a teenager before getting married a few years later. But the relationship was marred by violence and turbulence. "When I was pregnant he started the violence again and he wanted me to have an abortion," she told AAP. She recounted how her ex-husband kicked her out of the house and she bounced around staying at her parents who were pressuring to get back with him, couch surfing with friends and even some nights sleeping in her car. "It was so hard, out of control, I didn't have any support, my relationship with my parents broke down. I was alone in this world." are a Shi'a minority in Afghanistan and have been long persecuted for their ethnicity and religion, which became even more extreme under the hardline Taliban who swept back into power in 2021 unseating the weak US-backed government after the 2001 invasion. Her ex-husband was also Hazara but he had threatened Mariam that he knew Taliban militants in Afghanistan who would kill her brother there if she did not abort the baby after she was 15 weeks pregnant. All the undue psychological pressure and physical beatings such as pushing her violently across the kitchen table took a toll on her body and she had a miscarriage in a Melbourne hospital, she said as she choked back tears. Mariam, who is providing a name she uses on social media in order not to be publicly identified for her safety, recently remarried with her husband visiting from Pakistan to be with her when she gave birth to a baby girl last month. With the help of the Melbourne-based charity Avalon Centre she was able to secure a two bedroom unit weeks ago in Dandenong, which has the highest number of homeless people of over 2300 in Victoria according to official figures. Deborah Holmes who heads the volunteer-run organisation says the grassroots provides stable furnished homes for vulnerable members of the community with ongoing casework support. "We've got a mission statement to help where we can, when we can, and in whatever way we can," she told AAP. "We're offering a hand up not a handout." The community organisation owns about 15 properties and relies entirely on donations from the public to pay off the loans. Ms Holmes said every dollar counts towards getting people off the streets and into new homes at a time when around the holidays. She and a team of volunteers worked around the clock to get the place ready for Mariam to move in with her baby earlier this month. "If that's just two cups of coffee a day and four friends then you can put a roof over somebody's head." RMIT Senior Lecturer Rojan Afrouz, who has conducted extensive research into , explains they contend with cultural barriers such as not being fluent in English as well as regressive community attitudes. "The main point that Afghan women raised was community pressure and shame and blame, and also that cultural and gender norms were stronger here (in Australia) than back in their own countries sometimes," she said. Dr Afrouz said even though domestic violence as a social phenomenon affects women of all backgrounds in Australia, it is doubly hard for refugees who carry multiple levels of trauma. "Afghan women face a lot of stigma and shame when they want to get a religious or civil divorce... sometimes it is more important than access to mainstream services. "This is because the main action that you need to do is making the decision whether you want to leave or not and the social consequences of that," the social work academic explained. She advocated for a woman-centred approach that is consultative in policymaking that ensures their agency is the prime objective. "We have to make sure that we put women's self determination experiences, not community self determination, at the forefront because sometimes minority women's voices are lost." This was Mariam's experience where she felt shunned from the tight-knit community by wanting to flee an abusive relationship. "My mental health was so bad... it was stressful and painful... everyone was blaming no matter what I said." She feels comfortable and safe in her new home with the ongoing support of her social worker and the Avalon Centre vowing to get back on her feet one day at a time. "Alhamdulillah (Thank God) everything is different now. I shut the door and feel safer than before," said Mariam. "My safety and my baby's safety is more important than anything... I don't want to lose everything again." 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Lifeline 13 11 14 Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date. We care about the protection of your data. Read our . Advertisement

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Tax evasion in sugar sector: FBR suspends 6 officials Technology installed as TTS and Hopper is meant to gauge real production of sugar and some other sectors This image released on March 3, 2022, shows the FBR building. — Facebook @Federal Board of Revenue/File ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has suspended its six officials in different parts of the country for their alleged involvement in tax evasion in the sugar sector. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); The Intelligence Bureau (IB) shared reports about these officials who were involved in facilitating certain sugar millers in evading taxes. After receiving reports from multiple avenues, the FBR suspended six officials. This was done after the board received compromised integrity reports from the IB and other sources, said the official. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) launched its operation against 10 sugar mills and identified five more throughout the country which were allegedly involved in selling sugar without passing through the Track and Trace System (TTS) and Hopper solutions. The technology installed as TTS and Hopper is meant to gauge the real production of sugar and some other sectors. But the FBR has found that certain sugar millers are involved in selling sugar without TTS stamps and passing through Hopper solutions. “We have taken action against ten sugar mills and halted their operations. Later, some of them resumed operation after paying the penalty amount,” a top official of FBR told The News here on Sunday. The official shared a video clip showing how the sugar packets are prepared without TTS and other technological solutions. For effective enforcement to plug leakages, the FBR has installed Track & Trace System (TTS) and Hopper Solution to gauge the real production of sugar mills across the country. The FBR had invoked Section 40-B of the Sales Tax Act and deputed around 300 officers on all sugar mills to monitor their production and curb billions of rupees tax evasion. The prime minister has approved powers to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to keep strict surveillance over FBR’s designated monitoring officers on sugar mills as sales tax evasion of Rs40 billion on an annual basis is feared. The FBR has devised a three-pronged strategy, including invoking 40-B of sales tax for deputing monitoring officers at sugar mills, effective placement of Track and Trace System (TTS) and assignment of officers for further monitoring of deputed officers. Out of the total production of 6.7 million tons of sugar, the sales tax collected at a rate of 18 percent should fetch an amount of Rs130 to Rs140 billion on an annual basis. However, the FBR’s collection stands at around Rs90 to Rs100 billion, so there is a tax gap of Rs30 to Rs40 billion at least. There is not much input involved except sugarcane and electricity, so there is no other way but to ensure proper monitoring of production for avoiding tax evasion. One official said that the Track and Trace System was installed at 80 sugar mills but the FBR fears there is a possibility of sugar bags coming out without TTS stamps. It’s hard to explain because if the bags are without stamps, they could be seized. But there are chances that fake TTS stamps might be affixed to deceive the tax machinery. So, it needs proper scrutiny and enforcement as well as stern actions against those involved in such practices.Aussie cricket fans captured in telling act after Yashasvi Jaiswal masterclass in first Test

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Image: AAP/Lukas Coch) When the federal government tries to pass a law like the teen social media ban, it has to publish some analysis that explains why it’s a good idea. The Office of Impact Analysis does what it says on the box: publish documents prepared by public servants that examine what the evidence says about the proposed policy. Politicians initiate this process, but it’s public servants who are tossed an idea and told to go find proof about how it will play out. Knowing this, it’s no surprise a reader of the teen social media ban bill’s impact analysis equivalent supplementary analysis can detect a palpable sense of exertion in the document, as if written by a student trying to squeeze out an extra few hundred words for an essay argument they don’t really believe in (or a professional public servant straining to justify a proposal that many experts consider unsupported by compelling evidence ). ‘Being rushed through’: Human rights commissioner sounds alarm on teen social media ban Read More The analysis starts by acknowledging, as critics of the bill do, that there is a lack of “correlative evidence of the harms of social media on young people”. Nevertheless, it covers a handful of other surveys and studies that illustrate the harms young Australians can experience on social media, while also paying lip service to its potential benefits. The analysis includes sweeping claims that are at the very least contested. For example: “introducing a minimum age for access to social media is likely to have a positive impact on all young people under the minimum age, but particularly for girls and transgender youth”. The document goes on to evaluate three policies: the status quo, banning children younger than 14 and then allowing them online with parental consent, or banning them until 16. This frames the discussion as a dichotomy: ban or no ban. (These limits are no fault of the author, as you don’t really get room to vamp in parliamentary impact policy analysis). But in the real world, we might ask: ban? No ban? No ban with a statutory duty of care? Or with just parental consent? The options are endless and the surface is barely scratched here. When it comes to the proof supporting the idea of banning children under 16, the report becomes particularly thin. It mentions children’s fears of “FOMO” and parents feeling “unsupported to make evidence-based choices about when their children should be on social media”. (Perhaps policymakers’ anxiety over evidence-based decision-making should be included too?) The research cited as part of this option comprises two documents: A study whose co-author told Crikey that its findings do not support the case for a teen social media ban. A section from the US surgeon general’s advisory on social media and youth mental health, which is based on the above study. In short, the government has provided what boils down to a single piece of research in support of the benefits of a teen social media ban. And it’s not a very good one, either. Emails reveal how Labor engineered event to support its own teen social media ban Read More There’s plenty more in the report, too, such as a “multi-criteria analysis” matrix that scores the policy on a numeral rating. The report scores the teen social media ban as having a net benefit of 0, calculated by balancing young people and parents’ +2 score by a score of -2 for all Australians and social media company. On the other hand, the status quo was given a -5 score. (How it was decided that the status quo for young Australians was rated a -3, the worst possible score, despite acknowledging its various benefits, is a question only the author and God can answer.) There’s also the estimate of how much it will cost to carry out the policy. The government’s back-of-the-napkin calculation is that it will take only 80 hours at each of the 100 different social media services, costing approximately $54 million across the economy. Particularly bizarre is the assumption that after the first year — presumably once the policy is in effect — “22,500 Australians, including people under the age of 16, will (attempt) to sign up for four social media accounts each year”, which is either a typo or a severe underestimation of many Australians are on the dang computer these days. But despite all this detail, the analysis is doomed to fail because the teen social media ban is a policy based on values, not on value. Despite all the qualifications and concerns, many parents are simply worried about their children and don’t like seeing them on their phone too much, lack of solid evidence be damned. It’s severely hamstrung by the fact that much of the ban’s execution will be left to the communications minister and eSafety commissioner, leaving no room for any meaningful analysis of how its implementation will work in practice. That’s an okay basis for a policy if you’re a politician who is accountable to the voters. But it sure does make life hard for the public servant who has to justify why. Have something to say about this article? Write to us at letters@crikey.com.au . Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say . We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a 32-27 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a 32-27 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? HOUSTON (AP) — Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a 32-27 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday. Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield. The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field. Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers. The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid. Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions as the AFC South-leading Texans lost for the third time in four games. Jimmie Ward had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks. But the offense sputtered for most of the game as Joe Mixon was held to 22 yards on 14 carries. Tennessee extended the lead to 23-17 on a 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk with nine minutes left in the third. Stroud threw his second interception with about 90 seconds left in the third quarter but Ward’s touchdown came three plays later to put the Texans on top 24-23. The Titans fumbled a punt early in the fourth quarter and Houston recovered it. A 54-yard field goal by Fairbairn extended the lead to 27-23 with about 10 minutes to go. Dameon Pierce returned the opening kickoff 80 yards to get the Texans in the red zone. Houston cashed in on the next play when Stroud found rookie Cade Stover on a 19-yard pass for his first touchdown reception. The Titans trailed by four after a field goal by Folk when Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got in front of the defense and was wide open for a 38-yard TD catch that made it 10-7 late in the first quarter. Tennessee extended the lead to 17-7 when Tony Pollard ran 10 yards for a touchdown with about 11 minutes left in the second. Pollard finished with 119 yards and a touchdown. Nico Collins scored on a 5-yard reception with about six minutes left in the second. Levis fumbled on the Houston 32 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first half and Houston recovered the ball. Stroud connected with Collins on a 56-yard pass on the next play, but the Texans couldn’t move the ball and settled for a 28-yard field goal to tie it at 17-17. Houston forced a punt after that, but rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. got his first career interception two plays later to give Tennessee the ball back. Folk’s 56-yard field goal, which tied his career long, put the Titans up 20-17 at halftime. Injuries The Titans were without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, after he was placed on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury, and safety Amani Hooker, who was added to the injury report Sunday morning with an illness. Hooker leads the Titans with three interceptions. ... Houston S Jalen Pitre injured his shoulder in the second quarter and didn’t return. ... CB Ka’dar Hollman left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Up next Titans: Visit the Commanders next Sunday. Texans: Visit Jacksonville next Sunday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Advertisement Advertisement

