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THANKSGIVING is almost here, and no feast is complete without a classic turkey centerpiece. Shoppers can elevate their turkey and side dishes with a versatile grocery store staple - dairy - for just $2. Gone are the days of dry Thanksgiving turkey thanks to the magic of dairy. By incorporating dairy products such as milk and buttermilk into your Thanksgiving recipes, Americans can whip up a tender and juicy bird. Both cost around $2 at the grocery store and will add layers of richness and flavor to your Thanksgiving turkey. A turkey brine recipe from Dairy Farmers of America utilizes both dairy products to guarantee a moist and delicious Thanksgiving turkey. Read More on Thanksgiving Milk and buttermilk break down the protein in meat, ensuring every bite is juicy and tender. The brine also adds an umami flavor and enhances the browning of your turkey. The recipe also calls for spatchcocking the bird, which involves removing the backbone so the turkey can be flattened. This reduces oven time and ensures more even cooking. Most read in Money Many seasoned chefs have raved about the wonders of milk and buttermilk for brining a turkey. “I was blown away by how juicy and delicious my turkey came out after brining it in milk overnight,” said five-time cookbook author Dan Whalen. TikTok chef Darryl Postelnick, who boasts 2.9 million fans on his Cooking with Darryl channel, agreed. “A milk and buttermilk brine is a really simple and straightforward way to completely elevate your turkey game," he said. “The acid in the buttermilk leads to moist, tender meat throughout, while the sugars result in a gorgeous golden-brown skin that is crispy and flavorful. And while I like spatchcocking my turkey to cut down on time, this technique will work with a traditional whole bird as well." DAIRY DEVOTION Milk and buttermilk aren't just for brining - they are staples in tons of Thanksgiving side dishes. From creamy mashed potatoes to decadent macaroni and cheese and a sweet potato casserole, many staple Thanksgiving dishes are elevated with dairy. 65% of Americans can't imagine the holidays without dairy, according to a report from DFA. Start at a higher temperature to crisp the skin, then reduce the heat. After cooking, let the turkey rest for 20 minutes under foil. This allows the juices to redistribute into the meat. Avoid basting the turkey while it cooks. This can increase the cooking time and dry out the turkey. If you forget to remove the giblets before cooking, you can wrap them in paper and cook them safely inside the turkey. Don't leave a raw turkey out at room temperature for more than two hours. A whopping 90% of Americans say their favorite holiday dishes contain dairy, and at least 41% of Americans plan to buy five pounds of milk or more for the holidays. One in three Americans said they would sacrifice Thanksgiving football before giving up a dairy dish, and 53% would give up golf. Many Americans - an astounding 86% - choose dairy for its familiar taste and the confidence that the texture and flavor of their dishes won't be compromised. TMX contributed to this article. Read More on The US Sun If you're looking to cook up a Thanksgiving meal on a budget, check out places you can get a free turkey – it’s not just supermarkets. Plus, Walmart confirmed its 29-item Thanksgiving meal is "on deck" with budget recipes – it’s $217 cheaper than Costco.
NoneThe Growth Games initiative offers more than just financial support. It provides a comprehensive framework that gives developers, innovators, and creators the mentorship, resources, and community backing needed to advance their projects into viable market products. The program allocates funding in three main areas: development, acceleration, and launch. With a yearly budget of $750,000, the development phase aims to attract new builders and teams from outside the MultiversX ecosystem. Through a Request for Proposal (RFP) model, the initiative seeks to fund projects focused on infrastructure enhancement, essential tools creation, and impactful applications to address existing gaps within the MultiversX network. In the acceleration phase, $250,000 is set aside to assist existing teams within the ecosystem in expanding their operations, enhancing community engagement, and accelerating on-chain adoption and activity. Lastly, the launch phase, in collaboration with xLaunchpad, will provide funding for five transformative projects, with each eligible to receive up to $100,000. Selected teams will also receive mentorship, strategic guidance, marketing resources, and community support to ensure their success in the competitive market. To maintain transparency and accountability, Growth Games relies on milestone-based funding and regular progress reviews. By focusing on AI-integrated advancements, the program aims to drive internet-scale adoption and facilitate impactful solutions that seamlessly integrate blockchain technology with artificial intelligence.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government, weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect, was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration, including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club, and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.
