Patrick Mahomes was pumped up when the NFL schedule was released and he saw his Kansas City Chiefs were playing on Christmas Day for the second straight season. His excitement lasted for only a short time. "Until I realized it was on Wednesday," Mahomes said Monday. Plenty of sore bodies will take the field Wednesday when the Chiefs (14-1) visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) in what will be the third game in 11 days for both teams. Both squads just played on Saturday. The Chiefs posted a 27-19 home win over the Houston Texans and the Steelers fell 34-17 to the host Baltimore Ravens. "You're not going to feel great," Mahomes said of the short week. "That's kind of just what it is. You don't make excuses in this league. You go out and play football, and you fight until the very end, and you try to get a win at the end of the day. "You're motivated to play a great football team, to play in Pittsburgh in a great environment, a great stadium. It'll be rocking playing on Christmas, so everybody's going to be watching." If Kansas City wins Wednesday, it clinches the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs have 14 victories for the third time in the past five seasons. The franchise has never won 15 games in a season. Kansas City hasn't committed a single turnover during its five-game winning streak. Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson isn't fond of hearing "turnover" after he made two big mistakes in Saturday's loss to the Ravens. Wilson lost a fumble after a 19-yard gain to the Baltimore 4-yard line in the second quarter and later was intercepted by Marlon Humphrey, who returned it 37 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Wilson called it "unacceptable" and now has his focus on making amends against Kansas City. "I don't think there's enough time to really sulk or worry or fear," Wilson said. " ... The one thing I'm not going to do is keep my head down, though. I know for us we got so much great confidence in who we are and what we can do and how we're going to respond. "We can't let a tough game like this take us into a negative state of mind because there's a lot more to play for and a lot more we're searching for, and we can still win the (AFC) North." Wilson is correct. If the Steelers win their final two regular-season games, they will win their division. They would have clinched it last weekend if they had won in Baltimore. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin is hardly concerned about Wilson's miscues. It was the veteran signal-caller's first time committing multiple turnovers in nine games with the team. "He's tough on himself because he's got a desire to be great," Tomlin said. "He wants to lead us to victory. He owns that. I don't expect that to be an issue in terms of his readiness or trajectory of this week." Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) missed Pittsburgh's walkthrough on Monday. Standout receiver George Pickens (hamstring) was a full participant and may return after missing the past three games. Safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring), cornerback Donte Jackson (back) and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin) also could return to action. Jackson's return would be big if Porter can't play. Kansas City also held a walkthrough on Monday. Left tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring), safety Chamarri Conner (concussion) and star defensive end Chris Jones (calf) missed the session. Jones was injured against Houston. Meanwhile, Mahomes said his sore ankle is feeling better than it did last week. The Chiefs lost 20-14 to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day last season. Kansas City has won the past three meetings with the Steelers, including a 42-21 rout in an AFC wild-card game on Jan. 16, 2022. --Field Level Media
In light of this tragedy, it is essential for both consumers and practitioners to prioritize safety, transparency, and professionalism in all aspects of alternative therapy. By educating themselves about the potential risks and benefits of different treatments, individuals can make informed decisions and advocate for their own health and well-being. Likewise, therapists and practitioners must commit to ongoing training, ethical practices, and a deep understanding of human anatomy to avoid causing harm to their clients.First downs and second guesses: Volleyball season in Nebraska isn’t over. In fact, it’s just beginning. On Monday the Omaha Supernovas announced their draft class, including Creighton All-America Kendra Wait and Nebraska’s Lindsay Krause. They join former Husker Ally Batenhorst, Briana Holman and Kayla Caffey on the roster of the defending Pro Volleyball Federation champions. A couple hours later, the Love Volleyball League announced the signing of its “LOVB 6,” a rookie class that includes Lexi Rodriguez (Omaha) Jess Mruzik (Houston), Sarah Franklin (Madison), Sophie Fischer (Salt Lake), One Ofoegbu (Atlanta), and Madisen Skinner (Austin). Rodriguez joins a LOVB Omaha roster that already is loaded with local star power in Jordan Larson, Justine-Wong-Orantes, Madi Kubik, Lauren Stivrins and Jaali Winters. Is this town big enough for two pro volleyball teams? We’ll find out in a few weeks. The Supernovas open their season on Jan. 10 at the CHI Health Center. Two weeks later, on Jan 24., Omaha LOVB (team name?) opens