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GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of LENZ Therapeutics, Inc. ( NASDAQ:LENZ – Free Report ) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 10,357 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $246,000. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. RA Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of LENZ Therapeutics during the first quarter worth $93,313,000. Vanguard Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of LENZ Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at about $4,621,000. Ikarian Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of LENZ Therapeutics during the first quarter worth about $1,898,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of LENZ Therapeutics during the second quarter worth about $1,437,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in LENZ Therapeutics by 28.4% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 60,166 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,040,000 after buying an additional 13,300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 54.32% of the company’s stock. LENZ Therapeutics Stock Performance Shares of LENZ opened at $35.50 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $27.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $22.54. LENZ Therapeutics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $14.42 and a 1-year high of $38.93. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. William Blair raised shares of LENZ Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 30th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of LENZ Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $38.00 price target on shares of LENZ Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Raymond James began coverage on shares of LENZ Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, September 27th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $37.00 price objective for the company. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $35.40. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on LENZ Therapeutics LENZ Therapeutics Profile ( Free Report ) LENZ Therapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing therapies to improve vision in the United States. Its product candidates include LNZ100 and LNZ101 which are in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of presbyopia. The company is headquartered in Del Mar, California. Read More Five stocks we like better than LENZ Therapeutics Retail Stocks Investing, Explained Vertiv’s Cool Tech Makes Its Stock Red-Hot What is a support level? MarketBeat Week in Review – 11/18 – 11/22 How to Calculate Stock Profit 2 Finance Stocks With Competitive Advantages You Can’t Ignore Receive News & Ratings for LENZ Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LENZ Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Washington Capitals (13-6-1, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Florida Panthers (12-8-1, in the Atlantic Division) Sunrise, Florida; Monday, 7 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: The Florida Panthers take on the Washington Capitals as losers of three straight games. Florida is 12-8-1 overall and 6-4-1 at home. The Panthers are fourth in league play serving 10.2 penalty minutes per game. Washington has a 13-6-1 record overall and a 6-2-0 record on the road. The Capitals have a +26 scoring differential, with 81 total goals scored and 55 allowed. Monday's game is the first meeting between these teams this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Aleksander Barkov Jr. has four goals and 15 assists for the Panthers. Uvis Balinskis has over the last 10 games. Connor McMichael has 13 goals and seven assists for the Capitals. Ivan Miroshnichenko has over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 5-5-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.7 assists, 4.7 penalties and 12.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game. Capitals: 5-4-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.1 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game. INJURIES: Panthers: None listed. Capitals: None listed. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar . The Associated PressDuring the presidential campaign, Donald Trump pitched an idea to quickly reduce the number of tents on the nation’s streets: Offer up other places for people to camp. He’d start with a big plot of land. Then his team would hire social workers, psychiatrists and other medical staff which together could “create tent cities where the homeless can be relocated,” he said last year in a video . Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest news, sports, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.

The Sindh and Punjab governments joined hands to further enhance collaboration for strengthening social security measures aimed at improving the quality of life of the citizens. The agreement in this regard was expressed, in a meeting between Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Sindh on Social Security, Sarfaraz Rajar and Vice Chairperson Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) Jahan Ara Manzoor Wattoo, said a statement issued on Monday. The SACM Sarfaraz Rajar said, “We are going to collaborate for improving social protection measures in both the provinces with establishment of an inter-provincial social protection forum on social protection.” The SACM on Social Security reiterated the commitment to ensure the welfare of the disadvantaged sections and said that the joint efforts are aimed at improving social protection services and exchanging best practices and skills. The Vice Chairperson PSPA said that the partnership aims to provide social security to the underprivileged segments of society. He said that the establishment of the Inter-Provincial Social Security Forum was the beginning of joint initiatives for the backward classes, she acclaimed and hoped that participation of all provinces in the forum would expand social protection services. Sarfaraz Rajar informed that the Sindh government’s “Mamata program” is benefiting 1.3 million mothers and children across 15 districts of the province while another comprehensive measure, “Benazir Agriculture Worker Program”, is being introduced by the Social Security Department to provide social security to women associated with the agriculture sector while work is also being done on the “Bhook Mitao Program”, an initiative to combat malnutrition. Jahan Ara Wattoo appreciated Sindh’s social security initiatives and said that several social protection projects are underway in Punjab for public welfare and governments of both the provinces should work together to formulate a joint action plan for social security. The PSPA Vice Chair offered to provide completely free treatment to acid attack survivors of Sindh in seven burn units of Punjab under the “Nai Zindagi” Program. She said that the secret of the success of social protection lies in provision of all inclusive services to human and the Authority is at the forefront in serving the disadvantaged classes without any discrimination.2025 LDV Terron 9: Australian testing underway for bigger, bolder Ranger rival

City of Prince George and Humane Society Join forcesOne week into a new Syria, rebels aim for normalcy and Syrians vow not to be silent again DAMASCUS (AP) — A transformation has started to take place in the week since the unexpected overthrow of Syria’s President Bashar Assad. Suddenly in charge, the rebels have been met with a mix of excitement, grief and hope. And so far the transition has been surprisingly smooth. Reports of reprisals, revenge killings and sectarian violence are minimal, looting and destruction has been quickly contained. But there are a million ways it could go wrong. Syria is broken and isolated after five decades of Assad family rule. Families have been torn apart by war, former prisoners are traumatized, and tens of thousands of detainees remain missing. The economy is wrecked, poverty is widespread, inflation and unemployment are high. Corruption seeps through daily life. Christians in Syria mark country's transformation with tears as UN envoy urges an end to sanctions DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — In churches across long-stifled Syria, Christians have marked the first Sunday services since Bashar Assad’s ouster in an air of transformation. Some were in tears, others clasped their hands in prayer. The U.N. envoy for Syria is calling for a quick end to Western sanctions as the country’s new leaders and regional and global powers discuss the way forward. The Syrian government has been under sanctions by the United States, the European Union and others for years as a result of Assad’s brutal response to what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011 and spiraled into civil war. Israel will close its Ireland embassy over Gaza tensions as Palestinian death toll nears 45,000 DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel says it will close its embassy in Ireland as relations deteriorate over the war in Gaza, where Palestinian medical officials say new Israeli airstrikes have killed over 30 people including children. Israel's decision to close the embassy came in response to what Israel’s foreign minister has described as Ireland's “extreme anti-Israel policies.” Ireland earlier announced that it would recognize a Palestinian state. And the Irish cabinet last week decided to formally intervene in South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, which accuses Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The Palestinian death toll in the war is approaching 45,000. The GOP stoked fears of noncitizens voting. Cases in Ohio show how rhetoric and reality diverge AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's Republican secretary of state and attorney general sought to reassure voters before the November election that the state's elections were being vigorously protected against the possibility of immigrants voting illegally. That push coincided with a national Republican messaging strategy warning that potentially thousands of ineligible voters would be voting. The officials' efforts in Ohio led to charges against just six noncitizens in a state with 8 million registered voters. That outcome and the stories of some of those now facing charges show the gap both in Ohio and across the United States between the rhetoric about noncitizen voting and the reality that it's rare and not part of a coordinated scheme to throw elections. South Korean leaders seek calm after Yoon is impeached SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition leader has offered to work with the government to ease the political tumult, a day after the opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol over a short-lived attempt to impose martial law. Liberal Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, whose party holds a majority in the National Assembly, urged the Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on Yoon’s impeachment and proposed a special council for policy cooperation between the government and parliament. Yoon’s powers have been suspended until the court decides whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. If Yoon is dismissed, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days. Storms across US bring heavy snow, dangerous ice and a tornado in California OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Inclement weather has plagued areas of the U.S. in the first half of the weekend, with dangerous conditions including heavy snow, a major ice storm and unusual tornado activity. An ice storm beginning Friday created treacherous driving conditions across Iowa and eastern Nebraska. More than 33 inches of snow was reported near Orchard Park, New York, which is often a landing point for lake-effect snow. On Saturday, a tornado touched down in Scotts Valley, California, causing damage and several injuries. In San Francisco, a storm damaged trees and roofs and prompted a tornado warning, which was a first for a city that has not experienced a tornado since 2005. Small businesses say cautious shoppers are seeking 'cozy' and 'festive' this holiday season With a late Thanksgiving, the holiday shopping season is five days shorter than last year, and owners of small retail shops say that people have been quick to snap up holiday décor early, along with gifts for others and themselves. Cozy items like sweaters are popular so far. Businesses are also holding special events to get shoppers in the door. But there’s little sense of the freewheeling spending that occurred during the pandemic. Overall, The National Retail Federation predicts retail sales in November and December will rise between 2.5% and 3.5% compared with same period a year ago. US agencies should use advanced technology to identify mysterious drones, Schumer says After weeks of fear and bewilderment about the drones buzzing over parts of New York and New Jersey, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is urging the federal government to deploy better drone-tracking technology to identify and ultimately stop the airborne pests. The New York Democrat is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy advanced technology to identify and track drones back to their landing spots. That is according to briefings from his office. Federal authorities have said that the drones do not appear to be linked to foreign governments. West Africa regional bloc approves exit timeline for 3 coup-hit member states ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS has approved an exit timeline for three coup-hit nations. It comes after a nearly yearlong process of mediation to avert the unprecedented disintegration of the grouping. The president of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said in a statement: “The authority decides to set the period from 29 January, 2025 to 29 July 2025 as a transitional period and to keep ECOWAS doors open to the three countries during the transition period." In a first in the 15-nation bloc’s nearly 50 years of existence, the military juntas of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced in January that they decided to leave ECOWAS. Pope Francis makes 1st papal visit to France's Corsica awash in expressions of popular piety AJACCIO, Corsica (AP) — Pope Francis on the first papal visit ever to the French island of Corsica on Sunday called for a dynamic form of laicism, promoting the kind of popular piety that distinguishes the Mediterranean island from secular France as a bridge between religious and civic society. The one-day visit to Corsica’s capital Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon, on Sunday is one of the briefest of his papacy beyond Italy’s borders, just about nine hours on the ground, including a 40-minute visit with French President Emmanuel Macron. It is the first papal visit ever to the island, which Genoa ceded to France in 1768 and is located closer to the Italian mainland than France.

KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Certara, Inc. ( NASDAQ:CERT – Free Report ) by 48.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,873 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,584 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Certara were worth $57,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of CERT. Geneva Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Certara by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 5,510,209 shares of the company’s stock worth $64,525,000 after acquiring an additional 37,392 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Certara by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,079,023 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,643,000 after purchasing an additional 273,095 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in shares of Certara by 9.8% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,773,892 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,418,000 after acquiring an additional 248,448 shares in the last quarter. Daventry Group LP increased its stake in shares of Certara by 153.0% in the second quarter. Daventry Group LP now owns 1,308,572 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,124,000 after buying an additional 791,405 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in shares of Certara by 39.5% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 997,871 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,821,000 after purchasing an additional 282,357 shares in the last quarter. 73.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Certara Stock Up 6.0 % Shares of CERT opened at $10.36 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.67 billion, a P/E ratio of -51.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.94 and a beta of 1.51. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $10.79 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 2.86 and a current ratio of 2.86. Certara, Inc. has a 52 week low of $9.41 and a 52 week high of $19.87. Insider Transactions at Certara In other news, insider Leif E. Pedersen sold 51,224 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.29, for a total transaction of $578,318.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 99,704 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,125,658.16. This represents a 33.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, insider Patrick F. Smith sold 5,409 shares of Certara stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.03, for a total value of $59,661.27. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 50,091 shares in the company, valued at $552,503.73. The trade was a 9.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 2.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group raised Certara from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $16.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, September 27th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Certara from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Certara from $18.00 to $13.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.92. Get Our Latest Report on Certara Certara Company Profile ( Free Report ) Certara, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides software products and technology-enabled services to customers for biosimulation in drug discovery, preclinical and clinical research, regulatory submissions, and market access in the United States and internationally. It offers solutions for model-informed drug development, as well as biosimulation solution used to predict both pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. See Also Five stocks we like better than Certara What is the NASDAQ Stock Exchange? Vertiv’s Cool Tech Makes Its Stock Red-Hot Which Wall Street Analysts are the Most Accurate? MarketBeat Week in Review – 11/18 – 11/22 The 3 Best Blue-Chip Stocks to Buy Now 2 Finance Stocks With Competitive Advantages You Can’t Ignore Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CERT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Certara, Inc. ( NASDAQ:CERT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Certara Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Certara and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Andrej Stojakovic made 11 free throws to help craft a team-high 20 points, freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson had his second consecutive big game off the bench and Cal ran its winning streak to three with an 83-77 nonconference victory over Sacramento State on Sunday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif. Wilkinson finished with 16 points and Rytis Petraitis 13 for the Golden Bears (5-1), whose only loss this season was at Vanderbilt. Jacob Holt went for a season-high 25 points for the Hornets (1-4), who dropped their fourth straight after a season-opening win over Cal State Maritime. Seeking a fourth straight home win, Cal led by as many as 12 points in the first half and 40-33 at halftime before Sacramento State rallied. The Hornets used a 14-5 burst out of the gate following the intermission to grab a 47-45 lead. Julian Vaughns had a 3-pointer and three-point play in the run. But Cal dominated pretty much the rest of the game, taking the lead for good on a Petraitis 3-pointer with 14:50 remaining. Stojakovic, a transfer from rival Stanford, went 11-for-15 at the foul line en route to his third 20-point game of the young season. Cal outscored Sacramento State 26-17 on free throws to more than account for the margin of victory. Coming off a 23-point explosion in his first extended action of the season, Wilkinson hit five of his 10 shots Sunday. The Golden Bears outshot the Hornets 47.2 percent to 43.1 percent. Joshua Ola-Joseph contributed 10 points and six rebounds, Mady Sissoko also had 10 points and Petraitis found time for a team-high five assists. Holt complemented his 25 points with a game-high eight rebounds. He made four 3-pointers, as did Vaughns en route to 18 points, helping Sacramento State outscore Cal 30-21 from beyond the arc. EJ Neal added 16 points for the Hornets, while Emil Skytta tied for game-high assist honors with five to go with seven points. --Field Level MediaMedical and beauty, cloud services and cybersecurity services have been listed among the leading sunrise industries in 2025, according to the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC). Thanavath Phonvichai, president of the UTCC, revealed the "Top 10 Rising and Declining Businesses" ranking for 2025. These projections stem from an economic outlook for Thailand next year, which anticipates a growth rate of around 3% in 2025. Key drivers include the tourism recovery, investments by global tech giants, Thailand's partnership with Brics and the government's stimulus policies. However, challenges persist such as prolonged geopolitical conflicts, high household debt, US policy direction under the new administration and uncertainty concerning natural disasters. The report highlights that medical and beauty businesses are leading the way thanks to the government's visa-free policy and the booming medical tourism market that attracts large numbers of foreign visitors. Additionally, an aged population and Thailand's ambition to establish itself as a regional healthcare hub are driving this sector's success. Cloud services are also on the rise, driven by the ongoing expansion of Thailand's digital economy, a surge in online transactions and the emergence of AI and Internet of Things technologies. At the same time, the increasing threat of cyber-attacks is heightening demand for cybersecurity services as organisations strive to protect sensitive information. The following sector is related to social media, online entertainment and influencers, as consumers integrate the internet into their daily routines for work, shopping and leisure. E-commerce, soft power initiatives such as popular Thai series and films, advertising and online media are ranked third, driven by supportive government policies and evolving consumer habits favouring online platforms. Event management, comprising concerts, trade shows and entertainment related to alcoholic beverages, takes fourth spot. Spirituality-related businesses such as amulets and services such as quick loans and pawn shops are ranked fifth. As economic and social uncertainties loom, people increasingly seek spiritual solutions, while services addressing living costs and stringent bank lending conditions are gaining traction.MELBOURNE, Australia — An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee Monday that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament this week. Sunita Bose, managing director of Digital Industry Group Inc., an advocate for the digital industry in Australia including X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, was answering questions at a single-day Senate committee hearing into world-first legislation that was introduced into the Parliament last week. Bose said the Parliament should wait until the government-commissioned evaluation of age assurance technologies is completed in June. “Parliament is asked to pass a bill this week without knowing how it will work,” Bose said. The legislation would impose fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) on platforms for systemic failures to prevent young children from holding accounts. Get the latest breaking news as it happens. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . It seems likely to be passed by Parliament by Thursday with the support of the major parties. It would take effect a year after the bill becomes law, allowing the platforms time to work out technological solutions that would also protect users’ privacy. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said she looked forward to reading the Senate committee's assessment of the proposed law, which “supports parents to say ‘no’” to children wanting to use social media. “Social media in its current form is not a safe product for them,” Rowland told Parliament. “Access to social media does not have to be the defining feature of growing up. There is more to life than constant notifications, endless scrolling and pressure to conform to the false and unrealistic perfectionism that can be served up by influencers,” she added. Bose received heated questions from several senators and challenges to the accuracy of her answers. Opposition Sen. Ross Cadell asked how his 10-year-old stepson was able to hold Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube accounts from the age of 8, despite the platforms setting a nominal age limit of 13. Bose replied that “this is an area where the industry needs to improve.” She said the proposed social media ban risked isolating some children and driving children to “darker, less safe online spaces” than mainstream platforms. Bose said her concern with the proposed law was that “this could compromise the safety of young people,” prompting a hostile response from opposition Sen. Sarah Henderson. “That’s an outrageous statement. You’re trying to protect the big tech giants,” Henderson said. Unaligned Sen. Jacqui Lambie asked why the platforms didn’t use their algorithms to prevent harmful material being directed to children. The algorithms have been accused of keeping technology-addicted children connected to platforms and of flooding users with harmful material that promotes suicide and eating disorders. “Your platforms have the ability to do that. The only thing that’s stopping them is themselves and their greed,” Lambie said. Bose said algorithms were already in place to protect young people online through functions including filtering out nudity. “We need to see continued investment in algorithms and ensuring that they do a better job at addressing harmful content,” Bose said. Questioned by opposition Sen. Dave Sharma, Bose said she didn’t know how much advertising revenue the platforms she represented made from Australian children. She said she was not familiar with research by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that found X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat made $11 billion in advertising from U.S. users under 18 in 2022. Communications department official Sarah Vandenbroek told the committee the evaluation of age assurance technologies that will report in June would assess not only their accuracy but also their security and privacy settings. Department Deputy Secretary James Chisholm said officials had consulted widely before proposing the age limit. “We think it’s a good idea and it can be done,” Chisholm told the committee.

