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(BPT) - The holidays are almost here! It means parties and events, hustle and bustle ... and figuring out what to buy for everyone on your list. Sometimes it's hard to get inspired with great ideas that your nears and dears will love at a price you can afford, right? The good news? Inspiration + savings are covered this year. One of the top gifts of Holiday 2024 is technology, and there are a lot of deals out there right now. Done and done! Here are 5 ideas for hot tech gifts for everyone on your list. Smartphones for the family T-Mobile is running a hot deal right now. Get four new smartphones at T-Mobile — this includes Samsung Galaxy S24 and other eligible devices — and four lines for just $100/month . It doesn't get better than that! These new Galaxy phones are tech-tastic, too, with features like AI, Circle to Search with Google, which can be used to help solve math problems and translate entire pages of text in a different language, and Note Assist with Galaxy AI, which lets you focus on capturing your notes and then Note Assist will summarize, format and even translate them for you. High tech spiral notebook for students We've got to admit, this is pretty cool. The Rocketbook looks (a bit) like a regular spiral, paper notebook. Here's the high tech twist: You can take notes, capture ideas, brainstorm, draw — whatever you do on paper — on the pad, and the Rocketbook digitizes your doodles and saves to the cloud device of your choice. Then you simply wipe the pad clean and it's good to go. Look for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales at your favorite online retailer. Wrist-worthy smartwatches for athletes (or those who want to be) Everyone loves smartwatches (if you're not already tracking your sleep and heart rate, where have you been?) and the Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm & 45mm) takes it to the next level with features for athletes or anyone who may be setting fitness goals for the coming year. The watch has workout prompts like Real Time Guidance — audio and haptic cues for when to sprint, cool down or maintain pace. It gives you the ability to program your workouts and even monitors your cadence and stride. It also has Offline Maps, with driving navigation, search and maps. Here's the deal of the century: Get it for free at T-Mobile when adding a qualifying watch line. Cute wireless keyboard for people who are all thumbs Who else is annoyed by typing email or texts or social posts on a smartphone? The Logitech Multi-Device Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard solves that problem with style! It comes in sweet colors like lavender, it's wireless, it's small and portable, and it works with just about any device. Pop it into your backpack or purse and you'll never have to thumb-out a message again. Speakers perfect for hosting and giving Have a music lover in your life or need the perfect hosting gift? T-Mobile has you covered. For a limited time, you can get the JBL Clip 5 for free when you pick up a Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9 . The JBL Clip 5 is an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker perfect for those on the go and the Onyx Studio 9's sleek design and booming sound will take care of all your holiday hosting needs. For more tech-tastic holiday gift inspiration, check out T-Mobile's holiday gift guide at t-mobile.com/devices/tech-gifts .SHOPPERS are racing to get hold of the best deal on a litre bottle of Baileys as they stock up for Christmas. With just over a month to go until the big day, we wanted to let you know the cheapest place this week to buy a litre of the liqueur. 1 Baileys is on offer at two supermarkets Credit: Alamy Baileys has always been pretty pricey, usually being sold at around £20 for a litre of its original Irish Cream flavour. Supermarkets like Aldi and Asda have their own versions available for those looking for a dupe. But if it's the real thing you're after, you should always check where you can get the most for your money. As always, remember to check elsewhere in case we missed a cheaper price - there's never a bad time to catch a bargain. READ MORE ON XMAS CHRISTMAS BOOZE Martin Lewis reveals the cheapest place to buy 1L of Baileys this week CHOC LOT B&M slashes prices of Quality Street tubs to just £3.50 Prices may vary day to day as well depending on what deals are on, and remember to look at delivery costs too if you're ordering online. There's a really easy-to-use comparison site called Trolley.co.uk, which compares the prices of 130,000 products across 14 major supermarkets. The Latest Deals app also lets you search items and helps you compare prices at several supermarkets to see where it's cheaper. When it comes to Baileys , it is always worth noting that the closer to Christmas we get the more likely it is that even better deals will crop up. Most read in Money BEER WE GO Map reveals cheapest and most expensive pint at UK Christmas markets CHEERS! The best Scots island pubs revealed - from seaside bar to 230-year-old boozer FESTIVE BEER Full list of Wetherspoons opening in Scotland on Xmas Day, is one near you? XMAS TIME Huge homeware chain with 230 locations to close ALL stores for 3 days this Xmas Back in 2022, Tesco was selling a litre for £7.50 - which is its lowest price ever. By using Trolley and Google shopping we've narrowed down some of the cheapest places for you to grab a bottle of Baileys this week. I tried Baileys dupes from all the supermarkets – three tasted just the same but my winning Irish Cream is also a steal, Please drink responsibly and for advice or support about drinking alcohol please visit drinkaware.co.uk Cheapest shops to buy Baileys this week Retail giant Sainsbury's has slashed the price of its Baileys 1L bottles to £10 for customers. The deal is available to those with a Nectar Card, which slashes the usual price of £21.95 down by more than half. You can sign up for the scheme for free online or in store. Nectar customers can add the card to their Sainsbury's Groceries account when they check out to access all sorts of discounts. For those shopping in person, all you need to do is scan the Nectar card or app on your phone to bag the bargain. What is loyalty pricing? You may have heard of loyalty pricing, but do you know what it is? Sainsbury's, Tesco and Morrisons are three supermarkets that offer customers signed up to their loyalty schemes exclusive discounts - known as loyalty pricing. All three retailer's schemes, Nectar Card, Clubcard and More Card, are free to sign up to as well. The obvious advantage to loyalty pricing is that you can save potentially hundreds of pounds a year on your shopping, all without spending a penny. But different supermarkets offer exclusive discounts on different products, so do some research before doing your shopping. Either way, be wary of supermarkets artificially inflating prices to make it seem like you're