The Haunted Mansion Parlor on the Disney Treasure Is the Perfect Extension of the Disney Parks AttractionIowa to provide first-graders with take-home literacy instruction booksNone
The Los Angeles Galaxy will aim to complete one of the most remarkable transformations in Major League Soccer history on Saturday when they host the New York Red Bulls chasing a record-extending sixth MLS Cup crown. A year ago, the California franchise had hit rock bottom, plummeting to their worst ever regular season record to finish one place off the bottom of the Western Conference. The team that had once been a home to the likes of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were engulfed in crisis, with fans boycotting fixtures after nearly a decade of failure on the field. Moreover, the Galaxy's status as one of MLS's glamour clubs had been diminished by the arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, as well as the emergence of city rivals Los Angeles FC, winners of the MLS Cup in 2022. The febrile atmosphere at the Galaxy prompted team ownership to shake up their front office, with Will Kuntz appointed general manager to replace long-time predecessor Chris Klein, who was fired in May 2023. The turnaround since those changes has been dramatic. After winning just eight fixtures in the 2023 season, the Galaxy under head coach Greg Vanney won a record-equalling 19 games this season to finish joint top of the table, second only to leaders LAFC on goal difference. The Galaxy kept up their winning ways in the postseason, swatting aside Colorado 9-1 on aggregate to wrap up their first round series, before thrashing Minnesota United 6-2 and then squeezing past Seattle 1-0 last weekend. Those results have left the club on the threshold of a first MLS Cup title since 2014 and a record sixth championship overall. Victory in Saturday's showpiece in Carson would be especially sweet for Vanney, who appeared in three MLS Cup finals with the Galaxy as a player in 1996, 1999 and 2001 -- and lost all three. Reflecting on his team's journey to this year's final, Vanney said this week his team had thrived under the pressure of being expected to challenge for silverware. "The expectation is to be in games like this, to win trophies and win championships," Vanney said. "This group has come out and attacked it from day one and hasn't been afraid of it or in awe of it -- and that's one of the beauties of this group. "I'm excited for this group and this opportunity and now the objective is to win it and put the stamp on it, rewriting a new group of players and new legacy for this organisation." Vanney's task has become more complicated by an injury to star midfielder Riqui Puig, who suffered torn knee ligaments in last week's Western Conference final win over Seattle and will miss Saturday's game. "He's the ultimate competitor," Vanney said. "He wants to win, compete, and take responsibility on the field. He drives the team in so many ways. "We're going to have to adapt, and we're going to have to adapt in a collective way." The Galaxy meanwhile will be wary of a New York Red Bulls line-up that have ripped up the form book en route to the final. After finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference -- 27 points behind leaders Inter Miami -- the Red Bulls stunned reigning champions Columbus in the first round of the playoffs before wins on the road over rivals New York City FC and Orlando to book their place in their first MLS Cup since 2008. New York's Scotland international midfielder Lewis Morgan says the team is unfazed by Saturday's assignment in Los Angeles. "For me, it doesn't really matter where it is: it's playoff football," Morgan said this week. "It's not the regular season. These games are more cagey. You go 1-0 up, we defend a little bit deeper and we're relying on guys at the back. There have been massive performances." rcw/bbNone
Milan's Via MonteNapoleone usurps New York's Fifth Avenue as world's most upscale shopping street
Yet another stowaway managed to board a major airline’s plane – renewing serious questions and concerns about airport safety during the busiest travel season of the year. This time, a stowaway tried to hitch a ride on Delta Air Lines Flight 487 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Christmas Eve. The unticketed passenger was discovered while the plane was still taxiing out for takeoff to Honolulu, Delta Air Lines told CNN. The Transportation Security Administration and the Port of Seattle confirmed the incident to CNN. The incident came less than a month after another stowaway boarded a Delta airplane Thanksgiving week. That unticketed passenger made it all the way from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Paris before she was eventually arrested . Delta Air Lines planes are seen parked at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on June 19, 2024, in Seattle, Washington. And on Christmas Eve, a body was found in a wheel well of a United Airlines plane shortly after it traveled from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and landed in Maui. Hiding in a plane’s wheel well is the most common method used by stowaways , the Federal Aviation Administration said. Stowaways often get crushed when the landing gear retracts, and oxygen levels plummet as a plane reaches higher altitudes. In the Seattle incident, the stowaway went through a TSA security checkpoint the evening before the flight but wasn’t holding a boarding pass, an airport spokesperson told CNN. The next day, the person “gained access to the loading bridge without a scanned ticket at the gate,” airport media relations manager Perry Cooper said. Once the person was discovered, the Airbus A321neo returned to the gate to remove the unticketed passenger, Delta said. Port of Seattle police officers were dispatched to gate B1 at the airport around 1:05 p.m. for “a report of a suspicious circumstance” on the Delta flight. The person “ran out” of the aircraft before officers arrived, Cooper told CNN Friday. “The aircraft returned to the terminal and the subject departed the aircraft,” the Port of Seattle said. “With the help of video surveillance, POSPD were able to locate the subject in a terminal restroom. The subject