Levis throws 2 TD passes to help Titans outlast Texans 32-27

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma appears to have borrowed from the past to cure its recent offensive ills. The Sooners , best known this century for a passing prowess that has produced four Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, took it back to the 20th century against then-No. 7 Alabama. Oklahoma ran 50 times for 257 yards while only throwing 12 times in a 24-3 win over the Crimson Tide that took coach Brent Venables off the hot seat. The Sooners more resembled Barry Switzer’s squads that dominated the old Big 8 with the wishbone offense in the 1970s and ’80s than the more recent Air Raid teams. Venables said the change was a matter of necessity for a unit that has been besieged by injuries at receiver and offensive line. “I think this staff has done a really good job with trying to figure that out, get better every week, put together a great gameplan but also figure out, ‘OK, what does this group of guys, what does this team — what do we need to do?'” Venables said. To make it work, Oklahoma needed to trust that such a change would work in the modern Southeastern Conference. They had to implement it with an interim play-caller in Joe Jon Finley, who stepped in after the Sooners fired Seth Littrell last month. Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) pulled it off, and LSU coach Brian Kelly has taken notice ahead of their game on Saturday. “This is now much more about controlling the football, running the football, playing with physicality," Kelly said. "They've got perimeter skill, but I think it's centered around much more of a run-centric, quarterback run and take care of the football." The Sooners started to see success on the ground against Maine. They ran 52 times for 381 yards in a 59-14 win that got the wheels turning. Jovantae Barnes ran for career highs of 203 yards and three touchdowns that day. Venables said the timing of the opportunity to play that non-conference game against Maine in early November and figure some things out was perfect. “Everybody has some degree of vulnerability and maybe some self-doubt,” he said. “And just developing some confidence and putting something on tape other than practice, like, ‘Man, look, see what you’re capable of?’ And executing against, again, a well-coached team — certainly, we played off of that in all the right ways like you would expect us to. And so there’s a real place for that.” After a bye week, the Sooners tried the same approach against Missouri. It wasn't as successful — they ran 36 times for 122 yards — but they hung tough before losing 30-23 . The Sooners went all in against Alabama. Jackson Arnold — the same guy who threw 45 times in the Alamo Bowl last year, ran 25 times for 131 yards and threw just 11 passes. The Sooners found something in running back Xavier Robinson. With Barnes out with an injury, Robinson carried 18 times for career highs of 107 yards and two touchdowns. Suddenly, a team that had been forcing the pass and getting sacked at an alarming rate was moving the line of scrimmage and controlling the tempo. Oklahoma had the ball for more than 34 minutes against the Crimson Tide, lending support to a talented defense that had been spending way too much time on the field. The new approach could be helpful on Saturday — LSU (7-4, 4-3) ranks 14th out of 16 conference teams against the run. Venables said the Sooners still need to throw the ball well to win, but he's glad to know his squad can run with force when necessary. “I think that’s the art of having a system that’s adjustable, flexible, adaptable, week in and week out, but also has an identity — toughness, physicality," he said. "You’ve got to be able to run the ball at every level of football, but you do have to throw it. You can’t just do one thing. But we need to be efficient.” 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-footballSuchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” said a statement from OpenAI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said “appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation.” The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide. His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a “happy, smart and brave young man” who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends. Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT. “Suchir’s contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn’t have succeeded without him,” said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what made him such an exceptional engineer and scientist was his attention to detail and ability to notice subtle bugs or logical errors. “He had a knack for finding simple solutions and writing elegant code that worked,” Schulman wrote. “He’d think through the details of things carefully and rigorously.” Balaji later shifted to organizing the huge datasets of online writings and other media used to train GPT-4, the fourth generation of OpenAI's flagship large language model and a basis for the company's famous chatbot. It was that work that eventually caused Balaji to question the technology he helped build, especially after newspapers, novelists and others began suing OpenAI and other AI companies for copyright infringement. He first raised his concerns with The New York Times, which reported them in an October profile of Balaji . He later told The Associated Press he would “try to testify” in the strongest copyright infringement cases and considered a lawsuit brought by The New York Times last year to be the “most serious.” Times lawyers named him in a Nov. 18 court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting allegations of OpenAI's willful copyright infringement. His records were also sought by lawyers in a separate case brought by book authors including the comedian Sarah Silverman, according to a court filing. “It doesn’t feel right to be training on people’s data and then competing with them in the marketplace,” Balaji told the AP in late October. “I don’t think you should be able to do that. I don’t think you are able to do that legally.” He told the AP that he gradually grew more disillusioned with OpenAI, especially after the internal turmoil that led its board of directors to fire and then rehire CEO Sam Altman last year. Balaji said he was broadly concerned about how its commercial products were rolling out, including their propensity for spouting false information known as hallucinations. But of the “bag of issues” he was concerned about, he said he was focusing on copyright as the one it was “actually possible to do something about.” He acknowledged that it was an unpopular opinion within the AI research community, which is accustomed to pulling data from the internet, but said “they will have to change and it’s a matter of time.” He had not been deposed and it’s unclear to what extent his revelations will be admitted as evidence in any legal cases after his death. He also published a personal blog post with his opinions about the topic. Schulman, who resigned from OpenAI in August, said he and Balaji coincidentally left on the same day and celebrated with fellow colleagues that night with dinner and drinks at a San Francisco bar. Another of Balaji’s mentors, co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, had left OpenAI several months earlier , which Balaji saw as another impetus to leave. Schulman said Balaji had told him earlier this year of his plans to leave OpenAI and that Balaji didn't think that better-than-human AI known as artificial general intelligence “was right around the corner, like the rest of the company seemed to believe.” The younger engineer expressed interest in getting a doctorate and exploring “some more off-the-beaten path ideas about how to build intelligence,” Schulman said. Balaji's family said a memorial is being planned for later this month at the India Community Center in Milpitas, California, not far from his hometown of Cupertino. —————- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. —————-- The Associated Press and OpenAI have a licensing and technology agreement allowing OpenAI access to part of the AP’s text archives.slot machine real money 。

Doda, Dec 21: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, MoS PMO, Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that the prestigious Chhatergala tunnel connecting Doda and Bhaderwah with Lakhanpur via Basohli-Bani would be a game changer in providing all-weather connectivity to the region while boosting employment opportunities for the local youth. Speaking during the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee Meeting (DISHA) held here today, the minister said that the region which had remained untouched by development for the past many decades was now connected by a wide web of highways, improving connectivity in far-flung areas of Doda. He called for the early completion of important projects, including the Khellani tunnel and Goha-Marmat Highway to further boost connectivity in the Chenab Valley. He asked the concerned authorities to accelerate the execution of these projects for timely completion, without lapsing any funds. The minister instructed the officials to prioritise public participation in developmental initiatives in line with the spirit of Jan Bhagidari for their effective implementation. Reaffirming the government’s commitment towards ensuring the district’s holistic development, Singh stressed the importance of implementing local benefit schemes like Ayushman Bharat and drug-free initiatives. He called for conductive regular awareness campaigns to educate the public. The minister also encouraged the officials to organise skill development programs to create job opportunities for unemployed youth besides intensifying sports activities in the district. He proposed organising another lavender festival in the district next year to promote its cultivation besides highlighting the tourism potential of picturesque Bhaderwah, which has gained wide recognition as a prominent tourist destination. Singh also called for organising workshops to enhance innovation strategies and improve the district’s agricultural practices. While chairing the DISHA held in Kishtwar with the entire district administration, Singh called for expediting the speed of ongoing hydel power projects. He said that these plants would generate an estimated capacity of 8000 MW, enabling J&K emerge as the biggest power hub of North India. The minister called upon the National Hydro Power Corporation Limited (NHPCL) to undertake capacity building of local unskilled labour to increase their employability for projects requiring specific skills and specialised training. Reviewing the status of projects aimed at boosting connectivity in the district, he called for expediting the construction of a full-fledged airstrip in the district under Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN). Reviewing the status of works under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMSY) and Jal Jeevan Mission, Singh urged that the concerned departments, including R&B, need to work in close coordination with the public representatives for speedy and better execution of projects. Calling for bridging the communication gap, he said that the district administration must follow a Standard Operating Procedure for sharing information with the PRIs during field visits conducted by officials. The minister said that inputs of PRI representatives should be taken by the officials for effective implementation of the works. Noting the negative impact of some of infrastructure projects on the health of common citizens due to pollution and land degradation, he instructed for putting in place an arrangement for carrying out a dynamic exercise as regards environment clearance granted for these projects. Singh said that it must also be ensured that the best practices are adopted for the protection of the environment and public health. Expressing concern over some public servants, such as doctors and teachers, quitting their jobs without following due procedure, he said that a uniform policy needs to be firmed up under which if these civil servants, relinquish their posts, they must be made to provide hefty compensation to the government for putting citizens to inconvenience. The minister underlined that the proposed policy is the need of the hour to avert a crisis across departments emanating from a dearth of staff in future. He directed the district administration to organise mass awareness camps highlighting the benefits of lavender, Ayushman Bharat scheme and PM Surya Ghar Mutt Bijli Yojana. Singh called for promoting Sansad Khelkud Spardha to develop sporting talent among the local youth and also pitched for branding of local products, such as cumin seeds and saffron. He informed that a saffron park will come up in Kishtwar soon. He also called for further exploration of the world’s finest sapphire discovered in the mines of the Paddar area in the district for the generation of additional revenue and the creation of more employment opportunities for the local youth.Goldman Sachs Expects Major Selloffs In Canadian Dollar, Mexican Peso, Says Trump Tariffs Threaten USMCA Agreement