getting a better deal than you are. A previous investigation by consumer group Which? found Sainsbury's and Tesco have increased the price of everyday goods then slapped loyalty prices on them thinking customers wouldn't notice. Either way, it's worth shopping around though. Supermarkets change their prices all the time, sometimes multiple times daily, so it's worth researching to ensure you're getting the best price on an item. You can use websites like Trolley to see how the major supermarket's compare in terms of price on any number of goods. Tesco also has the same deal for shoppers through its loyalty scheme. A litre of the original Irish Cream is now just £10 with a Clubcard, a whopping saving of £12. Despite being a festive favourite it's the cheapest it's been all year. The deal is running until December 9, so shoppers need to be quick to snatch the tipple. You can sign up for Tesco's Clubcard scheme for free and bag special prices like this one. Loyalty members can collect points every time they shop which then can be exchanged for vouchers. If you don't have a Nectar or Clubcard then you'll be stuck paying full price which is £21.95 and £22 respectively. The next cheapest stores selling the liqueur are Ocado and Asda which are both selling a litre for £13. Read more on the Scottish Sun FESTIVE FIZZ Coca-Cola Christmas truck in Scotland: Dates, locations & all you need to know AND RELAX Scots seaside hotel with outdoor hot tub and firepit named UK's top spa resort Morrisons is the most expensive chain, selling a bottle for £22. But it's worth noting that at the beginning of November the supermarket was selling a bottle for £8.50 - the cheapest its been all year - so do keep an eye out for better deals. How to save money on Christmas shopping Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping. Limit the amount of presents - buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb. Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you're not having to buy multiple presents. Plan ahead - if you've got the stamina and budget, it's worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales. Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you're not forking out more than you should though. Buy in Boxing Day sales - some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25. Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent. Shop via outlet stores - you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts. They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump offered a public show of support Friday for Pete Hegseth, his choice to lead the Defense Department, whose confirmation by the Senate is in doubt as he faces questions over allegations of excessive drinking, sexual assault and his views on women in combat roles. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump's Pentagon. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well," Trump posted on his social media site. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" The nomination battle is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hard-line push for a more masculine military and an end to the "woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, said Friday those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies, which he called problematic. “The nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth. Hegseth embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in government who are not aligned with Trump. Trump's allies forcefully rallied around Hegseth — the Heritage Foundation's political arm promised to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination — as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. He said he spoke with GOP senators and believes Hegseth will be confirmed. The effort became a test of Trump's clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump's first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, "Like you, we will never back down." Hegseth faces resistance from senators as reports emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. He promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops came under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women "straight up" should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth received from Sen. Joni Ernst, a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after meeting with Hegseth this week. On Friday, Ernst posted on X that she would meet with him again next week. “At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she wrote. On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team were pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as "vicious lies" against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team is looking at potential replacements, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Dec. 14 Army-Navy football game with Trump, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor's plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. DeSantis is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump's orbit.
Gus Atkinson claimed a superb hat-trick as England took command of the second Test against New Zealand, knocking over the home side’s tail in style. The Surrey seamer took out Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee with three successive deliveries, the 15th time an English bowler has achieved the feat in Test cricket. Atkinson turned the heat on the Black Caps in his ninth over, racking up three different modes of dismissal to end their innings on 125 and hand the tourists a lead of 155. The 26-year-old uprooted Smith’s middle stump with the third ball of his over, then had Henry backing away from a short ball that he fended to Ben Duckett at gully. Last man Tim Southee stood between Atkinson and a place in the history books but had no answer as the ball came full and straight, smashing his front pad dead in front of middle stump. Southee reviewed the lbw decision in hope more than expectation but England’s celebrations were already well under way. Rod Tucker raised his finger for a second time to seal the deal, with Atkinson registering the 50th Test hat-trick in world cricket – 47 in the men’s game and three in the women’s. The last player to get one was South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj in 2021, with Moeen Ali the most recent to do so for England, against the Proteas at the Oval in 2017. Stuart Broad took two in his career, making Atkinson the 14th England player on the list. Brydon Carse had earlier dismissed Tom Blundell and Will O’Rourke in the space of three deliveries as New Zealand lost their last five batters for 39.By Stephanie Lai and Hadriana Lowenkron, Bloomberg News Donald Trump says he is selecting venture capitalist David Sacks of Craft Ventures LLC to serve as his artificial intelligence and crypto czar, a newly created position that underscores the president-elect’s intent to boost two rapidly developing industries. “David will