its inaugural season at Liberty Credit Union First Arena (Ralston), where it will play four matches and two more at Baxter Arena. The level of play in both leagues will be incredible. But are there enough fans to go around? The “Novas” averaged 9,656 fans last year in 12 matches at the CHI Health Center. They led the rest of the teams by a lot. Now add local heroes Wait, Krause and Batenhorst and attendance should improve. But what if fans also want to go see Larson, Rodriguez, Stivrins and Winters, along with familiar opponents like Franklin and Mruzik? How will it all play out? Apparently, LOVB’s pockets run deep. For old San Diego Chargers fans like myself and John Cook, an easy comparison is the National Football League and American Football League wars in the 1960’s. Which resulted in the creation of the Super Bowl and then a merger. This winter should be a blast. But I can already see a couple of questions that might need asking come April. Shouldn’t these two pro volleyball leagues have a championship series at the end? Wouldn’t a merger be the best possible thing for the sport of volleyball? See you next month, ladies. I can still sense a Nebraska volleyball hangover with Husker fans. That’s the impact that team had on folks. Those ladies reached in and grabbed them by the heart. It was an incredible ride and they celebrated all the joys. But that pain at the end is going to leave a mark. The four College Football Playoff quarter final match-ups look terrific. Like, get-me-to-a-TV on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 terrific. So, is eight the right number? Don't give up on 12 yet. I still like 12. I’m a brand name sports guy. I like watching the big boys battle for championships. But I also want the non-brands, the little guys, in there. Underdogs bring a lot to the postseason. They bring the "what if" factor. What if the long shot gets on a roll? That's why we watch. You wouldn't just want a playoff with all SEC and Big Ten teams would you? That's not a national championship. The first-round blowouts weren’t good. But it happens, and it happened in the four-team playoff era. But one day there will be upsets, too. Football can't be basketball. But upsets are the magic in the NCAA tournament. When the field was announced, I thought Indiana and SMU belonged. A loss on an opponent's home field can't change that. Alabama’s problem was its loss to Oklahoma. And who would have imagined that OU would drag mighty Bama out of the playoff? I’m real tired of the SEC whining. It just hurts more. Hey, you guys wanted OU and Texas. You got ‘em. There has been arguing and debates over college football's national champion forever. Expansion to 12 was never going to change that. Until the college game goes to 32 teams and puts them into divisions, ala the NFL, with equal scheduling, there's going to be arguing. I would only change one thing with the first weekend: no first-round byes. The campus atmospheres were fabulous. Give me more of ‘em. One of the great things about the transfer portal is when an athlete settles in and makes the community better. Creighton senior Steven Ashworth is doing that. Ashworth is headlining a local charitable initiative called “Light The World.” The unique project features vending machines, or “Giving Machines,” which are located in Westroads Mall near Von Maur. The machines offer items (10 Blankets for $50 for a homeless shelter) that people can swipe a credit card and donate the item of their choice. The machines will be at Westroads until Dec. 31. Ashworth and a group of Creighton athletes from men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball will be at Westroads on Dec. 28 between 5-8 p.m., to visit and sign autographs. Bill Belichick is used to coaching the best of the best. The majority of college football players are not NFL players. They work hard, and they can make mistakes. Belichick will recruit well at North Carolina, but he’s not going to have an NFL roster. There are going to be mistakes. How will he deal with that? I bet this caught Belichick’s attention: Tulane redshirt quarterback Darian Mensah hit the portal and wound up at Duke. According to CBS Sports, Mensah received an NIL deal at Duke reportedly worth $8 million over two years. When did North Carolina and Duke start spending like Ohio State and Alabama for football? The New Year is upon us. I’m taking nominations for top sports stories in 2024. Send them my way this week. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
As the countdown to kick-off begins, Real Madrid fans will be eagerly awaiting the official announcement of the starting lineup to see if AS's predictions come to fruition. Regardless of the final selection, one thing is certain: Real Madrid will be looking to make a statement in the Champions League and show their title ambitions with a strong performance in this round of fixtures.
Marianna Massey/DigitalVision via Getty Images There are two broad strategies for dividend or income investing. One is a high yield-focused and the other one is a dividend growth-focused. Each of them implies a specific approach with relatively minor overlaps between the Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of SCHD, FDUS either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.MEMPHIS 99, NO. 2 UCONN 97, OT
Shatel: Is Omaha big enough for two professional volleyball teams?