First trans US congresswoman already in Republican crosshairs

The scope for collaboration between India, the world’s third largest energy consumer, and Kuwait, which holds 6.5% of global oil reserves, is immense and the two sides are set to transform their traditional buyer-seller relationship into a strategic partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. India’s rapidly growing petrochemical industry, which will be worth $300 billion by 2025, and Kuwait’s “Petrochemical Vision” under its Strategy 2040 can open the doors for joint investment, technology exchange and mutual growth, Modi said in an interview with state-run KUNA news agency as he began a two-day visit to the West Asian state. Kuwait is India’s sixth largest crude supplier and fourth largest LPG supplier, meeting 3% of the country’s energy needs, while investments by the Kuwait Investment Authority in India exceed $10 billion. India is among Kuwait’s top trading partners and two-way trade was worth $10.47 billion during 2023-24. Modi said energy is an important pillar of bilateral ties and it reflects the deep trust and mutual benefit underpinning the partnership between the two sides. “Indian companies actively engage in importing crude oil, LPG and petroleum products from Kuwait, while also exporting petroleum products to Kuwait,” he said. “As India emerges as the world’s third largest energy, oil and LPG consumer, and Kuwait holds around 6.5% of global oil reserves, the scope for further collaboration is immense,” he added. In addition to conventional hydrocarbons trade, there are new areas for cooperation such as an entire value chain of oil and gas, joint efforts in low-carbon solutions such as green hydrogen, biofuels and carbon capture technologies. Modi also referred to the bilateral energy partnership as a driver of diversified and sustainable growth and energy security. “Trade and commerce have been important pillars of our bilateral relationship. Our bilateral trade has been on an upswing. Our energy partnership adds a unique value to our bilateral trade,” Modi said. “We are happy to see ‘Made in India’ products, particularly in automobile, electrical and mechanical machinery and telecom segments making new inroads in Kuwait... Diversification to non-oil trade is key to achieving greater bilateral trade,” he added. There is potential to expand cooperation in the pharmaceutical, health, technology, digitalisation, innovation and textile sectors. Modi, who is set to hold talks with the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, on Sunday, said: “Overall, bilateral ties are progressing well and...scaling new heights. I eagerly look forward to my talks with...the Amir to elevate our ties in various areas, including defence, trade, investment and energy.” He said India’s economic growth and pace of infrastructure development creates opportunities for investment across a range of areas, including expressways, railways, airports, ports, energy grids and digital connectivity. “Our political stability, policy predictability and reform-oriented business approach has made India a magnet for global investment, manufacturing and supply chains. The Indian growth story is attracting global manufacturers – from semiconductors, aircraft, drones to e-vehicles -- to set up shop in the country,” he said. At the same time, Modi pointed out, the “Kuwait Vision 2035” is focused on transforming the country by making it an economic and connectivity hub. He said there is synergy in the visions of both sides and the pace of economic activity in both countries opens up opportunities for the two governments and companies to collaborate. Modi thanked the Amir of Kuwait for looking after the welfare of the one million-strong Indian community, the largest expatriate group that includes doctors, businessmen, construction workers, engineers and nurses. “As we elevate the level of our relationship with Kuwait to a strategic partnership, I believe the role of the Indian community will only grow in importance,” he added. Modi also spoke on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine and emphasised that solutions cannot be found on the battlefield. He underlined the importance of “sincere and practical engagement between stakeholders for bridging differences and achieving negotiated settlements”. He expressed willingness to support earnest efforts that can lead to the early restoration of peace, especially in Gaza and Ukraine. He reiterated India’s support for a negotiated two-state solution for the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine within secure and recognised borders.JMU_Y.Knight 6 pass from Barnett (Ruelas kick), 11:02. JMU_Phifer 37 pass from Barnett (Ruelas kick), 14:08. APP_FG Hughes 22, 12:19. APP_E.Wilson 4 pass from Aguilar (Moore kick), 7:31. JMU_FG Ruelas 45, 2:49. APP_Jackson 64 pass from Aguilar (Moore kick), 1:20. APP_Hetzel 61 punt return (Moore kick), :31. JMU_FG Ruelas 51, 7:46. APP_Marshall 1 run (Moore kick), 1:53. APP_FG Moore 40, 10:30. RUSHING_James Madison, Pettaway 13-83, W.Knight 12-60, Barnett 13-27, Malary 1-2. Appalachian St., Marshall 24-107, Haywood 3-19, Castle 3-18, Aguilar 5-4, (Team) 2-(minus 2). PASSING_James Madison, Barnett 20-35-1-223. Appalachian St., Aguilar 12-24-0-216. RECEIVING_James Madison, Y.Knight 5-60, Dollison 4-49, Pettaway 4-28, Ross 2-28, Phifer 1-37, Kyle 1-7, W.Knight 1-5, Malary 1-5, Thompson 1-4. Appalachian St., Jackson 5-162, E.Wilson 4-32, Hetzel 1-10, Larkins 1-6, Stroman 1-6. MISSED FIELD GOALS_None.

Trump’s controversial designees questioned on Capitol HillJeeno Thitikul makes late charge to catch Angel Yin in the LPGA finale

In her new book, “We Will Rest! The Art of Escape,” the author and academic says you too can flee the toxic grind culture.

Jarrod Bowen held Antonio’s number nine shirt aloft after scoring the winner in support of the Hammers striker, who is recovering after a horror car crash on Saturday. Boss Julen Lopetegui said: “He is not in his best moment but he kept his humour. It was a special moment for us. “I think we have a lot of reason to win matches but this was one reason more. He’s alive so we are happy.” West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9′ shirts while warming up and walking out before kick-off. The shirts will be signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off with the proceeds going to the NHS and Air Ambulances UK. Tomas Soucek headed West Ham into the lead and held up nine fingers to a TV camera. The Czech midfielder told Sky Sports: “He’s been here since I came here. He is really my favourite. I said it would be tough for me to play without him. “I was so scared what was going to happen. It was a really tough week for him, his family and us.” Matt Doherty equalised for Wolves, and boss Gary O’Neil felt they should have had two penalties for fouls on Goncalo Guedes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, both of which were checked by VAR. But Bowen’s winner – O’Neil believed there was a foul in the build-up – condemned Wolves to a 10th defeat of the season and a third in a row. While under-pressure Lopetegui may have earned a stay of execution, O’Neil’s future as Wolves manager is now in serious doubt. “A lot of things went against us but ultimately we have not found a way to turn the game in our favour,” he said. “But the players showed they are still fighting for me, for the fans and the group. “Where does this leave me? In the same place I was. I’m aware of the noise. But if anyone expected this to be easy – I’m happy to be judged on results but it should be done in context. “Whenever this journey ends with Wolves I’ll be proud of it.” There was an acrimonious end to the match as captains Bowen and Mario Lemina scuffled after the final whistle, with the Wolves midfielder angrily shoving people including one of his own coaches, Shaun Derry. “I just went to shake his hand after the game,” Bowen said. “He didn’t want to shake my hand, two captains together just to say ‘well done’ after the game. “I know it’s difficult when you lose. I’ve been on the end of that situation.” O’Neil added: “Mario is calm now. He’s a passionate guy and something was said that upset him. “The instinct of the staff was to make sure he didn’t get into trouble, but he took some calming down.”Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Robert Lewandowski converted a first-half penalty kick to become the third player to score 100 goals or more in the Champions League, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Lewandowski calmly sent a low shot into the net from the spot in the 10th minute to give Barcelona a 1-0 lead against Brest. He scored his 101st goal from inside the area in second-half stoppage time to seal the Catalan's club 3-0 victory. Lewandowski trails the 129 goals of Messi and the 140 of Ronaldo, according to UEFA. Lewandowski needed 125 games to reach his milestone — two more games than Messi and 12 fewer than Ronaldo, who also scored once in the qualifying round. “I'm delighted, 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." Story continues below video It was Lewandowski's sixth and seventh Champions League goals this season. It's the ninth season in which the Poland striker has scored six or more goals. The 36-year-old Lewandowski is having a standout campaign, having scored 22 goals for Barcelona in 19 appearances. He is the Spanish league’s scoring leader with 15 goals from 14 matches. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerBlake Snell reportedly has joined his former team's biggest rival. After opting out of his Giants contract and entering MLB free agency this offseason, Snell has agreed to a five-year, $182 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers pending a physical, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Jorge Castillo reported Tuesday, citing sources. Snell seemingly confirmed the news with a post on his Instagram account. It's no surprise Los Angeles landed the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The Dodgers have shattered free-agency expectations in recent offseasons, inflating their payroll and even deferring millions of dollars to future years so they can sign stars including Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman -- the list goes on. It paid off for San Francisco's NL West rivals in 2024, as Los Angeles won its eighth World Series title last month when it defeated the New York Yankees in five games. And the Dodgers appear to be taking the deferred money route with Snell, as they did when they signed Ohtani last winter. Snell's lone Giants campaign started off rocky after the ace endured an offseason without spring training while searching for a home in free agency. But after a rough first half to the 2024 MLB season, Snell quickly rounded into Cy Young form, even pitching a no-hitter for San Francisco on Aug. 2 against the Cincinnati Reds. His hot second half led Snell to opt out of the remaining year on his Giants contract, making him the best available pitcher on the open market. This time, negotiations with MLB teams didn't last as long. Because the Dodgers, as usual, swooped in. Download and follow the Giants Talk PodcastLOUISIANA TECH (6-0) Batcho 4-6 5-7 13, Abram 3-13 4-4 12, Cooper 6-10 3-4 16, Newman 4-11 1-1 12, Ree 3-5 0-0 9, Green 0-4 0-0 0, Allen 1-2 1-2 3, Bates 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-52 14-18 65. RICHMOND (3-4) Beagle 2-6 1-2 5, Roumoglou 2-7 0-0 6, Hunt 10-16 5-5 26, Roche 0-3 0-0 0, Tyne 3-9 0-0 6, Walz 2-4 2-4 7, Neskovic 4-9 0-1 9, Graham 1-2 0-0 3, Tanner 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-57 8-12 62. Halftime_Richmond 35-27. 3-Point Goals_Louisiana Tech 9-25 (Ree 3-5, Newman 3-6, Abram 2-7, Cooper 1-3, Bates 0-1, Green 0-3), Richmond 6-29 (Roumoglou 2-6, Walz 1-1, Graham 1-2, Hunt 1-5, Neskovic 1-5, Beagle 0-1, Tanner 0-1, Roche 0-3, Tyne 0-5). Rebounds_Louisiana Tech 31 (Cooper, Ree 9), Richmond 30 (Roumoglou 10). Assists_Louisiana Tech 13 (Newman 8), Richmond 10 (Beagle 4). Total Fouls_Louisiana Tech 14, Richmond 13. A_451 (7,186).