was arrested for criminal trespass.” The unticketed passenger didn’t have any prohibited items, the TSA told CNN. “The aircraft was swept by K9 as well as all areas in the terminal accessed by the subject,” the Port of Seattle said. “The aircraft was deplaned and all passengers were escorted by TSA to return to the security checkpoint for rescreening.” CNN has reached out to the Port of Seattle for additional comment. Delta said the flight was delayed by two hours and 15 minutes. After the rescreening, it continued to Honolulu at 3 p.m. “As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended,” the Atlanta-based airline said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels and thank them for their patience and cooperation.” TSA said it “takes any incidents that occur at any of our checkpoints nationwide seriously. TSA will independently review the circumstances of this incident at our travel document checker station at Seattle/Tacoma International.” How the person got through airport security is a question many want answered. There are a number of factors at play, according to former commercial airline pilot and aviation analyst, John Nance. “There are multiple causes that come into this, and they probably involve not only a bit of lackadaisical inattention,” Nance told CNN affiliate KING . “It may be training, it may be compliance, but it’s probably all of that.” It’s “embarrassing” for this situation to happen twice to the same airline and TSA, according to former Department of Homeland Security official Keith Jeffries, who was federal security director when he left the DHS in 2022. In his 20 years working with DHS and the TSA, Jeffries said he’s seen these situations multiple times. “It has happened before. It will happen again until they continue to strengthen that vulnerability,” Jeffries said. “The fact that it happened to the same airline, of course, couldn’t be more embarrassing, especially back-to-back, and during the holiday season, when there’s an extra alertness associated with the large holiday season,” Jeffries added. During the holidays, Jeffries explained, there’s typically more staffing at the airports being “extra vigilant.” TSA, airlines and airports have even more people present to ensure things like this don’t fall through the cracks, making these cases “even more concerning,” he said. If there is a “silver lining,” Jeffries said, it’s that Delta did catch the stowaway during the taxi, and they didn’t make it to Hawaii. The stowaway also didn’t have prohibited items when scanned through TSA, which is another plus, he said. “Everybody’s going to have to work together; TSA and the airlines on how they can strengthen both of those vulnerabilities, and in some cases, even work with the airport,” he said. Congress will likely scrutinize these incidents, Nance added. “But there will be no one paying more attention than the airlines themselves,” he said. ___ CNN’s Holly Yan, Pete Muntean, Amanda Musa and Nicole Chavez contributed to this report. Elise Mertens, of Belgium, serves against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, on March 11, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Fans interfere with a foul ball caught by Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts during the first inning in Game 4 of the baseball World Series against the New York Yankees, on Oct. 29, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents after an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., July 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump prepares to walk on stage for a campaign rally at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich., on Nov. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) A member of the Seattle Mariners tosses a ball against a wall during drills at spring training baseball workouts, on Feb. 15, 2024, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Models wait backstage for a show to start during China Fashion Week in Beijing on March 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Emerald miner Janeth Paez stands inside the tunnel of an informal mine near the town of Coscuez, Colombia, on Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) Assistants react as members of "Castellers de Vilafranca" try to form a "Castell" or human tower, during the 29th Human Tower Competition in Tarragona, Spain, on Oct. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump attends the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, on July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) With tears streaming down her face, a supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris applauds as Harris delivers a concession speech on Nov. 6, 2024, after losing the 2024 presidential election, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) Passengers in the back of a taxi film themselves as they leave the Eiffel Tower, decorated with the Olympic rings ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, on July 17, 2024. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Sara Chen weeps over the grave of her longtime friend, Staff Sgt. Avraham Nerya Cohen, who was killed in action on Oct. 7, 2023, as Israel marks the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo) Paralympic athlete Santos Araujo, of Brazil, celebrates after winning the men's 200 m Freestyle - S2 final, during the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, France, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Supporters of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump hold signs as Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris passes by on her bus en route to a campaign stop at the Primanti Bros. restaurant in Pittsburgh, on Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Emergency personnel carry a 4-year-old girl who was rescued from her collapsed house after heavy rains in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, on March 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Midwife Diluwara Begum holds a newborn baby girl after helping deliver her on a boat on the River Brahmaputra, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, on July 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) The faithful carry an 18th century wooden statue of Christ before the start of a procession the in Procida Island, Italy, on March 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) A worker inspects the permanent foundations being constructed on the coral reef for a judging tower to be used during the Olympic Games surf competition in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, French Polynesia, on Jan. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) Female Israeli soldiers pose for a photo in southern Israel, on the border of the Gaza Strip, on Feb. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov) Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce kisses Taylor Swift after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22. (AP Photo/John Locher) An American flag is mounted on a fence at a farm on U.S. Highway 20 during a blizzard near Galva, Iowa, on Jan. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris looks at a monitor backstage just before taking the stage for her final campaign rally on Nov. 4, 2024, the day before Election Day, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) French sailors on the bridge of the French navy frigate Normandie keep watch during a reconnaissance patrol during NATO exercises in a Norwegian fjord north of the Arctic circle on March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) A race fan holds a drink as he walks on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., before the 150th running of the Kentucky Oaks horse race on May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) Natasha Ducre surveys the kitchen of her devastated home, which lost most of its roof during the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) People gather at the Republique plaza in Paris after the second round of the legislative election, on July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) Revelers lie in a pool of squashed tomatoes during the annual "Tomatina" tomato fight fiesta, in the village of Bunol near Valencia, Spain, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz) In this photo taken with a long exposure, Israeli shelling hits an area in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, on Sept. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Orthodox nuns wait to take part in a procession marking 250 years since the remains of Saint Dimitrie Bassarabov, patron saint of the Romanian capital, were brought to Romania, in Bucharest, on July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) An animal runs through grass while fleeing flames as the Park Fire tears through the Cohasset community in Butte County, Calif., on July 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A gaucho, or South American cowboy, bathes a horse during the Criolla Week rodeo festival, in Montevideo, Uruguay, on March 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico) A horse looks out the window from its stable ahead of the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes horse race at Saratoga Race Course, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on June 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) A cat searches for food in a house burnt by rockets fired by Hezbollah in the town of Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon, on Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) A man transports an electronic voting machine on a pony as election officials walk to a polling booth in a remote mountain area on the eve of the first round of voting in the six-week long national election at Dessa village in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Debris is visible through the window of a damaged home following severe storms in Lakeview, Ohio, on March 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) Friends and family fuss over a quinceañera in preparation for her photo session at Colon square in the Zona Colonial neighborhood of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Jewish ultra-Orthodox men dressed in costumes celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim in Bnei Brak, Israel, on March 24, 2024. The holiday commemorates the Jews' salvation from genocide in ancient Persia, as recounted in the Book of Esther. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Druze clergymen attend the funeral of some of the 12 children and teens killed in a rocket strike by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah at a soccer field at the village of Majdal Shams, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on July 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) People take cover next to a public bomb shelter as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets fired from Lebanon, in Safed, northern Israel, on Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Sloane Stephens of the U.S. signs autographs after defeating Daria Kasatkina of Russia in their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte) The container ship Dali rests against the wreckage of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on the Patapsco River, on March 27, 2024, as seen from Pasadena, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) A girl waits in the family home of the late Ousmane Sylla, who died by suicide inside one of Italy's migrant detention centers, ahead of his body's arrival in Conakry, Guinea, on April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu) Members of the Abu Sinjar family mourn their relatives killed in an Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, at their house in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) Alicia Keys performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) People walk through a part of the Amazon River that shows signs of drought in Santa Sofia, on the outskirts of Leticia, Colombia, on Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia) People mourn over the flagged-covered coffin of Israeli soldier Sgt. Amitai Alon, killed by a Hezbollah drone attack, during his funeral near Ramot Naftali, Israel, on Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Israeli students watch a virtual tour of the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau at the Testimony House, a Holocaust