IU INDY 88, ALABAMA A&M 83Investing in remains an attractive strategy given a volatile macro environment and shifting economic landscapes. In addition to a stable stream of recurring income, quality dividend stocks allow you to benefit from long-term capital gains. While the broader equity indices are trading near all-time highs, investors can still find fundamentally strong undervalued dividend stocks that can deliver outsized returns in 2025 and beyond. Canadian investors looking to deploy $1,000 right now can consider gaining exposure to energy infrastructure giant ( ) and clean energy powerhouse ( ). The two companies offer attractive dividend yields and possess certain competitive advantages, making them enticing investments. Let’s dive deeper. Valued at a of $131 billion, Enbridge is among the largest companies in Canada. It pays shareholders an annual dividend of $3.77 per share, translating to a forward yield of 6.3%. Notably, its dividends have risen by 10% annually over the last 29 years. Despite an uncertain macro environment, Enbridge demonstrated strong financial performance and strategic execution in the third quarter (Q3). In fact, it remains on track to end 2024 at the top end of its adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) and distributable per share (DCF) guidance. The company had initially estimated EBITDA between $17.7 billion and $18.3 billion, with DCF per share of $5.40 and $5.80 per share in 2024. Given its midpoint DCF per share estimates, Enbridge has a payout ratio of 67%, which provides it with enough room to target accretive acquisitions and lower balance sheet debt. In the first nine months of 2024, Enbridge added $7 billion to its secured growth program and completed the acquisition of three natural gas utilities from . It expects to grow EBITDA at a compounded annual growth rate of at least 7% through 2026 due to a robust capital-allocation framework. Additionally, it has an annual investment capacity of $8 billion, $6 billion of which was allocated towards low-capital intensity expansions, modernization, and utilities rate base investments. Analysts expect ENB to expand adjusted earnings from $2.78 per share in 2024 to $3.2 per share in 2026. So, priced at 18.8 times , ENB stock is reasonably priced and should be part of your dividend portfolio in 2025. Brookfield Renewable Partners delivered a strong performance in Q3, achieving record funds from operations (FFO). Moreover, the company confirmed it is on track to meet its FFO per unit growth target of +10% for 2024. Brookfield attributed its Q3 results to asset development, acquisitions, and strong pricing across its portfolio. Its diverse business model across global power markets and its focus on mature low-cost technologies have allowed Brookfield Renewable to perform admirably in recent years. The company pays shareholders an annual dividend of US$1.42 per share, up from US$0.87 per share in 2011. Analysts forecast its adjusted FFO per share to expand from US$1.53 in 2023 to US$2 in 2026, indicating its dividend payout should continue to grow. Priced at less than 12 times forward FFO, BEP stock is relatively cheap, given its tasty dividend yield of over 6%. Analysts tracking the remain bullish and expect it to gain over 25% in the next 12 months.
Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas treeInside the quirky 'Teletubbies house' that's hit the market for £1.2million... can you guess what it used to be?