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NEW YORK — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he’s also named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day’s trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time’s 2024 Person of the Year, according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who at times has treated the stock market as a measure of public approval and has long-prized signifiers of his success in New York’s business world and his appearances on the covers of magazines — especially Time. Trump was named the magazine’s Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He had already been listed as a finalist for this year’s award alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales. Time declined to confirm the selection ahead of Thursday morning’s announcement. “Time does not comment on its annual choice for Person of the Year prior to publication,” a spokesperson for the magazine said Wednesday. The ringing of the bell is a powerful symbol of U.S. capitalism — and a good New York photo opportunity at that. Despite his decades as a New York businessman, Trump has never done it before. It was unclear whether Trump, a Republican, would meet with New York’s embattled mayor, Democrat Eric Adams , who has warmed to Trump and has not ruled out changing his political party. Adams has been charged with federal corruption crimes and accused of selling influence to foreign nationals; he has denied wrongdoing. Trump himself was once a symbol of New York, but he gave up living full-time in his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and moved to Florida after leaving the White House. CNN first reported Wednesday Trump’s visit to the stock exchange and Politico reported that Trump was expected to be unveiled as Time’s Person of the Year. The stock exchange regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the ceremonial opening and closing of trading. During Trump’s first term, his wife, Melania Trump, rang the bell to promote her “Be Best” initiative on children’s well-being. Last year, Time CEO Jess Sibley rang the opening bell to unveil the magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift . After the Nov. 5 election, the S&P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks. The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean. Trump has long courted the business community based on his own status as a wealthy real estate developer who gained additional fame as the star of the TV show “The Apprentice” in which competitors tried to impress him with their business skills. He won the election in part by tapping into Americans’ deep anxieties about an economy that seemed unable to meet the needs of the middle class. The larger business community has applauded his promises to reduce corporate taxes and cut regulations. But there are also concerns about his stated plans to impose broad tariffs and possibly target companies that he sees as not aligning with his own political interests. Trump spends the bulk of his time at his Florida home but was in New York for weeks this spring during his hush money trial there. He was convicted, but his lawyers are pushing for the case to be thrown out in light of his election. While he spent hours in a Manhattan courthouse every day during his criminal trial, Trump took his presidential campaign to the streets of the heavily Democratic city, holding a rally in the Bronx and popping up at settings for working-class New Yorkers: a bodega, a construction site and a firehouse. Trump returned to the city in September to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Manhattan tower and again in the final stretch of the presidential campaign when he held a rally at Madison Square Garden that drew immediate blowback for as speakers made rude and racist insults and incendiary remarks . At the stock exchange, the ringing of the bell has been a tradition since the 1800s. The first guest to do it was a 10-year-old boy named Leonard Ross, in 1956, who won a quiz show answering questions about the stock market. Many times, companies listing on the exchange would ring the bell at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate their initial offerings as trading began. But the appearances have become an important marker of culture and politics — something that Trump hopes to seize as he’s promised historic levels of economic growth. The anti-apartheid advocate and South African President Nelson Mandela rang the bell, as has Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone with his castmates from the film “The Expendables.” So, too, have the actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner for an “Avengers” movie and the Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. president to ring the bell. “With tax reform and budget control, our economy will be free to expand to its full potential, driving the bears back into permanent hibernation,” Reagan said at the time. “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” The crowd of traders on the floor chanted, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed in 1985 and 1986, but it suffered a decline in October 1987 in an event known as “Black Monday.” Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.TORONTO, Dec. 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Blue Technologies International Inc. (TSXV: CBLU) (FRANKFURT: OYA) (OTCQB: CBUTF) (“ CBLU ” or the “ Company ”) today announces that as a result of strong support from its secured lenders, its shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees and convertible debenture holders and other creditors and investors, it has initiated a proposed package of financial restructuring which should position the company well to embrace the opportunities in front of it in 2025 and beyond. The Package consists of the following: A Shares for Debt Transaction to convert existing convertible debentures, shareholder loans, and other creditor amounts into equity. A Private Placement to raise additional working capital funds. A share consolidation of 6:1 to meet certain TSX Venture Exchange (“ TSXV ”) regulatory requirements. A cost reduction program within the Company to reduce operating expenses and R&D investments. “Clear Blue is strongly positioned to address North American and African Telecom and Smart City opportunities. It is a leader in its target markets and now has 4 proven products, each with strong growth potential. The last 3 years of Covid, war, inflation, interest rate hikes and related events have held the Company back from being able to capitalize on this opportunity. As a result of this financial restructuring, the Company can now move forward and focus on the opportunity in front of it,” said Miriam Tuerk, Co-Founder and CEO of Clear Blue. “A community builds a company, and the Clear Blue community has stepped forward at this stage to support the Company in a big way. We cannot thank everyone enough for their contribution and willingness to work together to achieve this milestone.” Details of the above are provided below: The Company will be entering into debt settlement agreements with certain debenture holders and other creditors to settle an aggregate of approximately $8.77 million indebtedness that will be converted into units of the Company, with each unit comprised of one common share and one common share purchase warrant at a price per common share of $0.03, with each warrant exercisable for 24 months at a strike price of $0.05 (the “ Shares for Debt Transaction ”). If $8.77 million indebtedness is settled then an aggregate of 292,438,847 common shares and 272,503,847 warrants will be issued on closing. The completion of the Shares for Debt Transactions is subject to a number of conditions, including the approval of the TSXV. Upon finalizing agreements with all creditors, the Company will issue a subsequent news release outlining the precise amount of debt settled and the number of units issued on closing. Alongside the Shares for Debt Transaction, the Company has also initiated a non-brokered private placement on identical terms to the Shares for Debt Transaction, with units of the Company to be issued comprised of one common share and one common share purchase warrant at a price per common share of $0.03, with each warrant exercisable for 24 months at a strike price of $0.05 (the “ Private Placement ”, and together with the Shares for Debt Transaction, the “ Transactions ”), for gross proceeds of up to $2 million. The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. If the maximum of $2 million is raised, an aggregate of 66,666,666 common shares and 66,666,666 warrants will be issued on closing the Private Placement. The Company also announces a plan to proceed with a consolidation of its issued and outstanding common shares on the basis of six (6) pre-consolidation shares for each one (1) post-consolidation share (the “ Consolidation ”). The Company believes that the Consolidation is in the best interests of shareholders as it will allow the Company to complete the Transactions in accordance with abiding by TSXV policies as well as enhance the marketability of the common shares. Accordingly, the Company plans to hold a special meeting of shareholders on or around the beginning of March 2025, prior to which time an information circular will be sent to shareholders containing additional details pertaining to the Consolidation. No fractional shares will be issued as a result of the Consolidation. Any fractional shares resulting from the Consolidation will be rounded down to the next whole common share. The initial closings of the Transactions are expected to occur on or before December 31, 2024, or such other date as the creditors, investors and the Company may agree upon, and are subject to the completion of formal documentation and the Company receiving all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSXV. The securities issued pursuant to the Transactions will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the issuance date in accordance with applicable securities laws. Insiders may participate in the Transactions and the participation of insiders will be considered a related party transaction subject to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“ MI 61-101 ”). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under subsections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that no securities of the Company are listed on specified markets and the fair market value of the debt being settled by interested parties does not exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization. Additionally, the Company announces that it entered into a promissory note dated September 30, 2024, pursuant to which, Miriam and John Tuerk, directors and officers of the Company, collectively loaned the Company the principal amount of $994,704 (the “ Loan ”). The Loan is repayable on January 1, 2026, without interest. The lenders are control persons and directors and officers of the Company, and accordingly, the Loan constitutes a “related party transaction” pursuant to MI 61-101. The Loan is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of 61-101. The Company is exempt from the formal valuation requirement contain in section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 as the Company does not have securities listed on a specified stock exchange. The Loan is further exempt from the minority shareholder approval requirement pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of Loan is less than 25% of the Company’s market capitalization. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. For more information, contact: Miriam Tuerk, Co-Founder and CEO +1 416 433 3952 investors@clearbluetechnologies.com www.clearbluetechnologies.com/en/investors About Clear Blue Technologies International Clear Blue Technologies International, the Smart Off-GridTM company, was founded on a vision of delivering clean, managed, “wireless power” to meet the global need for reliable, low-cost, solar and hybrid power for lighting, telecom, security, Internet of Things devices, and other mission-critical systems. Today, Clear Blue has thousands of systems under management across 37 countries, including the U.S. and Canada. (TSXV: CBLU) (FRA: 0YA) (OTCQB: CBUTF) Legal Disclaimer Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or “U.S. Persons”, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements. Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" and/or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only Clear Blue’s beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Clear Blue's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information concerning the Company's current and future financial position. By identifying such information and statements in this manner, Clear Blue is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Clear Blue to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. An investment in securities of Clear Blue is speculative and subject to several risks including, without limitation, the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Clear Blue's listing application dated July 12, 2018. Although Clear Blue has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. In connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Clear Blue has made certain assumptions. Although Clear Blue believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. All subsequent written and oral forward- looking information and statements attributable to Clear Blue or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described in this news release. Such securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act, or any state securities laws, and, accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of persons in the United States or “U.S. Persons”, as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act, unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to an exemption from such registration requirements.

Sagence AI has introduced an advanced analog in-memory compute architecture designed to address issues of power, cost, and scalability in inference. Using an analog-based approach, the architecture offers improvements in energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness while delivering performance comparable to existing high-end GPU and CPU systems. This bold step positions Sagence AI as a potential disruptor in a market dominated by . Efficiency and performance The Sagence architecture offers benefits when processing large language models like Llama2-70B. When normalized to 666,000 tokens per second, Sagence’s technology delivers its results with 10 times lower power consumption, 20 times lower costs, and 20 times smaller rack space compared to leading GPU-based solutions. This design prioritizes the demands of inference over training, reflecting the shift in AI compute focus within data centers. With its efficiency and affordability, Sagence offers a solution to the growing challenge of ensuring return on investment (ROI) as AI applications expand to large-scale deployment. At the heart of Sagence’s innovation is its analog in-memory computing technology, which merges storage and computation within memory cells. By eliminating the need for separate storage and scheduled multiply-accumulate circuits, this approach simplifies chip designs, reduces costs, and improves power efficiency. Sagence also employs deep subthreshold computing in multi-level memory cells - an industry-first innovation - to achieve the efficiency gains required for scalable AI inference. Traditional CPU and GPU-based systems rely on complex dynamic scheduling, which increases hardware demands, inefficiencies, and power consumption. Sagence’s statically scheduled architecture simplifies these processes, mirroring biological neural networks. The system is also designed to integrate with existing AI development frameworks like PyTorch, ONNX, and TensorFlow. Once trained neural networks are imported, Sagence’s architecture negates the need for further GPU-based processing, simplifying deployment and reducing costs. “A fundamental advancement in AI inference hardware is vital to the future of AI. Use of large language models (LLMs) and Generative AI drives demand for rapid and massive change at the nucleus of computing, requiring an unprecedented combination of highest performance at lowest power and economics that match costs to the value created,” said Vishal Sarin, CEO & Founder, Sagence AI. “The legacy computing devices today that are capable of extreme high-performance AI inferencing cost too much to be economically viable and consume too much energy to be environmentally sustainable. Our mission is to break those performance and economic limitations in an environmentally responsible way,” Sarin added. Via

President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general. The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table. Trump has also reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the app during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He said earlier this year that he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but that he opposed banning it. This month, Trump also met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The filings Friday come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The law was was signed by President Joe Biden in April after it passed Congress with broad bipartisan support. TikTok and ByteDance filed a legal challenge afterwards. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s U.S. platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates. The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread or suppress information. But the government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” TikTok’s legal filing said, adding that the U.S. fears are predicated on future risks. In its filing Friday, the Biden administration said because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its propriety engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries with it risk.