guide policy for the Administration in Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency, two areas critical to the future of American competitiveness. David will focus on making America the clear global leader in both areas,” Trump said Thursday in a post on his Truth Social network. Trump said that Sacks would also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. In Sacks, Trump is tapping one of his most prominent Silicon Valley supporters and fundraisers for a prime position in his administration. Sacks played a key role in bolstering Trump’s fundraising among technology industry donors, including co-hosting an event at his San Francisco home in June, with tickets at $300,000 a head. He is also closely associated with Vice President-elect JD Vance, the investor-turned-Ohio senator. Sacks is a venture capitalist and part of Silicon Valley’s “PayPal Mafia.” He first made his name in the technology industry during a stint as the chief operating officer of PayPal, the payments company whose founders in the late 1990s included billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and investor Peter Thiel. After it was sold to eBay, Sacks turned to Hollywood, where he produced the 2005 satire Thank You for Smoking. Back in Silicon Valley, he founded workplace communications company Yammer, which was bought by Microsoft Corp. in 2012 for $1.2 billion. He founded his own venture capital firm, Craft Ventures, in 2017 and has invested in Musk-owned businesses, including SpaceX. Sacks said on a recent episode of his All-In podcast that a “key man” clause in the agreements of his venture firm’s legal documents would likely prevent him from taking a full-time position, but he might consider an advisory role in the new administration. A Craft spokeswoman said Sacks would not be leaving Craft. In his post, Trump said Sacks “will safeguard Free Speech online, and steer us away from Big Tech bias and censorship.” Protecting free speech is a keen interest of Sacks. He regularly speaks about “woke” interests that try to muzzle unpopular opinions and positions. The new post is expected to help spearhead the crypto industry deregulation Trump promised on the campaign trail. The role is expected to provide cryptocurrency advocates a direct line to the White House and serve as a liaison between Trump, Congress and the federal agencies that interface with digital assets, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Trump heavily campaigned on supporting crypto, after previously disparaging digital assets during his first White House term, saying their “value is highly volatile and based on thin air.” The president-elect on Thursday said Sacks would “work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.” During the campaign, Trump spoke at a Bitcoin conference, accepted crypto campaign donations and met with executives from Bitcoin mining companies and crypto exchanges multiple times. Trump’s desire to give priority to the digital asset industry is also reflected in his close allies and cabinet selections, including his Commerce secretary pick, Howard Lutnick, and Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent. On the AI front, Sacks would help Trump put his imprint on an emerging technology whose popular use has exploded in recent years. Sacks is poised to be at the front lines in determining how the federal government both adopts AI and regulates its use as advances in the technology and adoption by consumers pose a wide array of benefits as well as risks touching on national security, privacy, jobs and other areas. The president-elect has expressed both awe at the power of AI technology as well as concern over the potential harms from its use. During his first term, he signed executive orders that sought to maintain US leadership in the field and directed the federal government to prioritize AI in research and development spending. As AI has become more mainstream in recent years and with Congress slow to act, President Joe Biden has sought to fill that void. Biden signed an executive order in 2023 that establishes security and privacy protections and requires developers to safety-test new models, casting the sweeping regulatory order as necessary to safeguard consumers. A number of technology giants have also agreed to adopt a set of voluntary safeguards which call for them to test AI systems for discriminatory tendencies or security flaws and to share those results. Trump has vowed to repeal Biden’s order. The Republican Party’s 2024 platform dismissed Biden’s executive order as one that “hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology.” Sacks can be expected to work closely with Musk, the world’s richest person and one of the president-elect’s most prominent supporters. Musk is also a player in the AI space with his company xAI and a chatbot named Grok — efforts which pit him against Silicon Valley’s giants — and he stands to wield significant influence within the incoming administration. The appointment won’t require Sacks to divest or publicly disclose his assets. Like Musk, Sacks will be a special government employee. He can serve a maximum of 130 days per year, with or without compensation. However, conflict of interest rules apply to special government employees, meaning Sacks will have to recuse himself from matters that could impact his holdings. Sacks’s Craft Ventures is known more for enterprise software investing than for crypto, but it has made a few crypto investments, including BitGo and Bitwise. Still, Sacks has firm opinions on the sector. Speaking last month on All-In, Sacks praised a bill on crypto regulation that had passed in the U.S. House but not the Senate earlier this year. The Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act would regulate certain types of digital assets as a commodity, regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. “The crypto industry basically wants a really clear line for knowing when they’re a commodity and they want commodities to be governed, like all other commodities, by the CFTC,” he said on the November podcast. He also disparaged some of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s positions on crypto under its chair, Gary Gensler. “The days of Gensler terrifying crypto companies,” he said. “Those days are about to be over.” Earlier this week, Trump nominated crypto advocate Paul Atkins to lead the SEC. With assistance from Zoe Ma, Bill Allison, Sarah McBride, Anne VanderMey and stacy-marie ishmael. ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Premier League leaders Liverpool ruthlessly exploited another slip by their title rivals to move seven points clear with a match in hand after a 3-1 win over Leicester. Chelsea’s surprise defeat at home to Fulham earlier in the day had been an unexpected gift for Arne Slot’s side and they drove home their advantage by outclassing the struggling Foxes. Having overcome the early setback of conceding to Jordan Ayew, with even the travelling fans expressing their surprise they were winning away after taking just five points on the road this season, the home team had too much quality. That was personified by the excellent Cody Gakpo, whose eighth goal in his last 14 appearances produced the equaliser in first-half added time with the Netherlands international unlucky to have a second ruled out for offside by VAR. Further goals from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah, with his 19th of the season, stretched Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 22 matches. For Leicester, who had slipped into the bottom three after Wolves’ win over Manchester United, it is now one win from the last 10 in the league and Ruud van Nistelrooy has plenty of work to do, although he was not helped here by the absence of leading scorer Jamie Vardy through injury. It looked liked Liverpool meant business from the off with Salah’s volley from Gakpo’s far-post cross just being kept out by Jakub Stolarczyk, making his league debut after former Liverpool goalkeeper Danny Ward was omitted from the squad having struggled in the defeat to Wolves. But if the hosts thought that had set the tone they were badly mistaken after being opened up with such simplicity in only the sixth minute. Stephy Mavididi broke down the left and his low cross picked out Ayew, who turned Andy Robertson far too easily, with his shot deflecting off Virgil van Dijk to take it just out of Alisson Becker’s reach. With a surprise lead to cling to Leicester knew they had to quell the storm heading their way and they began by trying to take as much time out of the game as they could, much to Anfield’s frustration. It took a further 18 minutes for Liverpool to threaten with Gakpo cutting in from the left to fire over, a precursor for what was to follow just before half-time. That was the prompt for the attacks to rain down on the Foxes goal, with Salah’s shot looping up off Victor Kristiansen and landing on the roof of the net and Robertson heading against a post. Gakpo’s inclination to come in off the left was proving a problem for the visitors, doing their utmost to resist the pressure, but when Salah curled a shot onto the crossbar on the stroke of half-time it appeared they had survived. However, Gakpo once again drifted in off the flank to collect an Alexis Mac Allister pass before curling what is fast becoming his trademark effort over Stolarczyk and inside the far post. Early the second half Darwin Nunez fired over Ryan Gravenberch’s cross before Jones side-footed home Mac Allister’s cross after an intricate passing move inside the penalty area involving Nunez, Salah and the Argentina international. Leicester’s ambition remained limited but Patson Daka should have done better from a two-on-one counter attack with Mavididi but completely missed his kick with the goal looming. Nunez forced a save out of the goalkeeper before Gakpo blasted home what he thought was his second only for VAR to rule Nunez was offside in the build-up. But Liverpool’s third was eventually delivered by the left foot of Salah, who curled the ball outside Kristiansen, inside Jannick Vestergaard and past Stolarczyk inside the far post.
(BPT) - The holidays are almost here! It means parties and events, hustle and bustle ... and figuring out what to buy for everyone on your list. Sometimes it's hard to get inspired with great ideas that your nears and dears will love at a price you can afford, right? The good news? Inspiration + savings are covered this year. One of the top gifts of Holiday 2024 is technology, and there are a lot of deals out there right now. Done and done! Here are 5 ideas for hot tech gifts for everyone on your list. Smartphones for the family T-Mobile is running a hot deal right now. Get four new smartphones at T-Mobile — this includes Samsung Galaxy S24 and other eligible devices — and four lines for just $100/month . It doesn't get better than that! These new Galaxy phones are tech-tastic, too, with features like AI, Circle to Search with Google, which can be used to help solve math problems and translate entire pages of text in a different language, and Note Assist with Galaxy AI, which lets you focus on capturing your notes and then Note Assist will summarize, format and even translate them for you. High tech spiral notebook for students We've got to admit, this is pretty cool. The Rocketbook looks (a bit) like a regular spiral, paper notebook. Here's the high tech twist: You can take notes, capture ideas, brainstorm, draw — whatever you do on paper — on the pad, and the Rocketbook digitizes your doodles and saves to the cloud device of your choice. Then you simply wipe the pad clean and it's good to go. Look for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales at your favorite online retailer. Wrist-worthy smartwatches for athletes (or those who want to be) Everyone loves smartwatches (if you're not already tracking your sleep and heart rate, where have you been?) and the Google Pixel Watch 3 (41mm & 45mm) takes it to the next level with features for athletes or anyone who may be setting fitness goals for the coming year. The watch has workout prompts like Real Time Guidance — audio and haptic cues for when to sprint, cool down or maintain pace. It gives you the ability to program your workouts and even monitors your cadence and stride. It also has Offline Maps, with driving navigation, search and maps. Here's the deal of the century: Get it for free at T-Mobile when adding a qualifying watch line. Cute wireless keyboard for people who are all thumbs Who else is annoyed by typing email or texts or social posts on a smartphone? The Logitech Multi-Device Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard solves that problem with style! It comes in sweet colors like lavender, it's wireless, it's small and portable, and it works with just about any device. Pop it into your backpack or purse and you'll never have to thumb-out a message again. Speakers perfect for hosting and giving Have a music lover in your life or need the perfect hosting gift? T-Mobile has you covered. For a limited time, you can get the JBL Clip 5 for free when you pick up a Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 9 . The JBL Clip 5 is an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker perfect for those on the go and the Onyx Studio 9's sleek design and booming sound will take care of all your holiday hosting needs. For more tech-tastic holiday gift inspiration, check out T-Mobile's holiday gift guide at t-mobile.com/devices/tech-gifts .