museum in Nir Galim, Israel, on the eve of Israel's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) Children shake hands before they play a chess game at The Soga Chess Club of the internally displaced persons camp in Kanyaruchinya, Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) A young man watches the ball after diving while playing soccer on a dusty field in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) A voter fills out a ballot during general elections in Nkandla, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, on May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) A resident wades through a flooded street following heavy rains from typhoon Toraji in Ilagan City, Isabela province, northern Philippines, on Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Noel Celis) Erin Young holds her adopted daughter Gianna Young, as she prays the "Patriotic Rosary" for the consecration of the nation and Donald Trump around a bonfire at their home in Sunbury, Ohio, the night before the U.S. election, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. The conservative Catholic family lives their anti-abortion beliefs through adoption, foster-parenting and raising their children to believe in the sanctity of life. They're also committed to teaching their children about political candidates they see as aligned with their beliefs. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) A mural of former Argentine first lady María Eva Duarte de Perón, better known as Eva Perón, or Evita, depicting her with a saint's halo, adorns a wall inside the Peron Peron restaurant in the San Telmo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) A girl plays a jump rope game at a school housing residents displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) People fish next to drainage that flows into the Paraguay River in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Jan. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz) A mother coaxes her daughter into trying a spoonful of rice at a school turned into a makeshift shelter for people displaced by gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) A man sits inside a concrete pipe meant for municipal use after his shelter was swept away by the flooding Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) People gather in front of destroyed buildings hit by an Israeli airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) A cosplayer dressed as Deadpool attends a Comic-Con convention in Panama City on Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Athletes compete during the men's 10km marathon swimming competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, on Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda) A cleric holds up his son as he celebrates Iran's missile strike against Israel during an anti-Israeli protest at Felestin (Palestine) Square in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Kenya Wildlife Service rangers and capture team pull a sedated black rhino from the water in Nairobi National Park, Kenya, on Jan. 16, 2024, as part of a rhino relocation project to move 21 of the critically endangered beasts hundreds of miles to a new home. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) A pod of Beluga whales swim through the Churchill River near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, on Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) A person carrying a handgun and a sign depicting Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump stands outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Atmaram, who goes by one name and was found living on the street a day earlier, eats breakfast at Saint Hardyal Educational and Orphans Welfare Society, a home for the aged and unwanted, on April 12, 2024, in New Delhi, India. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Buildings cover Gardi Sugdub Island, part of San Blas archipelago off Panama's Caribbean coast, on May 25, 2024. Due to rising sea levels, about 300 Guna Indigenous families are relocating to new homes, built by the government, on the mainland. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Members of the water safety team move into the impact zone on a jet ski to rescue a surfer under a rainbow during a training day ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics surfing competition in Teahupo'o, Tahiti, on July 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Children play with the ropes of a ship docked on a beach in Parika, Guyana, on June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) A supporter of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump waits for the start of his campaign rally in Doral, Fla., on July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) Lava flows from a volcanic eruption that started on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco) Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the Kaaba, the cubic building at the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Christophe Chavilinga, 90, suffering from mpox, waits for treatment at a clinic in Munigi, eastern Congo, on Aug. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) Two men in Russian Cossack uniforms pose for a selfie with the Historical Museum in the background after visiting the mausoleum of the Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, marking the 154th anniversary of his birth, in Moscow's Red Square, on April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) A fisherman carries his catch of the day to market in Manta, Ecuador, on Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa) Ama Pipe, from Britain, center, receives the baton from teammate Lina Nielsen in a women's 4 X 400 meters relay heat during the World Athletics Indoor Championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, on March 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Margarita Salazar, 82, wipes sweat from her forehead in her home during an extreme heat wave in Veracruz, Mexico, on June 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez) People drive along a road littered with fallen power lines after the passing of Hurricane Rafael in San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba, on Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) Palestinian activist Khairi Hanoon walks with the Palestinian flag on a damaged road following an Israeli army raid in Tulkarem, West Bank, on Sept. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) A polar bear and a cub search for scraps in a large pile of bowhead whale bones left from the village's subsistence hunting at the end of an unused airstrip near the village of Kaktovik, Alaska, on Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) Wearing a device that measures his energy consumption, Israel Amputee Football Team player Ben Maman, left, fights for the ball with a young soccer player from a local team during a practice session in Ramat Gan, Israel, on April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) An adult periodical cicada sheds its nymphal skin on May 11, 2024, in Cincinnati. There are two large compound eyes, which are used to visually perceive the world around them, and three small, jewel-like, simple eyes called ocelli at center. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Cairo Consort prepares for a race in the paddock at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., before the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race on May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Pope Francis gestures during an annual gathering of pro-family organizations at the Auditorium della Conciliazione, in Rome, on May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Students beat a policeman with sticks during a protest over a controversial quota system for government job applicants in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Anik Rahman) Members of the Al-Rabaya family break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan outside their home, which was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on March 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) Monuwara Begum and another woman return from a polling station across the Brahmaputra river on the eve of the second phase of India's national election in Sandahkhaiti, a floating island village in the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India, on April 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Yulia Navalnaya, center, widow of Alexey Navalny, stands in a queue with other voters at a polling station near the Russian embassy in Berlin on March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) A fisherman casts his fishing line into the Mediterranean Sea from a rocky area along the coastline in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) In this photo taken with a long exposure, people look at the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, in the night sky on May 10, 2024, in Estacada, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) People help Liudmila, 85, board a bus after their evacuation from Vovchansk, Ukraine, on May 12, 2024. Her husband was killed in their house during a Russian airstrike on the city. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Prisoners reach out from their cell for bread at lunchtime at the Juan de la Vega prison in Emboscada, Paraguay, on July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Actors make final adjustments to their costumes before the start of Ramleela, a dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Rama according to the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana, in New Delhi, India, on Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) Ultra-Orthodox Jews look at part of an intercepted ballistic missile that fell in the desert near the city of Arad, Israel, on April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/ Ohad Zwigenberg) Vero Almarche, right, hugs her neighbor Maria Munoz, who was born in the house where they are photographed and which was destroyed by flooding in Masanasa, Valencia, Spain, on Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) First-graders attend the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
MILAN — Shoppers laden with bags from Fendi, Loewe, Prada and other designer labels clog the narrow sidewalks of Milan's swankiest shopping street, bringing joy to the purveyors of high-end luxury goods this, and every, holiday season. There's even more to celebrate this year: a commercial real estate company crowned Via MonteNapoleone as the world's most expensive retail destination, displacing New York's Fifth Avenue. The latest version of American firm Cushman & Wakefield's annual global index, which ranks shopping areas based on the rent prices they command, is a sign of Via MonteNapoleone's desirability as an address for luxury ready-to-wear, jewelry and even pastry brands. A man walks past a shop Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. The average rent on the Milan street surged to $2,047 per square foot, compared with $2,000 per square foot on an 11-block stretch of upper Fifth Avenue. Via MonteNapoleone's small size — less than a quarter-mile long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street's key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the MonteNapoleone District association. "Not everything can fit, which is a benefit," since the limited space makes the street even more exclusive and dynamic, said Miani, whose group also represents businesses on the intersecting side streets that together with Via MonteNapoleone form an area known as Milan's Fashion Quadrilateral. Women look a shop Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. The biggest brands on the street make 50 million euros to 100 million euros in annual sales, Miani said, which goes a long way to paying the rent. Tiffany & Co. is preparing to take up residence on Via Montenapoleone, and longtime tenant Fendi is expanding. The MonteNapoleone District says 11 million people visited the area this year through November, but there's no way to say how many were big spenders vs. window shoppers. The average shopper on Via MonteNapoleone spent 2,500 euros per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world, according to the tax-free shopping firm Global Blue. The street is a magnet for holiday shoppers who arrive in Maseratis, Porsches and even Ferraris, the sports car's limited trunk space notwithstanding. A mannequin is seen Dec. 12 in a shop in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. Lights twinkle overhead, boutique windows feature mannequins engaged in warm scenes of holiday fun, and passersby snap photos of expertly decorated cakes in pastry shop displays. A visitor from China, Chen Xinghan, waited for a taxi with a half-dozen shopping bags lined up next to him on the sidewalk. He said he paid half the price for a luxury Fendi coat that he purchased in Milan than he would have at home. "I got a lot," Chen acknowledged. "It's a fantastic place, a good place for shopping." A man waits for a taxi Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleon street in Milan, Italy. A few store windows down, Franca Da Rold, who was visiting Milan from Belluno, an Italian city in the Dolomites mountain range, marveled at a chunky, yardslong knit scarf priced at 980 euros. "I could knit that in one hour, using 12-gauge knitting needles as thick as my fingers, and thick wool. Maximum two hours," Da Rold said, but acknowledged the brand appeal. Buildings are decorated Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. Despite upper Fifth Avenue getting bumped to the No. 2 spot on the Cushman & Wakefield list, the organization that serves as the Manhattan street's guardian and chief promoter had praise for MonteNapoleone's achievement. "Milan's investment in its public realm is paying off, which is a win for their shoppers, businesses and city as a whole," said Madelyn Wils, interim president of the Fifth Avenue Association. She also expressed confidence that with new investments and a record year for sales on Fifth Avenue, "we'll be back on top in no time." The holiday season feels a little less jolly considering the amount of waste generated by gift-giving. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the amount of household garbage in the U.S. increases by 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's. After the decorations come down, all that waste heads to landfills, producing a significant contributor to climate change: methane gas. "Greening" the holidays is essential, and one simple tip is to think more about how sustainable the materials are in your decorations, decor, and, of course, gifts. Instead of plastics, you could opt for items that can be reused, are made of renewable materials or natural fibers that boast a smaller environmental impact in both production and durability. Due to consumers' desires for more eco-friendly goods, sustainable materials are among the biggest trends in home decor. Fortunately, there are plenty of affordable—and earth-conscious—home goods that make perfect holiday gifts. Made Trade rounded up a list of sustainable home decor trends in 2025 that offer dozens of creative options for holiday gift-giving. Each trend includes examples of great gifts for the home and advice for ensuring items are sustainably produced or can help create a more eco-friendly space. In the depths of winter's gray days, it's a real gift to see a little green, which is why indoor gardening gifts are a wonderful idea. Not only are they eco-friendly and promote sustainability—the more food you can grow yourself, the less you have to buy—they also foster an appreciation of nature and bring the natural world indoors to enjoy. Sprouting kits and microgreens require minimal amounts of space and sunlight, but a sunny, south-facing window will permit a small herb garden or leafy greens for salads. If you're not sure what kind of light your recipient has access to, go with gifting indoor grow lamps along with the plants, or pick a hardy, low-water houseplant—some can act as natural air purifiers too. When buying gifts for the home, consider what materials the items are made from and how far away they come from—not only are natural materials like rattan, jute, palm leaves, clay, organic cotton and linen, and ceramics more sustainable, but if they are being used by a local craftsperson, gifters are also saving on fossil fuels for the transportation. Plus, you're helping the local economy by supporting local craftspeople, so it's a win-win. Natural fiber pillows, sheets, blankets, and even doormats offer comfort and consideration of the environment. The most sustainable and eco-friendly gift is one you already have, so get creative about reusing materials already in or around your home (raid the recycling bin, find nice pieces of wood outside, wash out and reuse glass jars) to fashion them into new, thoughtful goods. Similarly, think vintage and secondhand—what items can you give a second life to by passing them along to someone who will find new meaning in them? Some of the most thoughtful gifts are small heirlooms—pieces of jewelry or a beloved ceramic dish—passed along to the next generation that will appreciate them. Green technology offers ways to reduce our carbon footprint in everyday life, and smart thermostats, solar lights, smart sprinklers, and smart plugs all make great gifts, saving people money and conserving our valuable resources. For those looking into home renovations or updating decor, try a new light fixture paired with smart blubs, or a new window treatment with smart shades. Even something as simple as a rain barrel can reduce energy use—and while the technology for that isn't very sophisticated, it certainly is, like composting, "smart." Integrated outdoor living is the ultimate gift, allowing us to bring the natural world into our homes. However, doing so sustainably takes a little more effort than simply leaving the doors to the deck open all the time. First, find eco-friendly and sustainable outdoor furniture, perhaps thrifting it or buying it used and fixing it up for a one-of-a-kind gift. If you can't go secondhand, choose furniture made of sustainable materials such as reclaimed wood, recycled plastic (great for outdoor rugs), or bamboo. For smaller gifts, consider solar lights, a water feature that recycles water, a rain barrel, or even a set of handmade wind chimes made from seashells. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on Made Trade and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