By TravelPulse (TNS) While 2024 was a year that brought about significant, continued post-pandemic recovery for the travel industry, it was also a period of time marked by instability in some locations around the world. From attacks on the rail lines during the Paris Olympics to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, not to mention the war in Ukraine, the global travel realm in 2024 was fraught with challenges. It is against this backdrop that the international security and medical services provider Global Guardian recently released its 2025 Global Risk Map. Published annually, the map is meant to help travelers better understand the current global risk landscape. In order to develop its guidance, experts at Global Guardian assess a long list of country-specific security risk factors and indicators, including crime, health, natural disasters, infrastructure, political stability, civil unrest and terrorism. For 2025, Global Guardian’s assessment results underscore the reality that disruption globally and domestically continues to increase, and now more than ever travelers need to be prepared when exploring the world. As part of the latest assessment, Global Guardian highlighted a handful of specific global regions that are at particular risk of destabilization over the next year and beyond. Here’s a closer look at those regions, along with insights from Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner, who recently spoke with TravelPulse at length about the risks travelers may face in 2025. Here are the regions at risk of destabilization in 2025: Israel’s existential battle against Iran is set to continue into 2025, says the Global Guardian report. “In July 2024, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) safehouse in Tehran, and Iran has pledged revenge,” the report explains. “This comes as Iran and its web of regional proxies took their war on Israel out of the shadows and into the open following October 7, 2023, with seven live fronts.” Global Guardian also predicts that Israel’s regional war will shift from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon in the year ahead, heightening tensions with Hezbollah, while Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean will persist. The report adds that as “we enter 2025, Israel may assess that its strategic window to prevent a nuclear Iran is rapidly closing and choose to act.” The ongoing civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is also of concern, according to Global Guardian’s risk analysis. The conflict “has created a dire humanitarian situation with ethnically motivated violence on the rise,” says the report. Some of the areas of concern in the Latin American region include Venezuela and Mexico, according to Global Guardian. The risk in Venezuela is tied to the country’s long-standing territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, says the report. “Since 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended all operations,” explains Buckner. “Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common in Venezuela. Shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Venezuela. Simply put, Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Western travelers and should be avoided.” In Mexico, meanwhile, the problems include drug cartel-related violence and theft, among other issues, says the report. Mexico recently inaugurated its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and like her predecessors she will face challenges “reining in cartel violence, corruption, extortion, theft and kidnapping,” says the report. “As such, security continues to be a top concern in Mexico’ ” says the report, which categorizes Mexico as “high risk” when it comes to travel for 2025. Countries classified as high risk experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest — and have not effectively managed those risks. The Global Guardian report also suggests there may be heightened risks in Mexico now that Donald Trump has been reelected U.S. president. “Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Mexico could dramatically deteriorate. Trump has promised a mass deportation operation, which could sour relations between the U.S. and Mexico, increasing risks to businesses operating in Mexico,” the report adds. Asked to comment on Mexico’s high-risk designation, Buckner stressed that the situation in the country is extremely nuanced, adding that it’s a vast oversimplification to call the entire country high risk. “There are pockets of Mexico that are wildly safe and wonderful to visit and people shouldn’t hesitate to go,” Buckner told TravelPulse. “And there are also pockets that are unsafe and dangerous.” The good news, added Buckner, is that Mexico’s new president is focusing a great deal of effort and energy on addressing the problems surrounding drug cartels, which are the source of a great deal of the risk. Buckner was quick to add however, that as long as there’s demand for drugs, the drug cartel situation is likely to remain problematic. “The U.S. is driving the drug demand — we consume more drugs then the rest of the world,” explained Buckner. “It’s really overly simplified to paint Mexico as the bad guy, because if there wasn’t demand, we wouldn’t need the supply. But the demand is real and violence comes with that.” Representatives for Global Nexus, a government and public affairs consultancy that advises travel and tourism companies and interests in Southern Mexico, told TravelPulse that while drug-related violence has been known to occur, it involves members of the drug cartel targeting each other, they’re not targeting tourists. “There is an ongoing battle between small drug vendors who use the beach to sell product to tourists hanging out on the beach,” explained Ruben Olmos, Global Nexus president and CEO, in reference to the Quintana Roo region, which is popular with tourists. “There have been cases where gunfire has been exchanged between these groups. They are targeting themselves. They are fighting over ‘This is my beach’ and they initiate a shootout.” However, added Olmos, that the U.S. State Department’s risk categorization for Quintana Roo (which is separate from the Global Guardian risk assessment) has not changed. Located on the State Department’s Mexico page, the risk assessment for Quintana Roo remains in the “Exercise Increased Caution” category, which is below the top risk categories of “Do Not Travel” and “Reconsider Travel.” The Exercise Increased Caution designation means “Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security,” explains the State Department’s website. Olmos also pointed out that Mexico is the only country that has a map on the U.S. State Department website that covers every single state in the country, providing details for travelers about which states are