Bamboo Technology's HereHear Virtual AI Therapist Joins Berkeley Skydeck IPP ProgramTeen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in ‘Baby Driver,’ dies after falling from moving vehicleThe House-passed Social Security Fairness Act enjoys rare bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, yet the odds of it getting enacted are growing smaller with each passing day. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to schedule a vote on the bill that would expand Social Security benefits to roughly 2.8 million retirees. Schumer, a Democrat and cosponsor of the legislation, could invoke a Senate rule that would skip a committee hearing and send the bill directly to a floor vote by the full Senate. The legislation would eliminate a provision that cuts Social Security payments to some retirees who also collect a pension from jobs not covered by the retirement program. That includes state and federal workers like teachers, police officers and U.S. postal workers. It would also end a second provision that reduces Social Security benefits for those workers' surviving spouses and family members. "With just eight legislative days remaining in the 118th Congress, Sen. Schumer, a cosponsor of Senate bill S.597, must now step up and take action. It's time for him to follow through and bring it to the floor for a vote," Shannon Benton executive director of The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), told CBS MoneyWatch on Friday. The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) "penalize families across the country who worked a public service job for part of their career with a separate pension," Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy told colleagues earlier in the week. When those workers "have second jobs, second careers or get married, they receive less from Social Security than if they had never worked in public service at all. That's not right." In an impassioned speech , Cassidy called on Schumer to schedule a vote, saying lawmakers would approve the legislation. "If Schumer brings it up, it'll pass," Cassidy stated of the bill, which has 62 sponsors. A similar plea was also made by New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who late last month held a press conference to urge passage of the measure. "Retired teachers &firefighters deserve access to the Social Security benefits they've earned. That's why I'm working to repeal provisions that unfairly reduce Social Security benefits for public servants. Let's get it done!" Gillibrand also posted on social media. Introduced by Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garret Graves, R-La., the bill was passed by the House on Nov. 11 in a 327-75 vote. The following day, Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, wrote to Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican of Kentucky, urging action. "You have the opportunity to bring this bill across the finish line," they stated in a letter. Various forms of the measure have been introduced over the years, but like many legislative proposals, they had failed to get enacted. "I've been working at the league 25 years, and I don't remember ever not having a version," said Benton. "There is so much momentum, if it doesn't get passed now, a lot of people will lose hope." Schumer did not respond to requests for comment. "His office will probably say something about not having time because of the confirmation hearings, etc. We say, 'Add a day to the schedule.' It's been done before," Benton said. Kate Gibson is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch in New York, where she covers business and consumer finance.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, Army National Guard major and combat veteran, spent much of the week on Capitol Hill trying to salvage his Cabinet nomination and privately reassure Republican senators that he is fit to lead Trump's Pentagon. "Pete Hegseth is doing very well," Trump posted on his social media site. "He will be a fantastic, high energy, Secretary of Defense." The president added that "Pete is a WINNER, and there is nothing that can be done to change that!!!" The nomination battle is emerging not only as a debate about the best person to lead the Pentagon, but an inflection point for a MAGA movement that appears to be relishing a public fight over its hard-line push for a more masculine military and an end to the "woke-ism" of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Military leaders are rattled by a list of “woke” senior officers that a conservative group urged Hegseth to dismiss for promoting diversity in the ranks if he is confirmed to lead the Pentagon. The list compiled by the American Accountability Foundation includes 20 general officers or senior admirals and a disproportionate number of female officers. It has had a chilling effect on the Pentagon’s often frank discussions as leaders try to figure out how to address the potential firings and diversity issues under Trump. Those on the list in many cases seem to be targeted for public comments they made either in interviews or at events on diversity, and in some cases for retweeting posts that promote diversity. Tom Jones, a former aide to Republican senators who leads the foundation, said Friday those on the list are “pretty egregious” advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, policies, which he called problematic. “The nominee has been pretty clear that that has no place in the military,” Jones said of Hegseth. Hegseth embraced Trump’s effort to end programs that promote diversity in the ranks and fire those who reflect those values. Other Trump picks, like Kash Patel for FBI director, have suggested targeting those in government who are not aligned with Trump. Trump's allies forcefully rallied around Hegseth — the Heritage Foundation's political arm promised to spend $1 million to shore up his nomination — as he vows to stay in the fight, as long as the president-elect wants him to. "We're not abandoning this nomination," Vice-President-elect JD Vance said as he toured post-hurricane North Carolina. He said he spoke with GOP senators and believes Hegseth will be confirmed. The effort became a test of Trump's clout and of how far loyalty for the president-elect goes with Republican senators who have concerns about his nominees. Two of Trump's other choices stepped aside as they faced intense scrutiny: former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., his first choice for attorney general, and Chad Chronister, a Florida sheriff who was Trump's first choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. Thanking the president-elect for the support, Hegseth posted on social media, "Like you, we will never back down." Hegseth faces resistance from senators as reports emerged about his past, including the revelation that he made a settlement payment after being accused of a sexual assault that he denies. He promised not to drink on the job and told lawmakers he never engaged in sexual misconduct, even as his professional views on female troops came under intensifying scrutiny. He said as recently as last month that women "straight up" should not serve in combat. He picked up one important endorsement from Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama, whose support was seen as a potentially powerful counterweight to the cooler reception