Analysis: Protecting QBs from violent late hits like the one that leveled Trevor Lawrence isn't easy
Kashmir Valley woke up to a blanket of heavy snow on Saturday morning, with south and central Kashmir bearing the brunt of the unpredicted weather event. The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Srinagar station had forecast light rain and snowfall for the region on December 27 and 28, but the valley experienced over two feet of snow in some areas, catching residents, authorities, and travellers completely off guard. The failure of weather models to predict this intense spell of snow has raised serious questions about the accuracy and preparedness of the meteorological forecasting system in the region. The inaccurate forecast by the Meteorological Department (MET) in Jammu and Kashmir has created chaos on the ground with many travellers especially tourists found themselves stranded in life-threatening situations. People largely blame the weather department and its current incharge in Jammu and Kashmir Mukhtar Ahmad for the inaccurate prediction that caught everyone off guard. The MET had predicted light rainfall and scattered snowfall in some areas on Friday, but as the day proceeded the plains of Kashmir witnessed heavy snowfall in the afternoon that continued throughout the night leaving people stranded on all the major roads. Meteorologists and independent weather forecasters acknowledged gaps in prediction models, saying the surprise snowfall was due to the region’s unique and variable weather patterns. Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, senior scientist at the IMD, said they rely on global models from Europe, the US, Japan and others for forecasting. “None of the models, whether Indian or global, indicated snowfall of this magnitude,” Dr Mukhtar Ahmad admitted. He said models indicated some precipitation in the Jammu and Chenab Valley regions, but there was no significant indication of such heavy snowfall in south Kashmir. “No model suggested heavy snowfall for KMR Div even yesterday. As per f/c,Rain was expected for plains of JAMMU & light snow over middle & higher reaches of Chenab valley & South KMR & didn’t expect that much moisture flow over South & Central KMR,” Dr. Mukhtar wrote on X. Sonam Lotus, a senior most official in the Weather Department (IMD) in an X post, said, “Yes, we underestimated this #WesternDisturbance. Will investigate what we Missed & Grow.” The inaccurate and unpredicted weather conditions caught travellers and the administration off guard, leading to significant inconvenience and safety concerns. The heavy snowfall caused roadblocks, particularly on high-altitude routes like Sonamarg, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, where tourists were unprepared for the sudden weather shift. At many places, the local villagers had to unlock mosques and their homes to provide shelter to the stranded travellers. “At some places babies are found in cars without milk and other essential supplies,” as per the social media reels and videos. Around 2000 vehicles were stranded on the vital Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the valley’s lifeline due to the snow accumulation. Similarly, the flight operations at Srinagar International Airport were affected, leaving visitors stuck without proper accommodations. The failure of the MeT Department to predict the intensity of snowfall has drawn severe criticism from both locals and tourists on social media. The Hoteliers and travel agencies expressed frustration, stating that better forecasts could have allowed for more preparation and minimized disruption. People took to the social media platforms to express their frustration and backlash against the MET. Those stuck on several roads shared their ordeals, with some posting pictures of being stranded in snowbound vehicles or makeshift shelters. Others tagged the MET department and government authorities, demanding accountability for the oversight. Faizan Arif, an independent weather forecaster, called for enhanced infrastructure and investment in modern meteorological technology to avoid such forecasting errors in the future. “Advanced meteorological infrastructure and technology are urgently needed in the region,” said Arif. He said the absence of state-of-the-art equipment limits the ability to accurately predict such extreme weather events. Arif said this forecasting lapse highlights the need for better weather prediction tools and enhanced preparedness for extreme climatic conditions, especially in a region as vulnerable as Kashmir. Meanwhile, experts have attributed this weather anomaly to La Niña, which often brings unpredictable weather systems, saying increased moisture flow from the Arabian Sea is a contributing factor. “This unseasonal snowfall is a blessing for water resources but highlights the urgent need for better preparedness,” Dr Mukhtar said. With weather forecasts indicating improved weather conditions in the coming days, independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif said this incident serves as a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability to sudden weather changes. It also underscores the pressing need for robust meteorological advancements for upgrading weather prediction infrastructure in the region, he said. “This is a wake-up call for the government to invest in advanced technology for accurate forecasting,” Arif said, highlighting the gap between local capabilities and global standards.BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Celta Vigo gave 10-man Barcelona a shock by scoring two late goals and snatching a 2-2 draw at home in the Spanish league on Saturday. Barcelona was minutes away from a win to pad its league lead after Raphinha and Lewandowski had put Barcelona in control. But the game dramatically swung after Barcelona defensive midfielder Marc Casadó was sent off with a second booking in the 81st. Moments later Jules Koundé’s poor control of a ball in his area allowed Alfon González to pick his pocket and give the hosts hope in the 84th minute. Celta poured forward at Balaidos Stadium and Hugo Álvarez rifled in the 86th-minute equalizer with Barcelona unable to mark the extra man. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press