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. TikTok's future uncertain after appeals court rejects its bid to overturn possible US ban A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, 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. Stock market today: Wall Street drifts around its records after a solid jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting around their 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 rose 0.2% Friday and was just above its all-time high set on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 108 points, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7%. Expectations rose among traders that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again at its next meeting in two weeks 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. Gunman's steps after killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO gives police new clues in hunt for the killer NEW YORK (AP) — Police hunting the gunman who killed the head of the largest U.S. health insurer are piecing together new surveillance video from across New York City and evidence left behind by the shooter. Three days after the ambush, the gunman’s whereabouts and identity are still unknown, as is the reason for the killing. A law enforcement official says police have obtained surveillance images of the suspect on the subway system and visiting local establishments. The official who was not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania. The move is aimed at eliminating the virus, which has infected more than 700 dairy herds in 15 states. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on the ammunition used to kill UnitedHealthcare's CEO. That's according to two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday. The words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend.” That's how attorneys describe insurers denying services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the words. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. Michigan Democrats move to protect reproductive health data before GOP takes control of House LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democrats in Michigan are pressing to pass reproductive health care legislation before the party loses its majority with the new legislative session next year. A bill to protect digital reproductive health data including data logged on menstrual cycle tracking apps is a Democratic priority as lawmakers meet this month. Democratic women and supporters of the legislation say they are acting with new urgency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office because they don't believe his campaign promise to leave abortion to the states. The rush is also a reaction to Republicans taking control of the state House in January. Democrats kept control of the state Senate in the November election. Japan's Nippon Steel sets sights on a growing overseas market in its bid to acquire US Steel KASHIMA, Japan (AP) — The signs at Nippon Steel read: “The world through steel,” underlining why Japan’s top steelmaker is pursuing its $15 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel. Japan's domestic market isn't growing, so Nippon Steel has its eyes on India, Southeast Asia and the United States, where populations are still growing. Nippon Steel gave reporters a tour of one of its plants in Japan on Friday. The bid for U.S. Steet is opposed by President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and American steelworkers. If the deal goes through, U.S. Steel will keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but become subsidiary of Nippon Steel. China's ban on key high-tech materials could have broad impact on industries, economy BANGKOK (AP) — China has banned exports of key materials used for a wide range of products, including smartphones, electric vehicles, radar systems and CT scanners, swiping back at Washington after it expanded export controls to include dozens of Chinese companies that make equipment used to produce computer chips. Both sides say the controls are justified by national security concerns. Analysts say they could have a much wider impact on manufacturing in many industries and supply chains, depending on the ability of each side to compensate for loss of access to strategically important materials, equipment and components. Here's why this could be a tipping point in trade conflict between the two biggest economies.

Fugitive dog gains fame in New Orleans eluding dart guns and nets

Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Biden's pardon of his son Hunter, poll finds

GameStop Discloses Third Quarter 2024 ResultsOnly about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Biden's pardon of his son Hunter, poll findsFORESTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A major storm moving through Northern California on Thursday toppled trees and dropped heavy snow and record rain after damaging homes, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands in the Pacific Northwest. Forecasters warned that the risk of flash flooding and rockslides would continue, and scores of flights were canceled at San Francisco's airport. In Washington, more than 320,000 people — most of them in the Seattle area — were still without power as crews worked to clear streets of electrical lines, fallen branches and debris. Utility officials said the outages, which began Tuesday, could last into Saturday. Meanwhile on the East Coast, where rare wildfires have raged, New York and New Jersey welcomed much-needed rain that could ease the fire danger for the rest of the year. The National Weather Service extended a flood watch into Saturday for areas north of San Francisco as the region was inundated by the strongest atmospheric river — a long plume of moisture that forms over an ocean and flows through the sky over land — this season. The system roared ashore Tuesday as a “bomb cyclone,” unleashing fierce winds . Communities in Washington opened warming centers offering free internet and device charging. A number of medical clinics closed because of power outages. “I’ve been here since the mid-’80s. I haven’t seen anything like this,” said Trish Bloor, who serves on the city of Issaquah’s Human Resources Commission, as she surveyed damaged homes. Up to 16 inches (about 41 centimeters) of rain was forecast in southwestern Oregon and California's northern counties through Friday. The Sonoma County Airport, in the wine country north of San Francisco, received 6.92 inches (17.5 centimeters) Wednesday, breaking a record dating to 1998. In nearby Forestville, one person was hurt when a tree fell on a house. Small landslides were reported across the North Bay region, including one on State Route 281 on Wednesday that caused a car crash, according to Marc Chenard, a weather service meteorologist. Rain slowed somewhat, but “persistent heavy rain will enter the picture again by Friday morning,” the weather service's San Francisco office said on the social platform X. “We are not done!” Dangerous flash flooding, rockslides and debris flows were possible, especially where hillsides were loosened by recent wildfires, officials warned. Scott Rowe, a hydrologist with the weather service in Sacramento, said that so far the ground has been able to absorb the rain in California's Butte and Tehama counties, where the Park Fire burned over the summer. “It’s not necessarily how much rain falls; it’s how fast the rain falls,” Rowe said. Northern Mendocino and southern Humboldt counties received between 4 and 8 inches (10 and 20 centimeters) of rain in the last 48 hours, and similar amounts were expected over the next 48 hours, forecasters said. Wind gusts could top 50 mph (80 kph). The storm system, which first hit the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday, reached the status of “ bomb cyclone ,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly. A winter storm watch was in place for the northern Sierra Nevada above 3,500 feet (1,066 meters), with 15 inches (38 centimeters) of snow possible over two days. Wind gusts could top 75 mph (121 kph) in mountain areas, forecasters said. Sugar Bowl Resort, north of Lake Tahoe near Donner Summit, picked up a foot (30 centimeters) of snow overnight, marketing manager Maggie Eshbaugh said Thursday. She said the resort will welcome skiers and boarders on Friday, the earliest opening date in 20 years. “And then we’re going to get another whopping of another foot or so on Saturday, so this is fantastic,” she said. Another popular resort, Palisades Tahoe, is also opening Friday, five days ahead of schedule, according to its website. The storm already dumped more than a foot of snow along the Cascades in Oregon by Wednesday night, according to the weather service. Forecasters warned of blizzard and whiteout conditions and nearly impossible travel at pass level. Falling trees struck homes and littered roads across western Washington, killing at least two people. A woman in Lynnwood was killed when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment, and another in Bellevue died when a tree fell on a home. More than a dozen schools closed in the Seattle area Wednesday, and some opted to extend the closures through Thursday. In Enumclaw, east of Seattle, residents were cleaning up after their town clocked the highest winds in the state Tuesday night: 74 mph (119 kph). Resident Sophie Keene said the powerful gusts caused transformers to blow out around town. “Things were exploding, like, everywhere,” Keene told the Seattle Times. “Like the transformers over by the park. One blew big, it looked like fireworks just going off.” Ben Gibbard, lead singer of the indie rock bands Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service, drove from his Seattle neighborhood Thursday morning to the woods of Tiger Mountain for his regular weekday run, but there were too many trees blocking the trail. “We didn’t get hit that hard in the city,” he said. “I just didn’t assume it would be this kind of situation out here. Obviously you feel the most for people who had their homes partially destroyed by this.” In California, there were reports of more than 20,000 power outages on Thursday. Only 50 vehicles per hour were allowed through part of northbound Interstate 5 from 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Redding to 21 miles (34 kilometers) south of Yreka due to snow, according to California's Department of Transportation. Transportation officials also shut down a two-mile (3.2 kilometer) stretch of the famed Avenue of the Giants, a scenic drive named for its towering coast redwoods, due to flooding. About 150 flights were delayed and another two dozen were canceled early Thursday at San Francisco International Airport after hundreds of delays and dozens of cancelations the previous day, according to tracking service FlightAware. Parched areas of the Northeast got a much-needed shot of precipitation Thursday, providing a bit of respite in a region plagued by wildfires and dwindling water supplies. More than 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain was expected by Saturday morning in areas north of New York City, with snow mixed in at higher elevations. “Any rainfall is going to be significant at this point,” said Brian Ciemnecki, a weather service meteorologist in New York City, where the first drought warning in 22 years was issued this week. “Is it going to break the drought? No, we’re going to need more rain than that.” Har reported from San Francisco, and Weber from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Hallie Golden and Gene Johnson in Seattle; Martha Bellisle in Issaquah, Washington; Sarah Brumfield in Washington, D.C.; and Michael Hill in Albany, New York, contributed.Looking at Christmas traditions nowadays, it is more difficult to distinguish between those that are from the rural areas of Jamaica versus those that are more urban in origin. However, if we should take a look back, we could see distinct characteristics that make a rural Jamaican Christmas special. Observer Online has compiled eight traditions that were prevalent in the rural areas of Jamaica: Fatten fowl for Christmas dinner — It was common for homes that raised roosters and hens — what Jamaicans call “common fowl” — in their backyards to select one that will be set aside for Christmas dinner. Usually by November this chicken is picked out and drenched (what we call washout) with vinegar. It is then placed in a coup where it is specially fed and is not allowed to walk around outside with the other fowls. Come December 24, the now fattened fowl is killed, cleaned and washed with vinegar, before it is seasoned with scallion, thyme, leaks, and black pepper, and covered in a big pan to be cooked and served on Christmas Day. Roast beef and pork from December 24 — Preparations for Christmas dinner began on Christmas Eve for most families living in rural Jamaica. This was especially so for households that did not own a refrigerator or had electricity. They would roast pork and beef on Grand Market day, which would be placed in a container to drain and cool. Before dinner time on Christmas Day the meat would be sliced and put into a pan to be reheated. The gravy to accompany the meal would be made and the meat served with rice and peas and other sides. Christmas dinner cooked early — Again, due to the lack of a refrigerator —and electricity in some parts— Christmas dinner was cooked and served quite early. This is compared to now when dinner is served sometimes in the late evening. To ensure that meat set aside from the day before did not go bad, dinner would start cooking shortly after breakfast and served by 12 noon or 1pm. Neighbours exchange Christmas dinner — Sharing Christmas dinner with neighbours was an expectation in rural Jamaica— it still is in some parts. But what was special is that neighbours would also do exchanges of meat. The family that cooked their fattened fowl would share with a neighbour who roasted pork or beef, and the recipient of the chicken would in turn share their roasted meat with the neighbour who cooked chicken. This way the families would have more than one meat option on their Christmas dinner table. Make an oven out of “kerosene pan” — For many, Christmas was not complete without the moist, scrumptious Christmas cake, but without an oven they had to get creative by using what was referred to as a “kerosene pan” to create a makeshift oven in which to bake. It is still unknown why this metal container was referred to as a kerosene pan when it actually would contain cooking oil. When the container is empty, one side of it would be cut off, and a mesh wire placed inside of it. Coal would be placed below the wire as the heat source, but not too high to burn the cake, and the mixed cake batter would be poured into whatever tins were available and placed in the makeshift oven to bake. However only those with some money had this luxury, as poorer families could not afford the ingredients that went into making the Christmas cake. Sing carols Christmas morning — On Christmas morning in some rural communities back in the day, it was not customary to attend church. Instead the community members would gather in the early mornings at the square, and using bottle torches as their source of light walk around to other neighbours and shut-ins and sing Christmas carols to bring some good will, cheer and joy to those who could not leave their homes to experience it. It was good fun for all involved, especially the children. After caroling breakfast — Breakfast after the early morning caroling on Christmas Day was also a hit in some of these rural parts. The menu items would include chocolate tea made from the cacao fruit served with a piece of crown bread or fritters or fried dumplings and steamed callaloo. These would be shared among the carolers but also the elderly neighbours, and those who lived by themselves. Children sent to clean the homes of those who lived alone — Deep cleaning your house at Christmas is a tradition, but for those who were elderly and lived alone in these rural communities they were treated to having their homes cleaned. This cleaning was done by children who were sent by their parents to give a helping hand to a neighbour in need. On a regular basis the children would be sent out on errands to the shop by these lonely elderly people so having them clean their houses during the holiday season was not too far-fetched. Cleaning the houses also included the yards, and often multiple houses are cleaned in one day by the children. Afterwards, the day ends with the children taking a trip to the river to bathe, and then gathering to play games and have a good time.

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As financial markets adjust to new economic and political realities, investors can sharpen their trading skills with a special virtual event by Benzinga . “ Trading the New Trump Era: Leveraged ETF Bets for a Changing Economy ” will take place on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, at 11 a.m. EST and will offer a comprehensive look at the mechanics and strategies behind leveraged ETFs. This live 90-minute boot camp features seasoned analysts from Direxion , a leader in leveraged ETFs, and Mercator LLC , a firm known for its in-depth research on global financial trends. The event aims to equip attendees with practical tools to understand and trade these specialized financial products. Eliott Wellenbach , senior vice president and institutional ETF strategist at Direxion, will lead a discussion on the effective use of leveraged ETFs in active trading. These funds allow investors to amplify their exposure to market movements —bullish or bearish — over a single trading day. The company emphasizes that these products are not meant for long-term investments but for those who actively monitor and adjust their portfolios. Gianni Di Poce , an analyst at Mercator LLC, will join Wellenbach. With over 12 years of experience in financial markets across the U.S. and Europe, Di Poce brings a global viewpoint to the discussion, helping participants understand the factors shaping markets and how leveraged ETFs respond to them. The session promises an immersive experience, featuring live case studies that showcase real-world scenarios where leveraged ETFs can be effectively applied. Attendees can also engage directly with the speakers by asking questions in real time, making the event interactive and focused on practical applications. This virtual boot camp is designed for traders looking to refine their methods and better understand products that can respond to rapidly shifting markets. Direxion's offerings are particularly suited for those who trade frequently and seek to benefit from market volatility. Mercator LLC adds depth by offering a macroeconomic analysis that helps traders identify patterns and opportunities in global financial systems. The event represents an opportunity for experienced investors to learn from professionals who specialize in leveraging market opportunities. Benzinga's boot camp promises an engaging and informative session for those ready to dive into the complexities of leveraged ETFs with guidance from industry leaders. Read Next: • Santa Rally: 10 S&P 500 Stocks That Outperform In December’s Second Half Photo: Pexels © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

SAN DIEGO , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Realty Income Corporation (Realty Income, NYSE: O ), The Monthly Dividend Company ® , today announced it has declared an increase in the company's common stock monthly cash dividend to $0.2640 per share from $0.2635 per share. The dividend is payable on January 15, 2025 , to stockholders of record as of January 2, 2025 . This is the 128 th dividend increase since Realty Income's listing on the NYSE in 1994. The new monthly dividend represents an annualized dividend amount of $3.168 per share as compared to the prior annualized dividend amount of $3.162 per share. "Throughout our 55-year history, Realty Income has declared 654 consecutive monthly dividends," said Sumit Roy , Realty Income's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Today's declaration represents the 109 th consecutive quarter that we have declared a dividend increase since our 1994 NYSE listing, demonstrating our commitment to providing stockholders a dependable monthly dividend that increases over time." About Realty Income Realty Income (NYSE: O ), an S&P 500 company, is real estate partner to the world's leading companies. Founded in 1969, we invest in diversified commercial real estate and have a portfolio of over 15,450 properties in all 50 U.S. states, the U.K., and six other countries in Europe . We are known as "The Monthly Dividend Company ® ," and have a mission to invest in people and places to deliver dependable monthly dividends that increase over time. Since our founding, we have declared 654 consecutive monthly dividends and are a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ® index for having increased our dividend for the last 30 consecutive years. Additional information about the company can be found at www.realtyincome.com . Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When used in this press release, the words "estimated," "anticipated," "expect," "believe," "intend," "continue," "should," "may," "likely," "plans," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include discussions of our business and portfolio; cash flows; the intentions of management; and dividends, including the amount, timing and payment of dividends related thereto. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about us, which may cause our actual future results to differ materially from expected results. Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are, among others, our continued qualification as a real estate investment trust; general domestic and foreign business, economic, or financial conditions; competition; fluctuating interest and currency rates; inflation and its impact on our clients and us; access to debt and equity capital markets and other sources of funding (including the terms and partners of such funding); continued volatility and uncertainty in the credit markets and broader financial markets; other risks inherent in the real estate business including our clients' solvency, client defaults under leases, increased client bankruptcies, potential liability relating to environmental matters, illiquidity of real estate investments, and potential damages from natural disasters; impairments in the value of our real estate assets; changes in domestic and foreign income tax laws and rates; property ownership through joint ventures, partnerships and other arrangements which may limit control of the underlying investments; epidemics or pandemics, including measures taken to limit their spread, the impacts on us, our business, our clients, and the economy generally; the loss of key personnel; the outcome of any legal proceedings to which we are a party or which may occur in the future; acts of terrorism and war; the anticipated benefits from mergers and acquisitions including from the merger with Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.; and those additional risks and factors discussed in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future plans and performance and speak only as of the date of this press release. Actual plans and operating results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in this press release and forecasts made in the forward-looking statements discussed in this press release might not materialize. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements or publicly release the results of any forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date these statements were made. SOURCE Realty Income CorporationRT commentator Scott Bennett dies at 46

'Elite' isn't a word often associated with genteel garden pruners, so the Felco pruners have a lot to live up to. Unlike the standard Felco 6, these have an F-Tech technology coating on the blade, a mid-opening thumb-catch and soft leather grips. The brand claims that the 'The Felco 6 Elite represents a significant leap forward in enhancing the pruning experience of professional users'. I've tested a lot of the best pruners in my career. I don't think the leather grips are a huge innovation, but altogether these pruners are an excellent tool. Specifications Set up Set up is easy - you can just slide the pruners out of the packaging. they come with a hex key for adjusting the bolts and taking the pruners apart for maintenance, and the marketing packaging unfolds to reveal a guide to unscrewing all the parts and maintaining them. How does it cut? These pruners easily cut through all of the stems I tested them on. I tested them on grape vines, roses, buddleia, and laurel, though the time of year limited my testing a little. However, the pruners excelled on all of the stems. It easily cut through every stem. There was no resistance when cutting through thick branches of laurel or buddleia and no discomfort during repeated pruning. The cut was clean every time with no rips or tears on the bark, which is crucial for preventing disease. At the same time, these pruners did a great job at working with delicate rose stems and grape vines, creating clean cuts in tight areas, with the pruners working cleaning from the base of the blades right to the tip. I could also use it to clip stakes to size - even relatively thick bamboo was easy to cut. Comfort The leather wraps on these pruners are incredibly comfortable - more comfortable than the rubber grips on the Felco No.2. The leather is soft and pliant, so it molds to your hand as you cut. If you aren't wearing gardening gloves, you'll find that the leather warms up to your hand, so your hands won't be as cold in winter. The rubber bumper is effective, and you hardly notice opening and closing these pruners as you cut. They're well-sized, too. The medium I was sent is slightly too small for my hands, so I recommend the larger pruner if you have larger hands. They only weigh 9.2 ounces too, so they're lightweight and easy to manipulate. The only drawback is if you're vegan or vegetarian—these wraps are made from leather, so they aren't the most eco-friendly. Wire notch The wire notch worked as planned, too. I used it to cut some twine and it worked perfectly, easily snipping off a small length perfect for tying plants to stakes and frames. It was less successful at cutting string, but it eventually got through. In fairness, it isn't designed for this, and the string I had on hand was particularly thick, but it's good to know that it can cut string, even if it takes a couple of attempts. Ease of use There are two opening widths to the blades - one inch and one and a half inches, respectively - and they're easily opened with the thumb catch. This is in an ergonomic, easy place to open. After a while, you barely notice the mechanism. However, I found that the catch was a little too responsive for my liking. You have to be careful - it sits in the safety notch by a couple of millimeters, so if you knock it with your thumb it can spring open. There's also a split ring included, so these are easy to hang up in a tool shed or clip onto a carabiner as you work. Warranty and maintenance Like all Felco pruners, one of the big positives for this pruner is that every part is replaceable. so many modern tools are single-use and lack replacement parts. With these pruners, you can fix and maintain them for the rest of your life. With a little care, these will be the last pruners you ever buy. The aluminum handles and body have an excellent lifetime warranty, but the blades, springs, and shock absorbers are not covered by this warranty. Should you buy the Felco 6 Elite? These are very similar to other Felco pruners like the famous Felco 2. I think the difference is tiny - the Felco 6 are slightly heavier than the Felco 2 pruners because of the leather grips, but these are also more comfortable. I think the Felco 6 are more comfortable, but not necessarily worth the extra $30 for the leather grips. I think they make a great gift, and if you're buying pruners anyway it may be worth it.Downtown project gets one step closer