safest. In June 2024, thousands of young people took to the streets in Kenya to protest a controversial tax bill. The protesters were met with heavy-handed policing, including the use of live fire and mass arrests, says the Global Guardian risk report. Despite the local security response, protests continued. The success and tenacity of the Kenyan movement has triggered similar protests or dissent in other countries including Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria, says Global Guardian. That is just a portion of the risk Global Guardian sees for Sub-Saharan Africa over the course of 2025. “With multiple conflicts escalating across the continent, aging leaders leaving behind unclear successions, and entrenched regimes with dissipating legitimacy, Sub-Saharan Africa now looks much like the North African and Arab world in the early 2010s,” says the report. “While the dynamic unfolding in Africa might not yet merit the label of “African Spring,” a significant change to the continent’s political status quo is coming.” Several countries received an extreme or high-risk designation on the new Global Guardian risk map for 2025, including more than a few that are popular with leisure travelers or tourists. Extreme risk countries are those that Global Guardian says are “actively engaged in conflict, while also experiencing severe criminal activity and civil unrest.These countries are insecure; state institutions are too weak to manage militant groups or large-scale disasters.” They include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Ukraine, West Bank, Gaza and Yemen. The current list of high-risk countries, which are countries that experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest and have not effectively managed those risks, includes Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela Officials from the Jamaica Tourist Board provided a statement to TravelPulse in response to Global Guardian’s designation of the country. “Last month, Global Guardian, a private security provider, released its 2025 Global Risk Map, which included Jamaica, amongst other destinations,” said the Tourist Board. “It is important to note that the crime rate against visitors is notably low at 0.01% and the majority of Jamaica’s tourism product remains unaffected.” The country’s tourism officials added that Jamaica has welcomed 3 million visitors this year and boasts a high repeat visitor rate of 42%. “The island is consistently ranked among the top destinations for international travel and visitors continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the statement adds. When it comes to Jamaica, Buckner offered similar comments to those of Mexico, noting that the situation is impacted by drug-related violence and the experience on the ground is nuanced and cannot be painted with a broad brush. “In the same vein as Mexico — Jamaica can be a wonderful place to visit,” says Buckner. “There are pockets of beauty and low crime and as long as you are careful, it’s a very low threat.” Buckner, a retired Army colonel, maintains that the world is indeed a more risky place heading into 2025. The challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine are at the forefront of the instability, but are hardly the only cause for concern. “Israel has now gone to Gaza and cleaned out Hamas, they’re now moving north into Lebanon, and we are convinced Israel will strike Iran,” Buckner said during an interview that took place prior to Israel’s strike on Iran. “If that occurs you are going to see violence across the Middle East.” “But there are over 100 conflicts across the globe,” continues Buckner. When you combine that reality with other challenges the world is currently grappling with, including the destabilizing influences of climate change, there are plenty of risks for travelers to bear in mind when planning a journey for the coming year. He wraps up by offering a few tips for travelers, a check-list of sorts, to work through when planning or considering travel to a specific country in 2025: — If you don’t know who to call or how you are going to negotiate if someone is kidnapped, you shouldn’t go there. — Consumers need to read the fine print on travel insurance because it does not cover war zones, terrorism or natural disasters, says Buckner. And travelers are often surprised and find out too late that these types of events are not covered. — If you get stuck or stranded, if you don’t know who you are going to call to get you out of that situation, know what organizations locally or internationally are available to help you. ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.Furthermore, the sense of community and camaraderie among young people studying at Disneyland contributes to its growing popularity as a self-study hotspot. Interacting with like-minded individuals and sharing the joy of learning in such a magical setting can foster a sense of solidarity and motivation among students. The diverse mix of students from different backgrounds and disciplines adds to the enriching and collaborative learning experience at Disneyland, creating a supportive and inspiring atmosphere for studying.
In conclusion, the Chinese yuan's direct ascent and its breakthrough of the 7.25 threshold underscore the dynamic nature of the global financial landscape and the interconnectedness of economies around the world. The implications of the yuan's surge extend far beyond China's borders, shaping the dynamics of international trade, finance, and investment. As we continue to monitor developments in the currency markets, one thing remains clear: the Chinese yuan's ascendancy is a force to be reckoned with in the new world of global finance.
In an exciting turn of events, Beijing Guoan has officially announced the appointment of former Barcelona manager Quique Setien as their new head coach. Setien, known for his tactical acumen and attacking style of play, is set to bring a fresh perspective to the Chinese Super League side as they gear up for the upcoming season. His arrival has already made waves in the footballing world, with fans eagerly anticipating the impact he will have on the team.Enphase: Top Contrarian Pick With Blood In The Streets
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Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100'Anxious millennial' who fled America for 'utopia' warns why others shouldn't follow her leadThe illicit operation came to light when several victims reported suspicious activities on their cellphones, including unauthorized access to their personal information and unusual online purchases. Upon further investigation by law enforcement agencies, it was revealed that the suspect had accessed and extracted sensitive data, including contact lists, messages, and browsing history, from a large number of smartphones.