Hegseth received from Sen. Joni Ernst, a former Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. Ernst, who is also a sexual assault survivor, stopped short of an endorsement after meeting with Hegseth this week. On Friday, Ernst posted on X that she would meet with him again next week. “At a minimum, we agree that he deserves the opportunity to lay out his vision for our warfighters at a fair hearing,” she wrote. On Friday, Trump put out the statement in response to coverage saying he lost faith in Hegseth, according to a person familiar with his thinking who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. The president-elect and his team were pleased to see Hegseth putting up a fight and his performance this week reiterates why he was chosen, the person said. They believe he can still be confirmed. If Hegseth goes down, Trump's team believes the defeat would empower others to spread what they cast as "vicious lies" against every candidate Trump chooses. Still, Trump's transition team is looking at potential replacements, including former presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis plans to attend the Dec. 14 Army-Navy football game with Trump, according to a person familiar with the Florida governor's plans who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. DeSantis and Trump spoke about the defense secretary post Tuesday at a memorial service for sheriff deputies in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to people familiar with the matter who said Trump was interested in DeSantis for the post, and the governor was receptive. DeSantis is poised to select a replacement for the expected Senate vacancy to be created by Marco Rubio becoming secretary of state, and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump is seen as the preferred choice by those in Trump's orbit.As we draw closer to January, leaks and speculation around Nvidia's next-generation RTX 50-series GPUs are echoing all over the internet. The latest scoop comes from renowned leaker Kopite7kimi providing insights into Nvidia's midrange Blackwell graphics cards, the RTX 5070 Ti and GeForce RTX 5070. As per the leaks, the RTX 5070 Ti is set to feature the GB203-300-A1 GPU, equipped with 8,960 CUDA cores, offering a substantial increase in processing power compared to its predecessor. The card is rumored to include 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM on a 256-bit memory interface, providing enhanced memory bandwidth for demanding applications such as 4K gaming and video editing. Recommended Videos Its total graphics power (TGP) is estimated at 300 watts, indicating high power requirements aligned with its performance capabilities. It is also speculated that the upcoming GPU will be capable of matching the performance of last-gen's RTX 4080. Get... Kunal Khullar
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions spent three months scoring at a historic rate. Now with the weather changing outside, they’re winning with old school football, too. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two scores , David Montgomery added a third TD run and Detroit's increasingly stingy defense kept the Indianapolis Colts out of the end zone on Sunday, leading the Lions to their ninth straight win, 24-6. “This is, whatever it is, 10 quarters without allowing a touchdown and the three last games in the second half we're not allowing it,” coach Dan Campbell said. “We talk about it all the time — limiting points, play physical style, shut down the run — we were able to do that.” They've been doing it all season in their greatest run in decades, but have been more effective lately and it has shown. The Lions improved to 10-1 for the first time since 1934, their inaugural season in the Motor City. They own the league's longest active winning streak and are 6-0 on the road this season. While the Lions have scored points by the dozens all season, Campbell's preference for physical football means they're equally capable of grinding out wins with the combination of a ball-control offense and an ascending defense that propelled them to this win. Gibbs finished with 21 carries for 90 yards on a day Goff went 26 of 36 with 269 yards and no touchdowns. And for the third straight week, all against AFC South foes, the Lions had a second-half shutout. “If you can win on the road, you're normally a pretty damn good team,” Campbell said. “And we can win on the road.” The Colts (5-7) found out the hard way by losing their second straight home game and for the fourth time in their past five games. Anthony Richardson had another up-and-down game , going 11 of 28 with 172 yards while rushing 10 times for 61 yards. But it was Indy's inability to finish drives with touchdowns that again cost the team. That flaw was evident right from the start when Richardson took the Colts inside the Lions 5-yard line on the game's first series and settled for a short field goal when they couldn't punch it in. “We've got to take advantage of our opportunities,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “This league comes down to inches, it comes down to yards and you've got to take advantage of those opportunities. We've had issues down in the red zone and you have to look at the tape and clean it up.” Detroit made Indy pay dearly for its offensive miscues. Gibbs' 1-yard TD run on the Lions' second series made it 7-3 early in the second quarter and after Indy settled for another short field goal, Montgomery spun his way across the goal line for a 6-yard TD and a 14-6 lead. Detroit's defense made sure that was all the scoring punch it needed. “Those players, we've been around each other long enough, they've been around each other to know exactly what we're looking for,” Campbell said. “We have an identity about us. We know the critical factors as they pertain to winning, and those guys take that stuff serious.” Gibbs' 5-yard TD run late in the third quarter gave Detroit a 21-6 lead and they closed it out with a 56-yard field goal midway through the fourth. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 62 yards for Detroit while Michael Pittman Jr. had six catches for 96 yards for Indy despite leaving briefly in the first half with an injured shoulder. Gibbs' first score extended Detroit's league record to 25 consecutive games with a TD run, including the playoffs. He's also the third Lions player with 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs in each of his first two pro seasons with Detroit, joining Billy Sims and Barry Sanders. Gibbs and Montgomery have each scored at least one TD in the same game nine times. Lions: Things got ugly during a third-quarter flurry. Receiver-punt returner Kalif Raymond (foot), left tackle Taylor Decker (right leg) and Montgomery (shoulder) all left in quick succession. Raymond and Montgomery did not return. Decker did. CB Carlton Davis II left early in the fourth with what appeared to be a left knee injury. Colts: Indy deactivated left tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee), forcing the Colts to again use three rookie linemen. Receivers Ashton Dulin (ankle) and Josh Downs (shoulder) both left in the second half. Downs returned, Dulin did not. Lions: Host Chicago in its traditional Thanksgiving Day game. Colts: Visit New England next Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLOn Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here . Saquon Barkley has become the Shohei Ohtani of the NFL. There’s no better home run hitter playing football right now. Barkley had touchdown runs of 72 and 70 yards for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. He now has five runs of 50-plus yards this season and is on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984. Barkley’s historic performance against the Rams — his 255 yards set a team record — captivated a national audience and turned him into a fan favorite for the AP NFL MVP award. He’s not the betting favorite, however. Josh Allen has the best odds at plus-150, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook. Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is next at plus-250 followed by Barkley at plus-400. Running backs have won the award 18 times, including three-time winner Jim Brown, who was the AP’s first NFL MVP in 1957. Quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 45 times. Only three players who weren’t QBs or RBs have been MVP. It takes a special season for a non-QB to win it mainly because the offense goes through the signal caller. Quarterbacks handle the ball every offensive snap, run the show and get the credit when things go well and the blame when it doesn’t. Adrian Peterson was the most recent non-QB to win it when he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings in 2012. Playing for a winning team matters, too. Nine of the past 11 winners played for a No. 1 seed with the other two winners on a No. 2 seed. The Vikings earned the sixth seed when Pederson was MVP. Barkley is a major reason why the Eagles (9-2) are leading the NFC East and only trail Detroit (10-1) by one game for the top spot in the conference. Does he have a realistic chance to win the MVP award? Kicker Mark Moseley was the MVP in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he made 20 of 21 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points in nine games for Washington. If voters once selected a kicker, everyone has a chance, especially a game-changer such as Barkley. Defensive tackle Alan Page was the MVP in 1971 and linebacker Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986. Running back Christian McCaffrey finished third in voting last year and wide receiver Justin Jefferson placed fifth in 2022. The Offensive Player of the Year award and Defensive Player of the Year award recognize the best all-around players on both sides of the ball, allowing voters to recognize non-QBs if they choose. Wide receivers and running backs have won the AP OPOY award seven times over the past 11 seasons. McCaffrey was the 2023 winner. The AP’s new voting format introduced in 2022 also gives non-QBs a better opportunity to get MVP recognition. Voter submit their top five picks for each award, with a weighted point system. Previously, voters made one choice for each award. A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league vote for MVP and seven other awards. The awards are based on regular-season performance. The Chiefs (10-1) and Bills (9-2) already are in position to lock up postseason berths right after Thanksgiving. Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with a win over Las Vegas on Black Friday and a loss by Miami on Thursday night, or a win plus a loss by Denver on Monday night. Buffalo can wrap up a fifth straight AFC East title with a victory over San Francisco on Sunday and a loss by the Dolphins. It’s not a given that the Dallas Cowboys will be looking for a new head coach after this season. Owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday on local radio that Mike McCarthy could end up getting a contract extension. “I don’t think that’s crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left,” Jones said. McCarthy led the Cowboys (4-7) to three straight 12-win seasons, but they went 1-3 in the playoffs and haven’t reached the NFC championship game since winning the Super Bowl 29 years ago. Injuries have contributed to the team’s struggles this season, but Dallas was just 3-5 before Dak Prescott was lost for the rest of the season. The Cowboys upset Washington last week and their next four games are against teams that currently have losing records. If they somehow end up 9-8 or even 8-9, Jones could make a case for keeping McCarthy. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Simmons scores 19 as Gardner-Webb takes down SE Louisiana 73-69Willmar City Council to have final budget review Tuesday, Nov. 26
Lighting a Christmas tree is an old-fashioned tradition but it was the intersection of new-fangled technology and Christmas spirit that was on the mind of Bobby Clue Thursday night. Clue, executive director of the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, was one of those to share words of greeting to those assembled on the Fountain Square for the ceremonial lighting of the community Christmas tree in the center of downtown Somerset. And Clue took the occasion to remind those observing about the importance of peace and goodwill — particularly this time of year, and particularly via the online channels that often provide individuals the opportunity to share less than charitable thoughts about their neighbors. “In today’s world, I fear we are often consumed with negative and hurtful comments, comments that are often hurled from a distance on social media,” said Clue. “We must do better with our comments that we use toward others.” Despite the frigid temperatures braved by those who came out for the ceremony, which dropped down into the low 20s, the message of keeping one’s heart warm like the glowing bulbs on the tree itself was Clue’s focus on the evening. Bobby Clue, Executive Director of the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, speaks at Thursday’s tree lighting ceremony on the Fountain Square. “Be the reason someone smiles today. Be the reason someone feels loved. Be the reason someone sleeps better tonight, not worse,” he said. “If we want better in the world, we must all work to be a better version of ourselves, and practicing kindness can have more of an impact on a person than you could ever imagine.” Clue then wished everyone a “wonderful Christmas” and expressed hope that people “truly remember the reason for the season” and that they take him up on his challenge to make a positive impact in someone’s life this holiday season. Merry sentiments were also shared by City of Somerset Mayor Alan Keck and Pulaski County Judge-Executive Marshall Todd, both of whom received the opportunity to speak at the tree lighting ceremony. “This is one of the most special nights of the year, regardless of the weather, for a lot of reasons,” said Keck. “... We get to celebrate a real light, and we get to do it in a country where we get to do that freely, largely free of persecution. I pray, I hope and trust that we never take that for granted, but also tonight, we get to celebrate these kiddos, we get to celebrate community, coming together to celebrate a beautiful cause — not just Christmas, but again, that sense of community.” The “kiddos” mentioned by Keck were there to see Santa Claus, who made one of his multiple scheduled stops in Pulaski County this holiday season on Thursday. Santa — assisted by local musician Tommy Cate — read aloud from Clement Clarke Moore’s beloved “A Visit from St. Nicholas” or “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and also sang favorite tunes with kids while playing the guitar for his annual “Santa Jam.” Todd was pleased that the crowd was bigger than he expected considering the chilly weather. “This is where memories are made,” said Todd. “I was thinking previously ... back when I was much younger, we would come to town around Christmastime, and all these streets, if you remember back far enough, they all had tinsel and stuff across all the lights and the wires across the street, and it was all decorated ... “We’re here to make memories, to play on family traditions, and lots of things that go on in the holiday season, but we just want to remember that the reason for the season is the birth of our savior,” he added. “Just remember that, and don’t get caught up in all the hoopla of shopping and doing all the things we do at Christmas. Just remember the main reason for the season.” Somerset Mayor Alan Keck and Pulaski County Judge-Executive Marshall Todd flip the ceremonial switch that turns on the lights of the community Christmas tree on Thursday. Keck and Todd pulled the ceremonial switch together, as is local custom, to officially turn on the lights for the community Christmas tree for the 2024 holiday season. The lights typically remain on though Christmas to the new year, and provide an attractive sight for those driving around the Fountain Square. The tree — an 18-foot-tall artificial pine — has been up since November 15, largely due to timing issues and the opportunity to do the work in favorable weather. In recent years, the lighting ceremony has taken place a couple days before the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, so that the tree would be lit already for the parade; in the past, the lights were turned on at parade’s end. This year’s Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade will take place this weekend, Saturday, December 7, beginning at 5 p.m. at Meece Middle School and following the same route as in past years, ending at the Judicial Center parking lot. The parade travels a route of approximately 1.4 miles, west along East Mt. Vernon Street, turning north onto College Street, west on Oak Street, then south on Main Street and around the Fountain Square and back onto East Mt. Vernon Street and South Central Avenue, ending at the Judicial Center parking lot. U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers and his wife Cynthia are scheduled to appear as the parade’s Grand Marshals this year. For those who didn’t want to brave the cold, the tree lighting ceremony was broadcast on the Chamber’s Facebook page with co-emcees Laura Glover and Angie Travis, co-chairs of the Christmas Parade. The parade will be broadcast online as well for those who wish to view from home. A view of the community Christmas tree on the Fountain Square following Thursday's lighting ceremony. It’s a busy time of year for the Chamber’s Clue — almost as busy as for Santa Claus himself — but he was happy to be on hand for Thursday’s tree lighting and happy that so many others came out as well to share in the fellowship and festivities. “It’s a surprisingly large crowd, considering how cold it is; I think that we have as many people (on Thursday) as we did last year, and it’s at least 30 degrees cooler,” said Clue that night following the event’s conclusion. “So I’m very happy with the crowd, and if you didn’t make it out, that’s okay. We’ve given those people at home a really good experience (watching online) as well.”Google’s Genie 2 “world model” reveal leaves more questions than answers - Ars TechnicaCLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber's first venture into free agency turned into a return trip. The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner agreed Friday to rejoin the Cleveland Guardians after making just two starts last season before undergoing Tommy John surgery, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Bieber had been expected to leave the AL Central champions. But he's coming back after agreeing to a one-year, $14 million contract that includes a $16 million player option for 2026, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Bieber’s deal will pay him $10 million in salary and includes a $4 million buyout. The 29-year-old only pitched twice in 2024 before having the surgery on his elbow that bothered him during the previous campaign. Bieber felt discomfort in his start on opening day against the Oakland Athletics and again when he faced the Seattle Mariners his next outing. Bieber didn't allow a run in either start, and the club had been encouraged by his velocity and dominance (20 strikeouts). But the elbow became too painful and Bieber elected to have the ligament-replacement surgery. If his recovery follows a normal timeline, Bieber should be back in Cleveland's rotation within the first three months of next season. The Guardians feared his loss would hurt them last season, but the club got off to a fast start under first-year manager Stephen Vogt and ran away with the division title. Cleveland eliminated Detroit in the AL Division Series before losing the ALCS to the New York Yankees in five games. Bieber spent chunks of last season with the team and he received a huge ovation at Progressive Field when he was introduced before the postseason series. The two-time All-Star has spent all seven of his big league seasons with Cleveland, which had contemplated trading him before his elbow issues in 2023 limited him to 21 starts. During the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020, Bieber went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA over 12 starts and 77 1/3 innings with 122 strikeouts. He led the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. He was selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2016 amateur draft out of UC Santa Barbara and made his major league debut two years later on his 23rd birthday. Bieber has a career record of 62-32 with a 3.22 ERA over 136 outings spanning 134 starts and 843 innings. He has twice reached 200 innings, throwing a career-high 214 1/3 in 2019. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb